The Hindu concept that life is illusory is called what?

• A. Karma
• B. Maya
• C. Dharma
• D. Moksha

Answer: (B)

Maya is the idea that the world we experience is not the ultimate reality; it appears real to our senses and thoughts, but it’s a veil that hides the deeper truth. In Hindu thought, maya makes the changing, transient world seem solid, while the true nature of reality is permanent and timeless—often described as the self (atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman). The effort in many traditions is to see through maya and realize that this appearance is not the whole story, which opens the path to moksha, liberation from cycle and illusion.

That’s why maya is the best answer here: it specifically names the illusion of life as we ordinarily perceive it. Karma refers to action and its consequences, Dharma is about right conduct or duty, and Moksha denotes liberation from samsara.