'elements', are the ultimate constituents of a
(1) The 4 physical elements (dhātu or mahā-bhūta),
- earth, (pathavī-dhātu)
- water, (āpo-dhātu)
- fire, (tejo-dhātu)
- wind, (vāyo-dhātu)
are to be understood as the primary qualities of matter.
In Vis.M. XI, 2 the four elements are defined
"Whatever is characterized:
- by hardness (thaddha-lakkkhana) is the
earth or solid-element;
- by cohesion (ābandhana) or fluidity, the
- by heating (paripācana), the fire or heat-element;
strengthening or supporting (vitthambhana), the wind or motion-element.
All four are present in every material object, though in varying degrees of
strength. If, for instance, the earth element predominates, the material object
is called 'solid', etc. - For the analysis of the 4 elements, s.
(II) The 18 physical and mental elements that constitute the
conditions or foundations of the process of perception, are:
- 1. visual organ (eye)
- 2. auditory organ (ear)
- 3. olfactory organ (nose)
- 4. gustatory organ (tongue)
- 5. tactile organ (body)
- 6. visible object
- 7. sound or audible object
- 8. odour or olfactive object
- 9. gustative object
- 10. body-contact
- 11. eye-consciousness
- 12. ear-consciousness
- 13. nose-consciousness
- 14. tongue-consciousness
- 15. body-consciousness
- 16. mind-element
- 17. mind-object (mano-dhātu) (dhamma-dhātu)
- 18. mind-consciousness-element (mano-viññāna-dhātu)
1-10 are physical; 11-16 and 18 are mental; 17 may be either
physical or mental.
16 performs the function of advertence (āvajjana)
towards the object at the inception of a process of sensuous consciousness; it
further performs the function of receiving (sampaticchana) the sensuous
18 performs, e.g., the function of investigation (santīrana),
determining (votthapana) and registering (tadārammana) - (for its
other functions, s. Table I).
For the 14 functions of consciousness, s.
Cf. M. 115; S. XIV and especially Vibh. II (Guide p. 28f),
Vis.M. XV, 17ff.
Of the many further groupings of elements (enumerated in M.115), the best known is that of the 3 world-elements:
- the sensuous world (kāma-dhātu),
- the fine-material world (rūpa-dhātu),
- the immaterial world (arūpa-dhātu);
further the six-fold group:
(viññāna; s. above I), described in M.140; see also M.112.