Over two thousand years ago, the Chinese Naturalists School, or yinyangjia, developed the theory of the five elements or wujing. Unfortunately, "five elements" the usual English translation for wuxing, fails to convey the idea of movement implied in the Chinese term xing. The five elements - water, fire, wood, metal and earth - are not considered types of inactive matter, but dynamic processes basic to an understanding of the natural world. The characteristic qualities of each of the xing was derived from the careful observation of natural events. Thus, water has the properties of soaking and descending (since water flows downward). Fire heats, transforms and moves upward (since flames rise into the air).
Wood allows its form to be shaped into straight or curved pieces. Wood is also flexible when young and healthy but when old or dead, it is rigid. Metal can be melted, molded, and then hardened; it allows water to easily condense on it. Earth's properties include the provision of nourishment through sowing, reaping and absorbing. These elements have been used both as categories for classifying many phenomena and as images/symbols in dynamically interrelated systems. Four major principles describing changes in and interrelationships among the five elements were also developed: mutual creation, mutual closeness, mutual destruction, and mutual fear.
Wood allows its form to be shaped into straight or curved pieces. Wood is also flexible when young and healthy but when old or dead, it is rigid. Metal can be melted, molded, and then hardened; it allows water to easily condense on it. Earth's properties include the provision of nourishment through sowing, reaping and absorbing. These elements have been used both as categories for classifying many phenomena and as images/symbols in dynamically interrelated systems. Four major principles describing changes in and interrelationships among the five elements were also developed: mutual creation, mutual closeness, mutual destruction, and mutual fear.
According to the principle of mutual creation (shown above), the five elements produce each other: "Wood creates fire, fire creates earth, earth creates metal, metal creates water, and water creates wood." Wood creates fire since fire results from rubbing two pieces of wood together, wood fuels fire. In leaving ashes that become part of the soil, fire creates earth. metallic ores are found in the earth; thus earth creates metal. Metal creates water because silver metal mirrors when exposed at night (an old ritual practice) collect dew, or because metal becomes liquid when heated. Finally, water creates wood by nourishing the growth of plants.
The same pairs of elements are related to each other by the priniple of mutual closeness. Each element is considered attracted to its source. Thus wood is close to water, water to metal, metal to earth, earth to fire, and fire to wood. The close relationship between these pairs of elements is like that between a mother and child. An element becomes close to its creator in much the same way that a child is close to its mother.
The principle of mutual destruction describes the series of conflicts between pairs of elements. Wood weakens earth by breaking it up and removing nutrients from the soil. Earth limits water with the banks of natural bodies of water. Water extinguishes fire. Fire conquers metal by melting it. Metal, in the form of axes and knives, cuts down trees and carves wood.
According to the principles of mutual fear, an element respects or fears the element that could destroy it. Wood fears metal; metal fears fire, fire fears water, water - earth, and earth - wood.
The case involving the four principles of mutuality are shown graphically above. The similarities and differences among the principles reflect both yin and yang. Creation and closeness, both constructive principles, are considered yang, whereas destuction and fearfulness are considered yin.
In addition to representing forces in the natural world, the five elements provide guiding principles for physiology, pathology, diagnosis and therapy in traditional Chinese medicine. In the human body, the internal organs are divided into two groups; the five zang, , solid or yin organs, and the six fu, or hollow or yang organs. Each of the yin and yang organs is identified with one of the elements. The heart (yin) and small intestine (yang) are associated with fire and so on (refer to the chart above). Chinese physicians began applying the theory of the five elements to the maintenance of health and the cure of illness thousands of years ago. In time, clinical experience led to the development of sophisticated theories based on the five elements. For example, the five element medical model stresses interrelationships among the internal organs rather than their individual functioning. Using the principles of mutual creation and destruction, Chinese medicine explains that both excesses as well as deficiencies in one organ may affect another organ. Consequently, problems with one organ may be cured by the treatment of one or more related organs. This approach contrasts with the tendency in Western medicine to cure sickness by treating only the diseased organ instead of considering the whole system of organs within the body. The five element model is also used to classify powdered medicications. In sensitively evaluating both the effects of medicines and the illness of the organs in terms of the five-element theory, Chinese doctors exemplified an understanding of wholeness and harmony in the body's ability or inability to function.
As a system of health, tai chi chuan employs not only yin/yang principles but also the five element theory. Each of the fundamental movements in tai chi chuan represents one of the five elements. A step forward is identified with metal, withdrawal with wood, looking left is associated with water, looking right with fire, and central equilibrium with earth. In addition to developing a healthy yin/yang relationship between mental activity and physical movement, tai chi chuan is designed to balance the internal organs and promote equilibrium in the entire body. maintaining a dynamically balanced system preserves health by preventing illness and, thus, improves the quality and length of life.
The same pairs of elements are related to each other by the priniple of mutual closeness. Each element is considered attracted to its source. Thus wood is close to water, water to metal, metal to earth, earth to fire, and fire to wood. The close relationship between these pairs of elements is like that between a mother and child. An element becomes close to its creator in much the same way that a child is close to its mother.
The principle of mutual destruction describes the series of conflicts between pairs of elements. Wood weakens earth by breaking it up and removing nutrients from the soil. Earth limits water with the banks of natural bodies of water. Water extinguishes fire. Fire conquers metal by melting it. Metal, in the form of axes and knives, cuts down trees and carves wood.
According to the principles of mutual fear, an element respects or fears the element that could destroy it. Wood fears metal; metal fears fire, fire fears water, water - earth, and earth - wood.
The case involving the four principles of mutuality are shown graphically above. The similarities and differences among the principles reflect both yin and yang. Creation and closeness, both constructive principles, are considered yang, whereas destuction and fearfulness are considered yin.
In addition to representing forces in the natural world, the five elements provide guiding principles for physiology, pathology, diagnosis and therapy in traditional Chinese medicine. In the human body, the internal organs are divided into two groups; the five zang, , solid or yin organs, and the six fu, or hollow or yang organs. Each of the yin and yang organs is identified with one of the elements. The heart (yin) and small intestine (yang) are associated with fire and so on (refer to the chart above). Chinese physicians began applying the theory of the five elements to the maintenance of health and the cure of illness thousands of years ago. In time, clinical experience led to the development of sophisticated theories based on the five elements. For example, the five element medical model stresses interrelationships among the internal organs rather than their individual functioning. Using the principles of mutual creation and destruction, Chinese medicine explains that both excesses as well as deficiencies in one organ may affect another organ. Consequently, problems with one organ may be cured by the treatment of one or more related organs. This approach contrasts with the tendency in Western medicine to cure sickness by treating only the diseased organ instead of considering the whole system of organs within the body. The five element model is also used to classify powdered medicications. In sensitively evaluating both the effects of medicines and the illness of the organs in terms of the five-element theory, Chinese doctors exemplified an understanding of wholeness and harmony in the body's ability or inability to function.
As a system of health, tai chi chuan employs not only yin/yang principles but also the five element theory. Each of the fundamental movements in tai chi chuan represents one of the five elements. A step forward is identified with metal, withdrawal with wood, looking left is associated with water, looking right with fire, and central equilibrium with earth. In addition to developing a healthy yin/yang relationship between mental activity and physical movement, tai chi chuan is designed to balance the internal organs and promote equilibrium in the entire body. maintaining a dynamically balanced system preserves health by preventing illness and, thus, improves the quality and length of life.
