Wu Chang Zheng (The Five Constant Governing)

Annual Climate Prediction: Nature's Three Postures and the Law of Balance

The Macro Universe: Postures of Qi and Natural Checks

This chapter elevates our view to the macro dimension of global ecology and cosmic climate. The forces of nature are not static. Annual climate anomalies and the vitality of all things depend on the 'postures' of Qi and nature's self-correcting laws.

The Three Postures of Nature

The annual ruling Qi manifests in three states:
1. Balanced Qi (Harmony): Perfect equilibrium (e.g., gentle Wood Qi is called 'Spreading Harmony'), where all life grows peacefully.
2. Excess (The Tyrant): Overabundant force (e.g., fierce Wood Qi is called 'Occurrence'), violently over-exploiting (overcoming) the Earth element like a storm.
3. Deficiency (The Weak): Lacking force (e.g., weak Wood is called 'Yielding Harmony'), making it vulnerable to bullying and invasion by the Metal element.

Nature's Self-Correcting Mechanism: Overcoming and Revenge

Nature never allows one force to dominate eternally. 'Overcoming' is bullying; if Wood is in Excess this year, it bullies Earth. 'Revenge' is the restoration of balance; when Earth suffers, its child 'Metal' rises up to strike down Wood and avenge its mother. Extreme weather (severe droughts or winters) is always driven by this underlying mechanism of checks and balances.

Systems Cybernetics Translation: Negative Feedback Loop and Ecological Dynamic Equilibrium

The 'Law of Victory and Revenge' in the Neijing is known in modern systems cybernetics and ecology as the 'Negative Feedback Loop'. Much like the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey equations: when Wood energy (predator) over-multiplies and destroys Earth energy (prey), the system's collapse automatically triggers the rise of Metal energy (apex predator) to suppress it. Nature uses this cruel yet precise automatic debugging mechanism to maintain the Dynamic Equilibrium of the global climate and biosphere.

💡 Academic Note: The original classical text contains highly context-dependent metaphysical terminology. It is preserved only in the Chinese versions to maintain linguistic accuracy.

Annual Climate Prediction: The Five Elements Cycle

By calculating the 'Heavenly Stem (Host Qi)' and 'Earthly Branch & Governing Heaven (Guest Qi)' of each year, we can predict the final climate trend. The tables below show the ultimate evolution when a year faces 'Excess' or 'Deficiency'.

Years of Wood

Qi StatusAnnual StemGoverning HeavenBranchFinal Transformation
Deficient WoodDing 丁Taiyin Damp EarthChou/WeiEarth
Ding 丁Yangming Dry MetalMao/YouMetal
Ding 丁Jueyin Wind WoodSi/HaiWood
Excess WoodRen 壬Shaoyin Lord FireZi/WuAbundant Wood
Ren 壬Shaoyang Min. FireYin/ShenAbundant Wood
Ren 壬Taiyang Cold WaterChen/XuAbundant Wood

Years of Fire

Qi StatusAnnual StemGoverning HeavenBranchFinal Transformation
Deficient FireGui 癸Taiyin Damp EarthChou/WeiWeak Water
Gui 癸Yangming Dry MetalMao/YouMetal
Gui 癸Jueyin Wind WoodSi/HaiWeak Water
Excess FireWu 戊Shaoyin Lord FireZi/WuAbundant Fire
Wu 戊Shaoyang Min. FireYin/ShenAbundant Fire
Wu 戊Taiyang Cold WaterChen/XuFire

Years of Earth

Qi StatusAnnual StemGoverning HeavenBranchFinal Transformation
Deficient EarthJi 己Taiyin Damp EarthChou/WeiEarth
Ji 己Yangming Dry MetalMao/YouWeak Earth
Ji 己Jueyin Wind WoodSi/HaiWood
Excess EarthJia 甲Shaoyin Lord FireZi/WuAbundant Earth
Jia 甲Shaoyang Min. FireYin/ShenAbundant Earth
Jia 甲Taiyang Cold WaterChen/XuAbundant Earth

Years of Metal

Qi StatusAnnual StemGoverning HeavenBranchFinal Transformation
Deficient MetalYi 乙Taiyin Damp EarthChou/WeiWeak Metal
Yi 乙Yangming Dry MetalMao/YouMetal
Yi 乙Jueyin Wind WoodSi/HaiWood
Excess MetalGeng 庚Shaoyin Lord FireZi/WuMetal
Geng 庚Shaoyang Min. FireYin/ShenMetal
Geng 庚Taiyang Cold WaterChen/XuAbundant Metal

Years of Water

Qi StatusAnnual StemGoverning HeavenBranchFinal Transformation
Deficient WaterXin 辛Taiyin Damp EarthChou/WeiEarth
Xin 辛Yangming Dry MetalMao/YouWeak Water
Xin 辛Jueyin Wind WoodSi/HaiWeak Water
Excess WaterBing 丙Shaoyin Lord FireZi/WuAbundant Water
Bing 丙Shaoyang Min. FireYin/ShenAbundant Water
Bing 丙Taiyang Cold WaterChen/XuAbundant Water

Environment and Constitution: Geography and Healing Philosophy

Climate is shaped not only by the year but by geography. The ancients profoundly understood the 'principle of high and low altitudes', developing a philosophy of medical restraint that avoids over-interfering with nature.

The Northwest: The Principle of High & Cold

High altitude and coldness cause Qi to be 'withdrawn and stored'. Thus, the vital essence of Northwesterners is firmly preserved, generally leading to a longer life. Treatment should aim to disperse and cool.

The Southeast: The Principle of Warm & Low

Low altitude and warmth cause Qi to 'disperse and leak'. Vital Yang energy is easily over-consumed, generally leading to a shorter life. Treatment should aim to consolidate and warm.

Environmental Medicine Translation: Epigenetics and Thermoregulation

The lifespan difference caused by 'the high cold of the northwest' and 'the warm heat of the southeast' involves the 'Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)' and 'Epigenetics' in modern environmental medicine. To reduce heat loss, organisms in cold regions lower their cell division rate and enter a relatively 'convergent' low-power mode, thereby delaying telomere shortening (leading to a longer lifespan). Conversely, a hot and humid environment keeps the cardiovascular system and sweat glands in a long-term 'venting' state of high power consumption, accelerating cellular oxidative stress and aging.

Wisdom of Life The Philosophy of 'Restraint': Stop at 60% with Strong Medicine

When treating illness, Chinese medicine advocates making peace with nature rather than annihilating the disease completely, to avoid harming the body's life-sustaining 'Righteous Qi':

  • Strongly toxic herbs: Use fierce medicine to attack the evil; stop when 60% cured.
  • Moderately toxic herbs: Stop when 70% cured.
  • Mildly toxic herbs: Stop when 80% cured.
  • Non-toxic herbs: Stop when 90% cured.
  • Final Nourishment: Leave the rest to 'grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables'. Rely on natural dietary nourishment, and never over-interfere.
Modern Pharmacology Translation: Microbiome Balance and Antimicrobial Stewardship

'Treating diseases with highly toxic herbs, stop when six-tenths cured' demonstrates highly advanced modern immunological and pharmacological thinking. Modern medicine has found that using broad-spectrum antibiotics (heavy toxicity) to 'exterminate' bacteria in the body not only kills pathogens but also destroys the human gut microbiome (righteous qi/natural harmony), and can even induce superbugs (antibiotic resistance). TCM advocates withdrawing troops immediately after using drugs to repel the enemy's main force, leaving the remaining battlefield cleanup to the body's own immune macrophages and daily nutrition (grains, meat, fruits, and vegetables) to repair. This is the highest guiding principle for protecting the immune baseline.

💡 Academic Note: The original classical text contains highly context-dependent metaphysical terminology. It is preserved only in the Chinese versions to maintain linguistic accuracy.