Q91. What is Maya?

Maya has two meanings: compassion and illusion. One meaning of Maya is compassion. Compassion means having feelings for all living beings, being concerned for the welfare and health of all living beings. Another meaning of Maya is illusion, which makes one living being think, that he is superior to others. The aim of this illusionary energy of Lord Krishna called Maya, is to enable the living beings to exist in the material creation in various species and situations. •

The he dog thinks the she dog is the best creation

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The he pigs thinks the she pig is the best creation

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The he human thinks the she human is the best creation

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The white man thinks he is the best creation

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The black man thinks he is the best creation

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The people of every country think they are the best

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The pigs love to eat stool, and people love to eat the flesh of animals, thinking it’s very nice

Without this illusion, it’s not possible for the variety of living beings to exist. If one thinks that his wife is not the best, then there is no point in having her. If a sports team thinks they are not the best. There is no point in competing with others and so

there would be no need for the team to exist. The males in every species of living beings think they are the best, and fight for females, so that his genes pass on and survive. Otherwise the species would become extinct. There are 8.4 million species of living beings, meaning that there are 8.4 million main categories of mentalities among living beings. Under illusion (maya), the living beings are able to continue existing to satisfy the variety of mentalities. Anything related to the body or matter is maya, an illusion that will make us think we can be happy by satisfying our bodily desires, but in reality, this will only result in more misery. Maya is also in the form of ignorant people with no spiritual knowledge, newspapers, TV, Internet, places, and so on. You should be very careful about all the things that are not spiritually related, by keeping away from them. Otherwise unknowingly we will become under more illusion and the result of being under maya (illusion) is that we stay in the material creation to satisfy our bodily desires. •

A human who very much likes to expose her naked body will have her desire more satisfied after this life. Nature will give her the body of a tree and she will stay naked and exposed to all for hundreds of years

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A human who is attached to sex will have his desires satisfied by getting the body of a monkey who mates many times with many females

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Humans who are aggressive will have their desires satisfied by getting the body of aggressive animals

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Humans who have no interest in religion, will have their desire satisfied by being born in the animal kingdom, where there is no thought of God

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Humans, who like to eat flesh, will have their desire satisfied by getting bodies, which are specially made for flesh eating. At death, their souls will be transferred to the wombs of lions, tigers, crocs, and so on

“The divine illusionary energy of Mine [maya] consisting of the three modes of material nature is very difficult to overcome. Those who surrender unto Me can become free from it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 7.14) The three modes of material nature are goodness, passion, and ignorance. Since maya is the energy of Lord Krishna, one can only become free from it by the grace of Lord Krishna.