The Four Great Elements

Rūpas, material phenomena, are not mere textbook terms, they are realities that can be directly experienced. Rūpas do not know or experience anything; they can be known by nā ma. Rūpa arises and falls away, but it does not fall away as quickly as nāma. When a characteristic of rū pa such as hardness impinges on the bodysense it can be experienced through the bodysense by several cittas arising in succession within a process. But even though rūpa lasts longer than citta, it falls away again, it is impermanent. Rūpas do not arise singly, they arise in units or groups. What we take for our body is composed of many groups or units, consisting each of different kinds of rūpa, and the rūpas in such a group arise together and fall away together. There are four kinds of rūpa, the four “Great Elements” (Mahā-bhūta rūpas), which have to arise together with each and every group of rūpas, no matter whether these are rūpas of the body or rūpas outside the body. The types of rūpa other than the four Great Elements depend on these four rūpas and cannot arise without them. They are the following rūpas:

• the Element of Earth (paṭhavīdhātu) or solidity

• the Element of Water (āpodhātu) or cohesion

• the Element of Fire (tejodhātu) or heat

• the Element of Wind (vāyodhātu) or motion

Earth, Water, Fire and Wind do not in this context have the same meaning as in conventional language, neither do they represent conceptual ideas as we find them in different philosophical systems. In the Abhidhamma they represent ultimate realities, specific rūpas each with their own characteristic. The element of earth, paṭhavī dhā tu, translated into English as “solidity” or “ extension”, has the characteristic of hardness or softness. It can be directly experienced when we touch something hard or soft. We do not have to name this rū pa “element of earth” in order to experience it. It is an element that arises and falls away; it has no abiding substance, it is devoid of a “self”. We take softness and hardness of the body for self, but these are only elements arising because of conditions. It may seem that hardness can last for some time, but in reality it falls away immediately. The hardness that is experienced now is already different from the hardness that arose a moment ago. The element of earth appears as hardness or softness; the element of fire as heat or cold; the element of wind as motion or pressure. These three elements can be experienced by touch. The element of water cannot be experienced through touch, but only through the mind-door. When we touch what we call water, cold which is the element of fire, or hardness, which is the element of earth, can be directly experienced. Every day we experience a great variety of sense objects, but they are, in fact, only different compositions of rūpa elements. When we touch a cushion or chair, tangible object may appear, such as hardness or softness. We used to think that a cushion or chair could be experienced through touch. When we are more precise, it is hardness or softness that can be experienced through touch. Because of remembrance of former experiences we can think of a cushion or chair and we know that they are named “cushion” or “chair”. This example can remind us that there is a difference between ultimate realities and concepts we can think of but which are not real in the ultimate sense. Viewing the body and the things around us as different combinations of rūpas may be new to us. Gradually we shall realize that rūpas are not abstract categories, but that they are realities appearing in daily life.