Ask about the relationship between birth and gram four elephants

Classification: medical and health >; & gt Chinese medicine

Problem description:

As we all know, the four elephants are also called the four spirits or four places, namely water (East, Qinglong), fire (South, Suzaku), wind (West White Tiger) and earth (North, Xuanwu). I would like to invite experts to talk about the relationship between the four, thank you.

Analysis:

The landlord's statement was influenced by later Buddhism. In fact, fire, water and wind are not native to China, but imported from abroad. The ancient world of China was based on five behaviors, namely, Shang Jie's statement of fire, water and earth in Jin Mu. The second layer is basically correct, but there are some points to be added.

First, the four spirits are different from the four spirits. Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu belong to the four spirits, Kirin, Phoenix and Dragon Turtle. The biggest difference between the two is Kirin. According to the classification of ancient organisms in China, organisms are divided into five categories: scale, feather, medium, hairy and naked, and classified according to their body surface characteristics. Four spirits are scales. His works in Spring and Autumn Annals died soon. People think that Kirin does not bring auspicious omen, so it is not included in the Four Gods. However, in the Han Dynasty, Kirin was still added to astronomy, and the middle palace was named Huang Lin, which was also called the Five Beasts with the Four Gods.

Second, Twenty-eight Hostels is generally acknowledged to have originated in China, and Liu Si is actually the middle part of the four constellations, that is, the most important star (constellation) in each of the four constellations. It is said that "the stars in the sun are in Yin Zhongchun", "the sparks in the sun are always in midsummer", "the stars in the night are empty in Yin Zhongqiu" and "the stars in the sun are short" to determine the vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox and winter solstice, which are the criteria for dividing a year and are the four places. Interestingly, these four stars are mostly called "days" in later generations. Of course, their hearts are different, but it is not unreasonable to be close to the house.

Third, the four elephants and twenty-eight lodges gradually formed. That's right. There are four elephants and twenty-eight lodgers painted on the box of the tomb of Zeng Houyi (the tomb mentioned above), but the lack of Gong Bei is considered to imply the death of the owner of the tomb. In addition, the Western officials painted like tigers, and some people took this as the basis of the Western Palace. But in the ancient tombs unearthed in Xishuipo, there are already dragons and white tigers. Suzaku was not a phoenix at first. In the original Astronomical Twelve Chapters, Suzaku's Nangong consists of a quail head, a quail fire and a quail tail for three chapters, indicating that Suzaku is a quail. Of course, it is unsightly to be juxtaposed with the other three elephants, so it was replaced by a red peacock in the Han Dynasty and later a phoenix.

Fourth, the evolution of the four elephants. With the gradual enrichment of Taoist gods, the status of the four gods gradually declined, and the function of guarding the four countries was replaced by the Four Kingdoms Dragon King. In folk stories, the dragon and white tiger, born as the general of the world, have been enemies for generations, but they have always been the dragon of the white tiger. Finally, they became Taoist guardians. Suzaku almost disappeared from the myth. Only Xuanwu jumped into the nine-day throne, that is.

Five, the four attributes of soil, fire, water and wind are not related to each other, but later people added: soil and water, water and fire, fire and wind, wind and soil. In the five elements, wood can be transformed into wind and thunder, and soil is also the property of soil. But modern people attribute the wind to gold, and the attribute of thunder is still linked to wood.