Spiritual Practice - I. LAMA

The soul is immortal. The body is born and dies. The word «spirit» has different meanings. In order to understand the different meanings of various religious words, it is necessary to use a constructive image. To do this, take the scheme as a tool. A diagram is just a tool, scissors. We need scissors to cut off some meanings found in spiritual literature from others. Words in spiritual sources often mean many things. Often in different spiritual sources there are the same words, but the meanings behind them are different. Or, on the contrary, the words we meet seem to be different, but the meanings behind them are the same. So, on these diagrams we will lay out different meanings as on a shelf. Different meanings – on different shelves. And different words denoting the same meanings – on one shelf.

Within the framework of this book, the concept of «Universe» covers and structurally describes both the material and mental components of «absolutely everything». In the three-dimensional diagrams of the universe structure used in this part, the vertical axis can be interpreted as the «Axis of Merit», and the axis going deeper, towards nirvana, can be interpreted as the «Axis of Tranquility».

Unified religious structure

Physical world is the world in which we live. Physical dimension. Body measurement. The material universe. The world of phenomena. Visible reality. In Buddhism: Kamaloka (Desire Realm). The world of phenomena in neo-paganism is called «yavi».

Astral world is the world in which we find ourselves in a dream. Astral dimension. Soul dimension. In Buddhism: Rupaloka (Form Realm). The Astral is divided into Lower and Upper. The lower astral in neo-paganism is called «navi». The upper astral is also called «pravi» (the right). The Lower Astral overlaps the world of phenomena. The Upper Astral has no direct projection with the world of phenomena. The Astral controls Reality by the mechanism of image projection. A phenomenon or object, before appearing in our physical world, first appears in the Astral as an image. A person who has a spiritual level that allows him to be freely reborn in the next life in the upper astral plane or higher is called a «saint».

Causal world is the world that governs the Astral world and the Physical world. The Causal dimension. Spiritual Dimension. In Buddhism: Arupaloka (Formless Realm). The Causal is divided into Upper, Middle and Lower. The Lower Causal overlaps the Lower Astral and the Physical world. The Middle Causal overlaps the Upper Astral. The Upper Causal with the Astral has no direct projection. The Causal controls the Astral by the mechanism of idea projection. That is, the Astral image, before manifesting in the Astral, first appears in the Causal as an idea. The Casual world is the world of causes.

World of Nirvana is the world of the highest Absolute. Nirvana translates as lack of excitement. It is a state of liberation, of absolute peace. In the sutras, nirvana is referred to as the destruction of worldly desires. Nirvana is opposed to samsara, that is, Reality, Astral and Causal are samsara, and nirvana is not samsara. There are minor nirvana, nirvana with remainder, parinirvana, bodhinirvana and mahanirvana.

Minor Nirvana. Just nirvana. Single nirvana. A person who has reached nirvana comes to this achievement of nirvana (the first achievement of liberation) in a single way. Such a person is called «arhat» or «single-minded awakened». Minor nirvana can be conditionally divided into causal nirvana, astral nirvana and nirvana of the world of phenomena, in accordance with what spiritual level the «liberated» person has, and, accordingly, the experience of which world in a horizontal projection he stops (discards).

Nirvana with remainder. By «residue» in this term is meant «life», which the arhat has not yet discarded.

Parinirvana is the highest level of nirvana, «nirvana without remainder», and the independent existence of the True Ego; «pari» translates as «finally». Parinirvana does not relate to any of the worlds; therefore, it is impossible to be in a state of parinirvana and live at the same time. If an arhat immediately after reaching nirvana discards life, then he will fall into parinirvana. «Parinirvana» and «nirvana with a remainder» are antonyms.

World of bodhinirvana. The arhat, after reaching nirvana, does not stop at this, but expands his achievement, leading other personalities to achieve nirvana, and thus overcoming the bonds of other worlds, other delusions that he did not have before. Such a person is called a «bodhisattva». «Bodhi» is translated as «awakening, enlightenment», and «sattva» is translated as «being», a being striving for awakening. The Bodhisattva makes a shuttle movement: nirvana – samsara – again nirvana – again samsara – nirvana – and so on. Repeating the path of liberation doubles the experience of that person. Then triples. Then quadruples. And so on. In this way the individual has a wider and wider experience of liberation than just one-man nirvana. This state of expanding the experience of nirvana is called «bodhinirvana». In the world of bodhinirvana, in relation to the world of nirvana, one can single out the upper level: bodhiparinirvana, where a bodhisattva can go after death; and bottom. The lower bodhinirvana can also be conditionally divided into three levels, depending on which world experience is being destroyed: causal bodhinirvana, astral bodhinirvana, and bodhinirvana of the phenomenal world.

World of mahanirvana. When a bodhisattva gains the experience of liberation in general from all delusions, which can be in the world of phenomena, and in the astral, and in the causal, he finds himself in a state that he has nothing more to achieve, he has overcome all the experience that is possible. This