In ancient Chinese philosophy, one can reflect on five phases or aspects. These are elements or entities represented in nature by metal, water, wood, fire and earth. They have a cycle, and are also associated with the cardinal directions, colors, seasons, musical tones and bodily organs.
These elementals occur in relationship to each other, in two aspects: creative and destructive. In the creative cycle, water gives rise to wood. Since wood burns easily, it gives rise to fire. Fire leaves ashes, which can be seen as representing earth. Metals are mined, so earth gives rise to metal. Metal melts into a liquid state when heated, so metal gives rise to water.
Without a corresponding destructive cycle, there would be unchecked growth in the creative cycle. Thus, in the destructive cycle, one entity exerts control, or suppresses and diminishes another.
Plants deplete earth by extracting its nutrients, and even rock will eventually break up when soft plants take root. In this way, wood destroys earth. A metal ax can split wood, thus metal destroys wood. Fire can melt metal, so fire destroys metal. Water can douse fire. Finally, the flow of water can be dammed by earth, so earth destroys water.
Creating and destroying, waxing and waning, this philosophical system brings equilibrium and invites reflection. In the following series of five posts, I offer some of my thoughts on each entity.
