What is Maya?
The word measure comes from the Sanskrit root Maya. Maya means that which can be measured. So, when you say “all this is Maya,” it refers to everything that can be measured.
Water can be measured, volume can be measured, temperature can be measured, distance can be measured, time can be measured, and so on. Everything in creation exists within time and space, which are measurable—this is why it is called Maya.
What is not Maya?
What cannot be measured? Joy cannot be measured, love cannot be measured, life cannot be measured—therefore, these things are not Maya.
Truth cannot be measured. Truth, consciousness, and bliss—this is what God is. What is God? Sat means truth, Chit means consciousness, and Ananda means bliss. God is truth, bliss, and consciousness—none of which can be measured. And you are the same! The nature of your spirit is bliss. Bliss cannot be measured, love cannot be measured—and these are not Maya.
What does it mean to be caught up in Maya?
When you are caught up in Maya, you become entangled in the small, impermanent things—because Maya refers to what is always changing. Events and objects that constantly shift and transform are Maya. If you are stuck in these ever-changing things, then you have no access to what is eternal. Your life becomes unstable!
Stability comes when you hold onto that which does not change, that which remains constant through time. This is what it means to rise above Maya.
There is another meaning to Maya: that which seems to offer you something, but when you try to grasp it, your hand comes up empty. This is true of most things in the world. You see something so beautiful, and the moment you try to possess it, its beauty disappears. It’s no longer where you thought it was. You believe happiness is “over there,” so you chase after something—but once you reach it, you realize it’s not there.
If you are steady, calm, and content within yourself, then everything will come to you. This is what I’ve said from the very beginning—if you chase pleasure, sorrow will follow you. But if you seek knowledge, all pleasant things will come to you.
Wisdom
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Maya
