The ‘Why’
As somebody who grew up struggling in the American education system, I couldn’t even wrap my mind around why there was so much emphasis on the hard sciences. I paid attention enough to pass my courses, but I struggled to retain much of the information because it was mainly just memorization. I couldn’t experience the hard sciences because most of it was theory & stipulation. There is very little wisdom in the theoretical.
So much of what we learned growing up was about the ‘what’ science was. ‘What’ makes up atoms, ‘what’ planets are in our solar system, ‘what is the periodic table. However, there was no teacher I met in my early years that could explain to me the ‘why’. ‘Why do the elements even exist, ‘why' is this important to me, ‘why' must I know this stuff?
I had zero intention of applying all this theoretical knowledge in my daily life. Later on, in life, I was finally able to set out on my journey to discover the ‘why’. I packed up my suitcase and set out on a pilgrimage to India to dive headfirst into the authentic and mysterious teachings of Ayurveda. Little did I know that my adventure had just begun.
I learned that according to Ayurvedic Theory there are 5 Great Elements known in Sanskrit as the “Panch-Maha-Bhutas”. These elements make up the microcosm & macrocosm of our universe and are not unique to any one particular structure. These elements are not about the periodic table of elements, which the hard sciences of Western thought have discovered. The 5 Great Elements are basic and easy to understand for anyone regardless of education level. The five elements are:
Space, Air, Fire, Water, & Earth.
No, this is not ‘witchcraft’ although it was deemed as such by the encroaching colonization of the Christian-based British monarchy when they arrived in India some time ago. The demonizing of the Ayurvedic approach to medicine & lifestyle was what lead many Ayurvedic schools & libraries to be destroyed. Ayurveda was and still is known as one of the world’s oldest medical practices. The study of the 5 Great Elements was an observable, measurable, and calculating scientific approach to the known universe.
The Sages & Rishi’s of ancient India didn’t separate spirit from matter like the Western Scientists, Philosophers & Doctors. They looked at spirit & matter as one cohesive unit. The ancients looked at mind, body, & spirit as one's entire being. When the Sages & Rishi’s saw fire, they made note of its qualities. Fire is hot, sharp, & transformative. They made feasible correlations between fire & digestion and how they affect a person on a psycho-spiritual & psychological level.
The Ayurvedic Scholars discovered that space & air combine created cold, dry, & light qualities within the mind as well as the body. These qualities were synonymous with anxiety, fear, excitement, pain, & even excretion! And the scholars also found that opposites create balance. Add heat, oil, & heavy and space & air elements would decrease naturally. It was a simple explanation that didn’t need any empirical data to support it.
Simple.
Much of the current literature regarding Ayurveda talks soooo much about the Doshas. Everywhere we look in the Ayurvedic community we see loads of information about Vata, Pitta, & Kapha. However one can’t comprehend the depth and breadth of Ayurveda without first understanding the basic concepts behind the 5 Great Elements. The elements and their qualities are where we need to start focusing our attention in the beginning. We’re putting the cart before the horse when we jump right into Doshas.
After I began studying the 5 Great Elements, then the ‘why’ answers started to come naturally. ‘Why do I have so much more body pain in the winter than any other months? Well because it's cold, dry during those months and the cold affects our bodies differently, and it aggravates Vata Dosha. ‘Why do things I eat now taste different from when I was a child. Well because as a child I was in the Kapha phase of life and my body craved different tastes to help me grow. ‘Why do we get hot flashes during menopause? Well because our bodies are shifting from the Pitta phase of life to the Vata phase & Pitta is hot & Vata is cold.
Mind blown 🤯
We as a species, need to understand the WHY to fully appreciate the things we justify doing. Why are we eating & living to decrease imbalances? Why are we striving for health? Why does any of this matter?
We need to learn the purpose before we can justify the goal. When I set out on my wellness journey, my goal was to discover the ‘why’. I found my ‘why’ within the teachings of Ayurveda. Now that I have it, my goal is to teach the ‘why’ to others because education is our motivation, our empowerment, our drive.
We need to learn to see beyond the ‘what’ to eat or not eat. Western Nutrition is good at teaching ‘what’ but not ‘why’ or even ‘how’! Ayurveda has this amazing power to transform the lives & health of everyday people. It gives us, the working class, American-educated, low-income class our power back. The power to make wholesome choices that benefit us on an individual & collective level. Study the 5 Great Elements and you’ll find your ‘why’.