Speedy Sutras 3.24: Unmasking the Masquerade

Shakespeare said the world is a stage, and the yogic tradition might add that it’s also a masquerade. Everything you see, feel, or even think about, is considered the mask of Shiva, called “Maya” or Illusion, a veil that conceals our True Nature. This mask is ornate, intricate, and perfect in every way, meaning we are perfectly fooled by it. Not only that, it has a power, a gravity, that pulls our energy out into it. The only way to get above it is to dissolve it, or as the yogic tradition teaches, to ‘burn it up’. To surrender our attachment to the outer mask of our reality, and allow the flame of consciousness in our heart to dissolve all illusion. 

And this mask of illusion is strong— as the Svacchanda Tantra writes, “Due to God’s energy of māyā, the minds of yogīs are diverted by force towards worldly pleasures and away from God consciousness.”(4.311–12). The distractions of our life are powerful, and have a real magnetism. They pull us away from center actively, so we have to pull ourselves back to center in order to regain it. Otherwise we are played by the drama of our life, as the Minivijaya Tantra teaches, “The Yogi played by this universe, played by hunger, played by thirst, played by every aspect of daily life. Therefore, the one who desires to achieve the highest being should not be attached to these outer impressions.”

And no matter how strong the drama, we can lift ourselves out of this illusion with a simple redirection of awareness. We practice directing our awareness to the wearer of the mask, instead of the mask itself. This is a natural process, but takes incredible effort. You’re tired, I know. Its easier just to go to bed with your mask on so to speak— but take a moment to redirect your awareness and feel your true self behind the mask. Holding your focus there starts a fire in your heart that does the rest of the work for you. 

For guidance on this process, check out our recent “RESET” Class titled “Unmasking the Masquerade”, and learn how to use stillness, your breath, and mantra to reveal the Real You.