1. The Five Elements represent five colors in the cycle of the four seasons. Historical records indicate that pictographs were the earliest form of writing created by humans. These characters were drawn to depict the physical characteristics of objects. For example, the character for “moon” resembles the crescent shape of the moon. In ancient times, during the era of pictographs, people used familiar symbols to represent the unseen. The Five Elements were named in this manner.
The naming of the Five Elements showcases the implicit beauty of Chinese civilization. For instance, wood represents the lesser yang, which is the initial heat necessary for the emergence of life. This initial heat is easily understood as spring, youth, and the sun at eight or nine in the morning, which is essential for life to occur. Without this force, life cannot emerge, hence wood symbolizes life.
The Five Elements theory prioritizes wood and is based on earth. Wood also represents spring, a time when the energy of wood flourishes, and all things awaken; seeds sprout, marking the beginning of life. Wood symbolizes spring, and spring’s role in life is reflected in the liver’s energy, which embodies the function of life.
Fire symbolizes the sun in the yin-yang dichotomy, representing the highest heat of yang. Its intense heat acts as a powerful energy that drives the high development of natural life, representing summer, a peak phase of vitality.
According to the principles of yin-yang life science, yang is dominant, meaning that within the forces of yin and yang, yang is the main force of life. The higher the yang heat, the greater the yang force, leading to faster and more vigorous life development. The role of fire in life is akin to the high heat of the sun, representing the essence of summer.
Metal, representing the lesser yin, is associated with the knife. The lesser yin is the initial cold force, a tool that restrains life. All things in the world follow the law of thermal expansion and contraction. The techniques of meridians suggest that thermal expansion occurs due to the action of force, allowing all things to grow and develop; the greater the heat, the faster the expansion. Conversely, contraction occurs due to cold force, where greater cold leads to greater contraction. A knife is used for “harvesting,” symbolizing autumn. When the autumn wind blows, leaves begin to fall, as if the wind is a knife that collects life from the earth, returning leaves to their roots to protect them. All things quickly wither, as it is necessary to restrain excessive growth, hence the role of metal in life is akin to that of autumn.
Water symbolizes the greater yin. Water lacks sunlight and heat, making it the most yin and cold, representing winter. The role of the greater yin is to cause all things to contract and hide. Without the action of the lesser yin, all things would overgrow and die prematurely. Without the action of the greater yin, all things cannot achieve the highest level of rest and thus cannot develop better; hence, water is the source of continued life growth. The role of water in life is akin to that of winter.
Earth symbolizes the great land, where all the materials necessary for life are found. Earth plays a functional role in life as a medium for material support.
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter represent growth and storage. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the five major functional roles that enable natural life to emerge and survive.
2. The functions of the five organs and six bowels represent five invisible relationships. When discussing the Five Elements, we may feel a sense of understanding, but when it comes to how these elements manifest in our bodies, it can be confusing. How should we understand the theory of the Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)? Understanding the significance of the Five Elements reveals the secrets of diseases.
How do we recognize the generation and function of the five organs and six bowels? We must look at the pre-heavenly bagua diagram, which illustrates the operation of life as a whole, in a cyclical and continuous manner. In the pre-heavenly bagua, the upper part represents Qian (Heaven), and the lower part represents Kun (Earth). Qian symbolizes the sky and spirit, while Kun represents the kidneys. Thus, as the sky turns left, it corresponds to the right side of the human body. In spring, it is wood, which corresponds to the liver. In summer, at its peak, it is the heart, which has two orientations: one pointing to the head, the sun as the heart; the other to the center, the heart as the organ. Next is the lungs, which are connected to the heart, but the heart’s pulse connects to the highest spirit. At the center, the center of the Taiji diagram is earth, which corresponds to the spleen and stomach system. The head represents the sun, which is outside the bagua, while below are the Five Elements, hence it is also called the Five Elements and Six Positions.
The Five Elements correspond to the sun; without the sun, there are no Five Elements. Therefore, the sun and the Five Elements have a ruler and minister relationship. In the body, the head represents the sun, and the interrelations of the five organs and six bowels represent the relationships of the Five Elements. The organs and bowels can be seen as the ministers. The five organs and six bowels are the “officials” maintaining the body, and their relationships can also be described as the relationships of the Five Elements, coexisting as a whole, interlinked, and mutually restraining, achieving an internal stable state—balance. First, we should understand the principles of the Five Elements. Why is it called “elements”? It signifies dynamism, the power of action. This term illustrates that all things in the universe are in constant motion and cannot stop for a moment.
Let us examine the generative and restraining relationships of the Five Elements within the body. It is important to clarify that in TCM, the term “five organs and six bowels” does not refer to specific organs as understood in Western medicine, but rather to five functions and locations. The Five Elements interact and transform into one another. Their relationships are stable and balanced; any excess or deficiency harms this “team.” This reflects the relationships of all things in the world. For example, when one person loves another, it can be a beautiful feeling, but if one party exhibits extreme behavior, becoming excessively selfish and viewing everything as their own, it can harm themselves, the other person, and their families, leading to unpredictable consequences.
For instance, the liver is the general’s office. It governs growth and can issue commands; good growth benefits the liver. However, this does not mean one can act recklessly, thinking that being in a high position allows for outbursts. In moments of great anger, one may harm the liver. There is a saying that joy can uplift the spirit, but the story of Fan Jin passing the imperial examination illustrates the danger of excessive joy harming the heart.
Similarly, the spleen, as an official, enjoys sweet foods. Appropriate sweetness nourishes the spleen, but excessive consumption of sweet foods can lead to spleen stagnation. What does stagnation mean? It is like enjoying good times for too long, becoming complacent and numb. The techniques of meridians suggest that some children prefer snacks, losing their appetite for regular meals, not because they dislike food, but because the excessive sweetness in snacks affects the spleen and stomach’s function, leading to confusion about hunger.
How do the five organs generate one another? The liver generates the heart—wood generates fire; the liver stores blood to nourish the heart. The heart generates the spleen—fire generates earth; the heart’s yang energy warms the spleen. The spleen generates the lungs—earth generates metal; the spleen transforms the essence of food and drink to benefit the lungs. The lungs generate the kidneys—metal generates water; the lung’s clear energy descends to nourish the kidneys. The kidneys generate the liver—water generates wood; the kidneys store essence to nourish the liver’s yin blood, and so on.
The restraining relationships among the five organs manifest as follows: the lung (metal) can suppress the liver (wood) yang’s excess—metal restrains wood; the liver (wood) can relieve the spleen (earth) stagnation—wood restrains earth; the spleen (earth) can prevent the kidney (water) from flooding—earth restrains water; the kidney (water) can control the heart (fire) yang’s excess—water restrains fire; the heart (fire) can restrain the lung (metal) from excessive clarity—fire restrains metal. In the pre-heavenly bagua, the first generates yin and yang, the second generates the Five Elements, and the third generates the sixty-four hexagrams. The four symbols of the pre-heavenly bagua divide the heavenly way into four parts: wood symbolizes the lesser yang, fire symbolizes the sun, metal symbolizes the lesser yin, water symbolizes the greater yin, and earth symbolizes the great land. These four symbols further explain the different roles of the sun in relation to all things. In the pre-heavenly bagua, the study of the Five Elements is a further development of yin-yang life science, and its content is related to yin-yang, which is why people often refer to it as yin-yang and the Five Elements.
Many modern scholars interpret the Five Elements as five types of matter, but such interpretations overlook that the Five Elements originated before the Five Emperors, when characters represented the forms of objects, and the concept of matter did not exist. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth were the five familiar objects to people at that time. These five objects symbolize the different functional roles of the lesser yang, sun, lesser yin, greater yin, and earth in the emergence, survival, development, and transformation of natural life.
3. The heart is the “Forbidden City” and “Zhongnanhai” of the body. In TCM, life consists of a tangible material body and an intangible life function. As mentioned earlier, the human heart has two orientations, and the heart that governs the spirit is located in the Qian position of the pre-heavenly bagua. In TCM, we say “the heart governs the spirit” because the spirit is the highest spiritual leader of the body, located at the head. If we use the analogy of a country, in ancient times, it would be equivalent to the emperor, and in modern times, it would be the highest leader of the nation. This spirit, in philosophical terms, belongs to the realm of consciousness, which is determined by the uniqueness of the spirit.
Another heart, the flesh heart, governs the blood vessels and belongs to the fire element in the Five Elements. This fire represents its functional role, not the anatomical organ as understood in modern medicine. Besides the heart, what do the other four organs govern? They all relate to material functions. The spleen, lungs, liver, and gallbladder all have the “moon” radical, indicating their connection to the physical body, as the moon radical in ancient times signified the physical body.
The “heart” is different; it is the residence of the spirit, akin to a palace, like the Forbidden City in ancient times or Zhongnanhai today, representing the core position that must not be corrupted. Our body can be likened to a car, fully functional, but without a qualified driver, even the best car cannot run. The spirit that the heart “governs” is the driver. Consider a person who suffers from depression; they may jump from a building, as their spirit has drifted away, leaving them unaware of their surroundings. TCM states that “joy harms the heart” and “fear harms the kidneys,” indicating that both joy and fear can lead to sudden death. There are many examples in life where people die from fright, and many who die from excessive joy; the saying “joy leads to sorrow” illustrates this. These instances occur when the spirit suddenly departs, causing the body to enter a state of disarray.
4. The lungs are the chief of the five organs, governing your fresh oxygen. The lungs are located beneath the heart and are also high-ranking within the body. They are subordinate to the heart. In terms of rank, they should be considered the chancellor. In ancient times, this was equivalent to the prime minister. However, many people only know that the lungs govern the skin and qi, without understanding the extent of their authority and jurisdiction.
The foundation of life is blood circulation; without it, there is no life. In the Five Elements, the lungs correspond to metal. Among the Five Elements, metal is the heaviest, and the chancellor is the head of the civil officials, responsible for formulating rules and laws. The functions of the other organs must pass through the lungs, hence the lungs are the chief of the five organs, “the qi returns to the lungs, governing the hundred vessels.” How should we understand this “governing the hundred vessels”? It can be simply understood as the lungs assisting the heart in circulating blood. Modern medicine recognizes a pulmonary circulation, which is a small circulation; after blood has circulated through the body, the oxygen content is nearly depleted. At this point, the blood begins the pulmonary small circulation to undergo a new oxygenation process before re-entering the large circulation. This means that every drop of blood in our body must pass through the lungs to complete the oxygenation process.
5. The relationship between the liver and gallbladder is the foundation of our achievements. The liver corresponds to wood in the Five Elements and is the general’s office, the commander-in-chief of the troops. However, generals are often difficult to manage; as the saying goes, “A general in the field may not heed the emperor’s command.” Sometimes, they may not even listen to the emperor’s decree. The lungs belong to metal and can restrain the liver’s wood, but the liver’s energy can sometimes overpower the lungs, leading to conflict between the military and civil officials. The wood energy is inherently competitive and confrontational, making it challenging to manage their relationship. When the military and civil officials are at odds, the state faces difficulties. When they are harmonious, they can advance and retreat, defending against external evils. This is true for the state and for our bodies. From another perspective, the desires and pressures of modern life most easily harm the liver general.
Although the liver possesses strategy and is brave in battle, it ultimately relies on the guidance of a military advisor. In our bodies, the military advisor is the gallbladder. The gallbladder is akin to the chief of staff in the military, comparable to historical figures like Sun Bin or Zhuge Liang. The gallbladder is the office of neutrality, neither favoring nor opposing, acting based on practical considerations, akin to the role of a military advisor. For example, Liu Bei followed Zhuge Liang’s advice, leading to a strong alliance.
Chinese characters emphasize that similar sounds have similar origins; the character for gallbladder also means “light” or “brightness,” indicating that the gallbladder is a clear and upright organ, capable of making just decisions.
6. The spleen and stomach can communicate, reporting signs of disease. The spleen and stomach correspond to earth in the Five Elements and are the officials of storage, representing the granaries of the world. The importance of food is self-evident; without food, governance would falter. Historically, many revolts were due to food shortages, as people would first seek to secure food.
In the “Su Wen: On Needling Techniques,” the distinction between the roles of the spleen and stomach is made clear. The stomach, as the granary of the world, is responsible for food supply, akin to a modern agricultural minister. The spleen is referred to as the advisor, akin to an inspector within the body, responsible for reporting any issues to the ruler. If there are problems with the intestines and stomach, the ruler must be informed; otherwise, by the time the issue is discovered, it may have progressed to something severe like stomach cancer. This represents a failure to communicate information in a timely manner.
Thus, the role of the advisor is crucial. The spleen corresponds to Kun earth, which has the virtue of bearing all things. Therefore, we should pay attention to the nourishment and care of the spleen, ensuring it remains clear and alert to detect problems early and report them to the ruler for timely resolution. Otherwise, if a serious illness is suddenly discovered, it may be too late, leading to disaster. This means we should learn to observe the information from our spleen and stomach: Do we have an appetite? Are we feeling full? Do we feel bloated? We must listen carefully to avoid missing important signals. The spleen corresponds to Kun earth, which has the virtue of bearing all things; this is crucial. However, how do we observe the thickness of the spleen’s earth? It is through the abdominal muscles; if they are too thin, the spleen and stomach are weak, and if too thick, it can also cause harm. We should also observe the depth of the navel, which can indicate the strength of the spleen and stomach. Additionally, the spleen opens to the mouth, so the color and luster of the lips are also important indicators.
Most importantly, the imbalance of the spleen and stomach does not occur suddenly; it accumulates over time. The saying “three feet of ice do not form in a single day” applies here. The advisory function of the spleen diminishes gradually, so we must regularly observe our abdomen to maintain it in optimal condition, which is something we should do daily.
7. Only by nourishing the kidneys can we nourish life. The “Su Wen: On the Secret of Linglan” states that the kidneys are the “official of strength and skill.” The term “strength” refers to the kidneys’ role, while “skill” refers to the wisdom that can produce various skills. Many artistic and beautiful things are related to the kidneys, such as reproduction. “Strength” refers to firmness and resilience, which in the body relates to the bones; hence the saying, “This person is a tough nut.” The terms “to act” and “to be strong” encapsulate the primary functions of the kidneys.
But what does it mean that the kidneys govern water? This strength relates to water because the kidneys correspond to water in the Five Elements. Heaven generates water, and earth forms it, which manifests in the body as the kidneys. After the kidneys are formed, fire and the heart are generated.
The kidneys store will; when a person acts, they first express their will, which is their ambition. Another crucial aspect is that the kidneys are the source of pre-natal essence, governing the source of life. The techniques of meridians suggest that life force continuously emanates from here, serving as the source of energy for the body. The kidneys are the foundation of life, as Laozi once said: “The softest thing in the world can overcome the hardest.” For instance, a woman’s gentle strength can compel a king to relinquish his kingdom. In our bodies, both softness and hardness converge in the kidneys.
Therefore, how to protect this kidney official is vital for health preservation. In simple terms, many practices harm the kidneys. For example, it is often said, “Nourish yang in spring and summer, and nourish yin in autumn and winter.” How do we nourish yang in spring and summer? Simply put, during these seasons, the body’s internal yang energy is outwardly flourishing, like all plants growing abundantly, while the internal yang is relatively low. At this time, we should warm and nourish the spleen and stomach. However, due to the heat, if one frequently consumes cold drinks, uses air conditioning, and engages with cold substances, such practices undoubtedly harm the kidneys and deplete yang energy. The kidneys govern storage; what do they store? Yang energy. Night is for storage; if one does not sleep at night, what can be stored? Winter is for storage; if one does not keep warm in winter and sweats excessively in the gym, it also harms yang. TCM believes that the kidneys are the foundation of pre-natal essence, while the spleen is the foundation of post-natal essence. The pre-natal essence refers to the pre-heavenly bagua, while the post-natal essence refers to the post-heavenly bagua. The pre-heavenly bagua discusses yin and yang, while the post-heavenly bagua discusses the earth. In modern terms, the kidneys are the root of yin-yang life force, while the spleen is the root of material essence.
8. Kidney disease can affect the liver, as a mother’s illness can harm her child. Many people struggle to understand why some individuals with heart disease later develop pulmonary heart disease, or why someone with diabetes later develops kidney syndrome. Even without understanding TCM, one can grasp the interconnections and transformations of internal functions through the principles of the Five Elements.
The Five Elements have broad applications, encompassing various relationships between heaven and earth, and can also be detailed down to the internal functions of the body. The relationships among the Five Elements within the human body illustrate that the organs are part of a unified life system; none exist independently, and the spiritual aspect of a person is the sun among the Five Elements. Ancient people compared the ruler to the sun and the ministers to the Five Elements, with the sun governing the Five Elements to give rise to all things. Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water interact with all things, just as the five ministers in a court take turns executing orders.
The relationships within the Five Elements include generating, restraining, belonging, and comparison. Generating refers to mutual growth; it is not the same as wood fueling fire, but rather the relationship between parents and children. In terms of the Five Elements, a person’s kidney disease will inevitably affect the liver, as a mother’s illness can harm her child. This is because water and wood have a generative relationship; even in real life, if a mother is ill, it will cause her child to worry and be concerned. When the kidney water is excessive, the liver, as the child, will be overactive, inevitably harming the lung metal and spleen earth, leading to dysfunction of the organs. Dysfunction equates to disease. The Five Elements favor harmony, meaning that the functions of the five organs and six bowels must be in a state of equality.
Conversely, restraining refers to opposing relationships. Normal restraint is called “restraining,” such as metal restraining wood; if it is excessive, it is termed “metal overpowering wood”; conversely, it can be “wood insulting metal.” As we observe the cycles of heaven and earth, when spring arrives, the calendar indicates that wood is in command. However, by autumn, all the trees wither, and the atmosphere lacks any trace of spring; this is the metal overpowering wood. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, under the sun’s governance, each perform their duties, treating each other equally, and working together for life to survive and develop normally. If there are strengths and weaknesses, there will be disharmony, imbalance, and disorder. The extreme of these “three losses” leads to the inability to function, resulting in death. The rise and fall of the Five Elements is truly marvelous, as their fluctuations give rise to the seasons.
9. Stomach pain can be resolved by regulating the liver.
Within the Five Elements, there are four types of relationships. First, the belonging relationship, for example, metal restrains wood, but if water is in between, metal generates water, and water generates wood, forming an organized group. Water acts as a leader, responsible for balancing metal and wood, so the belonging relationship is an organizational relationship. As I mentioned earlier, generating is a parent-child relationship, restraining is an opposing relationship, and there is also a relationship called “comparison,” which is akin to sibling relationships. These four relationships within the Five Elements are crucial; they must be balanced and harmonious. If one is well, all are well, leading to harmony. If these four relationships encounter problems and become imbalanced, it will lead to dysfunction in the entire internal system. Imbalance, disorder, and disharmony are what I have been emphasizing as the “three losses,” which can lead to serious illness.
Why is it said that Western medicine treats symptoms without addressing the root cause? For instance, if someone has stomach pain, Western medicine will treat the stomach, regardless of whether it is due to cold or heat, or other related issues. However, in TCM, if the stomach is ill, one must first consider whether there is a problem with the liver, as liver-stomach disharmony is often the cause. The stomach corresponds to earth, while the liver corresponds to wood. Based on my clinical experience, many patients with stomach issues often have underlying liver problems, and most cases of liver cancer are preceded by stomach issues.
Once you understand the Five Elements, you will realize: “Oh, my stomach hurts; if I take some herbs to regulate the liver, it will feel better, and the stomach will also improve.” This is the principle of the Five Elements. In modern scientific terms, 85% of the blood required by the liver comes from the portal vein, which enters through the stomach and intestines. If the liver is blocked, the blood cannot enter the liver, remaining stagnant in the stomach, leading to stomach pain.