MAYA IS THE REALITY

4th January 1937

A disciple remarks that Sri Bhagavan often says that Maya and Reality are the same. How can that be?

Bhagavan: Shankara was criticized for his views on Maya without understanding him. He said that

(1) Brahman is real,
(2) The universe is unreal, and
(3) Brahman is the universe.

He did not stop at the second, because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the Self, and unreal if perceived apart from the Self. Hence Maya and Reality are one and the same.

~ Guru Ramana