Hello, everyone. I hope you are well.
First, a reminder about We Still Need to Talk 1-day Retreat in Knowlton on Aug. 2, and the morning Simple & Deep Practices coming soon. You are most welcome to join either. (Details below.)
Second. How is your summer going? As expected?
On the hottest days of my recent vacation in the wilds of Northern Ontario, I couldn’t muster the energy to do very much at all.
One afternoon I just gave up. I lay down on a purple yoga mat under the low-tech disco ball suspended from the rafters of the cottage, and kept myself amused by trying to locate my reflection in the globe’s myriad mirrored tiles.
Although a few tiny squares-worth of what I think was the mat eventually appeared, for the life of me I could not find my own reflection. Examining the photo, I still don’t see me. What a mysterious disco ball, very maya-like!
That term maya, which some of you are familiar with, refers in certain traditions to illusion and is part of a general understanding that the world as we know it is a mirage, a dream, unreal.
Along with that thinking comes the notion that the only thing that is real, that is not maya, is a higher, universal and ever-unchanging Self. That Self becomes a goal, or the target as it were, of spiritual practice.
In our non-dual Tantric tradition of Kashmiri/Trika Saivism, we understand maya differently, and situate her within the context of an absolute, universal Self that is actually very active.
Our supreme I, aka Consciousness, is always whole, unbroken, non-dual. However, it isn’t some austere, unmoving, separate reality. This Consciousness possesses tremendous freedom and creative power. It’s very full.
Consciousness is free to just BE; it is also free to BECOME anything. It is and does both (being, becoming) without contradiction.
As just being-ness the Self is often described as silent, unchanging, beyond thought. As becoming-ness this same Self is constantly unfolding itself, manifesting as everything, including the world as we know it as well as all these individual selves.
This is where maya comes in.
Maya is Consciousness’ power (shakti) to appear as so many diverse forms. Maya is the force that seems to break the totality up into all the bits and pieces that become the bits of pieces of our experience: The ticks, turtles and bears; tribes, cities and empires; thoughts, sensations, imaginations, etc.
Maya is a fascinating force. Her function is to make the real world of experience happen, and she has the full backing of Consciousness behind her. In fact, she is Consciousness.
Even if this confusing, it is still helpful knowledge to have, particularly when we feel like we have lost ourselves in those endless reflections that seem to minimize and contract our awareness. At those times, over and over again, look to that which is more whole and complete, not more fractured. Look to the source that is making it all happen.
This is what the tradition teaches.
When the power of consciousness is recognised to be the spontaneous expression of the absolute made manifest in the variety of forms it assumes without compromising its essential unity, it is experienced as the pure vibration of its freedom (svatantrya).
If, however, the cosmic outpouring of consciousness is felt to consist of diverse and conflicting elements, the same power is called Maya. The field of operation of the freedom of the absolute is the kingdom of universal consciousness, while that of its power of maya is the world of transmigratory existence.
The difference between them is based on the degree of insight we have into the nature of reality.
Mark Dyczkowski
As usual, I am attempting the impossible here by talking about huge and essential topics in just a few words, without dumbing things down. I will continue next time! Thanks for reading.
Wishing you all well and hope to see you soon.
Pranams, Robin
