Natural Five Elements (Panchbhuta) And Human Life

Everything in this nature is made up of five basic elements. According to the theory of Elements,the basic assumption is, that, like the rest of the material world man is made up of Elements which at death disintegrate and dissolve into nature.

In general there are nine tattvas or Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Sky, Time, Directions, Mind and Soul. Of these the first five are called bhuta (Panchbhuta - Five elements) and the last four dravya.

These Elements of nature are subject to a fivefold order: (1) origination, (2) binding, (3) interlocking, (4) overlapping, and (5) transcending.

Origination:

Elements originated in phases. Water, Earth and Sky came first; aquatic animals and bird second; land third; Air or Wind fourth; and finally Fire.

Binding:

Elements of nature have a binding-ability. Each Element has a form, a location, and a dependent-relation with another Element. Living Forms of nature are self-originating, self-organizing, and self-sustaining. Life is formless, self-existent and, essentially, indestructible. As form and life come together, the process of origination begins. Life activates matter that constitutes form, but in itself is not a material substance.

Elements of nature constitute human and other forms, both individually and collectively. Each major organ is said to have its own builder. Head and ears are associated with the Sky; neck and chest with Air; stomach with Fire; and body with Earth. Five fingers, from the little finger to the thumb, are associated, respectively, with Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky.

Interlocking:

As a transcendent substance, life gets involved in the threefold cosmic process of formation (origination), affirmation (preservation) and negation (dissolution) of Elements. Interlocking of life and form help realize the existential changes; it makes cosmic order visible.

Elements of nature have a veritable role in the making of persons.

Biologically man is made up of the Earth, Water, Fire, etc. Pigmentation, formation and function of the body tissues, sense-organs, etc. are associated with the Five Elements. Psychologically also man is conditioned by the attributes (guna) of Elements.

Relationships between the Elements and Human:

Each of the five elements has a certain relationship with the other elements, based on their nature. These relationships form the laws of nature. Some elements are enemies, in that each blocks the expression of the other. Fire and water, for example, will "destroy" each other if they get the chance. In order to co-exist fire and water need to be separated.. Too much fire in the body will create inflammation, while too much water can dampen fire and cause indigestion.

Some elements are said to "love" each other in that they are supportive and nurturing of each other. Earth and water love to "hug" each other, and air and fire increase each other.

Other elements are simply friendly and cooperative. For example, water and air can live together without problems, as in soda water; but when the chance occurs, they separate. The same occurs with fire and earth.

The Elements in the Body:

Each element is responsible for different structures in the body. Earth forms solid structures, such as bones, flesh, skin, tissues, and hair. Water forms saliva, urine, semen, blood, and sweat. Fire forms hunger, thirst, and sleep. Air is responsible for all movement, including expansion, contraction, and suppression. Space forms physical attraction and repulsion, as well as fear.

How to restore the Imbalance of this Elements:

If any element is impure or out of balance with another, disease and suffering may occur. Yoga helps us purify these elements and restore balance and health, and to unfold the inner powers and abilities contained in each element. In fact, yoga is one of the most powerful ways to restore health because it gives us the means to bring even those elements that are natural enemies into harmonious relationships with each other.