All ancient sciences talk of balancing of five elements of life. For a healthy and peaceful living the balancing of these five elements is a must. Every problem is caused by the imbalance of these five elements. Let us try to understand these elements.
Earth (Prithvi)
When we talk of Earth means we are talking of stability. To all living beings Earth gives stability. Hence anything which carries heavy weight, has stability, is solid and is rough and has shape is Earthy element. Simple example of Earthy element are iron bars, stones, bricks, heavy logs of wood, T-Iron, slab, concrete etc. are considered as earthy elements which are primarily used for construction of building at initial stage. They are responsible for shape, stability, strength and age of the building.
When we talk of eatables any food which is heavier than water is considered earthy element like wheat, rice, jaggery or staple food. All taste sweet.
Qualities – heavy, rough, solid, stable, dense, resistance
Substance – anything solid and heavy
Water (Jala or Apa)
Water element has weight but it does not carry stability and does not have shape either. You can judge it from water. Water flows. It can not be stable and it takes the shape of the utensil it is kept in. Water is used for cooling as well as lubrication. When we talk of building construction water is required for bondage between cement, stone dust, concrete and Iron bars.
When we talk of eatables water, drinks, soups, cucumber, melons can come into water element.
Qualities – weight, moist, cool, fluidity, no specific shape, lubrication
Substance – anything liquid, fluid or watery
Fire (Agni or Tejas)
Fire element is hot, sharp, dry and rough and is weightless. Fire element has luster and is attractive. When we talk of construction of building then we can relate fiery element in building construction is required for making bricks. Paints, whitewash etc. is attributed to Fire element. Fire element also signifies radiation to heat and light. Henceforth tube light, bulbs etc. also signify fire element. Fire element increases glow. When we talk of food items then chilies, ginger, pepper, clove, cumin fall into this category.
Qualities – hot, sharp, dry, subtle, weightless and rough
Substance – anything combustible and spicy
Air ( Vayu)
Air element is weightless, mobile, cool and noisy. We can understand by the example of musical instruments like table, mridang, drums are hollow and because of that they make sound. Similarly when you speak air comes out of it. In construction this element is residual of chemical reactions and evaporation is required for setting the RCC etc. Excess of this element in building or human body indicates aging process. When we talk of food items beans, alcohol etc. have this element in abundance. Consuming excess alcohol increases instability in the body.
Qualities – weightless, mobile, cool, dry, porous, noise and subtle
Substance – anything dry and airy, or that creates gas
Space (Akash)
The element is difficult to understand however it is hollowness or which gives room or looseness or openness. Everything is contained in space. All heavenly bodies that we see in the sky is in space. When we have to change place we have to make room. When we have to adjust anything we need room. When we talk of food items hollow foods like pop corn, catechu, fennel fall into this category.
Qualities – soft, light, subtle and abundant.
Substance – anything that is light, profuse, and ethereal
Using the characteristics described above, every object around you can be considered and classified. This should be done with the basic understanding that everything is a mixture of different proportions of the elements, some of which may be manifested under different conditions.
For example, even the compound of water itself cannot be considered to have a single fixed elemental nature. When solid and heavy (ice, snow, hail) it is a representation of earth ( since it is solid, it has shape and stability). It melts due to the exposure of light and heat – fires. So it transforms to water, then evaporates and creates steam due to contact with air and fire (sunlight) and disappears into space.
The balance and character of elements in the environment constantly fluctuates and is never static – the temperature (fire), humidity (water), dryness (air) and so on are in a natural state of flux, depending upon the combination and quantity of elements present. Sometimes severe weather results when this combination becomes volatile, unsustainable or extreme – electrical storms, cyclones or hurricanes, floods or drought.
Five elements and its relation to nature, building structures and human body
Humans are one of the many living organisms present on Earth. We are physically made up of exactly the same elements that form all of the other entities that live on Earth. When we die, our bodies return to the earth, water, fire, air and space. A person sustains the combination of elements already present in the body through breathing air and consuming food and liquids – taking in those elements found in the surrounding natural world.
The “five element” theory explains the similarity between humans and the natural world surrounding them. In our body, space is present wherever there is a cavity like in the nostrils, mouth, ears, throat, lungs, and stomach; air in movement of the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines and joints; fire in all metabolic activity, the eyes, intelligence and body temperature; water in all plasma, blood, mucus, and saliva; and earth in any solid structure like fat, muscles, skin, nails and hair.
The basic elemental compatibility or similarity between Earth and humans clarifies why substances found in the natural world (plants, herbs, foods) are usually harmonious with the human system. They can be easily absorbed and cause no adverse reactions or side effects (if consumed in appropriate quantities) because they are fundamentally the same in character and composition. This is why foods and herbs are able to heal the human body. Vegetation can repair and restructure humans because they share a common elemental basis.
The human lifecycle is divided into childhood, where physical growth takes place (water and earth), adulthood where activity and change occur (fire), and old age where mobility becomes impaired and the body begins to weaken (space and air). Health problems are also according to age. During physical growth the taste buds also change. Child likes to eat sweet things like (Earth) whereas young man likes to eat spicy food and elderly likes bitter ones. Even the common diseases during childhood are dysentery, at young age is acidity whereas at elder age is arthritis, pain in joints, dry skin, Parkinson etc. It is same as when building is being constructed it requires (water and earth). When structure is complete it requires paint and white wash and after a number of years the building or structure weakens and cracks appear (space and air) in the building.
The year is divided into four seasons – winter when it is cold and rainy (water, earth); spring when new growth occurs and it becomes warmer (water, fire); summer when it is hot and dry (fire, air); and autumn when it is windy and cool (air and space).
These five elements are further classifieds as
1) Earth + water = Phlegm (Kaph)
They are primarily used for building construction
Earth elements are bricks, concrete, iron bars added with fillers like cement and stone dust (air element) and water to build structures. Addition of all these creates a chemical reaction (fire). Without the use of water fire and air element the Earth element (bricks, concrete, iron bars) can not join together. However the major element used during construction is water and Earth and all the elements should be properly mixed for maximum strength of the structure. The Earth element is used so that it will give stability for the machinery/ people working on it and in it.
2) Water + Fire = Pittah
Once the building structure is complete it requires finishing touches, paint and whitewash. This is for decoration or beauty of the building. All these are fiery items including lights. Paint and whitewash is repeated at regular interval for the maintenance of the building and once the building becomes old paint and whitewash can not hide the age of the building.
3) Air + Space = Vaat
Vaat of building would increase when the building has gone too old and that is the time the pillars and the walls get cracks and that is the time to rebuild the whole structure after demolishing it.
Umang Taneja
Umang Taneja 