THE Doctrine of Maya - HolyBooks.com

io4THE DOCTRINE OF MAYAeffects and its qualities by showing that the latter are themere fallacious super-impositions of nescience, and thewith reference to reab-very same argument holds goodsorption also. We can quote other examples in favour ofour doctrine. As the magician is not at any time affectedby the magical illusion produced by himself, because it isunreal, so the highest Self is not affected by the illusoryvisions of his dream because they do not accompanythe waking state and the state of dreamless sleep ;so the one permanent witness of the three states (thehighest Self) is not touched by the mutually exclusivethree states. For that the highest Self appears in thosethree states is a mere illusion, not more substantial than thesnake for which the ropeis mistaken in the darkness. Onthis point teachers knowing the true tradition of the Vedanta lhave declared : When the individual soul which is heldin the bonds of slumber by the beginningless Maya awakes,then it knows the eternal, sleepless, dreamless nonduality."2We see then that Sankara isvery anxious to convince us of the truth of his doctrine, and to explainit in a picturesque way for the sake of the uninitiated,makes use of some very appropriate similes, amongwhich are(1)The rope and the snake. 3(2) The magician or juggler (mayavin) and hisjugglery.(3) The desert and the mirage.(4)The dreamer and the dream.The last of these has been already made use of1Ref. Gaudapada.2Gaudapada, Kdrika, i. 16.8See also Sankara on i. 3. 19.