Categorization of things according to the properties of the five elements (Part 1)
Since wood, fire, earth, metal and water are five categories of the main objects in the natural world, possess specific properties and depend on each other to exist, people in ancient China divided and explained the properties of things according to the characteristics of the five elements.
As to the characteristics of the five elements, the early understanding concentrated on the primary properties of wood, fire, earth, metal and water in the natural world, such as:-
"water moistens and flows downward" (水主润下)
"fire flames up" (火主炎上)
"wood can be flexed and extended" (木主曲直)
"metal can be changed in form" (金主从革) and
"earth can grow crops" (土主稼穑)
In order to explain the properties of more things,, people abstracted the properties of the five elements for extensive application and extended their implications.
For example,
- the properties of flexing and extending, growth and development as well as free activity all pertain to the category of wood;
- warmth, heat, ascending and brightness all pertain to the category of fire;
(NOTE : Fire DM with strong fire are normally warmth)
- reception, cultivation and transformation all pertain to the category of earth;
- change, depuration and astringency all pertain to the category of metal;
(NOTE : This explains why industrial revolution originated from Western countries)
- moistening, downward movement, cold and coolness as well as closure and storage all pertain to the category of water.
In the light of the basic properties of the five elements, analogy and induction can be used to categorize things in order to decide the properties of different things.
The first step is to compare the image, properties and functions of things with the abstracted properties of the five elements respectively. If it is similar to the properties of one element, then it pertains to the category of that element.
(NOTE : The skills of analysing bazi depends on how competent we are in relating it to abstracted properties of 5 elements)
For example,
- the sun rises in the east according to the geographical location of China. In this case the east is similar to wood in properties, so it pertains to wood.
- The south is hot and similar to fire in properties. So the south pertains to fire.
- The west is mountainous with high terrain and cold climate, similar to the properties of metal. That is why the west pertains to metal.
- The north is cold and snowy with deeply latent terrestrial qi, similar to the properties of water. Thus the north pertains to water.
- The central region of China is mild in climate and rich in crops, similar to the properties of earth. Therefore the central region pertains to earth.
Birth, life, and death -- each took place on the hidden side of a leaf.
- Toni Morrison
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