The Five Elements (五行) represent an ancient materialistic view in China, commonly applied in philosophy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and divination. The Five Elements are: Metal (金), Wood (木), Water (水), Fire (火), and Earth (土). It is believed that nature is composed of these five elements, and their fluctuations lead to changes in the natural world, affecting human destiny and the cyclical nature of the universe. The theory of the Five Elements posits that everything in the universe is constituted by the movement and transformation of these five basic substances. It emphasizes a holistic concept, illustrating the structural relationships and forms of movement among things.
If Yin and Yang represent an ancient theory of oppositional unity, the Five Elements can be seen as a primitive general system theory. The Properties and Classification of the Five Elements The reason the Five Elements theory can encompass all things in the universe is primarily due to its method of thinking, which categorizes phenomena based on the characteristics of the Five Elements. By using the method of ‘comparison and classification’, things or phenomena are divided into five major categories, corresponding to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. This classification explains the relationships and changes among various phenomena based on the interactions and rules of the Five Elements.
In medicine, this theory elucidates the complex relationships between the organs and tissues of the human body in both physiological and pathological contexts, as well as the close relationship between the human body and the external environment. The original theory of the Five Elemental substances has evolved into the Five Elements theory, which is no longer merely about the five substances themselves but is applied as an abstract concept of properties. Each element has its distinct characteristics: Water is moistening and descending; Fire is hot and ascending; Wood is flexible and straight; Metal is contracting and transformative; Earth is nurturing and cultivating.
Based on these characteristics, the method of ‘comparison and classification’ divides the phenomena to be explained into five major categories, assigning similar properties to each category within the Five Elements framework. Furthermore, using the generative and controlling relationships of the Five Elements, it elucidates or deduces the complex connections and changes among phenomena.
Classification of the Five Elements Throughout history, physicians have sought to illustrate the integrity and complexity of the human body by broadly linking the organs, physiological activities, pathological responses, and natural phenomena closely related to human life. (1) The characteristics of the Five Elements explain the functions of the five internal organs. For example, Wood is associated with growth and flexibility, the Liver (肝) is linked to this characteristic and governs the smooth flow of Qi (气); Water is moistening and descending, the Kidney (肾) stores essence and governs water. Thus, the Liver belongs to Wood, and the Kidney to Water, and this applies to other organs as well. (2) This forms a functional activity system centered on the five organs, corresponding to the five directions, five seasons, and five Qi, linking the five organs, five senses, body, and emotions. (3) This system illustrates the opposing yet unified relationship between the internal environment of the body and the external natural environment, such as Spring being associated with Wood, where Liver Qi is abundant, and the season is windy.
It should be noted that the above describes horizontal connections; from a vertical perspective, it indicates that these five categories of phenomena have relationships of mutual generation and control. The Significance of the Classification of the Five Elements The classification of the properties of the Five Elements is primarily used to summarize the internal connections of various phenomena or attributes between the human body and the natural world. For instance, using the characteristics of the Five Elements to illustrate certain physiological functions of the organs: Wood, with its growth characteristics, corresponds to the Liver, which is gentle and promotes the smooth flow of Qi; Fire, representing Yang heat, corresponds to the Heart (心), which is an active Yang organ; Earth, as the mother of all things, corresponds to the Spleen (脾), which transforms food essence; Metal, with its cleansing and contracting properties, corresponds to the Lung (肺), which governs respiration; Water, with its moistening and descending characteristics, corresponds to the Kidney, which regulates water metabolism.
In TCM, the relationship between humans and nature is referred to as ‘Heaven and Man Corresponding’ (天人相应), and the Five Elements theory categorizes the organs and structures of the human body and similar phenomena in nature into the Five Elements system, illustrating the mutual correspondence and influence between the human organ systems and similar natural phenomena. Moreover, there exists a relationship of mutual promotion and restriction between systems, explaining certain physiological connections that objectively exist between organs, guiding the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. For example, the Spleen belongs to Earth, thus relating to the mouth (口), the emotion of thinking (思), the season of late summer (长夏), and the climate of dampness (湿), indicating certain physiological connections that can also be reflected and validated pathologically, such as a sweet taste indicating Spleen dampness.
The Interactions of the Five Elements The interactions of the Five Elements, known as ‘mutual generation’ and ‘mutual overcoming’, are abnormal phenomena arising under certain influencing factors. Mutual generation refers to the excessive overcoming of one element over another, disrupting the normal balance of the Five Elements system. This abnormal phenomenon generally occurs in two situations: one is when the element being overcome is deficient, and the overcoming element exploits its weakness; the other is when the overcoming element is excessive and not restrained by its corresponding element, thus overpowering it.
It should be noted that ‘overcoming’ and ‘mutual generation’ are distinct; overcoming is a normal restraining relationship, while mutual generation is an excessive overcoming that disrupts the normal restraining relationship, representing a pathological state in the body. Mutual overcoming, the reverse of overcoming, is another manifestation of the loss of normal coordination in the Five Elements system. Similarly, there are two situations: one is when the element being overcome is excessive and not restrained, thus overpowering the overcoming element; for example, if Wood is excessive, it may overpower Metal. The second is when the overcoming element is weak, and the element being overcome takes advantage of its weakness; for instance, if Metal is weak, Wood may overpower it.
Thus, it is said: ‘If Qi is excessive, it will restrain what it overcomes and overpower what it cannot; if it is insufficient, it will be overpowered by what it cannot overcome and will be overpowered by what it can.’ This means that if one element’s Qi is excessive, it will excessively restrain the element it overcomes, leading to mutual generation. Conversely, if it is insufficient, the element it cannot overcome will overpower it. For example, in clinical cases of bronchiectasis, the disease is located in the Lung, often due to Liver Qi stagnation, causing Qi to rise and transform into fire, leading to hemoptysis, which is a case of Wood (木) overpowering Metal (金); Liver Qi stagnation affects the Spleen and Stomach’s digestion, which is a case of Wood overpowering Earth (土). Hypertension due to damp-heat often arises from damp-heat obstructing the Spleen, leading to Liver Yang rising, which is a case of Earth overpowering Wood. As for Metal overpowering Wood, this is rarely seen clinically.
The Regulation of the Five Elements The structural dynamics of the Five Elements system maintain balance and cyclical movement primarily through two self-regulating mechanisms: one is the ‘regulation of control and transformation’ under normal conditions; the other is the ‘regulation of overcoming and recovery’ under abnormal conditions. Control refers to restraint, while transformation refers to the process of generating and nurturing. The regulation of control and transformation mainly refers to the adjustment produced by the interaction of mutual generation and overcoming in the normal state, also known as ‘Five Elements Control and Transformation’.
From the overall function of the Five Elements, it is evident that the relationship between any two elements is not unidirectional but mutual. Each element has relationships of generation, overcoming, and mutual restraint, ensuring the normalcy of the control and transformation relationship. For instance, Wood can overcome Earth, Earth can generate Metal, and Metal can overcome Wood, thus preventing Wood from becoming excessive or deficient, allowing it to nourish Fire, which in turn can generate normal transformations.
Fire can overcome Metal, Metal can generate Water, and Water can overcome Fire, thus preventing Fire from becoming excessive or deficient, allowing it to nourish Earth, which can generate normal transformations. Earth can overcome Water, Water can generate Wood, and Wood can overcome Earth, thus preventing Earth from becoming excessive or deficient, allowing it to nourish Metal, which can generate normal transformations. Metal can overcome Wood, Wood can generate Fire, and Fire can overcome Metal, thus preventing Metal from becoming excessive or deficient, allowing it to nourish Water, which can generate normal transformations. Water can overcome Fire, Fire can generate Earth, and Earth can overcome Water, thus preventing Water from becoming excessive or deficient, allowing it to nourish Wood, which can generate normal transformations.
It can be seen that it is this reciprocal generation and overcoming that regulates and maintains the relative coordination and balance of the structural relationships of things. The process of mutual generation and overcoming is also the process of growth and decline, where the frequent occurrence of imbalances in growth and decline is itself a further regulation of mutual generation and overcoming, leading to repeated coordination and balance. This cyclical movement, seeking balance amidst imbalance, and balance being immediately replaced by new imbalance, drives the continuous change and development of things.
The regulation of overcoming and recovery mainly refers to the adjustment of the Five Elements system under abnormal conditions, where significant imbalances occur locally, through the relationship of overcoming, producing a large-scale regulatory effect. The regulation of overcoming can restore a temporarily excessive or deficient Five Elements system structure back to balance. The term ‘overcoming’ refers to the excessive Qi of one element leading to excessive restraint of the element it overcomes. Once overcoming Qi appears, it will inevitably provoke a counteracting force to suppress it, known as recovery Qi. Thus, the Su Wen states: ‘Where there is overcoming Qi, recovery will surely follow.’ Moreover, the stronger the overcoming Qi, the stronger the recovery Qi; conversely, the lighter the overcoming Qi, the lighter the recovery Qi.
For example, if Fire Qi is excessive, as overcoming Qi, it excessively overcomes Metal, leading to a decline in Metal Qi, which cannot restrain Wood, resulting in Wood Qi becoming excessive and further overpowering Earth. Consequently, Earth Qi is weakened, reducing its ability to restrain Water, leading to an increase in Water, which then suppresses the excessive Fire Qi, restoring it to normal. If Fire Qi is insufficient, it will be excessively restrained by Water, but if Fire cannot restrain Metal, it will lead to an increase in Metal Qi, which will strengthen its ability to overcome Wood, causing Wood to decline and unable to restrain Earth, resulting in an increase in Earth Qi to restrain Water, which in turn weakens Fire, gradually restoring it to normal.
If there is only overcoming without recovery, meaning that if any element in the Five Elements is excessive without the corresponding restraint from another element, the coordination of the Five Elements system structure will be disrupted, leading to chaotic and abnormal states, resulting in severe diseases.
In summary, we can view the relationships of the Five Elements as a logical expansion and complement to the Yin-Yang relationship. The affected party, through certain intermediary links, reacts back to the acting party, producing feedback regulation effects, thus maintaining relative balance in the system structure.
Real-World Reflections Metal represents a principle, a conception of things; Water represents knowledge, a concrete understanding of things; Wood represents kindness, an inner response to things; Fire represents sincerity, an action based on inner response; Earth represents analysis, an analysis during the process of action. Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, and Earth generates Metal. From conception to concrete realization, generating action ideas, taking action, analyzing during action, summarizing experiences, and planning for future concepts.
The Five Elements and Confucianism The Five Elements correspond to the Confucian virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, all of which are indispensable and mutually supportive. The ancients were truly great! Please reflect seriously on the relationship between these virtues and the Five Elements, and I believe you will lead a very happy life.
The Five Elements and Geography In the Five Elements theory, the South corresponds to Fire, the East to Wood, the North to Water, the West to Metal, and Earth governs the center, assisting in the balance of Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire.
The Relationship Between the Five Elements and Seasons The Five Elements refer to the five modes of movement of Qi. Spring corresponds to Wood, representing the expansion of Qi; in Spring, flowers and trees flourish, branches extend outward, and nutrients are transported to the tips of branches, hence Spring is associated with Wood. Summer corresponds to Fire, representing the upward movement of Qi; the characteristic of fire is to rise, and in Summer, various plants grow vigorously, hence Summer is associated with Fire. Autumn corresponds to Metal, representing the inward contraction of Qi; Metal is characterized by stability, and in Autumn, harvest occurs, with people storing food for winter, and leaves falling, hence Autumn is associated with Metal. Winter corresponds to Water, representing the downward movement of Qi; Water flows downward, and in Winter, all things hibernate, storing nutrients for Spring, hence Winter is associated with Water. Due to the four seasons, there are four elements, but there is a transitional phase between Summer and Autumn, thus Earth represents the stable movement of Qi.