What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

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canadianbuddhist
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What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by canadianbuddhist »

Hi,

Can someone let me know what is Māyā and some textual references about it?

Thank you
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Sam Vara
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Re: What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by Sam Vara »

You might want to check out the sutta references here:
Māyā
feminine

deceptive appearance fraud, deceit, hypocrisy Snp.245, Snp.328 (˚kata deceit), Snp.469, Snp.537, Snp.786, Snp.941 (: māyā vuccati vañcanikā cariyā Mnd.422); Vb.357, Vb.361, Vb.389; Mil.289; Vism.106 (+ sātheyya, māna, pāpicchatā etc.), Vism.479 (māyā viya viññāṇaṃ); Vb-a.34 (in detail), Vb-a.85, Vb-a.493 (def.). Is not used in Pali Abhidhamma in a philosophical sense.
mystic formula, magic, trick MN.i.381 (āvaṭṭanī m.) khattiya˚
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Re: What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by DooDoot »

Kodho mado thambho paccupaṭṭhāpanā ,
Māyā usūyā bhassasamussayo ca;
Mānātimāno ca asabbhi santhavo,
Esāmagandho na hi maṃsabhojanaṃ.

Who’s angry, obstinate, hostile and vain,
deceitful, envious, a boastful person too,
full of oneself, with the wicked intimate:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

https://suttacentral.net/snp2.2/en/mills
Yathāvādī tathākārī,
Ahu buddhassa sāvako;
Acchidā maccuno jālaṃ,
Tataṃ māyāvino daḷhaṃ.

As he spoke, he acted so,
one of the Buddha’s hearkeners
who rent the deceiver Māra’s net,
spread wide and very strong.

https://suttacentral.net/snp2.12/en/mills
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Re: What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by DooDoot »

Yamhi na māyā vasati na māno,
Yo vītalobho amamo nirāso;
Paṇunnakodho abhinibbutatto,
Yo brāhmaṇo sokamalaṃ ahāsi;
Tathāgato arahati pūraḷāsaṃ.

In whom does not dwell deceit or conceit,
who’s greed-free, unselfish, having no desire,
who anger has lost, exceeding Cool of self,
that Brahmin who’s removed impurity of grief:
such a Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.

https://suttacentral.net/snp3.4/en/mills
Dukkhavepakkaṃ yadatthi kammaṃ,
Uddhamadho tiriyaṃ vāpi majjhe;
Paribbājayitvā pariññacārī,
Māyaṃ mānamathopi lobhakodhaṃ;
Pariyantamakāsi nāmarūpaṃ,
Taṃ paribbājakamāhu pattipattan”ti.

Whatever deeds are to result in suffering,
Above, below, across, or in-between;
Having gone forth one lives to fully understand
Illusions, conceit, as well as greed and hatred;
Terminating mental and physical phenomena,
That, they say, is an accomplished wanderer.

https://suttacentral.net/snp3.6/en/sujato

Avoiding whatever action there is
that ripens in suffering & stress
—above, below, and even all around
in the middle—
one who goes about, comprehending,
he has put an all-around end to
deceptiveness, conceit,
greed, anger,
name-&-form:
He’s called a wanderer,
attained to attainment.”

https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/StNp/StNp3_6.html
Sacco siyā appagabbho,
amāyo rittapesuṇo;
Akkodhano lobhapāpaṃ,
vevicchaṃ vitare muni

Truthful and not arrogant,
deceit none, slander, hate,
rid of greed’s evil, avarice
beyond them all’s the sage

https://suttacentral.net/snp4.15/en/mills

Be truthful, not insolent,
not deceptive, rid
of divisiveness.
Without anger, the sage
should cross over the evil
of greed & avarice.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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paul
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Re: What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by paul »

SN 22.95
Phena Sutta: Foam
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Re: What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by DooDoot »

Suppose a magician or their apprentice was to perform a magic trick at the crossroads. And a person with good eyesight would see it and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a magic trick?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, māyākāro vā māyākārantevāsī vā catumahāpathe māyaṃ vidaṃseyya. Tamenaṃ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, māyāya sāro?

and consciousness like a magic trick:

Māyūpamañca viññāṇaṃ,

this illusion, cooed over by fools.

māyāyaṃ bālalāpinī;

https://suttacentral.net/sn22.95/en/sujato
https://suttacentral.net/sn22.95/en/bodhi
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Re: What is Māyā (Deceit) in the Buddhist teachings?

Post by Dhammanando »

canadianbuddhist wrote: Thu Sep 06, 2018 4:55 pm Can someone let me know what is Māyā and some textual references about it?
When applied to behaviour, māyā is the pretence to, or affectation of, virtues that one lacks, or the concealment of one's faults. When applied to the mind it’s the desire to be thought good when one isn't and the anxiety that one's faults might become known.
Māyā ca sāṭheyyañca

Tattha katamā māyā? Idhekacco kāyena duccaritaṃ caritvā, vācāya duccaritaṃ caritvā, manasā duccaritaṃ caritvā tassa paṭicchādanahetuṃ pāpikaṃ icchaṃ paṇidahati: ‘Mā maṃ jaññā’’ti icchati, ‘mā maṃ jaññā’ ti saṅkappeti, ‘mā maṃ jaññā’ ti vācaṃ bhāsati, ‘mā maṃ jaññā’ ti kāyena parakkamati. Yā evarūpā māyā māyāvitā accāsarā vañcanā nikati vikiraṇā pariharaṇā gūhanā parigūhanā chādanā paṭicchādanā anuttānīkammaṃ anāvikammaṃ vocchādanā pāpakiriyā: ayaṃ vuccati ‘māyā’.

Tattha katamaṃ sāṭheyyaṃ? Idhekacco saṭho hoti parisaṭho. Yaṃ tattha saṭhaṃ saṭhatā sāṭheyyaṃ kakkaratā kakkariyaṃ parikkhattatā pārikkhattiyaṃ: idaṃ vuccati ‘sāṭheyyaṃ’.



Deceit and hypocrisy

Therein what is “deceit”? Herein a certain one having performed wrong action with the body, having performed wrong action with speech, having performed wrong action with the mind, to hide that (action) evokes an evil wish; he wishes thus, “May no-one know me”; he thinks thus, “May no-one know me”; he says the words thus, “May no-one know me”; he tries with the body thus, “May no-one know me”; that which is similar, deceit, being deceitful, glossing over, deception, cheating, confusing the issue, evading, concealment, secrecy, hiding, covering, not making clear, not making known, hiding well, subterfuge. This is called deceit.

Therein what is “hypocrisy” ? Herein a certain one is a hypocrite, a fraud; that which therein is hypocrisy, being hypocritical, state of being hypocritical, roughness, being rough, pretence, being pretentious. This is called hypocrisy.
(Vibhaṅga - Book of Analysis 357-8)
“For the purpose of concealing his bodily misconduct, he formulates evil desires: He desires, ‘May they not know about me.’ He resolves, ‘May they not know about me.’ He speaks, [thinking,] ‘May they not know about me.’ He makes an effort with his body, [thinking,] ‘May they not know about me.’ For the purpose of concealing his verbal misconduct… For the purpose of concealing his mental misconduct, he formulates evil desires: He desires, ‘May they not know about me.’ He resolves, ‘May they not know about me.’ He speaks, [thinking,] ‘May they not know about me.’ He makes an effort with his body, [thinking,] ‘May they not know about me.’ For him, I tell you, this is interest payment.

“And then his well-behaved companions in the holy life say about him, ‘This venerable one acts in this way, behaves in this way.’ For him, I tell you, this is being served notice.

“And then, when he has gone to the wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, he is beset with evil, unskillful thoughts accompanied by remorse. For him, I tell you, this is being hounded.
Iṇa Sutta - Discourse on Debts
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
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