Furthermore, it superimposes upon itself the attributes of the material form with which it is identified. Thus the birthless, deathless, immortal soul, which is of the nature of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, appears to be finite, phenomenal being subject to hunger and thirst,pain and pleasure, birth and death, good and evil, and the other pairs of opposites.
As long as ignorance lasts, these relative characteristics appear to pertain to the soul and to be real. All the individualised, finite beings one sees in the universe are manifestations of the non-dual soul through maya; but as maya has no absolute reality, the individual soul created by it not, ultimately speaking, real. As, in spite of the perception of the illusory mirage, the real nature of the desert is not affected, so, in spite of the perception of illusory birth and death, the soul is always of the nature of light, infinity,bliss, and immortality.
It is known that the ultimate, most important goal in Hindu life is to recognize everything in creation as one, seeing Brahman in everything. The ability to see Brahman in everything is not achieved by rigorous, intellectual effort. This comes almost intuitively. But, before one can see the unity of all creation, there is a time when all focus is on the many-ness of creation. This time is many-ness is characterized by making distinctions between all elements in creation and noticing how all those elements are different.
Hindus believe that this view of many-ness and distinctions is caused by maya. Maya can sometimes be compared to a veil. When this veil, or maya, is over people,their view of the creation is altered. On the other hand, when the veil is removed from their eyes, the people are able to see things clearly. Seeing things clearly means seeing things as one, seeing Brahman in everything. Thus, the trick of maya is to convince people that differences in the world are all that exist and thus blind them to reality of Brahman and the oneness of existence. While people are in this state in which maya exists, they just continue to be born and reincarnated, ever and over again.
Finally, when the veil of maya is lifted, people are in the ultimately desired state of eternal being with Brahman.
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