The 5 Elements

Existence or Cosmos is made up of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and
Ether. All these elements are different forms of the same Existential Energy which we call
God.

The basic thirst of man is to find a connection with this Existential Energy. All religions
have been born with the idea of finding a connection with Existence through the five
elements.

Let us examine how this is achieved:

Take the first element – the Earth element. Idol worship is nothing but trying to find a
connection with the Existential Energy through the Earth element. Idols are made up of
earth or clay. Through worshipping idols, we are actually trying to find a connection
through the Earth element.

Here, one point has to be clearly understood: We are not worshipping the idols; we are
worshipping through the idols. If this point is understood, there will not be so much of
fight and fanaticism over forms and idols. The Energy that everyone is worshipping is
one and the same. This has to be very clearly understood.

Next, we come to the water element. It is a spiritual practice to take bath in sacred rivers.
This is actually a technique to try to realise the Existential Energy through the water
element.

We perform so many fire rituals at our homes and temples. This practice is to
realise the Existential Energy through the fire element.

The fourth element is the air. Chanting mantras is nothing but trying to connect to
the Cosmic Energy through the air element. When we chant, we are playing with our
breath, which is nothing but the air element.

Finally, we come to the element which is the subtlest form of the Existential Energy – the
Ether element. Meditation is nothing but trying to connect to Existence through the ether
element.

The earth element is the first plane of tuning ourselves to the Energy and ether is the final
plane of tuning. We can start with the earth element – idol worship, but we tend to get
stuck there and there starts the problem.

You can start education with a kindergarten school, but you cannot stay in kindergarten forever,
can you? In the same way, you can start with idol worship so that you have something tangible
when you try to connect to the Cosmic Energy, but you have to ultimately graduate from it and
start meditating to fine tune yourself with Existence.

Once you start doing this and experiencing the joys of meditation, you will find yourself
expanding and exploding in all directions - 360 degrees.

Ritualistic worship always draws tight boundaries around you. It keeps you in a closed circle.
But once you have had a taste of meditation, you will start becoming an expanse. Then, when
you go back to rituals, you will look at them from a different dimension!

If you understand the underlying concept of the five elements, you will be able to enjoy
Existence continuously instead of getting stuck in different forms of worship. So, just try
to understand this and start resonating with Existence!

Today's Spiritual Science

Pain can lead to enlightenment

The next time you experience some pain, try this.
Lie down in a dark room with your eyes closed and focus upon the point of pain to the exclusion of all else.
As you experience the point of pain, drop the notion of ‘pain’ from your mind. Focus all
Your attention at this spot and soon you will find it shrinking. Concentrate further and you find that the pain
has disappeared and in its place you experience pleasure; pain and pleasure are the same sensation with
different tags. Your awareness of pain has caused it to disappear and bring in the positive energy of pleasure.

When you examine the phenomenon of pain deeply, you realize that you are not the body.
No pain can affect the real you. When you overcome pain, you experience the rare freedom arising out of non-attachment.

You then exist as an Atman, an enlightened Master. Pain can be the gateway to bliss, your
key to enlightenment. When you transcend both pain and pleasure, which are both one and the same, you
experience bliss, which is perfect harmony, inner silence and total peace.

To live life without pain and suffering, become aware of the emotion of pain. Then accept
the present — the here and now.

Awareness with acceptance is the way out of pain and suffering. Suffering is important, in
life, for growth. When you understand suffering, you will realize how unnecessary it is!

And meditation is the key to that awareness and acceptance.

Pain is a basic necessity of our lives; in the absence of pain we may start styling our faces
and limbs as we do our hair everyday! Pain is a sign of our body wisdom and renders us
integrated humans.

Emotionally and mentally, pain arises out of our resistance to the present. Such pain is
additive and creates a negative energy field around us that we can refer to as the ‘Pain
Body’. Emotional imbalance disturbs the physical body; sexual repression leads to back pain; a
sense of bearing high responsibilities causes shoulder pain; when you are in unfriendly
company your body seems to shrink.

Pain calls for our attention; because attention is energy.
We invite pain upon ourselves through a lack of moderation in whatever we do, and often
enjoy the pain as it brings us attention.

To sustain ourselves, we create a low energy pool of ailments, and gladly suffer cold and
cancer. Pain and dis-ease are often substitutes for a lack of attention. They are signs that we are
desperately seeking, begging and demanding attention.

It is established that a human being can stay alive without food for 90 days but could
develop serious mental trauma if he or she is not paid any attention to for 14 days.

So practice to pay attention and stay in the here and now!