Teh five element Theory

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PANCHATATTWA- THE FIVE ELEMENTS

 

Here we begin with the explanation of the tattwas.

 

Tantra stipulates that all matter is composed of a combination of

five tattwas or bhutas, i.e., elements. The Shiva Swarodaya explains

that, "Creation takes place due to the tattwas and by them it is

sustained". In the Tantraraja Tantra, Shakti asks Shiva, "Where do

all the tattwas exist, in the body or out of it'!" Shiva replies

that the tattwas permeate the entire body and mind. Everything you

do and think is under tbe influen~e of these tattwas. Therefore in

yoga, it is necessary to know how the tattwas behave and in which

manner they can be controlled and utilized. The five tattwas are

known as 'akasha' or ether, 'vayu' cr air, 'agni' or fire, 'apas'

or 'water, 'prithvi' or earth. Hqw­ ever, these tattwas should not be

mistaken for physical or chemical elements. Prithvi is not the earth

we see around us. Water is not the water we drink or bathe with. Nor

is fire that which we burn to keep warm and so on. Rather, they

should be regarded as a consequence of light and sound emanations

which are created by different energy or pranic vibrations ..

 

The science of astrology .has verified that the first four of these

elements have a major influence On our personality, mind, emotions

and destiny, but it has failed to include the most subtle and

important element, i.e., ether, which is responsibk for spiritual

experience. However. the science of tantra and yoga, which has

examined the tattwas in greater detail, has clearly stated that man

is composed of. and continuously subject to, the influence of these

five tattwas. The tantric texts enumerate a complete science of the

tattwas, according to which the practitioner can not only pre­dict

the future, but also control the results accruing from his actions

throughout the day. Of course, this should not be the aim for which

we strive to attain this knowledge. It is merely to indicate the

intimate connection between the tattwas and the entire structure of

your life, so that it is even possible for you to alter your destiny

through 'tattwa gyana', i.e., knowl­edge of the elements.

 

These five tattwas form part of a connected series in which each

successive tattwa is derived from its predecessor. The first tattwa

to evolve is akasha which is undifferentiated matter containing an

infinite amount of potential energy. Therefore, akasha is the subtle

state when both energy and matter exist in their dormant potential

state in the bosom of consciousness. As the energy inherent in the

particles of akasha begins to vibrate, movement is created and vayu

tattwa emerges in the form of air. The particles of vayu have the

greatest free­dom of movement and therefore vayu tattwa is seen as an

all­pervading motion. Due to the excessive movement of energy in

vayu, heat is generated, which acts as the cause for the emer­gence

of the next tattwa, agni.

 

In agni tattwa the movement of energy is less than that of vayu. 1

his decrease of motion enables agni tattwa to dispel part of its

radiative heat, and thus cool into the apas or water tattw~. With

the birth of apas tattwa, the complete freedom of movement of vayu

tattwa and the partial freedom of movement of agni tattwa are. lost,

and the particles are confined. within a definite space, moving only

within a small radius. The last tattwa, prlthvi, evolves out of a

further decrease in energy vibration which causes apas to solidify

into prithv~. Here even the limited freedom of movement within apas

is lost. Each particle of prithvi has its own place, and any vibra­

tion is confined to the sp~ce it occupies.

 

Creation of matter through pennutation and combination of all the

tattwas. In order to create matter, these five elements undergo a

process of permutation and combination, which is an intricate

process of nature. Each element is divided into two equal parts. The

second part of each element is further divided into four equal parts

(Le., one eighth of the whole). Then the first part (one half of the

element) combines with one eighth of each of the other four elements

to constitute matter, i.e., half of ether combines with one eighth

of each of the other four elements and likewise the same process

takes place with each of the elements.

 

This is known as the process of quintuplication, and after this,

permutatiOn and combination takes place. This process of converting

subtle elements into gross matter is tcrmedas 'panchikara' and is

responsible for the physical body and the entire universe. It

is ,stated that in the physical body these ele­ments are present in

the ratio, 5:4:3:2: 1, prithvi occupying a greater portion of the

body, followed by water, fire, air and ether respectively, in lesser

proportions. These proportions de­term.ne our individual physical,

mental and spiritual capacity. Different permutations and

combinations produce differ­ent results. For the purpose of

explanation let us say, that if you subtract or add some of the

essential ingredients that com­bine to form a man, and slightly alter

their permutation and combination, the result could well be an ape,

an elephant or a goat- who knows? The exact combinations and

proportions of existent matter are known only to Nature and this has

remained one of her secrets. If we are able to divulge this secret,

it would not be long before matter would be composed and destroyed

in a laboratory at the behest of a scientist.

 

This is not hard to believe. The process of telephoto or satellite

transmission is based on the same principle. In order to broadcast

events from one country to another, they are transmitted, not as

photographs, but as sound and light waves. Later these waves are

reassembled to reproduce the exact pic­ture which was transmitted.

Soon it may even be possible to do the same with animate and

inanimate objects. For example, if you had to travel from the earth

to Jupiter (which is many light years away), you would first be

converted into light and sound waves, and after you reached your

destina­tion, you would be reassembled into your oWn form. It sounds

bizarre, but if you can grasp the concept, then it will be easy to

understand exactly what your body is composed of, and how it has

condensed into the form that you perceive.

 

In the scheme of evqlution, these fivl: lattwas originated out of

the tamas predominating tan111atl'as. A tanmatra is all

abstract quality through which the tattwa is perceived. Thus aka.sha

is perceived through 'shabda' tamnatra (sound), vayu

through 'sparsha' tanmatra, (touch or feel), agni through

'rupa' tanmatra, (form or vision), apas. though

'rasa' tanmatra (taste), and prithvi through 'gandh!

l;' tanmatra (smell). These tanmatras or root principles of

sense perception are intricately linked with the senses or indriyas

through which they cognize and' act.

 

The indriyas are of two kinds; 'gyanendriyas' (organs of

cognition) and 'karmendriyas' (organs of action). However,

the indriyas are not sufficient in themselves, but are dependent on

sankaJpajvikalpa, (selection and rejection), qual­ ities of the mind.

Moreover, the sensations produced through the indriyas are also

subject to ahamkara, which identifies them as personal experience,

and buddhi, which cognizes all experi­ ences. Thus, all the tattwas

should be regarded as an extension of pure consciousness and not as

individual entities existing sepa­ rately. It should be remembered

that in the course of evolution, subtle states give rise to grosser

states, and each grosser state has for its cause the preceding

element. Thus, the cause is an essential part of the effect. Akasha

tattwa which evolves from the akasha tanmatra does not contain the

qualities of the other four tattwas, as they are grosser than it.

 

Out of akasha evolves vayu, which is made up of both akasha tanmatra

and vayu tanmatra. From vayu arises the tattwa of agni whi<:h

contains the akasha, vayu and agni tanmatras. Agni later develops

into apas which contains akasha, vayu, agni and apas tanmatras. In

the last tattwa which is prithvi, the qualities of all five tattwas

are combined. Thus, it can be found that the qualities attributed to

the tattwas are intermingled, and althbugh each tattwa has a pre­

dominant characteristic, it also imbibes a portion of the qual­ ities

of the tattwa from which it has evolved. Ether has the quality of

sound; air has the quality of b()th sound and touch, although touch

is predominant. Agni has form as its pre­ dominating quality, with

traces of sound and touch. Apan is taste predominated, but also has

the qualities of sound, touch and form. Tn prithvi though smell is

the predominating qual:ity, sound, touch, form and taste are also

present.

 

Their grossness has to be refined, just as petroleum has III ho

n.:fined into petrol. The aim of tattwa shuddhi is to enable IIIIN

refinement, so that the grossness of the tattwas is transform­ Iii

illlo the experiences related to the subtler tattwas. Just as a

dcntist is able to observe the minutest form of life under a

microscope, similarly, in tattwa shuddhi the aspirant is led to a

world where matter is perceived, not in its dense form, but as •

&apos;Illsciousness. In the Raja Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it is

stated that every Tatwa has five characteristics, and in order to

attain mastery liver the tattwas, the aspirant has to practise

&apos;samyama&apos; (a ~pontaneous combination of concentration,

meditation, samadhi) 1111 these characteristics. Patanjali has

termed this proress as &apos;hlluta jaya&apos; or mastery over the

elements. The first characteristic&apos; of these five tattwas is

the gross t Ofm, which is related to the experiences attained

through the ~cnses as sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The

second is the quality of the elements. For example, the solidity of

earth, the liquidity of water, the heat of fire, the movement and

vibration of air and the vacancy or spaciousness of ether. The third

is the subtle aspect, which is related to the subtleties of the

tanmatras. Just as there is the gross range of sense perception,

there is a subtler state, in which the tattwas are experienced as

subtle sounds, subtle touch, subtle form, subtle taste and subtle

smell. These subtle forms are often termed as psychic visions, and

are the supersensitive state:; of sense perception. The fourth

aspect of the tattwas is related to the three gunas; .,attwa, rajas

and tamas. These three gunas representing radi­ ance, activity and

inertia, are an integral part of the five tattwas. Thus akasha, as

well as vayu, agni, apas and prithvi, are con­ sidered to be present

in the body in their sattwic, rajasic and tamasic states. Tn order

to attain spiritual experience, the as­ pirant has to subdue the

tamasic and }1\jasic states of the tat­ twas, and transform them into

the radiance of sattwa. This is what the practice of tattwa shuddhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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