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Chapter 22 of 39
Wu Xing Da Yi — Great Meaning of the Five Elements
Zichan once said: "Sounds can be manifested as the five tones." Cai Bojie explained: "What is perceived through the ear is sound. Green corresponds to the Jue tone (Wood 🌱), white to the Shang tone (Metal 🔩), black to the Yu tone (Water 🌊), red to the Zhi tone (Fire 🔥), and yellow to the Gong tone (Earth ⛰)." The Lü Li Zhi describes: The Jue tone represents stirring, symbolizing the budding of yang energy and the growth of all things as they touch the earth; the Zhi tone represents prosperity, symbolizing the flourishing and thriving of all things; the Gong tone represents harmony, residing at the center and connecting all directions, serving as the foundation of the four tones; the Shang tone represents clarity, symbolizing the maturity and manifestation of things; the Yu tone represents coverage, symbolizing the gathering and concealment of all things, like the universe enveloping them. The Yue Wei adds: In spring, harmonious energy corresponds to the Jue tone; in summer, harmonious energy corresponds to the Zhi tone; in late summer, harmonious energy corresponds to the Gong tone; in autumn, harmonious energy corresponds to the Shang tone; in winter, harmonious energy corresponds to the Yu tone.
The Yue Ji points out: The Gong tone symbolizes the ruler; if the Gong tone is disordered, the ruler becomes arrogant and negligent. The Shang tone symbolizes the minister; if the Shang tone is disordered, the minister becomes corrupt. The Zhi tone symbolizes affairs; if the Zhi tone is disordered, affairs become laborious and sorrowful. The Yu tone symbolizes wealth; if the Yu tone is disordered, wealth becomes scarce and precarious. The Jue tone symbolizes the people; if the Jue tone is disordered, the people become resentful and worried. If the five tones are not disordered, the world will be peaceful, free from the sounds of decay and ruin. The Su Wen correlates: The Wood tone (Jue) corresponds to shouting; the Fire tone (Zhi) corresponds to laughter; the Earth tone (Gong) corresponds to singing; the Metal tone (Shang) corresponds to crying; the Water tone (Yu) corresponds to groaning.
The Yue Ji emphasizes: Music originates from sounds, rooted in the human heart's response to external things. A sorrowful heart evokes hurried sounds; a joyful heart evokes relaxed sounds; a delighted heart evokes scattered sounds; an angry heart evokes harsh sounds; a chaste heart evokes upright sounds; a loving heart evokes gentle sounds. These six are not inherent to human nature but arise in response to external stimuli. By examining sounds, one understands music; by examining music, one understands governance; thus, the way of governance is perfected. The Shi Xu states: When sounds form patterns, they are called music. The music of a well-governed era is peaceful and joyful, reflecting harmony in governance and among people; the music of a chaotic era is resentful and angry, reflecting disorder in governance; the music of a fallen state is sorrowful, reflecting the suffering of the people.
The Da Dai Li · Guan Ren Pian says: A sincere heart will inevitably manifest externally. By observing the external, one can infer the internal, discerning the broader picture from subtle details. Sounds reflect reality. As energy gives birth to things, things produce sounds. Sounds have hardness and softness, clarity and turbidity, and all preferences and aversions are expressed through sounds. A noisy and boastful heart produces scattered sounds; a compliant and faithful heart produces rhythmic sounds; a mean and vicious heart produces foul sounds; a broad and gentle heart produces warm and harmonious sounds. Sages listen to sounds and observe appearances to discern good and evil in people. A single emission is a sound; harmony among sounds is music. The Mao Shi Xu states that when sounds form patterns, they are called music, hence the five tones give rise to the eight sounds. The Yue Wei explains: Things are formed in threes and established in fives; three and five make eight, hence there are eight sounds. The eight sounds are metal, stone, silk, bamboo, earth, wood, gourd, and leather, used to produce the Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu tones. Metal is represented by bells, stone by chimes, silk by strings, bamboo by pipes, earth by xun (ocarina), wood by zhu yu (percussion instruments), gourd by sheng (mouth organ), and leather by drums. Drums correspond to the Zhen卦, sheng to the Xun卦, zhu yu to the Qian卦, xun to the Gen卦, pipes to the Kan卦, strings to the Li卦, chimes to the Kun卦, and bells to the Dui卦.
The Yue Wei · Zhi Tu Zheng Pian elaborates: The Kan卦 governs the winter solstice, and the Gong tone symbolizes the ruler. With a ruler, all things are accomplished. The Huang Zhong Gong tone regulates all things, bringing order to the world. Those who align with heaven and earth and harmonize with the virtues of the divine ensure the seven beginnings and eight ends are in place. The emperor is solemn, and all directions follow his lead; thus, pipes are used in music. The Gen卦 governs the beginning of spring, when yang energy first emerges, and thunder rolls for a hundred miles. The sage allocates a hundred mu of land to the people, dividing heaven and earth. The Huang Zhong scale of nine regulates the eight sounds. The sage uses nine qing to form eight households: the upper farmer feeds nine mouths, the middle seven, and the lower five. The rich are not extravagant, the poor are not hungry. In three years, there is a surplus for one year; in nine years, a surplus for three years. The Huang Zhong achieves harmony through growth and decline; thus, the xun is used in music. The Zhen卦 governs the spring equinox, when yin and yang are balanced. The sage king models heaven and establishes the five balances (the six Lü regulating the five tones). Sounds are numerous, but the five tones prevail; things are abundant, but the five balances prevail. The rich consider the poor, the strong do not bully the weak, the wise do not deceive the foolish, the market has no dual pricing, all things are balanced, the four seasons are appropriate, the public has surplus, and kindness extends to all under heaven, aligning with the virtues of heaven and earth; thus, drums are used in music. The Xun卦 governs the beginning of summer, when all things vary in length. The sage king models heaven in assigning tasks, with distinctions between noble and humble. Scholars uphold righteousness and courtesy, rulers and ministers have their roles, and order prevails in governance; thus, the sheng is used in music. The Li卦 governs the summer solstice, when yang descends and yin completes things. The sage king models heaven in establishing clothing systems, clarifying rituals, distinguishing nobility from commoners, illuminating virtues, and ensuring women's work and men's conduct follow propriety; thus, strings are used in music. The Kun卦 governs the beginning of autumn, when yang energy recedes and yin takes over. Insects prepare to hibernate. The sage king models this in allocating palaces and measures, ensuring systems are appropriate, sizes follow rules, nobility and commoners are distinguished, and order prevails between superior and inferior; thus, chimes are used in music. The Dui卦 governs the autumn equinox, when heaven, earth, and all things have settled, and human efforts are complete. The sage king models heaven in determining ranks and salaries, not exceeding abilities. The Gong tone represents the ruler, the Shang tone represents the minister. Ministers highlight the ruler's achievements, nobility and humility have their places, things are appropriate, success is rewarded, and failure is punished; thus, bells are used in music. The Qian卦 governs the beginning of winter, marking the end and beginning of yin and yang. All things die and revive. The sage king models heaven in establishing punishments, where one execution moves thousands, and one killing affects tens of thousands. The dead hold no grudges, and the living hold no resentment; thus, the zhu yu is used in music.
The Guo Yu states: Tile and silk instruments (like qin and se) emphasize the Gong tone; metal bells emphasize the Yu tone; stone instruments emphasize the Jue tone; gourd and bamboo instruments emphasize the Zhi tone; leather and wood instruments emphasize the Shang tone. Lü harmonizes music, Lü levels sounds. Metal and stone instruments activate them, silk and bamboo instruments perform them, singing expresses them, gourd instruments propagate them, tile instruments support them, and leather and wood instruments rhythmize them. When things follow their natural order, it is called music; disruption is called striking; mutual preservation is called harmony; and neither small nor large exceeds its bounds, which is called balance. Tile and silk instruments are both large, hence they emphasize the Gong tone, with mother and child corresponding. Metal bells emphasize the Yu tone, similarly. Stone emphasizes the Jue tone, as stone and metal harmonize with the Jue tone in a complementary manner. Gourd, earth, bamboo, and wood emphasize the Zhi tone, with mother and child corresponding. Leather and wood both emphasize the Shang tone, harmonizing in a complementary manner. The Gong tone is harmonious and soothing, broadly gentle, affecting the spleen. The Shang tone is dispersive and clear, warm and empty, affecting the lungs. The Jue tone is restrained and concise, quiet and clear, affecting the liver. The Zhi tone is rapid and urgent, balanced and even, affecting the heart. The Yu tone is swift and empty, short and dispersive, affecting the kidneys.
The Yellow Emperor's Military Strategies states: When two armies are evenly matched, send someone 120 steps away from the enemy camp to listen with a pipe pressed to the ear. If the sound is rumbling like chariot thunder or drums, it is the Gong tone, and the enemy general is lenient, trustworthy, and harmonious. If the sound is like the clash of metal and stone, such as bells, chimes, or thunder, it is the Shang tone, and the enemy general is威严, wrathful, and prone to killing; it is advisable to provoke him frequently. If the sound is like galloping horses, roaring flames, or tearing cracks, it is the Zhi tone, and the enemy general is fierce, brave, and difficult to confront directly. If the sound is solemn, like trees or the sorrowful sounds of people, it is the Jue tone, and the enemy general is benevolent and compassionate, not to be deceived. If the sound is gushing, like flowing water, waves, stirred energy, or laughter, it is the Yu tone, and the enemy general is greedy, deceitful, and full of cunning strategies. By examining these five tones, one can understand the enemy's nature. The same applies to observing wind sounds. All these describe the nature of sounds, hence they are explained in detail.
This text elaborates on the correspondence between the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the Five Tones (Jue, Zhi, Gong, Shang, Yu), and how sounds reflect nature, human emotions, and socio-political conditions. Sound is not merely a physical phenomenon but a mirror of cosmic harmony, human nature, and the external world. By examining sounds to understand music, and music to understand governance, ancient wisdom emphasizes sound as a medium connecting heaven, earth, and humanity, used for governing, self-cultivation, and military strategy.
In a modern context, this can be seen as a precursor to sound psychology and environmental acoustics. The theory of the Five Elements corresponding to the Five Tones resembles modern music therapy's use of tones to regulate emotions: for example, the Jue tone (Wood 🌱) is associated with the liver and benevolence, akin to soothing sounds in stress management; the Zhi tone (Fire 🔥) is associated with the heart and courage, similar to motivational music for boosting drive. The political aspect reflects sound as an indicator of societal health; the resentful sounds of a chaotic era can be compared to modern social media sentiment analysis predicting social unrest. The military application parallels modern sonar technology or acoustic interference in psychological warfare.
Practically, this reminds us that environmental sounds impact mental health—noisy urban sounds may cause anxiety (like disordered Shang tones), while natural sounds promote peace (like harmonious Gong tones). In work settings, music selection can optimize efficiency (e.g., Zhi tones for creative inspiration). On a personal level, vocal tones reveal personality traits, useful for building empathy in interpersonal interactions.
This text deeply explores the philosophy of harmony between heaven and humanity: sound is part of the cosmic vibration, connecting the microcosm (personal emotions) with the macrocosm (socio-political order). It implies a holistic worldview where everything is interconnected—sound reflects inner nature and external order alike. This challenges modern fragmented thinking and encourages the pursuit of overall harmony. At the same time, it raises questions about determinism versus free will: sound arises in response to external stimuli, emphasizing environmental influence, but humans can also modulate sound through self-cultivation, demonstrating agency. In the contemporary context, this inspires us to seek purity and intentionality in sound amidst the noise of the digital age, potentially as a path to rediscovering inner balance.
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