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Chapter 28 of 35
周易参同契
Overall Paraphrase
Cinnabar (fire) and wood essence, these two can only unite as one with the cooperation of metal; metal and water combine and dwell together, while wood and fire serve as companions to each other. When these four are thoroughly blended and intermingled, indistinct from one another, they are enumerated as the Dragon and the Tiger — the Dragon belongs to yang, its number being odd; the Tiger belongs to yin, its number being even. The liver (green/wood) is the father, the lungs (white/metal) are the mother, the kidneys (black/water) are the child, the heart (li/red/fire) is the daughter, and the spleen (yellow/earth) is the ancestor, with zi (north/water) and wu (south/fire) as the starting point. These three categories of things return to one family, ultimately all converging upon wuji (central earth, symbolizing the central palace and true intention).
This passage is a classic formulation within inner alchemy that pairs the Five Phases with the Five Organs and yin-yang with the Dragon and Tiger. It speaks of how, in cultivation, one causes the dispersed qi of the Five Phases and the natures of yin and yang to return to unity, returning to the central palace.
The heart of this passage is "gathering the Five Phases" and "yin-yang returning to the center."
Cinnabar (fire), wood essence (wood), metal, and water — these four correspond respectively to fire, wood, metal, and water among the Five Phases. They are not each isolated but paired in twos: metal and water combine (metal generates water, both belonging to yin), and wood and fire are companions (wood generates fire, both belonging to yang). These two pairs then unite into one — this is "the chaos of the four elements." Chaos here does not mean disorder but rather a state of dissolving distinctions and becoming a seamless whole.
"Enumerated as the Dragon and Tiger" uses the Dragon (yang, odd) and the Tiger (yin, even) to symbolize this undifferentiated primordial qi. Dragon and Tiger standing together means yin and yang standing together; the union of Dragon and Tiger means the harmonization of yin and yang.
The latter half further pairs the Five Organs with the Five Phases and with family relations: the liver (green) is the father (wood), the lungs (white) are the mother (metal), the kidneys (black) are the child (water), the heart (li, red) is the daughter (fire), and the spleen (yellow) is the ancestor (earth). This is not discussing physiology but rather saying that the human body is a small universe — the qi of the Five Phases is inherently complete within the Five Organs. Father, mother, child, daughter, and ancestor — though there are five distinctions, in the end "the three things are one family, all returning to wuji" — wuji is the central earth, which in the Daoist path symbolizes true intention and the central palace, the pivotal point where all dispersed forces are reunited.
In one sentence: this passage speaks of "dispersed, they are the Five Phases; gathered, they return to the One" — the final resting point of all cultivation is returning to that impartial, unwavering "center."
In modern language, this passage is about systemic integration.
A person simultaneously carries within them different "energies" — some active, some still; some rushing outward, some drawing inward; some leaning rational, some leaning emotional. Daoist thought holds that these seemingly opposing forces actually share a single origin. Just as wood-fire and metal-water each go their own way, their source is one "chaos."
Modern people often find themselves in a state of "fragmentation": reason says you should work hard, emotion says you're too tired; one moment you want to charge ahead in your career, the next you long for quiet rest. This internal friction is precisely the state of the Five Phases not returning to the center, of Dragon and Tiger not uniting. The Daoist insight is: the goal is not to eliminate either side but to have them reacquaint themselves with each other — metal and water can coexist, wood and fire can be companions. The "movement" and "stillness" within you are not enemies; the key question is whether there is a "central palace" to govern both.
"Three things are one family, all returning to wuji" in today's terms means: gather your scattered attention, energy, and sense of identity from all corners of your life and bring them back to a single center. This center, Daoists call "wuji" — you might call it "the inner fixed star." 🌱
The phrase "the chaos of the four elements" carries profound meaning. Chaos is not disorder but the order that precedes all distinctions. We habitually believe that we understand the world through analysis, but Daoism suggests: there exists a state more fundamental than analysis, where metal, water, wood, and fire have not yet separated, where Dragon and Tiger have not yet become opposites. This "pre-differentiated" state is the true source of abundant primordial qi.
"Three things are one family, all returning to wuji" also reveals a doctrine of the Middle Way: not choosing one extreme, nor simply compromising between them, but returning to the "One" that generates both ends. This echoes the "attaining equilibrium and harmony" of the Doctrine of the Mean. The Daoist "center" is not a spatial midpoint but the unbiased, original state — it precedes left and right, precedes yin and yang. This mode of thinking is a profound reminder for those of us accustomed to either-or thinking today. ⛰
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This content is based on classical Daoist texts and is provided for traditional cultural study and life reference only. It does not constitute religious, medical, or investment advice.