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View Full Version : The Nine Elements - Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Yoni, Lingam, Sun, Moon, Akasha



izi
04 December 2007, 01:06 PM
Hello, I am on a hunt for something very very specific.

I need to know everything and anything about the nine elements as it is taught in any system of Yoga.

What I specifically am trying to find is any instance of where Sun, Moon, Yoni and Lingam occur or are referenced as elements.

I am starting by finding my correlations one by one, drawing parallels between gods such as Chamunda and the moon, but I am especially interested in whole systems that deal with nine elements.

In China we have the 9 Star Ki system but this does not really seem to envelop Moon and Sun, or Lingam and Yoni understandings. I believe Indian systems will be of more use here.

This may not yield anything but I knew if anyone could help me out it would be the Hindu Dharma forums. :)

yajvan
08 December 2007, 09:04 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~


Hello, I am on a hunt for something very very specific.

I need to know everything and anything about the nine elements as it is taught in any system of Yoga.

What I specifically am trying to find is any instance of where Sun, Moon, Yoni and Lingam occur or are referenced as elements.

This may not yield anything but I knew if anyone could help me out it would be the Hindu Dharma forums. :)

Namaste LH,
I thought to offer you a few ideas... is it 'everything' you are asking ? probably not , but this will help I believe.

Note when you say the 9 elements - it probably throws some people off.

The one system that offers 9 elements is Vaisheshika², as it looks at the special qualities (vishesha) that distinguish one object from another. The various elements considered.
The Sankhya¹ System may be of interest as it offers the 24 +1 or 24 elements of prakrti + Purusha.
Jyotish offers the fundamental elements or mahabhutas. Yet it also uses components from the Sankhya system and Vaisheshika system.
If I were talking Kasmir Saivism we would be talking 36 elements.Yet if we use the word tattva 'that ness' as the ultimate name of element, there is one Supreme tattva, Brahman. So as you can see it all depends which school one is talking about. There's always a pickle!

Here is some initial thinking for you:

Panca (some write pancha) mahabhutas - or 5 great elements
Panca Tanmatras - 5 subtle elements
Panca Jnanendriyas - 5 organs of action
The connection to the Grahas ( or planets)FYI - I have not added the antahkaranas or manas, buddhi, ahamkara or mind, intellect and ego, just to keep this post easy and simple

The Panca Mahabhutas
Prithvi or earth, material, or physical level
Jala or water, fluids
Tejas, some say agni, fire, combustion, energy, conflagration
Vayu or air, gaseous, wind levels
Akasha or pure space ( my favorite).

As we go up the 'food chain' the mahabhutas unfold and manifest to other elements as the tanmatras and these unfold to the jnendriyas
Mahabhutas_________ Tanmatras_____________ Jnanendriyas
__prithvi -----------> abode of smell----------> experience of smell; nose
__jala--------------> abode of taste ---------> experience of taste; tongue
__tejas ------------> abode of form ----------> experience of sight; eye
__vayu ------------> abode of touch ---------> experience of touch; skin
__akasha ----------> abode of sound ---------> experience of sound; ear

As you already know this is how we interact with the world and how we are connected with the world. We are an extension of the environment.

Counterparts In The Sky
Prithvi is connected to Mercury
Jala is connected to Venus and Moon
Tejas is connected to Mars and Sun
Vayu is connected to Saturn
Akasha is connected to Jupiter, and provides the space for all these elements and grahas to reside in, their abodes.
Jupiter (Guru, Brihaspiti) plays a key role for creation. No space, no place for creation to reside in.

From a jyotish perspective the connection points with the grahas and the human condition is of great import. The grahas influence and many say own these Mahabhutas, their positions, movements, etc. affect this bhu loka ( physical existence). That is the connection between us and them. The human condition and the graha influence.

_______________________________________

1. The Sankhya Philosophy - is the work of Sage Kapila. He out lines 24 +1 elements. 24 as part of prakriti ( the field of the 3 gunas) and 1 Purusha that is transcendental by nature - beyond the 3 guna.
This word sankhya संख्य means counting up or over , reckoning or summing-up; Another view, it is samyag-jnana or right knowledge, perfect knowledge.
2. Vaisheshika by the sage Kanada offers 9 elements; The 5 mahabhutas - or 5 great elements. The other 4 are time or kala, direction in space or dik, Atman or soul and mind or manas for a total of 9.

pranams,

sarabhanga
20 December 2007, 01:57 AM
Namaste LadyHydralisk,

skanda is navadIdhiti (nine-rayed), durgA is navAtmikA (consisting of nine parts), and nara has navadvAra (nine doors); and there are the navagraha (nine planets), the navaratna (nine jewels), the navarAtra (nine nights), and the navadravya (nine ingredients).

nava indicates both the number nine and youth or renewal; and I would particularly look to the navanAtha and their navatAntava yoga, which involves all of the above.

izi
20 December 2007, 11:47 AM
Fantastic, thank you so much. I haven't been on lately because I have been scouring the library for information - some of it repeats what you have mentioned. I'll be sure to post some bits here once I get the information compiled. Thank you!

Nuno Matos
20 December 2007, 03:54 PM
Namaste LadyHydralisk

How about this scale of 9 elements ? Five of them of low energy four of them highly energetic:

I. [ OM ] indeed this all creation
II. M
III. U
IV. A
V. Akasha
VI. Air
VII. Fire
VIII. Water
IX. Earth

Vyasajothi
09 March 2009, 01:26 AM
greart information.. very useful for me