This world and our characters are not mere illusion as both are impermanent, hence hence "mithya" (in Hindi) doesn't mean "illusion" or "dream" in English. What is your take?
Taking something that is impermanent to be ultimately real is an illusion. If something is ‘ultimately real’ then it’s always real so can’t be impermanent. It can be real in a relative sense, but not in the ultimate sense.
Seeing something that is temporary doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist and is just an illusion with no substance. Seeing something as disconnected from Krishna is where the illusion is. It’s in the conception not in the object.
This is explained by Sri Krishna to Lord Brahma in one of the chatur sloki verses of Srimad Bhagavatam.
O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.
PURPORT
In the previous verse it has already been concluded that in any stage of the cosmic manifestation—its appearance, its sustenance, its growth, its interactions of different energies, its deterioration and its disappearance—all has its basic relation with the existence of the Personality of Godhead. And as such, whenever there is forgetfulness of this prime relation with the Lord, and whenever things are accepted as real without being related to the Lord, that conception is called a product of the illusory energy of the Lord.
Because nothing can exist without the Lord, it should be known that the illusory energy is also an energy of the Lord. The right conclusion of dovetailing everything in relationship with the Lord is called yoga-maya, or the energy of union, and the wrong conception of detaching a thing from its relationship with the Lord is called the Lord's daivi maya, or maha-maya. Both the mayas also have connections with the Lord because nothing can exist without being related to Him. As such, the wrong conception of detaching relationships from the Lord is not false but illusory.
Misconceiving one thing for another thing is called illusion. For example, accepting a rope as a snake is illusion, but the rope is not false. The rope, as it exists in front of the illusioned person, is not at all false, but accepting it as a snake is illusory. Therefore, this material manifestation is not false, but the wrong conception of accepting the material manifestation as being divorced from the energy of the Lord is illusion.
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