Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
6 element practice
DairyLama
Veteran Veteran
in Meditation
I've recently been working with this again and am finding it useful. The 6 elements are earth, wind, fire, water, space and consciousness, and neatly cover everything that we experience. This method of analysis can be applied both internally and externally.
I originally came across this practice with Triratna, see here: http://www.wildmind.org/six-elements
The 6 elements are described in MN140: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.140.than.html
2
Comments
You had six elements? You were lucky! We only had five ...
http://yinyana.tumblr.com/day/2012/09/13
Despite the combining of space and consciousness, I feel elemental practice is very complete. I did it initially very much as a rather rigid mind discipline. Not the most effective way but still useful.
Now on the occasions I do it, the practice is more an exploration of what is called 'chakras' or centres or types of consciousness; body, emotions, intent or will, communication and mind/spirit. So in a sense I feel it can balance our being and make us more aware of types of sensory processing/areas of attention.
I've been working with just space and consciousness the last few days. Cool! Have realised it's mostly space.
Yeah, OP, in Chinese medicine, it's a 5-element theory; earth, wood, fire, metal, and water.
Don't you mean the 4 elements OP?
The three main elements of Buddhism are:
Buddha = Grounding
Sangha = Expression
Dharma = Sky
Soon there will only be One
That's the Triple Gem bro
Don't mix up the terminologies. They are there to decrease confusion.
The triple gem has three elements or not?
The reason it is called the "Triple Gem" is to emphasis the preciousness of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
So by calling it the "3 elements" you miss out the important symbolism the Buddha is trying to portray.
The 4 elements (earth, water, fire and wind) are called the elements because they are described as building blocks that makes up our physical form. So calling it the 4 treasures wouldn't be the most appropriate way to deliver the intended meanings.
This why we are taught to be humble with Dharma terminologies.
You mean the Dharma should be respected? Pah
Wot for? It is just ignorance bro.
sigh... attachment to emptiness.
The Buddha said that it is better than a person gets attached to form as numerous as the size of Mt Sumeru, than getting attached to emptiness as little as a mustard seed.
stay safe lobster....
I hope for your case you are trolling and not actually one of those dudes talking about not attaching to the Dharma nomsayin?
Usually 4 ( the aspects of the form aggregrate ) but in a couple of suttas space and consciousness are added to make 6 elements. It's like a "form-heavy" alternative to the usual 5 aggregates model.
Noticing space is interesting, it seems to help with the feeling of mental spaciousness. And noticing the 6 types of consciousness is really another way of being mindful of the sense bases, as per the Satipatthana Sutta.
^^ Education: Throwing down imitation pearls before real swine^^.