Overcoming Maya

Still thinking over the experience of overcoming Maya — the ignorance of the true nature of things.

Non-duality in Buddhism is the realization that the separation of self and world (duality) is an illusion. Advaita Vedanta, the most widespread Indian religious-philosophical tradition, considers liberation from the illusory perception of individuality to be the purpose of existence.

This is serious stuff. Liberation from illusions and the transition to recognizing the unity of the soul, Atman, with “absolute” reality, Brahman.

Reading about this now, I see that somehow I was walking straight down the list:

— Self-inquiry: Started with studying the nature of the self. Through questions like “Who am I?”, beyond the physical and psychological shell, beyond Maya, the true Self (Atman) reveals itself.

— Study of Scripture: Studying the works of enlightened teachers and sacred texts helps understand the philosophical foundations of non-duality. Guides toward understanding the nature of reality and the illusion of the personal “self.” Zen, Buddhist books, and the Bhagavad Gita — often called the “means of knowledge” (Pramana) — shifted something in my head. Meaning started showing through the lines.

— Guru Guidance: In Advaita Vedanta, guidance from a realized guru is often considered essential. Good thing there’s the Internet — mine became Alan Watts and Ram Dass. Knowing the answers, you can get enlightened in a matter of days. But the questions have to ripen in the mind of the one asking, otherwise the answers won’t do any good.

— Meditation: Regular meditation was decisive. It helps overcome the constant stream of thoughts that sustains the illusion. Worked like a charm — awareness increases, but it also drops, you have to practice regularly. Constantly, throughout the day, notice that you’re breathing.

— Discernment (Viveka): The ability to tell the real from the unreal. The physical world, though it appears real, is impermanent and is not the ultimate reality. What can I say — it’s all true, the illusion is incredibly strong, indistinguishable from reality.

— Detachment (Vairagya): Detachment from the material world, including your desires and aversions. This doesn’t mean rejecting the world, but rather not being attached to it with your mind and emotions. Simply put — when you don’t care, as Buddha prescribed. When nothing affects you, you can choose with your heart.

— Ethical Life (Dharma): Living by ethical principles is important for mental purity. This includes practicing non-violence, truthfulness, compassion, and other virtues. Didn’t have to do anything here — everything was already in place.

— Dedication and Patience: This path requires constant practice and patience. Realization doesn’t happen instantly — it unfolds gradually over time. By some miracle, I dove into meditation and decided I’d meditate as much as I could. Everything before that — like once a day or 15-20 minutes — just wasn’t enough. What worked was a critical mass of ~20+ hours per week.

— Grace (Anugraha): Finally, many traditions hold that by mentally tuning in and following the prescriptions — going to yoga, meditating at least three times a day, trying to eat once a day — you can attract the “divine spark” and insight will descend upon you. And it seems to have worked.