The Divine Elements

Everything man has created was once an idea.

Look around -- cars, trucks, trains, buildings; consumer products, like radios, iphones, the computer you may be reading this on; but also soft “wares” like stories, songs, music, the constitution and laws. Even performances like acting, dance, and poetry. All began as inspired ideas.

All innovation consists of four elemental steps; an inspired idea, an impassioned plan, diligent action and courageous engagement.

Yet, the world contains only those innovations that have been brought into form by man through these four steps. We are the creators. Nature, of course, can be harnessed, synthesized, rearranged, but not recreated by man. No one on Earth can create a rose, for instance. Yet, like an artist, we are free to paint on nature’s canvas with the raw materials provided for us.  The real treasure trove of innovation, however, is in the mind as most ideas remain “no thing” -- or what we know as “nothing.”

Put in modern day terms, the essence of innovation is: Dream, Believe, Love, and Create.  All things created begin as dreams, plans are impassioned with unshakable belief, action is made diligent through love of work, and creations are brought into form and presented to the world through courage.

"Dream, Believe, Love, Create"

Our highest aspirations for each of these elements are: receptivity, certitude, devotion, and valor. Like perfection itself, these are ideals that can only be approached; never perfected. Yet, though the reach for perfection we achieve excellence. I’ve created a mantra, reaching up from form to spirit that I use every day: “no fear, no need, no doubt, no limit, no end.”  In other words, these aspirations are:

•    Receptivity-- Dream without limit
•    Certitude-- Believe without doubt
•    Devotion-- Love without need
•    Valor-- Create without fear

Where “no thing” has formed, we find a failing of one of these essential steps: No idea, no plan, no action, or no results.  This is an outside view, looking at the failings of innovation.  Of course, any one of these elements could be a failing of degree, i.e. it’s not that they had “no idea,” but a weak idea, bad plan, too little action, etc.

Within the innovator -- the insider's view -- wherever there’s a failure, we find one of these elements in short supply: no inspiration, no belief, no devotion or no courage. It’s essential to drive through these four personal struggles; some one, some how, some day, some die.

I’ve adapted the mantra from Yoganada’s, To be Victorious in Life;  "I can, I must, I will," and added "I create" in response to the big four personal struggles facing innovators. First off, "some one" will make this happen. I will be the one. Then, "some how" this can happen. I must find the way. Next, that "some day" is today. This is my time! I will make this real. Finally, "some die" and, despite my fears, I will create. I'm going to die anyway, so what does it matter if I die in the service of my destiny? Indeed, what better way?

•    Some one-- I can (dream) do this
•    Some how-- I must (believe) find a way
•    Some day-- I will (love) and today is the day
•    Some die -- I create, despite my fears

This is the essence of all ideas brought into form, stated in modern day language that anyone can understand.

The Ancient Elements

What came as an revelation was that this sequence is as old as humanity, and I’ve come to believe that these four essential steps are the divine elements; Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

These elements -- the ancient version -- have been dismissed by taking them literally to mean atomic elements, like one of the 118 or so discovered in theory or in nature. Rather, they were intended to be metaphoric highway to the infinite-- and back.

The Divine Elements are the essence of creation, from inspired idea to final form; Air represents ideas and inspiration. Fire is will and belief. Water represents devotional action; to immerse oneself in one’s work. Earth represents the end product; form or results. With the fall of the human awareness into the dark ages, it’s not surprising that we lost this understanding.

The fifth Divine Element, Spirit (Ether), is the source of it all. Dismissed, of course, by those who dismiss the divine consciousness altogether. Regardless of source -- be it a glimmer of the divine or local neuron firings that inspire ideas -- the Divine Elements follow in specific order; Air, Fire, Water, Earth. In modern terms; Dream, Believe, Love, Create.

The moment it dawned on me that the divine elements were metaphoric, I searched on-line and discovered that these nuanced associations to the elements are everywhere. What’s unique and presented here is the realization that the divine elemental are the essence of all creativity (spirit to form), and not just the illusory path to enlightenment (form to spirit) universally embraced by spiritual traditions around the word.

This metaphor is found all over antiquity, represented quite explicitly by four distinct physical representations: a crescent for Air, like moonlight reflecting from above; a triangle for Fire, like the drawing tool used to devise plans; a circle for Water, representing ceaseless, unbounded action, and a square for Earth; suggesting physical or finished form with dimension. 

"Everything is created from Divine Elements; not made of air, fire, water, earth, but made by air, fire water, earth"

We’ve had these elements around us forever, yet have lost the obvious connection to ourselves, or destiny, and our purpose in life. We must again become masters the obvious: Everything is created from Divine Elements -- not made of air, fire, water, earth -- but made by air, fire water, earth; receptivity, certitude, devotion, and valor. It is exactly as the ancient philosophers said in the language of their day; everything is created by dreaming, believing, loving, and creating form.

In my view, success is creating legacy from destiny in this lifetime. Destiny is found in the aspirational, idealized components; receptivity, certitude, devotion, and valor. Legacy is what you envision and create in this lifetime: dream, believe, love, create. Mastery is the self you become through the process, embracing your inner game; no fear, no need, not doubt, no limit, and no end.

The purpose of success then is not just to create legacy but to evolve and master your inner self through your lives accomplishments. There’s no legacy but through mastery, but an external vision is always necessary to drive self mastery; to conquer fear, to abandon attachments, to eliminate doubt, and to expand thinking.

So find your game; your destiny in this lifetime. Then, as you master your “game,” you’ll master your self.