Evolution of the Physical World
The subtle world and your subtle body are created from the 5 elements. And the 5 elements are created from Maya. And Maya is nothing but Brahman (http://advaita-academy.org/blogs/creation-of-the-body-from-5-elements/). This is summarised in the below table:
|
From Sattva Part of Elements |
From Rajas Part of Elements |
||||||||||
|
Brahman + Maya |
Subtle Element |
Unique Quality |
Organ of Knowledge |
Ability |
Deity (Devata) |
Inner Instrument |
Organ of Action |
Ability |
Deity (Devata) |
Pranas |
|
|
1 |
Space |
Sound |
Ears |
Hearing |
Dik |
4 parts of antahkarana: Intellect, Emotional Mind, I Sense, Memory |
Tongue |
Speech |
Agni |
5 Pranas (physiological systems): Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana, Udana |
|
|
2 |
Air |
Touch |
Skin |
Feeling |
Vayu |
Hands |
Grasping |
Indra |
|||
|
3 |
Fire |
Form |
Eyes |
Seeing |
Surya |
Legs |
Movement |
Vishnu |
|||
|
4 |
Water |
Taste |
Tongue |
Tasting |
Varuna |
Genitals |
Procreation |
Prajapati |
|||
|
5 |
Earth |
Smell |
Nose |
Smelling |
Ashvini Kumaara |
Anus |
Excretion |
Yama
|
|||
Ok that explains the birth of the subtle Universe, but it does not account for where this gross universe (Sthula Prapancha) and my gross body (Sthula Sharira) came from? The great Vedanta teacher, Adi Shankara, answers this question in a text called ‘grossification’ (panchikaranam) – describing the detailed mathematical process of how the gross universe evolved from the subtle universe. From Sukshma to Sthula. This process is briefly described in another text, tattva-bodha: In a nut shell – the subtle 5 elements, evolve into the gross 5 elements via a process of each subtle element (only tamas part) dividing itself and joining together with other elements. So each gross element is just a combination of subtle elements. For example, Gross Fire (which you see) = 50% Subtle Fire + 12.5% Subtle Space + 12.5% Subtle Air + 12.5% Subtle Water + 12.5% Subtle Earth. This is summarised here:
|
Gross Element |
Tamas part of subtle elements |
||||
|
Space |
50% Space |
12.5% Air |
12.5% Fire |
12.5% Water |
12.5% Earth |
|
Air |
50% Air |
12.5% Space |
12.5% Fire |
12.5% Water |
12.5% Earth |
|
Fire |
50% Fire |
12.5% Space |
12.5% Air |
12.5% Water |
12.5% Earth |
|
Water |
50% Water |
12.5% Space |
12.5% Air |
12.5% Fire |
12.5% Earth |
|
Earth |
50% Earth |
12.5% Space |
12.5% Air |
12.5% Fire |
12.5% Water |
From these physical/gross elements, the gross Universe and your gross body were born – this is what you see right now with your eyes. So what? From this we can see 2 very important facts:
1. Your body (gross and subtle) = 5 elements
2. Physical Universe (gross and subtle) = 5 elements
So what’s the difference between 1 and 2? Nothing really. They are one and the same. There is oneness of the individual body and the entire Universe (pinda-brahmandayoh aikyam). In the sense that both are made of the same 5 elements.
Om
Aditya
