まま
1.) As it is
An action or condition as it is without another action occurring or change in condition. The action/condition remains as it is without any change. Seen a lot with 「…たまま」.
テレビをつけたまま、 眠ってしまった（ねむってしまった）。
With the TV still on, I fell asleep.
In this case, The TV remained on. It didn’t turn off or anything. The action continued while the person fell asleep. If it makes it easier, imagine まま as ”as it is”. Therefore, the sentence can be interpreted as “ With the TV on as it is, I fell asleep.”
For the following examples, I’ll put a literal translation on the bottom. まま is color-coded in both sentences. The translation will be awkward but it will help to understand the role of the word better.
絶対トイレの蓋を開けたままにするなよ。
ぜったいトイレのふたをあけたままにするなよ。
Whatever you do don’t leave the lid up on the toilet!
( Absolutely don’t leave the lid up on the toilet as it is!)
赤ちゃんは泣かせたままにしてはいけないのでしょうか？
あかちゃんはなかせたままにしてはいけないのでしょうか？
Is it wrong to leave my baby crying?
( I can’t leave my baby crying as it is, right?)
目を閉じたままで彼はベンチに座っていた。
めをとじたままでかれはベンチにすわっていた。
He was sitting on the bench with his eyes closed.
( With his eyes closed as they were, he sat on the bench.)
For the above examples, the action/state/condition continued without change. It just remained as it was.
If you can wrap your head around that definition it’s easy to understand it’s second definition: condition, state.
2.) Condition, state
問題 (もんだい) をこのままにしておいてはいけない。
You can’t leave the problem as it is.
( You can’t leave the problem in this state it’s in.)
天気がこのまま続くといいですね。
てんきがこのままつづくといいですね。
I hope the weather stays this way.
( If the weather continues in this state that’d be nice.)
部屋をそのままにしておきなさい。
へやをそのままにしておきなさい。
Leave the room as it is. ( Keep the room in that condition it is. )
ありのまま
ある: to be
あり is the noun form of ある、making it mean existence ( at the present moment), as it is.
ありのまま means as it is, bare.
物事をありのままに見るようにしなさい。
ものごとをありのままにみるようにしなさい。
Try to see things as they are.
ありのままの事実を伝えることは難しい。
ありのままのじじつをつたえることはむずかしい。
It is difficult to tell the bare facts.
いつもありのままの自分（じぶん）でいいですよ。
It’s always okay to be yourself.
( It’s always good to be as you are.)
