INTEGRATION OF FIVE SENSES WITH THE FIVE ELEMENTS

EDUCARE ONE

“There was no one to know who I was till I created this world at my pleasure with one word. Immediately mountains rose up, rivers started running, earth below and sky over it …..to prove my existence came all forms….powers were bestowed upon them under my orders. The first place was granted to mankind and my knowledge was placed in (His) mind….” Sai Baba

THE BEGINNING

The entire cosmos was created from the Supreme Sovereign Energy. Aum is the first primordial Word of God that led to this creation. The dimension of space and time began with this initial act of creation. The Five Elements (Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth) were created in succession. The five Senses (sound, touch, form, taste and smell) and the Sense Organs (ear, skin, eyes, tongue and nose) were created for enjoyment of the five elements. Because of their Divine origin, the Elements & Senses should be used for sacred purposes. Use them intelligently to promote the welfare of yourself and others.

“The five elements are all aspects of God. Because of their Divine origin, our ancestors worshipped them as the embodiments of Divinity. They adored them as goddess of Earth, various goddesses representing Rivers, god of Fire, god of Wind and god of Space. Only use the five elements to the extent necessary. Do not misuse them ”

THE RELATIONSHIP

EARTH is characterised by the five attributes of sound, smell, touch, taste and form and is made up of all the five elements. It is therefore heavy and can’t move.

WATER has four attributes but devoid of smell. So it is lighter than earth. Thus, it can flow and move.

FIRE has no smell or taste. It is therefore lighter than water. It has capacity to rise as well as spread in all directions.

AIR is lighter than fire as it has only two attributes of sound and touch. Thus, it is more pervasive than fire.

SPACE is lighter than air and is most unrestrained since it is characterised by just one attribute – sound. Space exists everywhere because sound pervades the entire universe.

Space is activated by Vibrations. Vibrations by their movement gives rise to Air. To generate Heat, Air is necessary. Movement of Air (Radiation) results in Fire (or Heat). When the Heat cools off, Water is produced. Fluids solidify into the Earth (Materialisation).

“God transcends these five attributes. He is therefore subtlest of all, lightest of all and permeates the whole universe”

PRACTICAL LIVING

S P A C E

Origin of all other elements Medium of communication Avoid overcrowding to promote health When Space was created, Time was also activated When chanting AUM, meditate on the CREATOR creating the CREATION

S O U N D

Avoid loose and unnecessary talk since this leads to time waste Time waste is life waste Talk Truthfully Don’t speak ill of others Talk softly & lovingly. This will promote Love Chanting Lord’s name e.g. devotional singing will promote Love. Chant Mantras e.g. Gayathri Do silent sitting, meditation and hear the sound of Pranava (Aum) Sound pollution e.g. loud music, shouting etc. is disturbing

A I R

Sustains life - we need air to breathe Provides comfort Minimise pollution Promote Soham Breathing Practice Our breath goes in with the sound of Soh, and comes out with the sound of Hum. We repeat the Soham Mantra each time we breathe in and out. The meaning of Soham is I Am That (God) – this is the ultimate Truth Disrespect for Air can lead to pollution which will affect health

T O U C H

Avoid touching others during meditation or prayers since you can inherit others bad qualities For same reason, avoid bad company Promote family bonding (affection) Reverence for parents – touch their feet

F I R E

Source of Energy e.g. provides light & heat, for cooking, digests food in stomach to release energy and maintain body temperature Since Fire is source of energy, do not waste energy e.g. idle chat Assists health by killing pests etc Purify air e.g. by conducting yagna Doesn’t discriminate – excellent teacher Helps crop re-generation by burning ‘old’ Misuse of Fire will destroy. Fire therefore always reminds us of right conduct behaviour

S I G H T

Fire provides light which helps the sense organ (eye) to see; thus attribute of sight See no evil Limit vision to see ‘good’ things only Limit watching TV and playing computer games. These are energy wasters. Ceiling on Desires Read good books

W A T E R

Sustains life by maintaining balance in body; drink ‘pure’ water; avoid fizzy drinks & alcohol Conserve water – repair dripping taps, take shower rather than bath, use water sparingly for gardening, car washing etc Cleanser both outside and within the body Peace is promoted when listening to the sound or looking at water (e.g. sea side). Misuse will lead to droughts and destruction of life. Peace cannot be obtained from Money. Put limits on desire for money. Use money for sacred purposes.

T A S T E

Eating of ‘sathwik’ food and drink only should be encouraged Awareness of healthy eating; avoid ‘junk’ food; benefits for ‘vegetarian’ Have sacred thoughts when cooking Water is formless; be accommodative. Water flows down; practice Humility. Water finds its own level after flowing; be equal minded.

E A R T H

Selfless Provides food Type of food leads to One’s Personality leads to Good Vision, Good Thoughts, Good Listening, Good Words, Good Actions leads to Non-Violence Minerals (provides medical/other comfort) Earth is non-violent. Its misuse leads to earthquakes, flooding, violent weather patterns, droughts, deserts. We should be eco-conscious e.g. by re-cycling

S M E L L

Encourage good smell (e.g. ensure your surroundings are clean) since type of smell can influence thoughts and thoughts can lead to violent or non-violent behaviours