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Ancient Classics -> Shang Shu -> Zhou Shu -> Great Plan -> 3

i. 'First, of the five elements.
The first is water;
the second is fire;
the third, wood;
the fourth, metal;
and the fifth, earth.
(The nature of) water is to soak and descend;
of fire, to blaze and ascend;
of wood, to be crooked and straight;
of metal, to yield and change;
while (that of) earth is seen in seed-sowing and in-gathering.
That which soaks and descends becomes salt;
that which blazes and ascends becomes bitter;
that which is crooked and straight becomes sour;
that which yields and changes becomes acrid;
and from seed-sowing and in-gathering comes sweetness.'


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