The Universe And How We Are Connected: According to Ayurveda, the source of all existence is universal Cosmic Consciousness, which manifests as male and female energy,Purusha,Often associated with a male energy, is choiceless, passive, pure awareness. Prakruti,the female energy is active choiceful consciousness. Both Purusha and Prakruti are eternal, timeless, and immeasurable.These two energies are present in all living organisms, including every man and women,as well as inanimate objects.
Purusha is formless and beyond attributes .Unmanifested pure existence,beyond cause and effect ,beyond space and time ,Purusha takes no active part in creation but remains a silent witness .
Prakruti ,Which has form,color and attributes ,is the divine creative will that dances that dances of creation .Prakruti is the one that becomes many .Purusha is the lover ,Prakruti the beloved .Creation of this universe happens through their love .All of nature is the the child born from the womb of Prakruti ,the Divine Mother .
In the manifestation of nature from Prakruti ,the first expression of Mabad (Or Mabat ) ,intelligence or cosmic order .(In human beings ,it is referred to as Buddhi ,intellect .) Next is Abamkar or ego .the sense of self –identity ,the center in our consciousness from which we think ,act,and react .Abamkar expresses itself in three universal qualities .
Sattva is stability ,purity ,wakefulness ,essence ,clarity and light .Rajas is dynamic movement and causes sensations ,feelings and emotions .Tamas is the tendency toward inertia ,darkness ,ignorance for deep sleep and periods of confusion .It also leads to the creation of matter .
From the essence of Sattva are born the mind ,the five sense faculties and their organs ( ears to hear,skin to perceive touch ) eyes to see ,tongue to taste ,nose to smell ), and the five motor organs or organs of action,the mouth for speech ,the hands ,feet,reproductive organs and organs of excretion .
Rajas is the active force behind the movement of both the sensory and motor organs .Tamas gives rise to the five elements ,which form the basis of materials creation : space ( ether ) ,air,fire ,water and earth .
Man,a creation of Cosmic Consciousness is considered to be a microcosm of the macrocosm that is the universe .Whatever is present in the cosmos ,the same is present in human beings .Man is a miniature of nature .
The Five Elements : Building Blocks Of Nature
The concept of the five elements is one of the most fundamental in Ayurvedic science .These five elements (Space,air,fire,water and earth ) exist in all matter ,both organic and inorganic. As man is a microcosm of nature ,the five elements also exist within each individual .Our psychological tendencies ,as well as our five sense and the various aspects of our body functioning are all directly related to the five elements .
According to Ayurveda ,the five elements manifest sequentially ,beginning with space,from the pure ,unifed ,unmanifested Cosmic Consciousness that is the source of all .
Space : Sometimes Referred to as “ ether “,Space is empty ,light ,subtle ,all-pervading ,omnipresent and all-enclosing .It is universal ,non –moving and formless .Space is nuclear energy .It appears when the pure unmanifest consciousness begins to vibrate and is associated with sound and the sense of hearing .We need space in order to live,move,grow and communicate .Spaces in the body include the mouth,nose ,gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, abdomen and thorax. Psycholgically,space gives freedom ,peace and expansion of consciousness and is responsible for love and compassion as well as feelings of sepration ,isolation ,emptiness ,ungroundedness ,insecurity ,anxiety and fear .
Air : Air is dry ,light ,clear and mobile ,The second manifestation of consciousness ,air moves in space .Air is electrical energy –the electron moves because of the air element .It is formless but it can be perceived by touch ,to which it is related .The principle of movement ,air expresses itself in the movements of the muscles ,the pulsations of the heart, the expansion and contraction of the lungs ,Sensory and neural impulses moves to and from the brain under the influence of the air principle ,which is also responsible for the breathing ,ingestion ,the movement of the intestines and elimination ,The flow of air principles ,which gives us happiness ,Freshness ,joy and excitation ,It is along with space also responsible for fear, anxiety ,insecurity and nervousness .
Fire : Fire is hot,dry ,sharp ,penetrating and luminous .When are begins to move ,it produces friction ,which generated heat or fire .Fire is radiant energy .On the atomic level ,the atom radiates heat and light in the form of a quantum wave .Fire is active and changeable .In our solar system ,the sun is the source of fire and light .In the body ,our biological “ fire” in the solar plexus regulates body temperature and metabolism ,digestion ,absorption and assimilation. Fire is intelligence .It is necessary for transformation,attention,comprehension ,appreciation,recognition and understanding .Fire is also responsible for anger,hatred ,envy,criticism,ambition and competitiveness .
Water : The next manifestation of consciousness ,water is fluid,heavy ,soft ,viscous,cold ,dense,and cohesive.It brings molecules together.Water is chemical energy (it is the universal chemical solvent ) Water is associated with the sense of taste, without moisture the tongue cannot taste anything .Water exists in the body as plasma,Cytoplasm,serum,saliva,nasal secretion,cerebrospinal fluid,urine,sweat and It is necessary for nutrition and to maintain life ,without it ,our cells could not survive .Water is contentment ,love and compassion ,it creates thirst ,edema and obesity .
Earth : Earth is heavy ,hard,rough,firm ,dense,slow-moving and bulky –the most solid of the fire element. It is neither hot nor cold. Earth is mechanical or physical energy .According to Ayurveda,it is nothing but crystallized or solidified consciousness.It gives strength ,structure and stamina to the body .All the body solid structures ( bones,cartilage,nails,teeth,hair,skin ) are derived from the earth element.Earth is associated with the sense of smell. It promotes forgiveness , Groundedness, and growth, It also creates attachment, greed, and depression and its absence produce feelings of ungroundedness.