Maya

Questioner: Amma, what is maya? How do You define it?

Amma: the mind is maya. The inability of the mind to conceive of the world as impermanent and changing is known as maya.

Questioner: It is also said that this objective world is maya.

Amma: Yes, because it is a projection of the mind. That which prevents us from seeing this reality is maya.
A lion made of sandalwood is real to a child, but to a grown-up, it's a piece of sandalwood. For the child, the wood is concealed, revealing only the lion. The parents may also enjoy the lion, but they know it is not real. For them, the wood is real, not the lion. In the same way, to a Self-realized soul, the entire universe is nothing but the essence, the "wood" that comprises everything, the Absolute Brahman, or consciousness.

From the book From Amma's Heart translated and written by Swami Amritaswarupananda