Māyā is Not Illusion
Māyā does not mean the world is unreal; it means the world is not what it appears to be.
The common misreading
“Vedānta says the world is an illusion.” This is the standard Western summary, and it is almost entirely wrong.
The snake-rope analogy is frequently cited: you see a snake, but it’s actually a rope. Therefore, the world is like the snake — merely imagined.
But this misses the point entirely.
What māyā actually means
Māyā is the power by which the one appears as many. It is not that the many are fake — they are real as appearances. The rope is real. The perception is real. What is “unreal” is only the snake as a snake separate from the rope.
The world is not denied. Only its independent existence is denied.
Vyāvahārika and pāramārthika
Vedānta distinguishes levels of reality:
- Vyāvahārika (transactional): The world as we navigate it daily. Real for all practical purposes.
- Pāramārthika (ultimate): The world seen as non-different from Brahman. Still appearing, but known as appearance.
The world doesn’t vanish upon realization. It is seen truly for the first time.
The practical test
If someone claims the world is illusion, ask them to walk through a wall. The teaching is subtler than simple denial.
Version notes
- v1.0 — initial publication.