San Cai & Wu Xing, Straight
The two frames at the heart of the temple, in work language rather than lecture language.
San Cai (Three Powers) and Wu Xing (Five Elements) are the skeleton of this site — the first locates the blockage, the second names the phase. These are the questions visitors ask most, answered plainly.
The questions
What is San Cai?
San Cai (三才) is the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and Man — a three-layer frame. Heaven is timing and conditions, Earth is place and resources, Man is will and action. Diagnose from the top down, then act.
What is Wu Xing?
Wu Xing (五行) is the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Not five substances but five behaviors of qi: Wood begins, Fire expresses, Earth nourishes, Metal releases, Water rests.
How do the five elements relate to each other?
Each one generates the next — Wood→Fire→Earth→Metal→Water→Wood — and each controls one other: Wood controls Earth, Earth controls Water, Water controls Fire, Fire controls Metal, Metal controls Wood.
What is wu wei?
Wu wei (無為), effortless action — acting with the current instead of against it. Not doing nothing: doing the right thing at the right moment with the least force.
What is gui wei?
Gui wei (歸位) — returning to your correct position. The process of harmonizing and coming back into alignment with the season and the situation.
How do I know which element I am in?
Look at the season and the state of the work: stalled and needing to start is Wood, ready to be seen is Fire, needing care is Earth, needing to let go is Metal, exhausted is Water.
Go deeper: the Three Powers · the Five Elements · the Wu Xing Tool Matrix · the general FAQ