I welcome a guest post today from Gian Paul in Brazil - the first of many, I hope.
MAYA - ALL ILLUSION?
by Gian Paul
The Hindus may have a point with their concept of Maya. If it's a concept. Maybe it's far more than that and if we "knew for sure", that could be "mind - shattering" indeed.
A common misconception in the Western world is that Maya is the illusion. That's not quite the case as it is Maya which CREATES the illusion(s). In astrology we may be facing a similar phenomenon: it's not the planets or their respective positions, transits, etc. which originate anything. The cause for any event or situation to materialize is beyond the planets. They however obey in their cycles to the same forces to which all events obey. So they coincide and/or converge.
I once read the following bon-mot:
Here's a quite funny story told in India, reportedly by one of Vishnu's sub-deities. Like the ancient Greek gods, the Indian ones also, and still today, like to mingle with beautiful girls down here on earth. And they have direct descendants, but they are simple humans, entirely subject to the effects of Maya. One day this sub-deity could not resist visiting one of his sons on earth and engaged in a "serious conversation". During which the son in question wanted to know more about Maya from his celestial parent. So here a short transcript:
There are other versions of this story, but they are less convincing. One of them being that the Son was born in heaven, close to his Celestial Father, but had wished to live on earth. So he was given permission to go ahead but also warned that it would be all an illusion. After which exactly the same happened to him on earth as related above. When he met one day again with his Celestial Father, he was asked if he would now prefer to believe that "all was illusion". He readily accepted and returned to where he had come from.
NOTE: In order to avoid confusion about the term Maya in the context of this post:
Columbia Encyclopedia:
maya (mä'yä), in Hinduism, term used in the Veda to mean magic or supernatural power. In Mahayana Buddhism it acquires the meaning of illusion or unreality. The term is pivotal in the Vedanta system of Shankara, where it signifies the world as a cosmic illusion and also the power that creates the world.
And in more detail at Wikipedia's section on Maya
MAYA - ALL ILLUSION?
by Gian Paul
The Hindus may have a point with their concept of Maya. If it's a concept. Maybe it's far more than that and if we "knew for sure", that could be "mind - shattering" indeed.A common misconception in the Western world is that Maya is the illusion. That's not quite the case as it is Maya which CREATES the illusion(s). In astrology we may be facing a similar phenomenon: it's not the planets or their respective positions, transits, etc. which originate anything. The cause for any event or situation to materialize is beyond the planets. They however obey in their cycles to the same forces to which all events obey. So they coincide and/or converge.
I once read the following bon-mot:
"Said the board to the nail, why are you splitting me? Said the nail, look for the one who is hitting me"...The original, biblical chaos which the Grand Architect reportedly "put into order", could explain why everything became thereafter connected. Humans in general may not see that but astrologers at times manage to glimpse some part of it by deduction from repeatedly having observed coincidences which then turn out to be probabilities and even more than that.
Here's a quite funny story told in India, reportedly by one of Vishnu's sub-deities. Like the ancient Greek gods, the Indian ones also, and still today, like to mingle with beautiful girls down here on earth. And they have direct descendants, but they are simple humans, entirely subject to the effects of Maya. One day this sub-deity could not resist visiting one of his sons on earth and engaged in a "serious conversation". During which the son in question wanted to know more about Maya from his celestial parent. So here a short transcript:
Son: When I was young I fell in love, got married, had several children and continue to care for them all. Including for my wife from whom I am now divorced. It's not always easy and by far not an illusion. I only have to look at my bank statement at the end of each month!
Celestial Father: When I spent that night with your mother which then turned out to be the event responsible for you being born on earth, I had told her that for one night she should believe that all is an illusion, result of Maya, and therefore of little consequence. As she was in love with me she accepted that. For a short time she entered the "realm of illusion" which I was proposing.
Son: So it's all a lie, Maya?
Celestial Father: No. For those who wish it to be true it's not an
illusion. But as there is still money coming into your bank account at the end of every month, you may have difficulties in understanding that.
There are other versions of this story, but they are less convincing. One of them being that the Son was born in heaven, close to his Celestial Father, but had wished to live on earth. So he was given permission to go ahead but also warned that it would be all an illusion. After which exactly the same happened to him on earth as related above. When he met one day again with his Celestial Father, he was asked if he would now prefer to believe that "all was illusion". He readily accepted and returned to where he had come from.
