“Maya” is a word with many meanings, some of which have a positive connotation and other definitions, not so much. For example, “maya” means the power by which the universe becomes manifest, the creative spirit, the mother spirit. But “maya” also means the appearance or illusions of the phenomenal (physical) world. It is the latter sense in which I first learned the word “maya” some 40+ years ago during my first experience meditating and sitting at the feet of a living, traveling guru. It was he who spoke the words, “Be the knife, but not the cake.” I actually think, after all these years, I understand what this means, but perhaps that is also an illusion (an unreal vision) or a delusion (a false belief). Perhaps it is both.

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That being so focused and intent on others means that they themselves can really do no wrong

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That doing what they think they want is more often doing what they think they should want and not understanding the difference between the two

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That being so in touch with their feelings and pondering them with such great intensity makes them real, when the feelings they explore and express are neither their deepest nor their most real feelings

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That they don’t either know or experience their feelings states when their emotions are actually extremely pure

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That their bearing down on a problem with great intensity and focus on serious issues confronting them will somehow get the issue solved or resolved

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That they are propelled in perpetuity to live a life with a deep hole inside themselves when all they need to do is go inside themselves

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That they don’t dare let their guard down because if they do, something terrible will happen to them

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That they are so consistently kind and nice, without recognizing that their under-experienced and unexpressed anger has painful consequences for them and others