我現在把不傳之訣，不傳的秘密的方 法也傳給你們；本來不願意講的，因為西方人不了解這個道理。不單在西方人不了解這個道理，就是東方人了解這個道理的也很少。這是什麼呢？酸甜苦辣鹹，這是 五味。這五味屬五行––酸屬木，苦就屬火，辣就屬金，鹹就屬水，甜就屬土。

心肝脾肺腎

你若懂藥性哪，這藥性，好像「心肝脾 肺腎」，都屬五行的。心屬火旺，肝就屬木旺，脾胃就屬土旺，肺就是金旺，腎就是水旺。這人身上心肝脾肺腎，也就是金木水火土。你用這個藥，就是按著這五行 相剋相生來治病的。這個藥性就是有寒有熱的，寒的多數是屬水，寒就治熱的；熱的多數是屬火，就治寒的。所有的這個藥啊！天地就賦給它這個性。

那麼八卦裡頭，包藏著吉凶變化，裡邊 有很多文章了。在人一生裡頭，八卦又要用五行來配合它，五行是金木水火土，金能生水，水能生木，木能生火，火能生土，土能生金，按照五行這是順的來講，這 個相生就是對它利。相剋就是對它不利，不利就對它有損害，這就叫剋。水生木，金就剋木，它回頭剋。本來金生水的，水又生木；可是金不生水，就去剋木了。好 像人這個肺（金）本來是生水的，肺（金）生水，可是它不去生水了，那麼它怎麼辦呢？就回頭剋肝（木）去了，肝就有病了。肝（木）為什麼有病，就因為水不生 它了，那個肺（金）又來剋它，所以它就有病了。

這是說人的五臟，「心肝脾肺腎」也是 「金木水火土」。心屬火，肝屬木，脾屬土，肺屬金，腎屬水，這五行是一定的。所以，人有病，就是五行相剋了。怎麼剋的呢？它這裡頭都是一點一點就造成這樣 子，譬如，水本來生木，它不生木了，就回頭剋，回頭剋什麼？剋火，心就有病了，那麼木不能生火了。所以為什麼水不生木，木也不生火了，這個水就回頭剋火。 它這回頭剋，好像爸爸是生兒子的，那麼爺爺呢？就有的時候不喜歡這孫子；爸爸若一定喜歡，爺爺就不那麼喜歡，這就犯了回頭剋了。那麼，這個孫子呢？就有的 時候會欺負爺爺，很凶的。這也是一樣的道理。

父母祖孫，這也是五行。這五行，你若 懂了，處處都是五行。好像學生、先生，按五行來推都可以的。處處都是五行在這兒運轉，所以說：「能能誰不能，能者在五行；五行能運轉，不能也能行。」好像 說《易經》這個爻，「一爻不妄成，神爻豈濫發。」《易經》這個卦爻啊！不是隨隨便便就可以配成這麼一卦的！

夏屬火旺。夏天的時候天氣很熱，所以是火旺。
Summer corresponds to the flourishing of fire. It’s very hot in summertime, so it the flourishing of fire.

電腦用什麼發明的？就是《易經》那個 陰陽的道理，發明到這個樣子，這都不出中國的哲學。外國人把中國這個哲學，又推而廣之，擴而充之，而中國人就拿來當寶貝了。其實中國早就有這個原理。所以 中國發明電腦，現在發明的比西方人還快，就這樣子，他得到這個原理了。這是世界的學問，科學、哲學，什麼都在中國的文化裡頭包括著。就中國人以前不認識， 人家把它收拾又 remodeling（整頓)，remodeling（整頓）它，喔！這麼漂亮！就是這個道理，就像這房子似的，舊了，又 remodeling（整頓），它就這麼好，這是一樣的道理。

食物五行

酸屬木，苦就屬火，辣就屬金，鹹就屬 水，甜就屬土。來講一講吃東西，我相信很多人都歡喜聽這個，因為人人都要吃東西。「食色性也」，我們歡喜吃東西，歡喜看好顏色，這是與生俱來的一種習氣。 你看小孩子一生出來，他就先要吃奶。沒有奶吃，他就哭；有奶吃，他就不哭了；餓了，他又哭；吃飽了，他又不哭了。這種就是與生具來的一種性。可是我們吃東 西，必須要知道我們應該吃什麼東西。

我現在把不傳之訣，不傳的秘密的方法 也傳給你們；本來不願意講的，因為西方人不了解這個道理。不單在西方人不了解這個道理，就是東方人了解這個道理的也很少。這是什麼呢？酸甜苦辣鹹，這是五 味。這五味屬五行––酸屬木，苦就屬火，辣就屬金，鹹就屬水，甜就屬土。

我們人吃東西，在春天的時候，不應該 吃太多「酸」的，為什麼呢？春屬木旺，木最旺盛，你若再加上酸的東西，它更旺盛了，「更旺盛不好嗎？」過猶不及，太過了還是與不及是一樣的，所以我們人這 個身體需要補。春天木旺，木當令，因為春天萬物發生。酸就屬於木，在春天的時候不宜吃酸的，那麼少吃一點可以嗎？不要吃多，那就不是太過。酸就屬「肝」， 你若在春天的時候，吃酸的東西吃多了，就會傷肝。傷肝呢，眼睛看東西就看不清楚了。

夏屬火旺。夏天的時候天氣很熱，所以 是火旺。有人說：「夏天熱，那到澳洲，夏天六月是最涼的時候。」那是一個地方的氣候的關係，不是講普通的。所以夏天不要吃太多「苦」的，少吃一點可以的， 不要吃多。怎麼說「苦」屬「火」呢？所有飲食的東西，你用火一燒，你再來一吃，它是很苦的，所以苦就屬於「心」。

秋天屬金，不應該吃辣的東西吃太多 了。在秋天吃辣的東西吃太多了，就會傷肺。冬天屬水。冬天吃鹹的東西不應該吃太多了。鹹的東西吃太多了，就會傷腎。

你若能知道調和五味這種的道理，這是 一個養身最好的方法，比你吃多少維他命，那更有功效、更好。所以無論吃什麼東西，不要吃太多了，吃得多了，對人不但沒有益處，而且還有害處。

那麼說這個甜的呢？是在什麼時候吃？ 甜的東西，什麼時候都可以吃的，因為甜的是屬土，土旺於四季，四季就是春夏秋冬，都可以吃甜的。這個甜的東西對人沒有什麼大的害處，但是若吃得太多了，也 沒什麼好處。

屬土的東西都是什麼呢？好像米、麵包 這個東西都屬土的，都有一種甜的味道，所以我們人有的吃麵包、有的吃飯，這因為我們人都需要這個東西，這是講這個飲食經。這個飲食的經你沒有地方聽去，因 為佛沒有說過飲食經，佛說叫你「持午」、「日中一食」，要有次序。所以我們人人要是知道這種道理，你吃什麼東西不要太過，就會很少生病，很少生病，這你身 體就健康，身體健康，這是人生的一種幸福。

（全文完）

There is a secret method that isn’t usually transmitted, but now I’ll transmit it to you. Originally I didn’t want to speak about it, because Westerners don’t understand this principle. Not only do Westerners not understand, even Easterners who understand this principle are very few. What is it? Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, and salty—these are the five flavors. These five flavors correspond to the five elements—sour corresponds to wood, bitter to fire, pungent to metal, salty to water, and sweet to earth.

The Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys

If you understand the nature of medicinal herbs, you will see that the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys can also be classified according to the five elements. The heart is associated with the predominance of fire, the liver is associated with the predominance of wood, the spleen and stomach are associated with the predominance of earth, the lungs are associated with the predominance of metal, and the kidneys are associated with the predominance of water. In the human body, the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are connected with metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. When we prescribe Chinese medicines, we are simply following the principles of mutual production and destruction of the five elements to cure illness. The nature of a medicine may be cold or hot. Most cold medicines belong to the water element and are used to cure illnesses involving heat. Hot medicines mostly belong to the fire element and are used to cure illnesses involving coldness. Every medicine has a nature which is bestowed upon it by Heaven and Earth.

he eight trigrams include transformations of good fortune as well as misfortune, and these transformations carry many hidden meanings. In their application during the course of a person’s life, the eight trigrams should be used in combination with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Metal produces water, water produces wood, wood produces fire, fire produces earth, and earth produces metal. This is to speak in terms of following the cycle of the mutual production of the five elements, in which each element benefits the following element. In mutual destruction, each element does not benefit the following element, but harms it instead. Water produces wood, but metal destroys wood by turning around to destroy it. Although metal produces water and water produces wood, but metal does not produce water. Instead, metal destroys wood. For example, a person’s lungs (metal) are supposed to produce water, but suppose they don’t. What do they do then? They turn around and destroy the liver (wood), and the liver becomes sick. The reason the liver (wood) is sick is because water doesn’t nourish it and the lungs (metal) also overcome it.

The five organs in the human body—the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—are associated with metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The heart is associated with fire, the liver with wood, the spleen with earth, the lungs with metal, and the kidneys with water—these associations with the five elements are definite. Therefore, when a person becomes sick, it is because there is mutual destruction taking place among the five elements. How does it happen? It happens bit by bit. For example, water is supposed to produce wood, but instead of producing wood, it turns around and destroys fire, and so the heart has problems. Then wood cannot produce fire. Therefore, water cannot produce wood and wood cannot produce fire, and instead water turns around and destroys fire. This is like when a father has a son, the grandfather doesn’t necessarily like his grandson. The father definitely likes his son, but the grandfather doesn’t like him as much. This is a case of turning around and destroying. As for the grandson, he will sometimes bully his grandfather and be very mean to him. This is the same principle.

The parents, grandparents, and grandchildren are also governed by the five elements. If you understand the five elements, then everything is included in the function of the five elements. The relationship between a student and a teacher, for example, can also be analyzed in terms of the five elements. The five elements are functioning everywhere. Hence it is said, “The capable one is able, and who isn’t able? The capable one functions based on the five elements. As long as the five elements keep operating, even the incapable one can function well.” It’s also said about the lines in the Book of Changes, “Each line is not composed casually. How could those divine lines be random in their derivation?” It is not by casual chance that one derives a certain hexagram.

How was the computer invented? It was invented based on the principle of yin and yang found in the Book of Changes. Therefore, it doesn’t go beyond Chinese philosophy at all. Other countries took Chinese philosophy and expanded upon it, and now the Chinese regard the product of that development as a treasure. In fact, the Chinese knew the original principle long before. All of the knowledge in the world, be it scientific or philosophical, is contained within Chinese culture. But the Chinese people didn’t recognize it before. After other people did some remodeling on it, the Chinese took a look and thought, “Oh! How pretty!” That’s the principle. It’s just like remodeling a house. After an old house is remodeled, it looks great. This is the same idea.

The Five Elements in Food

Sour corresponds to wood, bitter to fire, pungent to metal, salty to water, and sweet to earth. Let’s talk about food. I’m sure many people will like to hear this, because all people have to eat. “Food and lust are in our nature.” We like to eat, and we like to look at pretty colors. These are habits that we are born with. You can see that when a baby is born, the first thing it wants is to drink milk. If it isn’t given milk to drink, it will cry. If it’s allowed to nurse, it stops crying. When the baby gets hungry, it also cries. When it’s full, it doesn’t cry anymore. These are all inborn habits. However, when we eat, we must understand what kinds of food we should eat.

藥性有寒有熱，寒的多數是屬水， 熱的多數是 屬火。
The nature of a medicine may be cold or hot. Most cold medicines belong
to the water element. Hot medicines mostly belong to the fire element.

There is a secret method that isn’t usually transmitted, but now I’ll transmit it to you. Originally I didn’t want to speak about it, because Westerners don’t understand this principle. Not only do Westerners not understand, even Easterners who understand this principle are very few. What is it? Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, and salty—these are the five flavors. These five flavors correspond to the five elements—sour corresponds to wood, bitter to fire, pungent to metal, salty to water, and sweet to earth.

In the springtime we shouldn’t eat too much sour food. Why is this? Spring is when wood flourishes. Wood is most flourishing then, and if you add food of a sour nature, it becomes even more flourishing. “Isn’t it good to be more flourishing?” you might ask. Too much is the same as too little. Going too far is the same as not going far enough. Therefore, we need to make up the deficiencies in our body. Wood flourishes in the spring. Wood is in command then, because spring is when all the myriad things are coming forth. Sourness is correlated with wood, and so in spring we should not eat too many sour things. Is it okay to eat a little bit? As long as you don’t eat a lot, it won’t be too much. Sourness is associated with the liver. If you eat too many sour things in the springtime, it will hurt your liver. When the liver is injured, you won’t be able to see things clearly. Summer corresponds to the flourishing of fire. It’s very hot in summertime, so fire flourishes. Someone says, “You say summer is hot, but when you go to Australia, the summer month of June is the coolest time of the year.” That’s because of the climate there. It’s not the ordinary case. In summer, we should not eat too many bitter things. We can eat a little bit, but not a lot. Why is bitterness said to be associated with fire? No matter what kind of food it is, if you burn it with fire and then eat it, it tastes bitter. Bitterness is associated with the heart.

◆秋天屬金，在 秋 天吃辣的東西吃太多了，就會傷肺。 Autumn is associated with metal. If we eat too many pungent things in autumn, this will hurt the lungs.

Autumn is associated with metal. At this time we should not eat too many pungent (hot, spicy) things. If we eat too many pungent things in autumn, this will hurt the lungs. Winter is associated with water. We should not eat too many salty things in wintertime. If we eat too much salty food, it will harm the kidneys.

If you know the principles of regulating and balancing the five flavors, you will find that this is the best method for staying healthy. It’s better and more effective than eating any amount of vitamins. No matter what kind of food it is, you shouldn’t eat too much of it. If you eat too much, not only will it not be beneficial, it will actually be harmful.

When should sweet things be eaten? Foods that are sweet can be eaten at any time. That’s because sweetness corresponds to earth, and earth flourishes during all four seasons. The four seasons are spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and we can eat sweet things during any of them. Sweet things do not have any major harmful effects on people, but if one eats too much of them, they are not of any benefit either.

◆春天木旺，木當令，因為春天萬物發生。 在春天的時候，酸的東西吃多了，就會傷肝。 Wood flourishes in the spring, because spring is when all the myriad things are coming forth. If you eat too many sour things in the springtime, it will hurt your liver.

What kinds of food are associated with earth? Such foods as rice and bread belong to earth. They have a sweet flavor to them. Therefore, some people eat bread, and others eat rice. People all need this kind of food. This is the speaking of the Food Sutra. There isn’t any place you can go to hear the Food Sutra, because the Buddha never spoke this Sutra. The Buddha told us to not eat after noon, and to eat one meal in the middle of the day. There has to be an orderly progression. Therefore, we should all be aware of this kind of principle. As long as you don’t eat too much of any food, you will seldom get sick. If you seldom get sick, your body will be healthy. Having a healthy body is a blessing in life.

(End of article)