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THE FOUR ELEMENTS ACCORDING TO THE BUDDHISTS M.Wy.Fra.
Tony Olbrecht IX° |
INTRODUCTION:
In this paper we will examine the philosophy and
practice of the so-called ‘Four Elements’ from an Eastern perspective with
particular reference to the Buddhist traditions of India, Tibet and South-East
Asia.
The concepts of Earth, Water, Fire and Air have both
a philosophical and a practical importance.
As Elements, they are symbols which refer to certain properties or
states of matter. As objects of
meditation, they are experienced internally.
THE
PHILOSOPHICAL ELEMENTS:
Known in Buddhism as the ‘Four Great Essentials’,
the Four Elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air are the fundamental physical
components which coexist and are
inseparable from each other. All
material, ranging from the smallest particle to the most massive object, is
said to be composed of them.
In the Pali language (a dialect of Sanskrit spoken
by the Buddha in India 2,500 years ago), the word for Element is 'Dhatu' which
means 'that which bears its own characteristic marks'.
·
EARTH (Pali: 'Pathavi') is usually translated as ‘extension' or
'expansion'. Earth is said to serve as a
support or foundation for the other elements.
It represents the qualities of solidity, rigidity and hardness. It is considered that, without it, objects
cannot occupy space. We might say that
the Earth Element is itself the quality of occupying space. As the structural or architectural component
of extension, all orderly structures exhibit its properties and are symbolic of
it. Depending on the degree of presence
of this element, objects are relatively hard or soft.
·
WATER ('Apo') is 'cohesion' and
the quality of liquidity, fluidity, malleability, adaptability or
pliability. It 'coheres', flows around
solid objects and clings to them, mirroring their form. It is this element which makes different
particles of matter cohere, preventing them from being scattered about. Both fluidity and contraction are properties
of this element.
·
FIRE (‘Tejo') translates as 'heat' or ‘energy’ and also ‘combustion’.
Vivacity and maturity reflect the presence of this element. Both heat and cold are its properties,
intense Fire as heat and mild Fire as cold.
·
AIR ('Vayo’) translates as 'vibration'. All motion, vibration,
oscillation and pressure are caused by this Element, sometimes called the
‘Mobile Element’.
While the Four Elements are
not the ordinary physical substances earth, fire, water and air they are
represented by and bear a near affinity
to them..
From the above physical
properties we might conclude that Earth, Water, Fire and Air correspond to the
Solid, Liquid, Fiery and Gaseous states of matter. This would be quite correct but it is only
one interpretation.
For instance a sandy beach
is firm to walk on and therefore is strong in Earth. Add water and it becomes
Quicksand in which the Water Element predominates.
Water deprived of heat turns
into ice which is a solid (Earth).
Similarly, water under great pressure, say in a fire hose, also behaves
like a solid, as does compressed air or a hurricane. In each case, the Four Elements
are present in different proportions.
HOW BUDDHIST MEDITATION RELATES TO THE ELEMENTS:
In the most ancient Buddhist
traditions, there are two kinds of meditation practice, one conducive to calm
and the other to insight. In the first instance, there are forty meditation
exercises for calm and tranquillity, ten of which are of particular
interest. These are the Ten Devices (or
'Kasinas') which consist of:
· Four Elements (Earth, Water, Fire and Air).
· Four Colours (Blue, Yellow, Red, White).
· Space and Light.
THE MEDITATION
PRACTICE:
In the preparation of the device, two human
measurements are used: a span of the hand plus four finger-widths; and the distance from the elbow to the end of
the little finger. The first (about
10”-14” depending on the person) is used to determine the diameter of the
meditation device. The second (16”-18”) is the ancient Indian ‘cubit’ measure
used to position it.
The meditator makes his own device consisting of a
circular disk of the appropriate material, a span and four fingers in
diameter. This is then placed on the
ground or a wall. The meditator sits on
the ground (or chair) at a distance of two-and-a-half cubits (about 3.5’) in a
line from the eyes to the device, so that his gaze is directed to it at an
angle of about forty-five degrees.
In the case of a meditator with a very sharp mind,
the device may be made smaller, say a span in diameter.
For those of dull minds, an object the size of a
side of a barn is recommended.
THE EARTH KASINA:
This is the very first meditation of the series. The
purpose of the exercise is to gain
one-pointedness of mind and mental union with the object (in this case, the
Earth Element). The exercise proceeds as follows:
· First, a disk is made, a span and four fingers in diameter and covered with a dawn-coloured (gray) clay, well-smoothed.
·
Then the meditator concentrates on it, saying
mentally or inaudibly (the equivalent of) - 'Earth, earth'. When this is practiced over a period of
time, perhaps weeks or months, it
becomes possible to close the eyes and visualize in the mind’s eye an exact
copy of the object, with all its
defects.
·
Sustained concentration on this will cause a
conceptualized or counter-image, free from original faults, to arise in the
mind.
· Eventually an ecstatic absoption arises, during which the meditator enters into a type of ‘mystical union’ with the Element.
WATER:
Here, one may take a vessel full of colorless water, preferably rain water, and concentrate on it saying - 'Water, water', etc.
FIRE:
One kindles a fire before him and concentrates on it through a hole, a span and four fingers in diameter, in a rush mat, a piece of leather, or cloth, etc. saying - 'Fire, fire.'
AIR:
Here one concentrates on the wind that enters through a window space or a hole in the wall, or the swaying of grass or reeds through the hole, saying - 'Air, air’.
In these exercises on the
Four Elements, colour is not used, it being considered a distraction. Two other Kasinas are of interest here,
namely Light and Space:
LIGHT:
The Light-kasina may be developed by concentrating on the moon, or on an unflickering lamplight, or on a circle of light cast on the ground, or on the wall by sunlight or moonlight entering through a wall-crevice or hole, saying - ‘Light, light'.
SPACE:
The Space-kasina can be developed by concentrating on a hole, a span and four fingers in diameter, in either a well-covered pavilion or a piece of leather or a mat, saying - ‘Space, space'.
RELATION TO 'PSYCHIC POWERS':
Long and diligent practice
of the meditations on the Elements, as described above can form the basis for
various miraculous powers:
· The Earth kasina is considered to be the basis for such powers as multiplying the body, walking or standing or sitting on space or on water by creating the Earth Element.
· Similarly, the Water kasina is the basis for diving in and out of the earth, causing rain storms, creating rivers and seas and causing earthquakes.
· The Fire kasina is the basis for creating smoke, flaming, causing showers of sparks, countering fire with fire, ability to burn only what one wants to burn, causing light for to see objects in the dark and burning up the body by means of the Fire Element (‘spontaneous combustion’).
· The Air kasina is the basis for travelling with the speed of the wind, and causing wind storms.
· The Light kasina is the basis for creating luminous forms and dispelling darkness.
· The Space kasina is the basis for revealing the hidden, maintaining postures in the earth and rocks by creating space inside them, passing unobstructed through walls, and so on.
BURIAL METHODS:
There are four methods of
burial related to the Elements: burial by Earth, by Water (e.g. at sea), by
Fire (cremation) and by Air. Burial by Air
is practised by many cultures in the East.
In particular, in Tibet, the body
of the deceased is placed on a hill top
or the edge of a high cliff, exposed to the ravenous birds of the air, to be
picked clean. Later, even the bones are
broken up and scattered like dust in the air.
The Parsees in India follow a similar practice.
MONUMENTS AND SHRINES:
In the East, each material
Element has its own geometrical symbol, both plane and solid. In Buddhism:
· Earth is represented by a square or cube.
· Water is a circle or sphere.
· Fire is a triangle, pyramid or cone.
·
Air is a semicircle, crescent or hemi-spherical
bowl.
To these are added symbols
for the immaterial elements:
· Space is a dot, tiny circle or bead.
· Consciousness is a thin tail spiraling upwards, like a trail of smoke.
‘Space ‘ is also considered
to be the Fifth and most subtle of the Elements, and, as such, occupies the
central position in mandalic diagrams where Earth is assigned to the Southern
direction, Water to the East, Fire to the West and Air to the North.
Our whole existence is said
to be determined by the Elements, as, through them, our body is formed and
sustained, and when they dissolve we die.
When a Buddhist saint, or
great meditator passes away, his ashes are called Siririka-Dhatu
(‘noble-elements’ or 'relics') or simply, Dhatu. They are usually placed in a
reliquary or casket. Larger monuments
containing relics are called Stupa or Dhatu-Garbha. The word 'Garbha' means
'womb' or container.
In Burma the name is
shortened to 'Dagoba' from which we get the English variant 'Pagoda'. The Shwe Dagon or Golden Pagoda in Burma is
an excellent example.
They all take the form of a
vertical structure with a broad base tapering off to a point at the top. Earth,
at the bottom, is often in the form of a small square room in which a devotee
can meditate. Above that, Water appears as a rounded form, sometimes with a
niche for an image of the Buddha. Rising above this, Fire is represented as a
tall conical spire or steeple made up of many rings or steps. Air, Space and Consciousness form the
capstone or crown consisting of various arrangements of a stylized umbrella, a
jewel, a sun-moon disk and other symbols.
Each country has its own distinctive design.
ELEMENTS IN THE BODY:
As the Elements are
represented in monuments, so they are considered to manifest in the body. According to one Tibetan school:
· Flesh, bones, the organ of smelling, and odors are formed from the Earth Element.
· The blood, organ of taste, tastes and liquids in the body arise from the Water Element.
· The warmth, clear coloration, the organ of sight and form are formed from the Fire Element.
· The breath, organ of touch and physical sensations are formed from the Air Element.
·
The cavities in the body, the organ of hearing
and sounds are formed from the Space Element.
While every part of the body exhibits them,
there are also certain controlling centres or Chakras associated with specific
Elements, located as follows:
· Earth: Root centre at base of spine.
· Water : Below the Navel.
· Fire: The Heart centre.
· Air: The Throat centre.
·
Space: Centre
of the Head.
The potential and quality of
these Five Elements are also said to exist within our mind, thus:
The mind’s ability to serve as the ground for all experience is the quality of Earth; its continuity and adaptability is Water; its clarity and capacity to perceive is Fire; its continuous movement is Air; and its unlimited emptiness is Space.
SIGNS OF DEATH:
We conclude with a subject
known to us all, i.e. the approach to death.
In Tibetan Buddhism, symptoms of death corresponding to the dissolution
of the material Elements, are said to arise in the following order:
· EARTH: Our body begins to lose all its strength and we are drained of energy. There is a physical sensation of pressure as if being crushed by a great weight. This is called 'Earth sinking into Water'.
· WATER: We begin to lose control of our bodily fluids. There is a sensation of clammy coldness as though the body were immersed in water. We may feel as if we were drowning in an ocean or being swept away by a huge river. This stage is called 'Water sinking into Fire'.
· FIRE: This gradually merges into that of feverish heat. All the warmth of our body begins to seep away, usually from the feet and hands toward the heart. There is an experience of being consumed by fire or being in the middle of a roaring blaze. This is called ‘Fire sinking into Air’.
· AIR: Finally, there is a feeling as if the body were being blown to atoms. It is as if there is a great wind sweeping away the whole world. It becomes harder and harder to breathe until finally the breath stops altogether as the Air Element dissolves into consciousness.
At this point the vital
signs are gone and clinical death has taken place. However there are other internal processes
which take place after this. As a rule
the body is usually left undisturbed for at least three days .
These symptoms,
corresponding to the dissolution of the Elements, whereby the consciousness
ceases clinging to the physical body, may also occur to a lesser extent when
meditating or falling asleep.
INNER SOUNDS:
Inner experiences of the
elements may sometimes be identified by their sound as in the following passage
from a commentary to the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' which lists four sounds
called 'awe-inspiring sounds':
· From the vital force of the Earth Element, a sound like the crumbling down of a mountain.
· From that of the Water Element, a sound like the breaking of (storm-tossed) ocean-waves.
· From that of the Fire Element, the sound like a forest fire .
· From that of the Air Element, a sound like a thousand thunders reverberating simultaneously.
These are the psychic resultants of the
disintegrating process called death as it affects the Four Elements composing the human body aggregate.
CLOSING REMARKS:
This has been, necessarily, a very brief tour of the
Elements from an Eastern point of view through a tradition that is over 2,500
years old. It showed how the Elements
are powerful principles in the nature not only of matter but of our own
physical bodies and minds.
Although highly desirable, a comparative Western
interpretation of the Elements has not been attempted here, being beyond the
scope of this paper. However, I trust
that the rich traditions of the East
will, in time, shed much light on those of the West.
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FURTHER
READING:
Anuruddhcariya: Tr. Narada Mahathera
Abhidhammattha Sangaha - A Manual of Abhidhamma
(Buddhist philosphy and pscychology)
Buddhist Publication Society,
Kandy, Ceylon 1975.
Upatissa: Tr. Ehara, Soma and Kheminda
Vimuttimagga - The Path of Freedom
(Meditation instructional text
c.400 AD)
Weeasuria, Colombo, Ceylon, 1961
Buddhaghosa: Tr. Bhikkhu Nyanamoli
Visuddhimagga - The Path of Purification
(Meditation instructional text
c.400 AD)
A.Semage, Colombo, Ceylon, 1964
Sogyal Rinpoche:
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
(Recommended reading )
Harper, SanFransisco, 1994
Evans-Wentz: Tr. Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
(After-Death Experiences on the
Bardo Plane)
Oxford University Press, 1951
Blofeld: The
Tantric Mysticism of Tibet
A Practical Guide.
George Allen and Unwin, 1970
Causeway Books, New York, 1974
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