TANTRIC ELEMENTS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PRACTITIONER.
Eastern esoteric tradition has always held that there are FIVE Great Elements, and that they exist within the subtle body, as microcosm for the Universe, as well as in the phenomenal world. Each of the five elements is important, has its own properties, color, mantra, etc. Modern scientific thought speaks of the four elements; leaving out the fifth and most important, that which pervades all three realms or worlds, and serves as a doorway from o
ne to the next: ether. In the modern world, the true meaning and symbolic significance of the elements has been lost or abandoned.
To begin, a simple chart of the elements & their properties.
ELEMENT ORGAN FACULTY MANTRA SHAPE COLOR
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Earth Nose Scent LANG Square Yellow
Water Tongue Taste VANG Circular White-blue
Fire Eyes Sight RANG Triangle Ethereal space
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Indian Ayurvedic medicine, dating centuries back into B.C., is
the world's first system of medical practice. As early as 3rd Century
B.C., not only were common physical ailments being healed by Ayurvedic
practitioners, but surgery, skin grafting, psychotherapy and cosmetic
surgery were commonly practiced and documented!
The relevance of Ayurveda is that the five elements made up an
important process of diagnosis, (al h pulse-taking and extensive medical
histories); as well as treatment. According to the Susruta Samhita, an
Ayurvedic medical text from approximately 300 B.C., "The five
fundamental principles enter into the composition of all matter. The
predominance of any one of these principles determines the
characteristic of a particular form of matter. An imbalance in the
principles, to the detriment of the others, must be corrected by diet,
exercise, medication and focused touch."
Tantric Yoga texts state that the element of Ether, or "Space" relates
to subtleness and diffusion; Air to formation and movement; Fire to heat
and expansion; Water to coolness and contraction; and Earth to density
and solidification.
TANTRIC VIEWS ON SUBTLE BODY AND ELEMENTS:
The Inner Fire and Inner Water are complimentary and related to the
principles of expansion and contraction; male/solar energy and
female/lunar energy respectively; as in Taoist Chinese Yang and Yin, or
Tibetan Tantric Yab/Yum. The faculties of sight (fire) and tast e
(water) are characteristic of this expansion/contraction, which manifest
erotically in the male and female body during sexual arousal and
lovemaking. Fire and Water are seen as inherently orgasmic; and Tantric
cosmology's "creation myth" suggests that the Water element must cool
the Fire element enough so that life forms are able to emerge without
being destroyed before their birth. Similarly, sexual union harmonizes
the Inner Fire and Inner Water--and the Creation Potential is
manifested, i.e., possible conception of a child. Tantric tradition does
not neglect the "mundane" aspects of sexuality, such as simple release;
nor does it ignore the more "traditional" concept of sex as procreation,
for in actuality, the act of creating a new life is the ultimate
sacramental product of heterosexual lovemaking. Rather than the
Transcendental Siva/Sakthi Union; when a child is conceived, the Tantric
couple rather takes on the aspects of Brahma and Saraswati, the Creative
Principles. After the child's birth, Visnu/Laksmi, the Preserver, steps
in through the Tantric parents to sustain the child. In the meantime, of
course, Siva/Sakthi are still readily accessible to the Tantric couple,
whether childless or a "family," leading to transcendence and ultimate
Union *as* a couple.
The HEVAJRA-TANTRA, a Buddhist Tantric text, states: "The five Great
Elements are physically produced in the body during lovemaking. Through
the harmonization of the male and female sexual organs, hardness and
erection are produced, calling up the Earth element. From the flow of
charged sexual secretions, the Water element emerges; and the Fire
element evolves through the passion and physical friction of Jewel and
Lotus. The Air element is called forth by the movements of love, and the
Ether aroused by the ecstatic Bliss."
NOTE: Hevajra is a Sanskrit word meaning "Indestructible." Hevajra is a
Hindu tutelary deity, always visualized in ecstatic sexual union.
As more fully explained in the text on Prana, Tantric Yogis and Yoginis
believe that all e lements are contained within the Prana, the vital
breath. During Prana breath techniques, by focusing the mind completely
on the element's shape and color, and repeating the seed-mantra
associated with each, it is possible to consciously draw in specific
elements with the Prana, and "hold" or channel them into the Heart
Chakra. Unlike the vital breath of Prana, which is stored within the
solar plexus (Power Chakra), the distilled elements should be stored in
the heart chakra, which leads to Siddhi, or the development of certain
paranormal powers. Tantrically, these powers should be used as an aid to
Union and Transcendence, and not sought as an end, in and of themselves.
Many powerful Yogis, having developed Siddhi, become egotistic about
their abilities, and find themselves, to their dismay, de-volving rather
than e-volving!
While practicing Prana and meditating on the specific elements, one
should place the fingertips of both hands lightly over the breastbone,
in the area of the Chakra, to ensure that the energy of the elements is
channelled to the proper place, and not allowed to escape. The
fingertips traditionally are believed to have important paraphenomenal
qualities, which is why touch, properly applied, can indeed heal. Any
sincere Fundamentalist Christian faith healer could learn much by
studying the Sutras, Samhitas, and Tantras!
During completely abandoned and surrendered lovemaking, the senses are
unrestrained. While this may sound bad, it isn't--for the breath of love
will naturally balance the elements in the body.
Ayurvedic training holds that the sexual secretions are transformed due
to the dominance of one element or another during the act of love; truly
spontaneous and ecstatic lovemaking harmonizes the entire being and
gives the physical body the power to *heal* itself from a variety of
psycho-physiological ailments.
The Siva Samhita states uncategorically: "The inner being is of a
vibrating nature; here expounding, here contracting. It is essentially
composed of a mixture of Potent Voidne ss and Creative Energy, living
together in the Temple of the Body. The physical and subtle bodies
contain all the elements essential for Self-realization and there are no
limits to individual potential once this is recognized."
"Heaven and Earth open and close; Yin and Yang develop from each
other. Humanity is modelled after Yin and Yang, and embodies the
sequence of the seasons and elements. If one abstains from sexual union,
one's Spirit will not develop, since the interchange of Yin and Yang
come to halt. It is possible to derive great benefit from enjoyment of
the senses through sexual union; so substituting new elements for old
ones."
--I-Hsin-Fang.
Yogini Padma Ushas Suryananda, with other texts as credited.
AUM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUM.