Library

The *I Ching* (Book of Changes) states: "The Way of Heaven descends to nourish and thereby shines brightly; the Way of Earth, though humble, ascends." Thus, through the ascending and descending movements, Qi (vital energy) achieves harmony. In ancient times, when formulating prescriptions and administering herbs, practitioners strictly adhered to the principles of ascending, descending, floating, and sinking, without being constrained by the superficial manifestations of cold, heat, tonification, or purgation. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, only Li Dongyuan (Li Gao) has exemplified this approach. Generally, the Qi of the four seasons ascends in spring, floats in summer, descends in autumn, and sinks in winter. The Qi of the human body follows this pattern without exception. However, while ascending, descending, floating, and sinking refer to the movement of Qi, the determinant of why Qi moves in these ways is the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner, primarily referring to the Spleen and Stomach), which serves as the pivot of the body, analogous to the celestial axis.

Today, people often damage their Middle Qi due to irregular eating habits, overwork, and physical exertion. Consequently, Qi that should ascend fails to do so, and Qi that should descend fails to do so, leading to symptoms such as fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, and abdominal distension or blockage. The heat caused by internal injury cannot be cleared with cold-natured herbs; the bloating caused by Qi sinking cannot be removed with purgative methods. Only when Yin and Yang are unblocked will cold and heat resolve naturally; only when the upper and lower Jiao communicate will the obstruction dissipate. This is why Li Dongyuan’s learning is able to grasp the fundamental principles of treatment! Li Pinhu stated: "One should follow the tendencies of ascending, descending, floating, and sinking, but counteract the tendencies of cold, heat, warmth, and coolness." Therefore, in spring, acrid-warm herbs are suitable; in summer, acrid-hot herbs are suitable; during the late summer season, sweet-bitter-acrid-warm herbs are suitable; in autumn, sour-warm herbs are suitable; and in winter, bitter-cold herbs are suitable. I believe that "following ascending, descending, floating, and sinking" is done to align with the Qi of the seasons, while "counteracting cold, heat, warmth, and coolness" is done to correct deviations in physiological transformation. The use of acrid, sweet, sour, and bitter properties by Mr. Li illustrates this point. As for the notion that spring requires warmth, summer requires heat, and winter requires cold, this merely assists the seasonal Qi rather than counteracting it.

A guest remarked: "The theory of the generation and restriction among the Five Elements is not the words of the sages, but a fabrication by Daoist alchemists during the Qin and Han dynasties." I asked: "On what basis do you say this?" He replied: "The *I Ching* discusses the Eight Trigrams but does not mention the Five Elements; the *Hong Fan* (Great Plan) discusses the Five Elements but does not mention generation and restriction. Therefore, I know this claim lacks evidence." I said: "Have you not examined the He Tu (River Chart) and Luo Shu (Luo Writing)? In the He Tu numbers: One and Six reside below, belonging to Water; Two and Seven reside above, belonging to Fire; Three and Eight reside on the left, belonging to Wood; Four and Nine reside on the right, belonging to Metal; Five and Ten reside in the center, belonging to Earth. In the Luo Shu numbers: Nine crowns the top, One treads the bottom. One is the generating number of Water; to the right of One is Seven, which is the completing number of Fire; to the right of Seven is Nine, which is the completing number of Metal; to the right of Nine is Three, which is the completing number of Wood; Five resides in the center, which is the completing number of Earth. The He Tu rotates counter-clockwise to the left, following the order of generation; the Luo Shu rotates clockwise to the right, following the order of restriction. Restriction proceeds in the direction of順 (smoothness/order), while generation proceeds in the direction of 逆 (reverse/unconventional); this is the subtlety of creation. Moreover, although the He Tu rotates leftward in generation, its opposing positions restrict each other; although the Luo Shu rotates rightward in restriction, its opposing positions generate each other. Thus, the seed of life is always embedded within decline, and vital energy is often hidden within full growth. If there were generation without restriction, there would be advancement without retreat, causing Qi to exhaust easily; if there were restriction without generation, the declining would not regenerate, and the mechanism of life would reach a dead end. Generation and restriction are the natural laws of Heaven and Earth, nothing is more appropriate or inevitable than this. Why do you doubt it?

The guest said: "The He Tu and Luo Shu may not have existed in ancient times; they might also be fabrications by Qin and Han scholars used to mystify their theories!" I replied: "Does not the *I Ching* say, 'The River produced the Chart, and the Luo produced the Writing. The Sages modeled themselves upon them'? Why are you so negligent in your observation? Furthermore, the generation and restriction of the Five Elements are the numbers of Heaven and Earth; the He Tu and Luo Shu are also the numbers of Heaven and Earth. Before the appearance of the Charts and Writings, the numbers of Heaven and Earth were already clearly complete; even if the Charts and Writings had never appeared until today, their symbolic representations would still be clearly complete. The Charts and Writings can be forged, but the numbers of Heaven and Earth cannot be fabricated. The summer heat originates from the spring warmth; the winter cold begins with the autumn coolness; this is the silent operation of Qi. When Yang Qi turns, the soil becomes active; when the weather becomes austere, the seawater swells westward; when the bright sun rises, frost and dew vanish immediately; when the cool wind arrives, all trees wither and fall. These are obvious manifestations. What is there to doubt about the Charts?

The guest asked: "Water is born from Heaven, is it not? Does it not come from Metal? Fangzhu (a device for collecting dew) collects water, and the Moon is the mother of water; is the Moon also born from Metal? Water generates Wood, yet we have never seen trees growing in rivers and lakes! Water assists Earth to generate Wood; can it solely return to Water?" I answered: "Heaven is the substance of Qian (Heaven); the Moon is the essence of Metal; Kun (Earth) provides nourishment for all things. Can any of the Five Elements survive without Earth? Is Wood the only exception!

The guest argued: "Fire emerges from rocks in Mount Dai; smoke rises from wells in Han; this indicates Earth generates Fire. The sea appears dark and murky, waves burn like fire; this indicates Water generates Fire. Intense heat dries up water; this indicates Fire restricts Water. Water floods and destroys earth; this indicates Water restricts Earth. A dense stove fire spreads across the plains; Fire also restricts Wood. Hoes and spades till the fields; Metal also restricts Earth. Are not the principles of generation and restriction chaotic and disordered?" I replied: "In the He Tu and Luo Shu, Water is above, Fire is below, Wood is East, Metal is West; the positions of Heaven and Earth are Front South, Back North, Left East, Right West. Their order is distinct and cannot be confused. Since their order is distinct and immutable, their generation and restriction also rotate in sequence and cannot be confused. If there is fire in deep wells or springs on high plateaus, this is merely the subtle interaction of two Qi types! If fire burns and dries water, or water floods and destroys earth, these are normal phenomena of prosperity, decline, victory, and recovery. Therefore, it is acceptable to explore the variations of the Five Elements, but it is incorrect to equate these specific extreme events with the entirety of Five Elements theory. Moreover, what is meant by 'restriction' is merely controlling excess to restore balance, not extermination or extinction. It involves suppressing excessive floating and returning to the root, serving as a兆 (omen/sign) for new growth. Although termed restriction, it is actually mutual completion. If we consider Metal chopping, Earth burying, Fire burning, and Water flooding as immediate destruction, how can we discuss the subtleties of creative generation?!"