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maya

maya

2 9.9
An appearance of the world that hides its true nature
  • noun
  • /ˈmɑːjə/
  • Specialized
: maya
  • In any case, the Upanishads taught that the only completely satisfying end to life was union with the ultimate Ground of Reality, called Brahman, and that the manifest world we see about us is nothing but Brahman's maya or appearance.

It's sort of like taking the red pill and the matrix and being able to see through the Maya, the illusion.

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Examples

  • I recognize that where they are is where I once was, or where I am, or where I may be, which is at one and the same time lifting the illusion, maya, of our current realities and apparent differences, recognizing what I have in common with all souls before and after this life, without falling into the trap of a fatalistic acceptance of our circumstances.

    Blog text (1)
  • OK, what you're studying is Maya, the world of illusion.

  • It's sort of like taking the red pill and the matrix and being able to see through the Maya, the illusion.

  • So that energy of Maya then projects out how we interact and perceive things around us.

  • But this concept of Maya is that there is, there is a, we are fooled into thinking that there is duality.

  • In fact, they would say that we are asleep, that we are lost in our collective dreaming, illusion, maya.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Kali is free from the illusory covering, for she is beyond all maya or "false consciousness."

    Blog text (1)
  • So, so my teachers would always say that if you feel like you're unaffected by Maya, Maya's the Sanskrit word for illusion.

  • In many spiritual traditions, the ultimate goal is to see beyond maya and understand the true nature of reality.

  • The philosopher explained that maya refers to the illusions that distract us from perceiving our true selves.

Synonyms

phantasm
vsmaya
  • Literature
3 9.9

A thing that seems real but is only in the mind, like a ghost

is a broad spiritual idea about the world's illusory appearance
phantasma
vsmaya
  • Literature
1 9.9

A ghost-like figure that seems real but is not

is a teaching about the world's overall illusory nature rather than one vision

Surface Forms

maya singular
mayas plural

Etymology

Maya comes from the Sanskrit word māyā, which means 'illusion' or 'magic'. So maya is like a 'magic' that makes the world seem real while hiding the deeper truth.