Tattva Shuddhi — Purification of the Elements
Tattva Shuddhi is the Tantric meditation of dissolving each of the five elements back into its source, purifying the practitioner's experience of the body and world until only pure consciousness remains.
Tattva Shuddhi (purification of principles) is a fundamental Tantric meditation described in the Mahanirvana Tantra and other texts. The practice works through the five Mahabhutas (great elements) in reverse order of their manifestation: Earth dissolves into Water, Water into Fire, Fire into Air, Air into Space, Space into Mind, Mind into Pure Awareness. At each stage, the practitioner meditates on the specific bija mantra, color, and deity of the element, then visualizes its dissolution into the next subtler level. The effect is a systematic deconstruction of the practitioner's identification with the gross physical body, revealing the luminous subtle body beneath. This practice is considered essential preparation for death — learning to consciously release identification with the elements as they naturally dissolve in the dying process. It is also practiced for healing, as many physical conditions are attributed to elemental imbalances.
Earth into water, water into fire, fire into air, air into space, space into mind, mind into the Self — this is the path of return.
In Tattva Shuddhi, described in the Mahanirvana Tantra, the practitioner dissolves the five elements in reverse order of their emergence — earth into water, water into fire, and on — then rebuilds a purified, divine body.
Mahanirvana Tantra