Wu_Xing

Classical Elements 




Greek


     Air   
  Water
 Aether
 Fire
     Earth   


Hinduism (Tattva) and 
 Buddhism (Mahābhūta)



     Vayu/Pavan (Air/Wind)   
  Ap/Jala (Water)
 Akasha (Aether)
 Agni/Tejas (Fire)
     Prithvi/Bhumi (Earth)   


Japanese (Godai)


     Air/Wind (風)   
  Water (水)
 Void/Sky/Heaven (空)
 Fire (火)
     Earth (地)   


Tibetan (Bön)


     Air   
  Water
 Space
 Fire
     Earth   


Chinese (Wu Xing)


     Fire (火)   
  Metal (金)
 Earth (土)
 Wood (木)
     Water (水)   


Medieval Alchemy


     Air   
  Water
 Aether
 Fire
     Earth
  Sulphur
 Mercury
 Salt




In ancient Taoist thought,Wu Xing (Chinese: 五行; pinyin: wǔxíng), or the Five Phases, usually translated as five elements, five movements, or five steps are five dynamic qualities or energies that can be perceived in all natural phenomena. The elements are:

Metal (Chinese:金, pinyin: jīn, "gold")
Wood (Chinese: 木, pinyin: mù)
Water (Chinese: 水, pinyin: shuǐ)
Fire (Chinese:火, pinyin: huǒ),
Earth (Chinese:土, pinyin: tǔ).
Contents

1 Origin and meaning
2 Cycles

2.1 Generating
2.2 Overcoming


3 Cosmology and feng shui

3.1 Bagua


4 Chinese medicine
5 Chinese astrology
6 Music
7 Xingyi martial arts
8 Shan shui painting
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links
13 Credits








This article contains Chinese text.
Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

The system of five phases was used for describing interactions and interpreting relationships between phenomena. It was employed as a device in many fields of early Chinese thought, including geomancy or feng shui, astrology, traditional Chinese medicine, music, art, military strategy, and martial arts. The system is still used as a reference in some forms of complementary and alternative medicine and martial arts, and in feng shui, fortune-telling and casting horoscopes.

Origin and meaning
The Chinese character 行 (xing, hsing), though translated as “phase” or “element,” is a verb meaning “to act” or “to go.” The Five Agents were believed to control the change and movement of the universe, and to provide the energy for all the other groups of five in the Chinese cosmology, such as the Five Virtues of Confucianism, Five Government Ministers, Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism, Five Musical Notes in the pentatonic scale, and the Five Basic Colors. The source of these ancient beliefs is the I Ching (Book of Changes).[1] Some scholars theorize that the original foundation for the five elements is the concept of the Five Cardinal Points.
Each of the five agents is associated with a specific element in each group of five. For example, fire is associated with summer, red, and the Ministry of War. Wood is associated with the spring season, the color green, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The Five Sacred Mountains represent the four cardinal directions plus the center of the universe; the eastern mountain is green, the southern is red, the central mountain yellow, the northern mountain black, and the western mountain white. In Chinese history, the successive dynasties were linked to each of the five phases; the Xia dynasty (2200–1750 B.C.E.) was wood; the Shang dynasty (1750–1040 B.C.E.) was metal; the Zhou dynasty (1100–256 B.C.E.) was fire and red; and the founder of the Qin dynasty (221 B.C.E.–206 C.E.) chose black and water as his symbols.[1]
Traditional schools of the internal martial art Taijiquan relate the five elements to footwork and refer to them as five "steps." The system is still used as a reference in some forms of complementary and alternative medicine and martial arts. Some claim the original foundation for these elements are the concept of the Five Cardinal Points.

Cycles
 Interactions of Five Chinese Elements—Cycles of Balance and Cycles of Imbalance.
The doctrine of five phases describes two Cycles of Balance, a generating or creation (生, shēng) cycle and an overcoming or destruction (克/剋, kè) cycle of interactions between the phases. In any creative activity, such as martial arts, medicine, painting or music, each element should only be combined with the elements that come before and after it in the cycle.
There are also two Cycles of Imbalance. An overacting cycle (cheng) occurs when the balance maintained in the generating sequence is disrupted, causing one element to become excessive and “overcontrol” another element. An insulting sequence (“wu,” also known as counteracting cycle, insulting cycle) operates in reverse to the overcoming sequence, when the balance between two elements is broken and the element that is usually being controlled “insults” the controlling element by rebelling against it and overcoming it.[2]

Generating
The common memory devices to help remember the correct order of the phases are:

Wood feeds Fire
Fire creates Earth (ash)
Earth bears Metal
Metal carries Water (as in a bucket or tap)
Water nourishes Wood
Other common words for this cycle include "begets," "engenders," and "mothers."

Overcoming
Each of the five elements also has dominance over another:

Wood parts Earth
Earth absorbs Water
Water quenches Fire
Fire melts Metal
Metal chops Wood
This cycle is also called "controls," "restrains," or "fathers."

Cosmology and feng shui
According to Wu Xing theory, the structure of the cosmos mirrors the five elements. Each "element" has a complex series of associations with different aspects of nature, as can be seen in the following table. In the ancient Chinese form of geomancy known as feng shui, practitioners based their art and system on the five elements (Wu Xing). All of these elements are represented within the bagua (eight trigrams). Associated with each of these elements are colors, seasons and shapes, all of which interact with each other.[3]
Based on a particular directional energy flow from one element to the next, the interaction can be expansive, destructive, or exhaustive. Proper knowledge of these principles of energy flow enables feng shui practitioners to apply specific cures by rearrangement of energy in a way they believe to be beneficial.



Element
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water


Color

green
red
yellow
white
blue or 
 black


Direction

east
south
center / zenith
west
north


Planet

Jupiter
Mars
Saturn
Venus
Mercury


Heavenly creature

Azure Dragon
蒼龍 or 青龍
Vermilion Bird
朱雀
Yellow Dragon or Yellow Qilin
黃龍 or 黃麟
White Tiger
白虎
Black Tortoise
玄武


Heavenly Stems

甲, 乙
丙, 丁
戊, 己
庚, 辛
壬, 癸


Phase

New Yang
Full Yang
Yin/Yang balance
New Yin
Full Yin


Energy

generative
expansive
stabilizing
contracting
conserving


Season

spring
summer
change of seasons
(every third month)
autumn
winter


Climate

windy
hot
damp
dry
cold


Development

sprouting
blooming
ripening
withering
dormant


Livestock

dog
sheep/goat
cattle
chicken
pig


Fruit

plum
apricot
jujube(dates)
peach
chestnut


Grain

wheat
beans
rice
hemp
millet



Bagua
The elements have also been correlated to the eight trigrams of the I Ching:



Element
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water


I Ching

Wood, splinter
Fire, lightning
Earth, sand
Metal, iron
Water, ice


Trigrams

:|| (☴ 巽 xùn) |:: (☳ 震 zhèn)

|:| (☲ 離 lí)

::: (☷ 坤 kūn) ::| (☶ 艮 gèn)

||| (☰ 乾 qián) ||: (☱ 兌 duì)

:|: (☵ 坎 kǎn)


Chinese medicine
 Five Chinese Elements—Diurnal Cycle.
Main article: Traditional Chinese medicine
The interdependence of organ networks in the body was noted to be a circle of five majpr systems, and was mapped by Chinese doctors onto the five phases. For instance, the liver (wood phase) is said to be the "mother" of the heart (fire phase), and the kidneys (water phase) the “mother” of the liver. In the case of a kidney deficiency affecting the function of the liver, the observation is made that the "mother" is weak, and cannot support the child. However, the kidneys (water phase) control the heart (fire phase) in the “overcoming” (“ke”) cycle, so the kidneys are said to restrain the heart. Many of these interactions have now been linked to known physiological pathways (such as the pH of the kidney affecting activity of the heart).
The application of the five elements in Chinese medicine is only a model, with some known exceptions, but because it seems to produce valid results, it has remained in use for thousands of years.
The order in which the Five Phases are cited in the Bo Hu Tong and other Han dynasty texts is: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. According to Chinese medical theory, the organs are most effectively treated during the following four-hour periods throughout the day, beginning with the period from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.:

3 a.m. to 7 a.m. metal organs
7 a.m. to 11 a.m. earth organs
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. fire1 organs
3 p.m. to 7 p.m. water organs,
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. fire2 (the "non-empirical" pericardium and “triple burner” organs
11 p.m. to 3 a.m. wood organs
These two orders are further related to the sequence of the planets going outward from the sun (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn; or Water, Metal, Fire, Wood, and Earth) illustrated in a star diagram similar to the one shown above.



Element
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water


Planet

Jupiter
Mars
Saturn
Venus
Mercury


Mental Quality

sensitivity
creativity
clarity
intuition
spontaneity


Negative Emotion

anger, frustration
over-excitation
worry, anxiety
grief, sadness
fear, lack of will


Positive Emotion

patience
joy
empathy,love
courage
calmness


Zang (yin organs)

liver
heart/pericardium
spleen/pancreas
lung
kidney


Fu (yang organs)

gall bladder
small intestine/San Jiao
stomach
large intestine
urinary bladder


Sensory organ

eye
tongue
mouth
nose
ears


Body Part

tendons
pulse
muscle
skin
bones


Body Fluid

tears
sweat
saliva
mucus
urine


Finger

index finger
middle finger
thumb
ring finger
little finger


Sense

sight
speech
taste
smell
hearing


Taste

sour
bitter
sweet
pungent
salty


Smell

rancid
scorched
fragrant
putrid
rotten


Life

birth
youth
adulthood
old age
death


Chinese astrology
Chinese astrology is based upon the interaction of the five elements with the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, to produce a 60 year cycle of signs. A 60th birthday celebration is especially significant because the person has lived through a complete cycle of 60 years.



Element
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water


Heavenly Stem

Jia 甲 
 Yi 乙
Bing 丙 
 Ding 丁
Wu 戊 
 Ji 己
Geng 庚 
 Xin 辛
Ren 壬 
 Gui 癸


Birth year ends with

4, 5
6, 7
8, 9
0, 1
2, 3


For example, someone born in the year 1953, the year of the Snake, is said to be born in the year of the Water Snake because his or her birth year ends with 3, a number associated with Water. Fortune-tellers use these associations in determining whether a couple will have a fortuitous marriage.

Music
Main article: Chinese music
The Yuèlìng chapter (月令篇) of the Lǐjì (禮記) and the Huáinánzǐ (淮南子) make the following correlations:



Element
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water


Colour

green
red
yellow
white
blue


Direction

east
south
center
west
north


The Chinese Five-note Scale

jué 角 (mi)
zhǐ 徵 (so)
gōng 宮 (do)
shāng 商 (re)
yǔ 羽 (la)


The Chinese word 青 qīng, traditionally translated as azure in this context, includes the range in the spectrum from green to blue, with shades down to black.
In modern Western music, various seven note or five note scales (for example, the major scale) are defined by selecting seven or five frequencies from the set of twelve semi-tones in the Equal tempered tuning. The Chinese "lǜ" tuning is closest to the ancient Greek tuning of Pythagoras.

Xingyi martial arts
The martial art Xingyiquan uses the five elements to metaphorically represent five different states of combat. Xingyiquan practitioners use the five elements as an interpretative framework for reacting and responding to attacks. The five element theory is a general combat formula which assumes at least three outcomes of a fight; the constructive, the neutral, and the destructive. Xingyiquan students train to react to and execute specific techniques in such a way that a desirable cycle will form based on the constructive, neutral and destructive interactions of five element theory. Where to aim, where to hit and with what technique—and how those motions should work defensively—is determined by the point of the cycle in which the combatant sees himself or herself.
Each of the elements has variant applications that allow it to be used to defend against all of the elements (including itself), so any set sequences are entirely arbitrary, though the destructive cycle is often taught to beginners as it is easier to visualize and consists of easier applications.



Element

Fist

Chinese

Pinyin

Description


Wood

Crushing

崩

Bēng

To collapse, as a building collapsing in on itself.


Fire

Pounding

炮

Pào

Exploding outward like a cannon while blocking.


Earth

Crossing

橫

Héng

Crossing across the line of attack while turning over.


Metal

Splitting

劈

Pī

To split like an axe chopping up and over.


Water

Drilling

鑽

Zuān

Drilling forward horizontally like a geyser.


Shan shui painting
Shan shui (Chinese: 山水 lit. "mountain-water") is a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form. Shan shui is painted and designed in accordance with Chinese elemental theory, with the five elements representing various parts of the natural world, and has specific directions for colorations that should be used in cardinal 'directions' of the painting, and for which color should dominate.[4]



Direction

Element

Colour


East

Wood

Green


South

Fire

Red


NE / SW

Earth

Tan or Yellow


West / NW

Metal

White or gold


North

Water

Blue or Black

Positive interactions between the Elements are:

Wood produces Fire
Fire produces Earth
Earth produces Metal
Metal produces Water
Water produces Wood.
Elements that react positively should be used together. For example, Water complements both Metal and Wood; therefore, a painter would combine blue and green or blue and white. There is a positive interaction between Earth and Fire, so a painter would mix Yellow and Red.[5]
Negative interactions between the Elements are:

Wood uproots Earth
Earth blocks Water
Water douses Fire
Fire melts Metal
Metal chops Wood
Elements that interact negatively should never be used together. For example, Fire will not interact positively with Water or Metal so a painter would not choose to mix red and blue, or red and white.[6]

See also
Feng shui
Qi
Tao
Traditional Chinese medicine
Chinese music
Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 Dorothy Perkins, Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, its History and Culture (New York: Facts on File, 1999), 161.

↑ Dantian Health, What are the five elements in Chinese Medicine? Retrieved June 26, 2019.

↑ Nations Online, Five Elements Chart Retrieved June 26, 2019.

↑ Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih, Early Chinese Texts on Painting (Hong Kong University Press, 2012, ISBN 978-9888139736).

↑ Chiang Yee, The Chinese Eye: An interpretation of Chinese Painting (Indiana University Press, 1971, ISBN 978-0253200624).

↑ Alexander Coburn Soper, Textual Evidence for the Secular Arts of China in the Period from Liu Sung through Sui (Artibus Asiae Publishers, 1967).


ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
Bush, Susan, and Hsio-yen Shih. Early Chinese Texts on Painting Hong Kong University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-9888139736
Feng, Youlan (Yu-lan Fung). A History of Chinese Philosophy. 1952.
Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilization in China. 1954.
Maciocia, G. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, 2nd ed. London: Elsevier Ltd., 2005. ISBN 9780443039805.
Perkins, Dorothy. Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, its History and Culture. New York: Facts on File, 1999. ISBN 978-0816026937
Soper, Alexander Coburn. Textual Evidence for the Secular Arts of China in the Period From Liu Sung Through Sui (A.D. 420-618). Excluding Treatises on Painting. Artibus Asiae, 24. Ascona: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 1967.
Yee, Chiang. The Chinese Eye: An interpretation of Chinese Painting. Indiana University Press, 1971. ISBN 978-0253200624
External links
All links retrieved June 26, 2019.

Five Elements or the Five States of Change Five Element interrelationships, concordances and causative factors.
Chinese Zodiac Chart Find your Chinese Zodiac sign based on your date of birth.

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