The Pancha Maha Bhutas: Fire Element

The Pancha Maha Bhutas series is a short arrangement of essays where we dive into each of the 5 Great Elements based on the traditional wisdom sciences of Yoga and Tantra. Previously we've discussed Earth and Water; today we will cover Fire. Let's jump right in.

Fire is seen almost universally as a symbol of transformation; this elemental force's literal function in our material world is to transform matter from density into less density. However, on a metaphoric and esoteric level, fire has many additional aspects to its "personality." We would like to remind the readers of this essay that each of the elements corresponds to a particular devata , which are seen as representatives of divine forces. If we think about the early days of human thought, prior to modern science, our ancient ancestors created their world based on a concept known as animism, a concept and worldview which asserted that Nature was alive with spirit. Some form of animism is present in nearly all of the earliest spiritual and religious belief systems, and in particular the systems of Tantra which theoretically pre-dated the Vedic era of ancient India. Early humans of these times and regions personified forces of Nature and gave them names as so-called gods and goddesses (devas and devis), in order so that they could relate to them. The entire culture of ancient India was essentially based on what we would consider today as paganism: a "religious" theory and spiritual view that honored nature-based deities. What we can take away from these early systems of belief and thought is that the first and most natural order of events related to "spiritualizing" the world came as a result of humans attempting to make sense of what they saw around them, according to direct experience & perception. Keep in mind that we had to start somewhere. I recall my teacher's teacher saying to us once, during a yogic meditation & ritual retreat I was attending, that "even if all wisdom today was lost, we could still look out at the natural world and obtain all knowledge." This stuck with me and feels relevant to this idea of a spiritually animated world.

What does any of this have to do with fire? Well, for one -- we have to acknowledge the significance of fire in our spiritual evolution and history as humans. We certainly wouldn't be here were it not for the harnessing of the power of fire by our ancestors. The significance of fire cannot be understated. Some evidence-based archaeologists say that fire has been present in circles of humans for 760,000 years; some say even longer, perhaps 1.5 million. In either case, we have to assume that fire has been a central feature in human history since far longer than even our modern brain has existed inside of the skulls of homo sapiens (approx. 200,000 years). Whether we consider ourselves to be pagan barbarians or are enlightened Lemurian Starseeds, fire remains a powerful force and being of Nature that deserves respect. This essay will have us contemplating on some of the qualities of this "being".

Existing at the level of the solar plexus in the subtle body, the Fire element is connected to the 3rd chakra known as manipura; it's bija mantra, or seed sound, is RAM. There is a unique & parallel association between the Hindu god Ram and the Egyptian Sun god Ra . Fire in some mythologies is said to have descended from the Sun. Indeed, the Sun (at least physically speaking) is one gigantic ball of combustion -- FIRE! We may be surprised to know that when we make something as simple as a campfire, we are engaging in the same act of combustion that is taking place in the Sun every moment, and the light & warmth being released from it to illuminate Earth is the same light & warmth being released from the campfire and cooking your s'mores. Fire is indeed an ancient cosmic force. Left unchecked, it can burn down the house. Harnessed skillfully it can provide heat, protection, and unlock nutrients in food to make our food sources more bio-available (supposedly this led to the evolution of a bigger brain). Even today, in many parts of the world, humans rely on fire for these things in their every-day lives.

As we had started out by saying -- fire represents, literally, transformation. It's function in the Natural world is to speed up molecular reactions in order to release molecules from their chemical binds so that they can be reduced to smaller or simpler elements. When heat is applied to a closed system, the molecules speed up, and if enough heat is applied, the increased speed causes the pairing of elements into larger molecules to break apart. These are high school chemistry level definitions but they may apply here. What we want to think about is how the element of fire exists and manifests at the level of the body & mind. Remember that the Tantrikas viewed everything in the Universe as a macrocosm of the microcosm. Every form and function in the apparent world outside was mirrored inside, and vice versa. The question is: how does fire manifest within?

Every moment the body is undergoing chemical reactions -- metabolism refers to the chemical processes happening within us to convert substances into other substances. The most obvious example of this is the conversion of food into simple molecules that can be transported along the blood and into the cellular matrix that is the essence of biological life. We may not be attentive of it all the time but it is worth contemplating -- when I eat a banana, a series of miraculous reactions takes place, seemingly unconsciously or subconsciously, within my body, to convert parts of that banana into, say, my bicep muscle. This is some high level cosmic magick! The elemental sub-components of that banana -- the Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space are all re-arranged and re-configured to "fit" a new configuration that is aligned with the purpose of the human that consumed it. Some might say that it is the cosmic intelligence beyond our comprehension which performs this miracle; others may also suggest that the divine intelligence and cosmic pattern of the Universe that creates and governs these processes. However we view it, we can see that consumption of the banana, followed by digestion, followed by assimilation are an intricate step-by-step process and chain reaction and right at the center of it is FIRE. Transformation -- the ability to trans-form an object of one particular substance into another. Thus, the yogis associated transformation as the core essence of the element of Fire.

While we may think about fire in the body and relate it to transformation, we might also look at some of the more esoteric meanings and functions of this devata. Seen through the lens of the Tantrika (practitioner of Tantra), fire is literally connected to the sense of sight. Our eyes (or, more specifically, the sense of seeing) drives 90+% of our perception. Most of what we do is driven by what we see. How we respond to the world is based on how we perceive it. Spiritual transformation occurs when we change our perception of the world, and thereby change how we respond to it. A change in perception occurs when the previous perception goes through a process that we might liken to metabolism. Belief structures are an interesting thing, as they become the lens through which we see the world. Changing a belief, or a perspective, requires us to release the previous mental construct that held the world in its place, and for us to replace that with a new belief or perspective; literally, a new way of seeing. There will inevitably be a different hormone and neurochemical profile associated with this "new way of seeing". Our biology is reflective of our worldview. This has been studied under the modern science of psycho-neuro-immunology, which is essentially a branch of science dealing with the inter-relation between the mind and the body and how what we think in our mind (i.e. our way of seeing things) affects the body. This is where having the right relationship to fire is so important -- if we "mis-use our fire", and we perceive things inaccurately to our detriment, we are wielding the powerful tool of perception for negative consequences. Likewise, if we sharpen our capacity for perception so that it is more accurate, we might be able to benefit greatly in our lives from this wise application of our elemental selves.

Similarly, if we have a strong internal fire, we possess the robust capacity for digestion. By this we do not just mean physical digestion, although that is part of it, but also mental and emotional digestion. A stronger inner fire relates to our ability to metabolize life experience -- the ability to transform denser substances into more easily assimilated or distributed substances. Think about how literal fire burns things into ash which then becomes a sort of universal fertilizer. Now think about what happens when a heavy emotional process lands in your lap and you spend the next several days processing the residue of that experience. The bodymind is "metabolizing" the residue, which is very much like fuel that has been added to the fire; however if the fire is not burning hot enough when the fuel is added, it can take a little while before it has been totally consumed and reduced to ash. This metaphor applies to life experience. We must take care of our ability to process and digest life because if we do not, the residue of the past clings to us and can occupy space and energy long after an event has past. This is why the yogis made it a point to take care of the fire -- both inside and outside.

Although we will not get into the ritual act of fire worship in this essay, suffice to say that meditations on literal fire where the yogi gazes directly into a live flame are a supremely effective spiritual technology. There are many forms of this spanning across many traditions but their essence is the same -- make a fire, and stare at it. The recitation of mantra is often used in conjunction with the unbroken focus on the fire (trataka) , which, when combined with asana (sitting firm & easy) creates a unique alchemical affect within the practitioner. The gaze upon the fire purifies the optic nerve as the natural light emitted from the fire (sunlight that has been literally trapped in the wood and is released via the combustion reaction of fire) enters into the nervous system, brain and spine through the eyes. The yogi makes his or her object of meditation the fire and allows the mantra japa to channel their focus inward. An unwavering commitment to focus brings about the affect of tapasya, which is seen as the generation of "spiritual heat" within the bodymind and this breaks down impurities and obstructions to consciousness. This is enough discussion on fire worship for now.

Of course, the yogi can also perform the so-called internal rites of fire worship by performing the same sort of function, albeit internally. In ancient fire rituals, the fire was seen as the mouth of God and the place where the "sacrifice" was made, as an offering to the forces beyond. Although a variety of specimens and objects have been used as the sacrificial offering, the offering of primary importance and relevance for the yogi is the offering of the densities of ego consciousness. Tantra is based on the idea that we can move from a limited consciousness to a less limited consciousness by dis-identifying with the ego, so that it can transform into a more sublime state. We are talking about what we mentioned above -- a change to a belief structure or perspective. The challenge in this is that, when we adopt a belief, our ego self-identifies with it to the extent that the belief becomes part of us. We are literally walking around carrying, in our very postures and the soma of our bodies, the perspectives and worldviews that we hold dear. This includes stories that are based on inaccurate perceptions, or traumas -- both ancestral and individual. Our storehouse of karma, based on the yogis' view, is like the residue of past experiences which have not been completely metabolized yet and are influencing our reality today. The "un-metabolized past" forms densities at various levels of our body which then obstruct or distort the free passage of light of the Soul through us. The internal fire sacrifice is the process of submitting or surrendering our limited identity to the metaphoric fire of spiritual transformation. This process, when and if it is performed effectively, results in a tremendous amount of internal spiritual heat, otherwise known as tapas . On a very practical level, tapas is generated every time we turn away from the "way things have always been" and we endeavor to create a new pathway. The literal re-wiring that occurs in the neurology of an individual who does this feels like friction, as they are going against the grain and the habitual patterning of the nervous system. This is why, initially, the installation of better habits or patterns can feel very uncomfortable. A person is experiencing tapas, friction, which generates the heat related to transformation. This is the "internal fire sacrifice" we are referring to. We offer it all to the internal fire as we surrender ourselves, over and over again, to be transformed. As our perspectives gradually change, our reality changes.

What more can I say about fire?

Well, there is a lot more, as usual; but I think we covered a lot of ground today. Think about how fire manifests in your life -- think about how you are wielding the power of your sight. For better or for worse. Think about how well you are metabolizing and digesting life. The yogic techniques related to balancing our relationship with the elemental force of fire are profound alchemical processes which can help us with this. There is much to discuss in that respect but not enough time here in this essay; things like uddiyana bandha and kriya are essential but will be difficult to transmit through text. If you're interested in learning more, an upcoming course on the 5 Elements of Tantrik Hatha Yoga will go into detail on all these topics and beyond.

Stay tuned for our next element in the series, Air, as we continue on our discussion of the pancha maha bhutas....

-GI