Chapter 2: The Five Elements - Origins, Evolution & Lifecycle
Origins and Evolution
1. System Establishment 📖 User Manual
Source:Book of Documents: Great Plan. Legend has it that Jizi presented this to King Wu of Zhou as the blueprint for governance, marking the first philosophical definition of "Five Elements" (Wu Xing).
Nature: At this stage, they were not just matter, but dynamic processes (Xing means "to walk/act"):
Water: Soaking Downwards
Fluidity, coldness, nourishing below.
Fire: Blazing Upwards
Ascension, heat, combustion.
Wood: Bending & Straightening
Growth, flexibility, expansion.
Metal: Molding & Changing
Restriction, structural change, refinement.
Earth: Sowing & Reaping
Fertility, bearing, carrying.
⚠️ Note: Earth acts as the buffer. It accepts the ash of Fire and transmutes it into Metal. This is why Earth appears at the end of every season to facilitate transition.
2. Integration with Yin-Yang & History 📊 Decision Algorithm
Key Figure: Zou Yan (Warring States Period).
He elevated the theory to the "Cycle of Five Virtues," applying it to dynastic cycles.
👑 Impact: From Nature to Politics
Five Elements crossed from natural science into political science, explaining the legitimacy of rulers and the rise and fall of dynasties based on elemental dominance.
3. Systematization in Han Dynasty 💻 Operating System (OS)
Key Figure: Dong Zhongshu.
He proposed "Heaven-Human Induction," creating a massive correspondence system:
WoodFireEarthMetalWater (The Generating Cycle)
Mapped to Five Virtues: Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Trust.
Mapped to Organs, Colors, Directions, and Seasons.
Summary: From here on, the Five Elements became the "Base OS" for Chinese Medicine, Feng Shui, and Fate Mechanics.
The Flow: Generating & Overcoming
🔄 Interaction Diagram
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
Wood
Generating (Mother-Child) Overcoming (Control)
※ Note: The Japanese system refers to the last 18 days of each season as "Doyō", where Earth regulates the transition.
Rules of Interaction
Generating (Solid Line): Clockwise flow. Nurturing, like a mother to a child.
Overcoming (Dashed Line): Star pattern. Controlling, like a grandfather disciplining a grandchild.
🌰 Example: Earth at the Core
Generates Me: Fire ➔ Earth
I Generate: Earth ➔ Metal
Overcomes Me: Wood ➔ Earth
I Overcome: Earth ➔ Water
The Lifecycle: 12 Energies
This grid combines Chinese Energy Phases with Japanese Psychological Archetypes (colored tags).
Reality / Action
Spirit / Thought
Mutable / Adapt
🌱 Start (Germination)Beginning
Learn
1
Growth
Birth
Art
2
Bath
Youth
Social
3
Belt
Adult
🔥 Peak (Prosperity)Prime
Steady
4
Official
Career
Leader
5
Emperor
Peak
Expert
4
Decline
Retire
🍂 Storage (Decline)Fading
Dream
3
Sickness
Weak
Focus
2
Death
Still
Collect
1
Grave
Store
🌑 Cycle (Incubation)Renewal
Genius
Extinction
Zero
Plan
Womb
Idea
Adopt
Nourish
Form
Japanese Interpretation: The 12 Social Personas
Japanese schools view these 12 stages as social personalities. Here is the breakdown based on Psychology and Talent.
🟣 Spirit Stars —— Inner World, Art & Philosophy
Physical energy is low, shifting focus to mental satisfaction. Produces artists, scholars, and craftsmen.
☁️ Sickness (Byō)
Dreamer / Healer
Not physical illness, but "racing spirit." Imaginative, empathetic, suited for music and metaphysics.
🗿 Death (Shi)
Craftsman / Philosopher
Symbolizes "Absolute Stillness." Stubborn, honest, and highly focused. Perfect for research or specialized crafts.
⚰️ Grave (Bo)
Researcher / Collector
Symbolizes "Closure & Accumulation." Conservative and objective. Loves history and saving money.
⚡ Extinction (Zetsu)
Genius / Star
Symbolizes "Soul State." Explosive focus and intuition. Genius in a niche field, but prone to instability.
🟢 Mutable Stars —— Adaptable & Versatile
Early life stages, lacking a protective shell. Sensitive, changeable, and likeable.
🤰 Womb (Tai)
Planner / Multi-tasker
Symbolizes "Conception." Full of possibilities and curiosity, but gets bored easily. Good at planning.
🦌 Nourish (Yō)
Heir / Adoptee
Symbolizes "Being Raised." Gentle and passive. Easily attracts mentors or inherits family businesses.
👶 Growth (Chōsei)
Honor Student
Symbolizes "Birth." Obedient, smart, and a quick learner. The archetype of the "Eldest Child."
🛀 Bath (Mokuyoku)
Artist / Dreamer
Symbolizes "Nakedness." Exposed and uninhibited. High artistic appeal and romantic charm, but volatile.
🔴 Reality Stars —— Competition & Status
Peak physical energy. Energy is "Output Oriented," manifesting as Action, Leadership, and Status.
👑 Belt (Kantai)
Socialite / Queen
Symbolizes "Adulthood." High self-esteem, competitive, and image-conscious. Dislikes losing.
💼 Official (Kenroku)
Manager / Pragmatist
Symbolizes "Establishment." Grounded and responsible. The standard archetype for success.
🦁 Emperor (Teiō)
Leader / Dictator
Symbolizes "The Peak." Maximum luck and confidence. Powerful leadership, but can be stubborn.
👴 Decline (Sui)
Advisor / Sage
Symbolizes "Retirement." Physical decline but rich in experience. Conservative and suited for advisory roles.
💡 Theory Supplement: The Logic of "Yang Forward, Yin Backward"
There is a debate between "Same Path" and "Reverse Path" for Yin/Yang lifecycles. Japanese mechanics strictly follow the Reverse Path for Yin based on three core logics:
1. Taiji Principle: Interchange of Life & Death
Energy is conserved. The end point of Yang is the starting point of Yin.
Jia Wood (Yang/Qi): Like the growth of a tree. It exhausts its energy in Summer (Horse/Wu), entering "Death."
Yi Wood (Yin/Matter): Like fruit and seeds. Exactly when the tree stops growing (Summer), the fruit begins to form (Yi is born).
Conclusion: Without the reverse path, we cannot explain the cycle of "flowers falling, seeds forming."
2. Qi vs. Matter: Time vs. Space
Qi is flowing time; Matter is accumulated space.
☀️ Yang Stems = Qi (Energy)
Represents Time and Trend. Time moves forward, so it Flows Forward.
🌙 Yin Stems = Matter (Quality)
Represents Results. Like "Drawing a Bow," to store energy into form, you must "Pull Back (Reverse)". Moving forward would disperse the energy.
3. Psychological Uniqueness
This gives Yin stems distinct survival wisdom compared to Yang.
Yang (Jia): Peak at Rabbit (Mao). Rigid, breaks if bent.
Yin (Yi): Peak at Tiger (Yin). Flexible, adaptable, climbs to survive.
Conclusion: "Yang Forward, Yin Backward" grants Yin stems the resilience of "Soft outside, tough inside."
Energy Structure: The Triad (San He)
By combining Branches with Seasons, we find the structural laws of energy. This is the famous "Three Harmony (Triad)" system, representing the full lifecycle of an element.
Color Code:Wood｜Fire｜Dry Earth｜Wet Earth｜Metal｜Water
Frame
Meng (Birth) Start / Growth
Zhong (Peak) Strongest / Emperor
Ji (Storage) Transition / Grave
Fire (Summer)
Tiger
Born in Wood
JiaBingWu
Horse
Peak South
DingJi
Dog
Fire Grave
WuXinDing
Water (Winter)
Monkey
Born in Metal
GengRenWu
Rat
Peak North
Gui
Dragon
Water Grave
WuYiGui
Wood (Spring)
Pig
Born in Water
RenJia
Rabbit
Peak East
Yi
Goat
Wood Grave
JiDingYi
Metal (Autumn)
Snake
Born in Fire
BingGengWu
Rooster
Peak West
Xin
Ox
Metal Grave
JiGuiXin
📌 Key Takeaways
Meng (Birth): Tiger, Monkey, Snake, Pig. The startup impact and raw vitality.
Zhong (Peak): Rat, Horse, Rabbit, Rooster. Purest energy, the cardinal directions.
Ji (Storage): The collectors. Dragon & Ox are Wet Earth (contain Water), Goat & Dog are Dry Earth (contain Fire). Their interactions are strictly distinct.
留言
張貼留言