Maharaj Kripalu's Explanation of Maya
Out of infinity, the Supreme Being, Nirguna Brahman, created the finite universe. Hinduism believes that this is the universe of illusion or maya. In the state of ignorance--Ajnana--the self becomes complicated with materialistic attributes such as those of the sensual, mental, and physical domains. Amidst this confusion, synonymous with suffering, one focuses their spiritual energy on labels and titles and wastes concern on concepts like caste (status), success, riches, and accomplishment.
Maya is the manifestation of the Lord within the universal process. When self-realization occurs through the intuitive processes which lead to knowledge of the Supreme self, then freedom arises from the trappings of materialism. Maharaj Kripalu shares the seven steps to God realization in the Prem Ras Siddhant precisely to teach his disciples how to wade through the maya to find eternal love.