Maya

Q111: Swami!  It is often said and felt that none escapes maya or illusion.  Everyone falls a victim to the influence of maya.  So man is prone to delusion.  Then Swami, a person who has known what maya is and has been out of maya, how is it that he gets into the trap again?

Bhagawan: Think of this situation.  When it is dark what happens to light?  Where does it go?  Similarly, when there is light, where does the darkness that was present till the light came, go?  Absence of light is darkness.  Darkness does not flow or run away.  Because of the light, it is not noticed.  Once the light is put off, it will be dark as before.  Here light is wisdom, darkness is ignorance or maya or delusion or avidya.  To dispel the darkness, the only thing to do is light a candle.

Your question is, how the darkness of ignorance comes back again having been dispelled once already by the light of wisdom.  A simple example.  Many travel by bus.  As the bus speeds forward along the rugged roads, we find the dust rising behind the bus so long as it is on a continuous run.  But the moment the bus stops, the whole lot of dust collects inside.  All of it just blows into the bus.

Similarly, human life is a bus.  So long as it is on the move of sadhana, the dust of illusion stays behind.  But if the bus of life stops or halts sadhana, the dust of delusion will get into life.  So it is sadhana that keeps you unaffected by delusion.  If you stop sadhana, you will again become a victim of maya.  Therefore, you can never take it for granted that you are rid of maya in your lifetime.  It is your constant sadhana that helps you.

(From the book "Satyopanisad" by Prof. K. Anil Kumar)