Question 5. What is the nature of maya?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Maya is that which makes us regard as nonexistent the Self, the Reality, which is always and everywhere present, all-pervasive and Self-luminous, and as existent the individual soul (jiva), the world (jagat), and God (para) which have beenconclusively proved to be nonexistent at all times and places.

~Sri Ramana Maharishi, Upadesa Manjari (Spiritual Instruction)

Tom’s comments:

ie. Maya is that which makes you think there is no Self or Ultimate Reality, but makes you think there are individual persons (jivas), there is a world (jagat), and there is a force that governs these…When in fact the opposite is true.