Tattva

According to various Indian schools of philosophy, ''tattvas'' () are the elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of ''tattvas'' varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience. The Samkhya philosophy uses a system of 25 ''tattvas'', while Shaivism recognises 36 ''tattvas''. In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list of ''dhammas'' which constitute reality, as in Nama-rupa.

Etymology

''Tattva'' () is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'.

Hinduism

Samkhya

The Samkhya philosophy regards the Universe as consisting of two eternal realities: ''Purusha'' and '' Prakrti''. It is therefore a strongly dualist philosophy. The ''Purusha'' is the centre of consciousness, whereas the ''Prakriti'' is the source of all material existence. The twenty-five ''tattva'' system of Samkhya concerns itself only with the tangible aspect of creation, theorizing that ''Prakriti'' is the source of the world of becoming. It is the first ''tattva'' and is seen as pure potentiality that evolves itself successively into twenty-four additional ''tattvas'' or principles.

Shaivism

In Shaivism the ''tattvas'' are inclusive of consciousness as well as material existence. The 36 tattvas of Shaivism are divided into three groups:
#''Shuddha tattvas''
#:The first five tattvas are known as the ''shuddha'' or 'pure' ''tattvas''. They are also known as the ''tattvas'' of universal experience.
#''Shuddha-ashuddha tattvas''
#:The next seven ''tattvas'' (6–12) are known as the ''shuddha-ashuddha'' or 'pure-impure' ''tattvas''. They are the ''tattvas'' of limited individual experience.
#''Ashuddha tattvas''
#:The last twenty-four ''tattvas'' (13–36) are known as the ''ashuddha'' or 'impure' ''tattvas''. The first of these is '' prakriti'' and they include the ''tattvas'' of mental operation, sensible experience, and materiality.

Vaishnavism

Within Puranic literatures and general Vaiśnava philosophy ''tattva'' is often used to denote certain categories or types of being or energies such as:

#''Viṣṇu-tattva''
#:The Supreme God. The causative factor of everything including other Tattva(s).
#''Kṛṣṇa-tattva''
#:Any incarnation or expansion of Śrī Narayan / Krishna.
#''Śakti-Tattva''
#:The multifarious energies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It includes his internal potency, Yoga Maya, and material prakṛti.
#''Jīva-tattva''
#:The living souls (jivas).
#''Śiva-tattva''
#:Śrī Śiva (excluding Rudra(s)) is not considered to be a jiva.
#''Mahat-tattva''
#:The total material energy (''prakṛti'').

Gaudiya Vaishnavism

In Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy there are a total of five primary tattvas described in terms of living beings, which are collectively known as the ''Pancha Tattva'' and described as follows:

Tantra

In Hindu tantrism there are five tattvas (''pañcatattva'') which create global energy cycles of ''tattvic tides'' beginning at dawn with ''Akasha'' and ending with ''Prithvi'':
#''Akasha'' (Spirit tattva) – symbolized by a black egg
#''Vayu'' (Air tattva) – symbolized by a blue circle
#'' Tejas'' (Fire tattva) – symbolized by a red triangle
#'' Apas'' (Water tattva) – symbolized by a silver crescent
#''Prithvi'' (Earth tattva) – symbolized by a yellow square
Each complete cycle lasts two hours.
This system of five tattvas which each can be combined with another, was also adapted by the Golden Dawn (→ Tattva vision).

''Panchatattva'' in ''ganachakra'' and ''pañcamakara''

Arthur Avalon (1918) affirms that the five nectars of Tantra, Hindu and Buddhist traditions are directly related to the '' mahābhūta'' or Five Elements and that the '' pañcamakara'' is actually a vulgar term for the ''pañcatattva'' and affirms that this is cognate with Ganapuja:

"Chakrapuja" is cognate with Ganachakra or Ganachakrapuja.

Ayyavazhi

Tattvas are the 96 qualities or properties of human body according to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the religious book of Ayyavazhi.

Siddha medicine

The Siddha system of traditional medicine () of ancient India was derived by Tamil Siddhas or the spiritual scientists of Tamil Nadu. According to this tradition, the human body is composed of 96 constituent principles or tattvas. Siddhas fundamental principles never differentiated man from the universe. According to them, “Nature is man and man is nature and therefore both are essentially one. Man is said to be the microcosm and the Universe is Macrocosm, because what exists in the Universe exists in man.”

Jainism

Jain philosophy can be described in various ways, but the most acceptable tradition is to describe it in terms of the ''tattvas'' or fundamentals. Without knowing them one cannot progress towards liberation. According to major Jain text, Tattvarthsutra, these are:

# Jiva - Souls and living things
# Ajiva - Non-living things
# Asrava - Influx of karma
# Bandha - The bondage of karma
# Samvara - The stoppage of influx of karma
# Nirjara - Shedding of karma
# Moksha - Liberation or Salvation

Each one of these fundamental principles are discussed and explained by Jain scholars in depth.Mehta, T.U. ''Path of Arhat - A Religious Democracy'', Volume 63 Page 112, Faridabad: Pujya Sohanalala Smaraka Parsvanatha Sodhapitha, 1993. There are two examples that can be used to explain the above principle intuitively.
* A man rides a wooden boat to reach the other side of the river. Now the man is ''Jiva'', the boat is ''ajiva''. Now the boat has a leak and water flows in. That incoming of water is ''Asrava'' and accumulating there is ''Bandha''. Now the man tries to save the boat by blocking the hole. That blockage is ''Samvara'' and throwing the water outside is ''Nirjara''. Now the man crosses the river and reaches his destination, ''Moksha''.
* Consider a family living in a house. One day, they were enjoying a fresh cool breeze coming through their open doors and windows of the house. However, the weather suddenly changed to a terrible dust storm. The family, realizing the storm, closed the doors and windows. But, by the time they could close all the doors and windows some of the dust had been blown into the house. After closing the doors and the windows, they started clearing the dust that had come in to make the house clean again.

This simple scenario can be interpreted as follows:
# Jivas are represented by the living people.
# Ajiva is represented by the house.
# Asrava is represented by the influx of dust.
# Bandha is represented by the accumulation of dust in the house.
# Samvara is represented by the closing of the doors and windows to stop the accumulation of dust.
# Nirjara is represented by the cleaning up of already collected dust from the house.
# Moksha is represented by the cleaned house, which is similar to the shedding off all karmic particles from the soul.

Buddhism

In Buddhism the term ''dhamma/dharma'' is being used for the constitutional elements. Early Buddhist philosophy used several lists, such as ''namarupa'' and the five ''skandhas'', to analyse reality. The Abhidhamma tradition elaborated on these lists, using over 100 terms to analyse reality.

See also

* Mahābhūta
* Pancha Bhoota
* Achintya Bheda Abheda
* Tattva vision
*Tat Tvam Asi
* Tathatā (Buddhism)

References

Sources

*
*
* Prasad, Ram (1997). ''Nature's Finer Forces: The Science of Breath and the Philosophy of the Tattvas''. Kessinger.
* Ramacharaka Yogi (1997). ''Science of Breath''. Kessinger.
* Singh, Jaideva (1979). ''Siva Sutras: The Yoga of Supreme Identity''. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas.

Tattvakosha
- An Encyclopedia on Absolute Truth in a Vedic paradigm.
* Avalon, Arthur (Sir John Woodroffe) (1918). ''Shakti and Shâkta''. Full text available online

(accessed: Monday July 9, 2007)

External links

Uses of 'tattva' in Puranic and Gaudiya Vaishnava literature


Articles
on Absolute Truth in a Vedic paradigm.

{{Indian Philosophy

Classical elements
Hindu philosophical concepts
Shaivism
Vaishnavism
Tantra
Jain philosophy
Sanskrit words and phrases
Ontology