Bounty: Elementary

Lately, I’ve been looking for new ways to ground myself in the present when my mind is going off to ‘who knows where.’ Today, I fell to reflecting on what’s called ‘the four elements,’ and found this to be amazingly effective.

I had heard that sometimes what makes people feel angry is alienation from those around them, a sense that people are not us, foreign, alien. But when I think of the four elements I realize that we are all very related indeed. These are air, water, earth, and fire (though I prefer to think of it as heat).

In Theravada Buddhism, in particular, it is said that we are composed of these. Air goes into the lungs. It is mostly composed of Oxygen and Nitrogen, both of which dissolve in the blood. Oxygen is also carried by the red blood cells, and is, of course, essential for us. Water is mostly what we’re made of, for example in our blood and saliva. It is also perspired by us. Earth is in our bones and teeth as calcium and other minerals. In addition there is iron in the blood, and many other minerals in our bodies. Heat we can feel in our bodies as well.

Another way of looking at this is that life is mostly composed of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon, with Phosphorus and Sulfur as well, and many other trace elements.

And so, we see that we really do have a lot in common.

We can also add the six senses, which most people have, consisting of sight, smell, taste, touch, smell and consciousness. Plus, there’s the fact that we all have certain basic needs, such as food and water, some kind of shelter, and usually clothes of some sort.

Hence, by examining and reflecting upon these we find how similar we all are, and also how connected to everything else, the elements are found all over the place.

Some people also add space itself as an element, because how could we possibly move around without it? And, there’s plenty of that around, both outer and inner.

When I’m in a huff and I do this type of reflection, I often find it calming; so, it’s probably good to do, at least as an alternative to just getting into a stew or blowing one’s stack. Plus, you may find it quite interesting too.