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Mayic

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Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

By being deviated by the seasonal overgrowth of long grasses created by māyā, a person identifies himself with the māyic production and succumbs to illusion, forgetting his spiritual life.
Krsna Book 20:

In the rainy season some of the roads are not frequently used, and they become covered with long grasses. These roads are exactly like a brāhmaṇa who is not accustomed to studying and practicing the reformatory methods of the Vedic injunctions—he becomes covered with the long grasses of māyā. In that condition, forgetful of his constitutional nature, he forgets his position of eternal servitorship to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By being deviated by the seasonal overgrowth of long grasses created by māyā, a person identifies himself with the māyic production and succumbs to illusion, forgetting his spiritual life.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So many straws and vegetables, they gather together. And sometimes the same vegetables and straws are thrown asunder. So here also, we assemble here as society, friendship and love exactly like that. It is simply māyic, illusory combination, temporary combination.
Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

We have to understand the falsity of this so-called society, friendship and love. It is just like... because we are being carried away by the waves of māyā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, māyār bośe, jāccho bhese, Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. Just like we see sometimes in rainy season, so many plants and creepers and vegetables and so many other things are floating in the river, going. Similarly, we also, all floating in the waves of māyā. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese, khāccho hābuḍubu. Sometimes drowned, sometimes on the surface, sometimes on the other shore, sometimes on this shore. This is going on. So long we are in this material world, we are being tossed by different currents, and sometimes I am here as the master of some kingdom, and sometimes I am dog of somebody else. This is my position. The same thing. Very good example, that we are being carried away by the waves of māyā. Sometimes we are gathering together. So many straws and vegetables, they gather together. And sometimes the same vegetables and straws are thrown asunder. One is there, one is here. So here also, we assemble here as society, friendship and love exactly like that. In the waves of māyā. Then nobody is your father, nobody is your mother, nobody is your sister, nobody. It is simply māyic, illusory combination. Illusory combination, temporary combination. And we are so much attached to this combination that we are refusing to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our position.

In later ślokas Kṛṣṇa has described how to get out of this mayic perverted reflection (of the material world) and go to the real tree, the real enjoyment with real varieties in the spiritual world.
Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Prabhupāda: ...here, ūrdhva-mūlam. Just like if you have to keep yourself, the legs are up and the head down, somebody keeps you like this, how long you will feel comfortable? If you, somebody takes your legs and catches you and your head down, then it is not very comfortable. So this whole material world is like that, ūrdhva-mūlam. The mūlam should have been down, but it is up. Therefore it is discomfortable. And another explanation is the, it is perverted reflection. We have got experience of the ūrdhva-mūlam. I think I have explained that, that a tree... On the bank of a river or the bank of a pond, tree is standing, but the reflection, we find that the same tree has become ūrdhva-mūlam and adhah-śākham. So by this statement, Kṛṣṇa says that this is not real. That reflection in the water, of the tree, is not real. Real tree is up. Similarly, real enjoyment, real varieties—everything is in the spiritual world. It is simply reflection. It is not fact. Therefore our enjoyment here is called māyā, or illusion. So in later ślokas Kṛṣṇa has described how to get out of this mayic reflection and go to the real tree. That has been described later on. Go on.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

If we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if we are in the midst of mayic activities, it will not affect.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Always stick to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet so māyā may not be able to touch you. Just like in a contaminated, diseased area, the doctor is also fearful, but he has got prophylactic administration. He is quite fit. He can go even in the contaminated state. Similarly, if we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if we are in the midst of mayic activities, it will not affect. So everything is there, but if you change your consciousness, then you are safe. Icchatā abhayam, no more fearfulness. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Because people's senses are blunt, contaminated with these māyic qualities, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Your blunt nonsense senses, if you utilize, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore people are not understanding Kṛṣṇa, neither they understanding the value of hari-nāma. Because their senses are blunt, contaminated with these māyic qualities, they cannot understand. But this is the only way—ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). Because you have to be purified, so this is the only method. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be gradually purified.

Because Kṛṣṇa comes with His own spiritual energy, sva-dhāmnā, to this material world, He is above sattva-guṇa even and is not subjected to this māyic influence.
Lecture on SB 7.9.22 -- Mayapur, February 29, 1976:

So nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarja bhakṣaṇ kare. Very peculiar condition we are in this material world. But do not think that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He also is subjected to this suffering. No. That is īśitā. Just like there are many patients in the hospital, infectious disease, but that does not mean the doctors who are treating them, they are also infectious. No. They are not infectious. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). So He is not subjected to this māyic influence. He's not subjected. Therefore it is said, tvam nitya-vijitātma-guṇaḥ. This material world is created by Him, composition of three material qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—but He does not belong to any one of them. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when God comes, incarnation, He also accepts the sattva-guṇa and therefore the form is there. Their conclusion is, "The Absolute Truth is formless, so when He accepts a form of this material world, He accepts this sattva-guṇa." But that is not the fact. He's above sattva-guṇa even. Therefore it is said, nitya-vijita ātma-guṇaḥ. Sva-dhāmnā. He comes with His own spiritual energy, sva-dhāmnā.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Kṛṣṇa is absolute and does not accept this mayic body. That is the power, omnipotency of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

You'll find in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), he says, "Not to the Kṛṣṇa person, but the Absolute which is within the Kṛṣṇa." He does not know that Kṛṣṇa is not different from His body. That he does not know. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6).

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
(BG 4.7)

Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). He does not accept this mayic body. Etad īśanam īśasya. That is the, I mean to say, power, omnipotency of Kṛṣṇa.

The Māyāvādīs take it for granted that the devotees' activities are all mayic activities. They do not know the background of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and therefore their labor of love for discriminating what is māyā and what is not māyā is simply troublesome.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.19-31 -- San Francisco, January 20, 1967:

So the Bhāgavata says, simply to understand "This is not Brahman, this is māyā, this is not Brahman," if you go on speculating and without any interest for devotional service or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then teṣām eṣa kleśala eva śiṣyate. So their advancement in self-realization is simply troublesome. Troublesome. They simply take the trouble of discriminating that "This is māyā, this is Brahman. This is false, this is reality." Because they have no other engagement. For a devotee there are so many engagements, but the Māyāvādī philosopher takes it for granted that these devotees' activities... "They are cooking for Kṛṣṇa or they are offering prasādam to Kṛṣṇa, they are decorating Kṛṣṇa, or they are singing for Kṛṣṇa, glorifying Kṛṣṇa—these are all mayic activities," they say. Because this bhakti-mārga is not appealing to them. They simply want to... Similarly, the bhaktas also say that "You are simply wasting time. Real thing is Kṛṣṇa. Just engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa." They also say, "Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." According to them, Kṛṣṇa is also māyā. And Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā says that they are fools. How? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. Mūḍha means "The fools, they minimize Me. They decry at Me." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ (BG 9.11). "Because I come as incarnation, therefore the fools, they consider..., or they deride at Me." Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. They do not know the background of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mama bhūta-maheśvaram. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme Lord." They do not know. Who do not know? The Māyāvādīs, they do not know. So therefore their labor of love for discriminating what is māyā and what is not māyā is simply troublesome.

General Lectures

The simple method to become liberated, to become free from the contamination of this mayic illusion, is to sincerely and without reservation surrender unto Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

So if we want to be free from the clutches of māyā, the formula is very simple. Formula is very simple. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). To become liberated, to become free from the contamination of this mayic illusion, or māyā... There are many yogis, they are trying to get out of the clutches of māyā, but the method is simple according to Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You can try to get rid of, out of the clutches of māyā in different ways, but it is very, very strong. It is not so easy to get out of the clutches of māyā. But immediately He says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti: simply by surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa. What is that surrendering? "Kṛṣṇa, I forgot You for so many births, from time immemorial. Now I surrender unto You. Please accept." This simple method. This simple method will make you liberated if you do it sincerely, without any, I mean to say, reservation. That we are teaching. Simply kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). And you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and everything will be perfect. Your life will be perfect. That is injunction of all śāstras, and especially Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead teaching personally.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

The Māyāvādīs think that the Absolute Truth is avyaktam and that when the Absolute Truth comes, incarnation, He accepts this mayic body.
Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādīs, they think that Kṛṣṇa has got His māyā body. His body's māyā. Because the origin, Absolute, is impersonal, so when the Absolute comes in form, He accepts the material elements just like we do. We do. So they are abuddhayaḥ. Their intelligence is abu...

Mr. Sar: Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ (BG 7.24).

Prabhupāda: Vyaktim āpannaṁ.

Dr. Patel: They consider body of Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Avyaktam, avyaktam, the Absolute Truth is avyaktam. And when Absolute Truth comes, incarnation, He accepts this mayic body.

Dr. Patel: Only body, and the real is inside.

Prabhupāda: And that has been commented by Dr. Rādhākrishnan. When Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), he says that "It is not to the Kṛṣṇa person, but what is within Him. Within Him." That means he is under the theory that Kṛṣṇa's body is māyā. So you haven't got to surrender to the body of Kṛṣṇa. But this fool does not know that there is no such distinction in Kṛṣṇa.

Mr. Sar: Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannam manyante mām...

Prabhupāda: Ah! No, Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction as body and soul. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. He comes in His own, original body. Sambhavāmi yuge... Prakṛtiṁ svām. Not this prakṛti. Svām, the spiritual body. That they do not take.

Yes, we are fighting with this Māyic civilization.
Morning Walk -- June 2, 1974, Geneva:

Bhagavān: The boy didn't realize the potency of your answer last night. He was asking how to fight fascism, and you were saying by chanting and dancing. So factually, by setting the example is the greatest way to fight all these maladies.

Prabhupāda: Māyā. Māyā. Yes, we are fighting with this Māyic civilization.

Bhagavān: Because they can fight with guns, but afterwards neither one of them knows how to set an exemplary life. So they just keep fighting with guns.

Prabhupāda: With gun or without, gun, you will die. The fascist will die and the other party also will die. Gun or without gun, he cannot exist. But our fight is to stop death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Our fight is for this purpose, no more death. This is real fight. Your, what is your fight? You may save yourself for two years or three years or ten years, but you have to die. You have no such program not to die. But here is a program, no more death.

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

Anyone who has once come to me has become my beloved son; temporarily one may display some Mayic affliction, but that can not prolong.
Letter to Rayarama -- Navadvipa 2 November, 1967:

Regarding Kirtanananda, I cannot allow him to become Keith again. He is my spiritual son and I shall never allow him to fall down. When I return I shall drag him forcibly and make all right again. Anyone who has once come to me has become my beloved son; temporarily one may display some Mayic affliction, but that can not prolong.

1969 Correspondence

There is no need to be attached to any particular land on account of some mayic relationship. All places belong to Krishna, and wherever we get the chance for serving Him, that land is our God-gifted land.
Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1969:

For the present I think you cannot leave Montreal for doing work on your draft status. Your service is much too valuable there. Even if this means that in the future you cannot leave for the United States, what is the harm in this? Everywhere you are it is the same because Krishna is there, and you can perform devotional service anywhere you are. There is no need to be attached to any particular land on account of some mayic relationship. All places belong to Krishna, and wherever we get the chance for serving Him, that land is our God-gifted land.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Tittenhurst 27 October, 1969:

So far as Rayarama is concerned, let us wait till he satisfies his Mayic business.

Page Title:Mayic
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Jai
Created:21 of May, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=8, Con=2, Let=3
No. of Quotes:14