Overcoming mAyA..

The meaning of cakSusa satyata

As Brhadharanyaka Upanishad says 'cakSusa satyata'. Observation is Satyata/Existence. The satyata/existence is reality for the observer. This statement is an Universal statement across Quantum, Classical and biological worlds.

In quantum world, this 'cakSusa satyata' manifests as wave-function collapse that gets triggered due to observation and a 'satyata' manifesting during the observation. The 'apratigrahah' (non-seizable) becomes pratigrahah (seizable) due to observation (CakSusa) and becomes a new existence or reality (satyata).

In the Classical world, this 'cakSusa satyata' is the theory of relativity, where every observer has a frame of reference and speed of objects varies with observation from different frames of reference.

In biological world, every being has its own inherited and acquired affinities (vAsanas), these vAsanas determine their observation, interaction and hence the satyata for them. Every human being sees their own satyata based on their vAsanas. So everyone have their own reality.

Though reality/existence of something is based on observation, the differences between different existences/realities can be understood, measured and even reconciled. In Quantum domain, we understand that observation leads to wave-function collapse. That's the nature. In Classical domain, we can estimate the speeds of particles with respect to different frames of reference. In biological world, we understand that human beings will have different perceptions based on their inherited and acquired affinities (vAsanas) and try to reach out a mid-point of understanding.

mAyA - The 'self-perspective' causing illusion

But human understanding is also based on something beyond the measurable/reconcilable/understandable differences. It is called 'mAyA'.

'ma' is 'my'. 'maya' is 'myself' or 'itself'. 'maya' is the 'self-perspective' or 'self-property'. mAya is that is descendant of maya, the 'self-perspective' or 'self-property'.

mAya makes us see what we wish or want to see. Our mind wants us to see things as aligned with what it already knows. This reinforcement of our existing thoughts, our self-perspectives, our self-property is mAyA, that arises out of the 'maya'. mAya is the descendant of maya.

This mAya is the illusion that our mind creates, as that's the observation it is comfortable with. Our mind does not like conflicting information. A conflicting information pains it. So it tries to see everything in away it is aligned with what exists in it already. This illusion leads to ignorance of the reality. Hence mAya is ignorance.

mAyA leads us to being unable to reconcile our differences with others. Without mAya, we will agree to disagree as we understand other's perspectives. With mAyA, we don't allow multiple perspectives, conflicting information to come into us. This in turn, leads to us becoming rajasic as we keep reinforcing the same things again and again, becoming more passionate about what we believe is true. In comparison, if we don't have mAyA, if we allow multiple, conflicting perspectives to come into us, we become more knowledgeable and sattvic.

How do we overcome mAya..?

The answer is in the question itself.

Shift the 'seer' or 'observer' from maya, the self. Move away from maya (self-view) to how others see/perceive. When we are able to visualize perspective of multiple stakeholders, (simply put, thinking from other's shoes), maya the self-perspective and mAya the resultant illusion goes away.

When we visualize views of different stakeholders, from their side, it raises questions in our mind, creates doubts on our 'self' perspective. It may agitate our mind and unsettle it. But when these multiple views are reconciled, the mAyA reduces a lot. We get closer to satyata, the existence or reality.

Ofcourse we will never have satyata, because of 'cakSusa satyata'. But we will be closer to reconciling the multiple views and agree to disagree on our 'realities'.

-TBT