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Specific characteristic of fire element

Sometimes when the sun shines and the fan stops, then you may observe 'hot, hot..'. We have to take some time to observe it (i.e. to be patient) until it has stopped. The more we observe it, the deeper the concentration on it. The deeper the concentration becomes, the more penetrating our insight into it. Then we come to realize that it is just hot. We are not aware of the body, limb, hand or leg. What we are realizing at that time is just heat, 'hot, hot..', that's all. When we see it is just heat or feeling of hot without being conscious of the body or the limbs, it means we are realizing the specific characteristics of fire element, Tejo dhatu without any idea of mine or I. That realization of the specific characteristic of fire element removes the idea of I or you, a person or a being. Sakkaya ditthi has been removed.

Then however severe the heat may be, we are not affected by this heat because there is no 'we', no 'you'. What really exist at that moment is just heat in your mind so there is no person, no being. It is just the natural process of heat or fire element. Then we don't have attachment to it because what we see is just heat. We just don't have any aversion to it because we see it as just heat. If we take it to be a hand or a body, then we may think "Oh, my body is very hot, my hands are very hot". Then because of that 'my', you have the idea of an I, a person, a being. Sakkaya ditthi, Atta ditthi comes to your mind. Then you can't endure that heat which your body has because you don't see that heat as just heat. What you see is the hot body, the hot hand. Then you take it to be me and mine. Then you have the idea of a person or being. That is why there arises aversion to that heat. That is also why there arises attachment to heat when you like it, for example during the winter. Why do you like it? Because you take it to be a person or a being, an I or a you. If you see that heat as just a natural process of heat and you take it to be me or mine, then you don't need anything. Air conditioning or central heating system.

So while you are sitting for meditation whatever feeling you have, heat or cold, you should observe it. Why do you need to observe it? To realize it in its true nature. To realize that heat in its true nature. To realize that cold in its true nature. What is the true nature of heat or cold? The specific characteristic and the general characteristic of the fire element is their true nature. So if you observe either heat or cold at the moment of its arising and if your concentration is good enough you realize it separately from you and you realize it without being conscious of yourself or your body or your limbs. It means you are realizing the natural process of heat as specific characteristic of fire element. Then you don't identify that heat with you and there is no idea of a person or a being. Sakkaya ditthi, Atta ditthi has been destroyed. All mental defilements arise dependent on the idea of I or you, Sakkaya ditthi, Atta ditthi. When you don't have that idea of I or you, there won't arise any mental defilement. If you are able to realize this is just natural process of heat or cold; this is just natural process of movement or motion, then you don't identify these processes with you, then there is no 'I' or 'mine' regarding the process.

Because you have removed idea of 'I' or 'mine', a person or a being regarding these processes of heat, cold, movement or motion, there won't arise any defilement at all. This is because in the realization of natural process of heat, cold, movement or motion, there isn't anything to be attached to it or to have aversion to it. But if we identify that natural process with us or you, then there is a person who has desire to be cold, to have the fan turning. That desire is a defilement. It arises dependent on the idea of 'I' who feels hot.

That is why we need to realize the specific characteristic of at least these four primary material elements to remove the idea of individuality, personality, self or soul. That is why we have to be mindful of whatever arises in our body and mind as it really occurs. When we have realized the specific characteristics of these primary elements it is not so difficult for us to realize the specific or individual characteristic of mental states too. If we are able to realize the specific or individual characteristic of mental state, we don't take them to be a person or a being.

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