also: じすいかふうくう
noun
earth, water, fire, wind, and void (the five elements)
Buddhist term for the five elements (五大) that constitute the universe. Often encountered in esoteric Buddhist contexts.
密教では、地水火風空の五大が宇宙を構成すると説かれる。
In esoteric Buddhism, it is taught that the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and void constitute the universe.
五大 is the general term for the five elements in Buddhism, while 地水火風空 explicitly lists them.
Compound of 地 (earth), 水 (water), 火 (fire), 風 (wind), and 空 (void/space), directly naming the five elements of Buddhist cosmology.