Can Maya satisfy all the desires?

Now, to explain the concept of Maya, allow me to take this scene from the movie Matrix 2. The lead character, Neo, is bombarded by a hail of bullets - which he calmly stops mid-air before they can hit him. So when Neo stops the bullets mid-air above, is he doing something magical? Yes and no. To those who are plugged in and believe that the Matrix is reality, Yes. To them, Neo is a wizard (or Magneto from X-Men). Their reactions will be similar to this:

On the other hand, those who know that the Matrix is an illusion, they know that Neo is no wizard. He’s simply manipulating the Matrix’s program by hacking and altering the signals - in other words, manipulating the illusion. Hence, depending on perspective, Neo is a reality-defying wizard, or simply a hacker. But, why am I comparing the real world concept of Maya to the Matrix-bending? Because in Hinduism, the mortal realm is not the true reality. Rather, it’s a manner of Irreality.

In Hindu cosmogony, there are multiple Realms (Lokas) stacked one above the other. The higher a Loka is, the greater is the relative reality. The word "maaya" etymologically in Samskrit means "that which is not" (yaa maa saa maaya - that which is not there is called maaya). To the man without wisdom, who thinks himself to be the body-mind alone, to that man, maya is "real". Desires are caused by the samskaaras (impressions from infinite past births up until this moment) prevalent in the mind. Such an individual tries to satisfy them by doing so many things, but desires attempting to be satisfied by achieving something new (i.e, by getting things from the world) is like pouring more oil into a fire. For a moment it looks like the fire goes out, but it only comes back with greater force.

To the man of wisdom, desires are not evil. He is unshaken by their fulfillment or lack of it, but he does not hate desires in themselves. He lets them be like any other thing in Srishti (manifestation of Ishwara as everything). Ishwara Himself says in the Gita - "dharma-aviruddha kaamo'smi" - "I am myself those desires which are not opposed to Dharma". In Srishti, there is nothing which is purely evil. Hinduism denies that possibility. All things seen in their true light are Ishwara alone.

Desires exist in the mind, they are a part of Srishti. Satisfaction of desires (in the permanent sense) is impossible within Srishti. One has to understand one's real nature as the ever-fulfilled, infinite Atman to be free from desires. Maya is 'absorbed' through such understanding into the Atman. Without the Atman there is no Maya, no Srishti, no mind, no desires. Being everything oneself, desires and the objects of desires are also absorbed into the Atman that is oneself. Thus, after this understanding becomes a conviction, the presence or absence of desires in the mind makes no difference to the wise man, for then their sting is removed, the wise man worries neither for its fulfillment nor about the lack of it.

But, why am I comparing the real world concept of Maya to the Matrix-bending? Because in Hinduism, the mortal realm is not the true reality. Rather, it’s a manner of Irreality. In Hindu cosmogony, there are multiple Realms (Lokas) stacked one above the other. The higher a Loka is, the greater is the relative reality. The Realm of the Mortals in the Bhu-Loka, where we mortals reside. Each of the lower realms are less real than the upper ones. Or, in other words, the “Reality” of a Lower Realm is akin to a simulation to the Upper Ones.

Hence, in the ancient lores where we read of gods and Devas doing miracles, it could be just possible that - since they belong to the higher realm of Devloka - they are capable of altering the Illusion that is native to the BhuLoka Realm. The prime goal of the strictest Hindu adherents is to break through all the “Irrealities” of the Lokas, and manage to ascend to the Reality of Vaikuntha. This phenomenon is called gaining Moksha in Hinduism (which is known as Nirvana in Buddhism) Cheers!