Book six was about Zosima and why he became a monk. He told a couple of interesting stories. I kind of liked the discussion he had with the philanthropist about heaven on earth. According to them, they believe that heaven on earth will come once everybody understood that they were responsible for everyone and everything's actions, and stopped isolating themselves. I think that this is true-- if everyone worked together, then earth would be peaceful and heaven-like, even to those who do not believe in God. Unfortunately, I don't think this will happen, because instead of growing closer, man keeps seperating itself from other men- nobody can really trust anybody else. Anyways, the philanthropist ended up confessing to Zosima about a murder he had commited and Zosima pushed him to confess to the rest of the world. I also liked what Zosima said about hell-- there might not literally be a fire to burn in, but that hell is the suffering of those who cannot love anymore. It makes more sense to me if there is a spiritual punishment rather than a physical punishment, but who knows for sure?
I agree about the spirital rather then the physical punishment and it reminds me of people in jail who have to sit in a cell for life vs people who are sentinced to be exicuted. I think sitting, having to think about the crime you commited all day would be way worse.
I also liked the way Zosima said there may not be a real fire to burn in but an absense of love. I think that taking away somehting like love would be the worse punishment than burning them ot death. It is a lot like just executing a man for a crime or making him rot in jail where all he has to do is think, ones thoughts can be pretty injurious in themselves.