During the pre-Qin period, the doctrine of yin and yang and the doctrine of the five elements appeared, and later the doctrine of Confucianism, which were three different cultural systems.
Many people think that the theory of yin and yang and the theory of the five elements are a theory, but in the "Book of Changes", which is the earliest to describe the theory of yin and yang gossip, there is actually not a single word mentioning the five elements; The earliest statement of the five elements appeared in the "Hongfan" chapter of the "Book of Books". So "Yin and Yang" and "Five Elements" are essentially two sets of theories.
It's just that later generations have combined the two sets of theories of "yin and yang" and "five elements" in their application, such as Chinese astronomy, fortune telling, feng shui, traditional Chinese medicine, etc., all of which contain both yin and yang theories and the five elements theory. As a result, later generations mistakenly believe that yin and yang and the five elements were a set of theories from the beginning.
The theory of yin and yang is more to explain the origin and operation of the universe, Wuji gives birth to Taiji, Taiji gives birth to yin and yang, divides heaven and earth, yin and yang qi run, the yin and yang give birth to yang, and the anode gives birth to yin, so there are four seasons, there are clouds, sunny days, rain and snow, and all things in nature are born.
The five elements explain the structure of the universe, the ancients believed that the universe is composed of five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and these five elements are mutually reinforcing (see the theory of yin and yang and the theory of the five elements for details), and "line" is a verb here, representing the activities of the five elements, which constitute the material cycle and energy conservation of this world.
In the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu "deposed the hundred schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone", he adopted the theory of the Yin and Yang family, believed that there was a close relationship between heaven and man, and combined the metaphysical doctrine with the political and social philosophy of Confucianism, providing a set of theoretical basis for the political and social order at that time.
Dong Zhongshu believes that the universe is composed of ten components: heaven, earth, yin, yang, the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and finally man. In his book "Spring and Autumn Dew", he wrote: "Between heaven and earth, there is the qi of yin and yang, and those who are often gradually human, if the water often gradually fishes, so those who are different from water can see and cannot see the ears." ”
The "gradually" here is the meaning of "immersion", and people are immersed in the two qi of yin and yang, so people's behavior is in harmony with the sky.
Heaven, earth, and man, often also known as the three talents, this theory originated from the Book of Changes, the Book of Changes sixty-four hexagrams, the Qiangua is the sky, the Kun hexagram is the earth, and the rest are all about human nature and the principle of life. Sex is personality, life is fate, the ancients through divination, to judge the trend of things, choose their own behavior. The "Yi" in the Book of Changes means change, change, and it does not tell people a fixed result.
However, the three talents of heaven, earth and man are not equal status, heaven and earth are the main ones, and man is subordinate to heaven and earth.
The change of the seasons comes from the rise and fall of yin and yang. When the sun is in full bloom, it is spring to help the wood gas; When the sun is in its heyday, it is summer; At the beginning of the yin, it is autumn to help the golden energy; When the yin is in its heyday, it is winter to help the moisture. The yin pole gives birth to yang, and the yang pole gives birth to yin, which is the transition of the four seasons. Between summer and autumn, it is the most rustic time.
Dong Zhongshu believes: "The way of heaven is constant, one yin and one yang, the virtue of the yang is also the virtue of the sky, and the punishment of the yin is also ......."It is the way of the old heavens, born in three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn), and died in one hour (winter). ”
This is the Confucian belief that "God has the virtue of a good life", and in line with it, people should also have compassion. According to Dong Zhongshu's statement: "Heaven is not allowed by the yang but not by the yin, and virtue is not good for punishment", indicating that "the sky also has joy and anger, a heart of sorrow and happiness, and is worthy of people." Therefore, both physically and spiritually, man is a copy of heaven, so man is higher than other things in the universe.
Heaven, earth, and man are the foundation of all things. Born, raised, and man. "How do you make it? Dong Zhongshu said that through etiquette and music, in today's parlance, it is through civilization and culture. If there is no civilization and culture, the universe is a half-finished product, then the heavens and the earth will also feel the pain of incompleteness.
Therefore, Dong Zhongshu emphasized the role of education, and only by education can people be as important as heaven and earth, and can they bring into play their value in the universe.
The relationship between heaven and man is so close, so the operation of human society must also conform to the way of heaven.
The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the Son of Heaven is under the command of Heaven, which theoretically gives the emperor a sacred status and contributes to the imperial rule in feudal society.
But the emperor is not immutable, when the emperor makes a mistake in the implementation of politics, the heavens will be angry, and the manifestation of ** is the disaster of nature, the more serious the emperor's fault, the more severe the warning from heaven. Therefore, when there was a serious natural disaster in ancient times, the emperor would issue an edict to reflect on his own mistakes.
When the emperor is too perverse, then the way of heaven will no longer favor, and the luck will be transferred, and there will be another person who has both ability and political integrity to be favored by the heavens and become the son of luck, that is, to become the new son of heaven.
The above is the doctrine of "the unity of heaven and man" formed by Confucianism after absorbing part of the yin and yang doctrine and the five elements doctrine.
Taoism also has "the unity of heaven and man", but the Taoist "unity of heaven and man" is more mysterious, not only refers to humanity and the way of heaven, but refers to the ability to be able to through practice, people's ability to be in harmony with the heavens, such as the use of spells to call the wind and rain, heaven and man are in one breath, "the boundless vitality, continue the limited body", and finally refine the gods and return to the void, and the Tao is in harmony, "Heaven and earth are born together with me, and all things are one with me", I am the Tao, and the Tao is me.
Of course, such a thing as cultivating the Tao and becoming an immortal is too far away from us. In this impatient society, as an ordinary person, being able to "practice yin and yang, and the number of techniques, eat and drink sparingly, and live a regular life" is already considered to be a way of health.