To have unsatisfactory answers to some questions about Mater's teachings is something I don't like. There was a sentence from the Aphorisms little book that disturbed me for months. The more I looked at it, the less I understood. What did it really mean?

Then Master came to London, and I took the opportunity to ask Her the question.

"I don't remember exactly the words but in the small book Aphorisms coming from Master, it is written somewhere that sometimes Maya could be also Buddha and that means ourselves if not a Buddha, we couldn't be a Buddha. I don't understand this sentence very well.... I have some meaning but I'm not sure."

"Okay, tell your meaning. Tell your understanding first," Master requested.

I said, "Oh, my understanding is that even the devil if he turns, could also become one day good and become also Buddha because everybody could become a Buddha, even the bad ones. And that's the reason why Buddha is Buddha. I don't know it is the real meaning exactly."

Master then replied, "Well, it's correct in a sense. The meaning is like this: the Maya is also the Buddha. It's like this because originally everything came from one place -- the Nothingness, the beginning of all things. So where can the Maya come from, if not from Godhood, from Buddhahood, from the Kingdom of God? In the beginning we all were Masters, or part of the Master plan, part of the whole of the creation, like a piece of cake of apple pie, of the whole apple pie. All right? But then each of us carries something individuality, different; like, okay, this one has tomato on it, the next one has mushrooms, and the next piece of pizza has some olives on it. Okay? And some part is smaller, some part is bigger. Smaller for children to eat and bigger for adults to eat, for example like that.

"So in the beginning we were Masters anyhow, or at least part of the Masterhood, but then if we want to have fun in the world, then we have to divide ourselves. Each one takes up a different role. So one takes up a role as a Buddha, and the other one takes up as the opposite of the Buddha, just like in a theater play. In the beginning all the actors, actresses belong to the same company, but the one who is cut out to be the main actress, she must be so-and-so beautiful with so-and-so figure; and the other one is designed to be a maid and she has to wear a such-and-such dress and behave in a such-and-such way and has such-and-such kind of portion -- the body (Master laughs). Things like that.

"So, we are the same. But when we descend into a lower level of existence such as this world, then we have to relinquish our right as a Master in order to play another role. So if you play that role too long, it could be possible that you forget everything that you have done in heaven, or forget what you are, your greatness. That's why I tell you the Master is within you.

"Now if you want to reclaim your Masterhood again, then begin. You know, search inside. For so long you've searched outside in order to fulfill your role, your purpose, whatever, then you forgot. So now is the time to look back inside for your own greatness.

"So Maya is actually playing the role of Maya for the purpose of balancing the creation, for the purpose of making it picy . If there is no opposite, how do you recognize the other part? If you have never ever seen a woman in your life you would not recognize yourself as a man. Therefore, there must be a Maya, there must be a Buddha, things like that. That's why all the Masters tell you: 'You are equal. You all are children of God,' or 'You all are the Buddha, you have all Buddha nature (God nature) inside and that's the only truth there is.'

"But that doesn't mean that when you look at somebody doing evil things and you say that is good. No, evil is evil, good is good. Because for that purpose they are evil or they are good. God makes them like that so we know good. If there is no evil we don't recognize good. Just like when there is no sorrow we don't know what happiness really means. So there must be opposites, what we call ying and yang, so that we can recognize ourselves. Okay? Each one helps the other to recognize their greatness. So, no problem about that. You got it??"

"Not exactly," I answered.

"Not exactly. Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I'm sorry. Well, you are the professor, you're so used to with complicated explanations and books, so it's difficult for me.

"Maya is the Buddha, because there is no Maya in the beginning. That is only Buddha who's masked as the Maya in order to play the bad guy. Because without trials, without bad guys, how can you prove that you are good? How can you realize that you are good? All the heroes are born from situations. All the medicines and all that all came from sickness. If there is no sickness, there is no great doctors, no great medicines, no great discoveries. If there is no need for light and industry like that we'd have no discovery of electricity.

"Okay, there is just a purpose of badness so that everyone can recognize what goodness is and keeps on to it. But the bad one has done that, has masked himself as bad for that purpose, so that you'll be great, so that you know, “Oh, this is bad. I should not do this. I have to keep on with the good one. Because you compare to yourself, “Oh, this is really bad. This is good. Because if you don't have a bad one to compare, you don't know. Okay? You've lost your direction and the purpose. So there must be a Maya, but they are the Buddhas (enlightened beings) who are masked behind the Maya. Got it or not?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Good! Bless you, bless you. It's abstract, you know, and it's very difficult to understand, that I know. But I'm very proud of you that as a professor of your age, of a great university in Belgium, and you have practiced humility enough to ask me this question, and to even to admit it when you did not understand. I really appreciate that.

This debate about maya and Buddha was a lesson in humility. Instead of pretending that we understand everything about Master's teachings, sometimes it is better to ask Master, Herself, the right answer and not to be afraid of saying that we don't understand!