Akash – Non-Resistance
(Space) – Sound
When we think of deep space, we imagine an incomprehensibly vast expanse of open, unobstructed nothingness. Yet, within this “no-thing-ness” is contained the possibility for things or objects to be present. This no-thing-ness is the element of space, and without it, nothing in the universe can exist nor can any process take place. Akash, the subtlest of the bhutas, serves as a matrix or medium in which the other bhutas can manifest. Objects in creation exist in relationship to one another by virtue of space. Space creates the relationship and allows us to have knowledge of things within our perceptual field. Because the essential nature of akash is free of objects, non-resistance is one of its basic properties. Nothing exists to offer resistance when akash is found by itself.
Sound
After non-resistance, sound is the second fundamental quality of akash. We know that sound propagates by virtue of space. What is not so apparent is that sound is actually born out of the creation of space. Whenever there is a sudden separation between any particles or objects that have been bound together, sound occurs. Take, for example, a piece of chalk. When we break a stick of chalk, we hear a snap; when we write on the board with it, we hear a scraping sound. In both cases, particles of chalk are abruptly being separated from each other; i.e., space is suddenly being created between them. A few more examples will help illustrate this principle.
When we blow up a balloon, we pressurize or compress the particles of air inside. If, instead of tying off the balloon, we allow the air to escape, we will hear a flapping, gushing noise, due to a sudden expansion of the space between the air particles as it is released from the balloon.
When we talk, we send pressurized air across the vocal cords and through the mouth cavity. Variations in the tension of these folds of tissue and the shape of the mouth change the capacity of the air particles to expand or separate from one another. The many d fferent sounds which the voice produces are dependent on precise modulations of the space within the throat and mouth.
A carpenter uses sound to evaluate the quality of a piece of wood by knocking on it to determine its density or porosity. The more open and resonant the sound, the more space he knows exists between the fibers of wood, and therefore, the less structurally sound it is. He will reject that piece of wood in favor of one that has a duller sound to it. Again, greater mass creates greater resistance to sound. Similarly, a carpenter can find the wooden supports in a wall by knocking on it in various places and listening for where the dull, thudding sounds occur.
A close relationship exists between each bhuta and sense otgan, and akash’s corresponding sense organ is the ear. The ear is a hollow, spacious structure containing very thin, light bones the smallest, most porous bones in the body and is responsible for translating sound from the environment into neural impulses. Akash’s predominance in the structure of the organ of hearing is responsible for the production of sound.