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Originally Posted by Honza
Having observed the physical world and maya for many years it has become clear that it is not a neutral force. In many ways it is a deeply malevolent force. I am not surprised that Christians believe in the devil. Maya behaves as though it is the devil.
It tries it's best to undermine, scare and disappoint us in as many ways as possible without being so obvious about it.
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Namaste
According to beliefs which are common across many religious traditions, there are those things which draw us closer to God, goodness, our Divine Nature and those which distract, detract, derail and distance our awareness further away from it.
In the Christian tradition, this is personified as the antithesis of all that is "holy" and is called "Satan" or "Devil" as something to be avoided and admonished if one is to consider themselves to be "on the correct path" according to the scriptures.. that is what Hindus call Dharma.
Whilst Hinduism doesn't personify Maya in this way, it also can be seen as being 'evil' if it facilitates the understanding that the material universe isn't all there is to existence, so Maya in itself is still neutral, but the perception of Maya in relation to that which is not Maya can be seen with the Dualistic awareness of being malevolent or hostile if the alternative is seen as being benevolent or peaceful.
Maya is an aspect of Shakti (Goddess) who can be Kali or Saraswati... depending upon the way she is viewed and perceived.
I often see Maya as a "malevolent force" designed to keep humanity in ignorance, however, she can also be a liberating force when one comes to realise it.
Aum Namah Shivaya