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Scriptural Principles
Below the Ministerial Fire (Xianghuo), there is Kidney Water Qi to restrain it; below the position of Water, there is Spleen Earth Qi to restrain it; below the position of Earth, there is Liver Wood Wind Qi to restrain it; below the position of Wind (Wood), there is Lung Metal Qi to restrain it; below the position of Metal, there is Heart Fire Qi to restrain it; below the Sovereign Fire (Junhuo), there is Kidney Yin Essence to restrain it. When a certain element becomes excessive, it causes harm; only when there is a restraining force following can balance be maintained. ○ The Five Zang organs receive pathogenic qi from the organ that generates them, then transmit it to the organ they control (overact upon); the pathogenic qi stays in the organ that generates them, and death occurs when it reaches the organ that controls them. When the disease progresses to imminent death, the pathogenic qi must first transmit, moving to the organ that controls it, at which point the patient dies. For example: Liver disease receives qi from the Heart (Heart is the Son of Liver), transmits to the Spleen (Spleen is what Liver controls), the qi stays in the Kidney (Kidney is the Mother of Liver), and death occurs at the Lung (Lung is what Liver cannot overcome/control); Heart disease receives qi from the Spleen, transmits to the Lung, the qi stays in the Liver, and death occurs at the Kidney; Spleen disease receives qi from the Lung, transmits to the Kidney, the qi stays in the Heart, and death occurs at the Liver; Lung disease receives qi from the Kidney, transmits to the Liver, the qi stays in the Spleen, and death occurs at the Heart; Kidney disease receives qi from the Liver, transmits to the Heart, the qi stays in the Lung, and death occurs at the Spleen. ○ Wood is felled by Metal, Fire is extinguished by Water, Earth is dredged by Wood, Metal is deficiented by Fire, and Water is cut off by Earth. (From *Suwen*)

The *Classic* states: East is Excess (Liver Wood Excess), West is Deficiency (Lung Metal Deficiency). One should drain the South (Heart Fire) and tonify the North (Kidney Water). What does this mean? The answer is: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth should mutually balance each other. The East belongs to Wood, the West to Metal. If Wood qi desires to be substantial, Metal should level it; if Fire qi desires to be substantial, Water should level it; if Earth qi desires to be substantial, Wood should level it; if Metal qi desires to be substantial, Fire should level it; if Water qi desires to be substantial, Earth should level it. The East corresponds to the Liver, so we know it is Liver Excess. The West corresponds to the Lung, so we know it is Lung Deficiency. Treatment involves draining the Southern Heart Fire and tonifying the Northern Kidney Water. Because Fire is the Son of Wood, and Water is the Mother of Wood. Water overcomes Fire. According to the principle "the Son can make the Mother substantial, and the Mother can make the Son empty," by draining Fire and tonifying Water, the aim is to prevent Metal from leveling Wood (thereby protecting Liver Wood and indirectly supporting Lung Metal, as Metal is originally deficient and would be further weakened if attacked by Wood; thus, preventing Metal from controlling Wood restores balance). ○ The *Classic* states: Seven transmissions lead to death, intervening organs lead to life. What does this mean? The answer is: Seven transmissions refer to transmission to the organ one controls (mutual overcoming transmission). Intervening organs refer to transmission to the organ one generates (mutual generating transmission). Why say this? Suppose Heart disease transmits to the Lung (Fire overcomes Metal), Lung to the Liver (Metal overcomes Wood), Liver to the Spleen (Wood overcomes Earth), Spleen to the Kidney (Earth overcomes Water), and Kidney to the Heart (Water overcomes Fire). Each organ is injured only once, hence called seven transmissions, indicating death. Intervening organs involve transmission to the organ one generates. Suppose Heart disease transmits to the Spleen (Fire generates Earth), Spleen to the Lung (Earth generates Metal), Lung to the Kidney (Metal generates Water), Kidney to the Liver (Water generates Wood), and Liver to the Heart (Wood generates Fire). Mother and Son transmit in turn, cycling endlessly like a ring without end, hence indicating life. (From *Nanjing*)

Philosophical Sayings
The reason Five Elements harm each other is that the many overcome the few, hence Water overcomes Fire; the refined overcomes the solid, hence Fire overcomes Metal; the rigid overcomes the flexible, hence Metal overcomes Wood; the concentrated overcomes the scattered, hence Wood overcomes Earth; the substantial overcomes the empty, hence Earth overcomes Water. (From *Baihu Tong*)

Generation contains restriction, restriction contains generation. Generation is not complete generation, restriction is not complete restriction. Generation fears restriction, so it dares not generate freely; restriction fears generation, so it dares not restrict freely. (From *Shishi Milu*)

Wherever there is overcoming, there is necessarily defeat. Wherever there is defeat, there is necessarily recovery (retribution/restraint). When the Mother element is defeated, the Son element will surely rescue it. For example: If Water qi is excessive, Fire is injured; the Son of Fire, Earth, comes out to restrain Water; if Fire qi is excessive, Metal is injured; the Son of Metal, Water, comes out to restrain Fire; if Metal qi is excessive, Wood is injured; the Son of Wood, Fire, comes out to restrain Metal; if Wood qi is excessive, Earth is injured; the Son of Earth, Metal, comes out to restrain Wood; if Earth qi is excessive, Water is injured; the Son of Water, Wood, comes out to restrain Wood. Essentially, the mechanism of creation cannot lack generation, nor can it lack restraint. Without generation, there is no way for development; without restraint, excess leads to harm. People know that generation is generation, but do not know that generation contains restriction; they know that restriction is restriction, but do not know that restriction has utility. They know the five elements superficially, but do not know that within the five, there are twenty-five interactions, and further, the subtlety of mutual containment. So-called generation containing restriction: e.g., Wood generates Fire, but if Fire is too strong, Wood turns to ash; Fire generates Earth, but if Earth is too strong, Fire is extinguished; Earth generates Metal, but if Metal is too strong, Earth cannot produce; Metal generates Water, but if Water is too strong, Metal sinks; Water generates Wood, but if Wood is too strong, Water stagnates. This is why so-called generation actually involves some mutual destruction. So-called utility in restriction: e.g., blazing Fire is cooled by Water to achieve the state of Ji Ji (successful interaction); stubborn Metal is tempered by Fire to become a useful tool; flexible Wood is pruned by Metal to become timber; expansive Earth is cultivated by Wood to show productive transformation; flooding Water is contained by Earth to serve as a dike. This is why so-called restriction is actually mutual completion. So-called mutual containment within the five: e.g., moisture in Wood is Water within Wood; springs in Earth is Water within Earth; fluid in Metal is Water within Metal; melting power in Fire is Water within Fire. Drilling Wood produces Fire, striking Metal produces Fire, striking Stone produces Fire. Only Fire within Water is unknown to most. Oil produces fire, wine produces fire, heavy rain produces thunder, all are examples. Wood does not grow without Earth, Fire does not flourish without Earth, Metal does not generate without Earth, Water does not accumulate without Earth. Wood is born from Water, planted in Earth, flourishes with Fire, matures with Metal. Metal is produced in mountains and stones, born from various soils. Washed in river sand, hidden in water. Grass contains mercury, Wood contains wax, hidden in Wood. Scattered can knot, soft can become hard, transformed by Fire. From this, we see that the principles of Five Elements interact infinitely, but ultimately do not go beyond Yin and Yang. The function of Yin and Yang also does not depart from Water and Fire. (From *Leijing*)

Water generates Wood, but if Water floods, Wood floats; it must be restrained by Earth before Water can properly generate Wood. Wood generates Fire, but if Wood is too abundant, it self-immolates; it must be restrained by Metal before Wood can properly generate Fire. Fire generates Earth, but if Fire blazes, Earth dries; it must be restrained by Water before Fire can properly generate Earth. Earth generates Metal, but if Earth is heavy, Metal is buried; it must be restrained by Wood before Earth can properly generate Metal. Metal generates Water, but if Metal is cold, Water freezes; it must be restrained by Fire before Metal can properly generate Water. This is the way of generation, restriction, transformation, and regulation. ○ For wind injury, use Wenfei Tang (Warm Lung Decoction); this illustrates "below the position of Metal, Fire Qi restrains it" (warming Lung to assist Fire to counteract Metal cold). For Liver disease, use Baishao (White Peony Root); this illustrates "below the position of Wood, Metal Qi restrains it" (astringing Liver to prevent Metal from overcoming). For Spleen disease, use Chaihu (Bupleurum Root) and Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia Root); this illustrates "below the position of Earth, Wood Qi restrains it" (soothing Liver to prevent Wood from overcoming Earth). For Kidney disease, use Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome); this illustrates "below the position of Water, Earth Qi restrains it" (strengthening Spleen to control Water). For Heart disease, use Dihuang (Rehmannia Root); this illustrates "below the position of Fire, Water Qi restrains it" (nourishing Kidney Water to harmonize Heart Fire). Thus, without restriction, there is no generation; this applies to all five Zang organs. People only know that the one that restricts me is a thief pathogen, but do not know that the one that restricts me is a husband (spouse/restrainer). Just as a woman cannot give birth without a husband, the five Zang organs cannot generate and transform without restriction. Like Water generating Wood, but in rivers, lakes, and seas, we do not see Wood growing, because there is no Earth to restrain the Water. Thus, the principle of generation is known by all, but the meaning of restriction is unknown to the world. The *Classic* says: Restriction follows containment, and through restriction, generation and transformation occur. Those with ambition should savor this carefully. (Zhou Shenzhai)

Five Elements theory says Water generates Wood, but here it says Wood is born from Earth. Why? The answer is: All things have pre-heaven and post-heaven, root and branch. Water generating Wood is Pre-heaven Wood, the root of Wood; Earth generating Wood is Post-heaven Wood, the branch of Wood. (Xu Xuanzhi)

Formal Fire is overcome by Water; Formless Fire is generated by Water. However, when collecting water, one welcomes the moonlight, not the moon's shadow (Po). Why? Po is Yin, but borrows light from the Sun, thus becoming Yang. Water is not born from Water, but from Fire, which is clear. Therefore, earth steams and moistens, skin warms and sweats, brewing wine overflows, cooking pots become glossy, cinnabar and sulfur are contained in soup; these confirm that Water is born from Fire. (*Fengshi Jinnang*)

People all say Water overcomes Fire, but I alone say Water nourishes Fire; people all say Metal generates Water, but I alone say Water generates Metal; people all say Earth overcomes Water, but I alone tonify Earth within Water; people all say Wood overcomes Earth, but I alone raise Wood to cultivate Earth. ○ The world says Wood overcomes Earth and wants to fell it. I think Wood relies on Earth to grow; how could it reverse and overcome Earth? It is only when Wood is depressed below that its roots overcome Earth downward. Wood Qi is the Qi of continuous generation, starting in the East. Why not observe that rulers prioritize agriculture and first worship Mangshen (God of Agriculture)? Mangshen is Wood Qi, Spring ascending Qi, Yang Qi, Yuan Qi (Original Qi), Stomach Qi; they are the same origin with different names. I know planting trees: rain moistens them, wind disperses them, sun warms them, allowing them to fulfill their natural growth. When they develop for too long and vitality is exhausted, one should gather their vital Qi and return it to Earth and Water to serve as the root for next spring's generation. Where is the logic in felling them? Dongyuan's *Piwei Lun* uses Shengma and Chaihu to soothe Wood Qi, but fails to mention rain/wind nourishment and the principle of returning to the root. ○ In the beginning of chaos, there was only one Qi; where was Earth? Since Heaven generated One Water, the condensed part of Water became Earth. The firm parts are Stones, the hardest are Metals. Thus, Water, Earth, and Metal share a pre-heaven origin. Tonifying the Son to benefit the Mother: Lung is the Son of Spleen. Tonify the Son first, so the Son does not consume the Mother's Qi, keeping the Mother robust. This also shows the meaning of Metal generating Earth and the subtlety of transformation. ○ Earth and Metal parasitize on their Mother; thus, to tonify Earth and Metal, one tonifies the Mother from the parasitic site. This is called treating two steps away (Ge Er Zhi), following the Mother. Treating three steps away (Ge San Zhi) follows the Mother's maternal relatives. Earth and Metal only parasitize, so their death is true death. Water and Fire are truly born, so their death is not death. Vitality exists everywhere: drill wood for fire, strike stone for fire, round pearl for fire. Fangzhu collects water, dig ground for water, catch dew for water. If Metal dies, it cannot be saved; if Earth dies, it cannot be saved; if Wood dies, it cannot be saved. Among the Five Elements, I emphasize Water and Fire alone, and their subtle generation/restriction originates from the pre-heaven source, differing from worldly theories. (*Zhoushi Yiguan*)

Liver injuring Spleen is known by people. Liver damaging Kidney is unknown by people. Liver is Wood, Kidney is Water. Water generates Wood, so Kidney is the Mother of Liver. The Son steals the Mother's Qi to strengthen itself; when the Son is strong, the Mother is weak. For example, break a flower branch and insert it into a vase. If the branch is too lush, the water in the vase is sucked dry daily. Since the water in the vase is sourceless, how can it withstand the daily absorption by the Wood branch? Kidney Water is born from Lung Metal, so it is indeed not sourceless. However, Liver Wood overacts on Spleen, Spleen cannot accept food, so Earth is deficient and cannot generate Metal, making Lung Qi more deficient. Lung Metal is the Mother of Kidney Water. Since Lung is deficient, Metal cannot protect itself, let alone generate Water. If Metal does not generate Water, Kidney becomes sourceless Water. (Wu Tianshi)