An Excerpt from Don Miguel Ruiz's Mastery of Love
"There is an old story from India about the God, Brahma, who was alone. Nothing existed but Brahma, and he was completely bored. Brahma decided to play a game, but there was no one to play the game with. So he created a beautiful goddess, Maya, just for the purpose of having fun. Once Maya existed and Brahma told her the purpose of her existence, she said, "Okay, let's play the most wonderful game, but you do what I tell you to do." Brahma agreed and following Maya's instructions, he created the whole universe, the sun and the stars, the moon and the planets. He created life on earth: the animals, the oceans, the atmosphere, everything.
Maya said, "How beautiful is this world of illusion you created. Now I want you to create an animal that is so intelligent and aware that it can appreciate your own creation." Finally Brahma created humans, and after he finished the creation, he asked Maya when the game was going to start.
"We will start right now," she said. She took Brahma and cut him into thousands of teeny, tiny pieces. She put a piece inside every human and said, "Now the game begins! I am going to make you forget what you are, and you are going to try and find yourself!" Maya created the Dream and still, even today, Brahma is trying to remember who he is. When you awake from the Dream, you become Brahma again and reclaim your divinity. You now know the trick of Maya and can share the truth with others who are going to wake up too. Two people who are sober in the party can have more fun. Three people who are sober is even better. Begin with you. Then others will start to change, until the whole dream, the whole party, is sober."
Self-realization is not merely recognizing our agency within the confines of our physical reality; it’s about acknowledging the expansiveness of our existence beyond these material bounds. Just as Brahma discovers the illusion of Maya, we too must transcend the veils of illusion to unveil the deeper truths that lie beyond.
In our journey towards self-realization, we encounter glimpses of these truths – whispers from realms beyond the tangible, echoes of our higher selves calling us to remember. These transcendent experiences serve as guideposts, illuminating the path towards reunion with the Source, with Brahma.
However, the allure of Maya, the illusion of separateness, can be potent, binding us to the confines of our physicality and blinding us to the boundless nature of our being. Yet, for those who dare to venture beyond the perceived boundaries of reality, a profound revelation awaits: the realization that we are not mere mortals confined to earthly existence, but eternal souls journeying through the vast cosmos of consciousness.
To acknowledge these truths is to embark on a journey of self-discovery unlike any other – a journey that transcends the limitations of the mind and expands our awareness to encompass the infinite expanse of existence itself.