Hinduism

Unit 2: Hinduism: Vedanta Hinduism
By: Olga Kidisevic

1. What is maya, and how do Vedanta Hindus believe that it can be overcome?
Simply put, Maya basically means illusion and dillusion. It signifies the world as a cosmic illusion and it is also the power that creates the world. In our lives we are constantly faced with contradiction. We may sometime know what the right thing to do is, but end up doing the wrong thing. The world is not a perfect, happy place, but is one in which there is misery and sadness. All of us in our lives are at one point or other are faced with these situations or some like them. That is what is maya. The way to overcome this and acquire spiritual liberation is by eradicating ignorance. This is because ignorance is what causes us to see the illusionary multiplicity of the world as being real. We can also attain knowledge of the Self, only then can the illusions be eradicated and reality be clear. Lastly, according to Vedanta Hinduism, when we are...