The Essentials of Five-Element Theory

Inter-Generation, Inter-Restriction, Over-Restriction and Counter-Restriction of the Five Elements

The correlation between things and the five elements are not static and isolated. The inter
generation and inter-restriction of the five elements are used to explore and explain the association,
coordination and unification of things. Besides, the over-restriction and counter-restriction of the
five elements are also used to explore and explain the interaction among things after the disruption
of balance. These are the main functions of the inter- generation, inter-restriction, over-restriction
and counter-restriction of the five elements.
1. huer-generation
Inter-generation, or mutual promotion, refers to that one kind of object
generates, reinforces and brings forth another in a fixed sequence, i.e.,
wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal
generates water, and water, in turn, generates wood. So inter-generation
cannot be simply viewed as a disordered two-way interaction, but an
orderly and endless cycle. Each of the five elements is marked by such
relations as "being generated" and "generating." This relationship of the
five elements is called the "mother-child" relationship. For example, wood
generates fire, so it is the element generating; fire generates earth, so earth
is the element being generated. It can concluded that wood is the mother
of fire and earth is the child of fire. Wood and fire form a relationship of
mother-child, so do fire and earth.
2. Inter-restriction
Inter-restriction, or mutual restraint, implies suppression or inhibition.
Inter-restriction of the five elements refers to the alternate restricting
activity among wood, fire, earth, metal and water in a circular order: wood
restricting earth, earth restricting water, water restricting fire, fire restrict-
ing metal, metal restricting wood, and wood, in turn, restricting earth. So
inter-restriction cannot be simply viewed as a disordered two-way interac-
tion, but an orderly and endless cycle. That is to say, wood, fire, earth.
melal and water restrict one another alternately. In this circular order, each
of the five elements is marked by "being restricted" and ""restricting." The
former refers to the element that is not restraining, and the latter refers to
the element that is restraining. For example, wood restricts earth, so the
element restricting is wood, and earth is the element that is restrained by
wood. And metal restricts wood, so wood is the element being restricted,
and metal is the element that is not retrained by wood.
The theory of five elements believes that the inter-generation and inter-
restriction are two aspects indispensable to the maintenance of normal
relationship among different things. Without inter-generation there would
be no birth and development, and without inter-restriction there would be
disasters due to excessive growth. Both are opposite and complementary
to each other, thus maintaining coordination and balance among things.
As far as the relation of the five elements are concerned, generation is
contained in restriction, and restriction is conceived in generation,
e.g., wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal,
whereas wood restricts earth, metal restricts wood, wood restricts earth,
earth restricts water and, moreover, water generates wood, and fire gener-
ates earth. Wood, fire, earth, metal and water generate one another one by
one, but restrict one another alternately. So generation and restriction are
intermingled and interacted in an endless cycle.
3. Over-restriction
Over-restriction, or subjugation, refers to the launching of an attack on a
counterpart when it is weak. In five elements, it means the excessive
restriction of one element on another in the same circular order as inter-
restriction: wood over-restricting earth, earth over-restricting water, water
over-restricting fire, fire over-restricting metal, and metal over-restricting
wood. This is due to either "over-action" or "under-action." The former
means that one element is hyperactive, and thus may restrict another
element excessively, leading to the deficiency of this element as well as
abnormal interaction of the five elements. For example, under normal
circumstances, wood restricts earth in a proper manner; however, if wood
is hyperactive and restricts earth excessively, earth will be subjugated
and debilitated under the over-restriction of wood. This is called "wood
over-restricting earth due to hyperactivity of wood." The latter means that
one element is too weak to resist the normal restriction by its restraining
element, and thereby becomes more debilitated. Take wood restricting
earth again, under normal circumstances, wood restricts earth in a proper
manner. However, if earth is too weak to withstand the normal restriction
by wood, the restraining force will become relatively stronger and the
restricted earth will become relatively deficient. This is called "wood
over-restricting earth due to deficiency of earth." Although restriction and
over-restriction are identical in sequence, they vary in that the former
functions in a proper manner whereas the latter takes place under abnor-
mal conditions. So it is called "over-restriction" or "subjugation" instead
of "restriction."
4. Counter-restriction
Counter-restriction, or reverse-restriction, literally means the strong bul-
lies the weak. In five elements, it refers to the restriction of one element
on another in an opposite order. The counter-restriction of five elements
follows such an order that wood counter-restricts metal, metal counter-
restricts fire, fire counter-restricts water, water counter-restricts earth,
and earth, in turn, counter-restricts wood. Similar to over-restriction,
there are two aspects causing counter-restriction: "over-action" and
"under-action." The former means that when one element is hyperactive,
it may restrict the element originally being the restricting one. For exam-
ple, when wood is hyperactive, it may restrict metal which, under normal
circumstances, is supposed to restrain wood: this is called "wood counter-
restricting metal." The latter means that when one element is too weak, it
may not only fail to restrict the next element, but also be counter-
restricted by this element which, under normal conditions, is supposed to
be restrained. For instance, normally metal restricts wood, and wood
restricts earth: however, if wood is too weak, it may not only be over-
restricted by metal, but also be counter-restricted by earth, which is called
"earth counter-restricting wood."
Over-restriction and counter-restriction are both abnormal restrictions
due to the damaged interaction among the five elements. Both of them can
be caused by "over-action" or "under-action" of any of the five elements.
Daily Exercises
1. What is inter-generation of five elements?
2. What is inter-restriction of five elements?
3. What is over-re strict ion of five elements?
4. What is counter-restriction of five elements?
The Application of Five-Element Theory in TCM
The theory of five elements is used in TCM to classify the viscera and
meridians into five categories and explain their characteristics according
to the properties of the five elements, to analyze the relationships among
the viscera, meridians and various physiological functions according to
the inter-generation and inter-restriction of five elements, and to explain
their interactions under pathological conditions according to the over-
restriction and counter-restriction of five elements.
To Explain the Physiological Function of the Five Zang-Organs
Each of the internal organs, according to the theory of five elements, per-
tains to one of the five elements. So their physiological functions are
illustrated by the characteristics of the five elements. For example, the
liver prefers to grow freely and dislikes depression, and can regulate qi
and blood as well as emotions, so it pertains to wood marked by growing,
ascending, dispersing and free-reaching; the heart yang has the function
of warming, so it pertains to fire marked by warming, heating and ascend-
ing. The spleen, as the source of qi and blood, can transport and transform
water and food into nutrients for the nourishment of the viscera, limbs and
bones, so it pertains to earth marked by generating and supporting a
myriad of things. The lung, characterized by purifying and descending.

lakes the downward action as the normal tendency, so it pertains to

metal marked by clarifying, descending, and astringing. The kidney stores
essence and controls water, so it pertains to water marked by moistening,
descending and storing.
In addition to explaining the physiological functions of the five zang-
organs, the theory of five elements is also used for analyzing the various
structures, tissues and functions of the entire body by analogy and deduc-
tion. At the same time, it is further extended to correlate the five orienta-
tions, five seasons, five properties, five flavors and five colors in nature
with the five zang-organs, six fu-organs, five sensory organs and five body
constituents of the human body. In such a manner the internal environment
and external environment of the body are connected into an entirety. Take
the liver as an example, it says in Sit Wen. "the east engenders wind, wind
generates wood, wood produces sourness, sourness forms liver, liver con-
trols eyes and gives birth to tendon, and tendon promotes heart." That is
how the east, spring, wind and sourness in nature are correlated with wood
in five elements and liver, tendons and eyes in the human body, indicating
the holistic concept of correspondence between man and nature.