Part 1. Structure of the Universe

The soul is immortal; the body is born and dies. Yet the word “spirit” has no single meaning – it shifts across contexts and traditions.

This is true of many religious terms: words in spiritual texts often carry multiple meanings. Sometimes the same word appears in different sources but signifies different ideas. At other times, different words point to the very same meaning. How can we untangle this web of overlapping senses?

To clarify these distinctions, we need a clear mental image. For this purpose, we will use a model – a simple tool that acts like scissors. Just as scissors separate fabric, this model will help us separate one meaning from another in spiritual literature.

In the model that follows, we will arrange meanings as if on shelves:

● Different meanings will go on different shelves.

● Words with the same meaning will be placed on the same shelf.

This method allows us to see both the diversity and the hidden unity of spiritual language.

In this book, the concept of the “Universe” will encompass and systematically delineate both the material and mental domains of what we might term “absolutely everything”.

It will be useful to clarify the structure of the entire book. The second part of this book, devoted to the Apocalypse, is the system‑forming element in relation to all the other parts. The first part, in turn, serves as a preliminary introduction. Just as the alphabet precedes a dictionary, this first part precedes the second, main section. Without mastering the “alphabet” – that is, without grasping the foundations laid out in the first part – it is difficult to understand what is presented in the second part.

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Unified Religious Structure

Physical. The world of phenomena is the world in which we live. The physical dimension. The bodily dimension. The material universe. Reality. In Buddhism: Kāmaloka (the world of Desires).

Astral. The astral world (astral) is the world we enter during sleep. The astral dimension. The soul dimension. In Buddhism: Rūpaloka (the world of Forms). The astral world is divided into lower and upper. The lower astral overlaps the world of phenomena. The upper astral has no direct projection onto the world of phenomena. The astral governs physical through the mechanism of image projection. Any phenomenon or object, before manifesting in our physical world, first appears in the astral as an image. A person who has attained a spiritual level allowing them to be freely reborn in the upper astral or higher in the next life is called a “saint”.

Causal. The causal world (causal) is the realm that governs the astral world and the world of phenomena. The causal dimension. The spiritual dimension. In Buddhism: Arūpaloka (the Formless Realm). The causal world is divided into upper, middle, and lower. The lower causal overlaps the lower astral and the world of phenomena. The middle causal overlaps the upper astral. The upper causal has no direct projection onto the astral. The causal governs the astral through the mechanism of idea projection. That is, an astral image, before manifesting in the astral, first appears in the causal as an idea. The causal world is the world of causes.

In the three-dimensional diagrams of the Universe’s structure used in this (first) part, the vertical axis can be interpreted as the “axis of merit”, while the axis receding inward, in the direction of nirvana, can be interpreted as the “axis of tranquility”.

Typical Divisions of Nirvana

The world of Nirvana is the realm of the highest Absolute. “Nirvana” translates as “absence of disturbance”. It is a state of liberation, a state of absolute peace. In the sutras, nirvana is described as the destruction of worldly desires. Nirvana is opposed to samsara – that is, the physical, the astral, and the causal are samsara, while nirvana is not samsara. The following types are distinguished: minor nirvana, nirvana with remainder, parinirvana, bodhinirvana, and mahanirvana.

It should be clarified from the outset to avoid misunderstanding: Nirvana, in itself, has no parts. Therefore, Nirvana as an essence cannot be divided in any way. Here we are not examining divisions of Nirvana itself, but only the division of the concepts used to describe it.

Nirvana. Minor nirvana. Also known simply as nirvana or individual nirvana. A person who attains minor nirvana achieves this liberation (the first attainment of release) through their own individual path. Such a person is called an arhat or a “solitary realizer”. Minor nirvana can conditionally be divided into causal nirvana, astral nirvana, and nirvana of the world of phenomena, depending on the spiritual level of the “liberated one” and the corresponding experience of the world they cease to engage with (discard) in horizontal projection.

Nirvana with remainder. The term “remainder” here refers to “life” – the fact that the arhat has not yet discarded physical existence.

Parinirvana. This is the highest level of nirvana – “nirvana without remainder”, the fully independent existence of the True Ego. “Pari” translates as “final”. More precisely, the prefix “pari” applies only to the final departure of the Conqueror of Truth into nirvana. For lower-level cases of release, the term “anupādhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa” (anupadhisesha) is used, literally meaning “nirvana without remainder”. However, since there is no direct equivalent in the English language, for simplicity's sake, all such cases are referred to uniformly as “pari”. Parinirvana is not associated with any of the samsaric worlds; therefore, it is impossible to simultaneously exist in parinirvana and live. If an arhat discards life immediately after attaining nirvana, they enter parinirvana. “Parinirvana” and “nirvana with remainder” are antonyms.

Bodhinirvana. An arhat, having attained nirvana, does not stop there, but expands their attainment by guiding other beings toward liberation, thereby overcoming the bonds of other worlds and delusions previously unknown to them. Such a being is called a “bodhisattva”. “Bodhi” means “awakening, enlightenment”, and “sattva” means “being” – a being directed toward awakening. The bodhisattva moves in a shuttle-like manner: nirvana – samsara – nirvana again – samsara again – and so on. Each repetition of the path of liberation doubles the being’s experience. Then triples it. Then quadruples it. And so on. Thus, the being gains an ever-expanding experience of liberation, far surpassing mere individual nirvana. This expanded state of liberation is called bodhinirvana. Within the world of bodhinirvana, relative to the world of nirvana, an upper level can be distinguished: bodhiparinirvana, where the bodhisattva may pass after death – and a lower level. The lower bodhinirvana can also be conditionally divided into three levels, depending on which world’s experience is dissolved: causal bodhinirvana, astral bodhinirvana, and bodhinirvana of the world of phenomena.

Mahanirvana. When a bodhisattva attains liberation from absolutely all delusions – those that may exist in the world of phenomena, in the astral, and in the causal – they reach a state in which there is nothing left to attain, having overcome all possible experience. This state is called “buddha”, and it corresponds to mahanirvana. “Maha” translates as “great”. If a person has already attained the state of buddha in a past life, then in the next life, their individual liberation simultaneously becomes great liberation. Since mahanirvana corresponds to liberation from all worlds, it is divided into only two levels: mahanirvana and mahaparinirvana.

Mahaparinirvana. This means the great final destruction of worldly desires. After his death, Buddha Shakyamuni entered mahaparinirvana. Sources often discuss the question: “Can a buddha return from mahaparinirvana as the same individual?” – Yes. Since the Buddha's being is free, they are free to choose whether to return from mahaparinirvana or never return again.

Levels of Consciousness

A person consists of several bodies: Physical, Astral, Causal, and the True Ego.

Physical body. This is the ordinary human body. The physical body has its own consciousness.

Astral body. The astral body can be described as something akin to a reflection of the body in a mirror. That is, it is not a body in the material sense, but merely a reflection – it exists, and at the same time, it does not. To see the astral body, one must possess astral vision. The physical body is structured in such a way that when a person uses their physical eyes, they automatically suppress their astral vision due to a specific mechanism linking the astral and physical bodies. However, the ability to perceive through astral vision is not unattainable. It can be developed through meditation. The astral body has its own consciousness. This astral consciousness corresponds to what science calls the subconscious (the unconscious). The astral body, when separated from the physical body, is also known as the body of apparition. There are beings that possess only an astral body and no physical body. Such beings are simply called apparitions. When it is said that a demon has possessed a person, this may mean that a being from the lower astral (an apparition), which lacks its own physical body, has overlaid itself upon the person’s astral body or has taken the place of (replaced) the person’s astral body.

Causal body