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五行的概念源于西周后期（公元前 1046—公元前 771年）逐渐兴起的“五材”，当时的人们发现木、火、土、金、水这五种物质是生活中不可缺少的。春秋战国时期（公元前 770—公元前 221年）的《尚书》记载：“水火者，百姓之所饮食也；金木者，百姓之所兴作也；土者，万物之所资生也，是为人用。”书中还详细地记叙了五行的各自属性特征：“五行，一曰水，二曰火，三曰木，四曰金，五曰土。水曰润下，火曰炎上，木曰曲直，金曰从革，土曰稼穑。润下作咸，炎上作苦，曲直作酸，从革作辛，稼穑作甘。”提示“水”行具有滋润和下流的属性，“火”行具有温热和上升的属性，“木”行具有曲直生长的属性，“金”行具有容易变化的属性，“土”行具有生长庄稼的属性，它们所对应的味分别为：咸、苦、酸、辛、甘。后人以五行属性来推演和归类事物或现象的学说，被称之为五行学说。
The concept of five elements was conceived from the“five materials” that were advocated in the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE—771 BCE) when people perceived that the five materials, including wood, fire, earth, metal and water,were indispensable in their daily life. The Shang Shu (The Book of Documents), compiled during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period (770 BCE—221 BCE) states, “All the five elements are used by humanity. Fire and water are employed to cook; wood and metal to cultivate; earth to conceive all things.”It also tells the features of five elements: “Five elements refer to wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Water is characterized by moistening and descending. Fire is characterized by flaming upward. Wood is characterized by bending and straightening.Metal is characterized by yielding and changing. Earth is characterized by sowing and reaping. In the five flavors, they are associated with salty, bitter, sour, pungent and sweet respectively.” The theory that later generations deduce and classify things or phenomena based on the features of five elements is called the theory of five elements.
五行从最早的五种基本生活物质而来（五材说），上升到五种基本质料或元素，这是一个过程。春秋战国时代的史伯最早描述“先王以土与金、木、水、火杂，以成百物”（《国语·郑语》），认为土与金、木等不同的物质元素相杂合，可以构成百物，甚至认为音乐的旋律、食物的味道也是如此。汉代的典籍《礼记》用五行来归类事物，有五方、五色、五音、五虫及五脏之属，五行逐渐成为体系了。
The theory of five elements has a very long history of development. Shi Bo, a thinker in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period held that, “The mixture of five elements can give birth to all things, including the melody of music and the taste of food.” This is recorded in the book Guo Yu Zheng Yu (Discourses of the States: The State of Zheng). In the LiJi (The Book of Rites) compiled in the Han Dynasty (202 BCE—8 AD), five elements were adopted to classify things. Under the category, the five directions (east, west, south, north and center), five colors (green, red, yellow, white and black), five tones ( jue , zhi , gong , shang and yu ), five animals ( luo , lin , mao , yu and kun ) and five zang organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney) were also put forward, making five elements grow into a system.
随后，五行学说又糅合当时流行的“五行”生克和“五行”无常胜观点。“五行相生”认为：水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金，金生水。“五行相克”又称“五行相胜”，即水胜火、火胜金、金胜木、木胜土、土胜水。这样，五行的说法进一步从物质层面脱离出来，成为一个认知的范畴和理念。从此，五行学说广泛地浸染到中国的哲学、历史、文学、医学等各个领域，源远流长，影响巨大，成为中国人持久的传统观念和思维习惯。
In this system, the theories of mutual generation and controlling among five elements are included. The sequential engendering and supporting relationships among five elements are, specifically, wood generating fire, fire generating earth,earth generating metal, metal generating water and water generating wood. The sequential restraining relationships among five elements are, specifically, wood restraining earth,earth restraining water, water restraining fire, fire restraining metal, and metal restraining wood. In this way, the concept of five elements evolves into a cognitive category from the material level. Since then, the theory of five elements has been embodied extensively in Chinese philosophy, history, literature and medicine, and has become a traditional concept and thinking habit of the Chinese nation.
西汉时期的哲学家董仲舒在阳升阴降、五行生克的理念基础上，进一步融合四时，如春（木）、夏（火）、秋（金）、冬（水）、土兼四时，以及五方，如东（木）、南（火）、西（金）、北（水）、中（土）等思想，形成一个天地、阴阳、五行、万物相贯通的“天人感应”的思想。
The philosopher Dong Zhongshu in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BCE—8 AD) further integrated five elements with the five seasons (spring, summer, late summer, autumn and winter) and five directions to form a thought of “man-nature correspondence” in which all things are interconnected.
阴阳五行学说在汉代成了占统治地位的思维模式。成书于汉代的中医学经典《黄帝内经》，就系统运用阴阳五行学说来阐述人体的生理、病理知识。在《黄帝内经》中，以五行藏象为核心，有五脏、五腑、五体、五华、五窍、五液、五神、五志、五脉、五色、五味等一系列衍生和归类，构成了中医学对人体整体生命运作的框架式认知，并用五行生克理论来解释和预期人体的生理、病理变化。中医学专家任继愈先生指出：“中国古代医学以阴阳五行学说为基础。”
The theory of yin-yang and five elements became the dominant ideological model in the Han Dynasty. For example,the Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), a classic of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) complied in this period, elaborates the physiological and pathological knowledge on human body from the perspective of yin-yang and five elements. Taking five elements and zang-xiang as the core, this book adopts the five zang organs, five fu organs, five body constituents, five outward manifestations, five orifices,five body fluids, five mental activities, five emotions, five pulses,five colors and five flavors to constitute the holistic framework cognition on human life, and also adopt the mutual generation and controlling among five elements to explain and predict the physiological and pathological changes of human body. Just as the TCM expert Ren Jiyu observes: “Ancient Chinese medicine is based on the theory of yin-yang and five elements.”
中医学治疗疾病采用多种技术手段，包括中药、针灸、推拿、练功锻炼等。《黄帝内经灵枢·病传》记载了当时的医疗方法：“黄帝曰：余受九针于夫子，而私览于诸方，或有导引行气，乔摩、灸、熨、刺、焫、饮药之一者，可独守耶？”其中的导引行气法，我们现在称之为气功或者练功锻炼。《黄帝内经素问·异法方宜论》记载：“中央者，其地平以湿，天地所以生万物也众。其民食杂而不劳，故其病多痿厥寒热，其治宜导引按蹻。故导引按蹻者，亦从中央出也。”中央之地，地势平坦而多潮湿，物产丰富，食物种类众多，生活安逸，缺乏运动，易得痿弱、厥逆、寒热等病，宜用导引按蹻的方法治疗。所以导引按蹻的治法，是从中央地区推广出去的。
TCM employs various methods to treat diseases, for example, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture＆moxibustion,Tuina and qigong exercise. The Huang Di Nei Jing Ling Shu (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic: Spiritual Pivot) records the therapeutic approaches at that time. The chapter Bing Chuan (Transmission of Diseases) states, “Yellow Emperor: I have received from you that instructions on the nine needles, and personally I have informed myself of all types of therapeutic approaches. They include circulating qi via daoyin , massage,moxibustion, hot compresses, pricking, fire needles and ingestion of decoction. Is it possible to simply concentrate on one of them?” Among them, circulating qi via daoyin is now called qigong or qigong exercise. The chapter Yi Fa Fang Yi Lun (Discourse on Different Therapeutic Patterns Suitable for Use in Different Cardinal Points) in the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic: Basic Questions) records that“The center, its land is flat and damp. It is here that heaven and earth generate the myriad beings in large numbers. Its people eat diverse foods and are never fatigued. Hence, their diseases are often limpness with receding qi, and spells of cold and heat.For their treatment, daoyin and pressing acupuncture points are appropriate. Hence, it is for sure that daoyin and pressing acupuncture points have originated in the center.”
在中国的秦汉时期，导引等练功锻炼有了很大的发展，出现了更多的模仿动物的养生锻炼。西汉刘安的《淮南子》一书中除了提到“熊经、鸟伸”等仿生动作以外，还有“凫浴”“猿躩”“鸱视”“虎顾”等。1974年，湖南长沙马王堆三号墓里发掘出一幅帛画，被命名为《马王堆导引图》。该图反映了二千多年前人们通过练功导引来锻炼身体，用以防治疾病的生动情景。这张《导引图》画在一幅高约 50厘米，长约 100厘米的缯帛上，图中现存有 44个各种人物的图像，分绘成上下 4层，其中有男有女，有老有少，个别人像还手持器物。从《导引图》所绘的人像及所着服饰来看，多为庶民阶层。《导引图》绘有按各种动物姿态进行锻炼的仿生运动，大多数为徒手操，也有使用棍杖等辅助锻炼身体用的器械运动。
During the Qin (221 BCE—207 BCE) and Han (202 BCE—220 AD) Dynasties, qigong developed greatly, emerging more animal-imitating exercises to preserve health. Such movements as bears climbing trees, cranes extending their body, cranes playing in the water and monkeys jumping around were recorded in the book Huainanzi compiled by Liu An in the Western Han Dynasty. The silk painting Chart of Daoyin unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tombs in 1974 depicts the people living before 2000 years were practicing daoyin to prevent and treat diseases. This is a chart with a height of about 50cm and a length of about 100cm. A total of 44 men, women,old and young are arranged in four rows to mimic the behaviors of animals.
汉代末年，著名的中医学家华佗根据“流水不腐，户枢不蠹”“道法自然”“熊经鸟申”五行学说等理论和现象，以及《淮南子》上提到的若干动物动作，再结合自己的临床经验，创编了一套医学运动锻炼功法操，命名为“五禽戏”：“一曰虎，二曰鹿，三曰熊，四曰猿，五曰鸟。”功能“除疾，兼利蹄足，以当导引。体有不快，起作一禽之戏，怡而汗出，因以著粉，身体轻便而欲食。”其中虎戏有助于舒发肝气为木行，鹿戏有助于提振肾气为水行，熊戏有助于健运脾胃为土行，猿戏有助于开通心气为火行，鸟戏有助于宣畅肺气为金行。因这套仿生功法操模仿“虎之威猛、鹿之安舒、熊之沉稳、猿之灵巧、鸟之轻捷”的丰富意象，生动活泼，具有很好传播性和普及性，一直流传至今。
Hua Tuo is a noted physician in the Eastern Han Dynasty(25 AD—220 AD). He devised a medical exercise named Frolics of the Five Animals. In addition to his own clinical experience,this exercise integrated such theories and phenomena as“ dao modeling itself after nature”, “running water never being stale and a door-hinge never getting worm-eaten”, daoyin , five elements and the animal behaviors mentioned in the book Huainanzi . It mimics the behaviors of the five animals — tiger,deer, bear, monkey and crane. The Hou Han Shu (History of the Later Han) records that “Frolics of the Five Animals can treat diseases and benefit the legs and feet. When you are not feeling yourself, you can do this exercise after getting up. You may present with profuse sweating that can be stopped by applying some powder. Then you may feel better and desire to take food.” The five animals correspond to both five elements and five zang organs. Tiger represents wood to benefit the liver; deer represents water to benefit the kidney; bear represents earth to benefit the spleen; monkey represents fire to benefit the heart;crane represents metal to benefit the lung. This lively bionic exercise has been widely introduced and inherited up to now.
医药学家和养生学家陶弘景在他的《养性延命录》一书中辑录了《导引经》，保存了许多宝贵的隋唐以前的导引练功资料。其中提到在清晨时做的一套导引术，有狼踞、鸱顾、顿足、叉手、伸足、熨眼、搔目、摩面、干浴等动作。陶弘景还开创了六字诀吐纳行气法，即“纳气有一，吐气有六。纳气一者，谓吸也；吐气有六者，谓吹、呼、唏、呵、嘘、呬，皆出气也”。后人将六字诀进一步发展，并结合五行学说，将“嘘”“呵”“呼”“呬”“吹”“嘻”六字吐气分别对应木、火、土、金、水、木，并运用五行之间的相生相克来防治疾病。
Tao Hongjing is a medical scientist. In his book Yang Xing Yan Ming Lu (Records of Health Preservation and Longevity),he compiled the Dao Yin Jing that recorded many valuable information on daoyin before the Sui (581 AD—618 AD) and Tang (618 AD—907 AD) Dynasties. For example, he mentioned a daoyin practice that mimics the behaviors of animals and also contains the movements of kneading the body. In addition,he created a breathing exercise named Six Healing Sounds that is to pronounce the sounds of Chui, Hu, Xi, He, Xu and Si to subtly vibrate the internal zang-fu organs and stimulate the circulation of qi and blood in meridians. Later generations developed this exercise and corresponded the six sounds with five elements to prevent and treat diseases. (Xu corresponds with wood, He corresponds with fire, Hu corresponds with earth, Si corresponds with metal, Chui corresponds with water,and Xi corresponds with wood.)
这个时期，士大夫阶层练习导引术成为一种社会风气。当时著名书法家，被人们尊为“书圣”的王羲之练习一种称作“鹅掌戏”的功法，模仿鹅的划水、行走、亮翅、觅食等动作，这种练习大大增强了他的手臂力量。有了这样的功夫，王羲之写起字来龙飞凤舞，达到极高的造诣。据说他的笔力雄厚，写出的字不仅力透纸背，而且入木三分。
During this period, it was a craze for the literati and officialdom to practice daoyin , for example the famous calligrapher Wang Xizhi (303 AD—361 AD). He devised and practiced a kind of daoyin named Frolics of Goose that imitated geese’s swimming, walking, extending wings and preying. This practice greatly enhanced his arm strength and thus helped with his calligraphy.
隋唐（公元 581—907年）是中国古代社会的鼎盛时期，气魄恢宏大度，对各种学问流派都兼收并取，各种流派的练功锻炼技术在这时也逐渐汇集在一起，逐渐形成一个博大精深的体系。隋朝太医令巢元方的《诸病源候论》中就列有 289条练功养生法。唐代医学家王焘的《外台秘要》中所记载的导引方法有300种以上。这个时期著名的医学家，被后人誉为“药王”的孙思邈对导引练功等内容做了大量的记录和总结，在其著作《备急千金要方》《千金翼方》和《摄养枕中方》中有记载了不少功法，诸如天竺按摩法、老子按摩法等。孙思邈小时候体弱多病，但是靠着自己高超的养生术活到了 101岁的高龄。
The period during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 AD—907 AD) witnessed the heyday of ancient China, which was tolerant towards various schools of thought and practice.Thus, various schools gradually gathered together to form a broad system. Chao Yuanfang (Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau in the Sui Dynasty) recorded 289 qigong practices to preserve health in his book Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun (Treatise on the Origins and Manifestations of Various Diseases). Wang Tao(a famous physician in the Tang Dynasty) recorded over 300 daoyin methods in his book Wai Tai Mi Yao (Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library). Another eminent physician Sun Simiao also recorded a lot of qigong practices in his works of Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (Important Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces for Emergency), Qian Jin Yi Fang (Supplement to Important Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces) and She Yang Zhen Zhong Fang (Formulas Keeping under One’s Pillow for Preserving Health). Among them, the daoyin method from ancient India and the daoyin method created by Laozi were included. Though constitutionally weak, Sun Simiao, who benefited from his excellent health preservation methods, lived to the age of 101.
宋金元时期（公元 960—1368年），印刷术的革新使得许多资料得以保存，各种学术也快速传播和发展。中国古代的导引术改变了以前过于繁琐、不易学习的不足，向成套精炼、简便易行的方向发展。其中代表性的锻炼功法就是八段锦。“八段锦”名词最早出现在南宋洪迈所著《夷坚志》一书中：“政和七年，李似矩为起居郎……常以夜半时起坐，嘘吸按摩，行所谓八段锦者。”八段锦整合了诸多导引术和行气术的精华，依据“天、地、人三才合一”的理论，将八个通用的练功招式贯通为一体，使习练者无需过多思考就能顾及身体内外、经络脏腑的全面运动锻炼。后来，有人将八段锦套路操作进行歌诀化，称之为：“两手托天理三焦，左右开弓似射雕，调理脾胃需单举，五劳七伤往后瞧，摇头摆尾去心火，两手攀足固肾腰，攒拳怒目增气力，背后七颠百病消。”这套导引练功操在民间广为流传。
During the Song, Jurchen Jin and Yuan Dynasties (960 AD—1368 AD), printing technique made the literature preservation possible and thus all kinds of academic thoughts were extensively introduced and developed. Taking daoyin as an example, it was much simpler and more convenient. The representative is the Eight Sections of Brocade. The term Eight Sections of Brocade was first recorded in the book Yi Jian Zhi written by Hong Mai in the Song Dynasty (960 AD—1279 AD).In this book he wrote a story: “In the Song Dynasty, there was an official named Li Mida who often sat on the bed in the mid night to practice Tuna and daoyin . Personally, he called it Eight Sections of Brocade.” However, this Eight Sections of Brocade is not the one we often talk about. The Eight Sections of Brocade in our qigong practice absorbed the quintessence of many daoyin and Tuna methods. On the basis of unity of heaven,earth and human, the eight general Movements are integrated into one exercise that enables the exercisers to practice the body,meridians and zang-fu organs. In this regard, this qigong practice is very popular and welcomed. Specifically, the eight Movements are Lifting the Heavens with Two Hands to Regulate Sanjiao ,Drawing the Bow Both Left and Right-Handed to Shoot the Hawk,Holding One Arm Aloft to Regulate the Spleen and Stomach,Looking from Side to Side to Prevent Five Overstrains and Seven Injuries, Swaying the Head and Shaking to Clear Heart-Fire,Holding the Feet with Both Hands to Consolidate the Kidney and Low Back, Clenching the Fists and Glaring Angrily to Increase Strength, and Seven Times of Bouncing to Relieve All Diseases.
中国道教在东汉至魏晋南北朝期间产生并逐步成熟，其崇尚老庄的道家思想，以“尊道贵德、效法自然、清静无为”为信仰和追求，其中包含了精神形体的诸多修炼内容，也被后世气功纳入练功锻炼体系。宋金元时期，王重阳创立了全真道，成为后世道教的两大派别之一。全真道主张儒、释、道三教合一，以“三教圆融、识心见性、独全其真”为宗旨，遵奉《道德经》《清静经》《孝经》《心经》等为主要经典。王重阳的七个主要弟子各其分出了支派，其中“全真七子”之一郝大通创立了全真道华山派，创编有以“柔身养形，练形生精”为主要特色的经典功法回春功。回春功法动作多以效法自然界动物、神话人物或仙兽为意象，优雅舒展，逍遥自在，为后世创编新功法提供了很多很好的借鉴和参考。
Taoism emerged and gradually developed from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD—220 AD) to the Wei Jin Southern and Northern Dynasties (220 AD—589 AD). Taoists “cherish dao and de , follow the law of nature and do nothing (for the sake of doing it)”. These beliefs contain many cultivation contents of both the mind and body, and have also been taken into qigong practice by later generations. During the Song, Jurchen Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Wang Chongyang founded the Quanzhen Taoism sect that became one of the two major sects of Taoism later. This sect advocated the integration of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism, pursued the cultivation of inherent nature and life endowment, and regarded the contents of Dao De Jing , Xin Jing (Heart Sutra), Xiao Jing (The Book of Filial Piety) and Qing Jing Jing (Sutra of Pure and Calm) as its doctrine. The seven main disciples of Wang Chongyang founded their own branches. Among them, Hao Datong established the Huashan branch and devised the Life-Recuperating Qigong exercise that featured “cultivating the body to generate essence”.This exercise mostly imitates the behaviors of animals in nature and myths as well as mythical figures, which provides a lot of references for later generations to create new qigong exercises.