Influence of maya (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"influence of illusory energy" |"influence of illusory maya" |"influence of maya" |"influence of that atma-maya" |"influence of the illusory energy" |"influence of the illusory energy" |"influence of this maya" |"influence of time; maya, illusion" |"influence of yoga-maya" |"influenced by maya" |"influenced by the illusory energy" |"influenced by the maya" |"influenced by this maya" |"maya, or the influence of nature"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

It is not that by the influence of māyā you have been cut into pieces. No. Here it is said you cannot be cut.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

So here the Māyāvādī theory will fail. If the soul cannot be cut into pieces, then how the soul has become enwrapped with māyā? They give the example, ghaṭākāśa-poṭākāśa. Of course, they say that it is covered, it is not cut into pieces. But the soul is separated, I mean to say, a separate identity constitutionally. That will be confirmed in the Fifteenth Chapter. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana means eternally. Eternally the example just like fire and fire sparks. The fire sparks are part and parcel of the fire. Similarly the soul, individual soul, is part and parcel of the Supreme. But that part and parcel is eternally. Not that being covered by māyā, it has become individual. No. Individual permanently. Permanently individual. As God is permanently individual, so every one of us living entities, we are permanent. It is not that by māyā we have been separated, cut into pieces, fragment. It is clearly stated it cannot be cut. If it is not cut, cannot be cut, then how I have become fragment? That I am not cut fragment. I am eternal fragment. That is confirmed in the Fifteenth Chapter, sanātana, eternal. Try to understand. Just like you take a paper, you cut into pieces. That is cut. But here it is said that the spirit cannot be cut. Then how we have become fragment pieces, different individuals? That means we are eternally so. We are eternally individual. It is not that by the influence of māyā you have been cut into pieces. No. Here it is said you cannot be cut.

Now we are struggling hard within this material world, under the influence of māyā, changing different types of body. Kṛṣṇa says, "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel, but foolishly, being carried by the mental concoction within this material world, struggling to become master."

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

I am sanātana, eternal, and my characteristic is to serve God. If I don't serve God, then the characteristic will remain there. Then I'll have to serve māyā, in the illusion that I have become master. Actually, he's serving, but... Just like one man has got motorcar. So motorcar, to maintain a motorcar, to purchase a motorcar, it requires lots of money. So to get that money, he has to work very hard. And when he gets that money, he purchases a car, and then he has to maintain it by oiling, by supplying so many things. But he's thinking that "Now I have got a motorcar. Very nice." What is that? You are serving your motorcar. That's all.
So this is the position. One is actually serving, not master. But he's thinking that he's master. This is māyā. So when we give up this false prestigious position that I am master, then you are liberated. Hitvā anyathā rūpam. Mukti, the definition of mukti is hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. Anyathā rūpam. Now we are struggling hard within this material world, under the influence of māyā, changing different types of body. Sometimes I am going to the heavenly planets. Sometimes I am going to the hellish planets. Sometimes I am rich man. Sometimes I am poor man. Sometimes brāhmaṇa, sometimes śūdra. Sometimes tiger, sometimes tree. In this way, sarva-gata. Everywhere within this universe, the living entities are struggling for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel, but foolishly, being carried by the mental concoction, prakṛti-sthāni, within this material world, karṣati, struggling to become master." This is the disease.

It is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself that this is a place only for misery, but under the influence of māyā, we are accepting all miserable conditions of life as happiness. This is called māyā.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

No, the trouble must be there because God has created this world for your enjoyment and for my enjoyment, there therefore must be struggle. Because I don't agree with you, you don't agree with me. So why there shall not be trouble? Because everyone, if everyone... Just like in office, if everyone wants to become the proprietor, will not there be confusion and chaos? Do you think the office will go on nicely? Similarly, here, God has given you chance to become master because you wanted, but everyone wants to be master. There is chaos. How there can be harmony when everyone wants to become God? Do you think it is all right? There must be chaos. Here is the position. Everyone in the material world, first of all, they want to become big man, big businessman, big, big this, big that, minister, president, and when everything is failure, then he wants to become God. That is the last snare of māyā. So this is going on. How you can expect peace and prosperity here? That is not possible. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself that this is a place only for misery, but under the influence of māyā, we are accepting all miserable conditions of life as happiness. This is called māyā.

As soon as you think that "I am the proprietor of this wealth," then you are under the influence of māyā. And as soon as you think that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all these things," then you are free.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

Now, we are thinking that "This thing I am doing, I am the proprietor of this thing." That is a misconception. When we understand that everything, whatever we are doing, the ultimate proprietor is Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is jṣānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam.
So we can have simply... Just like in office. In office so many people are working. Hundreds of people are working. Everyone is conscious that "Whatever we are acting, whatever profit we are making, that belongs to the proprietor." Then there is peace. As soon as the cashier thinks, "Oh, I have got so much money. I am the proprietor," then whole trouble begins. This consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness... If we understand that "I am a very rich man. I have got so much bank balance. I can use it for my sense gratification," that is kāma. That is kāma-rāga. But if we understand that "Whatever I have got, it belongs to Kṛṣṇa," then I am liberated person. I am liberated person. This is Kṛṣṇa... You, you'll have the same money under your custody. It doesn't matter. But as soon as you think that "I am the proprietor of this wealth," then you are under the influence of māyā. And as soon as you think that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all these things," then you are free.

In the conditioned state, under the influence of māyā, we are also talking so many nonsense things, "I belong to this family, I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, my business is this," simply forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

The kṛṣṇa-bhakti, our love for Kṛṣṇa, is there eternally. But on account of our contamination with this material world, we have forgotten our relationship.
Just like a madman, he forgets his relationship with the family. He loiters in the street. He eats anywhere and everywhere and all rubbish things. Although he may have a very rich father, well-to-do family, but forgetting.... Madness means forgetfulness of his real life. So we are now forgetful of our real life. This has been also exemplified by a Vaiṣṇava poet,

piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera haya se bhāva udaya

Piśācī. When a man is haunted by ghosts, as he speaks all nonsense, he cannot recognize his father, mother or relative.... Sometimes he calls them by ill names. On account of being ghostly haunted. Piśācī pāile.
Similarly, in the conditioned state, under the influence of māyā, we are also talking so many nonsense things, "I belong to this family, I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, my business is this," simply forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All other business, he will remember, but when he is requested to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to understand Kṛṣṇa, he doesn't like it. Except Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will take all responsibility and work hard for that purpose. This is called māyā-grasta jīva.

Everyone has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant. It is covered by the influence of māyā. By the influence of māyā.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

So the highest perfection of life is to awaken our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Everyone has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant. It is covered by the influence of māyā. By the influence of māyā. That is also stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

(CC Madhya 22.107)

Nitya-siddha. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is natural. It is natural.

Kṛṣṇa is never influenced by the illusory energy, māyā. We become influenced by the māyā.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

When Vyāsadeva, after getting instruction from Nārada, he wanted to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, so he first of all meditated. Bhakti-yogena manasi, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam (SB 1.7.4). He saw both Kṛṣṇa and His illusory energy, apāśrayam, on the back side.
So Kṛṣṇa is never influenced by the illusory energy, māyā. We become influenced by the māyā. Kṛṣṇa... Just like cloud. Cloud cannot cover the sun. It is our eyes which are covered by the cloud. We see, we say that "Now the sun is covered by the cloud." No, that is not the fact. Sun is very, very big. Sun cannot be covered by cloud. It is our eyes which are covered by the cloud. Similarly, māyā... We are teeny part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are covered by māyā. Sometimes, not always. Kṛṣṇa, when we forget Kṛṣṇa...

kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha haṣā bhoga vāṣchā kare

nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as we try to forget Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā is there.

"And those who are under the influence of māyā, for them, He's ordinary human child." The same person. Different views.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

When Śukadeva Gosvāmī described the cowherd boys playing with Kṛṣṇa... So he is remarking that "These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa... Who is this Kṛṣṇa?" Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Those, those who are impersonalists, those who are attached to the impersonal brahmajyoti, for them, He is the target. He is the target. From Him, the brahmajyoti comes. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: "And those who are devotees, for them, here is the Supreme Lord." Dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: "And those who are under the influence of māyā, for them, He's ordinary human child." The same person. Different views. One is seeing that the ultimate target of brahmajyoti, and somebody is seeing that He is the Supreme Lord, and somebody's seeing, "He's ordinary boy." So Kṛṣṇa is visioned under different positions. Under different positions. But He's the Supreme Lord.

Under the influence of māyā, we forget what is the trouble of taking birth, what is the trouble of death, what is the trouble of old age, and what is the trouble of disease.

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

Here in this material world, the trouble is that we have to accept one type of body and again give it up and again another type of body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Yāvaj jananaṁ tāvan maraṇam. This business is very troublesome. We do not understand. We forget. Under the influence of māyā, we forget what is the trouble of taking birth, what is the trouble of death, what is the trouble of old age, and what is the trouble of disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who can understand Me, about Me." Not "about Me," but "about Me." We can understand Kṛṣṇa by His activities, something about Him. Otherwise, He has immense potencies. It is impossible for us to understand.

So long there is influence of māyā, the learned man is lost of real knowledge.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

Why such things take place, that a learned man becomes foolish without understanding Kṛṣṇa? Because āsuraṁ bhāvam, because he has accepted the atheistic principle, "There is no Kṛṣṇa. There is no God." Only for this reason, in spite of educational qualification, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. And because he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore he cannot take to devotional service. These are the descriptions. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). But there are certain jṣānīs who are actually sincere to know the Absolute Truth. Such persons, even they may be misled in one life or two lives, three lives, but at the end they come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān (BG 7.19). Here it is said that māyayāpahṛta-jṣānāḥ. So long there is influence of māyā, he is lost of real knowledge. But in spite of that, if he makes progress in understanding the Absolute Truth, then, after many births, not in one birth—bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19)—when he comes to the actual point of knowledge, that Kṛṣṇa is everything, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, prapadyante (BG 7.19), he surrenders. That means to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of all knowledge, all activities, all tapasya, all yoga. If one does not reach that point, then he is simply wasting his time and energy.

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

So by indulging in sinful life it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, Kṛṣṇa also says in various places in the Bhagavad-gītā. I have repeatedly informed you, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful life... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. This is puṇya-karma, not to indulge in illicit sex life, not to indulge in nonvegetarian diet, not to indulge in gambling, and not to indulge in intoxicants. So catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna ārto arthārthī jṣānī jijṣāsuḥ. Four kinds of men who are actually leading pious life, such persons... (applause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Such persons, when they are distressed... Ārta means distressed. We have go so many distresses in this material life: tri-tāpa, three kinds of distresses, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, distresses offered by other living entities. Adhibhautika, adhyātmika, adhidaivika. We are always in distress; that is a fact. But there is a covering influence of māyā that even in distressed condition, we think that we are happy. That is covering influence of māyā.

Under the influence of māyā, seated on this car, this yantra, we are wandering throughout the whole creation.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. So Kṛṣṇa has given us this body through the agency of material nature. So this is a body. This body is just like yantra. So we are seated in this yantra and we are traveling. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā, under the influence of māyā, seated on this car, this yantra, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni (BG 18.61), we are wandering throughout the whole creation.

If one is very rigid in devotional service, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti te, he can overcome the influence of māyā.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

Māyā is working in two ways: prakṣepātmikā-śakti, āvaraṇātmikā-śakti. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti means she is covering. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti, she is covering. Real fact is covered by māyā.
Just like the cloud covers the sunshine. We cannot see. Now a few days it is going on; there is cloud always. We do not see the sun. That does not mean there is no sun in the sky. So māyā does not allow us to see Kṛṣṇa. That is one śakti. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti. And another śakti is prakṣepātmikā-śakti. Even one desires to see Kṛṣṇa, she throws away. She tests whether actually he wants Kṛṣṇa or keeping Kṛṣṇa in the front, he wants some material pleasure. Therefore she throws away. In this way māyā-śakti is acting.
Kṛṣṇa therefore says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). māyā is very powerful. But if one is very rigid in devotional service, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti te, he can overcome the influence of māyā. So kṣetra-jṣaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. So that kṣetrajṣa, knower of the body, Kṛṣṇa, He's also there. He's always ready to help us, provided we are serious about Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. So this is the process of pleasing Kṛṣṇa.

Without taking to the process of bhakti, you cannot get out of the influence of māyā. That is required.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

So the only process for keeping yourself aloof from the touch of māyā is bhakti. Is bhakti. That is the conclusion of all śāstras. Without taking to the process of bhakti, you cannot get out of the influence of māyā. That is required. That is the objective of life. Jṣeyaṁ jṣāna-gamyam. So if we utilize our life for understanding the supreme, jṣeyaṁ jṣāna-gamyam... Mayi ca, ananya-yogena bhakti... If you learn that art, how you can become ananya-yoga-bhakti, avyabhicāriṇī-bhakti, then you'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). By tattva, by truth, you will be able to understand Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, your life becomes successful. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ.