5 Elements, was Baptism

[Guest guest]

Hi Wim,

>the

>*traditional-five-elements-combined-with-the-traditional-five-senses-and

>-aggregates-plus-two-additional-non-traditional-elements/senses*, play a

>role.

>

>The combined understanding of the five elements / five senses fall under

>the Sanskrit term 'skandas' and are an early attempt at

>nature-psychology-philosophy.

 

The five elements are part of the ancient wisdom of man... no need to

reinvent it. In the West's Mysteries and in Alchemy, the four elements

are earth, water, fire, and air... symbolising the 4 of manifested

creation, the "four-square city." The fifth element is the quintessence,

the Philosopher's Stone.

 

Govinda sees the ancient traditions, East and West, as one. I'll post his

writing on this.

>These skandas are still the focus in the

>centre part of the Tibetan Mandala with its five directions, East,

>South, West, North, Upwards. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote a tiny

>little pamphlet on that which was never widely distributed.)

 

In the Tibetan type of mandala you speak of, the four elements are

visualized with other appropriate symbols for the first four chakras.

Since the Tibetan system uses five chakras, these are:

Muladhara, Root Center (including the first 2 in the system of 7),

Manipura, Navel Center,

Anahata, Heart Center, and

Visuddha, Throat Center.

 

The fifth element, the quintessence, ether, or vajra, is shown in the

center of the mandala and corresponds with:

Sahasrara, Brain Center (of which the Forehead Center or Ajna is a part).

 

OM is the mantra corresponding to this chakra and to the quintessence,

which should be a hint that something very unusual is connected with this

quintessence, this vajra. In Govinda's writing and other TIbetan books you

can find many hints about this mystery.

 

When we use the passage of the five elements as a technique in conjunction

with the 7-chakra system, then the 5th corresponds to Visuddha, the Throat

Center. What is above that? I looked through Govinda's book carefully to

see what he had to say... he says that "higher" energies are a type or

variation of vajra. It is with the transition from the four earthly

elements to vajra that the great transition is made.

>Even the series of elements can be diverse; Although the series

>thatincludes wood and metal is not referred to here

 

Wood and metal are part of the Chinese five elements. Tao Master Mantak

Chia's first book on this process is called _Fusion of the Five Elements

I_. He says it is about the ancient study of Internal Alchemy.

 

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Dear Dharma

 

It is prudent (comes from 'provident')

to ensure that we do not conform indiscriminately

to what books and scriptures describe us to be...

> The five elements are part of the ancient wisdom of man... no need to

reinvent it.

 

Indeed...

but we may rediscover....

and in the process discover...

some barely visible scintillating facets.

 

I'd rather err on the side of originality and the barely known,

(being called a fool who is too sure of himself)

than feel safe on the side of old chestnuts and the already known

(being called an expert who quotes perfectly from what is already known)

 

The first one dies prematurely and will be remembered,

The other one remembers but may live a tad long.

(OK, OK, just playing with words, I am just a fool who is long in the

tooth.)

 

))))

And you know Dharma, that I appreciate you...

 

Love, Wim