Zen in Ten: The Earth Exemplifies Our Rootedness
Meditating on the Elements to Experience Freedom
Hello Spark Zen readers! For the past five weeks, I’ve been taking a course on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness by the phenomenal scholar-monk Bhikkhu Analayo. One of the most profoundly transformative practices has been working with the elements (earth, wind, fire, and water) as a way to stabilize the mind. The course is offered through the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. All the quotes below are from Venerable Analayo’s book Satipatthana Meditation: A Practice Guide. Peace!
[A quote from the sutra itself]: “One examines the same body, however it is placed, however disposed, by way of the elements: ‘In this body there are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the wind element.’ ”
“In early Buddhist thought the elements represent qualities. A discourse in the Anguttara-Nikaya describes how a skilled practitioner can consider a tree as a manifestation of each of the four elements. However solid it appears, a tree is not only a manifestation of the earth element. It can similarly be seen as a manifestation of the water element, the fire element, or the wind element. The reason is that each of these qualities is present in a tree. Besides the wood, there is sap and temperature in the tree, and motion takes place inside of it. This illustrates the orientation of the early Buddhist analysis of matter into elements, which concerns mere qualities; it does not posit a form of essentialism or atomism.”
“As qualities, the earth element represents the principles of hardness, resistance, and stiffness, the water element liquidity, wetness and cohesion, the fire element the domain of temperature, manifesting as different degrees of warmth and heat, and the wind element the principle of motion, vibration, and oscillation.”
“To gain a sense of each of these elements, we could grit our teeth to get a feel for hardness as a manifestation of the earth element. The earth element is found throughout the whole body, but it is particularly evident in the bones. Next we could gather the spittle in our mouth and swallow it. Then we notice how the dryness in our mouth is gradually being replaced by wetness as spittle again accumulates in the mouth. The water element is found throughout the body, but it is particularly evident in the various bodily liquids.”
“Rubbing our hands together we can feel heat. The fire element is found throughout the body, but it is particularly evident on the skin level. Taking a deep breath we are aware of the motion of oxygen. The wind element is found throughout the body, but it is particularly evident in the constant motion of breath moving in and out of the body.”
“The earth does not react with disgust when something dirty is thrown on it. Water does not react if something dirty is thrown into it. Fire does not react when something disgusting is burned in it. Wind does not react to the repulsiveness of things on which it blows. Whatever happens, the elements do not take it personally. In the same way, the mind of an arahant is free from aversion and irritation; [they] do not take things personally.”
“This invites us to use the natural manifestations of the elements outside in nature as an exemplification of stability of the mind within. In this way, recollecting the elements can be used as an inspiration to cultivate the absence of reactivity that is characteristic of those who have walked the path all the way to its completion.”
“The element earth can also be used to exemplify our rootedness and what is wholesome and productive of welfare for ourselves and others. Again, similar to water, which adapts its form to wherever it flows, so we can train ourselves to be flexible and adaptive to outer circumstances.”
“Just as fire provides warmth to those who are shivering with cold, so we can offer the warmth of our heart to the lonely and desolate.”
“Comparable to wind that keeps moving, in the same way we keep progressing on the path to liberation. In this or any other way, the four elements can be employed as metaphors for mental qualities to be cultivated.”