Discourse on the Pitṛputra Samāgama Sūtra, Part 25

What is the internal water element?

Original Text: Great King, what is the internal water element? It refers to all the adhered and sustained wetness and similar properties within this body: saliva, tears, sweat, nasal mucus, fat, pus, blood, excrement, urine, etc. — these constitute the internal water element.

Explanation: Great King, what is the internal water element? It is all the wetness within the physical body, such as saliva, tears, sweat, nasal mucus, fat, pus, blood, excrement, urine, and so on — all belong to the internal water element.

The earth element is divided into the external earth element and the internal earth element. The internal earth element is the hardness within our physical body. Similarly, the water element is divided into the external water element and the internal water element. The wetness within the body is the internal water element. The characteristic of water is wetness. For instance, when we become emotional, tears well up in our eyes. Even if the tears do not fall, there is wetness present — that is the water element. When the body heats up and we sweat, sometimes there are no visible beads of sweat, but there is still dampness — that is the water element. Actual perspiration is even more clearly the water element.

There is also water within the skin. If there were no water in the skin, it would become dry, shriveled, and devoid of moisture. In fact, there is a water element within the hair, nails, bones, flesh — all have the water element. Every internal organ possesses the nature of water. The entire body, inside and out, contains the water element. Without the water element, life cannot be sustained. Every organ possesses the four great elemental properties of earth, water, fire, and wind. They combine to form the various different organs, with only the proportions of the Four Great Elements differing between them. When the earth element predominates, matter manifests hardness. When water predominates, it manifests wetness and softness. Because the proportions of the Four Great Elements differ, the resulting matter is different.