COLOURS -The three subtle basic components and the five Cosmic Elements

4. The three subtle basic components and the five Cosmic Elements

The three subtle-components also make up the five Absolute Cosmic Principles (Panchamahābhūtās). The five Cosmic Principles are Absolute Earth (Pruthvītattva), Absolute Water (Āpatattva), Absolute Fire (Tējtattva), Absolute Air (Vāyutattva) and Absolute Ether (Ākāshtattva) Principles. The Cosmic Elements are intangible in nature and are the subtle most aspect of the actual elements that we can see and feel. For example, the Absolute Water Principle is the subtlest form of the water that goes to make up the rivers and the oceans etc. In short, the five Absolute Cosmic Elements are the building blocks of the Universe.  But they are also made up of the three subtle basic components.
The following table shows how each Cosmic Element differs in its composition with regards to the proportion of the three subtle basic components.

As you can see from the table above, the Absolute Earth Principle has the highest amount of Tama; hence it is also the heaviest. The subtle basic Tama component limits existence, whereas the subtle basic Sattva component makes it expansive. This explains why the Absolute Earth Principle is the most inferior among the five Cosmic Elements. It also explains why the Absolute Ether Principle is the most subtle and sattvik and thus the most powerful. The reduction in the Tama subtle basic component across the five major Cosmic Elements makes the elements progressively less tangible. For example, Fire is less gross or tangible than Earth.
Humans are composed predominantly of the Absolute Earth and Absolute Water Principles. As an individual starts evolving spiritually, he or she starts functioning at progressively higher levels, like the Absolute Fire Principle etc. This is characterised by a sense of radiance emanating from a spiritually evolved person. As this happens, the individual's basic needs begin to decrease, such as the need for food and sleep.  In addition, his comprehension and capacity to perform various activities increases markedly both quantitatively and qualitatively.

^Top

5. The three subtle basic components and the world

5.1 Natural Disasters

If there is an increase in the Raja and Tama in the world, it translates into increased wars, terrorist activities and natural disasters. The increase in Raja and Tama in the world causes a destabilisation of the five Cosmic Elements resulting in catastrophic natural disasters. Please refer to the article on the reason behind the increasing intensity of natural disasters.

5.2 Non-living things

The following chart shows the relationship between non-living things and the three subtle-components.

5.3 Living entities

 

The following chart shows the relationship between living entities and the three subtle-components. As you can see, life has a greater value in terms of the Sattva subtle basic component across the board as compared to even religious places as shown in the table above.

This is also one of the main reasons why the spiritual level of a person in particular premises has more impact on the overall vibrations emanating from that place as opposed to the premises itself. For example, if a person of the level of a Saint enters premises that have negative vibrations due to defects in construction, it will have negligible effect on the Saint. Thus the sciences of Feng-shui and the science of studying premises (vāstushāstra) are of more relevance to persons at lower spiritual levels or those who do not perform any spiritual practice.

6. The three subtle basic components and human beings

In the following sub-sections, we expand on how the three subtle basic components impact different aspects of our lives.

6.1 In relation to what we are comprised of

As the subtle basic Raja component is related to the functioning of the body, its proportion is the same in all the bodies. However as you can see from the table above, there is considerable difference between the Sattva and Tama components across the various bodies. This has a direct impact on the ability of the body to provide us sustainable and long lasting happiness. For example, the Sattva component in the intellect body is high compared to the physical body. Therefore the quality of the happiness we experience when we are intellectually stimulated and satisfied is of a higher quality and more lasting than happiness experienced due to the physical body.

^Top

6.2 In relation to spiritual level

Spiritual level and the proportion of the three subtle basic components are very closely interlinked. However their relationship is pretty much a chicken and egg thing. We can say that a person’s spiritual level is defined by the predominance of the Sattva, Raja and Tama components. Alternatively we can also say that the predominance of any one of the Sattva, Raja and Tama components defines a person’s spiritual level. As we do spiritual practice we begin to change the proportion of the three subtle basic components within us towards there being more proportion of the Sattva component. In other words, we change the Tama component into Sattva.
As we generate more of the Sattva component within us (in proportion to the other two subtle-components), it positively affects our spiritual level and also our personalities.
The following is a graph that shows the different proportions of the three subtle basic components within us as we increase our spiritual level through spiritual practice.

Footnotes:

1. After the 50% spiritual level, the proportion of the three components remains static. The reason for this is that one cannot have any less than 20% Tama. If this did happen the person would begin to dematerialise. Consequently, as long as one has a physical body the Tama component cannot be less than 20%. However the effect of the components on the person is diluted with a further rise in spiritual level, so much so that at the spiritual level of 80%, the effect of them is negligible on the person. In the next sub-section we explain this dilution in detail.
   
2. As long as an evolved Saint of 100% spiritual level is within a physical body, He will be made up of the three subtle basic components. As soon as He dies and leaves His body all of the three subtle basic components become zero and the Saint merges completely with God.