[Tobi]

Hello Lal,

I would like to know how the terms of the 6 Dathus fit together with Sinhala.

(six dhatus) are:

1. patavi (hardness), or earth element

2. apo (cohesion), water element

3. tejo (vitality), or fire element

4. vayo (movement), wind element

5. akasa (space) 6. viññāṇa dhatu

The Sinhala word for space is අංක/අවකාශය and would fit with ākāsa.

But water is called Jala and not apo, that doesn’t fit. Just like the word cohesion, right?

Is there perhaps a sutta where someone says I drink a glass of apo? Where do the translations come from or is there perhaps a deeper meaning like with Anicca, Dukka and Anatta?

But Sinhala is supposed to be so close to Magadhi Prakrit language. What would patavi, apo, tejo, vayo mean in Sinhala and do these words apo, tejo… etc. even exist in Sinhala?

And what are the translations of the six words in Sinhala and to English.

Somehow I am not satisfied with apo dhatu as water element and the other words und auch Dhatu, except ākāsa!!!

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namo0804

[Lal]

Hello Tobi,

The Sinhala word for ākāsa (space) is ආකාස NOT අංක.

Apo, tejo, vayo, and pathavi are the INITIAL bhūta stages. They are called පඨවි, ආපෝ, තේජෝ, වායෝ  (pronounced the same as Pali).

As we know, āpo, tejo, vayo, and pathavi are always “mixed.” For example, no pure “āpo” exists. Same for the others.

• When highly condensed, āpo, tejo, vayo, and pathavi become water, fire, wind, and earth (solids). Each has all other elements, but water, fire, wind, and earth (solids) predominantly have āpo, tejo, vayo, and pathavi, respectively.
• The Sinhala words for water, fire, wind, and earth (solids) are වතුර, ගින්න, සුළඟ, පස් (or පොලව). ākāsa (space) is ආකාස.

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LayDhammaFollower, Tobi

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