4 Elements in Nature | Ajahn Dhammasiha | Dhammagiri | Buddhism

Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to connect with nature, and to contemplate the 4 Great Elements externally as we experience them in the natural environment.

1. Earth Element (Hardness, Rocks, Stones, Sand, Feeling the Ground while Walking or Sitting)
2. Water Element (Wet soil or grass or sand or beach; Ocean; Rain; Streams/Rivers)
3. Fire/Heat Element (Sunshine, warm air, warm breeze)
4. Wind Element/Energy Movement (Wind, Energy of Rocks and Trees, 'Chi')

It's difficult to contemplate only in the abstract, something that we don't really feel or experience.

Once we can clearly feel and perceive these elements in our own direct experience, it's much easier to contemplate them as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self.

Once we can clearly feel and perceive these elements in our own direct experience externally, it's much easier to also feel and contemplate them internally.

Even apart from insight- ontemplation, just connecting with nature in direct experience is a grounding experience very helpful in itself, to balance our artificial live with its screens and virtual reality and internet, and bring consciousness back to physical reality in the here and now.

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