Day Thirty-four

At meditation retreat today with Sister Sobhana of the Bhavana Society, on Using Contemplation on the Elements to Center Your Practice. I was surprised to know that Earth and Water are more physical elements and Air and Fire more energy-related but it makes perfect sense. After having us consider all of the Earth elements of our body by imagining their removal one by one (hair, skin, organs, muscles and skeleton), we practiced with a more general meditation.

I was pulled to her explanation of the Buddha's pointing BACK from Consciousness, Volition, Perception, Feeling to Form for us to realize the way things are, rather than having us strive to achieve some idea. She explained the skahndas as gears that interlock, and observing closely any one gear can lead to their unbinding. So we worked with form in the element of Earth and asked if these 'solid' things are truly us or mine, as the Buddha exhorted his son Rahula to do in the Maha-Rahulovada Sutta (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.062.than.html).
and also the http://www.vipassana.info/028-mahahatthipadopama-sutta-e1.htm , which is the simile of how many animals' footprints fit into an elephant's footprint; likened to how all other teachings, including those on the elements, fit into the four noble truths.