Tattva

For other uses, seeTattva (disambiguation).

According to variousIndianschools ofphilosophy,tattvas(Sanskrit:तत्त्व) are theelementsor aspects ofrealitythat constitute human experience.In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect ofdeity.Although the number oftattvasvaries depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all ourexperience.TheSamkhyaphilosophy uses a system of 25tattvas,whileShaivismrecognises 36tattvas.In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list ofdhammaswhich constitute reality, as inNama-rupa.

Etymology

Tattva(/ˈtʌtvə/) is aSanskritword meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'.

Hinduism

Samkhya

Main article:Samkhya

TheSamkhyaphilosophy regards theUniverseas consisting of two eternal realities:PurushaandPrakrti.It is therefore a stronglydualistphilosophy. ThePurushais the centre ofconsciousness,whereas thePrakritiis the source of all materialexistence.The twenty-fivetattvasystem of Samkhya concerns itself only with the tangible aspect of creation, theorizing thatPrakritiis the source of the world of becoming. It is the firsttattvaand is seen as pure potentiality that evolves itself successively into twenty-four additionaltattvasor principles.

Shaivism

Main article:Tattva (Shaivism)

InShaivismthetattvasare inclusive of consciousness as well as material existence. The 36 tattvas of Shaivism are divided into three groups:

1. Shuddha tattvas

   The first five tattvas are known as theshuddhaor 'pure'tattvas.They are also known as thetattvasof universal experience.

2. Shuddha-ashuddha tattvas

   The next seventattvas(6–12) are known as theshuddha-ashuddhaor 'pure-impure'tattvas.They are thetattvasof limited individual experience.

3. Ashuddha tattvas

   The last twenty-fourtattvas(13–36) are known as theashuddhaor 'impure'tattvas.The first of these isprakritiand they include thetattvasof mental operation, sensible experience, and materiality.

Vaishnavism

WithinPuranicliteratures and generalVaiśnavaphilosophytattvais often used to denote certain categories or types of being or energies such as:

1. Viṣṇu-tattva

   The Supreme God. The causative factor of everything including other Tattva(s).

2. Kṛṣṇa-tattva

   Anyincarnationor expansion of ŚrīNarayan / Krishna.

3. Śakti-Tattva

   The multifarious energies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It includes his internal potency, Yoga Maya, andmaterial prakṛti.

4. Jīva-tattva

   The living souls (jivas).

5. Śiva-tattva

   Śrī Śiva (excludingRudra(s)) is not considered to be ajiva.

6. Mahat-tattva

   The total material energy (prakṛti).

Gaudiya Vaishnavism

Main article:Pancha Tattva (Vaishnavism)

InGaudiya Vaishnavaphilosophy there are a total of five primary tattvas described in terms of living beings, which are collectively known as thePancha Tattvaand described as follows:

"Spiritually there are no differences between these five tattvas, for on the transcendental platform everything is absolute. Yet there are also varieties in the spiritual world, and in order to taste these spiritual varieties one should distinguish between them".

Tantra

Air is blue circle. Earth is yellow square. Fire is red triangle. Water is silver crescent. Spirit is the black egg.

In Hindutantrismthere are five tattvas (pañcatattva) which create global energy cycles oftattvic tidesbeginning at dawn withAkashaand ending withPrithvi:

1. Akasha(Spirit tattva) – symbolized by a black egg
2. Vayu(Air tattva) – symbolized by a blue circle
3. Tejas(Fire tattva) – symbolized by a red triangle
4. Apas(Water tattva) – symbolized by a silver crescent
5. 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 theGolden Dawn(→Tattva vision).

Panchatattvainganachakraandpañcamakara

Main articles:GanachakraandPanchamakara

Arthur Avalon(1918)affirms that thefive nectarsof Tantra, Hindu and Buddhist traditions are directly related to themahābhūtaor Five Elements and that thepañcamakarais actually a vulgar term for thepañcatattvaand affirms that this is cognate with Ganapuja:

Worship with the Pañcatattva generally takes place in a Chakra or circle composed of men and women, Sadhakas and Sadhikas, Bhairavas and Bhairavis sitting in a circle, the Shakti being on the Sadhaka's left. Hence it is called Chakrapuja. A Lord of the Chakra (Chakreshvara) presides sitting with his Shakti in the center. During the Chakra, there is no distinction of caste, but Pashus of any caste are excluded. There are various kinds of Chakra -- productive, it is said, of differing fruits for the participator therein. As amongst Tantrik Sadhakas we come across the high, the low, and mere pretenders, so the Chakras vary in their characteristics from say the Tattva-chakra for the Brahma-kaulas, and the Bhairavi-chakra (as described in Mahanirvana, VII. 153) in which, in lieu of wine, the householder fakes milk, sugar and honey (Madhura-traya), and in lieu of sexual union does meditation upon the Lotus Feet of the Divine Mother with Mantra, to Chakras the ritual of which will not be approved such as Cudachakra, Anandabhuvana-yoga and others referred to later.

"Chakrapuja" is cognate withGanachakraor Ganachakrapuja.

Ayyavazhi

Main article:Tattva (Ayyavazhi)

Tattvas are the 96 qualities orpropertiesofhumanbodyaccording toAkilattirattu Ammanai,the religious book ofAyyavazhi.

Siddha medicine

Main article:Tattva (Siddha medicine)

TheSiddhasystem oftraditional medicine(Tamil:சித்த மருத்துவம்,Citta maruttuvam) ofancient Indiawas derived byTamil Siddhasor the spiritual scientists ofTamil 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

Main article:Tattva (Jainism)

Jain philosophycan be described in various ways, but the most acceptable tradition is to describe it in terms of thetattvasor fundamentals. Without knowing them one cannot progress towards liberation. According to majorJain text,Tattvarthsutra,these are:

1. Jiva– Souls and living things
2. Ajiva– Non-living things
3. Asrava– Influx of karma
4. Bandha– The bondage of karma
5. Samvara– The stoppage of influx of karma
6. Nirjara– Shedding of karma
7. Moksha– Liberation or Salvation

Each one of these fundamental principles are discussed and explained by Jain scholars in depth.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 isJiva,the boat isajiva.Now the boat has a leak and water flows in. That incoming of water isAsravaand accumulating there isBandha.Now the man tries to save the boat by blocking the hole. That blockage isSamvaraand throwing the water outside isNirjara.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:

1. Jivas are represented by the living people.
2. Ajiva is represented by the house.
3. Asrava is represented by the influx of dust.
4. Bandha is represented by the accumulation of dust in the house.
5. Samvara is represented by the closing of the doors and windows to stop the accumulation of dust.
6. Nirjara is represented by the cleaning up of already collected dust from the house.
7. Moksha is represented by the cleaned house, which is similar to the shedding off all karmic particles from the soul.

Buddhism

Main articles:AbhidharmaandDharma theory

In Buddhism the term "dhamma/dharma"is being used for the constitutional elements. Early Buddhist philosophy used several lists, such asnamarupaand the fiveskandhas,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)

Sources

• Jain, Vijay K. (2011),Acharya Umasvami's Tattvārthsūtra,Vikalp Printers,ISBN978-81-903639-2-1,Non-Copyright
• Osto, Douglas (January 2018),"No-Self in Sāṃkhya: A Comparative Look at Classical Sāṃkhya and Theravāda Buddhism",Philosophy East and West,68(1): 201–222,doi:10.1353/pew.2018.0010,S2CID171859396
• Prasad, Ram (1997).Nature's Finer Forces: The Science of Breath and the Philosophy of the Tattvas.Kessinger.ISBN1-56459-803-9
• Ramacharaka Yogi (1997).Science of Breath.Kessinger.ISBN1-56459-744-X
• Singh, Jaideva (1979).Siva Sutras: The Yoga of Supreme Identity.Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas.
• Avalon, Arthur(Sir John Woodroffe) (1918).Shakti and Shâkta.Full text available online:[3](accessed: Monday July 9, 2007)