Maya : Into the Multiverse

This fall we’re diving into Tantric Yoga philosophy as applied to modern life. Even if you’re not a “yoga person” you may find that this philosophy has something to offer… come along for the ride. We’ve talked about our innate powers - now we learn WHY we don’t experience ourselves as powerful all the time.

My oldest is 15.  Her middle school years were limited by covid so she didn’t do a lot of socializing.  But now, she’s in high school.  She was with friends for Halloween and is headed to the Eras Tour movie this weekend.  

Of course this is age appropriate behavior.  She’s moving into the world without us.  She’s still a part of the family.  She just gets to be a part that moves in her own way, independent of the other parts at times.  This is all good because we don’t want to go to high school slumber parties - and she surely doesn’t want us there.   

The way we manage her moving out and coming back is with boundaries.  We’re clear on times, friends, and locations.  The boundaries give shape to her activities and our expectations.    They give her the freedom to go.  

That boundary and shaping is Maya.  

Maya as Boundary

Maya is a fundamental contraction.  The fundamental contraction of Citta.  It’s a covering or hiding of the unbounded light so that only bits of it shine through at any moment.  

Maya is everywhere and it makes all of this seemingly-solid life possible.  Without maya there is  no form, no differentiation.  Always there is only Citta. But without maya, citta cannot experience herself.  We cannot experience ourselves. 

Maya is what makes it possible for Citta to hide in her own creation. Remember, in Non-Dual Shaiva Tantra (NST) creation and creation aren’t separate.  Maya is what makes it seem like there IS separation.

In some schools of yoga philosophy maya is considered a major problem.  It’s called illusion or a dream.  In those schools your job is to wake up so that you see only Oneness.   All differences are due to you not seeing the underlying unity.  

But in NST maya is not considered a problem… and it’s not an illusion.  Maya, which includes all the diversity in the world, is very very REAL.  In NST the teaching is that the creator is in the creation… and as such, the universe has become the multiverse.

Putting on the Guise

Essentially the process of maya is like citta getting dressed up for Halloween.  She puts on the guise of a frail elderly woman, and the guise of a cat, and the guise of a waterfall, and the guise of robust young man.  To put on each guise she bends and shapes herself into something that has form and can be measured.  The word maya means measure.  

Citta puts on the forms of each of us.  None is not her.  But not a one is like the other.  The universe becomes this multiverse. 

It’s good that she does this because it allows each individual to have it’s own dharma, purpose and reason for being.  Without maya the individual doesn’t exist, there’s only the whole.  But with it, the individual can experience life as if it is separate from citta.  

That means you can pay your bills and do your inner and outer work.  You can exists until absorbed back into the whole - the way a wave exists until it flows back into the sea.  

Flipping the Shaktis 

Maya is sometimes described as a mirror.  It flips the 5 Shaktis we talked about in the last few posts.  Maya creates contractions around the Shaktis.  Each Shakti has a corresponding contraction - called kanchuka - that we’ll talk about in the coming weeks. But the important thing to know is that they’re necessary for us to experience the world as if we are separate unique people.  

Unfortunately the mirror of maya collects psychic dust if not tended.  We forget our wholeness and our Shaktis, only identifying with the kanchukas.  That’s where practice is useful.  Our practices help to clean the surface of the mirror.  Then we have the most accurate reflection possible.  

This all gets pretty heady pretty fast.  But don’t worry, in the next few weeks we’ll look at the five main cloaks.  In the process we’ll explore how to work with them.

Wake up to Maya

For now, the most important thing to remember is that if you feel separate from your inner light, that is maya at work. And, if you’re seeing differences, that’s also maya.

So to wake up to maya:

Practice noticing when you feel separate. 

Separate from yourself, from your Shaktis, from another person, from the world.  Let that remind you of maya - citta’s capacity to cloak herself.

Also:

When you see another and recognize differences it’s important to remind yourself of two things:  first, they too are citta in form…second, the diversity of the form, and all the choices they are making, is also citta.    

Right now, when there’s so much separation and othering happening in the world, waking up to maya is extremely difficult.  But it’s of the utmost importance.    These practices may help us  remember who we are…. beings of light (every single one of us) and unique expressions of that light.  

Maya is a big concept that takes a little while to make sense.  Hang around for the kanchukas an it’ll start to make more sense for your life.