Shakyamuni taught what is called the Mirror of the Law, by means of which an elect disciple can say for certain whether for him the worlds of hell, animals, hungry spirits, suffering, and evil are destroyed and whether he has entered the stream leading unfailingly to final salvation. The Mirror of the Law consists of four elements: faith in the Buddha, faith in the Law, faith in the Order, and faith in the sacred precepts. Possessed of these four faiths, the disciple knows that he will never backslide. Faith in the Three Treasures leads to the state where violations of the sacred precepts or other evil acts are impossible. Since the disciple is unable to do ill, such evil states as hell, animals, hungry spirits, and others, which are the effects of evil causes, cease to exist for him. Living only in the good, he is liable only to good karma, and this means that he has joined the company of the elect who are assured of ultimate salvation. (Page 178)