关键词: 《尚书·洪范》, 五行, 起源, 水道, 德行

Abstract:

The origin of the five elements cannot be clarified in a single line perspective. The composite structure of “The Grand Rules” in The Book of Documents not only demonstrates the rich connotations of the five elements, but can also be seen as an attempt to incorporate multiple origins of the five elements into one kind of narrative. The first part of this piece is the scripture of “grand rules”, in which the five elements refer to watercourses belonged to the five elements of the earth, and this connotation comes from the original meaning of “element.” The second part is a preliminary interpretation of the scripture, in which five elements refer to the five kinds of acts or virtues of the monarch belonged to the five elements of man. This was the most common connotation of the five elements in the pre-Qin era, derived from the original meaning of the five elements. The third part is a further explanation of the second part, in which the five elements refer to water, fire, wood, gold, and earth. This kind of connotation had nothing to do with the original meaning and various derived meanings of “element,” but is the kind of connotation generated from several transformations, which became the core connotation of the five elements after the Han dynasty.