The Development of the Theory of the Five Elements
In the earliest time, the five elements were called the "five materials," which the ancient Chinese considered the indispensable five kinds of basic materials for life and production. The ancients already had realized that these five materials had different, but important, functions for mankind's existence. For example, it is recorded in the Chapter Dazhuan of Shangshu, "The fire and water supply diet for the people; the metal and wood supply the conditions of work and rest for the people; the earth generates everything, which serves the people. " On this basis, the ancients realized further that these five kinds of materials are the original source of materials constituting everything in the world. Thus, the five elements are more than just the simple descriptions of wood, fire,etc. , but rather refer to the abstract conception of material properties, and thus are referred to as the "theory of the five elements. " It is pointed out in the Chapter Hong Fan of Shangshu, "By the five elements, one is water; one is fire; one is wood; one is metal; and the other is earth. Water is characterized by moisturizing downwards; fire is characterized by flaming upwards; wood is characterized by flex and extension; metal is characterized by reforming; and earth is characterized by nourishing crops. Moisturizing downward generates the salty; flaming upwards results in the bitter; flex and extension produces the sour; reforming results in the pungent; and crops produce the sweet. " This shows that not only are the above-mentioned elements associated with their corresponding properties, but that things demonstrating these properties are identified with the appropriate element. Furthermore, they are related to the five flavors, i.e. , sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty. The concept of the five elements refers not just to the movement of the specific materials themselves, but to the abstract philosophic conception representing the properties of five overriding categories of things. The principle of interrelationship of generation and restraint attempts to explain the connectivity of all things in the process of movement and change,thus expounding upon the mutual relationships among various things in their developmental processes.
