In the Bardon system it is pretty clear that the much of the first initiation is the mastery of the four elements: fire, air, water, earth. For the sake of clarity, let’s this a four element system even though it is implicit that mastery of the Akasha as a fifth – or first – element, if you like, is also integral to the process. Although somewhat more veiled than Bardon – according to the symbolism of the system – it would seem likely that four elements mastery must also be an important part of Indian, Tibetan, Japanese and many other initiatic traditions.
And what of the apparently different approach of Chinese and Taoist systems – apparently having evolved entirely differently from four element systems – that contain the notion of five elements, fire, earth, metal, water and wood? How are we to understand the differences, is there a direct correlation or mapping between the two?
My first consideration of these differences started from a viewpoint put forward by Eric Yudelove in his book, The Tao and the Art of Internal Alchemy. Eric is a long time direct student of Mantak Chia and and also a practitioner of the Bardon system. He suggests that the differences can be accounted for by analysis of the different properties of the air element and that we should view metal and wood as two poles, if you like, of air. Air being the mediating element between fire and water, must contain properties from both elements, for example heat or cold, or wetness or dryness. Under this thinking, metal is the dry, cool pole of air, whereas wood is the warm, moist part.
While initially this answer seems to be at least, simple and conceptually satisfying, the theory didn’t seem to fully answer questions about the practical differences (from my own limited view at least) between the basic techniques of the two paradigms. Why for example, is direct accumulation of universal five element energy not a large part of Taoism, in the way that accumulation of universal four element energy is important in Bardon? What would be the Bardon interpretation of the seemingly complex cycles of creation and control?
The answer came to me as in what appears to be one of the few systems that integrates both views: certain schools of the Japanese art of Ninjitsu. Ninjitsu lore holds that the esoteric teachings of the fighting art come from the Himalayan Ninpo Mikkyo tantric teachings. The four (plus Akasha) element philosophy ‘Go Dai‘ is termed the ‘five elemental manifestations‘, whereas the five element philosophy ‘Go Gyo‘ is termed the ‘five elemental transformations‘.
The differentiation between static and dynamic seems key in explaining some of the differences in philosophy. The concept of the Yin-yang symbol at the centre of the Pa-kua symbolises the view that every absolute contains within itself the root of it’s opposite, a transformation that can and will occur over time, as nothing except the absolute or Tao is unchanging. Unbalanced mercy or charity can prevent a individual from learning important lessons necessary for further improvement, for example, whereas oppressive force and dominion and the harsh circumstances these entail can stir the virtues of courage, bravery and hope in opposition.
Under Hermetic philosophy, the alchemistic maxim ‘solve et coagula‘ (dilute and rarify) is a shorthand also for a large part of the Bardon exercises. We condense and encourage higher virtues, while dissolving our vices and baser behaviour. Elemental and universal energies are accumulated in our bodies, while contradictory influences and expelled.
The properties of the 4 elements, heat/cold, brightness/darkness, thickness/thinness, motion/stillness, and so on, are fundamental properties of existence or manifestation, so the four elements are likewise spiritual analogies to that existence. This is confirmed from perspective of Tarot philosophy and from a numerological perspective. The Emperor, the fourth card, sits on a cube, which is the square of four in three dimensions, the symbol of absolute stability and lawfulness in matter. This card is interpreted to symbolise the Key to Hermetic Philosophy, the wisdom of divine lawfulness of existence. Again note the emphasis on universal existence and manifestation.
In my understanding, the five element system, basic practices like the Inner Smile, the Healing sounds and the Microcosmic Orbit draw on the more general universal energies like Heavenly Chi, Earth Chi and Cosmic Chi to add power, but do not attempt to condense universal five element energies (if that were even possible) into the body. Instead, analogies of season, positive and negative emotions, cardinal directions, colour, divine animals and so on are used to shape, gather and purify, even transform, existing personal energy into corresponding primarily primary and secondary internal organs.
As a related concept, Bill Mistele writes in one of his articles about the differences between personal vital force and universal vital force, a distinction which is particularly highlighted within IIH in the step 3 section on healing.
A useful conclusion would be to view the five transformation elements as personal vital force related to five different processes within the human vital body. They may also be related to the five pranas in yogic philosophy, prana, apana, udana, smana and vyana which compose pranamaya, one of the five sheaths or koshas inthe human vital body. I leave further exploration of these ideas to a future post.
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July 13, 2014 at 4:49 pm
luxfortis
There is an excellent post from Ralf on the FranzBardonMagi list (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FranzBardonMagi/conversations/messages/23900) that explains the shen and ko cycles in 4 element terms and thereby the following attributions between the two systems.
Fire/Heart Fire
Earth/Spleen Akasha
Metal/Lungs Earth
Water/Kidneys Water
Wood/Liver Air
He doesnt describe it in those terms but just says “one system I work with acknowledges and utilises the interplay between the elements further”.
Worth a read.
July 13, 2014 at 4:50 pm
luxfortis
The full text is as follows:
One system I work with acknowledges and utilises the interplay between
the elements further, which may be of help.
Effectively each of the four elements, and spirit, relate to
manifestation and our experiences and intentional expressions of
manifestation and manifesting.
The Earth element is about sensory direct experience, or “What is?”
The Water element is about our emotionally felt experience, or “How do I
feel about what is?”
The Air element is about our creative expression, or “What might be?”
The Fire element is about our emotionally felt expression, or “What do I
want to be/exist?”
Spirit is about trust and process, a statement, rather than question, to
sit with: “Everything is good as it is.”
The important aspect of Spirit is that this is about all the elements,
Fire included. So everything is good as it is, including wanting things
to be different.
The different elements don’t exist in isolation, but interact with each
other. Some combinations act in support, others destabilise.
Earth supports Water
Water supports Air
Air supports Fire
Fire supports Spirit
Spirit supports Earth
Another way to approach this is that one element will naturally arise
from the previous. To experience this, and use it as a process, sit with
direct experience (Earth) of an issue, and your authentic felt
experience (Water) will arise. Sit with that, and your authentic
creativity (Air) will arise. Sit with that, and your authentic felt
expression, aka intent, (Fire) will arise. Sit with that, and an inner
peace of acceptance and trust (Spirit) will arise. That trusted peace
profound then manifests the intent into the physical, to be experienced
through our senses (Earth), and the cycle can start again.
There is also a negative interplay, in that
Spirit destabilises Water
Water destabilises Fire
Fire destabilises Earth
Earth destabilises Air
Air destabilises Spirit
If someone is focused on how they feel (Water), telling them that
“Everything is perfect as it is.” (Spirit) undermines that feeling state.
Telling someone how you feel (Water) about their passion (Fire) can
short-circuit that intention.
Telling someone what you want to manifest (Fire) when they are focused
on what exists (Earth) drains power out of their state.
Telling someone focused on creatively imagining an alternate reality
(Air) about the reality of what is (Earth) brings them crashing back to
earth.
And if someone is blissfully focused on everything being perfect
(Spirit), questioning them with visions of how things could be better
(Air) can disrupt their state.
The healthy process of the elements is to keep flowing between them,
Earth to Water to Air to Fire to Spirit and back to Earth. What often
happens is that we encounter resistance in others that change that
order, or, through elemental imbalance, we favour some elements over
others. So we might go from Earth straight to Air, skipping through
Water because it is uncomfortable. Then the imagined futures aren’t
arising out of natural emotional experience… Or we might go from Water
to Air, but then bounce back to Water, feeling what it would be like if
that vision was reality. That stops the natural arising of
passion/intent and stops the reality from being manifested through Spirit.
Try taking time to move through each of the four questions, and the
fifth statement, for an issue, and experience this yourself.
Ralf
September 18, 2015 at 4:14 pm
Zeke
As a Chinese I can sure you that there is no difference between these two systems. Many things are not easy to transfer into English due to old Chinese. Forgive me that I can not give you some references. But here is the conclusion, the fifth element or akasa is what Taoists are chasing for. Just different names and different ways. This is the reason why I turn to Franz Bardon’s works to know much about akasa.