Editor’s Introduction
The theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, originating from ancient philosophical thought, has long been a source of confusion for many practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The Five Elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. While many seem to understand this concept, how many truly grasp the profound mysteries of the Five Elements theory? Today, let’s explore the intricacies of the Five Elements theory together!
The Five Elements theory is a fundamental materialistic philosophical thought from ancient China, belonging to the elemental theory of the universe. It posits that everything in the universe is composed of five material elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The development and changes of various phenomena in nature are the results of the continuous movement and interaction of these five elements. The order of movement of all things in heaven and earth is governed by the unified laws of generation and restriction among the Five Elements. The Five Elements theory uses Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water to explain the origin and diversity of all things in the world. All phenomena in nature can be categorized into five systems based on the properties and characteristics of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each of the five systems, as well as the phenomena within each system, has certain inherent relationships, forming a complex network. Humans exist within heaven, and heaven exists within humans; you are within me, and I am within you, creating a mutual generation and victory. The Five Elements theory views the vast world as a “dynamic and ever-changing” universe.
In TCM, the Five Elements theory is applied to the medical field, observing the human body from a systemic structural perspective. It elucidates the organic connections between parts of the body and the whole, as well as the unity between the human body and the external environment. This strengthens the holistic concept in TCM, further systematizing the holistic methods used in TCM, and plays a significant role in the formation of TCM’s unique theoretical system, becoming one of its philosophical foundations and an important component. With the development of TCM, the Five Elements theory in TCM has increasingly diverged from its philosophical origins, focusing on the theory of mutual containment among the Five Elements to explain the multi-dimensional and infinitely divisible material structure and properties of the natural world, as well as the interrelationships among the organs, particularly the mutual containment laws among the five internal organs, revealing the regulatory mechanisms of dynamic balance between the internal body and the external environment, and clarifying the laws of health and disease, diagnosis, and prevention.
1.The Concept of Five Elements★(1) Basic Concepts of the Five Elements
The Five Elements are one of the fundamental categories of ancient Chinese philosophy. The term “Five” refers to the five materials: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water; “Elements” refers to the flow and application of these materials, indicating action and movement, meaning continuous change and unceasing operation. The Five Elements refer to the dynamic changes of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The Five Elements should not be viewed as static but as dynamically interacting. The Five Elements are not only materials and movements but also represent five types of properties and capabilities, hence referred to as the Five Virtues. Like the Yin-Yang theory, the Five Elements theory focuses on the contradictory actions of things, their movements, and changes. The concept of the Five Elements does not represent five specific material forms but rather five functional attributes, representing “five powerful forces in continuous cyclical motion rather than passive immobility” (Joseph Needham, “History of Science and Technology in China”). It is an abstraction of the five states within the internal Yin-Yang movements and changes of objective things in nature, belonging to abstract concepts and is an important category of ancient Chinese materialistic philosophy.
(2) The Relationship Between the Five Elements and Qi, Yin-Yang01The Five Elements and Qi
Qi and the Five Elements are both philosophical categories in ancient Chinese philosophy that explain the origins of the world. The Qi category illustrates the unity of the material world, while the Five Elements category explains the diversity of material forms in the world. Qi and the Five Elements embody the dialectical unity of “one” and “many” in ancient Chinese philosophical thought; all things originate from one Qi, which divides into the Five Elements, and the Five Elements return to one Qi.
02The Five Elements and Yin-Yang
Yin-Yang is the universal law of the cosmos, representing the inherent contradictory elements within Qi. Qi has Yin and Yang; thus, the Five Elements also contain Yin and Yang. The movements of the Five Elements are inevitably constrained by Yin and Yang. Yin transforms into Yang, giving rise to the Five Elements. Among the Five Elements, Wood and Fire belong to Yang, while Metal, Water, and Earth belong to Yin, and each element also possesses Yin and Yang characteristics.
(3) Classification of Properties of Things by the Five Elements01Characteristics of the Five Elements
Ancient people, through long-term life and production practices, gradually formed the theoretical concept of the characteristics of the Five Elements based on their simple understanding of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The characteristics of the Five Elements are as follows.
Wood is Flexibility:Flexibility means the ability to bend and stretch. Wood has the characteristics of growth, flexibility, and upward movement. Wood represents the generative power of life, indicating that all things in the universe possess the function of continuous generation. Anything that has the properties of growth, upward movement, expansion, or extension can be classified under “Wood”.
Fire is Ascending Heat:Heat refers to warmth; ascending means upward. Fire has the characteristics of heat, warmth, and upward movement. Fire represents the sublimation of generative power, characterized by brilliance and heat. Anything that possesses warmth, ascension, or flourishing properties can be classified under “Fire”.
Earth is Agriculture:Spring planting is called agriculture, and autumn harvesting is called harvest. Earth has the characteristics of nurturing and transformation, hence it is called the mother of all things. Earth embodies the essence of life, being the foundation of all things and humanity, as “all elements and Five Elements rely on Earth”. Earth is the most valued among the Five Elements. Anything that possesses nurturing, bearing, or accepting properties can be classified under “Earth”.
Metal is Reform:To follow means to comply; reform means to change. Metal has the characteristics of being both soft and hard, capable of reform and suppression. Metal represents solidity; anything that has solidified after growth can be indicated by Metal, extending to meanings of suppression, potential, convergence, and cleanliness. Anything with these properties can be classified under “Metal”.
Water is Moistening and Descending:Moistening means to hydrate; descending means downward. Water represents the essence of freezing and concealment, possessing the characteristics of moistening, descending, and concealment. Anything that has cold, moistening, descending, or concealing properties can be classified under “Water”.
Thus, in medicine, the Five Elements do not refer to the five specific materials themselves but rather to the abstract summary of the different properties of these five materials.
02Classification of Properties of Things by the Five Elements
The Five Elements theory classifies various phenomena in nature based on the characteristics of the Five Elements, using methods of categorization and deduction, ultimately dividing them into five major categories, as follows.
(1) Analogy:This is a logical method that deduces similarities or commonalities between two or two categories of things based on certain attributes or relationships, suggesting that they may also be similar or the same in other aspects. Analogy is also a method of reasoning. In TCM, this method is referred to as “drawing comparisons from objects” or “taking symbols to compare categories”. The Five Elements theory in TCM uses analogy to compare the characteristics of things (referring to their properties, functions, and forms) with the attributes of the Five Elements. If an object has characteristics similar to a certain element, it is classified under that element. For example, directions correspond to the Five Elements, and the five internal organs correspond to the Five Elements. The east, where the sun rises, corresponds to the upward characteristic of Wood, thus the east belongs to Wood; the south, which is hot, corresponds to the ascending characteristic of Fire, thus the south belongs to Fire. Similarly, the spleen, which governs transformation, corresponds to the transformative nature of Earth, thus the spleen belongs to Earth; the lung, which governs descent, corresponds to the suppressive nature of Metal, thus the lung belongs to Metal, and so on.
(2) Deduction:This is a reasoning method that deduces the properties of other related things based on known attributes of certain things. Deduction is a form of analogy in ancient China, including parallel deduction and inclusive deduction.
Parallel Deduction:Compared to analogical thinking, this involves a change in quantity without altering the nature of the movement of thought. Parallel deduction is usually an extension of a certain law or model, where there is no inclusion relationship between the law or model and the new deduction object. For example, in the case of Wood, it is known that the liver belongs to Wood, and since the liver is associated with the gallbladder, governs tendons, and opens to the eyes, the gallbladder and tendons also belong to Wood. The five emotions of anger, the five sounds of shouting, the five seasons of spring, the five directions of east, the five Qi of wind, the five transformations of life, the five colors of green, the five tastes of sour, the five times of dawn, and the five sounds of the horn, etc., also belong to Wood. Based on the characteristics of Wood, the liver is the center, deducing to the gallbladder, eyes, tendons, anger, shouting, and grasping; in nature, spring is the center, deducing to east, wind, life, green, sour, dawn, and horn, etc. There is no inclusion relationship between the liver and gallbladder, eyes, tendons, anger, shouting, and grasping, nor between spring and east, wind, life, green, sour, dawn, and horn; it is merely an increase in quantity based on the liver of the five internal organs and spring of the five seasons, and the other four elements are similar.
Inclusive Deduction:Inclusive deduction can be further divided into abstract model deduction and categorical proposition deduction. The Five Elements theory explains the five organ systems centered around the liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney according to the laws of generation and restriction among the Five Elements, as well as the unity between the human body and various elements of the natural environment, which is a specific application of the Five Elements structural model deduction. Categorical proposition deduction belongs to the syllogistic reasoning of ancient China. The syllogism in ancient China is an “incomplete and non-standard” form of reasoning, lacking the significance of types or paradigms.
In summary, the Five Elements theory, guided by the principle of the correspondence between heaven and humanity, centers on the Five Elements, using the spatial structure of the five directions, the temporal structure of the five seasons, and the structural framework of the five internal organs to categorize various phenomena in nature and the physiological and pathological phenomena of the human body according to their properties. Thus, anything with generative or soft characteristics belongs to Wood; anything with Yang heat or ascending characteristics belongs to Fire; anything with nurturing or transformative characteristics belongs to Earth; anything with tranquility or suppressive characteristics belongs to Metal; and anything with cold, moistening, descending, or concealing characteristics belongs to Water, thereby linking the life activities of the human body with the phenomena of the natural world, forming a Five Elements structural system that connects the internal and external environments of the human body.
★2.The Basic Content of the Five Elements Theory★
The basic content of the Five Elements theory includes the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements, transformation and counteraction, multiplication and humiliation, and the mutual influence of mother and child.
(1) Mutual Generation and Restriction
The mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements refer to the dynamic and orderly relationships of mutual support and mutual restraint among the Five Elements.
1Mutual Generation Law
Mutual generation means to support, promote, and assist each other. The relationship of mutual nourishment and promotion among the Five Elements is called mutual generation.
The order of mutual generation is: Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood.
In the mutual generation relationship, any element has both “generating me” and “I generate” aspects. The “Nanjing” compares this to the relationship between “mother” and “child”. The one that generates is the “mother”, and the one that is generated is the “child”. Therefore, the mutual generation relationship among the Five Elements is also called the “mother-child relationship”. For example, in the case of Fire, the one that generates “me” is Wood, which can generate Fire, thus Wood is the mother of Fire; the one that is generated “me” is Earth, which Fire can generate, thus Earth is the child of Fire. The same reasoning applies to the others.
2Mutual Restriction Law
Mutual restriction means mutual restraint, suppression, and inhibition. The relationship of mutual restraint among the Five Elements is called mutual restriction.
The order of mutual restriction is: Wood restrains Earth, Earth restrains Water, Water restrains Fire, Fire restrains Metal, Metal restrains Wood. This restraining relationship is also endless. Wood, when restrained by Metal, does not scatter; Water, when restrained by Fire, does not blaze; Earth, when loosened by Wood, does not become wet; Metal, when warmed by Fire, does not gather; Water, when penetrated by Earth, does not moisten. All are the marvelous uses of Qi transformation in nature.
In the mutual restriction relationship, any element has both “restraining me” and “I restrain” aspects. The “Huangdi Neijing” refers to this as the relationship of “what is overcome” and “what is not overcome”. The one that restrains is the “what is not overcome”. Therefore, the mutual restriction relationship among the Five Elements is also called the relationship of “what is overcome” and “what is not overcome”. For example, in the case of Earth, the one that restrains “me” is Wood, thus Wood is the “what is not overcome” of Earth. The one that is restrained “me” is Water, thus Water is the “what is overcome” of Earth. The same reasoning applies to the others.
In the aforementioned generation and restriction relationships, any element has both “generating me” and “I generate”, as well as “restraining me” and “I restrain” aspects. For example, in the case of Wood, the one that generates “me” is Water, the one that I generate is Fire; the one that restrains “me” is Metal, and the one that I restrain is Earth.
(2) Transformation and Counteraction
The transformation and counteraction of the Five Elements refer to the self-regulating mechanisms within the Five Elements system.
1Transformation Law
The transformation of the Five Elements refers to the mutual support and mutual restraint among the Five Elements, maintaining balance and coordination, and promoting stable and orderly changes and developments among things.
The relationship of transformation among the Five Elements is a combination of the generation and restriction relationships. When one element is excessive, there must be a corresponding restraint to prevent harm from excess. Generation and restriction are inseparable aspects. Without generation, there can be no occurrence and growth of things; without restriction, normal changes and developments cannot be maintained. Therefore, there must be generation within restriction (transformation within restraint) and restriction within generation (restraint within transformation), opposites complementing each other, to maintain and promote relative balance and coordination among things. This relationship of generation within restriction, and restriction within generation, mutual generation and transformation, and mutual restraint among the Five Elements is called transformation.
The law of generation and restriction is a normal phenomenon in the development and changes of all things, and in the human body, it represents a normal physiological state. In this relationship of opposites complementing each other, it can also be seen that the coordination and balance among the Five Elements are relative. Because the processes of generation and restriction are also the processes of growth and development of things. In this process, there will inevitably be situations of excess and deficiency. The emergence of such situations is itself a further adjustment of generation and restriction. Thus, a new cycle of coordination and balance emerges, where balance is sought amidst imbalance, and once balance is achieved, it is immediately replaced by a new imbalance, continuously driving the changes and developments of things. The Five Elements theory uses this principle to explain the normal changes in climate and ecological balance in nature, as well as the physiological activities of the human body.
2Counteraction Law
The counteraction of the Five Elements refers to the phenomenon where one element is excessive (i.e., the victorious Qi), leading to a retaliatory restraint from the element that it does not overcome (i.e., the counteracting Qi), thus restoring coordination and stability among the Five Elements.
The Five Elements theory refers to the excessive restraint of the “what is overcome” due to excess or deficiency as “victorious Qi”, and this victorious Qi will inevitably provoke a corresponding opposing force (retaliatory Qi) that suppresses it. This retaliatory Qi is called “counteracting Qi”, collectively referred to as “victorious and counteracting Qi”. “Where there is victorious Qi, there must be a counteraction” (“Suwen: Treatise on the True Essentials”). This is the self-regulating mechanism of the Five Elements structural system as a whole, aimed at restoring normal transformation and regulatory states. For example, if Wood Qi is excessive, as victorious Qi, it excessively restrains Earth Qi, leading to Earth Qi deficiency. If Earth Qi is deficient, it cannot restrain Water Qi, leading to Water Qi excess, which in turn weakens Fire Qi’s ability to restrain Metal Qi, resulting in Metal Qi becoming strong enough to suppress the excessive Wood Qi, restoring it to normal. Conversely, if Wood Qi is insufficient, it will be excessively restrained by Metal, and since Wood cannot restrain Earth, it will lead to Earth Qi excess, which will further suppress Water Qi, leading to Water Qi deficiency, which in turn cannot restrain Fire Qi, resulting in Fire Qi excess, which will weaken Metal Qi’s ability to restrain Wood, thus allowing the insufficient Wood Qi to return to balance, maintaining its normal regulatory state. Therefore, “Suwen: Treatise on the Heavenly Origin” states: “Forms have their rise and fall, which refers to the governance of the Five Elements, each having its excess and deficiency. Therefore, at the beginning, there is excess, and then deficiency follows; when there is deficiency, excess follows.”
The regulation law of counteraction is: first there is victory, then there must be counteraction to repay the victory. If “victorious Qi” is heavy, then “counteracting Qi” is also heavy; if “victorious Qi” is light, then “counteracting Qi” is also light. The amount of excess in any element will lead to a corresponding deficiency; the amount of deficiency will lead to a corresponding excess. Since the Five Elements are odd in number, for any element, there will be “victorious Qi” and “counteracting Qi”, and they will be equal in quantity. Thus, it is said: “Where there is excess, there will be counteraction; where there is no victory, there will be none” (“Suwen: Treatise on the True Essentials”), “The subtle will counter the subtle, and the excessive will counter the excessive” (“Suwen: Treatise on the Five Constant Regulations”). This is the law of movement of the Five Elements. Through the counteraction regulation mechanism, the overall Five Elements structural system can adjust itself in the presence of significant local imbalances, maintaining its overall relative balance.
(3) Mutual Multiplication and Humiliation1Multiplication Law
Multiplication refers to the act of invading through weakness. Mutual multiplication means excessive restriction beyond the normal level, causing a loss of normal coordination among things. The order of mutual multiplication among the Five Elements is the same as that of mutual restriction: Wood multiplies Earth, Earth multiplies Water, Water multiplies Fire, Fire multiplies Metal, Metal multiplies Wood.
Mutual multiplication phenomena can be divided into two aspects. First, if any element is insufficient (weak), the element that originally restrains it will invade through its weakness (multiply), making it even more insufficient. For example, in the case of Wood restraining Earth, under normal circumstances, Wood restrains Earth, maintaining a relative balance. However, if Earth is insufficient, the original balance is lost, and Wood will multiply and invade Earth. This kind of restriction exceeds the normal restraining relationship, making Earth even weaker. Second, if any element is excessively strong while the element it restrains is at a normal level, the original restraining relationship will also be disrupted, leading to excessive restriction. For example, if Wood is excessively strong, it will disrupt the normal restraining relationship with Earth, leading to the phenomenon of Wood excessively restraining Earth.
Mutual restriction and mutual multiplication are different; the former is a normal restraining relationship, while the latter is an abnormal phenomenon of excessive restriction. In the human body, the former represents physiological phenomena, while the latter represents pathological manifestations. However, modern people often confuse mutual restriction with abnormal multiplication, referring to pathological Wood multiplying Earth as Wood restraining Earth.
2Humiliation Law
Humiliation refers to bullying, meaning to oppress the weak. Mutual humiliation means that any element is excessive, causing the element that originally restrains it not only to fail to restrain it but also to be restrained by it, which is called counter-restriction. The order of mutual humiliation is: Wood humiliates Metal, Metal humiliates Fire, Fire humiliates Water, Water humiliates Earth, Earth humiliates Wood.
Mutual humiliation phenomena also manifest in two aspects. For example, when Wood is excessively strong, Metal, which originally restrains Wood, cannot restrain it and is instead restrained by Wood, leading to damage to Metal, which is called Wood countering Metal. Conversely, when Wood is excessively weak, Metal can invade Wood, and Earth can also invade Wood due to its weakness, which is habitually referred to as Earth oppressing Wood.
Both mutual multiplication and humiliation are abnormal manifestations that disrupt relative coordination and unity. Both multiplication and humiliation rely on excess to invade or bully.“Multiplication” refers to the excess of mutual restriction harming the restrained party, meaning one element excessively restrains its “what is overcome”. “Humiliation” refers to the restrained party having excess and countering its restrainer, meaning one element counteracts its “what is not overcome”. For ease of understanding, we will analyze multiplication and humiliation separately. In reality, mutual multiplication and humiliation are closely related, representing two aspects of the same issue. Now, we will analyze both together. For example, if Wood is excessive and Metal cannot restrain Wood, then Wood excessively restrains its “what is overcome” (Earth), which is called “multiplication”. At the same time, Wood also uses its strength to counter its “what is not overcome” (Metal), which is called “humiliation”. Conversely, if Wood is insufficient, not only will Metal invade Wood, but the “what is overcome” (Earth) will also invade its weakness and humiliate it. Therefore, it is said: “When Qi is excessive, it will restrain its ‘what is overcome’ and humiliate its ‘what is not overcome’; when it is insufficient, its ‘what is not overcome’ will humiliate and invade it, and its ‘what is overcome’ will be lightly humiliated.” (“Suwen: Treatise on the Five Elements”)
(4) Mutual Influence of Mother and Child
The mutual influence of mother and child in the Five Elements includes two situations: the illness of the mother affecting the child and the illness of the child affecting the mother, both of which belong to abnormal changes in the mutual generation relationship among the Five Elements.
1Mother Illness Affecting Child
This refers to an abnormality in one element of the Five Elements, which affects its child element, leading to abnormalities in both the mother and child elements. The general law of mother illness affecting child is: when the mother element is weak, it causes the child element to also be deficient, ultimately leading to abnormalities in both the mother and child elements.
2Child Illness Affecting Mother
This refers to an abnormality in one element of the Five Elements, which affects its mother element, ultimately leading to abnormalities in both the child and mother elements. There are three general laws for child illness affecting mother: first, when the child element is excessive, it causes the mother element to also be excessive, resulting in both the child and mother being excessive, generally referred to as “child illness affecting mother”; second, when the child element is weak, it burdens the mother element, causing the mother element to also be deficient, ultimately leading to both the child and mother being deficient; third, when the child element is excessive, it damages the mother element, leading to the mother being weak, generally referred to as “child stealing mother Qi”.
In summary, the Five Elements structural system has two regulatory mechanisms: one is the normal generation and restriction regulatory mechanism, and the other is the abnormal counteraction regulatory mechanism. Through these two regulatory mechanisms, the dynamic balance and cyclical movement of the Five Elements structural system are formed and ensured.
★Copyright Statement
This article is excerpted from the “Community TCM Culture Promotion Series: Community TCM Practitioner Diagnosis and Treatment Manual” (published by China Traditional Chinese Medicine Press, edited by Chen Guozi). The final interpretation rights belong to the original author. Recommended for publication by Yue Du TCM (WeChat ID ydzhongyi). Cover image sourced from the internet. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. For content collaboration, please leave a message in the background. (Original submissions are welcome!)
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New Media Editor: Wang Dan
