martes, 3 de mayo de 2011

La Práctica de los Cinco Elementos

According to the ancient Tibetan spiritual traditions, our planet is alive and sacred; and the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space are not just natural resources but can be considered fundamental aspects of a living universe. In fact, every experience one can have, from the sensations of one’s physical body, to the emotions, to the most fleeting of thoughts, is said to be composed entirely of these five elements in interaction. During his five-elements teachings, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche typically guides us in connecting with the external elements to support us to internalize the essential vital qualities of the elements. Incorporating teachings of shamanism, tantra, and dzogchen, Rinpoche guides a unique meditation practice through which we can retrieve and deeply connect with the elemental essences and nourish and restore health and vitality. By bringing the five elements into balance, we contribute to our own well-being as well as the health of our planet: According to shamanic teachings, on a physical level, the ongoing destruction and pollution of our global environment can be said to provoke the spirits of nature, causing wide-scale disease, energy disturbances, and mental obstacles to arise. By harmonizing with the natural elements, we harmonize our relationship with these spirits. According to tantric teachings, on an energetic level, the raw elements of nature represent subtler, more fundamental aspects of the primordial energy of existence. As such, the five elements play an essential role in emotional and psychological healing. For example, too much earth element can make us feel dull, drowsy, or lazy; but when earth is balanced in us it supports us to feel connected, secure, and confident. According to dzogchen teachings, on the level of mind, retrieving and connecting with the elemental essences can support the practice of contemplative meditation. For example, the water element brings comfort and joy to experiences of open awareness; when fully developed in spiritual practice, it is mirror-like wisdom.

For More Information

Healing With Form, Energy and Light: The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra and Dzogchen, by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Snow Lion Publications, 2002. Available for online purchase at Ligmincha Institute's Bookstore & Tibet Shop >

• "Discovering the Sacred" — an interview with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche about the five elements, from Snow Lion Newsletter >

• Ligmincha Institute periodically offers an online course on "Introduction to the Five Elements: Healing With Form, Energy and Light." Learn these meditation practices in the comfort of your own home. Learn more >

• A wide variety of other support materials related to the Five Elements practice are available from Ligmincha Institute's Bookstore & Tibet Shop >

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