‘Sab moh maya hai’ is a famous philosophical and spiritual one-liner which has summarized the whole world.
It conveys the meaning that things that appear between sky and earth are transient. Nothing is permanent on this earth. The things and persons whom we love passionately, all are decayable. The worldly things appear pleasurable due to moh-maya. Every person loves his sons and daughters, earns profound wealth, labors day and night, try to be healthy, wealthy, and considers himself immortal.
This happens due to moh-maya. He forgets the real aim of life. He thinks every day that there is endless life. He never thinks of his end under the impact of divine mesmerizing power called Maya. Many spiritual saints and preachers tell in their sermons that don’t run after money. Practice Adhyatam. Invent yourself. Think over the aim of life.
Worldly things are moh-maya. God is the truth. Human values like pity, mercy, and love are divine virtues that follow them. But there is satanic power which leads us towards greed, sloth, gluttony, and treachery. The power which stops us from practicing human virtues and keep us busy in all worldly activities is called Moh-Maya. Saint Kabir has rightly said,
“Kabira maya thagni, ant neech ki neech.”
( Kabeer says, Maya is the most deceiving power and keep us busy in satanic activities so we should try to practice human virtues)
So, when a person shows too much greed then it is said, ’Don’t fall prey to Moh -maya’.
Well there is a general notion in our society and all societies world over that materialistic goals are a fallacy of human civilization and anyone who pursues materialistic goals is under an illusion (maya) and the individual perceives his identity by his possessions (moh) that’s why suffers a great deal when he loses his possessions and status in society.
So it is believed that material goals should be left to attain spiritual goals(that is absurd because spirituality has no goal), striving to be a good person and other virtues that one should attain.
That is somewhat true but at a shallow level and when one goes deeper into this phrase, it has a spiraling deep significance. As one who leaves the material illusion to gain spirituality is still in the illusion. Because it is done to achieve something grimmer that is ‘spiritual status‘ just to feel superior over those who pursue the material.
When one can say ‘look at those ants, still chasing that sugar cube hahaha’ but such a person fails to see that he is a part of another rat race of spirituality. What this phrase means that our ego or ourselves, our identity, whatever we do are simply illusions, anything done to get out of this illusion will entrap us more and more.
Now you must be smiling as thinking “sachme sab kuch moh maya hai….”. Agreed, sab kuch moh maya hai, but ask yourself don’t you want this moh-maya. We want to get away from this materialistic wealth for a while, but soon come back in this materialistic world and make a desirable place for ourselves.
I am on a vacation right now, and have been enjoying so far with the beauty of nature. I was wondering why shouldn’t I leave everything and live a simple life here in nature. The answer came with a bang, I want to become x, I wanna go to y, I wanna reach the top of the world, I wanna make love to z, I wanna travel the world, I wanna make my parents proud, I wanna party with my friends.
We are so attached to ourselves, our thoughts, and ego that we fail to see the reality, the present the way it is. We always have prejudices and opinions and thoughts but when stops to cling to them only then one might be able to see through that illusion. But that might not be possible because there is another grand illusion that our mind creates for us to perceive the real world.
I know it’s confusing but that’s why we have science which always strives to see what real and it has also no clear answer because our minds are limited to see through the grand illusion of reality.
