7). Drk Drashya Viveka – Powers of Maya

Maya has two powers – Projecting and veiling. Projecting power creates the experiencer (subtle body) and experienced (world).

• Seer and seen are opposite in nature. Seer is sentient( chaitanyam). Seen is insentient (jadam).
• Seen is appearance only like mirage in desert. It is non existent. Seer alone is reality.
• There cannot be any relationship between Seer and Seen. Due to maya there appears to be a relationship. Maya itself is unreal. Only for the purpose of explanation of relative experience maya is postulated.
• World is different from Reality (atman). World is an illusion like a mirage.
• Maya has two powers – veiling and projecting  like rope on a snake.
• Projection causes bondage and agitation. Tamasik people resort to drugs, alcohol for escaping agitation. Rajasik people go after enjoyments, success, name and fame. Satvik people go after prayers, spirituality.  The agitation doesnot end without atmajnana.
• Maya is called cause from the point of effect namely the world.  It is undescribable (anirvachaniyam).  It is not real since it can be negated with knowledge. It can not be called non existent because it is experienced.
• Ignorance is not an object like flower which you can posess.  It is absence of knowledge. It is like darkness which is absence of light.  Ignorance is always about an object. For example there is ignorance of subject called physics.  By the knowledge of physics, ignorance disappears. Similarly, Self Knowledge destroys ignorance.
• Tamas aspect of maya veils the truth. Rajas projects illusion.
• Like maya reality is also undescribable.  Reality being subject can never be experienced as object and hence cannot be described Effect of maya can be experienced but maya is illusion.