God Realm

Week 1: the god realm

The essence of the god realm is “I am right, and that’s just how it is.” It’s about pride. You are above it all. You are so far above it all that you feel you do not have to pay attention to what is below you. There is not the slightest question about your abilities, who you are, what you know, what you can do, everything about you. If someone does question you, it’s just a mistake on their part, their own confusion. Whether it’s the wealth you enjoy, your status in the world, where you live, what you eat, your talents or capabilities, or the beliefs you hold, you and those with whom you associate are right. There is nothing more to say. Your pride and conviction lift you higher and higher. When you ascend far enough, your thinking becomes increasingly subtle, to the point of subsiding completely. Your whole being is at ease in physical and mental bliss. It permeates your whole being, as if your spine was made of gold coins. The bliss becomes so intense you are scarcely aware of your body, of your mind, of space, of even your own existence. Beyond all question, you are above it all. 

When you read through the more detailed traditional accounts of the god realms, note how precise they are in describing the subjective experience of different degrees of pride. For instance, the lower level gods still have to deal with the periodic forays of the titans, those who would like to become gods, just as when you newly part of the elite, you still experience challenges from those who aspire to the same goal. The next higher level gods, however, can ignore such incursions, leaving them to the lower gods to take care of. Similarly, the accounts of the gods in the form and formless realms describe the subtler and subtler preoccupation with what you are experiencing that you encounter in meditative absorptions (Skt. dhyana, Pali jana). 

Next 6 days: alternation between god realm and animal realm

During your meditation period, continue with the god realm mediation, feeling what it’s like to be a god. From time to time, recall instances during your life when you felt so completely superior that any question of your understanding, ability or worth was ludicrous. 

During the day, go about your life as if you were a god. Miranda Priestley in the movie The Devil Wears Prada demonstrates one way. The next day go about your life as if everyone in your world is a god. You, on the other hand, are just a lowly domestic animal. You do whatever anyone asks you to do, never questioning anything, never offering the slightest objection.

Alternate one day god, one day animal for the six days.

Next 6 days: alternation between god realm and hell realm

Continue to do the god realm meditation and pay attention to the passage of time. How quickly does time pass as a god? How aware of time are you? How aware of yourself are you?

During the day, on day one, go about your life as a god again. You are so far above it all that there is no conflict in your life. If anything like conflict arises, you rise above it. It’s beneath you to engage it. The next day, go about your life as if you are in hell. Everything you encounter has to be opposed. You may not know why it has to be opposed. You just know it has to be opposed. Everything you do is extraordinary difficult. You encounter opposition at every turn. Nothing comes easily. You struggle with one task, one situation, and if you do manage to work through it, the next one is just as difficult. 

Again, alternate one day as a god, one day as a being in hell for the six days. 

Next 6 days: alternation between god realm and hungry ghost realm

In your practice sessions, continue to rest in the god realm, but be aware that your time in the god realm is coming to an end. The blissful peace you experienced is beginning to dissipate. You feel yourself dropping level by level. Unfamiliar and nagging wants assert themselves. For you, they are needs. You have to have whatever you want. Your identity, emotional well being and survival demand it. But your wealth, abilities, companions and enjoyment steadily decrease and you are aware that you are not going to be above it all for much longer.

During the day, go about your life as a god one day. On the alternating days, be a hungry ghost. You are riven by greed. You can never get enough. You are so fearful of not having enough to meet your needs that you have to have more than your fair share and you’ll do anything to get it. You know everyone else is thinking and doing the same, so fair is fair, right?

For the six days, alternate one day as a god, one day as a hungry ghost.

Remaining days of the month: awakening in the god realm

A manifestation of Buddha (awakening) is traditionally pictured in each of the six realms. In the god realm, Buddha takes the form of Indra, the king of gods. He is pictured playing a lute, drawing the gods out of the thrall of wealth, luxury, bliss and superiority. 

The point here is that even in utterly suffocating pride, there is still a clear knowing that is unaffected by pride. You can touch that knowing at any time. 

Again, enter the god realm and then touch that knowing. Let that knowing permeate your whole being, not only your body, heart and mind, but everything you feel and everything you experience through the senses, everything you see, hear, taste, touch or smell. Some people find it helpful to let that knowing take the form of light which permeates everything they experience, light so intense that the whole god realm dissolves into light. 

Dissolve the god realm into light two or three times, and then rest in the light. 

During the day, recall that pride is about maintaining who we think we are and our position in the world, whether high or low, good or bad, competent or incompetent. Whenever you recognize that something you say or do is about maintaining your identity, your sense of self, or your position, bring these three questions to mind, one after the other in this sequence:

• What am I maintaining in this situation?
• Do I have to maintain it?
• Is maintaining called for at all right now?

These questions break the enchantment of the god realm. Depending on the situation, they may be quite helpful or terribly inconvenient. Whatever arises, stay with your intention to see the operation of pride in your life. Do not be distracted by your own reactions. The point of these practices is to create the conditions for you to see clearly what is going on in and around you and open a way to the clear knowing which pride or any other emotional reaction does not touch. Whether that helps you in your life is beside the point.