Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)


The wuxing, also known as the Five Elements, Five Agents, Five Movements, Five Phases, Five Planets, Five Processes, Five Stages, Five Steps, or Five Ways, is the short form of "wǔ zhǒng liúxíng zhī qì" or "the five types of chi dominating at different times". It is a fivefold conceptual scheme that many traditional Chinese fields used to explain a wide array of phenomena, from cosmic cycles to the interaction between internal organs, and from the succession of political regimes to the properties of medicinal drugs. The "Five Phases" are Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth. This order of presentation is known as the "Days of the Week" sequence. In the order of "mutual generation", they are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In the order of "mutual overcoming", they are Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal.
The system of five phases was used for describing interactions and relationships between phenomena. After it came to maturity in the second or first century BCE during the Han dynasty, this device was employed in many fields of early Chinese thought, including seemingly disparate fields such as Yi jing divination, feng shui, astrology, traditional Chinese medicine, music, military strategy, and martial arts.

Names

Xíng of wǔxíng means moving; a planet is called a 'moving star' in Chinese. Wǔxíng originally refers to the five major planets that create five dimensions of earth life. Wǔxíng is also widely translated as "Five Elements" and this is used extensively by many including practitioners of Five Element acupuncture. This translation arose by false analogy with the Western system of the four elements. Whereas the classical Greek elements were concerned with substances or natural qualities, the Chinese xíng are "primarily concerned with process and change," hence the common translation as "phases" or "agents". By the same token, Mù is thought of as "Tree" rather than "Wood". The word element is thus used within the context of Chinese medicine with a different meaning to its usual meaning.
It should be recognized that the word phase, although commonly preferred, is not perfect. Phase is a better translation for the five seasons mentioned below, and so agents or processes might be preferred for the primary term xíng. Manfred Porkert attempts to resolve this by using Evolutive Phase for 五行 wǔxíng and Circuit Phase for 五運 wǔyùn, but these terms are unwieldy.
Some of the Mawangdui Silk Texts also present the wǔxíng as "five virtues" or types of activities. Within Chinese medicine texts the wǔxíng are also referred to as wǔyǔn or a combination of the two characters these emphasise the correspondence of five elements to five 'seasons'. Another tradition refers to the wǔxíng as wǔdé, the.

The phases

The five phases are around 72 days each and are usually used to describe the state in nature:
The doctrine of five phases describes two cycles, a generating or creation cycle, also known as "mother-son", and an overcoming or destruction cycle, also known as "grandfather-grandson", of interactions between the phases. Within Chinese medicine the effects of these two main relations are further elaborated:
Common verbs for the shēng cycle include "generate", "create" or "strengthens", as well as "grow" or "promote". The phase interactions in the shēng cycle are:
A deficient shēng cycle is called the xiè cycle and is the reverse of the shēng cycle. Common verbs for the xiè include "weaken", "drain", "diminish" or "exhaust". The phase interactions in the xiè cycle are:
Common verbs for the kè cycle include "controls", "restrains" and "fathers", as well as "overcome" or "regulate". The phase interactions in the kè cycle are:
An excessive kè cycle is called the chéng cycle. Common verbs for the chéng cycle include "restrict", "overwhelm", "dominate" or "destroy". The phase interactions in the chéng cycle are:
A deficient kè cycle is called the wǔ cycle and is the reverse of the kè cycle. Common verbs for the wǔ cycle can include "insult" or "harm". The phase interactions in the wǔ cycle are:
According to wuxing theory, the structure of the cosmos mirrors the five phases. Each phase 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 all based their art and system on the five phases. All of these phases are represented within the trigrams. Associated with these phases are colors, seasons and shapes; all of which are interacting with each other.
Based on a particular directional energy flow from one phase to the next, the interaction can be expansive, destructive, or exhaustive. A proper knowledge of each aspect of energy flow will enable the Feng Shui practitioner to apply certain cures or rearrangement of energy in a way they believe to be beneficial for the receiver of the Feng Shui Treatment.
MovementMetalMetalFireWoodWoodWaterEarthEarth
Trigram hanzi乾兌離震巽坎艮坤
Trigram pinyinqiánduìlízhènxùnkǎngènkūn
Trigrams☰☱☲☳☴☵☶☷
I ChingHeavenLakeFireThunderWindWaterMountainField
Planet NeptuneVenusMarsJupiterPlutoMercuryUranusSaturn
ColorIndigoWhiteCrimsonGreenScarletBlackPurpleYellow
DayFridayFridayTuesdayThursdayThursdayWednesdaySaturdaySaturday
SeasonAutumnAutumnSummerSpringSpringWinterIntermediateIntermediate
Cardinal directionWestWestSouthEastEastNorthCenterCenter

Dynastic transitions

According to the Warring States period political philosopher Zou Yan 鄒衍, each of the five elements possesses a personified "virtue", which indicates the foreordained destiny of a dynasty; accordingly, the cyclic succession of the elements also indicates dynastic transitions. Zou Yan claims that the Mandate of Heaven sanctions the legitimacy of a dynasty by sending self-manifesting auspicious signs in the ritual color that matches the element of the new dynasty. From the Qin dynasty onward, most Chinese dynasties invoked the theory of the Five Elements to legitimize their reign.

Chinese medicine

The interdependence of zang-fu networks in the body was said to be a circle of five things, and so mapped by the Chinese doctors onto the five phases.
In order to explain the integrity and complexity of the human body, Chinese medical scientists used the Five Elements theory to classify the human body's organs, physiological activities, and pathological reactions.
MovementWoodFireEarthMetalWater
PlanetJupiterMarsSaturnVenusMercury
Mental Quality, spontaneity, curiositypassion, intensity, honestyintuition, rationality, mind, resourcefulness, wit
Emotionanger, kindnesshate, resolveanxiety, joygrief, braveryfear, gentleness
Zang liverheart/pericardiumspleen/pancreaslungkidney
Fu gall bladdersmall intestine/San Jiaostomachlarge intestineurinary bladder
Sensory Organeyestonguemouthnoseears
Body Parttendonspulsemusclesskinbones
Body Fluidtearssweatsalivamucusurine
Fingerindex fingermiddle fingerthumbring fingerpinky finger
Sensesighttastetouchsmellhearing
Tastesourbittersweetpungent, umamisalty
Smellrancidfragrantrottenputrid
Lifeearly childhoodpre-pubertyadolescence/intermediateadulthoodold age, conception
Animalscalyfeatheredhumanfurredshelled
Hour3–99–15change15–2121–3
YearSpring EquinoxSummer SolsticeChangeFall EquinoxWinter Solstice
360°45–135°135–225°Change225–315°315–45°

Celestial stem

MovementWoodFireEarthMetalWater
Heavenly StemJia 甲
Yi 乙		Bing 丙
Ding 丁		Wu 戊
Ji 己		Geng 庚
Xin 辛		Ren 壬
Gui 癸
Year ends with4, 56, 78, 90, 12, 3

Ming neiyin

In Ziwei, neiyin or the method of divination is the further classification of the Five Elements into 60 ming, or life orders, based on the ganzhi. Similar to the astrology zodiac, the ming is used by fortune-tellers to analyse a person's personality and future fate.
OrderGanzhiMingOrderGanzhiMingElement
1Jia Zi 甲子Sea metal 海中金31Jia Wu 甲午Sand metal 沙中金Metal
2Yi Chou 乙丑Sea metal 海中金32Yi Wei 乙未Sand metal 沙中金Metal
3Bing Yin 丙寅Furnace fire 炉中火33Bing Shen 丙申Forest fire 山下火Fire
4Ding Mao 丁卯Furnace fire 炉中火34Ding You 丁酉Forest fire 山下火Fire
5Wu Chen 戊辰Forest wood 大林木35Wu Xu 戊戌Meadow wood 平地木Wood
6Ji Si 己巳Forest wood 大林木36Ji Hai 己亥Meadow wood 平地木Wood
7Geng Wu 庚午Road earth 路旁土37Geng Zi 庚子Adobe earth 壁上土Earth
8Xin Wei 辛未Road earth 路旁土38Xin Chou 辛丑Adobe earth 壁上土Earth
9Ren Shen 壬申Sword metal 剑锋金39Ren Yin 壬寅Precious metal 金白金Metal
10Gui You 癸酉Sword metal 剑锋金40Gui Mao 癸卯Precious metal 金白金Metal
11Jia Xu 甲戌Volcanic fire 山头火41Jia Chen 甲辰Lamp fire 佛灯火Fire
12Yi Hai 乙亥Volcanic fire 山头火42Yi Si 乙巳Lamp fire 佛灯火Fire
13Bing Zi 丙子Cave water 洞下水43Bing Wu 丙午Sky water 天河水Water
14Ding Chou 丁丑Cave water 洞下水44Ding Wei 丁未Sky water 天河水Water
15Wu Yin 戊寅Fortress earth 城头土45Wu Shen 戊申Highway earth 大驿土Earth
16Ji Mao 己卯Fortress earth 城头土46Ji You 己酉Highway earth 大驿土Earth
17Geng Chen 庚辰Wax metal 白腊金47Geng Xu 庚戌Jewellery metal 钗钏金Metal
18Xin Si 辛巳Wax metal 白腊金48Xin Hai 辛亥Jewellery metal 钗钏金Metal
19Ren Wu 壬午Willow wood 杨柳木49Ren Zi 壬子Mulberry wood 桑柘木Wood
20Gui Wei 癸未Willow wood 杨柳木50Gui Chou 癸丑Mulberry wood 桑柘木Wood
21Jia Shen 甲申Stream water 泉中水51Jia Yin 甲寅Rapids water 大溪水Water
22Yi You 乙酉Stream water 泉中水52Yi Mao 乙卯Rapids water 大溪水Water
23Bing Xu 丙戌Roof tiles earth 屋上土53Bing Chen 丙辰Desert earth 沙中土Earth
24Ding Hai 丁亥Roof tiles earth 屋上土54Ding Si 丁巳Desert earth 沙中土Earth
25Wu Zi 戊子Lightning fire 霹雳火55Wu Wu 戊午Sun fire 天上火Fire
26Ji Chou 己丑Lightning fire 霹雳火56Ji Wei 己未Sun fire 天上火Fire
27Geng Yin 庚寅Conifer wood 松柏木57Geng Shen 庚申Pomegranate wood 石榴木Wood
28Xin Mao 辛卯Conifer wood 松柏木58Xin You 辛酉Pomegranate wood 石榴木Wood
29Ren Chen 壬辰River water 长流水59Ren Xu 壬戌Ocean water 大海水Water
30Gui Si 癸巳River water 长流水60Gui Hai 癸亥Ocean water 大海水Water

Music

The Yuèlìng chapter of the Lǐjì and the Huáinánzǐ make the following correlations:
MovementWoodFireEarthMetalWater
ColourGreenRedYellowWhiteBlack
Arctic Directioneastsouthcenterwestnorth
Basic Pentatonic Scale pitch角徵宮商羽
Basic Pentatonic Scale pitch pinyinjuézhǐgōngshāngyǔ
solfegemi or Esol or Gdo or Cre or Dla or A

uses the five elements to designate different directions, positions or footwork patterns. Either forward, backward, left, right and centre, or three steps forward and two steps back.
The Five Steps :
Xingyiquan uses the five elements metaphorically to represent five different states of combat.
MovementFistChinesePinyinDescription
MetalSplitting劈PīTo split like an axe chopping up and over
WaterDrilling鑽 / 钻ZuānDrilling forward horizontally like a geyser
WoodCrushing崩BēngTo collapse, as a building collapsing in on itself
FirePounding炮PàoExploding outward like a cannon while blocking
EarthCrossing橫 / 横HéngCrossing across the line of attack while turning over

Tea ceremony

There are spring, summer, fall, and winter teas. The perennial tea ceremony includes four tea settings and a tea master. Each tea setting is arranged and stands for the four directions. A vase of the seasons' flowers is put on the tea table. The tea settings are: