Mahabhuta is Sanskrit and Pali for "great element". In Buddhism,
the "four great elements" (Pali: cattaro mahabhutani) are earth,
water, fire and air. Hinduism adds a fifth "great" or "gross"
element: akasha, the equivalent of what Aristotle called
aether.
In Hinduism's sacred literature, the "great" or "gross" elements
(mahabhuta) are fivefold: space (or "ether"), air, fire, water and
earth.
For instance, the Taittiriya Upanisad describes the five
"sheaths" of a person (Sanskrit: purusa), starting with the
grossest level of the five evolving great elements:
"From this very self (atman) did space come into being;
from space, air; from air, fire; from fire, the waters, from the
waters, the earth; from the earth, plants; from plants, food; and
from food, man.... Different from and lying within this man formed
from the essence of food is the self (atman) consisting of
lifebreath.... Different from and lying within this self consisting
of breath is the self (atman) consisting of mind.... Different from
and lying within this self consisting of mind is the self (atman)
consisting of perception.... Different from and lying within this
self consisting of perception is the self (atman) consisting of
bliss....
In canonical texts, the four Great Elements refer to elements
that are both "external" (that is, outside the body, such as a
river) and "internal" (that is, of the body, such as blood). These
elements are described as follows:
Earth element (pa?havi-dhatu)
Internal earth elements include head hair, body hair, nails, teeth,
skin, flesh, sinews, bone, organs, intestinal material, etc.
Water element (apo-dhatu)
Internal water elements include bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat,
fat, tears, nasal mucus, urine, etc.
Fire element (tejo-dhatu)
Internal fire elements include those bodily mechanisms that produce
physical warmth, aging, digestion, etc.
Air element (vayo-dhatu)
Internal air elements includes air associated with the pulmonary
system (for example, for breathing), the intestinal system ("winds
in the belly and ... bowels"), etc.
These four elements are described as "primary" or "underived"
(no-upada) matter (rupa), meaning that they cannot be analyzed into
further atomistic units. While underived, this does not mean that
they are "unconditioned". Thus, for instance, according to the 5th
c. CE commentarial Visuddhimagga, "as to the proximate cause, each
[element] has the other three as its proximate cause".
Fifth and sixth elements
In addition to the above four elements of underived matter, two
other elements are occasionally found in the Pali Canon:
Space element (akasa-dhatu)
Internal space elements includes bodily orifices such as the ears,
nostrils, mouth, etc.
Consciousness element (viññasa-dhatu)
Described as "pure and bright" (parisuddhas pariyodatas), used to
cognize the three feelings (vedana) of pleasure, pain and
neither-pleasure-nor-pain, and the arising and passing of the sense
contact (phassa) upon which these feelings are dependent.
According to the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the "space element" is
identified as "secondary" or "derived" (upada).
Disclaimer:
Do not approach this series lightly. If this were only a 500'
bushwhack, I would call it hellish. The roots will trip you, the
branches will shred you and poke your eyes, and the insects will
consume you. But it's not 500'. It's over 12 bloody miles! I highly
recommend you bring snake boots, lots of water, long pants, long
sleeve shirt, lots of water, good hat, pokey stick, lots of water,
spare everything, bug spray, lots of water, writing utensils, cell
phone, lots of water.
Did I mention bring lots of water?
You may find a laminated clue slip in this cache. If you do, you
might want to solve the riddle. This will help you locate the Gaia
puzzle cache nearby. Please leave clue slips in the caches you find
them in.
