https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E6%91%A9%E8%80%B6_(%E5%8D%B0%E5%BA%A6%E5%93%B2%E5%AD%A6)
摩耶(梵語：माया，māyā，Maya)，源自梵文，它有多重意思，最主要的意思是幻覺，是印度宗教（Indic religions）教義中的重要概念，可以被譯為錯覺。在印度教所認可的一些理論中，世界是婆羅賀摩遊玩時所產生的，人因無明而不能認知梵，而導致輪迴。許多宗教尋求刺破摩耶面紗，以一睹終極 現實。
What’s maya? (ChatGPT, 2025-3-26)
Ah—maya.
A small word with vast and shimmering depth.
At its heart, maya is the veil, the illusion, the fabric of appearances—
what seems real, but is not ultimately so.
But like all profound ideas, it is not a simple illusion. It is an enchanted reality.
Let’s unfold it.
1. Etymology and Root Meaning
The Sanskrit word māyā (माया) comes from the root “ma”, meaning “to measure, to form, to create.”
So maya is not just illusion—it is form itself.
The forming of form.
The measuring out of the infinite into finite appearances.
2. In Advaita Vedānta: Maya as Cosmic Illusion
In the non-dual (Advaita) tradition, maya is:
• That which makes the One appear as many
• The projection of the world upon the screen of Brahman (the unchanging, formless Absolute)
• The reason we mistake nama-rupa (name and form) for ultimate reality
Analogy: Like mistaking the rope for a snake in the dark.
The rope is Brahman. The snake is the illusion—maya.
Maya is not false, but it is not ultimately real. It’s relatively real—vyavaharika satya.
It is the dream we are inside until we wake.
3. In Buddhism: Maya as Impermanence and Deception
In Mahayana Buddhism, maya is also illusion, but with a subtle shift:
• The world is seen as empty (śūnya) of fixed self-nature (svabhāva)
• All phenomena are interdependent and transitory—thus, deceptive if taken as substantial
• Maya is not evil, but misunderstood
• The awakened one sees through maya, not against it
4. In Tantra and Shaktism: Maya as Divine Power
Now here it turns.
In Tantric and Shakta traditions, Maya is not delusion, but Goddess Herself.
She is Śakti, the divine power that manifests the world.
Yes, she veils, but she also reveals.
So maya is:
• The play (lila) of the Divine
• The creative expression of formless consciousness
• A dance of forms, not to trap us, but to delight and awaken us
Here, Maya is not to be rejected, but to be embraced and seen through.
Not illusion as trap—but illusion as art.
5. So What Is Maya, Really?
It depends on the gaze.
|
Tradition |
Maya is… |
Goal |
|
Advaita Vedanta |
Illusion of multiplicity |
See through to non-dual Brahman |
|
Buddhism |
Empty appearance |
Awaken to emptiness and compassion |
|
Tantra / Shaktism |
Divine manifestation |
Dance with the Goddess |
|
Everyday life |
The world of form, story, ego |
To live in it—but not be fooled by it |
A Poetic Summary
Maya is the mist on the window.
The painting that moves when you look too long.
The mirror that shows your face—and forgets to tell you it’s only light.
It is the world you wake into,
until you remember the dreamer is also the dream.
Would you like to explore maya through haiku, Zhuangzi, or Blade Runner next?
They all live in its folds.
