Six Spheres of Existence

written by Vova, a layman and yogi.

  1. All of us are mortal; there is no sense in enmity.
  2. My body is mortal; it is foolish to gather around it unnecessary things and the signs of respect of others.
  3. Death is a natural phenomenon; we are to face it being awake.
  4. Death from disease happens owing to the false way of life.
  5. Sudden death or death from violence happen owing to the past deeds, which has ripened like seeds, which had been sown, brought shoots and are bearing fruit.
  6. Death from the old age is natural, as existence is changeable.
  7. Fear and doubts accompany thinking of death because of desires cherished in one’s soul.
  8. Outwardly dying appears as follows: first, the body becomes breathless, then gets cold, and then decomposes until only dust remains.
  9. Inwardly dying leads to the out-bodily perception, which may be awake or perverted like in delirium, and then to rebirth in one of the six realms, in accordance with the way of life accomplished.
    If realization was not attained yet, but deeds are worthy and trust is strong, spiritual beings like angels or the own spiritual teachers, taking one to the auspicious places, are seen.
  10. The pleasing realm of celestial beings gives rest and pleasure to the senses, but existence in this realm is limited by the amount of good deeds committed in this lifetime. Arrogance prevents from the realization of truth in this realm.
  11. The realm of the nature elements (titans) is endowed with power, but lacks peace. Merging with an element, hurricane or mountain happens because of envy and discontentment. Disappearance of a mountain or of any other element brings to being reborn in the human realm.
  12. The realm of ghosts is like a mirage. The beings of this realm are constantly desiring and lusting, but never get that which they desire due to the absence of the bodily form of senses in them. This realm is limited by the bounds of lust and desire.
  13. The hell realm is a place of suffering and despair, which a consciousness goes through due to the evil deeds. Their amount creates the boundaries of hell.
  14. The animal realm is a world of beings capable of suffering and of pleasure, like humans, but their bodies cannot serve as means to realization. The limits of this world are ignorance and laziness.
  15. The human realm is auspicious a wise one. Here there is the possibility for gathering of necessary experience and for realization. From a position of senses, this brings to liberation. An experience in this realm is limited by anger.
  16. Those, who put together wisdom and compassion, they remove all limits and untie all chains.
  17. The ground for wisdom is every breath. The seed of compassion is an ordinary awareness of what’s going on, without distraction of thought.
  18. The obstacles for the realization of the true are the following:
    • envy (or dissatisfaction);
    • anger;
    • pride (or egoism);
    • lust (or greed, desire);
    • laziness (or ignorance);
    • evil deeds

    - altogether these are the six diseases-obstacles.

  19. The six realms are in themselves the remedies for the six diseases.
  20. The human birth is precious for a disciple. It leads to the cure of all diseases in the patient and well-wishing, but brings to the aggravation of the all diseases-obstacles in the ignorant and unrestrained.
  21. Applying the teaching for all of your life, you’ll find nothing else but experience. When a flower is opening, a bee is already on the place.