Hare Krishna,
Is it actually ever possible to completely win over Maya for a common people like us(Non temple residents) ?
The more we try to Practice KC the more maya attacks.Sometimes the attack is so severe that all intelligence is lost,
Will the war ever end ? Are the advanced devotees who are sincerely practicing KC for many years, dont have to fight with maya anymore or the battle continues till death?
Replies
Maha Maya and Yoga Maya are both coverings and belong to or controlled by Lord Sri Krishna. We living souls are under the influence of Mahamaya.It is as if we are always putting on glasses in our eye either Sattwa or Raja or Tama.There is no clear vision.When Lord Krishna does His Leela He also has a covering of Yoga Maya.This covering gives the impression to others of how an ordinary human being he is so that no one is struck with the fear of the opulence of the Supreme being. He enjoys as well the companionship of those He wants to be with. Only He can take away the covering of Maha Maya or even Yoga Maya if He wants to.We cannot take away the covering or influence of Maha Maya what to speak of Yoga Maya. They both belong to Him. Only if we can surrender before Him there is a chance of our getting His Mercy or Kripa so that He can remove this influence of Maha Maya under whose spell we have been life after life. In this life our own efforts alone give the feeling that we are exactly what we were before sadhana with no spiritual progress.This gives utter frustration some times also. Nama Japa in whatever circumstance or situation we are initiates again us in the path to surrender.
SB 11.8.7
dṛṣṭvā striyaṁ deva-māyāṁ
tad-bhāvair ajitendriyaḥ
pralobhitaḥ pataty andhe
tamasy agnau pataṅga-vat
Word for word:
dṛṣṭvā — seeing; striyam — a woman; deva-māyām — whose form is created by the illusory energy of the Lord; tat-bhāvaiḥ — by the alluring seductive activities of the woman; ajita — one who has not controlled; indriyaḥ — his senses; pralobhitaḥ — enticed; patati — falls down; andhe — into the blindness of ignorance; tamasi — into the darkness of hell; agnau — in the fire; pataṅga-vat — just like the moth.
Translation:
One who has failed to control his senses immediately feels attraction upon seeing a woman’s form, which is created by the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, when the woman speaks with enticing words, smiles coquettishly and moves her body sensuously, his mind is immediately captured, and thus he falls blindly into the darkness of material existence, just as the moth maddened by the fire rushes blindly into its flames.
Purport:
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains in this regard that just as a moth is killed by its attraction to the form of fire, similarly a bee can easily be killed by exploiting its attraction to the fragrance of flowers. Furthermore, hunters may trap and kill an elephant by exploiting its sensuous desire to touch a captive female elephant and may also kill a deer by attracting it with the sounds of their horns; and a fish is killed by its desire to taste the bait on a hook. Thus, one who desires to learn detachment from material illusion should accept these five helpless creatures as guru and learn the needful. Certainly one who is lusty to enjoy the illusory form of woman will be quickly buried in material illusion. Of the five types of fatal attraction involving material sense objects, the lesson of rūpa, or form, is illustrated in this verse.
SB 11.8.8
yoṣid-dhiraṇyābharaṇāmbarādi-
dravyeṣu māyā-raciteṣu mūḍhaḥ
pralobhitātmā hy upabhoga-buddhyā
pataṅga-van naśyati naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ
Word for word:
yoṣit — of women; hiraṇya — golden; ābharaṇa — ornaments; ambara — clothing; ādi — and so on; dravyeṣu — upon seeing such things; māyā — by the illusory energy of the Lord; raciteṣu — manufactured; mūḍhaḥ — a fool with no discrimination; pralobhita — aroused by lusty desires; ātmā — such a person; hi — certainly; upabhoga — for sense gratification; buddhyā — with the desire; pataṅga-vat — like the moth; naśyati — is destroyed; naṣṭa — is ruined; dṛṣṭiḥ — whose intelligence.
Translation:
A foolish person with no intelligent discrimination is immediately aroused at the sight of a lusty woman beautifully decorated with golden ornaments, fine clothing and other cosmetic features. Being eager for sense gratification, such a fool loses all intelligence and is destroyed just like the moth who rushes into the blazing fire.
Purport:
Actually, women have the power to attract men through all of the material senses. Men become lusty by seeing the body of a woman, by smelling her fragrance, by hearing her voice, by tasting her lips and by touching her body. However, the foolish relationship based on material sex attraction begins by seeing, and thus rūpa, or form, is very prominent in the process of ruining one’s intelligence. This fact has been exploited in modern times by huge pornography industries, which prey on unfortunate men and women. The example of the foolish moth rushing into the fire and destroying itself is most appropriate in this regard, for one who becomes addicted to the momentary pleasure of sex indulgence certainly loses his power to understand the spiritual reality behind dull matter.
A lusty person becomes blind and foolish through sex indulgence, and his soul is lost in the fire of sense gratification. This whole disaster can be avoided by taking seriously to the process of chanting the holy names of the Lord: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His empowered representatives such as Śrīla Prabhupāda have created a movement to save people from the dungeon of material life, and we should all seriously take advantage of this opportunity.
Q. 332. WHO CANNOT BE TOUCHED BY MAYA ?
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/perfectquestionsperfectanswer...
Q 216. HOW CAN A DEVOTEE EASILY CROSS OVER MAYA ?
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/perfectquestionsperfectanswer...
to fight with her is a waste of time.
Better to be under the shelter of the Lotus feet of Krishna. As like when we enter to a house of someone and there is a wild dog ready to eat us. Is it ok to fight with that dog? No, we will be killed or damaged. But when we call the owner of the house - Krishna then He will order His dog to be quite and dog will e quite.
So it is the way of bhakti. Surrendering. from that we gain strength. Whenever material desires overwhelm our heart we have to cry out with tears in eyes for Krishna.
"Please!!!!! My Lord help me!!!!!!" It is the only way. Otherwise the dog is over powered than us.
Your servant,
my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Battle is there till death if life was lived very strictly or else battle continues for many lives.
Krishna says that if one is able to control his senses till the time of death then he will be able to go back of course if one remembers Krishna at the time of death.
So it means be a sannyasi, house holder...taste for material objects is there. Because still we are in this material body with material senses. So they will be active and demand their wants but difference between goswami and godasa is that goswami can say "NO" to the senses where as godasa is not able to.
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So why shastras again and again mention importance of association and Vaishnava etiquette? It is because senses are powerful when we are alone we are not able to control them. So we need association of sincere Devotees. Also Vaishnava etiquette which teaches us to keep our body clean. Purity is the strength. When we take bath in cool water, when we rise before Sun, when we chant our rounds attentively, when we apply Tilaka in 12 places of our body, when we again take bath when needed, when we wear pure cloth, when we wash plates, moth, hands after eating ....these are all needed in order to keep body clean.
When we do not keep it clean it becomes weak. And when it is weak subtle living entities attack our body and mind. Because human is body is desired even by Demigods what to speak of demons???
In order to keep our mind from low desires it says that one should not see one's own body naked, or touch it unnecessarily... so all these things are to keep us alert and away from fall down.
No unneeded eye contacts with other women, men if for girls, no over idly thoughts of other people...but we should try always 24 hours a days think of Krishna chanting His Holy Names.
Your servant,