Here is the master of the elements — the space in which the other elements develop and interweave to form all that exists. I give it the name Sacred Sound, for it is sound that is light that creates the totality of all.
What represents this element is the sky. It is the deity of many peoples. The finest example is the supreme deity of the Mongolian people and several peoples of that region of the world — the Great Blue Sky.
The color of this element is indeed blue. In a great many traditions blue is associated with spirituality. The spiritual quest and its realization is the ultimate goal of all men and women on earth. It takes many lifetimes to understand this, but in the end the endless felicity and beatitude are found only in the ultimate peace of spiritual realization. The ultimate understanding and realization of the spiritual quest comes when the being becomes as vast as the sky. The only way to reach this is through spiritual practice over long years and many lifetimes — to finally realize that no effort is necessary, that the fundamental state of pure and total consciousness is the foundation of who we are. We are the creators of all that manifests around us. The world we see is the projection of our consciousness. It is very complex and difficult to realize this, yet it is the intrinsic reality of everything. And all beings without exception carry this at the heart of what they are.
We can all begin today to find in our lives this primordial space that is our true identity. This is called contemplation. The attitude that leads to a feeling of expansiveness, of vastness, is that of the witness. To simply observe the endless flow of life’s phenomena, of emotions and thoughts, without judgment, without reaction, without attachment, without desire — this is called contemplation. This is why it is called the attitude of the witness. Remaining neutral, peaceful, neither rejecting nor accepting anything, leads to the understanding of this primordial element.
All traditions have their own theory of the elements and they are all different. There are similarities, but each has its own distinctive understanding that finds expression in its systems of care, health and spirituality. I must admit that the understanding of my ancestors was buried under centuries of physical and cultural genocide. Yet from my earliest years of practice I was initiated by my elders into the understanding that we could commune and dialogue with the elements — calling the rain and fair weather, which proved essential for celebrating the cyclical rituals and ceremonies we organize. The most powerful training in communion with the elements has been the sweat lodge. In essence, I have established my own understanding, which I have verified against the teachings of several elders and the Tibetan tradition that is so close to our own. I can say in conclusion that my understanding is a synthesis — effective because it produces visible results in healing applications and in the elements’ responses to prayers and requests. All indigenous peoples of North America practiced this, and many still do. A striking example is how the Hopi of the American Southwest fed themselves essentially through agriculture in an arid, semi-desert landscape.
The physiological correspondence of infinite space is the liver and gallbladder. This is the organ responsible for the synthesis and integration of all the elements provided by digestion, so that the blood may carry these reconstituted elements to the body’s cells. On the emotional level it is the capacity to remain serene in all situations. On the mental level, the capacity of intuition — that which allows the combining of hundreds and sometimes thousands of elements of understanding in a single instant, to be able to say: I know! I don’t know why, but I know. On the spiritual level it’s omniscience and the ultimate wisdom that leads to self liberation.
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N.B.- To further your exploration of this element try Patakwin – Sacred Sound, a Sacred Essence I created for Invocation Canada. To explore all five elements give yourself the gift of the Five Elements Sacred Essences Kit.