The Sutra

 

The Elements

 

Again, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reviews this same body, however it is placed, however disposed, as consisting of elements thus: “In this body there are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.” Just as though a skilled butcher or his apprentice had killed a cow and was seated at the crossroads with it cut up into pieces; so too, a bhikkhu reviews this same body however it is placed, however disposed, as consisting of elements thus: “In this body there are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.”

 

In this way one abides contemplating the body as a body internally, externally, and both internally and externally…And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That too is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.

 

Commentary   

 

We spend our lives interacting with people and objects and react based upon our notions of whom and what we are dealing with. Every physical form we come into contact with is a combination of the characteristics of the four elements. These elements symbolize the fundamental properties of matter.

 

Every material form in the world has all four elements present to some degree. For example, water has the hardness characteristic of the earth element  which can be felt when we jump into the water and land on our stomachs. When we burn wood and beads of moisture appear on the wood, it reveals the presence of the water element in the wood. When we get a mosquito bite, the resulting burning sensation is the fire element. If we try to compress air in a balloon it will eventually burst due to the resistance of the earth element present in air. Ice has heat which can be seen when comparing it to liquid carbon dioxide (dry ice). We cannot actually separate these elements one from each other.

 

We should explore the elemental (and selfless) nature of physical forms directly through our own experience.

 

The Earth Element:

 

1. Characteristics: Hardness, solidity, weight, and immobility. (When something is soft, the earth element is weak.) Earth has a resistant nature that prevents it from merging. This element gives forms their shapes. In nature it appears as earth, rocks, the bark of trees, etc.

 

1. In the Body: Earth is the primary element present in the body’s bones, organs, nails and teeth. It gives our body its shape.

 

The Water Element:

 

1. Characteristics: Fluidity and flowing. Water has no shape of its own; it fills whatever will hold it and will adapt to any form. It enables the other elements to bind together, for instance, when water combines with flour resulting in dough. When the water element is missing things become brittle. It is experienced as heaviness. The water element is predominant in oceans, rain, and tree sap.

 

1. In the Body: Water is the primary element present in all bodily fluids including tears, sweat, urine, blood and saliva. It supports the sense of taste.  

 

The Fire Element:

 

1. Characteristics: Gives heat and light. It radiates, burns, and transmutes. Fire burns away impurities, and it tempers and strengthens. It can manifest as lightness, as seen in the rising of hot air. The most significant outer manifestation of this element is the sun.

 

1. In the Body: Fire is the element that provides body heat. Without this element we would feel cold and lifeless. This element supports the digestion of our food. Hunger causes a burning sensation (stomach fire). This element ages or decays the skin and body organs. The light aspect of the fire element enables us to see.  

 

The Air Element:

 

1. Characteristics: Expansion as when a balloon expands as air is pumped into it. It manifests as air or wind. Although invisible we can see its effects as the movement of trees or through the violence of a tornado. It enables motion or movement to occur. It is vibration – all molecules and atoms that make up the material world are in a constant state of vibration which is an expression of the air element.

 

1. In the Body: The air element supports physical and mental movement. It expresses itself as our breath and as gas in the body. Air supports the sense of touch.

 

(Beyond these four elements we sometimes read about space being the fifth element. It is the dimension within which all the other elements exist. It is infinite, boundless and open. It is beyond all characteristics yet one cannot say it is non-existent. It manifests as the empty and hollow aspects of the body.)

 

Sutra

 

Just as though a skilled butcher or his apprentice had killed a cow and was seated at the crossroads with it cut up into pieces; so too, a bhikkhu reviews this same body however it is placed, however disposed, as consisting of elements thus: “In this body there are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.”

 

Commentary

 

When we are engaged in daily activities, we consider that it is a body that is participating in those activities. However, as we engage in the meditation process associated with the elements, the perception of a body begins to dissolve. We no longer feel it is a body that is experiencing these activities, but that it is simply the rising and falling of the four elements according to particular causes and conditions.  

 

We mentally dissect the body “however it is placed, however disposed,” to directly realize the presence of these four great elements.

 

Exercises for the month:

1. 1. Working with the elements is a deepening of the previous meditation (32 parts of the body), that only worked with the first two elements: earth and water. We are now including the heat and air elements.  

 

2. Walking Meditation

 

We can use the process of walking meditation to experience the characteristics of the elements and to see how they are impermanent and not self.

 

We continue coordinating the walking movements with our breath as previously instructed. You will now see why the structure and form of the walking meditation process is important.

 

As you raise the heel of the foot, you feel a sensation of lightness or energy, an aspect of the fire element. As the toes are pressed against the ground you encounter resistance between two heavy surfaces, which is a manifestation of the earth element. As you raise the foot in the air, you again experience the fire element. When you move the foot forward, the movement is an aspect of the air element. When you put the foot down, its heaviness is the experience of the water element. When you transfer weight to the foot you have just put down, the earth element is again predominant.  

 

The purpose of this walking meditation practice is to recognize the manner in which each element arises and disappears thereby further dispelling the perception that the body is a solid entity that endures through time.

 

The key is to actually feel the sensations associated with each element and not just think about the differences between them. Once again, we are cultivating a non-cognitive awareness.  You know moving is occurring, but how is it occurring?

 

3. Throughout the Day

 

(Day #1) Earth element – Physically feel the body in various places and directly experience the hardness, solidity, weight, and resistance that is present in each body part that you touch.  

 

(Day #2) Water element – Physically touch the liquid parts of the body and directly experience the fluidity and flowing aspects of the body parts that are touched.  

 

(Day #3) Fire element – Directly feel the differences in body temperature throughout the day.   Take a moment to notice the temperature difference between your hand and the objects touched.

 

(Day #4) Air element – Recognize the motion and movement that takes place within the body. Experience the flow of blood from the heart. Feel the in-coming and out-going breaths. Become aware of the air element as it manifests as the physical movement of the body. Directly experience that the intention to move causes the air element to arise in the parts of the body which are going to move.  

 

4. Additional days  (Day #5 & Day #6) Watch the impermanence of all the elements and see how they rise and fall due to various causes and conditions. Discover how these elements are unsatisfactory in that they cannot provide a lasting sense of pleasure. Directly realize that all changes take place selflessly, without the presence of a self as part of, behind, or in control of the elements.      

 

Please remember that this is not a matter of deduction, abstraction, or speculation. The realization needs to be based on actual meditation experience. We need to keep within the domain of this exploration of Mindfulness of the Body and not wander or be side-tracked.

 

5. Externally (Day #7 & Day #8)

 

From time to time briefly observe other physical forms (both inanimate and animate objects) to see how they are also composed of these four elements and that all these elements observed have the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selflessness.

 

This aspect of the practice works on destroying conceit in respect to the body. My body is more beautiful, attractive, or appealing than others. My body is less beautiful, attractive, or appealing than others. My body is equally beautiful, attractive, or appealing than others.  Nanananda Bhikkhu says that conceit is a “misappropriation of public property.” In other words, taking the impersonal elements to be my or your personal body.

 

“A person who is devoted to the defining of the four elements immerses himself or (herself) in voidness and eliminates the perception of living beings…they conquers fear and dread and conquer attachment and aversion, they are not exhilarated or depressed by agreeable or disagreeable things, and as one of great understanding, they …end in the deathless realm…”

Buddhaghosa 7th century CE

 

In Summary

By now the thought must have crossed your mind that this Sutta (thus far at least) is without any feelings or emotions. After all, we haven’t mentioned the divine mental abodes of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity or the moral precepts of non harming, non stealing, truthfulness etc, have we? This sutta was taught for the direct realization of; impermanence; the nature of suffering and; the direct experience of the truth of non-self. For the early monastics who were being taught this sutta, this was the culmination of a practice that was already highly developed in the ethical teachings and concentration practice as well. That is why a continual daily meditation practice is so important. Buddha taught a graduated training of ethics and concentration followed by the wisdom training. Even after all these the journey isn’t finished. Wisdom (knowing and seeing things as they really are) is then followed by a disenchantment and finally a letting go of all greed, hatred and delusion.

 

So please hold these teachings with the same gentle touch as you would the teachings of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. These teachings are the unopened buds that will flower from within. May you be well, happy and peaceful.