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Difference between revisions of "Visualisation of the Six-Element Stūpa"

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[[File:Veltsa talvel .JPG|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Veltsa talvel .JPG|thumb|250px|]]
 
<poem>
 
<poem>
There are several practices connected with the [[Elements]] in [[Buddhist tradition]]. For instance, there is a section on the four [[elements]] in the [[body]] [[awareness]] portion of the [[Satipatthana Sutta]], the [[primary]] [[teaching]] on [[mindfulness]]. One that I have found to be very effective is the [[visualization]] of the six-element [[stupa]]. This employs simple images similarly to the [[kasina]] [[meditations]]. Various [[forms]] of the [[Buddhist]] [[stupa]] are well known from [[Nepal]] to [[Japan]]. They were originally monuments for [[holding]] {{Wiki|remains}} of [[Buddhas]] or other {{Wiki|saints}}, and are often honoured by circumambulation as though they themselves are actually Buddhas.
+
There are several practices connected with the [[Elements]] in [[Buddhist tradition]]. For instance, there is a section on the four [[elements]] in the [[body]] [[awareness]] portion of the [[Satipatthana Sutta]], the [[primary]] [[teaching]] on [[mindfulness]]. One that I have found to be very effective is the [[visualization]] of the six-element [[stupa]]. This employs simple images similarly to the [[kasina]] [[meditations]]. Various [[forms]] of the [[Buddhist]] [[stupa]] are well known from [[Nepal]] to [[Japan]]. They were originally monuments for [[holding]] {{Wiki|remains}} of [[Buddhas]] or other {{Wiki|saints}}, and are often honoured by circumambulation as though they themselves are actually [[Buddhas]].
  
 
The [[stupa]] represents the [[six elements]] because they are what you were produced from at [[birth]] and what are given up at [[death]]. The classic [[stupa]] consists of six [[symbols]] representing the [[elements]] assembled vertically from ground level, with the [[symbol]] for [[earth]] and the other [[elements]] arranged above one another in [[order]] of subtlety. Occasionally only four, or even just two, [[elements]] are represented.
 
The [[stupa]] represents the [[six elements]] because they are what you were produced from at [[birth]] and what are given up at [[death]]. The classic [[stupa]] consists of six [[symbols]] representing the [[elements]] assembled vertically from ground level, with the [[symbol]] for [[earth]] and the other [[elements]] arranged above one another in [[order]] of subtlety. Occasionally only four, or even just two, [[elements]] are represented.
  
The [[Buddha]] is said to have designed the first [[stupa]] in the simplest possible [[form]]. Asked what kind of burial mound would be appropriate after his [[death]], he silently folded a yellow robe into a cube [[shape]], placed it on the ground and laid upon it his upturned [[begging bowl]]. So the yellow cube [[symbolizes]] [[earth]]. Square shapes express some of the qualities of [[earth]]: solidity, strength, support and so on. As you [[visualize]] this, you are not required to get a clear, stable picture; you need only get a [[sense]] of the symbol’s earthy quality – some [[feeling]], [[sensation]] or other [[impression]] that enables you to dwell easily on the [[earth element]]. Use [[direct sense]] [[experience]] as well, noticing, for example, the solid floor supporting you or the hardness of your teeth and nails.
+
The [[Buddha]] is said to have designed the first [[stupa]] in the simplest possible [[form]]. Asked what kind of burial mound would be appropriate after his [[death]], he silently folded a [[yellow robe]] into a cube [[shape]], placed it on the ground and laid upon it his upturned [[begging bowl]]. So the [[yellow]] cube [[symbolizes]] [[earth]]. Square shapes express some of the qualities of [[earth]]: {{Wiki|solidity}}, strength, support and so on. As you [[visualize]] this, you are not required to get a clear, {{Wiki|stable}} picture; you need only get a [[sense]] of the symbol’s earthy [[quality]] – some [[feeling]], [[sensation]] or other [[impression]] that enables you to dwell easily on the [[earth element]]. Use [[direct sense]] [[experience]] as well, noticing, for example, the solid floor supporting you or the {{Wiki|hardness}} of your {{Wiki|teeth}} and [[nails]].
  
 
[[File:Veltsa-stuupa.-00.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Veltsa-stuupa.-00.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
Then, above the cube, [[imagine]] the [[water element]], represented by a white dome or a globe like the [[full moon]]. The [[water element]] certainly expresses the quality of flowing, but then [[fire]] and [[air]] also flow. The {{Wiki|distinctive}} [[elemental]] [[character]] of [[water]] is its cohesion. So the white [[sphere]] is like a bubble or a drop of [[water]] that in nature holds together as though by [[magic]]. To engage more with the [[water element]], [[notice]] the wetness of your [[eyes]] and {{Wiki|tongue}} – and also swallow, triggering an [[experience]] of the liquid nature throughout the [[body]]. Getting more deeply involved with the [[elements]] can be unusually satisfying, and there is perhaps some relief in [[being]] able to [[acknowledge]] a level of [[experience]] that is present in everyone before they are even born. You were intimate with the [[elements]] well before you were self-aware.
+
Then, above the cube, [[imagine]] the [[water element]], represented by a white dome or a {{Wiki|globe}} like the [[full moon]]. The [[water element]] certainly expresses the [[quality]] of flowing, but then [[fire]] and [[air]] also flow. The {{Wiki|distinctive}} [[elemental]] [[character]] of [[water]] is its cohesion. So the white [[sphere]] is like a bubble or a drop of [[water]] that in [[nature]] holds together as though by [[magic]]. To engage more with the [[water element]], [[notice]] the {{Wiki|wetness}} of your [[eyes]] and {{Wiki|tongue}} – and also swallow, triggering an [[experience]] of the liquid [[nature]] throughout the [[body]]. Getting more deeply involved with the [[elements]] can be unusually satisfying, and there is perhaps some relief in [[being]] able to [[acknowledge]] a level of [[experience]] that is {{Wiki|present}} in everyone before they are even born. You were intimate with the [[elements]] well before you were self-aware.
  
The [[energy]] of [[earth]] is stable and unmoving; the [[holding]] [[energy]] of [[water]] moves only inwards and downwards. With the [[fire element]], the [[energy]] radiates only outwards and upwards. [[Fire]] is [[symbolized]] by a bright red cone, rather like a flame. As you allow this new [[form]] and its colour to [[influence]] you, the qualities of temperature and [[light]] in your present [[experience]] become clearer. [[Notice]], for example, that your [[eyes]] are actually receiving [[light]] and that your [[body]] is warm.
+
The [[energy]] of [[earth]] is {{Wiki|stable}} and unmoving; the [[holding]] [[energy]] of [[water]] moves only inwards and downwards. With the [[fire element]], the [[energy]] radiates only outwards and upwards. [[Fire]] is [[symbolized]] by a bright red cone, rather like a flame. As you allow this new [[form]] and its {{Wiki|colour}} to [[influence]] you, the qualities of temperature and [[light]] in your {{Wiki|present}} [[experience]] become clearer. [[Notice]], for example, that your [[eyes]] are actually receiving [[light]] and that your [[body]] is warm.
  
Above that, the [[symbolic]] [[element]] of wind or [[air]] is a pale green dish [[shape]], delicate like porcelain. At least that is how I [[imagine]] it. You are free to play around with these [[forms]]. They can be lively and even comical. I see wind like a sensitive satellite dish, picking up [[sensations]] and vibrating with them, or like a pale green frisbee juddering as it skims through space.
+
Above that, the [[symbolic]] [[element]] of [[wind]] or [[air]] is a pale green dish [[shape]], delicate like porcelain. At least that is how I [[imagine]] it. You are free to play around with these [[forms]]. They can be lively and even comical. I see [[wind]] like a [[sensitive]] {{Wiki|satellite}} dish, picking up [[sensations]] and vibrating with them, or like a pale green frisbee juddering as it skims through [[space]].
 
[[File:Stupa-001.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Stupa-001.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
The [[air]] [[element]] is not about [[air]] as a gas; here ‘[[air]]’ is a [[symbol]] for movement. Thus the alternative term is ‘wind’ ([[Sanskrit]]: [[vāyu]]), which expresses that [[essential]] moving [[characteristic]] as found in the pulsing of the blood, the tidal flow of {{Wiki|breathing}} and the progressive [[relaxation]] of the muscles as the [[body]] stills in [[meditation]] [[posture]]. In deep [[meditation]], the movements within the body’s [[subtle energy]] channels become apparent. These are known as winds ([[lung]]); and if you watch very closely and gently, the play of [[thoughts]] and [[emotions]] is sometimes observable in particular parts of the [[body]], riding as though upon flowing breezes. Everything that [[exists]], inside and outside, not only has movement but also often moves in different ways at the same [[time]]. Even if something could be completely solid and stable, which is impossible, it would still be moving, for the planet itself is moving in several ways. Thus the [[element]] [[air]] spreads out simultaneously in all directions.
+
The [[air]] [[element]] is not about [[air]] as a gas; here ‘[[air]]’ is a [[symbol]] for {{Wiki|movement}}. Thus the alternative term is ‘[[wind]]’ ([[Sanskrit]]: [[vāyu]]), which expresses that [[essential]] moving [[characteristic]] as found in the pulsing of the {{Wiki|blood}}, the tidal flow of {{Wiki|breathing}} and the progressive [[relaxation]] of the {{Wiki|muscles}} as the [[body]] stills in [[meditation]] [[posture]]. In deep [[meditation]], the movements within the body’s [[subtle energy]] channels become apparent. These are known as [[winds]] ([[lung]]); and if you watch very closely and gently, the play of [[thoughts]] and [[emotions]] is sometimes observable in particular parts of the [[body]], riding as though upon flowing breezes. Everything that [[exists]], inside and outside, not only has {{Wiki|movement}} but also often moves in different ways at the same [[time]]. Even if something could be completely solid and {{Wiki|stable}}, which is impossible, it would still be moving, for the {{Wiki|planet}} itself is moving in several ways. Thus the [[element]] [[air]] spreads out simultaneously in all [[directions]].
  
No movement, temperature, coherency or stable matter can [[exist]] without [[space]] to contain it. The [[element]] of [[space]] is [[symbolized]] by a single point, a ‘drop’ that is gently flaming, showing its vibrant living quality. [[Elemental]] [[space]] is not a {{Wiki|vacuum}}. The single point [[symbolizes]] the fact that [[space]] is everywhere all at once: it is infinitely out there and is also infinitely ‘in here’, in the [[endless]] microspaces in the [[body]]. [[Notice]] how distinctly (and also how [[emotionally]]) you are sometimes aware of the particular location of various parts of your [[body]]. Everything has to take place somewhere. So this ‘flaming [[jewel]] drop’, as it is sometimes called, stands for the fact that this [[space]] here is one of an [[infinite]] number of possible points.
+
No {{Wiki|movement}}, temperature, coherency or {{Wiki|stable}} {{Wiki|matter}} can [[exist]] without [[space]] to contain it. The [[element]] of [[space]] is [[symbolized]] by a single point, a ‘drop’ that is gently flaming, showing its vibrant living [[quality]]. [[Elemental]] [[space]] is not a {{Wiki|vacuum}}. The single point [[symbolizes]] the fact that [[space]] is everywhere all at once: it is infinitely out there and is also infinitely ‘in here’, in the [[endless]] microspaces in the [[body]]. [[Notice]] how distinctly (and also how [[emotionally]]) you are sometimes {{Wiki|aware}} of the particular location of various parts of your [[body]]. Everything has to take place somewhere. So this ‘flaming [[jewel]] drop’, as it is sometimes called, stands for the fact that this [[space]] here is one of an [[infinite]] number of possible points.
  
Finally, the [[element]] of [[consciousness]] or [[awareness]] is the ‘[[space]]’ within which [[space]] itself happens. This is not to imply the {{Wiki|solipsism}} that ‘it’s all in the [[mind]]’ but to offer the simple reminder that whatever the [[ultimate truth]] may be, [[earth]], [[water]], [[fire]], movement and [[space]] are all [[experienced]] by the [[mind]]. So you can call this the [[element]] of ‘[[experience]]’. [[Philosophical]] questions about whether or not the [[elements]] take place outside [[experience]] and exactly how they might are [[interesting]] to [[contemplate]] but they are not relevant here. This creates a rare and [[precious]] opportunity to dwell on the [[experience]] of experiencing itself. Is this [[sensation]] ‘me’ or is it ‘mine’ – or what is its nature otherwise? This most basic of all the [[elements]] is [[symbolized]] by an open sky, which is clear, blue and boundless.
+
Finally, the [[element]] of [[consciousness]] or [[awareness]] is the ‘[[space]]’ within which [[space]] itself happens. This is not to imply the {{Wiki|solipsism}} that ‘it’s all in the [[mind]]’ but to offer the simple reminder that whatever the [[ultimate truth]] may be, [[earth]], [[water]], [[fire]], {{Wiki|movement}} and [[space]] are all [[experienced]] by the [[mind]]. So you can call this the [[element]] of ‘[[experience]]’. [[Philosophical]] questions about whether or not the [[elements]] take place outside [[experience]] and exactly how they might are [[interesting]] to [[contemplate]] but they are not relevant here. This creates a rare and [[precious]] opportunity to dwell on the [[experience]] of experiencing itself. Is this [[sensation]] ‘me’ or is it ‘mine’ – or what is its [[nature]] otherwise? This most basic of all the [[elements]] is [[symbolized]] by an open sky, which is clear, blue and [[boundless]].
  
In fact, the practice begins here. Start with the blue sky and let it contain, in [[order]] one by one, the [[symbols]] for [[earth]], [[water]], [[fire]], wind and [[space]]. The [[stupa]] of the [[elements]], surrounded by clear blue sky, [[symbolizes]] your entire [[experience]] and response to a [[world]] filled with many [[sensations]] of resistance, cohesiveness, temperature and movement in [[space]]. As you connect with each [[element]] through its [[symbol]], [[experience]] its special qualities directly in the [[body]] as much as you can; appreciate its particular life-energy, its role in your [[existence]]. Once the connection is there, you reflect that despite your habitual attitudes, this [[characteristic]] of your [[body]] [[experience]] is not something that you can possibly own in any literal way. Its nature is completely free, and you can let go fully into that quality of freedom. For that [[letting go]] to be meaningful, you need to [[acknowledge]] and to feel the particular ways you [[grasp]] [[experiences]] and [[sensations]] as ‘me’ or ‘mine’. These may not be obvious at first. In the end, the practice requires a commitment to the deepest reflection and a genuine [[desire]] to enquire into what really happens in the [[thoughts]] and [[feelings]] you have about yourself and the [[world]]. This will come in [[time]] if you want it to – depth and skill comes from applying these reflections in a sustained way.
+
In fact, the practice begins here. Start with the blue sky and let it contain, in [[order]] one by one, the [[symbols]] for [[earth]], [[water]], [[fire]], [[wind]] and [[space]]. The [[stupa]] of the [[elements]], surrounded by clear blue sky, [[symbolizes]] your entire [[experience]] and response to a [[world]] filled with many [[sensations]] of resistance, cohesiveness, temperature and {{Wiki|movement}} in [[space]]. As you connect with each [[element]] through its [[symbol]], [[experience]] its special qualities directly in the [[body]] as much as you can; appreciate its particular life-energy, its role in your [[existence]]. Once the connection is there, you reflect that despite your habitual attitudes, this [[characteristic]] of your [[body]] [[experience]] is not something that you can possibly [[own]] in any literal way. Its [[nature]] is completely free, and you can let go fully into that [[quality]] of freedom. For that [[letting go]] to be meaningful, you need to [[acknowledge]] and to [[feel]] the particular ways you [[grasp]] [[experiences]] and [[sensations]] as ‘me’ or ‘mine’. These may not be obvious at first. In the end, the practice requires a commitment to the deepest {{Wiki|reflection}} and a genuine [[desire]] to enquire into what really happens in the [[thoughts]] and [[feelings]] you have about yourself and the [[world]]. This will come in [[time]] if you want it to – depth and skill comes from applying these reflections in a sustained way.
  
Ending the practice is done in a special way, to reflect that profound process of [[letting go]]. Just as they were conjured up in the blue sky of [[awareness]], now the [[elemental]] [[symbols]] all dissolve back into it. In turn from the top, each [[symbolic]] [[form]] melts and dissolves into the [[element]] beneath: the [[space]] [[element]] melts down and is absorbed into the wind [[element]], then wind melts into [[fire]], [[fire]] into [[water]] and [[water]] into [[earth]]. The [[earth element]] melts into the sky. The sky itself dissolves like mist, and gradually you return once more to the direct [[experience]] of the [[six elements]] as again and again they emerge, solidify and dissolve in the course of daily life.
+
Ending the practice is done in a special way, to reflect that profound process of [[letting go]]. Just as they were conjured up in the blue sky of [[awareness]], now the [[elemental]] [[symbols]] all dissolve back into it. In turn from the top, each [[symbolic]] [[form]] melts and dissolves into the [[element]] beneath: the [[space]] [[element]] melts down and is absorbed into the [[wind]] [[element]], then [[wind]] melts into [[fire]], [[fire]] into [[water]] and [[water]] into [[earth]]. The [[earth element]] melts into the sky. The sky itself dissolves like mist, and gradually you return once more to the direct [[experience]] of the [[six elements]] as again and again they emerge, solidify and dissolve in the course of daily [[life]].
  
If pursued, this [[meditation]] will develop {{Wiki|real}}, living connections to the [[elements]] and with nature generally, helping you to [[live]] more [[ethically]] and in [[harmony]] with the [[earth]]. If you want, it can become a special eco-Dharma practice. All [[Buddhist meditation]] methods can have this kind of effect, since all of them include [[mindfulness]] of the [[physical body]]. The same [[feeling]] of [[harmony]] arises as you engage with other [[Buddhist]] methods such as [[ethics]], [[wisdom]], [[right livelihood]], study and community. It is not surprising that the [[stupa]] is held in such high honour in the {{Wiki|East}}, representing as it does both the wonders of the natural [[world]] and the amazing nature of the [[Buddha]] which can be [[awakened]] in all of us.
+
If pursued, this [[meditation]] will develop {{Wiki|real}}, living connections to the [[elements]] and with [[nature]] generally, helping you to [[live]] more [[ethically]] and in [[harmony]] with the [[earth]]. If you want, it can become a special eco-Dharma practice. All [[Buddhist meditation]] methods can have this kind of effect, since all of them include [[mindfulness]] of the [[physical body]]. The same [[feeling]] of [[harmony]] arises as you engage with other [[Buddhist]] methods such as [[ethics]], [[wisdom]], [[right livelihood]], study and {{Wiki|community}}. It is not surprising that the [[stupa]] is held in such high honour in the {{Wiki|East}}, representing as it does both the wonders of the natural [[world]] and the amazing [[nature]] of the [[Buddha]] which can be [[awakened]] in all of us.
 
</poem>
 
</poem>
 
{{R}}
 
{{R}}

Latest revision as of 03:47, 30 October 2015

Veltsa talvel .JPG

There are several practices connected with the Elements in Buddhist tradition. For instance, there is a section on the four elements in the body awareness portion of the Satipatthana Sutta, the primary teaching on mindfulness. One that I have found to be very effective is the visualization of the six-element stupa. This employs simple images similarly to the kasina meditations. Various forms of the Buddhist stupa are well known from Nepal to Japan. They were originally monuments for holding remains of Buddhas or other saints, and are often honoured by circumambulation as though they themselves are actually Buddhas.

The stupa represents the six elements because they are what you were produced from at birth and what are given up at death. The classic stupa consists of six symbols representing the elements assembled vertically from ground level, with the symbol for earth and the other elements arranged above one another in order of subtlety. Occasionally only four, or even just two, elements are represented.

The Buddha is said to have designed the first stupa in the simplest possible form. Asked what kind of burial mound would be appropriate after his death, he silently folded a yellow robe into a cube shape, placed it on the ground and laid upon it his upturned begging bowl. So the yellow cube symbolizes earth. Square shapes express some of the qualities of earth: solidity, strength, support and so on. As you visualize this, you are not required to get a clear, stable picture; you need only get a sense of the symbol’s earthy quality – some feeling, sensation or other impression that enables you to dwell easily on the earth element. Use direct sense experience as well, noticing, for example, the solid floor supporting you or the hardness of your teeth and nails.

Veltsa-stuupa.-00.jpg

Then, above the cube, imagine the water element, represented by a white dome or a globe like the full moon. The water element certainly expresses the quality of flowing, but then fire and air also flow. The distinctive elemental character of water is its cohesion. So the white sphere is like a bubble or a drop of water that in nature holds together as though by magic. To engage more with the water element, notice the wetness of your eyes and tongue – and also swallow, triggering an experience of the liquid nature throughout the body. Getting more deeply involved with the elements can be unusually satisfying, and there is perhaps some relief in being able to acknowledge a level of experience that is present in everyone before they are even born. You were intimate with the elements well before you were self-aware.

The energy of earth is stable and unmoving; the holding energy of water moves only inwards and downwards. With the fire element, the energy radiates only outwards and upwards. Fire is symbolized by a bright red cone, rather like a flame. As you allow this new form and its colour to influence you, the qualities of temperature and light in your present experience become clearer. Notice, for example, that your eyes are actually receiving light and that your body is warm.

Above that, the symbolic element of wind or air is a pale green dish shape, delicate like porcelain. At least that is how I imagine it. You are free to play around with these forms. They can be lively and even comical. I see wind like a sensitive satellite dish, picking up sensations and vibrating with them, or like a pale green frisbee juddering as it skims through space.

Stupa-001.jpg

The air element is not about air as a gas; here ‘air’ is a symbol for movement. Thus the alternative term is ‘wind’ (Sanskrit: vāyu), which expresses that essential moving characteristic as found in the pulsing of the blood, the tidal flow of breathing and the progressive relaxation of the muscles as the body stills in meditation posture. In deep meditation, the movements within the body’s subtle energy channels become apparent. These are known as winds (lung); and if you watch very closely and gently, the play of thoughts and emotions is sometimes observable in particular parts of the body, riding as though upon flowing breezes. Everything that exists, inside and outside, not only has movement but also often moves in different ways at the same time. Even if something could be completely solid and stable, which is impossible, it would still be moving, for the planet itself is moving in several ways. Thus the element air spreads out simultaneously in all directions.

No movement, temperature, coherency or stable matter can exist without space to contain it. The element of space is symbolized by a single point, a ‘drop’ that is gently flaming, showing its vibrant living quality. Elemental space is not a vacuum. The single point symbolizes the fact that space is everywhere all at once: it is infinitely out there and is also infinitely ‘in here’, in the endless microspaces in the body. Notice how distinctly (and also how emotionally) you are sometimes aware of the particular location of various parts of your body. Everything has to take place somewhere. So this ‘flaming jewel drop’, as it is sometimes called, stands for the fact that this space here is one of an infinite number of possible points.

Finally, the element of consciousness or awareness is the ‘space’ within which space itself happens. This is not to imply the solipsism that ‘it’s all in the mind’ but to offer the simple reminder that whatever the ultimate truth may be, earth, water, fire, movement and space are all experienced by the mind. So you can call this the element of ‘experience’. Philosophical questions about whether or not the elements take place outside experience and exactly how they might are interesting to contemplate but they are not relevant here. This creates a rare and precious opportunity to dwell on the experience of experiencing itself. Is this sensation ‘me’ or is it ‘mine’ – or what is its nature otherwise? This most basic of all the elements is symbolized by an open sky, which is clear, blue and boundless.

In fact, the practice begins here. Start with the blue sky and let it contain, in order one by one, the symbols for earth, water, fire, wind and space. The stupa of the elements, surrounded by clear blue sky, symbolizes your entire experience and response to a world filled with many sensations of resistance, cohesiveness, temperature and movement in space. As you connect with each element through its symbol, experience its special qualities directly in the body as much as you can; appreciate its particular life-energy, its role in your existence. Once the connection is there, you reflect that despite your habitual attitudes, this characteristic of your body experience is not something that you can possibly own in any literal way. Its nature is completely free, and you can let go fully into that quality of freedom. For that letting go to be meaningful, you need to acknowledge and to feel the particular ways you grasp experiences and sensations as ‘me’ or ‘mine’. These may not be obvious at first. In the end, the practice requires a commitment to the deepest reflection and a genuine desire to enquire into what really happens in the thoughts and feelings you have about yourself and the world. This will come in time if you want it to – depth and skill comes from applying these reflections in a sustained way.

Ending the practice is done in a special way, to reflect that profound process of letting go. Just as they were conjured up in the blue sky of awareness, now the elemental symbols all dissolve back into it. In turn from the top, each symbolic form melts and dissolves into the element beneath: the space element melts down and is absorbed into the wind element, then wind melts into fire, fire into water and water into earth. The earth element melts into the sky. The sky itself dissolves like mist, and gradually you return once more to the direct experience of the six elements as again and again they emerge, solidify and dissolve in the course of daily life.

If pursued, this meditation will develop real, living connections to the elements and with nature generally, helping you to live more ethically and in harmony with the earth. If you want, it can become a special eco-Dharma practice. All Buddhist meditation methods can have this kind of effect, since all of them include mindfulness of the physical body. The same feeling of harmony arises as you engage with other Buddhist methods such as ethics, wisdom, right livelihood, study and community. It is not surprising that the stupa is held in such high honour in the East, representing as it does both the wonders of the natural world and the amazing nature of the Buddha which can be awakened in all of us.

Source

www.kamalashila.co.uk