Mahābhūta is Sanskrit for "great element".Or, more literally, "Great Natures." See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 507, However, very few scholars define the five mahābhūtas in a broader sense as the five fundamental aspects of physical reality.
Hinduism
In Hinduism's sacred literature, the "great" elements (mahābhūta) are fivefold: aether, air, fire, water and earth.See, e.g., Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary where Mahābhūta is defined as: "a great element, gross [element] (of which 5 are reckoned, viz. aether, air, fire, water, earth, as distinguished from the subtle [element]s or Tanmātras.)." Monier-Williams (1899), p. 798, entry for "Mahā-," retrieved 24 December 2008 from "U. Cologne" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/MWScanpdf/mw0798-mahApheTkArIya.pdf. See also the Samkhya Karika of Ishvara Krishna, verse 22.
For instance, the describes the five "sheaths" of a person (Sanskrit: puruṣa), starting with the grossest level of the five evolving great elements: From this very self did aether come into being; from aether, air; from air, fire; from fire, water, from water, the earth; from the earth, organisms; from organisms, foods; and from foods, people. Different from and lying within this people formed from the essence of foods is the self consisting of lifebreath. Different from and lying within this self consisting of breath is the self consisting of mind. Different from and lying within this self consisting of mind is the self consisting of perception. Different from and lying within this self consisting of perception is the self consisting of bliss.TU 2.1–2.5, trans. Olivelle (1996), pp. 185–7.
In the , the deities is identified as the source of the great elements: Some wise people say it is inherent nature, while others say it is time – all totally deluded. It is rather the greatness of deities present in the world by means of which this wheel of brahman goes around. Whom always encompass this whole world – the knowers, the architects of time, the ones with and without qualities, and the all-knowing ones – it is at their commands that the work of creation, to be conceived of as earth, water, fire, air, and aether, unfolds itself.SU 6.1–6.2, trans. Olivelle (1996), p. 263.
The same Upanishad also mentions, "When earth, water, fire, air and aether arise, when the five attributes of the elements, mentioned in the books on yoga, become manifest then the yogi's body becomes purified by the fire of yoga and they are free from illness, old age and death." (Verse 2.12).Shvetashvatara Upanishad
Buddhism In Buddhism, the four Great Elements (Pali: cattāro mahābhūtāni) are earth, water, fire and air. Mahābhūta is generally synonymous with catudhātu, which is Pāli for the "Four Elements."Note that the Pāli word dhātu is used in multiple contexts in the Pāli canon. For instance, Bodhi (2000), pp. 527–8, identifies four different ways that dhātu is used including in terms of the "eighteen elements" and, as in this article, in terms of "the four primary elements." In this, the Four Elements are a basis for understanding that leads one through unbinding of 'Rupa' or materiality to the supreme state of pure 'Emptiness' or Nirvana.
Definitions
In the Pali Canon,These elaborations on the elements can be found in the Majjhima Nikaya discourses nos. 28, 62, 140. See below for more information. the most basic elements are usually identified as four in number but, on occasion, a fifth and, to an even lesser extent, a sixth element may also be identified.
Four primary elements
In canonical texts, the four Great Elements refer to elements that are both "external" (that is, outside the body, such as a river) and "internal" (that is, of the body, such as blood). These elements are described as follows:
Earth element (pahavī-dhātu)Earth element represents the quality of solidity or attractive forces. Any matter where attractive forces are in prominence (solid bodies) are called earth elements. Internal earth elements include head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bone, organs, intestinal material, etc.The traditional list of body parts associated with the earth element are the first 19 of 31 body parts – from head hair to feces – identified in the Pali Canon with the contemplation of Patikulamanasikara, with the catch all phrase of "or whatever else internal, within oneself, is hard, solid, & sustained" (trans. Thanissaro, 2003b) added. Water element (āpa-dhātu)Water element represents the quality of liquidity or relative motion. Any matter where relative motion of particles is in prominence are called water elements. Internal water elements include bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, nasal mucus, urine, semen, etc.The traditional list of water-element body parts are the latter twelve of 31 body parts – from bile to urine – identified in Patikulamanasikara contemplations, with the catch all phrase of "or whatever else internal, within oneself, is liquid, watery, & sustained" (trans. Thanissaro, 2003b) added. Fire element (teja-dhātu)Fire element represents the quality of heat or energy. Any matter where energy is in prominence are called fire elements. Internal fire elements include those bodily mechanisms that produce physical warmth, ageing, digestion, etc.From MN 62, Maharahulovada Sutta (trans. Sujato): "And what is the interior fire element? Anything internal, personal, that’s fire, fiery, and appropriated. This includes: that which warms, that which ages, that which heats you up when feverish, that which properly digests food and drink; or anything else internal, personal, that’s fire, fiery, and appropriated." Air (or wind) element (vāyu-dhātu)Air element represents the quality of expansion or repulsive forces. Any matter where repulsive forces are in prominence are called air elements. Internal air elements include air associated with the pulmonary system (for example, for breathing), the intestinal system ("winds in the belly and bowels"), etc.From MN 62, Maharahulovada Sutta (trans. Sujato): "And what is the interior air element? Anything internal, personal, that’s air, airy, and appropriated. This includes: winds that go up or down, winds in the belly or the bowels, winds that flow through the limbs, in-breaths and out-breaths; or anything else internal, personal, that’s air, airy, and appropriated."
Any entity that carry one or more of these qualities (attractive forces, repulsive forces, energy and relative motion) are called matter (rupa). The material world is considered to be nothing but a combination of these qualities arranged in space (akasha). The result of these qualities are the inputs to our five senses, color (varna) to the eyes, smell (gandha) to the nose, taste (rasa) to the tongue, sound (shabda) to the ears, and touch (sparsha) to the body. The matter that we perceive in our mind are just a mental interpretation of these qualities.
Fifth and sixth elements
In addition to the above four elements of underived matter, two other elements are occasionally found in the Pali Canon:The "space element" is encountered more frequently in the canonical discourses than is the "consciousness element." Examples of discourses that include both of these latter elements are DN 33 (Walshe, 1995, p. 500, para. 16), MN 140 (Thanissaro, 1997c), and SN 27.9 (Thanissaro, 1994).
Space element (ākāsa-dhātu)Internal space elements includes bodily orifices such as the ears, nostrils, mouth, anus, etc.From MN 62, Maharahulovada Sutta (trans. Sujato): "And what is the interior space element? Anything internal, personal, that’s space, spacious, and appropriated. This includes: the ear canals, nostrils, and mouth; and the space for swallowing what is eaten and drunk, the space where it stays, and the space for excreting it from the nether regions; or anything else internal, personal, that’s space, spacious, and appropriated."
Consciousness element (viññāa-dhātu)Described as "pure and bright" (parisuddha pariyodāta), used to cognise the three feelings (vedana) of pleasure, pain and neither-pleasure-nor-pain, and the arising and passing of the sense contact (phassa) upon which these feelings are dependent.
According to the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the "space element" is identified as "secondary" or "derived" (upādā).Hamilton (2001), pp. 5, 35 n. 9. For more information regarding "primary/underived" and "secondary/derived" matter, see the article Rupa.
Sensory qualities, not substances
While in the Theravada tradition, as well as in the earliest texts, like the Pali Canon, rūpa (matter or form) is delineated as something external, that actually exists,Bodhi, Bhikkhu, "The Connected Discourses", Wisdom Publications, 2000, chapter 22.94 "And what is it, bhikkhus, that the wise in the world agree upon as existing, of which I too say that it exists? Form that is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change: this the wise in the world agree upon as existing, and I too say that it exists. "Narada Thera, "A Manual of Abhidhamma", Buddhist Missionary Society, 1956 pages 342–343 "Buddhism does not attempt to solve the problem of the ultimate origin of matter. It takes for granted that matter exists and states that rupa