Monday, 23 August 2010 06:52

Schopenhauer and the Maya Veil

Written by Diana Sannino
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"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world. "
Arthur Schopenhauer

What if everything we see isn't true reality, but a twisted reality, an illusion, a dream? Everything we consider real is only an illusion, the reality we perceive is only appearance. The german philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, in his work, “The World as Will and Representation” talks about the “Maya Veil." He believes that men look at reality through a veil that has the power to twist reality and create illusions. What we see does not exist; it is only made by the veil that can create and make things disappear.

Schopenhauer's concept of the “Maya Veil” takes inspiration from Indian philosophy especially from two sacred texts, the Vedic and Puranic, where Maya is described as a divine power that creates reality's representations given by space and time. In spite of it, according to Schopenhauer, men are not the veil's victims; they have a chance to rip the veil and to perceive true reality. He believes men do not only have the consciousness and ability to represent, but a body that makes their will visible. It is this body in which they can emerge themselves in their egos and perceive their will of living. Will is the only way to rip the veil because it can escape from time and space.

Therefore according to Schopenhauer all the representations we consider real are only illusions and life is only a dream. Real life exists beyond dreams and representations, and it's our duty to question ourselves and engage a search of the truth. If we were about to accept Schopenhauer's theory and convince ourselves that everything we have always known was given by the Maya's veil, it would imply a big sense of insecurity in us and we would feel lost.

Sometimes accepting a theory of a big mind such as Shopenhauer, implies a strong bravery and a big capacity to question ourselves.

What would you do?

Would you be brave enough to look deep in yourself, rip the veil and probably find out that everything you are has never existed?

Would you abandon your certainties in the name of truth?

 

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Last modified on Monday, 23 August 2010 07:16

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