Abstract
Various Indian philosophical and religious traditions teach different ontological systems, but the vast majority of them view the external phenomenal world as made of some basic building blocks. These building blocks are the four or five gross elements (mahābhūtas).
While for ordinary people the material world is a given reality whose physical laws they must obey, Tantrics and advanced yogis have the ability to manipulate and transform this external world in various ways. The general principle behind the control of material things lies in the skill of conquering the elements.
In my presentation, I will first introduce the position and role of the elements in the ontological systems used by tantric traditions. Then I will describe the techniques that can be used to control the elements and finally I will show the results that mastering the elements can bring.