We know ‘Maya’ means illusion because we often hear ‘Sab Moha Maya hai’, meaning everything is attachment and illusion. We humans blind ourselves to the truth in our search for pleasure and self-gratification and become delusional and entangled in the web of Maya. So, what is this supposed illusion? Most of us might have a faint idea about it but might be unable to pinpoint to the exact definition. According to the spiritual texts, the world that we live in is an illusion and the things that we perceive as reality, too, are nothing but Maya (illusion).
Let’s unravel the concept of ‘Maya’ and see how can we break free from it and see the reality. In life, we are always chasing something or the other, like a promotion at work, material possessions, more money, happiness or true love. And the more we pursue things, the more difficult they are to achieve. So, we need to understand that instead of chasing something in the world outside, we must look within. This world is just a reflection of what you are. Yes, you read that right. For instance, if you are seeking stability in career but deep inside the thoughts of fear, instability, and insecurities make you anxious and impatient, then you are going to attract instability. Similarly, if you are chasing love but with a heart full of doubt, thinking whether the person would accept your proposal or not, then remember you will not get love.
To simplify this, let’s take the example of a mirror. Assume that you are standing in front of the mirror and there is a dirt particle on your cheek. If you try to clean the dirt particle off your face by wiping the mirror, is it going to take the particle off your face? No! Similarly, to receive what you seek, it must first be within you. We need to believe in it without diluting it with doubts, anxieties, fear, and insecurities. Remember, the mirror is just the reflection of what you are within. Today, because you are in the grip of Maya (illusion), you fail to connect with your higher consciousness, and this results in pain. You often get connected to the material world and fail to realise your higher consciousness.
Let us see the classic picture of Mahabharata where the horse chariot led by four horses is driven by Krishna as the charioteer and Arjun as the passenger. Here, our senses represent the reigns of the horses, horses the mind, the chariot our body while the passenger is our self and the charioteer is none other than our Higher Self. Our mind like the horses wants to run freely in all directions, continually trying to feed us with definitions. It tricks you in wanting things and fills you with doubts and questions, wondering if you will ever achieve what you desire. We need to bridle these horses and harness them, lest they break the chariot and injure the passenger. If you do not gain control over your senses, they may exhaust you physically and mentally and create anxiety and unnecessary fear. Your body, your mind and your senses should surrender to your higher self or the charioteer personified by Krishna.
Meditation
One can connect to his ‘Higher Self’ through meditation. It is the process or art that helps you to peep within and unites you with your true nature which is full of love, happiness, gratitude, and satisfaction. It makes you realise that all the other things and this world are just an illusion.
Chakras and their Significance
Chakras play a pivotal role in our lives. Our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well- being is all dependent upon the chakras. There are seven main chakras in every human body, and these chakras represent seven dimensions of human life and the seven aspects of consciousness.
Listed below are seven critical questions that we need to ask ourselves to know which Chakra is blocked and what illusion is associated with each blocked Chakra.
- Do you feel stable? Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra)
- Do you feel joyful? Swadhisthana Chakra (The Sacral Chakra)
- Do you feel you are in charge of your life? Manipura Chakra (The Navel Chakra)
- Do you feel the love? Anahata Chakra (The Heart Chakra)
- Do you feel you can transform? Vishuddha Chakra (The Throat Chakra)
- Do you see the reality? Ajna (The Brow Chakra)
- Do you feel one with the universe? Sahasrara Chakra (Crown chakra)
Let us see what illusion crops up in our life if any of these Chakras are blocked.
Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra)
When the Muladhara Chakra is blocked, the illusion/Maya of instability crawls in your life. It makes you believe that you must struggle, whereas, if it is balanced, you feel satisfied, supported and stable. Chant the mantra of this Chakra and pray to the deity of this Chakra to balance it. Additionally, wear a Rudraksha and a Gemstone that complements that Chakra.
When the Muladhara Chakra is blocked, you face struggles, challenges and delays and health issues like arthritis, lower back pain, varicose veins, piles, and obesity. This individual is trapped by Maya, which makes that individual believe that he must struggle to be stable in life.
To see through this Maya, you need to connect and honour the three major support systems you of your life. They are your parents, your work, and your body. Once you attune to the lessons of this Chakra, you will realise your true nature of being an eternal being.
Swadhisthana Chakra (The Sacral Chakra)
When the Swadhisthana Chakra is blocked, the illusion drives you to believe that you must seek pleasure outside. It makes you think that you are not happy and drives you to get into addictions of the senses, fears and phobias. With blockage of the chakra, you experience pain in the lower back, constipation, kidney, and bladder issues, etc. The Maya traps you into believing in duality and that joy you get is from outside and that you are incomplete. Once this Chakra is balanced, you are in tune with yourself and the outside world doesn’t matter anymore. You break free from the illusion, and you realise that your true nature is joyful, and you attune to harmonious relationships.
Manipura Chakra (The Navel Chakra)
When the Manipura Chakra is blocked, Maya (illusion) makes you believe that you are powerless, and you are not in charge of your life.
It makes you emotionally, physically and mentally dependent on the outside world. You fear the future and have negativity for the past. You are frequently worried and concerned about others’ opinions. You suffer from health issues of the liver and pancreas and have acidity, diabetes, chronic tiredness etc. When balanced, you are out of the illusion, and you realise that you have the radiating power like the sun.
Anahata Chakra (The Heart Chakra)
When the Anahata Chakra is blocked, illusions of lack of love grip you. You see others as separate from you and live with attachments, controls and expectations.
When this Chakra is blocked, you feel feelings of grief, non-fulfilment, possessiveness, betrayal etc. You also experience physical effects like heart ailments, blood pressure, fever, allergies etc. Whenever any chakra out of the seven chakras gets blocked, the heart chakra automatically gets blocked.
When the heart chakra is balanced through meditation and introspection, you realise your nature as unconditional love.
Vishuddha Chakra (The Throat Chakra)
When the Vishuddha Chakra is blocked, we get trapped in the illusion of helplessness. Maya (illusion) puts you into definitions, references and identifications that makes you forget that you are the light which can brighten any darkness.
When this Chakra is blocked, the Maya of low self-confidence, frustration, helplessness, and misunderstanding grips you. It leads to physical symptoms like neck and shoulder pain, low immunity, cold, cough and issues relating to the lung, insomnia, and thyroid. When the Vishuddha Chakra is cleansed, you rise in purity and express your true self.
Ajna (The Brow Chakra)
When the Ajna Chakra is blocked, illusion continually puts you in the denial where Maya casts a veil on your true vision and makes you not accept the world as it is. It makes you reference everything through the lens of your egoic self. But when the Ajna Chakra is cleansed, the Maya disappears, and you realise that the world is a reflection of you; it is your consciousness at that time. People with a blocked Ajna Chakra are prone to sinus, headaches and often get nightmares etc. Tuning to your true nature of acceptance helps you shatter this illusion.
Sahasrara Chakra (Crown chakra)
When the Crown Chakra is blocked, you are trapped in the illusion of discontentment and ungratefulness. When balanced, you realise that you are all that is!
When this Chakra is blocked, you lose faith and feel hopeless. On a mental level, you get depression, Schizophrenia, giddiness, and migraines. On a physical level, you get skin diseases. When you come out of the illusion, you realise that sufferings are related to the illusion of taking life experiences personally and not understanding the true meaning of life which seeks to fulfil the intention of self-realisation through different situations and challenges. Once you realise this truth, your crown chakra begins to open, and you realise your true nature of knowingness and infiniteness.
Tools we can use to come out of the illusion
Now, that you have understood what illusion is and how important it is to cleanse your chakras, you must use the following tools to unblock the chakras.
Meditation
It would help if you meditated on the Chakra you feel is blocked. Make a note of your fears, channelize your thoughts and feel and witness the fears and release them in awareness.
Mantra chanting and deity worshipping
Chant mantras of the chakras that are blocked and worship the deities of that Chakra.
Rudraksha and gemstones
Wear Rudraksha and gemstones that help to unblock chakras. Remember, you cannot just wear any Rudraksha and gemstone. Consult experts to learn which Chakra is blocked and which Rudraksha and gem can help heal and cleanse the blocked Chakra.
