We should try to remember our main Guru every day. Yesterday I wrote about the 24 gurus who gave Dattatreya, the son of the Holy Trinity, wisdom. The point this sage who lived thousands of years ago was making that we can learn discernment from anybody, be they humans or animals. He spoke about the elements which compose our mind, body and the universe. When we seek insight we have to purify ourselves.
We have to be centred and this the prithvi (earth) element fulfills. It is our most basic need. We have to satisfy ourselves and this element and the mooladhara chakra cater to our needs (physical, nurturing and safety).
The next element is Apas (water) and the swadhishthana chakra. The apas tattva works on our level of creativity and also because it is water there is instability. The swadhishthana chakra influences our greed, passion and also works on all fluids ranging from conception, procreation, and excretion.
The next element is agni (fire) and the manipura chakra. Fire is consuming and yet it renews and reinvigorates. The manipura chakra is responsible for our ambition.
The next element is Vayu (air) and the anahata chakra. Vayu works on our prana and being air it is never in one place. The anahata chakra works on our feeling and emotions and on our self-purification. Our atman resides in the heart.
The next element is akash (ether) and the visshudhi chakra. Ether works on our spirituality. The visshudhi chakra is responsible for communication and guidance.
How do we apply purification of the elements and the chakras to our daily life. Our prana is in our breath. It is always with us and when it flies away, we are no more. In order to proceed on the path of the seeker, we learn to respect the mother earth by not contaminating it with plastic, and toxic substances and making sure that we do not make it a junkyard with our refuse everywhere. Water we are also polluting by fouling it with toxins and scrap in the sea. The creatures of the sea are getting entangled in the nets and plastic dumped by us. We are eating their food, animals are dying of starvation. I have seen a dead penguin which had died of starvation next to the sea in Argentina.
Fire the next element, look at the fires happening all over the world. In Australia, the shrieks of the Koala bears burning was recorded and I heard it. I wept with sadness. A koala bear is such a cuddly creature. The air is toxic and people are suffering from pollution.
Last is ether and if we work on ourselves, it is possible to change many things. A simple act like breathing. If we all breathed correctly, concentrating on the process of respiration which we take for granted, we would be able to affect change.
Whats the lesson
How, because we are not engaging with our thoughts, and we are attaining equanimity through the balancing of our prana in our breath. Our lesson is that the universe is flushed with our prana and that will make us caring persons.
Aim Hrim Klim
Photo by Ian Parker on Unsplash