WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF FIVE ELEMENTS IN MEDITATION& WHAT ARE THE FOUR LIMBS OF MEDITATION ?

IMPORTANCE OF FIVE ELEMENTS;--

1-Knowledge of the five elements is an essential pre-requisite for more advanced yoga practice because the elements form the world we live in and the structure of our body-mind. All yoga practices work on the five elements, whether we know it or not. Knowledge of the elements (tattwas) is also the basis of yoga therapy and of Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine. Through consciously working with the elements, we learn how to attain and maintain health and also how to consciously enjoy a long and fulfilling life based on higher awareness.

2-Everything in nature is made up of five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. Knowledge of the five elements allows the yogi to understand the laws of nature and to use yoga to attain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom and happiness. This arises out of deep intuition of how the universe operates.

THE ROLE OF FIVE ELEMENTS;--

1-Each of the five elements represents a state of matter. Earth is not just soil, but it is everything in nature that is solid. Water is everything that is liquid. Air is everything that is a gas.

2-Fire is that part of Nature that transforms one state of matter into another. For example, fire transforms the solid state of water (ice) into liquid water and then into its gaseous state (steam). Withdrawing fire recreates the solid state. Fire is worshipped in many yogic and Tantric rituals because it is the means by which we can purify, empower, and control the other states of matter.

3-Space is the mother of the other elements. The experience of space as luminous emptiness is the basis of higher spiritual experiences.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS;--

1-Each of the five elements has a certain relationship with the other elements, based on their nature. These relationships form the laws of nature. Some elements are enemies, in that each blocks the expression of the other.

2-Fire and water, for example, will "destroy" each other if they get the chance. In order to co-exist fire and water need to be separated.. Too much fire in the body will create inflammation, while too much water can dampen fire and cause indigestion.

3-Some elements are said to "love" each other in that they are supportive and nurturing of each other. Earth and water love to "hug" each other, and air and fire increase each other.

4-Other elements are simply friendly and cooperative. For example, water and air can live together without problems, as in soda water; but when the chance occurs, they separate. The same occurs with fire and earth.

THE ELEMENTS IN THE BODY ;--

1-Each element is responsible for different structures in the body. Earth forms solid structures, such as bones, flesh, skin, tissues, and hair. Water forms saliva, urine, semen, blood, and sweat. Fire forms hunger, thirst, and sleep. Air is responsible for all movement, including expansion, contraction, and suppression. Space forms physical attraction and repulsion, as well as fear.

2-If any element is impure or out of balance with another, disease and suffering may occur. Yoga helps us purify these elements and restore balance and health, and to unfold the inner powers and abilities contained in each element.

3- In fact, yoga is one of the most powerful ways to restore health because it gives us the means to bring even those elements that are natural enemies into harmonious relationships with each other.Using the Elements to Purify and Rebalance the bodyWe can use the water, fire, and air elements to purify all the elements of the body.

CAN WE USE 'AIR' IN SAHAJ YOG TO PURIFY & BALANCE?

1-Of all the elements, air is perhaps the most powerful to cleanse the body of toxins. This is partially because it fans the fire in our body-mind. It is also because air is prana, the life force.

2-When it is made to circulate through the body and the other elements, it automatically purifies us. Teaching the proper use of breath during asana and incorporating Pranayama practice into our daily routine increases both our lightness and our inner power.

3-Certain pranayama techniques can be used to identify where imbalances lie in the elements of the body, and to consciously rebalance these.

4-One of the best ways of doing this is to learn the natural order of the elements in the body. Earth and water are at the base, below the navel, fire is in the middle of the torso; air and space reside in the upper body.

THE LIMBS OF MEDITATION CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS;- ;--

1-THE FOUR GROSS LIMBS OF MEDITATION ;--

A-THE ELEMENT;--EARTH & WATER AS ASAN & STRENGTH TO SIT

B- THE ELEMENT ;-FIRE AS 'TRATAK'

C-THE ELEMENT ;AIR AS PRANAYAMA (NADI SHODHAN,VICTORIOUS BREATH)

D-THE ELEMENT ;--SPACE AS ZERO STATE

NOTE;--So,it is very clear that without help of four elements ;we can't reach space .Space is a platform to reach higher planes.Maintaining awareness of this when we practice asana, pranayama and meditation aids the proper distribution of the energy into the elements.

As the prana moves up and down in the body, we awaken certain parts of the body with consciousness and energy, coaxing the elements into balance.Knowledge of the five elements is the essential to higher yogic and tantric practices.

2-THE FOUR SUBTLE LIMBS OF MEDITATION;-

There are four Yogas, viz.,

1-KARMA YOG

2-BHAKTI YOG

3-JNANA YOG

4-ASTANG /KRIYA YOG

Karma is suitable for people of active temperament, Bhakti Yoga for people of devotional temperament, Jnana Yoga for men of mystic temperament with bold understanding and strong will-power. Bhakti Yoga is suitable for vast majority of persons as they are emotional. Jnana Yoga is suitable for a microscopic minority only. Ladies can realise God quickly as their hearts are filled with devotion, Prema and affection. But it is very difficult for them to get Vairagya.

WHAT IS THE AIM OF LIFE?--

10- FACTS;-- 1-According to Indian philosophy, it is only through the human birth that the supreme Experience can be attained and the individual soul can finally merge into the Supreme Soul. And that is the purpose and the goal of human birth.

2-The purpose of life is to realise the oneness of all creation and one's identity with the Divinity. True life is life in God.

3-The goal of life is God-realisation. Never forget this. It is your birthright.

To become divine is the aim of life.

3-The purpose of human birth is to achieve Divine Consciousness. You have come here to attain supreme and unalloyed Bliss.

4-The purpose of your existence is to serve with divine bhava (attitude), to purify and steady the mind, to attain freedom and perfection, which is Self-realisation.

5- Only one sentence "Know thy Self and be free ".... Its the very essence of spiritual discourses.

6-Have definite, chief aim - God-realisation. Practise self-control, have a fully ripe and pure mind. Cultivate strong discrimination, burning yearning for liberation. Meditate ceaselessly on your inner Self which is the only Reality, which is pure Consciousness, have perfect faith in words of guru and God.

7-Do not miss the golden opportunity this life gives you for God-realisation. Let each day dawn for you as a fresh opportunity and occasion, opening up before you to move one step further towards the great attainment of God-realisation.

8-Identify yourself with the pure, immortal Atma, the non-dual Brahman.

Awaken the soul-force in you. You can work wonders.

9-There is a para-vastu (transcendental Principle) in the innermost recess of your heart - the daharakasha. It is self-luminous, sva-prakasha.Recognise, that you are the living Truth. Realise that you are always inseparable from the one Essence that is the substratum of all these names and forms, these false shadowy appearances.

10-Get yourself firmly established in that Brahman, the Light of lights. Nothing can disturb you now. You have become invulnerable (Impossible to harm).

NOTE;- A MAN HAS TO WORK SO HARD TO GET MATERIAL GAINS;SO, WE SHOULDN'T EXPECT THAT ITS A EASY PATH.ON THE CONTRARY WE MUST BE READY TO FACE THREEFOLD CHALLENGES .THE NEXT IS--KARMA YOG........SHIVOHAM......