Maya - The Illusion Of The Soul

Maya - The Illusion Of The Soul

Do you want to think differently? Well, if the answer is "YES!" (& it should be!) you have to constantly and continually feed your mind the thoughts, ideas & inspiration it needs to help you achieve your ambitious goals. Your mind needs a regular diet of nutrient-rich food—“bread for the head,” as Jim Rohn called it. Be vigilant about what you expose yourself to & remember: What you think about, you create!

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Maya - The Illusion Of The Soul ::

Maya is both an aspect and function of prakriti. The dynamic power of Siva is called prakriti or shakti. In his aspect as suppressor (vamadeva), Siva uses maya as his concealing power to suppress his own powers in the beings and objects he creates. It is not uncommon to see the words maya and prakriti being used interchangeably to denote shakti. To avoid confusion, in this article we prefer to use maya as an aspect and function of prakriti rather than prakriti itself and also use the word prakriti and shakti synonymously or interchangeably. Maya in Saivism is considered as one of the three impurities that bind the jivas to the mortal worlds through delusion. The other two impurities are anava (egoism) and karma (willful actions).

Monistic schools and dualistic schools of Saivism differ in their interpretation of the relationship between Siva and Shakti and whether they are separable or inseparable. While both sides accept Siva as the efficient cause of creation, they differ on the point of which of the two actually is the material cause of the universe. Monistic schools consider Siva as the primary cause of everything. Dualistic schools argue that Siva, jivas and shakti coexist eternally and that they can neither be created nor destroyed. In their highest aspect they may be
similar but in the lower planes of creation their distinction becomes more pronounced. Whatever be the truth, maya is employed to conceal in the jivas Siva consciousness and the super natural powers of Siva.

Pure Beings and Pure Worlds

Maya is employed differently in different planes of creation. In the highest plane of supreme consciousness, prakriti or shakti radiates the supreme powers of Siva in their unlimited and uninhibited aspect. The five powers of Siva
manifest in these worlds to their optimum capacity. They are

1) chit-shakti--kaala (time)--Limitations in the experience of absoluteness and unity of eternality or infinity.

2) iccha-shakti niyati (space) Limitations in the execution and manifestation of will

3) jnana-shakti vidya (knowledge) Limitations in knowing

4) kriya-shakti kala (power) Limitations in manifestation

5) ananda-shakti raga (passion) Limitations in the experience of joy and love and sense of being.

Om Namah Shivay