五行学说 Five Phase Theory

Question 1

Five Element Basic Qualities

Answer 1

Wood: can be bent and straightened
Fire: Flares upwards
Earth: Permits sowing, growing and reaping
Metal: Can be molded and can hardened
Water: Moistens downwards.

Question 2

Five Element Interpretations

Answer 2

Wood: solidity, workability
Fire: heat, combustion
Earth: nutrition
Metal: solidity, congelation, moldability
Water: liquidity, fluidity, solution

Question 3

Five Element Movement

Answer 3

Wood: expansion
Fire: upwards
Earth: center, stability
Metal: contraction
Water: downwards

Question 4

The Correspondences of the Five Elements: WOOD

Answer 4

Spring, East, Birth, Lesser Yang, 3, 8, Liver/GB, green, shouting, rancid/goatish/fetid, anger, sour, sinews, eyes, wind

Question 5

The Correspondences of the Five Elements: FIRE

Answer 5

summer, south, growth, utmost yang, 2, 7, heart, SI, red laughing, scorched/burnt, joy, bitter, blood vessels, tongue, heat

Question 6

The Correspondences of the Five Elements: EARTH

Answer 6

no season/end of each season; center, transformation, 5, 10, spleen, stomach, yellow, singing, fragrant/sweet, pensiveness, sweet, muscles, mouth and lips, dampness

Question 7

The Correspondences of the Five Elements: METAL

Answer 7

Autumn, west, harvest, lesser yin, 4, 9, lung, LI, white, weeping, rotten/rank/fish, sadness, pungent, skin, nose, dryness

Question 8

The Correspondences of the Five Elements: WATER

Answer 8

Winter, north, utmost yin, 1, 6, kidney, bladder, black, GROANING, putrid/rotten urine, fear, salty, bones, ears, cold

Question 9

Physiological Sequence 生克

Answer 9

生：木-火-土-金-水

克：火克金，金克木，木克土，土克水， 水克火

Question 10

Pathological Sequence 乘侮

Answer 10

Insulting: wood deficient fails to nourish fire and is insulted by earth. （sequence is 木侮金，金侮火， 火侮水，水侮土，土侮木 reverse of ke sequence)
Overacting: wood excessive overacts on earth and draws from water. ( same sequence as 克）

Question 11

Functions of Taste: Sour

Answer 11

Generates fluids and yin; Astringent and can control perspiration and diarrhea.
Side-effects; makes phlegm worse

Question 12

Functions of Taste: Bitter

Answer 12

clears heat, sedates and hardens, clears damp heat and it subdues rebellious Qi;
Side-effects: injures SP, Injures yin

Question 13

Functions of Taste: Sweet

Answer 13

tonifies, balances, and moderates. Is used to tonify feficiency and to stop pain.
Side-effects: creates damp

Question 14

Functions of Taste: Pungent

Answer 14

Scatters. Is used to expel pathogenic factors.

side effects: injures Yin

Question 15

Functions of Taste: Salty

Answer 15

flows downwards, softens hardness. is used to treat constipation and swelling.
side- effects: injures fluids

Question 16

Precautions of Tastes: Sour

Answer 16

goes to nerves, can upset liver, not good for chronic pain. goes to LV, if SP is diseased shouldn’t eat sour foods

Question 17

Precautions of Tastes: Bitter

Answer 17

goes to bones, avoid if bone disease; bitter goes to HT, if the LU is diseased shouldn’t eat bitter foods

Question 18

Precautions of Tastes: Sweet

Answer 18

goes to muscles, excess can cause weakness of muscles; sweet goes to SP, if the KD is diseased shouldn’t eat sweet foods

Question 19

Precautions of Tastes: Pungent

Answer 19

scatters Qi and should be avoided in Qi deficiency; goes to LU, if the LV is diseased one should not eat pungent foods

Question 20

Precautions of Tastes: Salty

Answer 20

dries the Blood, and should be avoided in blood deficiency; salty goes to KD, if the HT is diseased one shouldn’t eat salty foods.

Question 21

5 Element Musical Notes:

Answer 21

Fire: Zheng/ Sol
Earth: Gong/ Do
Metal: Sheng/ Re
Water: Yu/ La
Wood: Jiao/ Mi