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Dharma Glimpses with Judy LiefAuthor: Judy Lief Language: en-us Genres: Buddhism, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 107: The Five Elements
Tuesday, 2 December, 2025
[This episode originally aired on February 7, 2023] Early Buddhist meditators spent quite a lot of time alone in retreat in remote, rugged areas • as a result, they were very much in tune with the the five basic elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space • they observed that everything inside is mirrored by what is outside, and everything outside is mirrored by what is inside • we can observe these elements for ourselves, and we can emulate their qualities • the earth element has the quality of being solid, embodied, unmoving; it is connected with the sense of presence and the “thingness” of so many forms around us • the water element has a quality of flowing, cleansing, and cohesion • the element of fire is connected with warmth, compassion, and burning through obstacles • the element of wind is powerful and energetic; it is connected with movement in our nervous system, a constant energizing and moving quality • finally, the element of space is like the sky: it is vast, unbounded, open; in terms of our internal experience, it's connected with consciousness • in life and in our practice we can bring these elements into balance and harmony for the benefit of ourselves and all beings.
