Mindfulness of Elements

Once, the little monk Rāhula was instructed by the great arahant Sāriputta to practice mindfulness of breathing meditation. At that point, the monk Rāhula did not know how to do mindfulness of breathing meditation. He went to the Buddha and asked him for instructions on practicing mindfulness of breathing meditation. It was at that point that the Buddha told him to start with the mindfulness of the elements. Contemplation of the elements is an accelerated and effective path to understanding life. The elements or dhātu is the basic or the fundamental nature of things. The term contemplation here refers to skillful investigation of four fundamental or basic natures of things: “paṭhavi’ or solidity, “āpo” or fluidity, “tejo” or heat, and “vāyo” or air. Paṭhavi is associated with earth, āpo is associated with water, tejo is associated with fire, and vāyo is associated with wind.

In this meditation method, it is crucial that we understand the fact that these words are used to contemplate our bodies and not the outside world. The Buddha preached to consider by wisdom paṭhavi dhātu like the earth; see it as something that is similar to earth. The Buddha further preached us to consider āpo dhātu like water, tējo dhātu like fire, and vāyo dhātu like the wind.

From all these methods, the great teacher’s intention was always to show us the path for the realization of truth. He did not want to mislead or deceive us. The Buddha gave a similar like this. A butcher kills a cow, cuts the meat and sets up a stall at a crossroads. This butcher does not have a sense of selling a cow. The buyers of meat have no sense that they are buying a cow. At this point, the usage of the term cow has been transcended and is referred to as ‘meat’ or in this case beef. This is how we contemplate the elements, which make up our bodies. We can use this example to understand how to separate our body’s composition of the basic natures of solidity, liquidity, heat, and air. That which decomposes to become earth is the element of solidity or paṭhavi; that which flows or runs is the element of liquidity or āpo; that which is warm is the element of heat or tejo; and that which moves like the air is the gaseous element or vāyo. We can recognize parts, which are solid in our body which would eventually turn into earth. We can recognize components which are liquid in our body. We can recognize components which have warmth within our body. We can recognize movement of gas or air within our body.

Your task now is to see these elements separately as the separate cuts of meat in a butcher’s stall. You should consider these as follows:

you can find a tranquil spot and contemplate separately those parts of your body, which are of the earth element.

The hair is of the earth element. You can consider the hair thus- Until now, how much hair have I lost from my head? What has happened to that hair? Most of it had already decayed and become part of earth as soil. A part of your life has become part of the earth while you are still living. What has happened to other body hairs and nails that you have removed from your body? Consider teeth. You may not have even one tooth in your mouth by now; all of us have lost at least our baby teeth. What happened to the teeth that you lost? They have all become part of the earth. Your skin is constantly regenerating itself. When you scrub your body, you can feel and see the dead skin leave your body to instantly become part of the earth. You see your flesh as becoming part of the earth. You see your blood vessels as becoming part of the earth. You see your bones as part of the earth element. You see your bone marrow as becoming part of the earth. You see your kidneys as becoming part of the earth. You see your heart as becoming part of the earth. You see your liver as being part of the earth element. You consider your pancreas as becoming part of the earth. You look at your spleen as becoming part of the earth. You see your lungs as becoming part of the earth. You look at your large intestine as being a part of the earth element. You consider your small intestine as a part of the earth element. You see your stomach as becoming part of the earth. You see your fecal matter in the intestine as becoming part of the earth. These body parts belong to the element of earth.

It is crucial for us to think in this way. The Buddha gave these guidelines not for the investigation of the nature of the earth or other universes. But rather to help us be free from suffering, both physically and mentally. We try to find comfort through material things, which actually takes us deeper into suffering. The Buddha’s instructions were that if we want eternal happiness we must find the point where suffering or un-satisfactoriness arises. That is what we are trying to do. When you reflect on these things that become part of earth, you become more and more humble. Think of the lords or kings throughout history who killed for thrones, power, or for other gains! All these people became part of earth at the end. This shows us that there is nothing in this world to seize. Everything we have eventually becomes part of the earth. Those who understand this are able to live freely, without cruelty but rather with a mind full of compassion and loving-kindness. Such a person does not envy, does not seek revenge; and does not indulge in eye for gratification. Such a person knows that this life is made up of parts, which become part of the earth in the end. Now, we can see how worthwhile it would be to practice this meditation of contemplation on the elements.

In a similar fashion, you need to consider the parts of the body which flow with the water element or āpo dhātu. The body has fluids such as bile which has a nature similar to water; therefore, it is of the water element. Then consider phlegm. This is the frothy liquid, which flows and is of the water element. This body has pus. The body creates pus when there are infections. Pus is of the water element. This body makes blood. Blood flows and is of the water element. This body sweats, this is of the water element and it flows. Along with sweat, there is the body fat. This is of the water element too. This body creates tears, which is of the water element. The saliva produced by this body is also of the water element. This body produces mucus, which is of the water element. This body has synovial fluids, which lubricate joints, which can be moved. This fluid is also of the water element. This body creates urine, which is of the water element or āpo dhātu.

Similarly, this body has a warm nature. This is made up of the heat element or tejo dhātu. There are fluctuations of this warm nature, which are also of the heat element. Then, the food we consume is digested by this heat. That is also the tejo dhātu. The aging process of the body is also because of the tejo dhātu.

Similarly, this body has components belonging to the wind or gaseous element, which is called vāyo dhātu. There is gas created in the stomach. This sometimes comes up through the gullet and is called “uddhangamanīya” or upward wind. The gas created in the intestines escapes from our bottom end, and it is called “adhogamanīya” or the downward wind. Then, this body has gaseous element that circulates throughout the body, which is called “angamangānusarī” or circulatory air. Then, there is the air we breathe in and out. All these components are of the wind element or vāyo dhātu.

if you understand this correctly, as you mature in age, you would become somebody who understands life very well indeed. These instructions have been given by the Buddha. So, it is beneficial to practice the contemplation of elements. We can be totally confident that we are on the right track to understanding life.