Why do we do things or expect experiences that are aimed to make us happy? The very nature of our true self is happiness. Sri Adi Sankaracharya says in the Vivekachoodamani that whatever pleasures we experience through the sense objects are not for their own sake. Therefore, the self is eternal bliss and sorrow is not its nature.
We love somebody or something, not because of the other person, but because we love ourselves the most. This experience of bliss is direct, say the scriptures. We love going to sleep and we do not want to get up from the blissful morning’s sleep because of the intense experience of joy while we are asleep. That joy is because there is no experience of any object of thought. The fact that we are happy is known to us not only because of our direct experience, but they have been mentioned in the scriptures, traditionally we have experienced in our own lives or seen other bright and blissful faces on waking up from sleep. The anger when someone is woken up from sleep also shows the dislike at being disturbed and indicates that the person has been enjoying being in a blissful state.
In deep sleep, the body, mind and the intellect are not active. They are at rest and not interacting with the world of objects, people and situation. That part of our personality which is the cause for the function of the equipment of the mind and intellect is also in its original state of non-apprehension in deep sleep. This state constantly keeps producing several thoughts that do not apprehend the real nature of “who I am”.
What is that disturbing force in the universe that deludes us from having the right understanding of our own Self and projecting some other idea? Maya is the word that Sri Sankaracharya uses. Her name is the Unmanifest. She is the energy of the supreme lord of the universe. She is the timeless ignorance of the true self. The three qualities of intelligence, dynamism and inertia are her supreme nature. How does one know about Maya? She is known only by her effects by the person of subtle intellect. With these qualities, she creates this whole universe.
This Maya can neither be said to exist nor to non-exist. It is neither existence and non-existence together. It is neither one thing nor many things nor both of one and the many. This Maya is not a composition of many parts nor is it something whole, nor is it a combination of the whole and parts. She is indeed the wonderful thing and is beyond any description with words.
The writer is Sevika, Chinmaya Mission, Coimbatore (www.chinmayamission.com); email: brni.sharanyachaitanya@gmail.com