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Chapter 14 of 39
Wu Xing Da Yi — Great Meaning of the Five Elements
Overall Paraphrased Translation
"Virtue" (De) means "to obtain" 🌱, referring to benefiting things, fulfilling wishes without regret, hence it is called Virtue. The Five Elements theory holds that possessing one Virtue can resolve a hundred disasters. Whenever the interaction of Yin and Yang encounters Virtue, it forms "blessed virtue" (Fude)—representing supportive power, universal auspiciousness, and the dissolution of calamities.
The system of Virtue is divided into four types, three of which are based on Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches relationships, and one on monthly energy changes:
1. Stem Virtue (Virtue of Heavenly Stems)
Jia’s Virtue is in Jia (itself), Yi’s Virtue is in Geng, Bing’s Virtue is in Bing, Ding’s Virtue is in Ren, Wu’s Virtue is in Wu, Ji’s Virtue is in Jia, Geng’s Virtue is in Geng, Xin’s Virtue is in Bing, Ren’s Virtue is in Ren, Gui’s Virtue is in Wu.
📌Rule: Yang Stems (Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren) uphold self-Virtue; Yin Stems (Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, Gui) pair with Yang Stems for Virtue, reflecting the "principle of following the husband."
2. Branch Virtue (Virtue of Earthly Branches)
Zi’s Virtue is in Si, Chou’s Virtue is in Wu, Yin’s Virtue is in Wei, Mao’s Virtue is in Shen, Chen’s Virtue is in You, Si’s Virtue is in Xu, Wu’s Virtue is in Hai, Wei’s Virtue is in Zi, Shen’s Virtue is in Chou, You’s Virtue is in Yin, Xu’s Virtue is in Mao, Hai’s Virtue is in Chen.
📌Principle: Earthly Branches determine Virtue positions through Five Elements husband-wife relationships (e.g., Zi Water takes Earth as husband; Si contains Earth, so Zi’s Virtue is in Si).
3. Branch-Stem Combined Virtue (Virtue of Combined Stems and Branches)
Zi’s Virtue is in Jia, Chou’s Virtue is in Xin, Yin’s Virtue is in Bing, Mao’s Virtue is in Ding, Chen’s Virtue is in Geng, Si’s Virtue is in Ji, Wu’s Virtue is in Wu, Wei’s Virtue is in Xin, Shen’s Virtue is in Ren, You’s Virtue is in Gui, Xu’s Virtue is in Geng, Hai’s Virtue is in Yi.
📌Logic: Based on the "child assisting mother" filial relationship principle (e.g., Zi Water nourishes Wood, so Zi’s Virtue is in Jia).
4. Monthly Energy Virtue (Opposite of Punishment)
🌗Virtue is Yang (Qian trigram attribute), Punishment is Yin (Kun trigram attribute). The waxing and waning of Yin and Yang throughout the year creates an alternation of Virtue and Punishment:
The theory of Virtue and Punishment is essentially an ancient abstraction of the universe’s dualistic yet unified laws 🌌. Modern scientific parallels include:
Associated Concepts:
Further Reading:
Modern Research: