The Insurmountable Influence of Māyā - Overcoming the Illusory Energy
The material world is defined as a place of profound forgetfulness where the eternal spirit soul remains completely overwhelmed by the Lord's external energy. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the influence of māyā is so extraordinarily powerful that it convinces the living entity to accept a miserable, temporary material existence as the absolute reality of life. This illusion is not merely a lack of information but an active force that covers the soul's original consciousness and throws it into the cycle of birth and death. Only through unalloyed surrender to Kṛṣṇa and the constant engagement of the senses in His service can one pierce this dense darkness and awaken to their true spiritual identity.
The Nature and Potencies of the Illusory Energy
The external energy operates through two distinct potencies: the covering influence (āvaraṇātmikā) and the throwing influence (prakṣepātmikā). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that just as a disease infects a weakened body, māyā infects the conditioned soul, covering its pure spiritual knowledge and throwing it into the darkness of material ignorance and bodily identification.
- By the throwing influence the illusory energy throws the living entities into the darkness of ignorance, and by the covering influence she covers the eyes of men with a poor fund of knowledge about the existence of the Supreme Person.
- As the contamination of the germs of a particular disease can influence a weaker person, similarly the influence of material nature, or illusory energy, can act on the weaker, or conditioned, soul but not on the liberated soul.
- Everyone is dancing as maya is impelling. Now we have to dance as Krsna is impelling. That's all. The dancing will continue. Somebody is dancing in the ballroom and somebody is dancing in this temple.
- The influence of maya is so strong that even a person advanced in knowledge actually forgets that he is Krsna's eternal servant. Therefore he remains satisfied in his householder life, which is centered around sexual intercourse.
Material Advancement as Māyā's Expansion
Modern society mistakenly equates scientific and academic progress with genuine advancement. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that education devoid of God consciousness simply tightens the living entity's bondage to the material world, acting as a direct expansion of māyā's influence.
- Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings that material knowledge and advancement without God consciousness is expansion of the influence of maya.
- Advancement of science and knowledge in the present context of material civilization is but an action of the covering influence of the illusory energy.
- Presently many people are interested in receiving degrees from big universities, but education without God consciousness is simply an expansion of maya's influence.
- The so-called scientific advancement is simply expanding the influence of maya's illusory energy. They're already rascals and fools, and still they are being made rascals and fools. So they're forgetting their real purpose of life.
Forgetfulness and Material Entanglement
Under the heavy spell of illusion, the living entity completely forgets its eternal, loving relationship with the Supreme Lord. Instead, the conditioned soul deeply identifies with the temporary material body, finding false satisfaction in transient relationships, temporary homes, and even hellish conditions of life.
- By the influence of maya only, one forgets his eternal relationship with Krsna and he becomes a victim of the influence of maya, and his materialistic life of continued birth and death becomes still more stringent.
- Under the influence of illusory material energy, we accept this spot-life of only a few years as our permanent existence and thus become illusioned by possessing so-called country, home, land, children, wife, community, wealth, etc.
- The conditioned living entity is satisfied in his own particular species of life; while deluded by the covering influence of the illusory energy, he feels little inclined to cast off his body, even when in hell, for he takes delight in hellish enjoyment.
- In our material existence, under the influence of illusory maya, we have almost forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord, exactly like a man sleeping very deeply who forgets his duties.
The Supreme Lord vs. The Illusory Energy
It is a great philosophical error to consider the Supreme Personality of Godhead subject to the same material laws as the conditioned souls. Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly refutes Mayavadi philosophies, affirming that the Lord and His Paramātmā feature are completely transcendental and never touched by the influence of māyā.
- All the incarnations of Visnu are equal in potency, for the influence of maya cannot even approach Them.
- Since the Supreme Lord of such eternal and unchangeable qualities is never subjugated by anything like material influence, how can His activities and form be conceived to be under the influence of illusory maya, as is the case with the living entities.
- The Mayavadi philosopher tries to establish that the living entity is only imaginary and that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is under the influence of maya. Hearing this kind of commentary breaks the heart and life of a devotee.
- The influence of maya is experienced by the part and parcel spiritual entity, but it cannot influence the Supersoul, the Paramatma.
Conquering Māyā through Devotional Service
Though the Lord's external energy is immensely powerful, it is easily overcome by one who takes full shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms that by engaging in continuous devotional service and associating with saintly persons, the living entity is immediately freed from the insurmountable grip of māyā.
- If one is serious about escaping maya's influence and returning home, back to Godhead, one must associate with a sadhu (devotee). That is the verdict of all scriptures.
- The influence of maya is also explained in Bhagavad-gita as insurmountable. But insurmountable maya can be overcome simply by Krsna consciousness.
- Only if a living entity gives up the false conception that the body is the self and always thinks himself an eternal servant of Krsna and the Vaisnavas can he surpass the influence of maya - mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.
- To the extent we are thinking of Krishna, to that extent Maya has no influence. But as much as we are desiring to forget Krishna and trying to enjoy for ourself, so to that extent we must suffer the pains of Maya.
Conclusion
The influence of the illusory energy is overwhelmingly potent, forcing the conditioned soul into deep forgetfulness of its true spiritual identity while simultaneously promoting false, material advancement as the ultimate goal of life. Despite māyā's insurmountable ability to entangle the living entity in the cycle of birth and death, the Supreme Lord remains completely unaffected. Through the teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is clear that the only way to break free from this powerful illusion is to fully surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and engage steadily in pure devotional service.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Influence of Maya. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.