Post on “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta and Ānāpānasati”

Thank you, Lang, for bringing up this question on the “air element” or “vāyo.”

First, I moved Lang’s post from the “Questions About Puredhamma Posts” to the “Posts on ‘Elephants in the Room’” because the post in question is in the “Elephant in the Room 3 – Ānāpānasati” section. Of course, Lang could not see that because for this first week of posting as the “Home page” the breadcrumbs at the top of the post does not show the section.

Regarding the main question on “vāyo:”

There is a bit deeper explanation of the terms pathavi,āpo, tejo, and vāyo.
I just revised #7 of the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka” as follows.

– The word āpo comes from the tendency to “attach or get attracted to worldly things” (“bandena gatiya” or “බැඳෙන ගතිය” in Sinhala means the “bind together,” which leads to liquidity in science). Tejo comes from “fiery or energetic” (“théjas gati” or “තේජස් ගතිය” in Sinhala), and vāyo refers to “motion/vacillation” (“salena gatiya” or “සැලෙන ගතිය” in Sinhala). They are all created in javana citta that arise in mind in minute quantities that cannot be detected. However, yogis with abhiññā powers can generate large amounts of matter like a flower.
– Added October 29, 2022: There is a deeper explanation: According to the above explanations, āpo, pathavi, and tejo can be attributed to lobha, dosa, and moha. Vacillation in vāyo represents uncertainty; that represents mundane alobha, adosa, amoha, or the ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. See “Six Root Causes – Loka Samudaya (Arising of Suffering) and Loka Nirodhaya (Nibbāna).”

Thus, we can say that vāyo is the “better element” compared to āpo, pathavi, and tejo. The latter three can be attributed to the “kāma loka” and vāyo can be taken to represent rupa loka lying above the kāma loka.
– P.S. Thus, we can indirectly connect to anariya yogis getting into anariya jhāna with breath mediation (by overcoming lobha, dosa, and moha, temporarily, i.e., without removing anusaya.)

I am glad that you understood the deeper aspects, Lang!

We can look at this from many different angles. I will briefly discuss two.

1. The density of matter is highest in kama loka. That is where pathavi, apo, and tejo are strongest.
– As we go to higher realms (six Deva realms), those births arise with much less lobha, dosa, and moha; thus, the density of their bodies and environment is much less. That is why scientists can’t see those realms.
– Births in Brahma realms are possible at even smaller lobha, dosa, and moha levels.

2. When an average human attains the Sotapanna stage,lobha, dosa, and moha reduce substantially to raga, patigha, and lower levels of avijja. Thus, pathavi, apo, and tejo in the suddhatthaka generated by the Sotapanna is much less in proportion. Accordingly, any anger, greed, and ignorance arising in a Sotapanna are not enough to engage in highly immoral deeds. That is how a Sotapanna avoids rebirth in apayas.
– By the Anagami stage, that trend will lead to the disappearance of kama raga and patigha. Thus, an Anagami would not act with anger or kama raga. Thus, pathavi and tejo in the suddhatthaka generated by an Anagami would be much less proportioned. That is why an Anagami would be born only in a Brahma realm.
– By the Arahant stage, no gati is left to generate any kamma bija (or hadaya vatthu) with even a trace of suddhatthaka. No rebirths for an Arahant.

That is a very brief outline.

I have not seen them specifically attributed like that. But I have heard some discourses by Waharaka Thero, where he mentioned such possible connections.

Normally, pathavi, apo, tejo, and vayo are attributed to avijja (moha) and vanna, gandha, rasa, oja to tanha. I think this categorization is more standard.

However, it seems logical to attribute apo to greed (but one can also attach via anger) and pathavi (and tejo) to anger. It is also logical to attribute tejo to avijja (moha) since uddacca is removed only at the Arahant stage with a last bit of avijja.
– Vayo is not likely to be associated with lobha or dosa but more with avijja (uncertainty).