Five Elements bu1n

E-Book

Five Elements Of nature

By

Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

About the Author:

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on Management, Business, Ancient Temples, and Temple Architecture to many leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles are, popular in “The Young World section” of THE HINDU His e-books and articles on nature, and different cultures of people around the world are educative and of special interest to the young. He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement to: Google for the photographs, Ayurveda journals and Scribd.com for hosting my ebooks.

- Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

There are 5 elements in many philosophies and traditions around the world. Five Elements of Nature; Air, Water, Earth, Space and Fire along with various other forces of nature sustain life and maintain equilibrium in this Planet. Imbalance in any of these Elements of nature leads to chaos. An invisible equation operates within and outside these Five Elements of nature to maintain the equilibrium on this Planet. God has given this wonderful Elements within our body, which increases the more you spend. You get more energy the more you work. Physical activity of our body is a must to gain strength. It can be done either by way of exercises or by any other work which involves physical activity. As long as man maintains equilibrium of these five Elements of Nature in his body, he remains safe and healthy. The moment he creates an imbalance in any of these Elements, he suffers. Whenever there is imbalance in any of these five Elements of nature we see havoc like Earth Quakes, Storms, and Drought etc. Historians trace the evolution of the modern theory of chemical elements, chemical compounds and chemical substance mixtures to the medieval and Greek models. A Greek text called the Kore Kosmou ("Virgin of the World") ascribed to Hermes, (the name given by the Greeks to the Egyptian god Thoth), names the four elements fire, water, air, and earth. a text written between the 18th and 16th centuries BC, involves four gods that we might see as personified cosmic elements: sea, earth, sky, wind. In other Babylonian texts these phenomena are considered independent of their association with deities, though they are not treated as the component elements of the universe, as later in Empedocies. The ancient Greek believe in five basic elements, these being earth (γῆ ge), water (ὕδωρ hudor), air (ἀήρ aer), fire (πῦρ pur) and aether (αἰθήρ aither), dates from pre-Socratic times and persisted throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, deeply influencing European thought and culture. These five elements are sometimes associated with the five platonic solids Many concepts once thought to be analogous, such as the Chinese Wu Xing are now understood more figuratively. In classical thought, the four elements earth,

water air and fire as proposed by Empedocles frequently occur, Aristotle added the fifth element or quintessence (after "quint" meaning "fifth") called aether in Ancient Greece, and akasha in India. In Buddhism, mahabhuta ("great elements") or catudhatu ("four elements") are earth, water, fire and air. In early Buddhism, the four elements are a basis for understanding suffering and for liberating oneself from suffering. The earliest Buddhist texts explain that the four primary material elements are the sensory qualities solidity, fluidity, temperature, and mobility; their characterization as earth, water, fire, and air, respectively, is declared an abstraction – instead of concentrating on the fact of material existence, one observes how a physical thing is sensed, felt, perceived. Buddha's teaching regarding the four elements is to be understood as the base of all observation of real sensations rather than as a philosophy. The four properties are cohesion (water), solidity or inertia (earth), expansion or vibration (air) and heat or energy content (fire). He promulgated a categorization of mind and matter as composed of eight types of "kalapas" of which the four elements are primary and a secondary group of four are color, smell, taste, and nutriment which are derivative from the four primaries. A text written between the 18th and 16th centuries BC, involves four gods that we might see as personified cosmic elements: sea, earth, sky, wind. In other Babylonian texts these phenomena are considered independent of their association with deities, though they are not treated as the component elements of the universe, as later in Empedocles. The Chinese had a somewhat different series of elements, namely Fire, Earth, Metal (literally gold), Water and Wood, which were understood as different types of energy in a state of constant interaction and flux with one another, rather than the Western notion of different kinds of material. Although it is usually translated as "element", the Chinese word xing literally means something like "changing states of being", "permutations" or "metamorphoses of being". In fact Sinologists cannot agree on any single translation. The Chinese elements were seen as ever changing and moving – one translation of wu xing is simply "the five changes". In Bon or ancient Tibetan philosophy, the five elemental processes of earth, water, fire, air, and space are the essential materials of all existent phenomena or aggregates. The elemental processes form the basis of the calendar, astrology, medicine and psychology and are the foundation of the spiritual traditions of shamanism, tantra and Dzogchen.

Japanese traditions use a set of elements called the godai, literally "five great". These five are earth, water, fire, wind and void. These came from Indian philosophy and Buddhist beliefs; in addition, the classical Chinese elements wu xing are also prominent in Japanese culture, especially to the influential NeoConfucianists during the Edo period. • Earth represented things that were solid. • Water represented things that were liquid. • Fire represented things that destroy. • Air represented things that moved. • Void or Sky/Heaven represented things not of our everyday life. The concept of the five elements formed a basis of analysis in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, particularly in an esoteric context, the four states-ofmatter describe matter, and a fifth element describes that which was beyond the material world. Similar lists existed in ancient China and Japan. In Buddhism the four great elements, to which two others are sometimes added, are not viewed as substances, but as categories of sensory experience. The system of five elements are found in Vedas, especially Ayurveda. The Panchamahabhuta or the "five great elements", of Hinduism are Bhoomi (earth), Ap or Jala (water), Tejas or Agni (fire), Marut or Pavan (air or wind), Vyom or Sunya (zero) or Akash (aether or void). They further suggest that all of creation, including the human body, is made up of these five essential elements and that upon death, the human body dissolves into these five elements of nature, thereby balancing the cycle of nature.

PANCHABHUTA or Five Elements. Our whole cosmic quest of the world and beyond starts from the point of panchabhuta (five elements) which then manifests in an ening manner to form the life force and then, later, those five elements disintegrates to ensure a celestial traverse at the Paramanu (atom) level. Of the five elements in Panchamahabutas the most subtle, Akash is space. It is fine, subtle, soft, light, porous, and smooth. In the body, aakash is found in its tubes and channels, like the blood and lymph vessels, pores, and the intestinal tract. Vayu or air is the gaseous form of matter. It is mobile, dynamic, light, cold, rough, fine, subtle, and dry. Air flows freely throughout the body, controls breathing, feeds the cells with oxygen and helps to give movement to biological functions. Agni or fire is hot, sharp, subtle, fine, light, slightly sticky, and radiant in quality. Agni is found in the heat and energy of the body. Agni transforms food into energy. It creates the impulses of nervous reactions, our feelings, and even our thought processes. Jala or water is liquid, sticky, cold, soft, compact, heavy, and moist in quality. Water constitutes the liquids of the body. A large part of the human body is made up of water. Our blood, lymph, and other fluids move between our cells and through our vessels, bringing energy, and carrying away wastes, regulating temperature, fighting disease, and carrying hormonal information from one area to another. Finally there is earth or prithvi, the solid state of matter. Earth is heavy, hard, stable, compact, rigid, and dense in quality. Bones, teeth, muscles, fat, and the structure of the different organs are derived from the earth element. The five elements are associated with the five senses, and act as the gross medium for the experience of sensations. The basest element, earth, created using all the other elements, can be perceived by all five senses – (i) hearing, (ii) touch, (iii) sight, (iv) taste, and (v) smell. The next higher element, water, has no odor but can be heard, felt, seen and tasted. Next comes fire, which can be heard, felt and seen. Air can be heard and felt. "Akasha" (aether) is the medium of sound but is inaccessible to all other senses. This concept underpins the Chinese’s philosophy to health and Medicine. That health is achieved and disease prevented by maintaining the body in a ‘balanced state’. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the focus is on treating the patient and not the disease. Therefore the body is observed in its entirety and work is done to the entire system to promote wellness at every level. In TCM it is understood that health results from a harmonious flow of energy, also referred to as chi. Chi has been defined as “the energetic medium existing between matter and spirit” – the “life-force” energy when pertaining to the physical body

In Chinese medicine, the theory of the Five Elements is a philosophy that sees the world in dynamic states or phases of constant change. Classical Five-Element Acupuncture uses the laws of nature to bring the body, mind and spirit into balance and harmony. The five elements are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.

Western astrology uses the four classical elements in connection with astrological charts and horoscopes. The twelve signs of the Zodiac are divided into the four elements: Fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, Air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, and Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The Aristotelian tradition and medieval Alchemy eventually gave rise to modern scientific theories and new taxonomies. By the time of Antoine Lavoisier, for example, a list of elements would no longer refer to classical elements. The classical elements correspond more closely to four of the states of matter: solid, liquid, gas and plasma. Modern science recognizes classes of elementary particles which have no substructure (or rather, particles that are not made of other particles) and composite particles having substructure (particles made of other particles).

Every substance in our world is made up of these five substances. All substances can be classified according to their predominant element. For example, a mountain contains earth, water, fire, air and ether. But as earth is the predominant element, it is classified as “prithvi”. As for you and me, we too are an assemblage of the five great elements or panchamahabutas… plus the ‘immaterial self’ which is what makes us what we are. However, we will first try to understand these five elements which are Earth, or Prithvi; Water or Jal; Fire or Agni; Air or Vayu and then Ether or Akasha. Each of these Five elements has its own character and celestial elements which we will gauge in the following lines. Earth (Prithvi): One can touch earth and smell it too ! However, there are two types of earth one is Eternal or (nitya) which are in the form of atom (Paramanu).The other type is perishable (anitya) which exists in the form of Karya or Work at animate and inanimate levels. Symbolically speaking our body, sense organs are the earth which as a whole get the shape of Jiva or life but those are perishable. But elements or atoms are eternal as after death may we bury, or burn the body, all the atoms get disintegrated to come back to its original eternal form. So our body and its Karya or Work are perishable as the mountain or rock forms but the atom remains which are eternal. Water or Jal is the second element which again has two characters as in the Earth i.e. eternal in the shape of atom and Karya (Work) be it as river, pond or sea are perishable. As from sea or river water evaporates to be in the sky as cloud then again in the shape of rain it comes down on earth. So the eternal atom is only changing its karya or shape of work and what we see is the perishable form. From the sense organ perspective we can touch it to feel and taste it as well. The third element is Air or Vayu. Again it has two levels as earth and water i.e. Eternal atom and perishable Karya. One can feel air, as we breathe in or out. We feel the storm or strong breeze which are temporary but air at atomic level remains around us eternally. In the Purana there is a mention of 49 types of Maruts or winds. Seven are important namely 1. Pravaha 2 Avaha; 3,Udvaha 4. Samvaha; 5 Vivaha; 6 Parvaha and 7.Paravaha. The wind which takes the water from the ocean is called Udvaha. Fire or Agni is the fourth element of Indian Panchabhuta. Again it has eternal and perishable elements as we have seen above. The essential character of Fire is to generate heat. According to Hindu Mythology, Agni is one of the Eight guardians who guards our universe and is known as Asta- dik-palakas (Asta-eight, dik--Zone, Palaka-Guardian). The Fire is posited in the South East of the Universe.

According to Ayurveda, Man is the epitome of the universe. Within each individual there is as much diversity as there is in the universe. Everything in the Universe, including the human body is made up of five elements- earth, fire, water air and space. Now we must understand that when we speak of any of these elements like fire, it should not be taken literally. Rather, the term refers to characteristics of fire, like heat and combustion. Ether is the most subtle of the 5 elements and has its origin from consciousness itself. Air has its origin from ether, fire originates from air, water has its origin from fire, and earth has its origin from water and is the densest of the 5 elements. The human body is made up of millions of cells, and when these five elements are in harmony, the body is healthy, self-perpetuating and self-correcting – just as the universe is. The five elements together are known as the Panchamahabutas. The most subtle, Akash is space. It is fine, subtle, soft, light, porous, and smooth. In the body, aakash is found in its tubes and channels, like the blood and lymph vessels, pores, and the intestinal tract. Vayu or air is the gaseous form of matter. It is mobile, dynamic, light, cold, rough, fine, subtle, and dry. Air flows freely throughout the body, controls breathing, feeds the cells with oxygen and helps to give movement to biological functions. Agni or fire is hot, sharp, subtle, fine, light, slightly sticky, and radiant in quality. Agni is found in the heat and energy of the body. Agni transforms food into energy. It creates the impulses of nervous reactions, our feelings, and even our thought processes. Jala or water is liquid, sticky, cold, soft, compact, heavy, and moist in quality. Water constitutes the liquids of the body. A large part of the human body is made up of water. Our blood, lymph, and other fluids move between our cells and through our vessels, bringing energy, and carrying away wastes, regulating temperature, fighting disease, and carrying hormonal information from one area to another. Finally there is earth or prithvi, the solid state of matter. Earth is heavy, hard, stable, compact, rigid, and dense in quality. Bones, teeth, muscles, fat, and the structure of the different organs are derived from the earth element. Every substance in our world is made up of these five substances. All substances can be classified according to their predominant element. For example, a mountain contains earth, water, fire, air and ether. But as earth is the predominant element, it is classified as “prithvi”. As for you and me, we too are an assemblage of the five great elements or panchamahabutas… plus the ‘immaterial self’ which is what makes us what we are. The traditional healthcare system of India, originated 5000 years ago. The five element theory is fundamental basis of Ayurvedic philosophy. In Ayurveda, the five elements are precisely known as Panchmahabhuta which includes space, air, fire,

water and earth (these may be referred to as five basic elements). The five elements are building blocks of human life just as amino-acids are building blocks of proteins. The five elements have significant role in Sharira Rachna (Human Anatomy) and Sharira Kriya (Human Physiology). Each and every constituent of the universe is outcome of specific ratio of the five elements. By determining the dominance of element inside human body, one can estimate the nature of the physical or mental aspects of the disease. The remedial act is to enhance the opposing elements in order to achieve equilibrium.

Functions of Five Elements, as per Ayurveda: • Space (Akasha): Space is omnipresent. It acts as ground substance or basis for the functioning of other elements. • Air (Vayu): Air is moving force of the body as it ensures movements of the biological humors, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Air element is largely responsible for oxygen supply to cells and tissues. • Fire (Agni): Fire element fulfils heat requirement of human body and produces radiant energy. Fire element is vital for biochemical and metabolic (anabolic or catabolic) pathways operating inside the human body.

• Water (Jala): Water is essential constituent of the universe (macrocosm) and human body (microcosm). Water constitutes 70% of human body and is essential for carrying out physiological functions. • Earth or ether (Prithavi): Earth is nothing but solid state of matter and acquires stable equilibrium. Earth element plays significant role in make-up of human body. Human nutrition is also dependent upon food from the Earth. Five Elements and Three Biological Humors (Tridosha) Just like the five element theory, is mainstay of Ayurveda way of practice. Tridosha, commonly referred to as three biological humors are the primary lifeforces in the human body. Vata, Pitta and Kapha correspond to the elements of air, fire and water. Primarily, ageing and senescence (decay) are under the influence of three biological humors. • Vata is derived when air and ether interact. • Pitta is derived when fire and water interact. • Kapha is derived when earth and water interact. The three biological humours remain in dynamic equilibrium which represents health. Imbalance among three biological humours is disease. With medicines, either derived out of herbs or minerals, we enhance the opposing elements in order to achieve equilibrium among three biological humours. Five Elements and Seven Tissues (Sapt dhatu) Seven tissues (Sapt dhatu) are building blocks of human body. The five elements, in turn are building blocks of seven tissues viz; Plasma (Rasa), Blood (Rakta), Muscle (Mamsa), Adipose tissue (Meda), Bone (Asthi), Bone–marrow (Majja) and Seminal fluid (Shukra). Five Elements and Gurvadi Guna (Twenty Opposing Qualities) Guna represents physical property or quality of a drug. Ayurveda recognizes fortyone guna including 20 Gurvadi guna. Five elements act as building of the 20 Gurvadi guna which in turn are responsible for pharmacological actions of drugs. Five

Elements

and

Six

Taste

(Rasa)

Taste has significant place in Ayurvedic medicine. A diagnosis of a disease is based on disturbance in equilibrium among three biological humours or Tridosha (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and treatment is based on six tastes (sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent). Evolution of six taste is based on five elements and is tabulated below

As we discussed in the Principles of Ayurveda, ‘Life’ could be defined as a constant, incessant flow of energy and material. When this flow of energy and material stops, that particular event is termed as ‘Death’. Now there are different kinds of materials around us. Metals are very hard, whereas Vegetables are comparatively softer. Still, Vegetables are solid and may not be as soft as a liquid form like Water or Milk. Then there is Air, which is a combination of Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen etc. And of course, there is Space, everywhere. So, there are different types of materials. Ayurveda explains that the entire Cosmos or Universe is made up of five different types of materials. The same is applicable to our Body as well, as we are also a part of the Cosmos. Everything in the Universe is made up of the same materials. And that’s the reason why the external materials can easily get converted into our internal materials, when we consume them as food. The basic ingredients in the Wheat and Rice that we eat, are the same as our Body. Otherwise the transformation is not possible, right?

So, it’s very clear that the materials are the same. Ayurveda mentions about five different types of materials, or as they are called, Pancha-bhootas: • The first among them is the Earth. When we say Earth, it is not the Globe; it is the solid material. • Then comes Water, or the liquid material. • Next is Fire, which heats or transforms. • Fourth is the Air, the gaseous material, • And finally, the fifth is Space, which is all around us. The entire Cosmos, including our bodily systems are made up of these five materials. We can feel the solid material in our Body, it is understood that we have liquid forms within us including Blood and various other fluids. The Fire within us transforms our food into energy. Hydro-Chloric Acid is what is chiefly responsible for digesting out food. And this acid is nothing but the liquid form of Fire. We inhale Oxygen and give out Carbon Dioxide. That is the Air component. And finally, we all occupy Space. If we move out of one place, then there is an empty Space that is left behind. According to Ayurveda, Man is the epitome of the universe. Within each individual there is as much diversity as there is in the universe. Everything in the Universe, including the human body is made up of five elements- earth, fire, water air and space. Now we must understand that when we speak of any of these elements like fire, it should not be taken literally. Rather, the term refers to characteristics of fire, like heat and combustion. Ether is the most subtle of the 5 elements and has its origin from consciousness itself. Air has its origin from ether, fire originates from air, water has its origin from fire, and earth has its origin from water and is the densest of the 5 elements. The human body is made up of millions of cells, and when these five elements are in harmony, the body is healthy, self -perpetuating and self-correcting – just as the universe is.

In South India, Tamil Nadu, there is a group of ancient Siva temples known as the Pañcha-bhūta Sthalam. They are each associated with one of the five great elements of nature – earth, water, fire, air and space.