Spiritual Practice School
● Elements of the spirit. To maintain adequacy between experience and space, the True Ego formed the causal body – an external causal object identical to itself – and merged with, identified itself with, this external object. The True Ego began to think: “This is not an external object – this is I myself”. With repeated occurrence of this experience, the True Ego became bound by this obscuration. This moment can be regarded as the emergence of the spirit. The spirit can also be understood as the totality of the True Ego, anti-mystical force, accumulated experience, motivation, and causal body. The spirit, as a causal body, appears as a concentrated cluster of light.
● Elements of the soul. In order to understand more deeply, see more clearly, distinguish more precisely, and firmly retain what was seen and understood, the spirit formed the astral body (in some sources: the “subtle body”, “etheric body”, or a particular variant of “form” or “external appearance”) – an external astral object identical to the spirit – and merged with, identified itself with, this external object. The True Ego began to think: “This is not an external object – this is I myself”. With repeated occurrence of this experience, the True Ego became bound by this obscuration. This moment can be regarded as the emergence of the soul. The soul, as an astral body, appears as a blurred reflection in a mirror – without a physical form.
● Elements of sensations. To perceive all other external objects, the soul formed primary, elementary sense organs: the capacity to see, hear, touch, smell, taste, and sense motion.
● Consciousness. To better understand what the sense organs perceive, and to synthesize various sensations into a unified whole, the soul acquired the ability to form images and to think in terms of these images.
● Touch. Contact. The meeting of sense organs with external objects. These external objects were created by the same soul, as well as by other souls. The three gunas serve as the building material for forming external objects.
● Sensation. As a result of contact between sense organs and external objects, the soul receives sensations. Sensations may vary in intensity (strong or weak) and valence (pleasant or unpleasant).
● Perception. The integration of individual sensations into a unified image.
● Feeling. The evaluation of the image formed through perception. The criterion for evaluation is what was established at the stage of motivation. Thus, when details of past and new experience coincide, an illusion arises of approaching the original absolute state of the True Ego – and the new experience, new sensations, and new images are also evaluated as pleasant.
● Thirst. Craving. Pleasant experience inevitably leads to a strong desire to repeat it – to passion.
● Attachment. "Clinging". Strong attachment both to objects of pleasant feelings and to one’s own internal factors associated with them. For example, clinging to memories of a beloved person.
● Appropriation. Possession. Holding onto objects of craving, objects of pleasant feelings and thoughts, close to oneself.
● Formation of existence. Becoming. The creation of a physical body.
● Internalization. An external object (object of attachment) crosses the boundary between outer and inner, becoming part of the physical body and forming internal metabolism – thus becoming part of metabolism. This creates an inner need for the external, the similar. For example, internal alcohol present in the blood creates a need for more external alcohol.
● Birth. If internalization is not interrupted, the further development of the process leads the soul to form increasingly coarser, more inert bodies. Eventually, the soul finds itself in a human body within this phenomenal world. At the moment of birth, the True Ego forgets what occurred before – and due to this, a mistaken view arises: “This body is I”. Repeated cycles of birth reinforce this obscuration. Understanding this stage as a single event is erroneous. It must be understood as the soul’s descent into a state of continuous birth and death, continuous rebirth – an experience of infinite previous births.
● Suffering. If a person is born, death is inevitable. If the soul, through will and correct thinking, interrupts any element of this chain, the process of conditionally forming existence ceases.
The Buddhist teaching of the Twelve Nidanas (twelve links or conditions of samsara’s arising – the Twelvefold Chain of Dependent Origination) and the above-described procedure of soul emergence are one and the same. The assertion that this process of conditional arising exists permanently and immanently is correct. The common belief that the last link of this chain leads back to the first – thus forming an endless cycle – is a misconception, an error, a confusion. In truth, the final link of arising leads not back to the first link of arising, but to the first link of liberation: faith. The widespread view among Buddhologists that Buddhism denies the existence of the soul is mistaken.
Absolute
The Absolute is known by many names across traditions, but only when understood in their most profound sense: Adi-Buddha (the Primordial Buddha), Brahman-Absolute, The Lord (only in the most accurate, non-anthropomorphic understanding), Allah (only when correctly understood – since “Allah” literally means “the Highest God”).
Atman – this is the wise True Ego that returns to the state of the Absolute, in contrast to the ignorant True Ego that falls out from it. Atman is analogous to one of the interpreta-tions of the Holy Spirit.
The Absolute is the primordial state of all True Egos. It is absolute freedom, absolute joy, and absolute bliss.
The Absolute exists eternally. Matter exists eternally, just as the Absolute does. Samsara, however, is not eternal. Samsara arises when a large number of True Egos begin to fall out of the Absolute. The building material of samsara is matter – the three gunas.
The Absolute is in a state of absolute potentiality. Before samsara arises, and after it dissolves, matter remains in this state of absolute potentiality.
Samsara means the cycle of existence. Existence and samsara are one and the same.
The Misconception of “First Cause”. In philosophy, when referring to the highest spiritual or divine principle, the term “first cause” is often used – implying the cause of existence. This is an error. And so is the belief held by most religions. Nearly all religions claim that the Highest of the High God created existence. But this is not true. On the contrary, certain schools of Buddhism are correct in asserting that the Highest Principle – the Absolute – created nothing. The emergence of existence and the entire universe was not by design, but by mistake, by misunderstanding – the misunderstanding of fragments of the Absolute. The Absolute itself did not create existence and is absolutely indifferent to it. This world and the Absolute exist in parallel and do not intersect. To be precise. The Absolute is not the absence of existence, but rather exists where existence is absent. The Absolute has no forms, no modifications, and no states – meaning, it has only one unchanging state.
Nirvana and the Absolute are the same. The state of nirvana is the state of the Absolute. It is more accurate to understand nirvana not as a place in space, but simply as a state – the state of liberation, the state of absolute peace. In the sutras, nirvana is described as: the destruction of worldly desires, the eradication of knowledge and experience (as binding). As a result of destroying worldly desires, liberation arises – freedom from suffering.
The True Ego. The True Ego is the very “Buddha-nature” present in every living being – the one spoken of in Buddhism. Originally, the human True Ego is a part of the Absolute. This is why scriptures say: “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven”. Here, the “Holy Spirit” refers precisely to the Absolute. And it is easy to understand why: since the True Ego is the fundamental component of the soul’s structure, blasphemy against the Absolute – and thus against the True Ego – means a person severs themselves from their own True Self, effectively destroying the most essential and highest part within. They turn their own soul away from liberation, directing it against salvation.
The Absolute is indifferent to samsara. Since the Absolute resides in nirvana, and since reaching the state of the Absolute (and nirvana) occurs through: – pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses), – meditation that denies all samsaric worlds, and since nirvana is defined as “not samsara”, and since “not samsara” and “creator of samsara” are mutually exclusive, and since complete indifference to samsara is what allows the disciple to progress, while the belief that the Absolute created samsara blocks all progress – therefore, it can be firmly stated: the Absolute is indifferent to samsara. The claim made by many schools of Hinduism (and Abrahamic religions) that Brahman-Absolute created samsara is false.
This widespread misconception can be explained by samsara’s nature: It actively tries to keep souls trapped within itself, weaving cunning nets – the “bonds of samsara” – from which souls struggle to free themselves. This mistaken view of the Absolute is one such bond. Though, of course, we must never forget: these “bonds of samsara” are ultimately woven by ourselves.
Bhagavan (in the strictest Hindu sense) does not exist.
Ishvara is misunderstood in a large number of Hindu schools.
God – this term we use to denote a conscious being dwelling in the heavens.
The Absolute and God are entirely different. God is an ordinary astral living being. God has only one True Ego. The Absolute is a conglomerate of infinite True Egos.
Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma are not aspects of the Absolute. They are simply gods. Like all of us, they fell from the Absolute state. Each has only one True Ego.
God is not omnipotent – even if written with a capital letter, even if believed to be one, singular, and unique, even if called the Father or the Creator. But the Absolute is omnipotent. It could create anything – but chooses not to. The Absolute does not create the universe. The universe is created by fragments of the Absolute that have fallen from it.
“God created man in His image and likeness” – this is not true. There is a resemblance – but not because man was created by God. Rather, because God and man are essentially the same kind of being. The Bible lied about cause and effect. Humans, gods, and deities – all created themselves. God is simply another living being, like us: possessing a True Ego, possessing a soul, having fallen from the Absolute state. Some stronger gods do not have physical bodies – only astral (soul) bodies.
To whom should one pray and worship? Since God and the Absolute are different – one should pray and worship the Absolute. Because: the Absolute is our true essence, the Absolute is our highest goal, the Absolute responds to our calls and prayers more powerfully than any god, our Self (“I”) and the Absolute are, in essence, one and the same.
The Absolute is indifferent to samsara – but not to us (as individual selves), because all our "I"s are parts of the Absolute.
We all fell from the Absolute. The Absolute is our original state. In the Absolute, we were merged with all other "I"s. There, we were absolutely happy. Therefore, any connection with another “I” feels pleasant – it is a memory of the original state. Coming closer to another person, to another soul – this is a reflection of the Absolute, where all "I"s were united.
How to visualize the Absolute? As a transparent emptiness – where nothing exists. Its yantra (symbol) can be: a diamond, a vajra, a vajra-bell, or a transparent glass sphere.
Typical Classification of Realms
Realms of existence and niches of habitation come in different levels. If we list these levels in descending order from top to bottom, it would look approximately like this (in parentheses, we will indicate the approximate number of days after death, according to authoritative sources, when a person is reborn into a given realm).
⦿ Absolute. The original, highest instance. (0). ⦿ Heavens of the Upper Causal World:
● gods who have transcended cognition (knowledge) (eighth dhyana) (1)
● gods who have transcended existence (seventh dhyana) (2)
● gods who have transcended space (sixth dhyana) (3)
● gods of infinite spaces (fifth dhyana) (4)
⦿ Heavens of the Upper Astral World:
● Pure Heavens , formed by immovable stillness (shanti), where Shiva resides – the head of the Trinity (Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva), Mahadeva, and the Almighty from the “Revelation of John the Divine”; (fourth dhyana) (5);
● Beauty Heavens , formed by praise (prashansa), where Vishnu resides; (third dhyana) (8);
● Light Heavens , formed by compassion (karuna), appearing as brilliantly silvery upon rebirth; (second dhyana) (12);
● Holy Heavens , formed by divine love (maitri), where archangels dwell, appearing as brilliantly golden upon rebirth. The Holy Heavens are governed by the Creator. The Creator, the Father God of the New Testament, Yahweh, Brahma, Ahura Mazda – all are one and the same. The early Vedic Brahma does not always perceive gods above him, just as humans, for example, are unable to perceive any gods at all. Due to this ignorance, Brahma and his entourage develop the illusion that Brahma is the highest god in the entire universe. This delusion influenced followers of Abrahamic religions (with limited clarity) to attribute the qualities of the Absolute to Brahma and worship him as the Absolute. The same, in principle, applies to Allah in Islam. The idea of monotheism – that one should worship the single highest God – is undoubtedly correct and progressive. However, the consequence drawn from this idea, that no other gods exist besides the highest one, is an error, a sad misconception. (the first dhyana) (20).
⦿ Physical world
● Heavens of the Physical world (earthly heavens, material heavens, heavens of fulfilled desires, heavens of the world of manifestation) formed by satisfaction. Here dwell angels, guardians, fairies, devas, elves. On the material heavens, most devas consider the fulfillment of desires the meaning of life. The realm is linked to the ajna-chakra. Tamas energy predominates here. Upon rebirth, this world appears white, slightly tinted with various hues. The socio-economic system here is communism. In sutras, the material heavens are often divided into six levels. – The First Heavens (first level) are the highest. Above all others on the First Material Heavens resides Vasavartin (Zeus, Ra, the Sole Ruler or the One God of the Old Testament, Svarog, Indra – all may be equated with him), who lives the longest, is the most powerful, joyful, and exalted among all other devas. By worshipping Vasavartin and making offerings to him, other devas accumulate merit; (40). – On the Second Heavens, the ruler is Sunirmata. The Second Heavens are the realm of devas who delight in their magical creations; they can manifest anything for their own pleasure; (41). – The Third Heavens – the Heavens of Tushita. These heavens are distinguished by profound knowledge of the Truth; (42). – The Fourth Heavens – the Heavens of Metempsychosis or the Heavens of the god Yama. Some religions mistakenly elevate Yama too highly, even equating him with the Devil. The word “Yama” may mean death, but the essence of this god is entirely different. Yama (Yamaraja, Emma, Imir, Suyama, Varuna) is a judge who ensures that the rebirth of souls occurs in accordance with their accumulated karma; (43). – The Fifth Heavens – the Heavens of the Thirty-Three Gods. The ruler of this realm is Shakra (Sakka). Due to his great skill in governance, he is also called the Capable God; (44). – The Sixth Heavens – the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings. The Four Kings correspond to the four cardinal directions. In particular, on the eastern side, there exists a heaven where guardian angels of various nations reside. Currently, the soul of Russia’s former leader – Vladimir Lenin – serves as the protector of Russia. The Sixth Heavens (sixth level) are the lowest of the material heavens; (45).
● Asuras ; superhumans, demons, rakshas, devils (the word "bes" in Russian can mean both a devil and a precognition). The realm is formed by pride. In the world of asuras, pride is revered as a virtue. The realm is linked to the vishuddha-chakra. Rajas energy predominates here. Upon rebirth, this world appears red. The socio-economic system here is socialism. In European culture, little is known about the levels of asuras and pretas, so when describing various spiritual experiences, they are often lumped together into a single realm – hell. This is a significant error. Asuras come to hell only as part of their duty, not because they belong to that level. For comparison: humans enter a forest – essentially the animal realm – but do not belong to the animal world. Another illustration: prison guards in the human world are ordinary, capable citizens, despite being physically present in a prison, unlike the imprisoned inmates. Similarly, certain asuras and material gods, including Yama and Mara, visit hell as wardens, not because they are bound to hell, but because they perform an essential public service: they help purify the karma of fallen souls. Various extraterrestrials who appear on flying saucers are also asuras. The supreme ruler of the asura realm is the Devil. The Devil, Mara, King Mara, the Prince of Darkness – all are one and the same. The Devil is not the highest ruler of the material world (Vasavartin), as mistakenly believed in some religions. Nor is the Devil, as most sources claim, a deva from either the higher or lower material heavens. This misconception arises because Mara, when appearing in visions to people, prefers to exaggerate his true level, pretending to be the ruler of the entire world (a complete lie, deception, bluff, falsehood). Mara’s uncontrollable pride and vanity compel him to dazzle others and pretend to be higher gods. Mara is the greatest liar in the entire universe. No wonder he is also called Satan. Satan means “slanderer of the Truth” – one who claims the Truth is not Truth, and falsehood is Truth. Mara may even pretend to be the Almighty or the Absolute. It should also be noted that the evil Devil, reveling in the suffering of souls, is a fictional character invented by people – having nothing to do with reality. In truth, Mara merely cares that souls cleanse their bad karma as quickly as possible. Usually, when a person dies, Mara is the first visitor – suddenly appearing, startling the person, and offering them the chance to become ruler of the world. Therefore, a person should be ready at the moment of death with the phrase: “no” (46).
● People. Humans. The realm is formed by emotional attachment. In the human world, emotional attachment is regarded as a virtue. The realm is linked to the anahata-chakra. Sattva energy predominates here. Upon rebirth, this world appears blue; (47).
● Pretas. Hungry ghosts. The realm is formed by greed. In the preta world, avarice is regarded as a virtue. The realm is linked to the manipura-chakra. Sattva energy predominates here. Upon rebirth, this world appears yellow, like sand. This realm is well described in Yulia Voznesenskaya’s book My Posthumous Adventures. European authors, when describing the preta realm, often confuse it and label it as hell. How does the preta realm differ from hell? Hell is pain – either from cold, heat, cuts, blows, or other causes – in all cases, it is physical pain. In the preta realm, such intense pain does not exist. The preta realm is called the world of hungry spirits. It would be more accurate to call it the world of global dissatisfaction. If hell is a terrible realm, the preta realm is merely a gloomy one. The preta realm resembles the world of homeless people on a garbage dump. Often, sources place the preta realm below the animal realm. This is an error, stemming from the confusion between geographical and spiritual hierarchy. In this classification, realms are arranged not by geography but by spiritual level. Therefore, pretas are placed above animals because, unlike animals, pretas possess primitive speech, basic consciousness, and rudimentary reasoning. Moreover, descriptions indicate that pretas even have organized labor. In one account, overseers forced groups of pretas to build a road with a special surface, then immediately dismantle it – a seemingly absurd cycle justified as a solution to unemployment. Despite their lower spiritual level compared to humans, pretas possess illusion-based technologies, including hypnosis and magic; (48).
● Animals. The realm is formed by ignorance. In the animal world, the law of survival prevails. The realm is linked to the svadisthana-chakra. Tamas energy predominates here. Upon rebirth, this world appears green. Some spiritual and philosophical schools regard the animal world as a model of harmony, the highest perfection of creation. However, closer examination reveals this view is flawed. The main dissonance, for example, is that the souls of animals killed for food are forced to suffer. In Abrahamic religions, it is believed that fish and insects have no souls and therefore do not suffer when slaughtered, making their killing no sin, no accumulation of killing karma. This is a deeply tragic misconception; (49).
● Hell. The realm is formed by hatred. The realm is linked to the muladhara-chakra. Rajas energy predominates here. Upon rebirth, this world appears black. If a person likes the color black, prefers to wear black, or unconsciously notices black objects first, this indicates their next rebirth will be in hell. Hell beings endure intense and prolonged physical suffering. Unlike humans, they do not lose consciousness even under unbearable pain. In hell, beings fear the destruction of hell itself and hate death most of all – a paradox that, upon sober reflection, reveals a striking similarity among all beings of the world of manifestation; (50).
The classification of the middle causal realms resembles that of the upper astral realms. The classification of the lower causal and lower astral realms resembles that of the world of manifestation.
Law of Karma
The word karma is translated as action or deed.
Every deed a person performs carries consequences. If your action causes suffering to another being, you will inevitably experience that same suffering yourself. If your action brings joy to someone, you will also experience that same joy. Neutral actions lead to neutral outcomes. With rare exceptions, karma returns in exact proportion – one to one.
From this law follows the principle of the pendulum: every pleasure is balanced by an equal measure of future suffering. The greater the pleasure one indulges in, the stronger the suffering that will later come. This is sometimes called the “Zebra Principle” – after every white stripe of happiness in life, a black stripe of pain is bound to follow.