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凡含生蠢動.有知之數.莫不藉五氣而成性.資陰陽以立形.故有陸處水居.潛見道別.遊翔飛走.駑駿不同.皆由氣之清濁.稟性深淺.考異郵云.含牙戴角.著脰垂芒.皆爲陰也.陰有殺氣.故備有爪牙之毒.螫蠆之類也.飛翔羽翮.柔善之獸.皆爲陽也.陽有仁氣.無殺性也.家語云.齕吞者.八竅而卵生.齟者.九竅胎生.晝生似父.夜生類母.至陰者牝.至陽者牡.皆氣使然也.凡是蠢動之物.竝爲蟲類.今略分三種.一曰禽.二曰獸.三曰蟲.有羽飛者爲禽.有四足走者爲獸.無羽足者爲蟲.至如蜉蝣之羽.蟭蟟之翼.飛百足.蚊蚋六手.此雖有羽足.猶是蟲例.其朝生暮死.腐穢蠱溼.此皆因變化.隨類生者.亦竝蟲也.考異郵云.蟲入日而化微.故令促.又.鳥.魚.二名.於此二者.其號雖別.鳥則飛翔.卽是禽也.魚則潛游.蟲之屬也.家語云.鳥.魚生於陰.而屬於陽.故皆卵生.魚游於水.鳥游於雲.所以立冬則鷰雀入海.化而爲蛤.本其類也.禽名通於獸.獸名不通於禽.故知禽有趨地之能.獸無飛空之用.然此三等.名例甚多.不可具釋.今且先論五靈.次配卦及三十六禽.家語云.羽蟲三百六十.鳳爲之長.毛蟲三百六十.麟爲之長.甲蟲三百六十.龜爲之長.鱗蟲三百六十.龍爲之長.倮蟲三百六十.人爲之長.又曰.毛蟲之精曰麒麟.羽蟲之精曰鳳.介蟲之精曰龜.鱗蟲之精曰龍.倮蟲之精曰聖人.毛蟲西方.羽蟲南方.甲蟲北方.鱗蟲東方.倮蟲中央.此則皆稱蟲也.五靈總爲諸蟲之首.今止言其四.以人處中央者.謂有性情之物.人最爲主故也.靈者.神靈之義.五禽於蟲獸之中最靈.故曰五靈.禮記月令云.春.其蟲鱗.鄭元注云.龍蛇之屬.夏.其蟲羽.飛鳥之屬.中央.其蟲倮.虎豹淺毛之屬.秋.其蟲毛.狐狢之屬.冬.其蟲介.龜鼈之屬.又云.國君行.前朱雀.後玄武.左蒼龍.右白虎.尚書.刑德放言.東方.春.蒼龍.其智仁.南方.夏.朱鳥.好禮.西方.秋.白虎.執義.北方.冬.元龜.主信.會中央土之精.禮運則不論五德.止辨四靈而已.鉤命訣云.失仁則龍麟不舞.失禮則鸞鳳不翔.失智則黃龍不見.失義則白虎不出.失信則元龜不見.禮記曰.麟鳳龜龍.謂之四靈.左傳云.麟鳳五靈.王者之嘉瑞.禮云.麟鳳龜龍.不見有虎.於金行稱虎.義則不足.前朱雀.後玄武.是同.其餘三蟲.竝有差異.元命苞云.離爲鳳.又言.鳳火精.靈龜生水.玄武.主北方.此同.禮說唯龍麟虎三者.不同.左青龍.右白虎.舊說不疑.衍孔圖以麟爲木精.龍則非木.大戴禮以麟爲毛蟲.麟復成金.麟若爲金.虎則無用.公羊高以麟爲木精.木生於火.夫子修春秋.至麟而止.豈知爲漢之瑞.今所不埶.案蔡邕月令章句言.天官五獸.左蒼龍.大辰之貌.右白虎.大梁之文.前朱雀.鶉火之體.後玄武.龜蛇之質.中有大角軒轅.麒麟之信.亦龍生於水.遊於木.鳥生於木.遊於火.麟生於火.遊於土.虎生於土.遊於金.龜生於金.遊於水.修其母.致其子.五行之情也.故貌恭體仁.則鳳凰來儀.言從和義.則神龜至.視明禮修.則麒麟臻.智聽故事.則黃龍見.思叡信立.則白虎擾.此言當矣.禮斗威儀云.乘金而王.麒麟在郊.保乾圖又言.歲星爲麟.考異郵言.麟者.陰精.此竝不同.今解以木者.觸也.有觸冒之義.麟有肉角.無所抵觸.龍角端無肉.有抵觸義.易象震爲龍.故木之義扶龍.天官有軒轅黃龍.麒麟之信.信主於土.修母子應.此意亦同.爲漢出者.漢是火德.故子應也.是土之義扶麟.易通卦驗言.立秋.虎始嘯.孔衍圖云.虎.金精.大戴禮言.虎七月而生.應陽數.考異郵亦言.虎斑文者.陰陽之雜.虎爲毛蟲.定是金獸.考異郵云.參代虎之德.義主斬刈.所以學門.謂之虎門.乃畫虎於門者.以兌居西方.兌是說言.主講說故.又.金有殺伐之威.虎有毒害之猛.故金義扶虎.問.寅位在東.何忽白虎居西.荅曰.凡五行相雜.無有獨在一方之義.東方自是木行相次.白虎居西.是殺戮之威.如農在東方.正主於龍.乾之六爻.并是龍象.震取其運動.乾譬聖人.自取龍有飛潛之德.爲象各異.故無定準也.如考異郵云.陰陽相雜.不妨分在東方.此竝靈通.隱顯無定.寧可一執.史蘇龜經云.木神蒼龍.歲星之精.火神朱雀.熒惑之精.灰土之神.名曰騰蛇.土神勾陳.鎮星之精.金神白虎.太白之精.水神玄武.辰星之精.蒼龍主頭.朱雀主脣頸.騰蛇主胸脇.勾陳主腰腹.白虎主股膝.玄武主腳脛.案此之六神.朱雀.玄武.蒼龍.白虎.與經緯說同.唯勾陳之神.其語有異.而天官有勾陳之星.在紫微之內.故爲土神.此卽蔡邕所云.麒麟之信也.騰蛇居火之末.在土之初.而爲灰神.以蛇配龜.共爲玄武.無有正方.故爲灰神.其配頭足等.以東爲首.故龍配頭也.以次南轉.故玄武配足.禽獸屬八卦者.易云.乾爲馬.坤爲牛.震爲龍.巽爲雞.坎爲豕.離爲雉.艮爲狗.兌爲羊.乾.健也.馬取其健也.坤.順也.牛取其順.震.動也.龍取其動.巽.風也.雞取其號令.以象風行坎陰也.豕取其陰離陽也.雉取其飛揚艮門也.狗取其守禦.兌.悅也.言也.羊取其悅草.又.乾象六龍.取其潛躍之義.說卦云.馬取其強健之德.以健之故稱良馬.以父故稱老馬.以其乾乾不息.故稱瘠馬.以其有變化之用.故稱駮馬.然坤卦又稱牝馬之貞.此止取順義.馬之爲義.不獨乾坤震.又爲善鳴之馬.以震有雷聲.故震雷之象.又爲馵足.馬亦曰白頭.爲的顙之馬.取其顯耀之義.坎爲美脊之馬.以有居中之閏.故或卦龍馬以配者多.以爲行天莫若於龍.行地莫過於馬.故多所象也.坤稱子母牛者.重其蕃息.艮既爲狗.亦爲鼠.狗有守備之能.狗爲能止.鼠爲所止.竝屬於艮.離爲鼈蟹螺蜯龜.皆取其有甲.象外陽之義也.此皆五行之所配合.故於此而釋也.
Holistic Interpretation
All living, moving beings with sensory capabilities rely on the Five Qi (the energies of the Five Elements) to form their nature and depend on Yin and Yang to construct their physical forms. As a result, some dwell on land, others reside in water; some remain hidden, while others are visible; some swim, some fly, and some run—each differing in ability. These variations stem from the purity or turbidity of the Qi they embody and the depth or shallowness of their innate nature.
Kao Yi You states: 🦷 Creatures that grow teeth, 🦌 antlers, protruding necks, or sharp features belong to Yin. Yin possesses a stern, destructive energy, which is why such creatures are often equipped with offensive tools like claws and fangs, such as scorpions and venomous insects. 🕊️ Those capable of flight, adorned with feathers and embodying gentleness, belong to Yang. Yang embodies a benevolent energy devoid of destructive tendencies.
Family Sayings (《家语》) notes: 🪺 Creatures that chew and swallow have eight orifices and are oviparous (egg-laying); 🦷 those that use teeth for mastication have nine orifices and are viviparous (live-bearing). Those born during the day resemble the father, while those born at night resemble the mother. Extreme Yin manifests as female, and extreme Yang as male—all governed by the influence of Qi.
All moving creatures broadly fall under the category of "chong" (insects/creatures), which today is roughly divided into three types:
Even mayflies have wings, cicadas possess membranes for flight, centipedes have numerous legs, and mosquitoes are multi-legged—yet all are classified as insects. Those ephemeral beings born at dawn and perishing by dusk, thriving in decay and dampness, or adapting to environmental changes are also categorized as insects.
Kao Yi You explains: Insects, influenced by sunlight, undergo subtle transformations, leading to their brief lifespans.
Although birds and fish differ in name, birds can fly and belong to the avian category, while fish, capable of swimming, belong to the insect category. Family Sayings states: Birds and fish are born from Yin but belong to Yang, hence they are both oviparous. Fish swim in water, birds soar through clouds. Thus, at the beginning of winter, swallows and sparrows enter the sea and transform into clams—a transformation rooted in their shared essence.
The term "birds" (禽) can sometimes refer broadly to beasts, but "beasts" (兽) cannot refer to birds, as birds have the ability to approach the ground, while beasts lack the capacity for flight. The variety within these three categories is vast and难以尽述 (challenging to exhaustively describe).
The following focuses on the Five Ling (Spiritual Creatures), correlating them with trigrams and the thirty-six animals:
Family Sayings states:
It further states:
The Five Ling correspond to the five directions:
The Five Ling are the leaders of all creatures, but often only the Four Ling (Qilin, Phoenix, Tortoise, Dragon) are mentioned because humans reside in the center, acting as masters of sentient beings. "Ling" (灵) signifies divinity or spirituality; these five creatures are the most spiritual among animals, hence the term "Five Ling."