lines 33-40
Consider: The one gave rise to two, yin and yang, whence arose three:
heaven, earth and man; the heavens and earth and man give rise to four
(the seasons and directions) and the four give rise to five
(locations); the actions of the earlier numbers give rise to the
latter. Once we have arrived at five, things become quite complex.
There are five elements which are present to a greater or less extent
in various proportions in all physical things. Ultimately, it is the
actions of yin and yang that give rise to the five elements, and the
elements in turn correspond to the five preeminent virtues. Each is
mutable and each needs be understood not only on its own but in
relation to its mutability.
The five elements are water, fire, wood, metal, and soil. Each of the
elements has its own characteristics as well as characteristic
relationships with and actions on the other elements. One who
is educated understands this well.
All things numbered by five are interrelated, so to each element, there
corresponds a location. Soil corresponds to the center, for it is to
soil that the others pertain. None of the others can exist except in
relation to soil. Fire corresponds to the northerly location, fire to
the south, wood to the east, and metal to the west.
Each of the elements has its own characteristics, many of which you can
observe in daily life. For instance, it is characteristic of fire that
it tends upward; you have seen this when smoke rises from a cooking
fire. Water, on the other hand, has a downward tendency; you have seen
the gullies washed into the fields after a big rain; you have
seen water run down into the soil to give life to plants.
Metal has a tendency to improve things, look at all the metal tools
there are in the households here. Soil tends to provide sustenance; it
is nurturing. Wood provides shelter.
In addition, each element also has it own interactions with the other
elements. As I have just said, water engenders wood, and from wood we
get fire. From fire we get ashes, which are a part of the soil, and
from the soil we get metal. And you have seen on cold mornings that
water forms on metal left outside and the cycle is complete. Every
element is necessary to the others and is implicit in it. There is much
to learn from considering this.
If we look at the elements in a different way we see other
relationships among the elements, many of which you have seen in our
day-to-day life. Water kills fire, for instance, and fire kills metal;
you have seen the blacksmith working with iron, the fire makes the iron
soft so that it can be formed. Metal kills wood; metal axes cut down
trees. Wood kills soil; you have seen how other plans cannot grow where
big trees grow. And, again as I said before, soil kills water.
Everything in life is in constant change; there is much to study, much
to learn when you consider this; it is part of becoming wise.
Indeed:
33. We speak
of water, fire, wood,
metal, and soil, . . .
34. .
. . these five elements have their origin in number.
Consider: Even as the five elements are the essential components of the
natural world, there are five virtues which are the essential
components of the characters of good people. They are
benevolence, duty, propriety, wisdom, and being true to one's
self. By benevolence we mean those characteristics that can
be seen as morally good - love and feeling for others. Duty includes
those traits that make men strong in character and good in war.
Propriety indicates properness in conduct in all aspects. Wisdom
includes the ability to think quickly and to apply what you know
quickly and correctly. Being true to one's self requires being honest,
tolerant and sincere in all ways.
The five virtues are associated with locations and elements as well, as
they must
be as they number five: benevolence corresponds to north and to water;
duty to east and wood; propriety to south and fire; wisdom to west and
metal; and being true corresponds to the center and to soil,
it being that virtue relative to which the others are set out.
Consider these facts and relations well; they are essential.
Indeed:
35. We speak
of five things,
benevolence, duty, propriety, wisdom and being true.
36. These five
virtues must not be
compromised.
Consider: We now talk about some basic things about life that you
should know, things that will help you understand our lives here. They
number six.
First we consider the grains: rice we eat every day, and you know
already that there are many different kinds and qualities of rice. The
same is true of beans, we eat them often and there many different
kinds. There is also wheat, which we eat mainly in bread and pastries.
In addition, in China three additional kinds of grain are
eaten: millet, fine millet, and broomcorn millet.
Indeed:
37. Rice, fine millet,
beans, wheat,
broomcorn millet, and millet . . .
38. . . . these six grains
are the
ones people eat.
Consider: Animals are also important parts of people's lives.
Even as our lives depend on the six kinds of grain, they also depend on
six kinds of animals. Three of them you see in the village everyday,
dogs, pigs, and chickens. The pigs and chickens eat scraps and
leftovers and we in turn eat them. Dogs protect us and
provide company.
In other places they raise sheep, which are very useful animals as they
have coats that can be made into fine, warm cloth. They also can be
eaten. They also have oxen and horses which are valuable for the work
they can do for people as they are capable of moving the heaviest of
loads. Horses can travel quickly and oxen have plowed fields for
thousands of years.
When you think of the world in which we live, you must be aware of
these crucial animals, and you must know that if they are to of the
most use, they must be taken care of properly.
Indeed:
39. Horse, ox, sheep,
chicken, dog,
pig, . . .
40.
. . . these six animals are the ones people raise.