Maya and family

answered 2013-09-19 02:01:14 -0500

Lo K. B.
329 ●7 ●13 ●21

Sat Nam,

Maya is everything that exists. Maya is creation, which includes money, family, possessions, even our bodies! Maya is not good or bad, it IS. To be ruled by Maya is to lose touch with your Identity, which is One with God. You lose yourself in maya when the five natural tendencies are taken to excess, and imbalance you. (Pride, attachment, lust, anger and greed) Creation is to be experienced and enjoyed CONSCIOUSLY, by tuning into the Creative Infinite Energy which is God, and not getting stuck on one tiny aspect of it.

This understanding comes naturally when you read the Sri Guru, but sometimes people have a hard time linking it to an example. I'll make an attempt at citing an example.

Attachment to family is something that Guru tells us over and over to control and eliminate. Why? Does that mean we can't love our families? No. Attachment is the enemy of love. What it means is that you invest so much emotion, so much energy into your family that you begin to base your IDENTITY off of your wife/husband, children. The attachment clouds your judgment, and can lead to fear of loss, excessive pride that may hurt others (such as overindulging children, allowing one's ego to control their parenting) or ("my family is deserves XYZ more than yours"/"I can't live without my family"), creating an imbalance that only leads to pain. On a bigger scale, Guru tells us that we do not live our lives SOLELY to cater to the desires and wants of our families, or to chase money or anything else to the point of FORGETTING the One behind it, and thus becoming destructive. Maya is a temporary tool--nothing will go with you when you leave the Earth, except your soul and your inner connection with your Guru. In other words, without tuning into the Guru, Maya is lifeless and a trap. But by holding lovingly onto the Hand of the One, the universe is enjoyed.

ਜੋ ਜਪਦੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਦਿਨਸੁ ਰਾਤਿ ਤਿਨ ਸੇਵੇ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਤ ਕਉਲਾ ॥ जो जपदे हरि हरि दिनसु राति तिन सेवे चरन नित कउला ॥ Jo japḏe har har ḏinas rāṯ ṯin seve cẖaran niṯ ka▫ulā. Maya serves at the feet of those who chant and meditate on the Lord, Har, Har, day and night. - Guru Ram Das: pg. 1315, line 12

One who lives with the One becomes a playmate of God, experiencing the bounty of Limitless creation.

I hope this answered your question, and if not, I hope others add their answers as well. God bless you.