How to Learn Four Elements Meditation For Samatha Cultivation

Meditation
1

Hello,

Can someone share advice for learning four elements meditation for the purpose of developing concentration? Especially for someone with a background of practicing Goenka’s technique.

I often find it easier to concentrate using Goenka’s technique than with mindfulness of breathing, and there seems to be a different response completely than mindfulness of breathing. It makes me curious and inclined to try four elements meditation for developing samadhi.

I’m thinking of picking up Shaila Catherine’s “Wisdom Wide and Deep” Chapter 12 “Explorations of Matter: Four Elements Meditation” + this Pa Auk meditation manual for reference, and begin there to try to apply the instructions.

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I don’t see how Goenka’s technique makes any difference, it is outside orthodox Theravada and therefore blasphemy, not real or helpful.

Anyway, I am not familiar with the book you mentioned but I am familiar with the book “Practicing the Jhanas: Traditional Concentration Meditation as Presented by the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw” by Stephen and Tina, the whole concentration portion of Visudhimagga is there in plain English.

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This is the root pa-auk text:

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4

Thank you, Bhante!

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5

Don’t worry about the criticism of Goenka’s technique you refer to. I think you mean the sweeping through the body part of Goenka. You will find a form of this in the visuddhimagga in reference to the 32 parts of the body and skin where a pattern of sweeping the body is found.

But I digress. The 4 elements meditation as taught at Pa Auk is described in the pdf. U Subhuti linked to. But I am here to tell you there is more that can be done with 4 elements than is there.

Firstly once you become adept at discerning them in depth. Hard, rough,heavy, soft, smooth, light (earth), flowing, cohesion (water), heat cold (fire), supporting, pushing (air) or even if you only have a limited comprehension of them you can use then when doing exercise.

I use them when running, swimming and walking. I just rotate through earth, water, fire, and air at my leisure. Then develop perception that they are not me, not mine, not self. I sometimes hold on one element for a lap of a pool or for a period of time, then move to the next.

So you can use them when sitting, walking, lying down or whenever. It is very rewarding.

I can also do 32 parts of the body like this as well.

So one of the issues with all the techniques is that they ignore the majority of your life which is when you are not sitting. You can do meditation snacks on elements or the 32 parts at any time and it will deepen your perception of either.

Also 4 elements and 32 parts of the body can be very close to each other and assist each other. 4 elements maybe broader and 32 parts closer to your sweeping method.

In the end the goal is to see reality of impermanence, dukkha and not me, not mine, not self.

Based on 5 precepts and an understanding of kamma it can take you to an end of suffering in body and mind.

Good luck.

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Thanks for sharing. Do we have to feel the elements in every single part of our body while we are walking, running, swimming, etc or can we just focus on one part of our body like our hand?

If we want to do 32 parts of the body, do we have to be able to see them vividly inside our body? Can we just imagine or visualize it

Could you give me a step-by-step instructions on how you practice it?

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Great question. I could write a book on it. I will write something longer later. Quick answers are. You can focus on a part of the body or the whole body all at once as long as you perceive the element you are directing your mind to see. When running the breath is pretty obvious as the air element, but also your pushing of the legs as air element too. Basically whatever you perceive of the body is to be seen as elements. You sweat heaps here so water element, and you are very warm fire element and the weight of your body is earth element.

32 parts of the body is also a way to see 4 elements. As each part is made up of 4 elements, but also each part has elements in predominance and variably. The first 20 elements are earth element and have different hardness and softness etc. The last 12 are examples of the water element. The heat of the body is fire element and the air elements of the body is five. breath, upward winds, downward winds, etc. your heart beat.

You don’t have to be able to see them visually. You can feel them by location as it ends up you become aware of how each feels and in some cases you can’t feel them unless they are diseased. So whatever you feel or visualise is ok

You have to be able to recite the 32 parts in forward and backward orders. But one direction is ok I settle for that. You can spend as long as you want on each part and if one is not clear can hop over it.

The whole point is to realise that this is not you. I don’t develop asubha I use it to see 4 elements and as I love science and biology I also look at it all from that perspective to give more detail as the function of each part was unknown to the ancients.

The human body is a mind boggling piece of chemistry.

There are some great videos on anatomy on youtube for getting a deeper understanding of muscles and bones etc. But that is just icing on the cake. like this one. https://youtu.be/0bzYIwVJreU?si=1xFKc_7zi5_ukGTL

So why don’t medical people who have learnt all their anatomy not get enlightened? Because they miss the keys of impermanence, suffering and not self. Combine the two and add some kamma and five precepts and you can get something more from that knowledge.

In the end it is all how you relate to it.

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8

Thanks you for the explanation. So if I practice like this but don’t manage to see kalapas or some light in my mind, can I still accumulate good kamma from this?

So for example, I can focus on the heart and feel the heartbeat which is the pushing characteristic of the wind element. I can also feel the softness but that’s just the softness of my muscle and not of the heart itself.

I can visualize my heart and touch my heart area to feel the heartbeat and also the softness and warmth of that area. The tightness is the cohesion characteristic of the water element and flowing feeling is also the water element.

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You are asking questions that I’m sure are answered within the first 30 pages of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw’s book. Please read it first before asking questions.

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Yes don’t worry about kalapas or light or anything else. Just start to perceive the elements or parts as best you can. Each effort is right effort and if you keep watering it you kammic tree will eventually bear fruit.

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