Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan - Aug.28
Maya Obscures Eternal Joy
That which makes things look what they are not, is maya. Maya is perishable; it is and it is not. The pleasure derived from sensual enjoyment is not lasting. It is common experience that sensual pleasures ultimately turn into suffering of one kind or another. Maya pushes us into the lure of sensual pleasure. To make one uneasy, dissatisfied, with the existing situation is the modus operandi of maya, and money is the main weapon. It is the business of maya to lure man away from God. Maya derives its power from God Himself; but when it debars us from understanding Him, it works as a deterrent; whereas when we realize its true nature and feel amused by it, it appears as His sportiveness. It becomes ineffective and disappears, for a person who dedicates himself, unifies himself with God. The wonder is that while realizing the mischief of maya, we play voluntarily into its hands.
The way of the world is to deny God, or to connive at Him; let us avoid being carried away by it. One who submits himself to the current runs many kinds of risks; he may be dashed against a rock, be caught in a whirlpool, or be carried on and on, away from the destination. We have to fall into the stream, but, instead of drifting along with the current, we should brave it and swim to safety; this requires maintenance of constant awareness of God. A haunted person feels unceasingly the presence of the ghost; we should similarly ceaselessly feel the reassuring company of God as our sheet anchor. Improper thoughts may sneak into the mind despite the wakeful watch by the conscience; it is our duty to repel them by refusing to follow their lead. Thus discouraged and unsupported, they will ultimately give up their nefarious attempts.
The many relatives and friends and things that I am familiar with – these I call 'mine'; only, I hesitate to call God my own. This is the effect of maya.
A pleader pleads a cause in a court of law as if the case were his own; however, he views the case only objectively, with a subjective detachment from the final judgement. We should similarly look upon prapancha as a task and a duty, and be unmoved by the sweet or bitter fruits thereof. Won or lost as the case may be, the advocate gets the fee agreed upon; so, too, in prapancha we get only the destined result.
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