How to overcome Maya & see God?

Maya is something which separates us from the divine power called GOD. GOD created Maya so that everyone in the world gets busy in the materialistic world. Maya of God is very powerful & God has covered our minds with the power of Maya. Maya keeps ourselves involved in this world & hence away from the God. In general, individual’s money, relationships, desire, selfishness etc. are characteristics of Maya. Individual’s true nature is divine, but through Maya, or ignorance, that divinity in us is covered.

Maya creates ignorance of God. For the people whose mind is involved in this world, it is not possible to see God or know His ways. Everyone in this world is under the spell of this world bewitching Maya. This Maya is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of this screen of the cloud. When the clouds disappear, one sees the sun. If by the grace of God one's ego vanishes, then one sees God. Man’s true nature is divine, but through some power, known as Maya, or ignorance, that divinity in us is covered.

In Bhagwat Gita, Lord Sri Krishna says; “It is very hard to break this veil of Maya, Made of Tri-Gunas. But he who takes refuge in Me only passes Through this Maya.” To take refuge in God, to surrender ourselves completely to him, is the way to go beyond Maya. Sri Krishna also says “ If a man worships Me with unfaltering love, he will go beyond this Maya.”

"daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature (Maya), is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross over it."

Sri Ramakrishna, saint of Bengal, illustrates about the true nature of God. Through this we can understand how God is present near us while He is hiding through Maya from us & how we are not able to see Him.

"Hide and Seek" game has many versions & people of different countries play it in many different ways. In one form which is played in some countries, the one who hides is called "Granny" & all others are seeker of her. This "Granny" blindfolds the eyes of other persons and then hides herself. These blindfolded persons are to seek that hidden "Granny" one by one. Whosoever can find and touch the "Granny" has the blindfold removed from his/her eyes and is "free". So the game goes like that. In the philosophical sense same is the case with us. God is similarly nearby us (like Granny) & has covered our eyes with ignorance and hidden Himself here. If you are able to find Him, touch Him, then you are freed of Maya (the blindfold, the illusion, the duality).

Actually "Maya" is the energy of God which creates illusion about God & blindfolds our inner eyes (our knowledge) of God. When we are under the influence of "Maya" energy then we are not able to see God or know our true Soul nature. Here below are verses from "Bhagwat Gita" which describe about the nature of this "Maya", how this illusive energy of God deludes the human beings & puts a veil of ignorance on human mind. This veil of ignorance just disappears from the human mind once he/she starts having faith in God & have devotion in that Almighty. God himself in below verses is declaring that one who is engaged in pure devotional service goes beyond this illusion of "Maya" easily & attains to the God in no time.

"dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena cha
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 38)

"Sri Krishna said: As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, so is the living entity (Individual Soul) is covered by different degrees of this Ignorance."

Below are verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain, how one can be free of the influence of "Maya" by having devotion towards the God:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions (shall be freed of Maya). Do not fear."

So let's devote our heart, mind & Soul to God as by doing so we shall be free of the power & influence of the illusory nature of Maya. Once we are able to find God, touch Him with our heart then we shall be a Free Soul & shall be eligible to live in His Divine Abode ultimately. So let's through devotion of God be the ultimate winner in "Hide and Seek" game (Maya) of the God.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Hide and Seek game of God

Have you played "Hide and Seek" game in your childhood? I think there shall be very few people who have not played this game in their childhood. Here below is a "parable" named "Hide and Seek" of Sri Ramakrishna, saint of Bengal, which illustrates about the true nature of God. Through this we can understand how God is present near us while He is hiding from us & how we are not able to see Him.

"Hide and Seek" game has many versions & people of different countries play it in many different ways. In one form which is played in some countries, the one who hides is called "Granny" & all others are seeker of her. This "Granny" blindfolds the eyes of other persons and then hides herself. These blindfolded persons are to seek that hidden "Granny" one by one. Whosoever can find and touch the "Granny" has the blindfold removed from his/her eyes and is "free". So the game goes like that. In the philosophical sense same is the case with us. God is similarly nearby us (like Granny) & has covered our eyes with ignorance and hidden Himself here. If you are able to find Him, touch Him, then you are freed of Maya (the blindfold, the illusion, the duality).

Actually "Maya" is the energy of God which creates illusion about God & blindfolds our inner eyes (our knowledge) of God. When we are under the influence of "Maya" energy then we are not able to see God or know our true Soul nature. Here below are verses from "Bhagwat Gita" which describe about the nature of this "Maya", how this illusive energy of God deludes the human beings & puts a veil of ignorance on human mind. This veil of ignorance just disappears from the human mind once he/she starts having faith in God & have devotion in that Almighty. God himself in below verses is declaring that one who is engaged in pure devotional service goes beyond this illusion of "Maya" easily & attains to the God in no time.

Below verses explain the nature of "Maya" & how it binds the free Soul to it's qualities:

"sattvam rajas tama iti
gunah prakriti-sambhavah
nibadhnanti maha-baho
dehe dehinam avyayam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 5)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The three Material nature born qualities (goodness, passion and ignorance born of Maya) bind the imperishable Soul to this body, when this Soul comes in contact with these three modes (qualities) of nature."

"dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena cha
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 38)

"Sri Krishna said: As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, so is the living entity (Individual Soul) is covered by different degrees of this Ignorance."

"daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature (Maya), is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross over it."

Below verses explain how one can be free of the influence of "Maya" by having devotion towards the God:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions (shall be freed of Maya). Do not fear."

So let's devote our heart, mind & Soul to God as by doing so we shall be free of the power & influence of the illusory nature of Maya. Once we are able to find God, touch Him with our heart then we shall be a Free Soul & shall be eligible to live in His Divine Abode ultimately. So let's be the ultimate winner in "Hide and Seek" game of the God.

Jai Sri Krishna

Life is a Chess Game

How many of you have ever played a Chess Game? Those who have played it, know very well that in a Chess Game there is a square Chess Board on which each player controls sixteen pieces: king, queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights & eight pawns. There are two armies of such sets in Black & White opposite to each other & this game is played between two players. Moves are played in the Chess Game & slowly pawns, knights, rooks, queen, king etc. are killed or checked out. In this way Chess Game goes on.

Same is the case with our lives. Through ages God is playing this Chess Game with us. He puts us on this Chess Board called "Earth" & makes His moves through all of us so that His game goes on. We all are just puppets of God on this Chess Board called "Earth". Slowly, one by one, people are Checked Out (die) & again God plays this game with His new people (new one's born). In this way God's game is going on since time immemorial.

Just see that in Egypt, you find tombs of Kings & Queens in Pyramids which date back to many centuries ago. In Taj Mahal in India there is tomb of Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal who were King & Queen of their times. So where have all of them gone? They were very much real people like you & me in their times but now their Chess Game is over. At their time, they were King, Queen & they were having their own "life real" rooks, knights, pawns etc. That army of people used to serve them in their times but all of them were checked out from the Chess Board i.e. all of them have died with their army of people. Now new players are on the Chess Board.

So anyone who is born on this earth is sure to die. We are here on this earth for a limited period of time after which we need to leave this earth. So let's not get attached to things in life too much. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains that only:

"jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur
dhruvam janma mrtasya cha
tasmad apariharye ’rthe
na tvam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 27)

"Sri Krishna said: One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament."

In Fact we all become so much involved & busy in our life on this earth that we all forget that one day we all have to leave this earth, leave this body. Our Life is not permanent on this earth & it is for a limited period of time after which it shall pass away. Transient nature of life is aptly described in below few lines of the Persian Poet, 'Omar Khayyam' :

'Lo! some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That time and fate of all their Vintage prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to Rest. '

'Omar Khayyam'

Lo, here were all those our near & dear one's, whom we loved the most & are gone now. Wine of life that used to flow through their mortal body has gone. Time & fate ( karmic law of cause & effect) has acted in their case & after drinking a Cup or two (of life), they have departed from this earth & have died a short or long before us. So shall be the fate of our self also & we shall too some day depart after drinking a Cup or two.

So instead of letting time & fate rule our destiny & lead us to death, why not let God immortalize us. So let's remember & pray to God daily, let's know Him daily so that God can bless us with the immortality

When Work Is Play then it is Karma Yoga

Have you ever played football or any other game just for the joy of playing it? When you play it with full vigor, then you derive special joy while playing it. If you play that game, for say two hours, then complete two hours give you joy of that game. In such a game it hardly matters for you whether you win or lose. After the game is over, a sense of satisfaction comes to you, as you had a good time playing it & you enjoyed it. But the only thing that is must in such a game to derive pleasure out of it is that you need to play it with full vigor & involvement. You need to be 100% in it while playing that game, as then only real joy of playing it comes to you.

Same is the case with any WORK that you do. If you get fully involved in it & give your 100% to it, then you too get a deep satisfaction doing that work & really enjoy while doing it. If there is a sense of complete involvement in any work, then you will love doing it, as it shall give a deep soul satisfaction that you have done your work with full devotion. In such an involvement, you just forget about the end result that this work shall derive. In any way, if you work with full dedication & devotion, then end result shall be good only & shall give success ultimately. But in such an involvement in work, it is the work only that matters & hardly mind thinks of the end result.

If you derive joy in work, then it becomes just like a play, in which joy of play is more important than the end result. So when WORK becomes PLAY then you are really doing it properly. Doing work in this way is what the Philosophy of Bhagwat Gita teaches us. In doing work in such a way, it becomes "Nishkama Karma" as explained in the Bhagwat Gita. "Nishkama Karma" just means, no egoism in our action, no expectation of any gain or reward but doing your work effectively. It is also that : “You have a right to action but never to the fruits of action.” Below verses of Bhagwat Gita Explains that only.

"Karmanye vadhikaraste
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ’stv akarmani" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)"

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

"Yoga-sthah kuru karmani
sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva
samatvam yoga ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 48)"

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Perform your duty with an equipoise mind, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called Yoga."

So just do your work with your 100% involvement & dedication & derive pleasure out of doing such work. You yourself shall then see that when you care for the work only & not it's final outcome, you work most effectively. Doing work in such a way is only called "Karma Yoga".

Read also...............It's Journey not the Outcome that matters

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Jai Sri Krishna.