Japan imported the different concepts of five elements from China and from Buddhism. The Chinese five elements are called gogyō (五行), and the Indian five elements are called godai (五大). The following article explains the latter. Buddhism (Pāli Buddhadhamma or Sanskrit Buddhadharma) is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following his death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and... Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (火) | Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (æ°´) Hinduism The Panchamahabhuta (five great elements) Prithvi/Bhumi (Earth) Ap/Jala (Water) Agni/Tejas (Fire) Vayu/Pavan (Air/Wind) Akasha (Aether) Japanese The Godai (five great) Earth (地) | Water (æ°´) | Fire (火) | Wind (風) | Void (空) In traditional Chinese philosophy, natural phenomena can be classified into the Five Elements... It has been suggested that Primordial Elements be merged into this article or section. ...

The godai, lit. "five great," of Japanese tradition is perhaps best known in the West for their use in Miyamoto Musashi's famous text Gorin no sho (The Book of Five Rings), in which he explains different aspects of swordsmanship by assigning each aspect to an element. Miyamoto Musashi killing a nue, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). ... Musashi Miyamoto in his prime, wielding two Bokken. ...

The Elements

The five elements are, in ascending order of power, 地 (chi) Earth, 水 (sui or mizu) Water, 火 (ka or hi) Fire, 風 (fū or kaze) Wind, and 空 (kū). This last is usually translated as void when referring to the elements, but refers Sky in most other contexts, and is therefore sometimes translated as Heaven. Sometimes a sixth element is added, representing Consciousness, or 識 (shiki).

Chi

Chi, meaning "Earth", represents the hard, solid objects of the world. The most basic example of Chi is in a stone. Stones are highly resistant to movement or change, as is anything heavily influenced by Chi. In people, the bones, muscles and tissues are represented by Chi. Emotionally, Chi is predominantly associated with stubbornness, stability, physicality, and gravity. In the mind, it is confidence; and emotionally it is a desire to have things remain as they are; a resistance to change. When under the influence of this chi mode or 'mood,' we are aware of our own physicality and sureness of action. (Note: This is a separate concept from the energy-force, pronounced in Chinese as qi or ch'i and in Japanese as ki, and written alternatively as 気,氣, or 气.) This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Qi, also commonly spelled chi, chi or ki, is a fundamental concept of everyday Chinese culture, most often defined as air or breath (for example, a term meaning weather is tiān qi, or the breath of heaven) and, by extension, life force or spiritual energy that is part...

Sui

Sui or mizu, meaning "Water", represents the fluid, flowing, formless things in the world. Outside of the obvious example of rivers and the like, plants are also categorized under Sui, as they adapt to their environment, growing and changing according to the direction of the sun and the changing seasons. Blood and other bodily fluids are represented by Sui, as are mental or emotional tendencies towards adaptation and change. Sui can be associated with emotion, defensiveness, adaptability, flexibility, suppleness, and magnetism. Water is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. ...

Ka

Ka or hi, meaning "Fire", represents the energetic, forceful, moving things in the world. Animals, particularly predators, capable of movement and full of forceful energy, are primary examples of Ka objects. Bodily, Ka represents our metabolism and body heat, and in the mental and emotional realms, it represents drive and passion. Ka can be associated with motivation, desire, intention, and an outgoing spirit. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Fū

Fū or kaze, meaning "Wind", represents things that grow, expand, and enjoy freedom of movement. Aside from air, smoke, and the like, Fū can in some ways be best represented by the human mind. As we grow physically, we learn and expand mentally as well, in terms of our knowledge, our experiences, and our personalities. Fū represents breathing, and the internal processes associated with respiration. Mentally and emotionally, it represents an 'open-minded' attitude and carefree feeling. It can be associated with will, elusiveness, evasiveness, benevolence, compassion, wisdom, and electricity. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Kū

Kū, most often translated as "Void", but also meaning "Sky" or "Heaven", represents those things beyond our everyday experience, particularly those things composed of pure energy. Atoms, their component particles, and atomic forces fall under this category, as do people in a higher state of consciousness. Bodily, Kū represents spirit, thought, and creative energy. It represents our ability to think and to communicate, as well as our creativity. It can also be associated with power, creativity, spontaneity, inventiveness, nuclear reactions. Look up Void in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Void can refer to: Aether as the source of all elements, the quintessence. ...

Kū is of particular importance as the highest of the elements. In martial arts, particularly in fictional tales where the fighting discipline is blended with magic or the occult, one often invokes the power of the Void to connect to the quintessential creative energy of the world. A warrior properly attuned to the Void can sense his surrounding and act without thinking, and without using his physical senses.

Representations of the Godai

The gojuu no tou five-tiered pagoda at Horyu-ji, Nara.

The most common representations today of the five elements, outside of martial arts and fictional references (such as in anime), are found in Buddhist architecture. Many pagodas (仏塔 buttou) in Japan are of the Gojū no Tō (五重塔) style, meaning they have five tiers or levels. Each tier, naturally, represents one of the elements, beginning with Chi (earth) at the bottom, and ending with Kū (Void or Sky) at the top. Often, the spire at the top is also divided into five sections. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 454 KB) Goju no To (Five story Pagoda) in Horyuji near Nara. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 454 KB) Goju no To (Five story Pagoda) in Horyuji near Nara. ... Horyu-ji. ... Nara (Japanese: 奈良市, Nara-shi) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan, near Kyoto. ... Buddhist religious architecture developed in the Indian subcontinent in the third century BCE. Two types of structures are associated with early Buddhism: stupas and viharas. ... A pagoda at Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in China, Japan, Korea, and other parts of Asia. ...

Japanese stone lanterns as seen in Zen gardens and Buddhist temples also represent the five elements. The bottom-most piece, touching the ground, represents Chi; the next section, often shaped to look like a lotus flower, represents Sui; Ka is represented by the section encasing the lantern's light or flame, while Fū and Kū are represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. The Zen garden at the Ryoan-ji A Zen garden, a Japanese type of Karesansui 枯山水 rock garden, is an enclosed shallow sandbox containing sand, gravel, rocks, and occasionally grass or other natural elements. ...

See also

• Five elements (Chinese philosophy)
• Feng shui
• Onmyodo
• Gorin no Sho

Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (火) | Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (æ°´) Hinduism The Panchamahabhuta (five great elements) Prithvi/Bhumi (Earth) Ap/Jala (Water) Agni/Tejas (Fire) Vayu/Pavan (Air/Wind) Akasha (Aether) Japanese The Godai (five great) Earth (地) | Water (æ°´) | Fire (火) | Wind (風) | Void (空) In traditional Chinese philosophy, natural phenomena can be classified into the Five Elements... Fēng Shuǐ (風水 – literally, wind and water pronounced fung shuway), which may be more than 3000 years old, is the ancient practice of placement to achieve harmony with the environment. ... Onmyōdō (陰陽道, also Onyōdō) is a Chinese-influenced traditional Japanese cosmology, a mixture of natural science and occultism. ... The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書, Go Rin No Sho) was written by Miyamoto Musashi. ...

Reference

• Miller, Jeff (June 1996). "5 Element Codes Part 1." Ninjutsu - Ura & Omote.