s h a l a g r a m

Russian Foundation of Transpersonal Psychology

International Noosphere Institute


Noosphere Research Institute

Moscow 

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SHAMANISM

KUNTA YOGA

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русская версия

Chapter 5

THE MYSTIC COSMOS
by Evgueny Faydysh

Chapter 7

 

Chapter 6

CARTOGRAPHY OF SUBTLE REALITY

 

Now we will examine practical apply of the presented conceptions of subtle reality for making of world maps in different esoteric traditions. We, certainly, will be able to look only at the small part of the existing material, at the things that seem to be the most important and interesting for the first acquaintance.

 

6.1. Shamanism (Siberian shamanism and Celtic tradition)

Shamanism is, perhaps, the oldest survived mystic tradition of our planet. The elements of shamanic vision of the world can be found in the most different religious and mystic pictures of reality of later times. Yet, the majority of forms of the ancient shamanism are characterized by very strict application direction, orientation towards the sphere of daily magic. Later mystic and religious traditions move their attention towards other worlds where they look for the sense of life and aim of our existence but the early shamanism is fully oriented towards animal, bestial aspects of our nature. This is survival at any price, obtaining power and strength, protection from possible negative influences of the world of dead and the world of spirits, ensuring support of dead ancestors etc.

Such applying direction decreases and simplifies shaman's picture of the world limiting it to the nearest subtle worlds. At the same time many shamans and their traditions who had started with such practical daily magic get more and more attracted by entrancing complexity of the tree of the world, its poetry and self-sufficiency and remove the sphere of their interests towards the spiritual field and get closer to the sophisticated mysticism and religion. Although present times know quite a few opposite examples when for instance in the depths of the Christian world the most primitive black magic and variable forms of Satanism resurrect. Nazis Germany can be one of the brightest examples of blooming of black magic.

One of the most important elements of shamanic practice is maps of subtle reality. They can have the most variable form: be transmitted in oral tradition, reflected in geometry of the house and surrounding landscape, presented on the tambourine or shaman's garment, drawn on paper… In any case they are the most significant tool of navigation in the cosmos of a shaman, they are a concentrated expression of all those archetypal principles we have mentioned above. Modern researches on transpersonal psychology prove the importance of those navigation means for controlled travels into the most complicated informational reality of altered states of consciousness.

The shamanism cartography is usually limited to three levels of reality: upper, middle and lower world. The levels that are the closest to our middle world are normally taken into account. Naturally, the degree of precision of the scheme and details themselves may change but the basis is always the same. First we will examine the ancient Celtic cartography where all basic elements of shamanic cosmos are well seen.

Celts

The Celtic universe consists of three main worlds — Upper, Middle and Lower ones situated on the different levels of the tree of the world (see picture 23). The upper world (the tree crown) contains gods-creators of spiritual and informational levels of reality, spiritual teachers of mankind. From there the whole universe, worlds of other planets, other levels of the cosmos are seen; the ways leading to them are also here.

Figure 23. Celtic map of the upper, middle and lower worlds.

The lower world is treated as a source of material and flesh level of our reality; it is situated at the roots of the tree… Its ruler is the horned God (horns are symbols of fertility and power) who is shown sitting by the well as the primary chaos. He rules the seven rivers of life having their source in the well. These rivers go around the three worlds to the top of the tree of the world making a kind of a shell. As they go up they turn into rainbows. The worlds situated inside the shell are endless and at the same time from the outside this universe looks smaller than a mustard seed (an ancient standard of something extremely small).

Behind the ruler of the lower world the massive figure of the God of the earth is usually presented he looks as a stone. Spirits of nature, totems and other beings of shamanic tradition start their move from the lower world they go to the middle world along seven rivers of life. According to imaginations of ancient Celts the new knowledge crafts and practical skills also come from the lower world. The souls of dead and ancestors dwell there too.

Other than in later religious conceptions here the spirits of the lower world are not treated as the absolute evil; however the majority of sinister and dangerous beings unfriendly to human live there. Although they do not belong to the rulers of the lower world, when they get out of control of the main gods they can destroy the whole life on earth. Central gods of both upper and lower worlds are treated as two equally necessary components of the world creation.

The middle world that is situated between them presents the universe we are used to. The trunk of the tree is the center, the axis of our world which at the same time goes through its every point (one of the paradoxes of multi-dimensional reality). It is the main way in shamanic wanderings and means of navigation, keys enabling penetration of certain plans of reality are given by eight cardinal directions (for example: East is for moving up the river — the upper world; West is for going down the river — the lower world etc.).

Altai

Another interesting picture is related to the Altaian shamanism. Here we again meet the same three level structure of the world (51). Besides our middle world has a shape of the concave cup, the salient firmament is over it and the coats of the upper world (from 7 to 9) are even higher. Entering of each coat is connected with overcoming difficulties and the higher the coat is, the more complicated to enter it is. Usually shamans get not higher than the fifth barrier the coat where the golden stick is situated (one of the forms of the tree of the world).

Generally it should be said that Siberian shamanic tradition presents the tree of the world not as one trunk penetrating all coats of subtle reality but as reflections of the only axis, the center projected in each world and unifying them. In other words, in each world you will find the tree of the world as a tall tree, a pillar, a tethering post etc., but its size is limited and its top is not going into heavens. However, if you go up the tree you disappear from this world and find yourself in the next one. Still, first you have to successfully overcome the barrier (to open enter and exit doors (diaphragms) in hyperspacial tunnel). In fact such perception of the tree of the world is closer to its real multidimensional nature but still remains one of the metaphors, for a multidimensional object cannot be precisely reflected in our three-dimensional world.

The ruler of the upper world is Ulgen, the creator of the universe (sometimes he is believed to be the son of the highest heavenly spirit Kok-Monke abase). The ruler of the lower world and its creator is Erlik-han, Ulgen's antipode (he is described as Ulgen's envious brother, his first creature, helper etc.). Although Erlik is the ruler of the world of dead and constant Ulgen's rival he cannot be equated to the devil in Christian tradition. He rather reminds of Prometheus: Erlik-han helped to breath in the soul in to human after the human was created by Ulgen, discovered the art of iron smiting and gave it to people, invented the first music instruments and teached people the art of penetrating other spaces (shamanism). That is why a couple of friends-enemies Ulgen and Erlik-han rather reminds of the tantric or Taoist archetype of two polar elements equally necessary for the universe functioning.

On the boundary of the worlds the burnt black stump is situated, spirits of heaven and earth meet there to decide people's destinies.

Ulgen's sons and daughters, his helpers are believed to be pure spirits and live in heaven. The best known ones are: Utkuchi who takes shaman's sacrifice by the heavenly pillar and telling him the Ulgen's will; Suyla and Karlyk observing human's earthy life and, probably, the main one — Yaik (Dyaik) sent to earth to protect people from evil and to be a mediator between earth and heaven. Sometimes he is treated as a part, an earthy projection of Ulgen. Only with Yaik's help a shaman can enter heaven, the upper world.

Yaik is often presented as a rider (a usual image of heavenly spirits). On the other hand, he is called 'the four plaits mother' (androgen's archetype). By the way, in spite of plenty of Ulgen's and Erlik-han's children their wives are not mentioned at all, sometimes it is said that their children 'chopped off' them (gemmated). Perhaps, this is also an indirect evidence of the androgyny of these highest gods.

In order to protect and ensure well-being the image of Yak as a rabbit or simply a skin of a male rabbit is put in the tent by the fire (51). It is not difficult to see the great similarity with the archetype of god Mercury, also god's courier and people's helper, rabbit also belongs to his symbols (28, 38).

Erlik-han also has plenty of relatives and servants, however they are rather sinister. His daughters are beautiful and capricious girls they like to tempt shamans and make them lose their way. His sons rule groups of evil and queerly spirits hunting for people. Yet, on the other hand, they also protect human's homes from evil forces.

Picture 24a presents the reproduction of the map of the heavenly world of shaman Kondratyi Tanashev that was drawn by him for the ethnographer L.E.Karunovski in 1929 (51). Perhaps, the most interesting feature of this map is its fractal geometry (which is especially unusual, for nobody heard of any fractals in 1929).

Figure 24. Maps of shamans in Altaian tradition.

The holly mountain Ak-Toshon Altaian where 'hunters' spirits-ancestors dwell is situated in the very center of the map. Its flat top contains the navel of Earth and Heaven (a small hill), the holly golden poplar grows out of it and its top goes into the sky. In this place the boundary between the middle and the upper world is the most transparent. The milky lake where a shaman washes himself before going to the upper world is also not far from there. Yet, only the most skilled shaman can use the golden poplar as the stair to upper world, a weak shaman usually comes back from the mountain with nothing.

The picture shows that the top of the golden poplar penetrates the dome of heaven behind which the upper world is situated (i. e. beyond our physical realm). In the center of the upper world on its ninth coat the Red mountain is situated, the tent of the highest heavenly spirit Kok Monke adasa and his wife is placed there. The top of the tree of the world goes out through the smoke hole of the tent; it is tied with the golden ribbon. According to Tanashev, Ulgen is the son of Kok Monke adasa and Yazhil-han is his daughter. On the left from the mountain Ulgen's sons live. The upper corners of the map contain sun and moon.

Shaman says that the main earthy spirit Dier-su whose nature is also androgenic lives not far from the navel. He is often addressed as the Lady of Earth-Water (in Altaian his name means 'earth-water'). Tanashev says that the place is not seen on the main picture and, pointing its position, has made its map on the separate sheet (it is presented on the picture 24b). This seems to be a subtle space put into our world as the wooden doll matrioshka: relatively small volume contains an endless world where we again find plenty of such put in worlds etc. This phenomenon is now called self-alike fractal structure. Examples of such worlds can be found in very different ancient traditions. These are worlds of fairies situated in empty hills, spaces of goblins hidden in the thin coat of moss covering old stones; let us also think of the mentioned universe of the Celtic shaman that is smaller than a mustard seed.

The world of Dier-su is on the back of the huge fish Ker-balyk that lives in the Red lake. He lives on the highest mountain Tesimbyi where the holly tree grows (the projection of the tree of the world in this space). Shaman's way is shown by the line with arrows. It starts after the washing in the milky lake by the navel of Earth and Heaven, then it passes two mountains where Dier-su daughters dwell, makes a loop on the mountain behind which sun rises up and after that gets to the residence of the Lady of Earth-Water.

One more archetypal principle attracts attention in these maps — it is significant similarity of worlds' structures which is a consequence of fractal space organization.

A simpler version of shamanic map from the Altaian tradition is presented on the picture 24c (51). It shows only sequence of stages of the shaman's way to the upper world (his route). The travel starts in the shelter in the left bottom corner of the picture. Then the way passes the sacrificial horse, the altar and the stick with the skin of the sacrificial horse next to the holly tree. Shaman climbs the tree and goes to the upper world. On the first level he meets two heaven-dwellers spirits — Pogdygan standing by his house and Kocho-kan with the stick in his hand. The next barrier is moving sands and after them — Ulgen and his ambassador Utkuchi. Ulgen is surrounded by the radiant solar aura.

Certainly, there was plenty of shamanic traditions in Siberia and the only their enumeration would take too much of space, each one had its own cartography and gods' hierarchy. Nevertheless, general archetypal features were more or less the same. Still, detailed descriptions of shamanic travels have always been something very rare. This is due to both: basic difficulty of the verbal transmission of images of shamanic worlds and sacral mysterious character of the obtained knowledge, language barriers. In fact in order to describe the images of the subtle reality a shaman should be a gifted poet and writer. Now we will examine one of such unique descriptions of the shamanic travel. You will have a chance to see the rare poetic talent of the shaman who has conducted this ritual.

Nganasans

Now we will examine the map of the shamanic travel during the Clear tent ritual according to the description made by the famous Soviet ethnographer A.A.Popov (47). Unfortunately, in our days strong shamans presenting the ancient ancestral tradition have practically disappeared that is why those seldom descriptions of the real shamanic travels that have reached us present huge value.

The holiday of the Clear tent takes place more or less in the first days of February when the polar night is over. Then shamans ask gods and spirits for well-being, good luck and happiness in the following year. This ritual can be conducted only by a great or middle shaman it lasts from three to nine days (the number of days must be uneven). During the holiday the shaman wanders in the lower, middle and upper worlds. God (goddess) Hore is his guide and patron in these wanderings that is the lord (mother) of trees. This god as many other spirits of shamanic pantheon is androgenic, i. e. has male and female nature at the same time that is why in the travel's description we will see that the shaman address the same spirit as a man and as a woman.

This ritual was written down by A.A.Popov in 1936 and was conducted by one of the two last famous shamans of Taimir nganasans Ivan Gornok during 9 days. To show the atmosphere of the subtle reality opened to the shaman better we include the fragments of the original record of his words (47). The map of the shaman's wandering presented on picture 25 is our reconstruction made on the basis of the travel's description. The interesting feature of the given travel is the perception of multi-coat realities of the upper and lower worlds as Gods' bodies. The shaman at the same time wanders through the endless worlds and moves in the body of god between his organs. This image of the subtle reality is one of the oldest metaphors and is met in very different mystic traditions.

Figure 25. The map of the travel of one of the last famous Taimyr shamans Ivan Gornok during the nine-day ritual of the Clean Tent, made according to the description of A.A.Popov.

Before the description of the travel itself we will pay some attention to the concepts of the universe structure according to Taimir nganasans. Before the travel Ivan Gornok describes the establishment of the earthy microcosmos in the following way:

…At first there was ice there was no any grass, only the ice alone. At that time the mother of earth was the maiden of ice. Then the mother of earth showed her bottom up and the father of earth, god, saw it and fell down from above to mischief (to have a sexual contact). As he had mischief, the earth-maiden-devil got pregnant and gave a birth to the mother of trees in order to get the fire for kids. The mother of earth gave a birth to the loon then the trees grew dense and deer's food appeared. Then all kids start to live and be born. The fish was given by the lord of water and wild deers started nourishing with the nipple of earth — the reindeer moss. On the land they (fish and deers) were eaten by people as if they nourish themselves with the nipple of earth. Why did now the earth start to born trees for heating and purple willow for summer heating? For all people to make the fire and multiply…

The word 'devil' is used by nganasans for gods and spirits, no matter if they are friendly or not (47). Smaller spirits and family temples (koyka) are called 'shaitans' (this word is borrowed from Russians who call this way local spirits). In this text mother of trees is God (goddess) Hore ensuring the harmony of biosphere. In this process the huge role is played by her children, seven loon-spirits maintaining the land.

Nganasans believed that the subtle reason of the coming ecological crisis is disappearance of strong shamans who had maintained the harmony of the world of people and world of spirits. Good helpful spirits start to die and spirits-killers and destroyers grew stronger and began to ruin everything alive on earth:

'…The true is that when shamans die then shaitans die too' — that is what the devil of earth has said. When I, being a shaman, was shamaning my mother-devil used to say: 'there is too much death, for the shamans have died. There were a lot of shamans and there were less of funerals…'

As a consequence of shamans' death loon-spirits, who used to ensure the harmony of animal and plant worlds, also died:

…At first when the earth was created seven loons maintained earth's legs. The seven loons were the shaitans. They held the legs of the earth and shaitanian (koyka) trees were alive, they were earth's pillars. When there were no shamans any longer the graves became many, loons' legs began to break, the devil of earth started biting and so shaitanian trees started to fall down. We sit here; perhaps, they (the trees) have died here…

Here shaitanian trees (koyka) are holly trees where shamanian spirits dwell. As a result the mother of trees (Hore) herself lost nearly all her eyes (her eyes are shamans), her legs became weak (her legs are loons, trees); she fell asleep and stopped fighting evil. Gornok describes the coming apocalypses in the following way:

…Father of trees — the upper god sends souls. Mother of earth started to eat these souls. Devil of earth eating children's souls gave a birth to the mother of shaitanian trees serving the needs of the dying ones. The mother eating human souls gripped loons' throats that are why the devil started to eat up human souls. That is why too many trees were spent for the needs of the dying ones. So the fire was only half-burnt and only half of the fire was put into the earth's mouth (The evil spirit of earth is meant here, he opens his mouth in order to swallow people. When the fire is made hot coals go to his mouth and this protects people from him)… Mother of earth cannot lift her full belly, for half of the trees goes for people's graves…

The aim of the Clear tent holiday is to at least partly restore the lost balance. At first Gornok wakes up mother of trees (Hore) and with the help of sacrifices helps her to recover her strength and abilities. Then they together go to the travel first to the lower world, then to the upper one. Shaman Gornok speaks to mother of trees before the travel to the lower world in the following way:

…Let us go, I shall show you the way. We shall enter the mouth of the earth's devil eating children and go down. The seven loons were eaten up. This was done by the eating devil of earth. We shall go to the stomach of the earth's devil and shall collect pieces of tongues of the loons eaten by him. And we shall make a new tongue. And instead of one eye we shall ask for a pair of eyes. Will you have enough strength for it? How can I help you? Come on, I shall try to lift you up…

The travel starts through the hole (subtle) placed under the Clear tent. The position for the Clear tent is chosen in the place of power that has a hyperspacial tunnel, naturally, people usually do not live there these places are used for holidays only. Here is the description of the first coat of the lower world where they get to:

…That is a hole into which, as a human sinking in clay, mother of trees started to fall and fall. She has fallen too low, I have only seen her head, the mother's body became as a tree. I put it right and cured and she became a size of a big tree. I treated her with some deer's blood and alcohol and was curing the dying mother. The earth is seen far away as if we have found ourselves at its bottom and sank inside of it. Then mother said 'Well, fellow, let us have a rest and lay down over the night…'

The next day the travel to the deeper coat of the lower world starts that is a travel into earth's spirit's body through her mouth:

…And then we have dived into the earth our heads first. This is the earth's mouth where the soul goes after death. We entered the mouth of this grave-making earth — mother of trees and went down. That is a very dark place, there is no light. 'Perhaps it is dark because we got to the very belly of earth. This earth has no grass, only rocks. Yet, these are not rocks. At first the earth was flat. Then when people, shamans started dying the mouth of mother of earth chewed with her teeth people, shamans' heads, bones of arms and legs and they turned into crumbles. You think the rock is not a rock; these are chewing gums of devil of trees. Human bones and skin have fallen down here that is the place…

They go through this awful dark place and reach the ice hill with the hole on its top but the appearance is illusive and mother of trees explains who that is:

I do not know if you know or not. The ice is the head of the hungry infirmity. The hole is the mouth. We have reached this place.

Then the story of the fight of two angry spirits (infirmities) is told:

Why does she raise her head and open her mouth all the time? You do not know, fellow. When the head of devil of earth was biting, chewing new-born children, shamans, shaitans this chewing reached the ears of this god and he woke up. 'Who is greater than me, which infirmity's teeth are chewing, if I get my share or not? Shall I have something left or it will be over at all? If you empty the whole land I shall come and fight you. If you are afraid of me leave the people of earth, this will be my share'. Devil of earth answer: 'But grand-father why did you wake up? I pray you. I thought to end up the people of earth but take them and eat the heads. Take and chew the heads of the hunters who live on the edge of the earth, end up all people from the edge of the earth'. Saying this devil of earth bowed to grand-father of hunger. 'Let the rest of the people live, wait a while before you take their heads away'…

They carefully, so that the evil spirit would not notice them, pass him and go on the naked iced land and get to the dweller of the recently built tent. It appears that this infirmity is a worker of some evil spirit of sickness who also hunters for human souls. It is interesting that first they address him as a man and then as an old woman (grand-mother). In order to pass they discuss the price and promise to sacrifice a piece of cotton cloth (that will magically turn into the warm garment for the spirit) and ask not to bring illness to the people of their tribe:

…Our people are ill now we came to visit this infirmity. He did not sit here on the ground he sat in the middle of the furthest pole of the new tent. We told the infirmity: 'What gift do you need?' He says: 'I do not need any special gift. I am only a worker. I have my master. The master sends me to watch the earth: 'Have a look if there are any people there. As soon as you find them blemish them' — that is what the master has said. 'If a hungry infirmity comes before me he will, probably, empty the whole land and will not leave me a share. So no matter how many people you find before the hungry infirmity comes blemish all their bodies (i. e. leave the marks), blemish the ear. When the hungry infirmity comes he will not take the blemished ones'. So I think to live in this tent. When you stop conjuring and take off your leather stockings then, perhaps, four winds form four sides start to blow. How shall I sleep then? Winds, perhaps, will blow. If you really want to give me a gift I will tell you which gift to make — Russian printed cotton. Put it around the tent when you will put your leather stockings off. Then four winds will not blow. Look I do not even have an anorak. When you put the cotton around the tent this patch will become an anorak on my body. I do not need another gift. If you do so any man cannot be taken let everybody get ill we leave everybody alive'. — 'Here, grandmother just does not do anything bad to people of my land'. Grandmother answers: '…if you would come here to cure the ill one I would wring your neck. If you would cure the ill one I would be angry. I thought the tambourine sounded for the ill one, you make the new tent today, you fulfill your faith, and you do not disturb me by this. That is why my words are peaceful. Now you have been standing here for a long time, go your way.'

This dialogue shows one more interesting detail of the world of shaman — the Clear tent built in our middle world is reflected in the lower world and becomes a home for the infirmity spirit. They again walk on the bare ice and come to the edge of the iced land where the sources of the seven streams going to the one river-bed are situated.

'Well, mother of trees, which land have we come to?' Mother of trees answers this: 'Fellow, mother of earth when in the beginning she was giving a birth to roots of all grasses and purple willow she let her urine goes out in seven streams. These are seven guts where the souls of all people of seven hordes, of Russians, Yuracks, Ostiacks and others are born. Now when any man of these seven hordes is born his soul is created here.'

In the place of the confluence the three trees grow out of the same root, these are three infirmities sent as a punishment for the incest (yet, the shaman believes that the incest was also provoked by them):

'We have found three infirmities. One tree on the side is beginning of the illness — testes get swollen, the middle tree is beginning of the illness — the belly gets swollen, the third tree, the smallest one is beginning of the illness — the urine comes out by itself'. Now we have reached those three grandfathers and started bowing and said: 'Grandfather, why did you come there is not enough children, women who do not give birth are many and unproductive fellows are many too.' They say: 'This is not our fault. In our land two brothers had a contact with a sister. In the place where they unified the three trees infirmities have grown'. 'Grandfather, why do you say the kids have wakened you up? Kids are not guilty they did not wake you up. The illnesses have started because you have wakened up two brothers and made them have contact with the sister. It is not their fault it is your fault. That is why maidens get ill and do not have children. That is why many people stay without children, women become childless. Do not do this again.'

After that mother of trees and the shaman jump into the river and wash of the infirmity's dirt not to get ill:

We have passed three devil's infirmities and started to swim in the very middle of the water. 'Mother of trees, where are we going, we will get cold.' — 'See, fellow, we have said the infirmity has eaten us. We follow the water that washes and rinses the dirt from the mouth of this infirmity. I am the mother of shaitanian trees it has bitten me too. I wash myself with this water that is why I swim in it…'

Finally they swim to the narrow place between two capes and the weather drastically changes:

By the ends of these capes the sand is seen from the both sides. It is hot, sun is shining and the face gets dry. The wind blows on this sand and it looks as blizzard. Nothing can be seen the mist has appeared. The whole deer's horns are on the one cape and the broken in the middle ones are on the other. We stopped on this cape…

Here they finally meet a good god of the underground world and mother of trees explains the nature of everything they have seen in the following way:

One cape is a back of infirmity louse grandfather. Another cape is a back of the grandfather who makes shaitans and icons. Why are these capes so close to each other? The old man of the louse wants to kill all people on earth. The father of icons, god-father of shaitan lays and observes this grandfather of the louse. He is sorry for the people on earth. The father of the icon, the father of shaitan fought with the grandfather of the louse. And he has broken his horns. Now the grandfather of the louse does not have too much strength. Now they are laying down having rest. It is not the sand flying around that is the steam going from their angry souls. When two such great gods are having their rest then dolganian horde and self-eating horde live. That is it, grandfather, we have reached your land and place and we bow to you. All people are over in our land it became empty. We have found you and we bow to you lay down and do not get up!

Pay attention to the fact that here as in other ancient traditions horns are symbols of power, energy. If the horns are broken the power is lost. Celtic, Indian and Tibetan traditions have never treated horns as a symbol of evil and could be an attribute of a good and evil God. One more interesting detail — the good God is associated with the Orthodox icon. Obviously, this is a reflection of the later shamanic reality when Russians got to Siberia and many shamans became baptized.

In this place our travelers stay over the night. In the morning they bow to the two gods who protect the passage and ask to let them go through and swim further along the river going down to its outfall and getting into the big lake. Nine horned hills stand in the middle of the lake. Here mother of trees (Hore) explains that the river is really a gut of mother of earth and hills are not hills at all:

You think these are hills. No, these are not hills. This is the place where nine old men brothers sleep. These are not nine hills these are their bellies laying up. You thought these nine hills have nine horns. These are not horns these are grandfathers' guts (Penises) jut out in the middle of the belly. Now you make a new tent and ask for a good day. If you need the way for it by the basis of the nine guts the hole goes down branching. That is your way… Well, fellow, when you have to ask for a good day you will come here. The earth is very wise here.

In this place the crossing to the next coat of the lower world is conducted their blissful gods giving shamanic gifts can be found. The shaman sees in front of him nine tents where nine women sit. Gornok asks mother of trees to tell him where to go now:

…Well, mother, how will you help me, where does the road lead? When shall we fly? Mother, I do not know the land. I am not a shaitan, I feel as I have been just born that is why I do not know anything.

Pay attention to how the pride of this old famous shaman is elaborated he is not ashamed to say that he is in the very beginning of his way and knows very little. This distinguishes the real shamanic tradition from modern New Age healers and numeral New Age surrogates.

They climb up the hill (tent, belly) and get inside:

…We have climbed to the very top of the grandfather's belly. We have gone down along the gut (Penis). In the bottom the gut becomes very narrow we have hardly got through till we have reached the very inside of the body. It became wet and wide there. We have got with the visit to the mother of the tent…

This way is already more complicated the advises are needed to find the right passages and it takes effort to overcome them. It is not difficult to notice the self-alike fractal organization of this space: at first these are nine hills, then nine tents, and then inside the belly-tent the lady has nine daughters. The lady of the tent appears to be mother of fire (the energy of food in the wider sense of this word). Her nine daughters give food to all beings that come into the world. Yet, people are also somebody's food that is why one of her daughters is the mother of war infirmity killing people.

In this tent the shaman speaks of how difficult people's life became and asks to help them:

Our people die without any reason; it is a pity a self-eater also wants some sun. That is why we ask for a happy day, give us some happy days, such days are very bad. We have plenty of illnesses; we are tired of work in such blizzard, frost and this dark time. These days are too bad and difficult. Well, mother? I ask you for some good days and have reached this land.

The night comes and the next morning the oldest mother gives three gifts (the inextinguishable fire, the catch of fish and the number of deers):

Well, as long as you are alive take the purple willow of mother of fire and let a woman giving a birth is fumigated by this purple willow. The fire will not extinguish and people of earth will always make the fire. In the fishing time there will be the fish food we will not hide the fish. Well, take the reindeer moss — deer's food…

And she promises to give happiness if in the spring the shaman founds a new-born baby deer with four bent legs:

…You will throw (the purple willow on the pasture) when in the spring seven groups of tents sit close to each other. Then calves will be born. At that time the calf with four bent legs will be born. Then you following back the way by which the calf's soul has come will come to me then there would be happiness, I will give you happiness…

The shaman and mother of trees take the gifts and come back to the lake of nine grandfathers and mother chooses the further way along the lower river (the heart artery):

Here mother of earth lies with her belly up. We have gone along her guts. We have seen three outflows on the big lake. At first we have entered the throat, then the stomach and then we have passed the stomach. The very middle river is a gut that divides the stomach into two equal parts. We will not go along this gut we will take another one. The blood goes along it at the back and the heart is at its end. There is a tent behind the heart. There is an infirmity in it. Mother of earth keeps her heart in this tent. When her heart is scratched the war will come and somebody will wish to fight. We have to go there and ask if there would be any war. Let us go there.

They swim towards the tent and enter its door. Pay attention to the fact that each time they enter the local hyperspace in a different way sometimes going under the curtain, sometimes through the ceiling, sometimes through the door; furthermore it happens that it is impossible to leave through the exit, now we will see it. One of the most important shaman's skills is an ability to define the position of the passage.

There would be a conversation with the infirmity of war (a bad grandfather):

'Well, grandfather, if there would be a bad day? I am asking you. Will you give a silent day? We have come to this place.' The grandfather answers: 'Fellow, it will be peaceful it will not be bad. Father of icon, father of shaitan has tied my four legs together that is why it will be peaceful. How shall I butt mothers of earth heart with my legs tied?' Mother of trees has said: 'I do not have any other business with you there will be no bad year; there will be no war, thank you, thank you'.

However, the bad grandfather closes the entrance door and does not want to let out. Here one of the hints of imitative magic is used. During the conjuring shaman Gornok several times put in his belly a sharp knife up to its very handle. On the principle of similarity this way the hole in mothers of earth body in the lower world was made:

…When the shaman pricked his body this was as door opening. They got out through this pricked hole and went further along the breathing throat. And they have reached the beginning of mother's of earth tongue. There seems be a tent. They entered it a Russian woman sits there.

'What kind of a Russian woman are you?' — 'Do not you know me? I am mother icon of the baptized ones, mother of shamans. When the kids start to make new shamans or new shaitans I will give them iron skins — anoraks. That is why I am mother of iron, which is why I am mother of Russian icon. There is a self-eating god above. I born for him he is my man. Why has my man gone up? He had a fight with war infirmity he did not have enough strength and ran away. Now I became a worker of war infirmity. I do as he tells me. He says: 'You live at the beginning of mother's of earth tongue. Scratch it.' When I scratch Russians have many different ideas. They cut down a lot of wood that is why the shaitan's trees have died'.

As you remember shaitan's trees are holly trees where spirits of forest dwell. Gornok describes the further destruction of the subtle ecology in the following way:

Cutting down the shaitans' trees they started to open earth's mouth often this way that is why a lot of self-eaters died and nine mouths of mother of earth started swallowing a lot of people. In ancient times a self-eater protecting his own life cut down the trees as he burnt the fire and there was little of dying ones. That is why nowadays there is a lot of dying. All shamans have died only my head is left. And when I go to one place to cure an ill one the illness starts to kill people in another place. What use will be of it?

The night comes again and in the morning their way leads along mothers of earth tongue by which they come back to the beginning of the travel, her mouth. Yet, now the landscape looks in a different way (this is also quite typical for travels in multidimensional subtle world):

We have gone along mothers of earth tongue and have reached the place where the mouth opens. There is some liquid as snots in the very middle of the tongue. When the evening came the bad weather started the wind lifted the earth. My devil (helping spirit) got frightened and hid. I asked: 'Well, mother, which land has we reached?' Mother said:

'When it is quiet here hordes of dead people are put into earth here. And when the dead are fat mother of earth chews these fat people their fat melts and goes along the tongue as liquid snot. When the weather gets windy this water carries the soul away. That is a place we have reached'.

From the mouth they swim by the water carrying the souls of the dead away and go out to the first coat of the lower world (where they spent the first night). The way runs through the icy valley (according to mother of trees there was a huge mountain ridge there before but it all was used for graves). They reach three colorful hills (in fact they are foreheads of the next three infirmities) that are very unfriendly for the shaman the following conversation will take place. In this conversation the topic of the upcoming apocalypses appears again:

'Three grandfathers, why are you looking there?' Three grandfathers answer (the shaman): 'You have put on the new garment as a new shaitanian tree. That is why we are looking, for we thought all shamans were over. Yet, it appears there is one more. We see this new garment is put on new tiazhy (fur shoes) are put on this does not please us'. I answered this: 'Well, grandfather, I am left alone. Am I disturbing? Go on take my head I am the only one who is left anyway. How shall we live if the earth is empty? Are you not sorry? Children are only few it is impossible to live like this in the future the horde became very small. If I am guilty take my head. If I am not guilty how you would dare to take my head. I am not disturbing anybody. You yourselves, the masters, want to empty the land. Do not do that if you are sorry for the earth.'

The next stage is ritual hunting that is supposed to ensure the bag for the tribe (horde). At first the shaman is palmed off two false deers (the deer of grandfather of hunger and the deer of grandfather of the louse) people would die of them but mother (Hore) helps not to make a mistake. Then they find mother of deer's food (she looks as a stem of badian — Siberian herb) mother of trees says:

'Now shoot form your bow in the very middle. If your arrow hits its very middle there will be plenty of food and trade. That is a place we have reached. Now let us blindfold you. Now if you, being blindfolded, miss the middle of ( ) with your arrow then our people will starve'. Then I was blindfolded and started to see with shaitanian eyes. I tensed the bow and shot twice. People inside the tent said: 'That is how you are, with your eyes blindfolded you have hit as if you could see'. This day the whole tent had a feast and ate and I had a rest and lay down. The morning came this means we will eat many wild deers (this year).

In the morning they reach two hills close to water seven guts (Penises) of the moon hang over them. Here the way to the upper world starts in order to get up the shaman harnesses the winged devil (spirit):

…We started to go up the moon's gut. When we have gone up we have found ourselves in the place where these seven guts part. At the basis of three guts we saw a naked man without anorak and pants he sat and seemed to pull the wool of the white deer and blew it down on earth. 'Mother of the tree who is that?' — I asked.

'That is infirmity that disturbs tribes' well-being. Dolganian, Russian and Self-eaters women got pregnant then a baby is born but he dies soon. This infirmity throws down these unhappy days as bits of wool in these days these dying children are doomed to be born. If there would not be this infirmity there would be more people'.

Then the way leads them along the moon's gut they go to the mother who gives eyes to the new-born (people and animals). According to Nganasans this happens in the following way:

…The real soul is born and kept by mother of earth. The eyes are created by the mother from above. According to our faith eyes are given by the moon, the soul is born by mother of earth. The man-god who gives us birth has two real wives. A big wife is mother of earth; a little wife is mother of moon. That is why Dolganian, Self-eater and Russian count the time of pregnancy in months. Eyes will not be born without mother of moon; the soul will not be born without mother of earth. When two mothers give a birth together people are born…

They swim along the river that then branches in seven separate beds (this is the urine of the moon's gut) and meet some more tribe infirmities and stop over the night.

In the morning in the very beginning of their way they cross the road of the big infirmity the same they have already met in the lower world where in the place of confluence of the seven streams three trees grew out of the same root — three infirmities connected with the primary incest. That is a wonderful example of the hyperspacial joint connecting two distant worlds through multidimensional space.

Then they find two boxes with eyes sent by mother of moon and then meet in the lower (Northern) side a very thin infertile female deer:

'What is it? This deer seems to have only bones. Why does the end (of her vagina) under her coccyx move getting narrower and wider? I am afraid, what is it?' Mother answers this: 'That is an infirmity of women unable to give birth and infertile deers. She wants to copulate but it is all for nothing. That is why her (vagina) is moving. This infirmity takes away woman's sweat-wetness. That is why women become too thin and stop giving birth'.

After the night they continue their way and reach the big tent:

…We have gone further and reached the place where the top of the tent is seen. Seven moons are drawn around the smoke hole. When we came closer the tent could be seen. The tent seems to be surrounded by seven moons. We have hardly found the entrance. The entrance curtain appeared to be made of skins of faces of four infirmities sown together. From the middle of the door these faces look as a spot. 'Well, mother, which land have we reached?'

This appears to be a tent of mother of eyes, the second wife of the god of the upper world who makes human souls:

…Mother (Hore) has said: 'How, do not you know? These are souls of mother of shamanic eyes. This is mother of nine months, nine months of old woman's maidens. That is why people count nine months. Now, the door of skins of faces of four infirmities: these faces are old woman's four men. One man is an infirmity of snow blindness, the second man is an infirmity of one eye, the third man is an infirmity of shortsight, and the fourth man is an infirmity of eye illnesses. From them, one-eyed, shortsighted, weak-eyed babies come.

Mother of moon gives to a new-born two eyes. One man steals both eyes on the way that is why the blind ones are born; another man steals one eye that is why one-eyed are born; another man steals half of an eye that is why narrow-eyed (shortsighted) are born; another man steals the sharpness of sight that is why people with weak eyes are born'.

That is why now only few people have good eyes. These devils steal all hordes' eyes. That is why poor ones became many. How will people with bad eyes walk and trade? They sit on the spot. Why did blind become so many? That is why I shaman and ask: 'Mother, give people good eyes'.

They get inside through the entrance and see mother of eyes who looks as a little girl. A god in the image of a little child is also a rather common concept of the collective unconscious many times described by C.Yung (27):

…Mother of eyes appeared to look as a little girl. She has a sun on her forehead and seven moons on her breast. And she said: 'Ah, the guests have come, what you need?' We said: 'We have become bad and we wish to get shaitanian eyes. Our eyes got weakened of tears devil of earth has spoiled us that is why we seem to get blind we need new eyes'. — 'Well, how many guests have arrived. I do not need many guests I already have three women and on of them make the fire in the night. I have two tents. In the second tent the god who makes doctors and shaitans lives. I will give you a good or bad advice later. Mother of trees and you, fellow, spend the night there. Let the two women spend the night with you. One of them is the mother who gives the eyes to a goose, a fish, a worm in the months when birds lay eggs and fishes spawn. Another mother gives eyes to a home and wild deer and to a polar fox.

They get to the second tent through the hole behind the fire-place. The second god looks as a little boy. They stay there over night with two women sent with them by mother of eyes (this reminds of a tantric initiation but Gornok does not speak of the details of the spent night). In the morning they come back to the first tent. Mother of eyes says:

'Many eyes dies it is bad to give a birth. The earth again gives a birth to food-grass for deers, for mother of trees asks for it. When you leave my tent again and go to the second one you will find some gifts there. Father of doctor, father of Nicholas-icon will give you the gifts instead of me'.

They go to the tent where they have spent the night and god-father of shamans-healers asks:

'Where do the guests come from, what do you need?' — 'Earth is dying the help is needed. Good days are needed that is why we have come. Bad days have come, deers are only few and the trade is smaller. Many people get ill and blind, we have come here because of this suffering. Why have you forgotten us, who will take care of us? We look for the father and for the mother. We do not have enough strength devils of earth eats shamans' souls. That is why we ask you. Now we need some good days it has been enough of the bad ones. We need good days for the children to be born. We do not have enough strength to cure the ill ones we do not have enough strength to cure weak eyes. When we have found you we are telling you: 'Father, give us the strength".

We got the answer on this: 'Later when you come conjuring over the ill ones there would be little of dying. If I would give you big strength to cure all ill ones devil of earth would fight you every day. That is why I give you the middle strength. I give you future days you will live until your hair gets gray. You will not be in need you will live not too bad.'

This way the shaman gets the main gift — the access to the source of the vital strength and energy. Right after that the hole in the ground under the fire-place opens it is a way to the middle world and mother of trees says:

'That is a hole when you shaman for Self-eating people before you ask the illness you ask the strength for yourself through this hole and will shout: 'Father, mother, give me the strength!' The strength will go down on you through this hole'.

However, the return on earth also does not happen at once. At first they fall to the first coat of the lower world to the mouth of earth again from where their travel has started:

…Now together with mother of trees… we fall down through the hole. And we sat down by two holes-rivers: 'Mother, which land have we reached?' — 'We have got to the nasty land. Here is one hole-river — that is a hole made with an ax and where dead are put that is the eating mouth of earth. Another hole-river is earth's teeth eating trees. Both these mouths swallow the dying. We have found here two earth's mouths. We will go straight ahead and will move along the beds of two hole-rivers'.

We were moving and moving down along them now the dark time came. When we were following rivers' beds the mist appeared. Now we found ourselves by the mountain, the high steep bank. The mist disappeared. The water became wide. The river parted in two beds, we have taken one and gone down and reached the place where the beds confluenced again. The narrow as a rope strip of land appeared in a distance behind the river. This land appeared to be a long sandy cape. There was a huge tent in the very middle of this sandy steep bank by the water edge. 'Mother of trees, what is it? Which land have we reached, do not you know?' — 'that is the water by which the dead ones go to the earth's belly…'

From here they go up the rivers' beds which carry the dead to earth's mouth, go through many trials and finally cross to the middle world:

…At first it was winter in this land and then summer came. Wherever it got quick streams rushed in different directions, lakes, lakes and lakes were everywhere. All lakes were melted it was very silent all around. The water is worried in lakes by the plenty of fishes. When we reached these places mother of trees turned me around three times and stopped. Then she shook herself off as a deer and said: 'Well, fellow, stop now'. I said: 'Well, mother, I do not know where we have stopped. People will ask me'. — 'Tell them so: 'I have come back to the land where I was born, to the divine land. I have reached mother of earth who gave me a birth. We are standing here on the cape on her pregnant belly'.

At that moment the subtle travel and the holiday of the Clear tent that were lasting for nine days are over. In spite of the very complicated travel's route and its durability the shaman did not go to deep down to the lower world and did not go up too high to the upper world. The sphere of his travel was in the coats strictly connected with earthy realm and in many aspects was unified with it which is typical for the practice of shamanism.

Yet, even such travel demanded from the shaman the mobilization of all his forces and was possible only due to patronage of goddess Hore and his numeral helping spirits. Besides Gornok was one of the last famous Nganassanian shamans having huge strength and skills. All this proves that the gulf between real shamanism and its numeral imitations common nowadays is enormous.

 

6.2. Subtle cartography of Earth's noosphere and its evolution in Hopi's tradition)

Hopi or Pueblo Indians belong to America's the most ancient population. They managed to keep amazing imaginations concerning the nature of our world, human predestination, previous civilisations of our planet and reasons of their downfall. From this point of view their tradition can be treated as the highest form of shamanism when daily magic and fight for survival give their place to devotion to spiritual goals, struggle for preservation and evolution of our planet's biosphere-noosphere.

The whole history of Hopi people is an evidence of undeviating observance of these high goals. For the first time I met the mentioning of Pueblo in books of K. Yung. He wrote of their belief that their rituals maintain the existence of our planet and if they will be interrupted Earth will die very soon. This philosophy penetrates the whole Hopi's existence and their life and daily functioning are subordinated to this messianic role.

In the beginning of 2000 in Arizona I was lucky to meet the spiritual leader of Spider Woman clan Martin Gashweseoma. Spider Woman is one of the highest Hopi goddesses, creator and keeper of all forms of life on Earth including human. Correspondingly, its clan is among the central ones in Hopi tradition. That is why the leader of this clan is to keep the ancient texts, tablets, which, according to the legend, were inherited from previous civilisations dwelling Earth before world cataclysms.

One of Hopi's main missions is to carry this knowledge, maintaining the continuity between civilisations. The central task of the initiation is to accustom to this sacral knowledge and the world of Gods and spirits helping to fulfil this mission.

It is important to stress that the texts contain the knowledge concerning not only past but also future including eventual downfall of earthy civilisation. According to Hopi we now dwell the fourth Earth, three previous ones were destroyed, for humanity forgot its mission and was stuck in chasing pleasures, fighting for power and nationalism. The saddest thing is that, according to these texts, we are now on the edge of the next fourth apocalypse. Martin and other people faithful to Hopi tradition make every possible effort to avoid this.

For that reason Martin made a press conference before the war in Iraq began. For the first time the tablets were shown to white people. The thing is that they contain prophecies, according to which attacking Iraq means the beginning of the third world war. Unfortunately, this attempt to stop the war was not successful, so, according to Hopi's prophecies, the third world war has been lasting for 11 years by now. Its next nuclear stage is to start in the same region.

It is interesting that from Christian point of view the war in the bay was not a usual military conflict, for the land between two rivers, where Eden was placed, lays in Iraq. From this point of view NATO units bombed Eden — on of the holiest places of our planet. If we realise that Bible contains stories of peoples that were humiliated for much lesser sins, Hopi prophecies have their logic.

It is worth to mention that, according to the tablets, even the beginning of the nuclear war does not mean the end of humanity. When we discussed this matter with Martin he said that the prophecy spoke of the coming of half-god-half-man — The White Brother at the end of times. If by this moment Earth would be dwelled by some critical mass of fair people who would remember of their predestination to fulfil the plan of Creator, the history could be changed and harmonic and peaceful human society would be created. Yet, chances decrease day by day.

Martin and other people faithful to Hopi tradition live in the US but reject to accept American citizenship in order not to break the continuity line. This fact proves how seriously they treat the prophecies.

Hopi cartography is particularly interesting because it reflects not only vertical organisation of the universe (the Tree of the World) but also its subsequent changes from the moment of creation till nowadays. We will first examine Hopi's imaginations on the creation of Earth and its biosphere and stages of earthy civilisation formation.

Hopi's cosmology

According to Hopi's mythology primary only Tayova existed he was in the endless space with no time, form and life. At first he created his helper (nephew) Sotuknang and made him responsible for the realisation of his general plan (Tuvagachi).

First of all Sotuknang made nine worlds-universes of earth, water and air. The first two were for Creator and himself and other seven ones — for future life.

The first world

At the next stage life and human were created in the first world named Tokpela (Endless Space). Sotuknang created the first goddess Kokyangviiti, Spider Woman for this. In this context the image of spider is associated with making spider-web as the mandala of harmony. The goddess, in her turn, created two helpful gods — guardians of biosphere. The first of them, Poganghoya, was supposed to watch the ecological balance. The second one, Palongavhoya (Echo), controlled thick and subtle vibrations of biosphere or, putting this in a more modern way, watched the informational balance. Together they maintained the spinning of earthy axis.

When Poganghoya and Palongavhoya made Earth ready for life Spider Woman created plants, birds, animals and all other living beings dwelling the biosphere. The time of man came.

At first she created four men after Sotuknang's likeness with four skin colours (yellow, red, white and black) and then their spouses were created. As they were going through the three stages of Creation they saw their Creator Tayova as Sun, which inhaled life in them.

However, these first people could not speak. Spider Woman called Sotuknang in order to give them speech, wisdom and strength. He gave different languages for people with different skin colours. He also gave them strength to multiply. Nevertheless, the first people could perfectly understand each other due to telepathy. They were given languages for the realisation of Creator's plan, for when they were saying prays and singing songs, their energetic centres generated vibrations transforming noosphere of Earth in the needed direction. Different languages, probably, influenced different spectrums of subtle vibrations.

According to Hopi's legends, the first people have hardly reminded of modern human and were rather like insects with reason. They lived happily and in peace with animals, eating fruit of mother Earth until they started to break the commandments of Sotuknang and Spider Woman about serving Creator. Before Creator's commandments were broken, the first people did not know illness and, although they spoke different languages, could perfectly understand each other due to their vibration centres.

However, more and more people started to use their vibration centres for their selfish purposes. This was also favoured by two tempters. The first one — Lavaihoya used to appear as a mocking-bird Mochni, bringing nationalism and antropocentrism. He persuaded people that they were better than animals and stressed differences between the races with variable languages and skin colour. Another one Kato'ya looked like a snake with the big head. He brought suspicion, cruelty and intolerance.

As a result there was no peace on Earth any longer. Only a few people kept faith in Creator and remained faithful to his plan. Tayova and Sotuknang, seeing this, decided to destroy this world and only the pure ones were given a chance to survive. Sotuknang came and told them that the end of the world was near. He said they should go to a certain place led by the star during the night and by the cloud during the day. Those two could be seen by the vibration centre on the top of the head (kopavi).

This way in many days and nights people from different countries and nations gathered at the mentioned place, they were the first Hopi. Then Sotuknang appeared and led them to the mountain where ant-people lived he ordered to open the entrance. He advised people to learn from ants hard-working and storing supplies. This ant-hill was a kind of hyper-spatial ship where people survived the destruction of the first earth.

The first world Tokpela was ruined by fire very quickly, however, a long time should pass before the earth got cool so that the new world could be created. When Sotuknang made his work he climbed the ant-hill's roof and knocked on it. Then ants-people's leader went up and opened the cover (nuta).

The second world

The new world Tokpa (Dark Midnight) was not as perfect as the previous one but was also beautiful in its way. Ants-people turned into ants insects in it. Hopi gave the beginning to earthy peoples. They still did not need the language as a communication mean and were able to see and speak to each other at any distance due to the centre on the top of the head.

Animals in the second world were wild and kept away from people. In this world people started to make and store supplies as ants did. They learnt how to build houses and villages, make roads, trade appeared.

And then people became obsessed with passion for hoarding. This world had anything people needed but they desired to have more and more. People stopped singing hymns to Creator and started to praise goods. Consumption psychology bred greed and quarrels, finally villages started to fight with each other.

That is why it was decided to destroy this world too. And Hopi (the chosen people) again escaped the end of the world and waited at ants-people.

On Sotuknang's order the second world's axis was left to itself, the world started to spin with the huge speed, to swing, turned up side down twice and was out of its orb around Sun. As a result mountains and seas mixed together and then everything became a piece of ice.

The third world

When everything old was distracted Sotuknang brought Earth back on its orb and started to create the third world Kuskurza. When everything was ready he opened ant-hill's cover and let people out.

The interesting thing is that in modern Hopi tradition the image of such cosmic ant-hill is incarnated in Hopi's temple Kiva. When participant of a ceremony leave the temple they climb the stairs in its middle and go out through the opening in the ceiling. This symbolises entering the new world.

In the third world people multiplied and developed so quickly that cities and countries were established and civilisation appeared.

Here again many people forgot their predestination and got under the influence of of bestial drives.

In this third world lust prevailed many people started to use their reproductive power in a deviated way. The more sexual contacts men and women had, the higher their social position was.

Correspondingly the use of creative potential was deformed, for it was strictly connected with sexual energy. People also started to use it for not pure goals. Magic mechanisms for war were created. A particularly ruinous role was played here by Bow Clan. And so the first flying machines, patuvvota, were made. They were shield-formed and nourished with human vital energy (it is not difficult to notice that all this reminds of UFO).

Soon many people learnt to build patuvvota, destructive wars started. Seeing this, Sotuknang decided to destroy the third world this time due to flood. He came to Spider Woman and taught her how to save fair people before they were indulged or killed. Now hermetic containers were made of the empty stems of a special bamboo- or cane-like plant. They contained a small supply of water and food (hurusuki — pastry of white corn flour). People were waiting in them until the terrible flood, which ruined the whole land, was over. The amount of food and water did not decrease no matter how much people ate or drank. According to Hopi's legends the rests of the third world still lay under the thickness of oceans.

One can see here many analogies with legends of Atlantida and Lemouria and Bible stories.

The search for the fourth world

When the waters got quiet and the new world was created people left their containers and found themselves on the small piece of land, which was the top of the highest mountain of the previous world. This time the way to the next fourth world was much more difficult. People had to make rafts and move through the endless ocean. This way they stopped at three other islands until they finally reached the lands of the new world. The last two islands were very beautiful and comfortable for life. However, every time when people thought they found the desired land Spider Woman told them: "It is too easy and pleasant to live here, soon you will take the way of evil again". (53)

Such a difficult way seemed to be connected with the necessity to temper people with trials to lessen the chances that the mistakes of previous worlds would be repeated. Perhaps, everything was too easy there.

People found their way with Spider Woman's help and due to the magic seeing through the highest centre on the top of the head.

Hopi say that a spiritually developed person with this centre active has an open Door on the top of the head. Correspondingly, the highest level of shamanic gift, which can be obtained only by the chosen ones during the initiation, is the opening of this centre.

The fourth world

When in many years they finally reached the fourth world, Sotuknang appeared in front of them. He said that, living here and making their choice, people would prove if they would be able to fulfil Creator's plan or once upon a time this world would be also destroyed.

This very world, Tuvakachi (the Finished World) is the one we dwell now. It is not as beautiful as the previous ones. Its special feature is the existence of opposites: cold and hot, beauty and ugliness etc. In other words, people had their choices.

Masau, the immortal spirit, became the guardian and protector of this world. He had the same function in the third world but then he lost his humbleness and was overtaken by pride. He was punished and was made the God of Death in the underground world. Yet, after the third world had been ruined Tayova gave him another chance.

Here we can see extremely interesting metahistoric analogies. If we put Hopi's mythology in modern terms, we are now at the fourth stage of humanity development. At this period God of Death becomes Earth's guardian! On the other hand, Indian tradition describes the evolution of universe and human as the sequence of four stages — yugas. Now we are at the last fourth stage — Kali Yuga. Kali is a Goddess of Death, although death is understood here as a purifying distraction and not after-death existence. This way we get almost complete coincidence. The same analogies can be made with Tibetan Buddhism and other ancient religions.

Masau came to people as a handsome man and he was the first living being they met in the new world. He said they should make some complicated migrations. Only after that each nation would get a permanent place to live. Besides, they were given holly tablets, which are Hopi's most sacred relics until this day. These tablets made of stone contain the knowledge concerning Earth's development and dangers that wait for humanity.

Each Hopi clan was given its own tablets. So Fire Clan tablets had a beheaded man on one side and four symbols on the other (Woter). It was made of the dark stone and one of its corners was missing, it was about 10 square centimetres in size. It was written on it that in a distant future a strange nation would appear. It would oppress Hopi, make them work for enslavers and impose their religion, those who would reject to obey would be treated as criminals.

All this would last until their lost White Brother Pahana would return. He would have the missing tablet's part as a sign. With the help of White Brother people will be able to win with evil and come to brotherhood. However, if Fire Clan's leader accepts the strange religion he would have to be beheaded on his own will. This sacrifice will save Hopi and disperse evil.

As Masau explained how the migrations should be done and gave the tablets, he became invisible. Still, he is present all the time and plays an extremely significant role in Hopi's life, being a mediator between them and Gods.

Cartography

This way we see that Hopi's cartography belongs to the most complicated ones in shamanic tradition because it includes not only the vertical hierarchy of the worlds but also its transformation in time.

Picture 26 presents the reconstructed hierarchy of subtle worlds in Hopi's cosmology. The worlds of the up-going row include the universe of Tayova Creator and his helper (nephew) Sotuknang. The ant-hill, where fair people used to wait until the catastrophes of subsequent earths distractions were over, is situated in the nearest layer of lower worlds. There is the after-death world below it. Masau was its Lord in the third cycle. It is rather clear that worlds' hierarchy in Hopi's cosmology is more complicated. Nevertheless, the more detailed information on it is, unfortunately inaccessible so far.

Figure 26. The hierarchy of subtle worlds in Hopi's cosmology.

Picture 27 shows universe's evolution in time. It presents four worlds from the first to the fourth Earth where we live now. Thick arrows show catastrophes of passage from earth to earth. The nature of the catastrophe is described right above them.

Figure 27. The chain of catastrophes, changing Earth's appearance and human civilisation.

Puncture arrows show the ways by which fair people used to escape catastrophes. The picture proves that as a rule this was the ant-hill in the underground world. Correspondingly it was entered in some secret place of Earth where the "door" leading to the lower world was located.

Four migrations

According to Masau's instructions, Hopi were supposed to subsequently reach Earth's boundaries in four main geographic directions, i.e. the furthest places where land ends and ocean starts. Hence, the ways of their migrations formed a huge cross going through North and South America from North to South and from East to West. Its centre was located in south-west of the US where Hopi live now. In their tradition this place is called Tuvanasavi (the centre of universe). As they reached the final points by the ocean, they turned and this way the swastika was obtained. It is one of the main elements of Hopi's ornaments.

The wandering took many years and some Hopi found fertile lands and settled down there, forgetting their predestination, Sotuknang's warnings and Masau's advises. Yet, faithful Hopi continued their way in spite of all privations, helping the realisation of Creator's plan. They were helped by two insect peoples reminding cicadas (mahu), which had an ability to awake the energy of warmth. Naturally, they were not real insects but spirits (kachinas). They are known as Humpbacked Flutists or Kokopilau and play a very important role in Hopi's mythology. They are connected not only with energy of warmth but also with human reproductive abilities that is why Kokopilau or Kokopeli kachinas are often shown with long penises. Clans of Blue and Grey Flute are named after those powerful spirits.

Due to Humpbacked Flutists Hopi managed to get the protection of another important spirit — Eagle spirit, the Lord of the upper space who is able to take people's prayers directly to Creator. When Eagle spirit allowed to settle down on the land people divided into four groups and moved in four geographic directions. Five clans headed by Spider Woman moved north. They were Spider Clan, Blue Flute Clan, Fire Spirit Clan, Snake Clan and Sun Clan. They went on for many years following the star. Magic subjects and abilities given by Masau helped them to survive in hard natural conditions.

So they reached to Polar Circle where the Secret Door of the fourth world mentioned by Sotuknang and closed for people was placed. Unfortunately, there is no detailed information on what it is and where it leads. Perhaps, it is a passage to the fifth world which will be open to one-hearted people if our Earth dies.

Here Spider Woman started to persuade people to use their magic skills in order to melt the mountains of ice and snow and open the Secret Door. Then angry Sotuknang appeared. He said that if people would melt ice and snow the irreversible catastrophe would take place, for huge masses of water would flood the land, permanently changing its shape. Spider Woman was punished and lost her eternal youth and beauty.

Here one more analogy with Hinduism can be made. In Kali Yuga female energy Shakti manifests in its destructive aspect, loses the image of a young and beautiful girl and turns into ugly old woman carrying murder weapons (that is how Kali goddess is usually presented). Nevertheless, people choosing the spiritual way see eternal and wonderful feminine energy also behind this terrifying appearance. And so Hopi still love Spider Woman and praise her in images of spider and spider-web.

Nowadays Hopi also keep contact with Masau. Martin said that the press conference he organised before the Iraq conflict trying to prevent the third world war was also made on Masau's advise. Naturally, only initiated ones of the very high level, who have gone through the highest stages of initiation, have an access to such contact.

It is important to stress that these abilities to keep in touch with higher spirits, serve Creator's plans, foresee future are treated by Hopi as the highest shamanic gift. If to speak of para-psychological and healing skills, they rather play a background role and are never seen as the main aim of initiation process. Yet, Hopi, Navaho and other tribes have shamans practising daily magic and healing (medicine men) and even black magic.

The latter ones are described by Hopi as two-hearted people. Certainly, in this case they mean the energetic heart centre. Hopi who are faithful to their tradition have only one heart centre through which they keep in touch with Creator. Those who have chosen the way of evil get the second one connecting them with demonic spirits.

From this point of view Hopi and Navaho tradition to the great extend remind of ancient eastern religions as Hinduism, Buddhism or Taoism (54). They also treat magic abilities as something secondary, which often disturbs to reach higher stages of initiation. That is why it would be a great mistake to treat unusual abilities of daily magic and healing as the main shamanic gift. That is just only for extremely primitive communities, which did not go too far from the bestial condition or became rests of some degraded cultures, which were splendid once.

Initiation

As it was already mentioned, the nature of initiation is strictly connected with the process of creation and the role of human in micro- and macrocosm. In a certain aspect the aim of the initiation is to accustom a single human being to global cosmogonic processes, to make him or her go beyond bestial nature and senseless struggle for survival and continuity of biologic kind. Obviously, the initiated person still had to take care of his or her physical and social functions but all this became the second plan comparing to the help in Creator's plans fulfilment. Correspondingly, magic abilities obtained after the initiation first of all served this higher predestination.

From this point of view, Indian tribes and other shamanic traditions that use shamanic gift only for their selfish purposes forgot and lost the real sense of their existence. Probably, the main point of the initiation is keeping this sacral knowledge, concerning the deepest sense of human existence, and not obtaining of some magic supernatural abilities, power over the people and forces of nature.

Hopi believe that Divine beings are real human's parents and human parents are only tools through which divine power manifests. This belief is a basis of initiation rituals. Then mothers are Mother Earth and Mother Seed. A human is created of the flesh of the first one and is breast-fed by the second one. The father also had two faces. On the one hand, this was Tayova Creator himself, on the other, Sun — solar God.

When a child was coming into the world the first initiation took place. It is described in "Book of the Hopi" by Frank Waters (53) (pp. 8-9):

The first conscious initiation was taking place seven or eight years after birth. Then the child became a member of religious community. He or she learnt that although he or she had earthy mother and father, the real parents were Mother Earth that gave him or her the body and Father Sun that inhaled life.

At the same time the child became aware of the two aspects of his or her own. On the one hand, he or she was a member of a family and the tribe clan and, on the other hand, he or she was a part of Great Universe, one of Creator's plans executors. And the greatest value one should aspirate for is humbleness.

Rituals of variable initiations usually reflect the whole process of cosmogenesis or its part. The majority of the Hopi community members plays roles of different dwellers of subtle world of spirits Kachinas (55). These spirits enter participants' bodies during a many hour ceremony, which takes place in Kiva temple (a model of the ant-hill where Hopi were waiting until the distraction of the previous worlds was over). Then participants leave the temple through the opening in its roof, wearing costumes and masks of variable spirits Kachinas and dance in a very beautiful and ritual way. Hopi believe that through them spirits get opportunity to influence the physical level of reality.

Healing

Naturally, Hopi also had initiations directed towards more practical aims, for example obtaining the gift of healing. Such shaman-healer had first of all to develop the centre of inner seeing placed between the brows. According to legends primarily people did not know illnesses. Both physical and psychical illnesses appeared when evil entered the world.

People or spirits influenced by evil were a source of many sicknesses (they were called two-hearted people). Besides, some diseases could be provoked by natural reasons. In order to define the reason of sickness shaman-healer subsequently puts his hands on patient's energetic centres. First of all he examined top of the head, then the centre over the eyes, the one in the throat, on the breast near the heart and on the belly. Shaman defined the source of disease on the basis of centres' vibrations.

If it was not connected with patient's organism and came from outside, the medicine man used a transparent crystal to learn who put the spell on. The crystal was primarily activated by sun light and then was used for examination of each energetic centre. Then the shaman saw the reason of the illness and often also a face of the two-hearted person who put the spell.

Navaho, the closest Hopi's neighbours, preserved very interesting rituals of obtaining shamanic gift and daily magic.

Navaho represent a relatively younger civilisation. According to one of the versions, they came from Siberia and their distant relatives Kets still live in Tuva district. When migrating from Alaska to southern parts of North America, they met Hopi, got under their influence, took their mythology and majority of passes and rituals.

This happened several thousands years ago and now the two cultures are complimentary. Some things were better preserved in one culture and some in the other, many things were developed and enriched by their personal experience. The interesting thing is that Navaho's mythology and rituals have a lot in common with Tibetan tradition (54).

Navaho's sand mandalas are widely known they are used in variable rituals, for instance initiations. They are incredibly beautiful pictures of colourful sand and are entered by spirits called during ceremonies.

Unfortunately Navaho also have black magic practices. There is plenty of legends about skin walkers shamans. They get their sinister shamanic gift during initiation rituals, which take place near small rock ridge in New Mexico (it is interesting that the first nuclear bomb was exploded a few hundred kilometres from this place).

After the initiation they get an ability to turn into animals and put spells on people. A common way to put a spell is to place a small piece of turquoise in victim's body by the mean of teleportation. This person gets ill and gradually fades.

The only way to get reed of this is to ask for help a shaman-healer. During the complicated ritual he "sucks" this piece of turquoise out of the damaged organ. Descriptions state that in this case teleportation also takes place, for the gem leaves patient's body without cutting its tissues.

This way the research on ancient rituals of initiation among North America's aborigines enables deeper understanding of cultures that live in harmony with environment, their system of values and logic of relations with nature. The use of their experience in our modern civilisation will help to create a more harmonious and internally unified culture, to overcome the negative experience of consuming society. The study on initiation rituals whose mechanisms awake supernormal abilities also presents a great interest.

However, there is no much time left to do this. The remains of ancient cultures catastrophically melt from day to day. They are replaced by so called neo-shamanism — a strange mixture of show business, primitive extra-sensoric activity and manipulative sects.

 

6.3. The structure of universe in Tantra philosophy

Sri yantra (pictures 8, 28) is one of the oldest and greatest mandalas of Indian Tantric tradition. It simultaneously defines cartography of subtle and 'thick' coats of our universe and its reflection in human subtle body and its chakras. At the same time it is a mandala of time defining rules of evolution and involution of our universe. Meditation with it allows a practitioner to get into the fabric of past and future. Up to the certain extant it is an analogy of Kalachakra mandala in Tibetan Buddhism.

Figure 28. Sri yantra.

Sri yantra exists in two basic forms connected with two fazes of cyclic time. The first one, Shrishci Kram, corresponds with the stage of development, creation, self-organization its central triangle is turned with its top up, i. e. male energy dominates (see picture 28). The second one, Samhar Kram, is turned for 180 degrees, its central triangle is turned down which corresponds with domination of female energy. That is a yantra of the stage of growing chaos, destruction, Kali yuga through which our world goes now (38, 50).

According to philosophy of Tantra cosmic evolution is conducted stage by stage during those stages 36 basic cosmic principles — 'tattwas' develop they define rules of functioning of our universe. The development starts with the 'subtlest' informational aspects of reality and ends up by forming of 'thick' material world. One more special feature strange for the European way of thinking is appearance of parts (all variability of beings and non-living objects) of some unity where primarily everything is confluenced in one.

The whole this process of the cosmic development is coded in the meditative diagram of Sri yantra. Evolution corresponds with the movement from the center to peripheries and involution — from peripheries to the center. The same yantra describes also individual personal development, for from the Tantric point of view macrocosm (the universe) and microcosm (a human) are absolutely alike. In this case different coats of Sri yantra situated on its radiuses correspond with different chakras. The central point (bindu) corresponds with Sahasrara and the square of the left and right swastika put together framing Sri yantra corresponds with Muladhara.

So the process of evolution of the universe leading to the appearance of individual 'self' and physic bodies starts from the point where all is confluenced in one (the center of Sri yantra). It corresponds with the highest non-differentiated state of the cosmos where dualism is absent. There is only one the Highest Self in this stage — the principle of creativity penetrating all parts of the universe — Parama Shiva. It is unified with its female aspect — Shakti potential energy of creation. This highest form of consciousness presents unlimited strength and freedom it is higher and beyond any actions and is neither male, nor female (38, 50). This primary highest state is also called 'Maha bindu' and is often compared to a seed of which a tree (our universe) has grown. Maha bindu contains our universe in the same way as the seed contains the essence of the tree without manifesting it.

It is very important to stress that this is not a scheme, not a plan of creation of macro- and micro-cosm but its germ that, growing, leads to the forming of the universe. There is no a creator here who according to plan as an engineer created atoms and molecules, planets and galaxies. The same principle of growing is a central idea of Taoism (52).

Modern physics rediscovered this idea a relatively short time ago and formulates it as a principle of self-organization (29). Discoveries made in nonequilibrium thermodynamics, synergetic and other fields of modern science fully supported that natural processes to start with elementary corpuscles up to social systems are characterized by mechanisms of self-organization, 'growing' (16-18).

Maha bindu potentially includes not only our universe but also many others potentially possible which appear in the following cycles of development, i. e. that is a wonderful seed of which absolutely everything can grow.

At the same time the principle of Parama Shiva, being present everywhere, is not manifested at all that is why it is identified with emptiness (shunia). It is interesting that discoveries of modern physics of elementary corpuscles prove that physical vacuum (emptiness) is not emptiness in the usual sense of this word, i. e. the absence of anything. It is rather the other way round it contains huge resources of substance and energy but in latent form.

And finally unification with Maha bindu, the principle of Parama Shiva placed in the center of Sri yantra is an aim of spiritual practice in very different religions and mystic traditions. This is not only Indian and Tibetan Tantra, Taoism but also Christian spiritual Alchemy (unification with Divine androgen), mystic Celtic tradition and many others. Practitioner first repeats the way of involution, moving form peripheries to the center and then after entering Maha bindu and obtaining in it inner harmony and unity, touching Divine source of creativity, goes the way of evolution recreating one self anew.

Let us now concentrate on the next stage of the universe development. Here non-differentiated unified state of Parama Shiva comes to the primary division in male and female elements (see picture 29). They are still unified but already differ from each other. This stage of development is often symbolized in Tantric tradition by a man and a woman still unified in love embrace but already having behind them the stage of ecstasy and looking at each other.

Figure 29. Main tattvas, manifesting at the three levels of the universe organization.

On the next stage bindu is broken and parted in two: the male principle Shiva tattvas and the female principle Shakti tattvas, the principle of energy, kinetic element. However, in spite of the separation the inner unity of the male and the female principles is still kept. Their union on this stage gives a birth to the primary sound — primary energetic vibration that is then parted in letters of Sanskrit alphabet. The first letter 'A' corresponds with pure male principle of Shiva, the letter 'H' — with the pure female principle of Shakti. All others contain both elements and reflect vibrate energies of all primary elements (ether, air, fire, earth, water). According to Tantric conceptions variable combinations of these vibrate energies form the whole macro- and micro-cosm. By the way, the knowledge of connection of vibrations of the Sanskrit alphabet letters with 'thick' and 'subtle' objects of physic world lays in the basis of practical methods of mantra-yoga. Psychophisiologic and physic effects of mantras have been described well enough in many positions.

The Tantric imagination of subtle vibrations as the real nature of matter also appeared to be a surprising insight. Only in the XX-th century physics discovers quantum mechanics that proved the wave nature of substance on whose conception the theory and practice of Tantra has been based for many thousands years (29).

The further interaction of the male and female elements gives a birth to the primary cosmic womb. In Sri yantra it is shown with the triangle turned with its top down. The cosmic womb is formed by the following three tattvas being the aspects of female energy:

  • Sada Shiva — the energy of will;
  • Ishvara — the energy of knowledge;
  • Shuddhavidya — the energy of action.

Together with Shiva tattva and Shakti tattva these cosmic principles form pure tattwas which are absolutely unlimited.

At the next stage psychic tattvas are formed they make the basis of the human soul. Here the previous unity of the male and female elements is destroyed and they appear as polar principles of the cosmos, giving birth to duality, differentiation and multiplicity. The main role is played here by Maya Shakti, the first one among psychic tattvas (see picture 29). Its tools are five following tattvas that create certain limits:

  1. (7). Kala` — limits the boundless strength of Shiva;
  2. (8). Vidya — limits the strength of knowledge;
  3. (9). Raga — limits the strength of desire.
  4. (10) Kala — limits the strength of time;
  5. (11) Niyaty — limits the strength of casuality.

With their help Maya gives birth illusions showing unreal as real and parting the whole and one consciousness in plenty of incarnated beings (jiva).

So Kala` (7) limits Shiva's omnipresence giving a birth to plenty of individualities. Vidya (8) limits omni knowledge and gives limited knowledge or ignorance. The wholeness of the union Shiva — Shakti is limited by Raga tattva (9) which gives a birth to attachments and lack of satisfaction. Eternity is limited by Ka`la (10) leading to destruction and death. Omnipotence is limited by Niyati (11) that creates cause-consequence connections, karmic cycles, and determined destiny.

This way psychic tattvas form personal consciousness with all its limits. This, on the one hand, enables incarnation in material world, for limitations work as rules maintaining stability of the reality fabric. Imagine what would happen to the world if all our desires would be unlimited and realized immediately.

Yet, on the other hand, this suppresses our real nature and entraps each of us in chasing illusive goals, struggle for survival, fighting. All this creates an endless chain of deaths and births, suffering.

In other words, forming of Maya tattvas and other psychic tattvas means the fall, banition from Paradise, loss of unity of which all ancient religions speak.

The six psychic tattvas themselves form a kind of shell, environmental suit deforming our perception of reality, giving a birth to bestial passions and desires, suppressing our true nature and leading to suffering.

And finally at the last stages other 25 tattvas are formed they establish and maintain the fabric of physical reality — our universe. It is important to stress that Tantra includes into physical reality not only objects consisting of substance (thick elements) but also the world of invisible fields (subtle elements), variable informational connections and psychic energies. Given physical tattvas are shown in the lower part of the picture 29. Their forming end up the process of creation of the universe that is corresponds with the peripheral part of Sri yantra.

At this material level of the universe Shiva's tattva turns into Purusha tattva presenting primary male principle. However, that is a principle 'conjured' by Maya and, hence, manifesting in the limited way through the deepest coats of subjective in every living and feeling being.

The female element presents a dynamic aspect of the universe manifesting as Prakriti tattva. In material universe it parts in three gunas (three states, three forces):

  • sattva — intellect, information;
  • radjas — dynamic quality, interaction;
  • tamas — inertia, matter.

Correspondingly each of the three groups creates following tattvas which can be seen on the picture 29.

A special feature of material universe is its clearly manifested duality: opposition of male and female, dark and light, object and subject etc. Besides matter as a rule dominates spirit giving birth to passions and vices, feeling of lack of realization, variable sufferings.

Another spatial feature of the material world is constant deficit of different kinds of energy which leads to endless rivalry and struggle for survival. This deficit is connected with division of male and female elements and limits put by Maya tattva. It is one of its illusions. In fact we are surrounded by oceans of inexhaustible energy, not to mention the fantastic energy of physical vacuum (Parama Shiva principle). Variable esoteric traditions that were able to overcome limits of Maya tattva have been using them since the very ancient times.

Generally it can be said that the material world, the world of incarnated beings fills the mind with desire of pleasures (Raga tattva), knowledge is limited (Niyati tattva), vital energy (prana) makes a being alive but only for the short period of life (Ka`la tattva), besides the pranic energy is uncontrollable and the yogis one is asleep. As a result Divine reality stays unknown, the sense and aims of incarnation are forgotten, and thus endless chains of karmic reincarnations follow each other, dipping us in depths of illusive reality, creating suffering.

Altered state travel to the cosmos of Sri yantra

As it has already been mentioned Sri yantra presents a kind of a map of all levels of our universe and our body (which are alike). At the same time it reflects its past, present and future and is a mandala of time. Correspondingly there is different psychotechnics of work with it. Some are directed towards penetrating the fabric of time they will be described in Appendix 4. The task of the others is to restore harmonic relations with higher levels of our reality, contact with Divine source, dissolving in it and creating oneself anew. Naturally, all this presents a rather complicated and durable ritual but its general scheme is simple enough.

According to one of the most common schemes the travel starts with the concentration on the protective square in the peripheral coat of Sri yantra (corresponds with Muladhara chakra). Then the way leads towards the center of the yantra through the coats connected with all pure tattvas. The sixteen-petal lotus corresponds with Svadhishthana chakra, the inner one eight-petal — with Manipura. The outer fourteen-angle coat of Sri yantra star — with Anahata, the next one ten-angle — with Wishuddha. There is one more ten-angle coat closer to the center it is connected with Ajna and is followed by eight-angle one corresponding with Brahmarandra or Nirvana chakra. The central triangle corresponds with Brahman or Guru chakra. And finally the center, the place of the source of Paramashiva universe is connected with Sahasrara.

After the dissolution in the center the movement towards periphery starts. One's own subtle material structure and hierarchy of our universes tattvas recreated again purified and new.

Naturally, before the travel the complex of preliminary exercises should be done (see Chapter 5 and Appendix 5).

 

6.4. Worlds of Bardo

One of the wonderful examples of ancient esoteric cartography can be Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) that is a guide for afterdeath spheres preceding the next karmic incarnation (56). Obviously, Bardo Thodol is not the only book describing after-death existence, Egyptian Book of the Dead has been known for a long time, similar texts can be found in practically any religious or mystic tradition. However, Tibetan Book of the Dead has no analogies from the point of view of completeness and accessibility of information. Among other things it has the most detailed description of hyperspacial tunnels connecting different worlds of the subtle cosmos of Tibetan Buddhism, methods of defining where a given tunnel leads and ways to enter the chosen tunnel (diaphragm opening). It also explains how to do the opposite — to close the unneeded tunnel where you are attracted by the wind of karma. Actually all this is one of the main practical essences of Bardo Thodol book and is something it has to teach.

Worlds of Bardo Thodol are organically inbuilt in more global Buddhist cartography including six Samsaric realms and the highest over matter reality of five Dhyani Buddhas worlds and Nirvanic existence (which are described in the more detailed way in cartography of Kalachakra). That is why we first concentrate on the more general map including main levels of cosmology of Tibetan Buddhism (see picture 30).

Figure 30. Worlds' hierarchy in Tibetan Buddhism.

In its general features Buddhist cosmology repeats the structure of the tree of the world. The subtlest levels of reality are situated on its top, and thick materially manifested ones are at its bottom. The relativity of such hierarchical description is constantly stressed, for each sphere of the cosmos is at the same time present and manifests in all others (principle of self-similarity and fractality). The upper coats of this reality are the most difficult to describe, for they very strongly differ from the world we are used to. The sphere of Adibuddha, the highest informational principle of the universe from which the worlds we are accustomed to are created is situated on the very top. The highest state of mind — Nirvana is often associated with this level.

The sphere of five Dhyani Buddhas is placed below it; they manifest variable aspects of Adibuddha. In their turn, each of them corresponds with one of the highest worlds of oversamsaric existence. The passage into one of these highest worlds is one of the central goals of Buddhist practice, for there unincarnated body and deathless existence are possible and the reasons of suffering are removed. One of the main tasks of Tibetan Book of the Dead is to help to get to one of those five worlds and escape a new birth.

Each of the highest worlds of Dhyani Buddhas is associated with one of geographic directions and certain aspect of knowledge about the world (archetype) (see Table 3). Usually they are presented as square mandalas with Buddha Vairochana in the middle. Besides each of five Dhyani Buddhas manifests also in lower samsaric worlds and after death worlds as a helper and spiritual teacher of mortal beings.

Table 3. Dhyani Buddas’ archetypes.

Dhyanni Buddha

Vairocana

Akshobhya

Ratnasambhava

Amitabha

Amoghasiddhi

The sphere (realm)

Central omni-abudant sphere

Eastern sphere of the highest happiness

Southern sphere robed in glory

Western happy sphere

Northern sphere of perfect actions

Geographic direction

Center

East

South

West

North

Color

White

Blue

Yellow

Red

Green

Primary element

Earth

Water

Earth

Fire

Air

Main mantra syllable

OM

HUM

TRAM

HRIH

AH

At the very bottom of the scheme six Samsara worlds or six Lokas are situated. These are worlds of incarnated existence, i. e. worlds where the birth and the following death take place and this process is repeated again and again making a living being endlessly suffer. Usually Samsaric worlds are presented as a circle divided in six sectors ('Samsara wheels' see picture 30). These are God Realm, Demi-God Realm, Animal Realm, Human Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm and Hell Realm. The realms of Human and Animals are situated in the known to us physical space, Realm of Hungry Ghost is subtle but partly covers with the physical space. Thus God, Demi-God and Hell realms seem to be situated on other levels of multidimensional reality. Features of each of the six Samsaric realms are strictly connected with maximally manifested in it fatal passion or poison. Karmic inclination for on of 'five poisons' defines the attraction of the incarnated being to one of the Samsaric worlds.

Buddhist conceptions see the reason of suffering and repetitive karmic reincarnations in connection with fatal passions — stereotypes of behavior and world perception suppressing and deforming the real vision of the world and entrapping living beings into endless chase for pleasures. Such existence darkened by ignorance works as narcotic ecstasy that gives a short moment of pleasure and keeps an addicted person in constant tension because of the fear and necessity to get new and new portions of drug. The result of this narcotic chase is a developing spiritual degradation, strengthening of the bestial element, destruction of the organism and death.

Five poisons include delusion, hatred, greed, envy and pride. The name 'five poisons' is connected with the fact that in Buddhism darkened mind is treated as illness, poisoning.

Although each of five poisons is connected with one of Samsaric worlds it also manifests in all other ones but in a smaller degree. Delusion is maximally manifested in two worlds. In God Realm it is a delusion of illusion of worldly being and shortness of an individual life. This leads to chasing pleasures and forgetting that the harmony of paradise existence will be over when the positive karma is spent. The lack of problems in God Realm (paradise) disturbs to be aware of reality, compassion for other beings, searching for higher knowledge. The result is the following return to the depths of lower existences. Delusion in its extreme form is manifested in Animal Realm that is stupidity, ignorance being a consequence of lack of intellect and undeveloped consciousness. This leads to subordination to uncontrolled instincts, constant fear of pursuit.

The sphere of maximum manifestation of hatred is Hell Realm whose unimaginable sufferings are not a punishment but a reflection of one's own acts in previous lives, a purifying flame which wakes up the conscience and liberates beings from their own acts and gives a way to better forms of existence.

Greed is connected with Hungry Ghost Realm obsessed with insatiable desires and passions. Any try to satisfy desires only strengthens them and gives even bigger lack of satisfaction. This reminds of putting the fire out with the help of petroleum: fire gets stronger and stronger. These ghost-like beings often visit places of their previous existence to which they are attached by unsatisfied desires. They manifest as poltergeist, spirits pursuing people in the nights, appearing during spiritualistic seances, vampires sucking out the vital energy.

Realm of Demi-Gods, warlike beings, reminding of Titans of ancient Greece is a sphere of maximal manifestation of envy. It leads to constant fighting and battles. Here the language of force prevails.

And finally pride, arrogance, self-conceit is the main feature of Human Realm. In this sphere the freedom of choice, opportunities to realize one's own nature, the highest inspirations are maximally manifested. Yet, these possibilities can be realized only by those who is able to overcome five poisons and first of all arrogance. Others spend their lives on endless chase for sensual pleasures, wealth, and power. It is interesting that overcoming pride is a central point of Christian tradition, especially Orthodox one.

The unity of five poisons gives a birth and maintains the illusion of the own 'self', i. e. imagination of the self as something existing only for itself and in itself, separated from all living beings and universe. It develops in time and leads to never-ending karmic reincarnations and constant suffering.

One of five Dhyani Buddhas, certain color symbolism, mantras and many other images enabling transformation of corresponding negative attachments and preventing the danger of getting into a given world are connected with each of six Samsaric worlds. We will concentrate on this symbolism a bit later.

Three afterdeath states Bardo and connected with them worlds are situated over Samsara wheel. These worlds are: Bardo of the moment of death (Chikhai Bardo); Bardo of comprehension of reality in after-death state (Chonyid Bardo); Bardo of return to Samsaric being, the state where the aspiration for the new birth appears (Luiun-Sidpai (Sidpa) Bardo).

There is a chance to go to higher unincarnated state from each of three after-death worlds, yet the probability of such passage grows fader with the movement from Chikhai to Sidpa Bardo, especially to its end when a being is pulled in to the one of Samsaric worlds of birth. That is why Tibetan tradition compares wandering in three after-death Bardo worlds with a ball that jumps up after it hit the ground. The height after the first hit is the biggest one then it becomes smaller and smaller until the ball reaches the state of piece. Correspondingly the highest spiritual jump takes place right after the exit from the body in the moment of death when the primary Pure light appears (this stage lasts about 30 minutes). The next smaller jump occurs in the second stage of Chikhai Bardo when secondary Clear Light appears (this stage lasts more or less 3, 5 — 4 days) etc.

The coming of the Pure light symbolizes the opening of the hyperspacial tunnel connecting our world with the higher level of the tree of the world (the sphere of Adibuddha, Nirvana), however only well prepared yogis can enter it. The Pure light is frightening for a usual person who then panics as somebody who spent the whole life in the dark cave and, seeing bright sun, wishes only to run away and hide. Besides the Clear light is seen only for an instant and only yoga masters can make it last longer for a while. Tibetan tradition uses for this among other things the practice of inner fire (Toomo).

This way if the chance of liberation during going through Chikhai Bardo is not used the crossing to Chonyid Bardo takes place and the luminous body (Bardo body) is obtained. This moment is often called birth in Bardo. The stay in this Bardo world lasts for fourteen days and is divided into two different stages. The first one is a meeting with Peaceful Gods who appear from our heart it takes seven days. The second one is coming of Furious Gods from our brain (it lasts from the eighth to the fourteenth day). This proves that cartography of Chonyid Bardo world is strictly connected with the space of human body. Each day gives a chance of liberation and going to one of the higher five worlds of Dhyani Buddhas. If this does not happen soul's wanderings are continued in the last after-death world — Sidpa Bardo.

The space of this world is more complicated and crosses with subtle levels of all six Samsaric worlds. Three main stages are typical for the stay in this world: a stage of primary wandering; last judgment; appearance of light of six Lokas (Samsaric worlds) ending up with the birth in one of them. Here the chance of liberation also exists but it is much smaller. If it is not realized the aim of the dead is to direct in a proper way the process of incarnation, choosing a good Samsaric world and a good womb. Still, this also demands certain esoteric skills obtained in the previous life and good karmic elaborations.

Then the next stage of incarnated existence in one of Samsara worlds starts. It begins with Bardo in the place of birth or mother's womb (Kinai Bardo). Then after the coming into the world and up to the moment of death state of being awake, Bardo of sleep (Milam Bardo) and Bardo of ecstatic balance in deep meditation (Tingecin-Samtam Bardo) constantly change each other. These are the other three of the six Bardo corresponding with the incarnated existence.

Time

Finally a few words should be said of time. According to esoteric tradition the concept of time loses its sense on the higher levels of reality. It is worth mentioning only when we deal with Samsara, Bardo or other lower worlds. In all these cases cyclic time is taken into consideration and in the frames of a large cycle plenty of smaller ones develop. They in their turn contain even smaller cycles etc. Each of them repeats all stages of global cosmic cycle. Putting it in terms of modern language, time has self alike, fractal structure.

Our universe has stages of birth, blooming, oldhood and death. The same repeats during a separate individual life but in incomparably smaller time interval. When we observe the environment, the universe we get the illusion of linear time, for we see extremely small part of the huge cosmic cycle. The axis of the cosmic time is shown at the bottom of the picture 30. Six worlds of Samsara move along it leaving a trace which reminds of a multidimensional snake that bites its end somewhere in eternity. In ancient India such multidimensional trace of the movement of our space along the time axis was called Linga sharira.

The picture shows the cycle of individual existence including incarnation period (life) in one of Samsara worlds and after-death going through Bardo worlds that is followed by the birth in the next cycle. This ring (or to be precise a spiral) can be broken by passage to one of the highest worlds shown in the upper part of the picture where time disappears.

Three Bardo

Now we will examine in the more detailed way the inner structure of three after-death Bardo worlds, connections between them and other levels of reality (see picture 31). The first world — Chikhai Bardo is intermediate we get there at the moment of clinic death with the last exhale. The primary stage of the stay in this world lasts about 30 minutes up to the moment when the soul finally leaves the body. Bardo experiences of this primary stage are described by Moudy in his famous book and other publications of that kind. In the beginning of this stage physiologic changes are not irreversible yet and sometimes it is possible to come back to life.

Figure 31. Three Bardo after-death worlds.

At the first stage of Chikhai Bardo very significant changes in energies of our subtle body take place when they gather and concentrate in the middle channel the vision of Primary Pure light appears. As we have already said only rare yoga masters manage to use this chance and exit through the channel of Pure light to Nirvana state. For all others the second stage starts that lasts 3, 5 — 4 days, the mind is in the faint state during it and for a short instant Secondary Pure light appears.

When Chikhai Bardo is over the luminous body is obtained and the person is born into the next after-death world — Chonyid Bardo. The luminous body is a subtle replica of the physic one in the material world and at first strongly reminds its shape but has absolutely different often marvelous qualities. Yet, we will speak of them later.

The space of Chonyid Bardo in a way reminds of a suite of rooms each of them corresponds with one day (spaces with similar geometry are often called mosaic). The rooms are endlessly large and do not have much in common. Nevertheless, every one has two exits, one leads up to the worlds of Dhyani Buddhas, another — to the next 'room'. Naturally, the 'door' (diaphragm) of each exit has a 'code lock' and can be penetrated only one way. Such code lock is opened by certain spiritual and emotional state of the being going through stages of Chonyid Bardo. The upper 'doors' react on feeling of sacrifice, disinterested love for suffering beings of all Samsaric worlds, lack of attachment to bestial element and five poisons. The side 'door' to the next 'room' is opened by the feeling of fear, desire to hide and run away from the unknown and frightening.

As we have already said, the door leading to hyperspacial tunnel does not look as a usual door in the house's wall at all. That is why it is very important to know the look of the 'door' to enter the chosen world. In Chikhai Bardo the upper 'door' looks as radiant unearthy light that provokes the feeling of fear, trembling, desire to run away, hide. These features are kept in Chonyid Bardo where also the color symbolism is added (the light is colored) and complicated visual and sound images appear (archetypes of gods and goddesses). Every day all this fully changes and after the seventh day light and color symbolism disappear and archetypal images of Furious Gods are left. Correspondingly going through the upper 'door' supposes confluence, dissolving in the deepest archetypal meaning of these images. This demands overcoming fear provoked by their frightening appearance and see peaceful blissful gods beyond it.

Generally according to Tibetan Book of Dead none upper 'door' opens easily it is always necessary to overcome hard trials, instinctive fear, and desire to run away and hide. In this respect practically all religious traditions agree, let us remember the famous Bible tale of a camel that can get through the needle's ear easier than a rich one can get to paradise.

Thus the doors leading down to Samsaric worlds are at the opposite pull in themselves and the worse is the space beyond them, the stronger the attraction is. Especially if this space resonates with your Karmic problems. The only way to escape such undesirable crossing is to change your emotional state and tune on the archetype of the God who helps to overcome appropriate negative attachment (for example: anger, lust, avarice, etc.). This can be done due to special mantras, holly signs, mudras, other similar magic tools (see Table 4). Thodol Bardo offers plenty of such methods (they are usually called 'gates closing').

One more special feature of a bad 'door' — it usually looks as a dull one- or multicolored spot. Besides one immediately has a desire to run away and hide in it sometimes the pictures of the world being behind it simultaneously appear. Yet, those pictures are illusive and have strange unexplainable attractiveness. Tibetan Book of the Dead is full of warnings not to give the way to this feeling which might result wit a birth in one of bad worlds (Animal, Hungry Ghost, Hell) and never-ending suffering for many lives.

Chonyid

The suite or 'rooms' of Chonyid Bardo consists of two different groups. During the first seven days Peaceful Gods go in front of you they appear from your heart according to cardinal directions (center, North, East etc.). That is another unusual feature of multidimensional space which, on the one hand, can be inside our body and, on the other hand, endless.

In this period archetypes of five poisons and Samsara worlds connected with them are elaborated. Every day you deal with one of poisons, connected with it Samsaric world and an archetype of Dhyani Buddha who allows overcoming it. The radiant colored light appears in front of you from Buddha's heart (the door leading to upper worlds opens) and at the same time the dull light of the corresponding Samsaric world comes and you feel a strong desire to hide in it. If you do so you go to the archetype of the next day. On the sixth day you are given one more chance to overcome five poisons and at the same time images of all five Dhyani Buddhas appear. On the seventh day archetypes of Animal Realm are elaborated. Symbolism of each of the seven days is presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Exits to the higher space of Adibuddha (Nirvana state).

Six Samsaric realms

Gods (paradise)

Asuras (warlike titans)

People

Animals

Pretas (hungry ghosts)

Hell

Poison

Ignorance as forgetting

Envy

Pride

Ignorance as stupidity

Greed

Hatred

Entrance color

Dull white

Dull green

Dull blue-yellow

Dull blue

Dull red

Dull gray

Bardo day

1

5

3

7

4

2

Dhyani Buddha

Vairocana

Amoghasiddhi

Ratnasambhava

 

Amitabha

Akshobhya

Geographic direction

Center

North

South

Five directions

West

East

Radiant entrance color

Radiant blue

Radiant green

Radiant yellow

Five color radiance

Radiant red

Radiant white

Chenrasi mantra syllable

OM

MA

NI

PAD

ME

HUM

From the eighth till the fourteenth day you meet variable Furious Gods provoking the feeling of fear and horror. The same Peaceful Gods hide behind this terrifying mask but now they present their furious aspect. They also come from different directions but this time from the space connected with your brain. Your task is not to get frightened and see behind the terrifying faces friendly gods and confluence with them. Then the 'door' in the sphere of Dhyani Buddhas will open and you will be free. If this does not happen you find yourself in the next world.

Sidpa

The last after-death world Sidpa Bardo more reminds of our usual space especially during the first twenty-two days. The difference is that here our Bardo body has absolutely fantastic abilities whose echo seems to reflect in numeral legends and myths, childish dreams. The luminous body (the intent body, Bardo body) appears during the crossing to Chikhai Bardo but there it does not have a chance to fully manifest. As it has been already said Sidpa Bardo has rather transparent boundary with subtle levels of all six Samsaric worlds. A dead person has a chance to enter any of them in the luminous body. One can go through huge mountains, go down to seas' bottom, and fly to other planets. Basically the luminous body does not have fixed shape and sizes, can suppress into the small lump and grow to gigantic volumes, change its proportions. However, in the beginning it, rather because of the habit, reminds of the previous look of the owner and closer to the end obtains features of a dweller of the next world of birth.

The owner of the luminous body has much wider perceptive abilities comparing to us. Besides usual senses powerful parapsychologic abilities appear including the possibility to foresee the future. Everything that can be achieved also in physical body but as a result of durable work and training here is given straight away. Yet, the sight differs from ours, for the luminous body is able to see only so-called 'astral-light'. That is why all worlds are seen in the same way filled with the similar astral twilight that does not change during night or day.

The luminous body does not have a shadow and cannot be seen on reflecting surfaces (many other mystic traditions also speak of this). According to Bardo Thodol this body cannot be killed or destroyed in a usual way (cut, burnt etc.) Besides we normally have greater intellectual abilities in it.

Nevertheless, such perfect body does not make its owner happy. He feels growing nostalgia, fear, a wish to run away somewhere, to hide, for the astral world of Sidpa Bardo has many frightening dwellers. The luminous body also seems to lack independent assimilation of vital energy and lives due to old sources and energy sent by living beings. Deficit of vital energy strengthens nostalgia and desire to have a fleshy shell.

In this state the savings of will energy and ability to resist external forces are extremely little. Tibetans compare it to a feather carried by powerful blowing of the karmic wind and the longer the stay in Sidpa Bardo is, the stronger the wind blows.

By the end of twenty-two days (this period is rather approximate and may significantly change) the karmic wind starts to blow furiously, it carries the dead one through different worlds and spaces, crowds of terrible monsters appear, the pursuit of nostalgia, suffer and hunger grows stronger. Then the final judgment, many times described in different religious traditions, comes good and bad acts of the previous life are evaluated. Here one again gets a chance to go to one of the upper worlds if one manages to see archetypes of Peaceful Gods behind the frightening faces of judges and executors and to feel illusiveness of the external form.

If this chance is not used the last stage of Sidpa Bardo comes which is a new birth. The following signs are its evidence:

  • the luminous body starts to obtain features of the future appearance;
  • one is attracted to the past body which is, naturally, unsuitable for dwelling, one unsuccessfully tries to enter it and gets a very unpleasant feeling as if being pushed into the narrow hole between the rocks;
  • from time to time a vision of the future world of birth appears and one is strongly attracted to it;
  • dull light spots with colors of six Lokas appear, one of them is brighter (this is a future world of birth) and the karmic wind pulls one into it.

The last sign speaks of the opening of the door leading to six Samsaric worlds. There is still a small chance to escape a new birth left but even if the birth is to happen it is not worth to give a way to the karmic wind. One can still try to get to a better world of a new birth. The control over one's emotions is very important for it. Any negative thought or emotion can resonate with one of five poisons and pull one into the negative world. So anger can lead to Hell or Hungry Ghost Realms, fear and desire to hide — to Animal Realm etc. It is not difficult to understand which spot leads to the given world knowing the color symbolism of six Samsaric worlds (see Table 4).

And finally if you find yourself in one of Samsaric worlds you can try to shut the gates of your future mother's womb (Bardo Thodol gives five ways to do it) or if you have failed to choose a more suitable womb. This can also be done with the help of emotional state resonance with the appropriate 'door'.

When the conception is done the next karmic cycle starts and depending on the lived life the process of wandering through Bardo worlds repeats again and again according to better or worse scenario. Or finally the karmic chain is broken and you obtain the enlightened existence.

 

6.5. Cosmos and cartography of Kalachakra

One of the most interesting examples of cartography of subtle reality is described in Buddhist tradition. We will examine two variants the earlier one presented in Indian text Abhidharmakosha written by Vasubandha in the IV-V-th century of our age. Another later one is connected with Tibetan tradition of Kalachakra Tantra. It is interesting that the picture of the cosmos of these ancient traditions surprisingly reminds of cosmogonic conceptions of modern physics. That is multiplicity of worlds, subjectivity, and virtuality of the percepted picture of the world. That is beautifully described by Kalu Rinpoche (45):

"…Any one of these various cosmologies is completely valid for the beings whose karmic projections cause them to experience their universe in that way. There is a certain relativity in the way one experiences the world. This means that all the possible experiences of every being in the six realms of existence… are based upon karmic inclinations and degrees of individual development. Thus, on a relative level any cosmology is valid. On an ultimate level, no cosmology is absolutely true. It cannot be universally valid, given the different conventional situations of beings…"

As we have already said in Eastern traditions time has a cyclic nature. This is also true for Abhidharmakosha and Kalachakra. The difference is that according to Abhidharmakosha all primary elements tracelessly disappear after the stage of destruction and according to Kalachakra atoms of emptiness are left and they form the structure of the space.

The next cycle begins with the strong karmic wind. Actions, plans and acts of beings lived in the previous cycle provoke unbelievably strong winds blowing in all four space directions. Putting this in terms of the modern language, when the cycle is over all forms of substance and matter is distracted but some part of information remains (collective karma). It becomes an embrion, an impulse of the next universe.

These way strong blows of karmic wind fill the space manifesting atoms of emptiness and then lead to appearance of atoms of water and forming clouds. The water that falls out of them gigantic water cylinders which become bases of the separate worlds. Then these blows make water condense and the element of earth appears from which the huge golden disc of the earth is shaped. After that the four-angle mountain Meru appears in the middle of the disc, each of its sides has four terraces. This holly mountain consists of the purest elements: gold, silver, lunar caustic and crystals. It forms the center of every separate world with its divine hierarchy, sun, moon and stars, demonic coats (see picture 32).

Figure 32. The space of Abhidharmakosha from above (A) and side section (B).

According to ancient Buddhist texts the moment of the universe establishment and beginning of the next cycle gives a birth to a great many of such worlds (at least hundreds of millions). And all of them have alike structure with their own Meru mountain and all other reality attributes of which we will speak later.

The Meru mountain is surrounded by seven mountain chains. Each of them is square and grows higher as it gets closer to Meru (if to move from the center, the height of each following chain will be twice smaller). The space between them is filled with water going out of the clouds and the seas called 'the inner ocean' are established.

The huge space from the external mountain ridge to the edges of the upper golden disc of earth are also filled with water and form very salty Great outer sea. The edge of the golden disc of earth is surrounded with the eighth mountain wall made of iron. Twelve continents lay on the outer sea they make groups of three according to four basic geographic directions.

The middle Southern continent Jambudvipa is a realm of people and animals. Yet, one should not forget that we deal with subtle cartography that is why geometry of Earth in this imagination significantly differs from the geography we are used to.

Over the highest mountain wall, more or less at the half height of the Meru mountain orbits of Sun and Moon are situated they move round the mountain. The top of the Meru mountain is flat and has a shape of square. Sadarsana city is placed in the center of this square and in its very middle it has the palace of lord of thirty-three main gods of reality. This city belongs to the higher reality and is believed to be the first heavenly coat. Perhaps, some legends of Shambhala are connected with this very city.

Twenty-five heavens or refuges (vimana) — coats of the highest subtle reality are situated above Meru's top in a concentric way. And the higher the coat is, the purer the appropriate reality is, it gets subtler and wider and the distance between the coats grows. The first four coats belong to the realm of passions or desires (all worlds placed below also belong to it). The next seventeen heavens are caller 'form realm', i. e. they include objects and beings that have certain forms but are already unattached to any passions or desires. And the last four heavens belong to the realm that does not have form, i. e. to the highest informational levels of our universe. Naturally, all this cosmic hierarchy is situated in the multidimensional space and images of the Meru mountain, mountain walls, oceans, huge cylinders of primary elements being a basis are only metaphors which are supposed at least somehow structure extremely complicated images of the multidimensional world. These images enable orientation during subtle wandering and allow creating a kind of map of multidimensional reality.

Buddhism, as majority of other esoteric traditions, places demonic worlds below earthy realm under Jambuvipa continent they form eight hot and eight cold hells. Obviously, when we use words 'above' or 'below' we should not forget that we deal with multidimensional reality. The vertical axis is connected with the fourth or the n-th space dimension in which the mery mountain is situated. That is why one should not expect to find world of gods up in heaven or hell under the ground, or discover Shambhala somewhere in the little known caves of Himalai.

Kalachakra Tantra

Some more complicated organization of Buddhist universe is described in Tibetan tradition of Kalachakra Tantra. Generally it covers with Abidharmakosha cartography but some significant differences also exist. For the first, according to Kalachakra when the epoch is over atom of five primary elements doing not disappear tracelessly but become separated coming to the chaotic state and mixing with space atoms. Certainly, when Tibetans speak of atoms they mean something different comparing to modern physics and thinks of something reminding elementary corpuscles.

Then atoms start to make new combinations under the influence of collective karma savings and sequentially form five primary elements. At first karma makes unify atoms of the element of air and the strong wind appears. It, in its turn, gathers atoms of fire and electric charges and thunders take place. Then the water is formed and it rains rainbows appearing later are an evidence of atoms of the earth element establishment. They gradually get thicker (denser) and form the land. Thus atoms of space or emptiness fill everything around forming geometry of physical space.

According to Kalachakra the space of each world is also formed around the Meru mountain. However, its basis is not a cylinder but four huge discs corresponding with primary elements (see pictures 33 and 34). The lowest one consists of the air element and has the largest diameter; the next one is formed by fire. It is followed by water and the smallest one of the earth element is situated on the very top. Meru mountain stands on it. Yet, it has rounded, conic contures and narrows to the bottom. It is surrounded by six mountain ridges forming concentric circles. Six oceans are placed between them.

Figure 33. Kalachakra tantra space from above.

 

Figure 34. Kalachakra tantra space from the side.

Behind the last mountain ridge on the outer part of earth's disc, as in Abidharmakosha, twelve continents in groups of three are situated according to four cardinal directions. Nevertheless, in this case they all are on the land and not on the ocean's surface. The middle Southern continent corresponds with earthy reality, realm of people and animals.

The world of Asuras lies inside the earth disc under the realm of people, the world of nagi (snake-alike beings) is placed below. The lower part of the earth disc and three lower discs are places of hell realms which are the worse, the lower they are (see picture 34). They all are called a 'joyless realm'.

The coats of the higher reality are situated over the Meru's top. The first five ones correspond with the heavens of gods of realm of desires (passions). All lower worlds up to the nags' one are included here. Sixteen heavens of beings with luminous bodies corresponding with realm of form are above. The last four heavens form the reality that lacks form. All those heavens define the geometry of space that has a form of a human head invisible for a usual human. This way the cosmos of Kalachakra appears to remind of a human body with its legs placed in the lower disc and its head over Meru mountain. This similarity plays a very significant role in practical rituals of Kalachakra.

In the middle part of Meru twelve 'paths of wind' are situated along which planets move. They make a form reminding of a turned up side down basket or an umbrella. Traditional Tibetan mandalas present 'paths of wind' in a flat way as they looked when seen from above. Picture 34 shows their three-dimensional computer reproduction. Kalachakra system describes ten planets which make five couples: Sun and Moon, Rahu and Kalagny, Mercury and Mars, Venus and Jupiter, Ketu and Saturn. Usually 'paths of wind' are connected with their movement and stages of lunar and solar cycles, twelve Zodiac constellations.

Cartographies of Abidharmakosha and Kalachakra became a basis of the most important rituals and initiation passes, found its reflection in planning temple complexes, monasteries and stupas (45, 50). In Tibet all of them are usually built as three-dimensional mandalas or maps of Kalachakra (see picture 34). The same geometry works as a basis of numeral flat and volume mandalas. Kalachakra mandala is, perhaps, the best known among them it exists as a drawn image and as a sand mandala created for the only ritual and then tracelessly destroyed (45).

All these cases use the principle of likeness of the holly object and its imagination that brings sacred energy and harmony of Divine Cosmos into the temple, stupa or mandala. Certainly, the level of the brought energy depends on the precision of the image and correctly conducted special ceremonies and rituals, spiritual strength and purity of monks and lamas participating in it.

Shambhala

Speaking of Kalachakra cartography one should say a few words of Shambhala whose histories became extremely popular in Western countries. It should be said that legends of this paradise land, the mystic city available only to the ones of the pure spirit are known to practically all peoples of our planet. In China it is a Continent of Treasures, in Kashmir it is an undestroyable continent of Vadjra, in Nepal it is a Land of trees that make dreams come true etc. In Russia it is Kitezh city, Heavenly Jerusalem and Belovodie (White water), the enumeration of names itself would take several pages (45, 57).

The name Shambhala came to Tibet from India together with Buddhism and from there got to Europe. Pre-Buddhist Tibetan tradition Bon has many legends about this mysterious place called Ol mo lung ring and having square structure with the main temple in the middle. This brings certain associations with Cadarsana city on the top of the Meru mountain. Perhaps, Shambhala is one of the subtle projections of this city of gods.

Kalachakra contains one of the most complete descriptions of Shambhala. According to Buddhist sources this teaching was passed from Shambhala directly. One of the legends says that a Buddhist yogi was let into Shambhala in 927 and there he was given Kalachakra initiation (58). He brought this system to India from where it soon reached Tibet.

According to Buddhist beliefs Kalachakra Tantra was given to the king of Shambhala Sukandra by historic Buddha Shakyamuni. This mystic land is surrounded by mountain rings and ices and is place on the enormous flower of lotus with eight petals (see picture 35). Each petal is washed by water and has hundred and twenty million dwellers. Every ten million form an administrative unit (which is presented as a palace on Tibetan maps).

Figure 35. The map of Shambhala in the form of a huge eight-petal lotus with the nine-storey Kalachakra palace in the centre.

Shambhala's capital Kalapa is situated in its center and has a nine-storey palace in its own middle. It is square and has four entrances and is surrounded by three ring walls. There is a large three-dimension Kalachakra mandala inside of it (45).

As a rule passages to Shambhala appear in places of power which is generally typical for hyperspacial tunnels. Tibetans believe that such passages exist in Northern and Northern-Western parts of Himalai. According to N. Rerih one of such passages is placed in Russia near Beluha mountain in Altai. Many legends describe appearance of such other dimension cities in other parts of Russia: Jiguli mountains by the Volga, by Baikal lake, behind Northern Ural, in some regions of Further East.

Reflections

The idea of reflections is a very interesting metaphor connected with concepts of Abidharmakosha and Kalachakra. It is present in very different esoteric traditions in its indirect form but, perhaps, is described in the clearest for European mind way in fantastic novel by R. Zelazny Amber Chronic. It claims that the whole universe is built on the principle of self-alike structure, fractal or simply hologram, matrioshka. From this point of view there is a certain center, prototype and all the rest is its more or less precise copy, reflection.

In this respect each of six Samsaric realms and Shambhala are reflections of Sadarsana city placed on the top of Meru mountain. And each country, each state on our planet is its more or less correct copy. Yet, the further from the primary source, the more deformations appear comparing to the origin and the greater disharmony, chaos and evil are. That is why one of the tasks of religious practice is to recover closeness to Divine origin in our earthy reality. That is why the temples are built, many mandalas and yantras drawn, stupas are made and mantra wheels are moved. They all work as numeral gates, locks giving divine energy the way to our world, lessening disharmony between Heavenly and earthy.

Our body is a similar reflection of the higher universe. We have already spoken of similarity of the Kalachakra cosmos and human body and system of its energetic centers — chakras. The way of obtaining harmony at this personal level, in our body mandala also leads through removement of deformations comparing to the origin, higher worlds over Meru mountain's top and the whole Kalachakra universe as such.

 

6.6. Cartography of the Rose of the World (and metahistory conception)

The imagination of subtle reality structure, its dwellers, and connections with material levels of universe has a great meaning for understanding real mechanisms of metahistoric process. In this respect the unique information is given by Rose of the World by Daniil Andreev (46). As any visioner's experience it, certainly, has a strong imprint of the author's personality and, hence, not everything should be treated as final truth. Still, comparing to other descriptions of connections between subtle and material realities, modern scientific conceptions this book can give a lot.

Daniil Andreev's primary conception is based on the idea of multidimensional reality consisting of great many of worlds. Each such world or coat has its own space and time dimensionality.

According to D. Andreev all known to us Universe presents only one such coat called Enroph and having three spatial and one time dimension. Our coat is relatively strongly isolated from the others but this is rather an exception, moving between separate coats is normally much easier. Group of coats or worlds having penetrable boundaries is called sakaula. Moving between the worlds of the same sakaula is not more difficult than moving from one country to another.

Not all coats have such endless cosmic extent as our Universe. Inner sizes of some of them are no bigger than Solar system or even a separate planet.

All these coats are connected with informational links. Besides there are streams of vital energy (prana, negentropy) between them. Their role is especially significant for interaction of our world with worlds of the down-going raw having parasitizing nature and interested to get the maximal amount of prana from earthy civilization.

Besides ways of transformation of human souls after death ran through these worlds.

Metahistoric connections between the coats that define strict energetic and informational interactions, strong correlation of historic processes and symbiotic relations are very important. Such interconnected group of coats forms braphmatura. Braphmatura of our Earth or Shadanakar according to D. Andreev includes two hundred and forty coats. Our Solar system contains also braphmaturas of Sun, Moon, Venus and other planets.

Coats belonging to braphmatura of Earth or Shadanakar have a number of spatial dimensions that does not overcome six and time ones up to two hundred thirty-six, although it is difficult to imagine such a large time dimensionality.

Besides our Universe contains braphmaturas connected with macro-objects as star constellations, galaxies etc. these are macro-braphmaturas. There also are micro braphmaturas connected with sizes of separate molecules, atoms and elementary corpuscles.

Now we will concentrate on Shadanakar — Earth's braphmatura in the more detailed way. Daniil Andreev bases his cosmology on Christian tradition claiming diametric opposition and incompatibility of light and dark elements, Spirit and Lucifer. Correspondingly these polar elements are reflected in every braphmatura and the whole metaphistorical process develops around struggle between them. In some braphmaturas evil forces have completely lost the fight and are practically absent, for example macro-braphmaturas of Orion and Andromeda's nebula. In some others evil forces have won but such braphmaturas die quickly, for demonic element is parasitizing by its nature and is unable to create. Mercury, Pluto and Moon can be examples.

Correspondingly these two polar elements are reflected also in Shadanakar cartography. Spirit, divine principle is connected with the worlds of up-going raw and demonic one — with infraphysics or worlds of down-going raw (see picture 36). Worlds of the down-going raw have no more than three dimensions and in the lowest coats it decreases to two, one and even zero. The closer to the center of evil, the lower the spatial dimensionality is. Worlds of the up-going raw have three or more space dimensions. On the scheme the dimensionality of the given world is presented with a number in the upper right corner.

Figure 36. The hierarchy of the Shadanakar worlds.

In order to understand Shadanakar's cartography one should first concentrate on D. Andreev's imaginations of human subtle structure its connections with worlds of up- and down-going raws, karmic transformations. According to his conception human Higher Self is an undestroyable monad created or born by Spirit. Incarnating in Shadanakar a human monad exists in Yroln — one of the highest of the upper worlds of the up-going raw. At the next stages of incarnation the shelt (reality of five-dimension spaces) is established and then the astral body (four-dimensional). They together form human soul that has spiritual sight and other senses, deep memory, ability to contact upper coats of Shadanakar's dwellers. Then the etherial body is created it controls vital energy (three-four dimensional) and, finally, at the moment of birth in Enroph (on Earth), the physical body made of substance is given. The last one exists only during one life and is destroyed after death. If after death the soul gets to up-going raw worlds its etherial body is kept and incarnates with it at the next birth. If the stored karma leads to purifying going through hell realms etherial body is created anew. It is important to stress that in spite of reincarnation human monad all the time stays in one of the worlds of the up-going raw Yroln only the soul (shelt and astral body) that is strictly connected with it wanders.

Demonic manads were also created by Spirit but in ancient times they left their Creator and tried to create their own universe. They broke the principle of spiritual love and were unable to create anything new that is why they started to try to subordinate worlds created by Spirit parasitizing on them. Vital energy of other living beings that especially strongly radiates during suffering and in the moment of death became the main source of their existence. Naturally, they try to get power over human beings. But in fact they can get only an astral body and shelt, monad is inaccessible for them. Complicated peripetia of Earth's metahistory develops around this fight for vital energy and human souls.

One of the interesting D. Andreev ideas is conception of the segmentative structure of Shadanakar. In other words, the vertical hierarchy organization is not the only one; there are also groups of coats unified around separate territorial, ethnic, cultural, natural and other similar communities. So hierarchies of coats of the up-going world — Zatomis sakaulas dwelled by spiritual teachers and helpers, ancestors' souls that reached enlightenment appear to be connected with cultural-national community, supernation. On the other hand, worlds of the down-going raw also have the whole hierarchy of demonic coats connected with past and present of the given supernation — sakaulas of Shrastra and Witsraor. In the same way every earthy city has its several reflections in infraphysics worlds, reflections that are connected with it energetically and informationally.

Such principle of similarity works not only on the earth's surface but also in its depths. So many infraphysics worlds appear to be alike with different coats of earth's core, magma, and kernel. Coats of the up-going raw remind of mountain tops, earthy sky which has found its reflection in many earthy myths. This, certainly, does not mean that these worlds are really situated there it is just some similarities in space topography, landscape etc. Besides in these places the boundary between our reality and the corresponding world is easier to penetrate.

Generally, according to Daniil Andreev the Shadanakar's structure distinguishes worlds of the Up-going raw, Upper worlds, Demonic worlds of infraphysics and worlds of elementors — spirits connected with natural formations. Among the last ones both spiritual and demonic monads are present. Correspondingly the connection of our braphmatura with other coats of universe is mainly conducted through the sphere of Upper worlds and through lower coats of infraphysics worlds (the down-going raw).

This way both, higher spiritual forces (mainly in Upper worlds and worlds of the Up-going raw) and demonic hierarchy (in infraphysics worlds) are represented in Shadanakar. Besides there are plenty of beings whose primary spiritual nature is darkened by demonic forces. Now we will speak of all these things in a more detailed way.

Worlds of infraphysics (the down-going raw)

At first we will concentrate on worlds of infraphysics (see picture 37). Their specific center is formed by sakaula of worlds of demonic basis where all streams of vital energy and all ruling links go. Its main world is Digma where the head of Shadanakar demonic forces Gagtungr and the highest demons with their monads dwell. The chosen by evil, monads of people that confluenced with their demonized shelts are also here (during the whole history of human kind such people were only few). From this world the anti-cosmos of our galaxy is seen it is a light burning with unbelievable color only distantly reminding purple. Multi-dimensional Shog is above this world, streams of destructive theomachic forces from the demonic center of the universe go through this to Shadanakar. Only Gagtungr has an access to that coat, all others can only see it from the outside in the rarest moments. From this world the anti-cosmos of the galaxy is seen as a pulsing arch thrown from one horizon edge to another.

Figure 37. Worlds of the down-going raw.

The majority of demonic beings of our planet dwell the lower two-dimension world Gashshsarva. This world is characterized by the big amount of time dimensions and only two spatial ones. This, in terms of Daniil Andreev, creates particular 'spiritual stuffiness'. Lords of worlds of revenge also dwell here. These are masters of lower purgatories — Angels of darkness, reminding Vroubel's Demon. Masters of Ryphra magmas look as moving ridges of hills. Masters of the kernel sakaula remind of folklore devils with horns and tails.

Among numeral Gashsharva dwellers Velgas deserve particular attention, these are gigantic demons of female nature reminding of black-purple curling and uncurling covers. At the human level they manifest as initiators of anarchy and deviated murders. Besides each nation has one such demon.

Gashsharva is connected with other demonic worlds that are unified along one line — the demonic axis of galaxy which works as a book's back holding together many pages.

Shadanakar's bottom — a one-dimension realm is placed even lower it is a place of suffering of demonic shelts. One of its ends is connected with bottoms of other galaxy worlds through hyperspacial tunnel. The conjunction point is somewhere by Anthares star, the essence of demonic forces of the galaxy. The opposite side ends with a gulf into lacking time Bottom of galaxy.

The next large sakaula of the worlds of the down-going raw is connected with worlds of revenge. The etherial body and shelt of the dead people who stored the negative karma during their lives come here. The heavier the karmic weight is, the deeper into revenge worlds the soul goes to. When the negative karma is elaborated the soul goes up to the higher coats of revenge worlds and then gets to the worlds of the up-going raw from where it is incarnated in the next flesh shell.

From D.Andreev's point of view, upper coats of worlds of revenge up to the kernel have metacultural segmentation, i. e. are connected with certain national egregors. Correspondingly in ancient times these worlds did not have exits and the souls were doomed to eternal suffer. As great religions were established and got common spiritual teachers of human kind changed this situation and opened the exit (the exit from Hinduist culture purgatory was the first one to open).

Correspondingly vital energy radiated during human souls suffering in gavvah — worlds of revenge nourish variable demonic beings interested in even greater suffering.

Rose of the World contains the detailed description of all coats and hierarchy of worlds of revenge. We will not concentrate on this any longer it would be enough to say that seven coats of purgatory are distinguished. Then sakaulas of transphysical magmas and kernels follow they are tied to geologic formations of Earth (five coats in each one). The Shadanakar cemetery is situated in the very bottom. Rests of human shelts left by monads fall there these are only shells. This happens rather seldom when the shelt is so demonized that it cannot be purified. In this case monad falls out of Shadanakar and is incarnated again in some other braphmatura.

The third group of infraphysic worlds — sakaulas of shrastras and witsraors is, perhaps, connected with human kind and its history in the strongest way. They are a kind of the left side of the world, place of dwelling of anti-human kind created by Gagtungr in order to get power over Enroph. In these worlds principle of metacultural segmentation works, i. e. each state formation, every large city on Earth has its analogy in Shrastra. Furthermore, all features of earthy landscape have their reflections in four-dimensional space of Shrastra (mountains, valleys, seas etc.). In these worlds very high temperatures prevail, lakes and seas are filled with melted lava instead of water. The sky of the gingerly-orange color has infra-violet lights: Gashsharva and kernels of suffering. The space of Shrastra sakaula is limited by the frames of Solar system; therefore there are no stars in the sky. The landscape is dominated by gigantic multi-million cities mainly situated in mountain massifs corresponding with Earth's mountains. There also is something reminding of plants: dark-crimson massive bushes and flowers of flame (46).

Anti-human kind consists of two races: ygvas and more ancient Shrastra dwellers — rarrugs. The latter are something between gigantic centaurs and winged lizards, blood-thirsty, warlike and fearless beings with rudiments of mind. They are a result of infraphysical evolution of incarnations of some them most preyful kinds of earthy lizards.

Representatives of another race, ygvas are, at the opposite, highly intellectual creatures but practically lacking emotions. They created highly developed technologic civilization in many aspects prevailing over the earthy one and including also elements of magic techniques. According to D. Andreev, they have already penetrated infraphysic projection of earthy surface (although they had to use environmental suits for it, for according to there standards it is very cold there).Their arrival into three-dimensional space and direct contact with earthy civilization is only a matter of time. There is no need to mention that consequences of such contact can be very destructive for human kind.

Ygvas appearance reminds of the human one, their physical body — karroh is formed of demonic coats substance, also has four limbs, two red stemy eyes are situated on the sides of cylindrical head, the mouth is straw-like, the skin is gray (this look reminds of some UFO descriptions). Ygvas society is built on totalitarian-democratic principle and the morality of slavery. Each Shrastra (an analogy of the corresponding earthy state) is headed by the great ygva. That is satanocratic society where God is treated as even worse tyran than Gagtungr.

According to Daniil Andreev, ygvas were created as a result of specific experiments of Gagtungr on 'genetic engineering'. He crossed a Babylonian priest with physical involtation of Lilith — elementor of fertility spoiled by demonic energy. Then she went down to infraphisical coat and gave a birth to the first couple of ygvas. Since then ygvas have been reincarnating in infraphisical worlds and only very few of them reach enlightenment that radically change their karmic way.

The basis of ygvas and raruggs vital activity is human vital force connected with archetypes of national state and aggressive nationalistic feelings. These emotions are fed by special psychic energy radiated by Witsraors — demons of state, dwellers of the next deeper sakaula. This vital energy radiated by masses of people penetrates the boundary between Earth and corresponding Shrastra and appears there as red dew. Ygvas collect it for Witsraors and nourish themselves with its rests. If the Earthy state dies (in this case its Witsraor usually dies too) the corresponding Shrastra is doomed to starvation, agony and slow death. Ygvas and raruggs short of vital energy quickly degrade, lose creative potential, development of science and technic stops, all this only proves their parasitizing nature.

Witstraors, demons of state, are huge creatures who play a significant role in metahistory of humanity. They remind of gigantic octopuses, the size of the state can speak and are extremely sly. They dwell in Witsraror sacaula from where they often go to Shrastras sacaula in order to rule ygvas and raruggs. These creatures appeared from conjunction of national manifestations of Lilith and overnational demiurgs. They were supposed to protect metaculture from aggressive neighbors. Yet, while protecting its state, Witsraor at the same time demonizes it and that is the tragic contradiction. Witsraors reproduce in a gemmation way. A new-born baby becomes the worst enemy of this parent and its potential killer who also tries to eat it up. Death and disintegration of Empires is a result of victory of several 'children' over their parent.

Besides Witsraors and corresponding Shrastras constantly fight with each other. All significant earthy battles are their metahistorical reflection.

However, the most serious battles take place between forces of Light and Witsraors, Shrastras. Their aim is to change the nature of worlds of infraphysics and this way to improve metahistorical situation of our planet. At the moment it is not always successful and some brothers of Synclith are imprisoned in huge cities of Shrastras. The Sacral Unified Soul of Russia, Navna, is also there, it was kidnapped by one of Zhrugras (Witsraors of Russia, according to D.Andreev they were three) (46).

Elementors

Shadanakar contains four sacaulas connected with natural elements, with bio- and noosphere — sacaulas of elementors. Elementors are a kind of nature spirits being incarnation of monads. During reincarnations monads of elementors may incarnate in people and human monads may get into one of elementors' worlds. Nevertheless, this does not happen too often. Elementors' monads of light are in Flaurus — on of the worlds of the High Duty (see picture 38).

Figure 38. Worlds of the up-going raw and elementaries.

Some elementors are under the influence of demonic forces, others belong to fair levels of Shadanakar. First we will examine demonic elementors. These are elementors connected with destructive aspects of environment: volcanic magma, quagmire, tropical thicket, sand deserts, dark sea depths etc. The level of Duggur seems to stand apart; it is connected with lust, erotic element of humanity. This demonic world has segmentary structure correlated with megalopolises of our world. Its dwellers nourish with radiation of human and partly animal lust — eiphos. The space of Duggur dies away beyond the lunar braphmatura and reminds of an ocean of dark steam. Rare islands contain cities being projections of earthy ones. The only light of this world is Moon or rather the coat of its braphmatura where the great lunar female demon Voglea dwells. It is her who provokes the strongest greed and lust that has killed the lunar world.

Each such city has one huge female demon and plenty of smaller demons of both sexes. The palace of the female demon reminds of a pyramid with its top cut of where the permanent orgy takes place. Besides Duggur has endless number of variable forms of sexual pleasure that cannot be even imagined on Earth. The lust and desire experienced by smaller demons for the female demon and the pleasure she gives them are the basis of her power over them. The social structure of the society reminds of the one of Roman Empire at times of its decline. The smaller demons are noble ones and riders while the role of slaves is played by souls of people, animals and elementors pulled into this world by unsatisfied voluption. Incarnating there they get a karroh — a material demonic body and if they would not be able to overcome their uncontrollable lust they are doomed to reincarnate in this world not once. After that the rests of their shelts fall down to the cemetery of Shadanakar and the monad leaves our braphmatura for ever. It is extremely difficult to escape this world yet the suicide that distracts the demonic karroh and liberates the soul might be a solution (46).

The radiation of lust going out from Duggur play a strong destructive role in our civilization, for they lead to energetic emptiness of both, individuals and the whole societies. Its result is spiritual and physical impotence, endless chasing pleasures that actually do not give pleasure any longer. Modern sex-industry is up to the great extant initiated by this subtle level and works as a huge pomp that sucks out the rests of society's vital forces. The special feature of sexuality initiated by Duggur, its difference comparing to the real Eros is the stage of fall and emptiness that follows the instant pleasure, the necessity of more and more sophisticated sexual stimulation in order to get excitement again. When this does not work any longer the newest discoveries as viagra appear.

Another newest technology that gives an additional channel for delivering eiphos to Duggur is computer virtual reality and great many of erotic computer games and pornographic pages in Internet connected with it.

We examine this demonic world in such a detailed way because its destructive influence on the modern society is huge and grows stronger with every year. History knows plenty of examples of the whole civilizations tracelessly disappearing getting under the influence of Duggur and Voglea.

The next group of elementors belongs to the intermediate type. Their monads are in the upper coats of Shadanakar but their physical nature is darkened by demonic influences. These are variable spirits of places, home guardians, elementors of mineral kingdom of the upper coats of earthy core, spirits of places of power who are in the highest coat of this sakaula. All these elementors are basically not inimical to men but demand careful and respectful attitude.

Two next sakaulas belong to fair elementors. Fair elementors never incarnate in physical body in Enroph their monads create four-dimensional etherial body in which they exist in their coats interacting with our three-dimensional physical world. The highest sakaula of the Greatest Elementors consists of coats of rulers of the basic elements of our reality they are seven. They are the highest spirits of the airy ocean, waters of the world and depths of Earth. The fourth greatest spirit Zaranda rules the kingdom of animals being also the elementor of fertility of this world.

The last three elementors control the sphere of fertility. Estiara is the lady of the kingdom of plants of Shadanakar. Lilith, Common Aphrodite, is responsible for creation of bodies in material worlds of people, daymons and demons. Only animal flesh is created by Zaranda.

A long time ago the highest demon Gagtungr managed to get into Lilith's world and into her body and left there the demonic element (in Judaistic mysticism it was called eitsehore — the devil's seed). Since then Lilith and all her local manifestations carosses have been carrying innate duality: fair spiritual and dark demonic elements. That duality can be also seen in Eros and human flesh and in many other things created in the physical material world. It is important to stress that only Lilith has the monad, carosses connected with different ethonoses do not have an independent identity and are just her projections (for example Dingra — carosse of Russia).

Finally the last seventh elementor Mati creates etherial bodies of all beings and takes part in making their astral bodies together with their personal monads.

The next sakaula is the sakaula of Little elementors that includes many coats connected with variable levels of biosphere. Many of them control establishment, growth and maintaining of plants' life. Others are correlated with vital waters of rivers and lakes, upper parts of seas and oceans. The whole hierarchy of coats is connected with different levels of atmosphere, mountains, snows and ice. All this is precisely described in The Rose of the World but is not that important for our cartography that is why we will not concentrate on this matter.

The worlds of the up-going raw

In Daniil Andreev's cosmology worlds of the up-going raw are a place of dwelling of fair forces directly connected with human metahistory (see picture 38). Lower coats of this hierarchy of subtle worlds contain sakaula of enlightenment which includes four worlds connected with after-death soul transformation. Metacultural attachment is kept there and the soul gets to the spheres related to its cultural, ethnic and religious belonging. The role of the physical body is played by the etherial one.

The first world of enlightenment Olirna right after the death can be entered only by the souls that generally solved their karmic problems or by souls coming up after their purification in the upper coats of purgatories. This coat prepares for the following incarnation. Those who have reached higher spiritual level get ready for rising to the following worlds of this sakaula.

The Fayr coat is a kind of boundary that can be crossed only by souls that have solved their karmic problems and are ready to go to the qualitatively new level of spiritual evolution where there is no the strong need for next incarnations. This level more or less corresponds with Buddhist liberation, breaking the karmic chain. The stay is relatively short here.

The Nertis coat is situated above, the etherial body is transformed step by step there it is adapted to the fulfilling of the new tasks. As a result the process of nourishing is qualitatively changed and reminds of breathing. The organs of spiritual sight and hearing are formed and variable paranormal abilities are developed.

Then the crossing to the following coat, Gotimna, takes place. Here the soul contacts beings from the higher coats of the worlds of the up-going raw and is prepared for the next stages of the way. In this world the soul makes a very important choice. It can reject farther incarnations in earthy realm, births and deaths and chose evolution in spiritual hierarchy. It can also consciously choose one or several births on Earth connected with certain mission. This choice is rather difficult and dangerous, for the incarnation in physical body after being in etherial one reminds prison. Besides the new karma can be elaborated that will repeatedly pull the soul into the chain of karmic reincarnations.

Zatomises — the spiritual centers of metacultures are situated in the corresponding sakaula. They present the opposite pole of shrastras and witsraors. Here the spiritual evolution of souls that have broken the circle of karmic reincarnations and chosen the up-going way in Gotimna is continued. These souls are the major part of population of zatomises, the higher humanity, and metacultures' sinkliths. It is already clear that zatomises keep metacultural attachment to corresponding spheres of Earth. Yet, it is not too strict, for one zatomis can embrace several distant ethnic groups (for example, Sukhavati — zatomis of Mahayana Buddhism includes Tibet, Mongolia, China and Japan). At the same time several zatomises can be related to the same ethnos (for example, China is influenced not only by Sukhavati but also by Shan-Ti — zatomis of Chinese metaculture). On the other hand, several different zatomises can correspond with one religion (according to Daniil Andreev four zatomises correspond with Christian tradition). Here we also deal with fractal geometry. Nevertheless, religious-ethnic attachment is generally kept.

It is important to stress that a great (mature) zatomis continues to exist and develop even after the death of the corresponding earthy metaculture. So the most ancient among them, Mayf, has been existing for about fourteen thousand years and was connected with the culture of Atlantida that has died about eleven thousand years ago. This zatomis is active nowadays although new souls stopped coming there after Atlantida's collapse.

Daniil Andreev speaks of nineteen great zatomises, five of them correspond to metacultures that had already disappeared and the last one Arimoya is being created and will be the future zatomis for the metaculture of the whole humanity.

The aim of zatomises is first of all to help everybody who has not reached karmic liberation yet. Without them all dwellers of Enroph (Earth) were surrounded by practically unpenetratable spiritual darkness and after death would not be able to leave the purgatories and lower hells for many thousands of years.

Their other goal is creativity, enrichment of the collective unconscious with new archetypal ideas, sources of inspiration for many people.

And finally the very important part of sinkliths' activity is struggle with demonic forces. Sinkliths' brothers can go down into all worlds of the down-going raw and there fight and transform demonic reality. They cannot be killed in the battle but if they lose they can be imprisoned for a long time.

Also ways to higher worlds of the up-going raw are open for zatomises' dwellers, they can contact being living in other worlds and universes. In order to do so they use special constructions sheritals.

Besides there is a sakaula of unfinished zatomises whose metacultures have died too early under the influence of demonic powers. Daniil Andreev believes they are fifteen. However, if the particular metaculture has not vanished completely it may return to sakaula of great zatomises due to appropriate conditions.

Next sakaulas make middle coats of the worlds of the up-going raw of Shadanakar. Zatomises are followed by the sakaula of egregors consisting of the results of psychic activity of large human groups and communities. Each egregor presents a subtle being lacking monad it is rather static and not aggressive. Smaller egregors may unify into the new bigger one etc., in other words organize itself according to the fractal principle. If a group becomes disintegrated corresponding egregorial being also disappears.

This sakaula consists of seven coats: the coat of tribes, states, churches, anti-churches, parties, the coat of daymons, the coat of shrastras' egregors and still empty coat of the future global anti-church.

The next sakaula is dwelled by Daymons — the higher humanity of Shadanakar. They live in three- or four-dimensional spaces with the great number of time dimensions. This human kind appeared much earlier than ours and managed to overcome demonic influences quickly enough. Now they live in the harmonic developing society and help dwellers of other coats of Shadanakar, including us — the human kind of Earth. Among other things Daymons are a source of inspiration for many artists. Daymons' appearance reminds of the angelic one because of their two wings but they have two sexes.

The separate five-dimensional coat Phongaranda is situated above the sakaula of Daymons it contains shelts (spiritual beings) of great pieces of architecture.

There are two sakaulas of angels over it. The first one includes angels of the lower circle and consists of three coats. According to Daniil Andreev they are enlightened descendants of the first humanity of Shadanakar. These angels are guardians. The ones in the first coat are rosy or pale purple; those are cherubs — personal guardians. The next golden-white coat belongs to seraphims who guard variable groups (religious communities, spiritual and ethic congregations, cities connected with especially important spiritual centers). The upper coat of this sakaula is blue-green it is a world of thrones — guardians of nations.

The second sakaula of Angels of the Higher Circle is dwelled by fair and extremely powerful hierarchies hierarchies that create three-, four- and five-dimensional material constructions of our braphmatura (Shadanakar). The first coat contains astrals or Powers, creators of the material part of our Earth (Enroph). Then Forces follow they make matter of the first three worlds of Enlightenment (except of Olirna). The next coat belongs to Sources creating materiality of zatomises. Archangels are situated at the very top they are responsible for matter of the worlds of High Duty.

The sakaula of the worlds of High Duty is placed even higher. Here metacultural segmentation disappears, these worlds are reached by souls that have obtained spiritual enlightenment and have unified with their monads. It is important to stress that these are not only human souls they can also belong to angels, daymons, elementors, animals and even demons that have turned towards Light. They all go to their own coats (this sakaula contains eleven coats all together).

The six-dimensional coat Yroln seems to lie at the same level but beyond this sakaula it contains human monads before their unification with souls. This world is also entered by the personal spirit of every human after the creation in Initial womb and only then goes to reincarnation wandering in Shadanakar.

The higher position at the hierarchical stairs is occupied by the group of sakaulas of cosmic incarnations that are a kind of gate through which representatives of fair forces from other braphamaturas enter ours (Shadanakar). These are braphmaturas of heavenly bodies of Solar system and distant cosmic objects and even other galaxies. So, according to Daniil Andreev, our planet gets a great support from braphmaturas of Orion that fully liberated from demonic influences a long time ago. They all create a separate sakaula of ten coats in Shadanakar. The galaxy center sakaula includes four coats. And the sakaula of Sun involtation consists of nine coats.

And finally the hierarchy of the worlds of the up-going raw is crowned with sakaula of the Highest aspects of the greatest religions, their purest transmyths. In his transpersonal experience D. Andreev has seen only five such highest transmyths each of them is percepted as a huge crystal pyramid having its own color.

The first two ones are relatively small and correspond with Zoroastrism (white) and the highest aspect of Judaism (golden). The pale purple pyramid carries the highest aspect of Hinduism this space includes four coats. The green pyramid consists of two coats reflects the highest aspects of Buddhism. The blue pyramid is the highest transmyth of Christianity.

The highest worlds of Shadanakar are placed above and we will speak of them now.

The highest worlds of Shadanakar

These coats of Shadanakar are the most difficult to describe, for they are manifestations of the most complicated, the highest fabric of reality. Besides they are accessible only for souls that have reached the highest levels of enlightenment. Daniil Andreev himself bases the description of those worlds not on his own impressions but on information obtained from teachers (see picture 39).

Figure 39. Upper worlds of Shadanakar.

The space of the highest worlds has five dimensions and the number of time coordinates is more than two hundred (that is the number of simultaneously flowing time streams). Obviously, at these levels of reality the concepts of shape, energy, power fields we are used to lose any sense.

The highest worlds of Shadanakar start with Sinklith of humanity, the sakaula that lies over the crystal pyramids of transmyths of the five greatest religions. It includes seven coats and is dwelled by the greatest representatives of humanity who have completed their spiritual evolution in the worlds of the up-going raw. They are not more than a thousand. They used to belong to various religious and ethnic traditions but at this level such differences vanish.

Then the sakaula of Great hierarchies goes it contains eleven coats with archetypes of the highest gods honored by variable ancient traditions. At the level of this sakaula metacultural attachment does not exist any longer.

The next sakaula belongs to Demiurgs and is strictly connected with metahistory of Earth. Each Demiurg creates and heads a super-ethnos whose development he directs. He is helped by one of the Great sisters — the Unified soul of the nation. Together they realize archetypes of female and male elements and are god-born monads. The vast majority of other monads are god-created. God-born monads have a totally different way of development and do not need karmic incarnations. The sakaula of Demiurgs is the world from which they enter our reality and where their monads stay during their wanderings in Shadanakar. It consists of three coats. The first one — Rangaraydr is the motherland of Demiurgs and Great sisters (ideal souls of supernations). The second one — Astr is the place of birth and stay of monads of Younger sisters and spirits of nation leaders (they are god-created monads connected with separate nations included in the supernation).

The sakaula through which hierarchies of Shadanakar contact hierarchies of macro-braphmatura and Universe is situated above.

It is followed by the coats of Elite and Unified church of Shadanakar with the monads and souls that have reached the highest enlightenment.

The highest sakaula of Shadanakar (World Salvaterra) consists of three coats, the sphere of Planetary Logos, creator of our braphmatura and two spheres of the archetypes of femininity. This sakaula crowns Shadanakar and at the same time penetrates all its coats except of the four worlds of demonic basis and Sufath.

This way the interaction of all levels of this extremely complicated hierarchy, which creates Shadanakar braphmatura, defines the development of the human history. The final aim of the fair forces is to transform the structure of matter itself, its evolution into spiritual sphere, turning matter into 'body of light' (23). That is the sense of the Spirit going down to matter and of endless reincarnations.

Thus the aim of demonic activity is to get power over everything, to subordinate all living creatures and things to its own will and to exile the Spirit from alive and not alive matter. That is why even matter of demonic worlds is qualitatively different comparing to materiality where the element of light is present. Agga — the demonic materiality lacks microbraphmaturas, its ingredients are dead consciousless corpuscles. Other than this siayra, matter created by the fair forces, consists of alive and even partly sensible corpuscles.

That means the fight between fair and dark forces takes place at all levels of our Universe. And it is very important to understand subtle organization of our reality and know its cartography in order to help fair forces and be aware of the deepest sources of variable historic events.

 

Chapter 5

THE MYSTIC COSMOS

Chapter 7

 

© Evgueny Faydysh. 1999.
© Masha Kopetskaya-Lynchevskaya, translation. 2000.
© International Noosphere Institute. Alexey Ivanov, editing. Dmitry Ryazanov, web-design. 2005.