Is Maya a Friend or a Foe?
Maya has lured us away from God and that is the cause of our misery. So Maya must be our foe. Right?
No. Maya is extremely beneficial to the jeev . God is our well-wisher and Maya is a power wielded by God. Lord Krishna said in Srimad Bhagavat Gita -
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्तिते॥
गीता 7.14
daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā । māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṁ tarantite॥
gītā 7.14
"Maya is My power. I wield it. Hence, one has to win over Me to win over Maya . I am invincible, thus Maya is also invincible. Yet the one who surrenders himself completely unto Me, becomes free from Maya and attains My grace.”
So, Maya can be nothing else but a well-wisher. It is no exaggeration to say that without Maya one cannot realize God.
- It creates and provides for everything needed to sustain the body, and mind. Jeev does sadhana in the human form with a material mind to attain God. Without Maya neither a body nor a mind would be possible.
- Additionally, Maya awakens us, from the deep slumber of ignorance , by giving us hardships. These hardships are God's punitive way of helping us realize the basic facts
- They do not belong to you.
- You are not the body; you are the soul immortal and divine like your origin God.
- Why are you increasing your attachment to them?
- All other material beings are also searching for happiness. It is futile to expect happiness from them. So, give up our expectation of getting happiness from them as they are beggars just like you. Please note , material people or things are not the cause of ones miseries. Instead, it is your false expectations of achieving happiness from material people and things that makes you miserable.
One's grim experiences of life are due to one's attachments to the world of Maya . Maya itself is not bad or miserable. Maya exposes the true behavior of the material beings.
For example, a son asked his father to buy him a motorcycle and the father refused to give it. Son was really looking forward to getting it, so he got really angry. In spite of anger he used harsh words. That time he really spoke his mind. When his temper cooled off then the son realized how his actions had undermined his personal aspirations. Then, son apologetically approaches the father.
Such instances are everyone's everyday experience. When one deeply reflects upon the selfish intent behind every action then the attachment to this material world reduces.
Many jeev like Ajamil, Meerabai, Tulsidas, Soordas were woken up by Maya.
So, Maya is a essential and is a well-wisher. Also, this is the punitive power of God.
