Written by DSS Monday, 03 December 2012
MAYA
Maya is a term which has been used time and again in Guru Granth Sahib. Even though the most common meaning of maya is money or wealth, but maya encompasses each and everything that attracts your senses. So, love for your family and your possessions, beauty, music, eating, resting, and hatred for anything, are all examples of maya. In general, lust, rage, greed, possessiveness, conceit, jealousy, laziness and the like make up maya. Every living being is suffers from the effects of Maya. Because of the suffering caused by Maya, every living being has been called unclean or mentally sick in Guru Granth Sahib.
Maya has also been called poison, snake or the dark anjan (kohl, mascara or lamp-black).
Niranjan (without anjan or maya) means God Who is unaffected by Maya.
Ø THE WORLD-SEA (the ocean of Maya)
The mankind is so engrossed in Maya that all his activities revolve around Maya. On the other hand, Waheguru is above all the effects of Maya. So, if we are on one side of Maya, Waheguru is completely on the other side. Guru Granth Sahib has used a metaphor - the sea of Maya or the World Sea – to describe this dichotomy. Humans have to go across this sea to be one with Waheguru which is an extremely difficult task. Again Guru Granth Sahib has a solution for this almost impossible task. To cross this ocean of Maya or (the world sea), the Perfect Guru acts as the ship and His Shabad (in praise of Waheguru) acts as the navigator. Thus the Guru is the bridge between the man and Waheguru.
Ø THREE MAIN TRAITS OF MAYA
According to Hindu Shastras, the man is always in one of the three mental states – Suto, Rujo and Tumo – called the three traits of Maya.
Tamas means darkness or the state of ignorance. This is the lowest mental state, and the man is unenlightened. He is irritated and his deeds are of very low quality. He cannot enjoy life and is not of much help to the society in this state.
Rajas means a balanced state of mind. The individual has some enlightenment, and leads a normal life. He can be useful to the society.
Satas is the highest mental state in which a man is knowledgeable about God to some degree. A Man in this state is generally happy and satisfied with life, and can be a lot more useful to the society. However, man is still bonded to Maya and cannot connect with God even in this state.
To be one with God, man has to break all ties with Maya. This is called the FOURTH STATE. It is only in the fourth state that man can realize God.
Ø THREE AILMENTS
There are three other ailments from which the humans suffer - Aadh, Biyaadh, and Oopaadh.
Aadh: Mental sickness
Biyaadh: Physical sickness
Oopaadh : Fights with others, aggression, and encroachments on your rights etc.
Ø FIVE DEMONS
The following natural forces are called demons because if they are not controlled, they control your life, and under their influence a man loses all the good qualities and leads a life full of vices. They are: Lust, Rage, Greed, Attachment to worldly things or a desire for Possessiveness, and Conceit.