In subtle ways, the lens through which I view Wu Hsing and the way in which it is presented here differs from most Five Elements schools today (though I still practice and teach Classical Five Element Acupuncture). My mentor, Professor J.R. Worsley, taught that "Nature is the True Teacher". I am eternally grateful to him for that guidance.  Because I followed his advice, my own Five Element study deepened exponentially and interdimensionally.

Nature continues to Teach me to view the world through an EcoCentric, Earth based lens, rather than an anthropocentric lens.  Anthropocentric means: regarding humankind as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to animals, and Nature.  Only through an Earth based, EcoCentric world view can we heal our collective disconnect from Nature, from our True Selves, from each Other, and from the Wholeness of Life.

Once we overcome our fear of being tiny,
we find ourselves on the threshold of a vast and awesome Universe
that utterly dwarfs — in time, in space, and in potential —
the tidy anthropocentric proscenium of our ancestors. 
Carl Sagan

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Whether we view the world through a "humans rule!" exclusive lens, or through a holistic inclusive lens has substantial, critical consequences such as pollution of the Water, destruction of the Rain Forest and climate change.  And for ourselves, consider which of these two translations from the Huangti Neijing you would prefer to use to visualize health and harmonious chi flow in your precious Liver:

 

AnthropoCentric translation:
The Liver has the functions of a
military leader who excels in his strategic planning.

Ilza Veith

 

EcoCentric translation:
The Way of the Liver
manifests animation,
the capacity to be ready,
strengthens the Life Gates,
and is the source of the Master Plan.

Bill Porter

 

Today, most of the modern world, including most schools of Five Element acupuncture, view the world through an anthropocentric lens. Through such a disconnected perspective, much of the ancient, Nature based, EcoCentric wisdom has been lost in translation...

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Juang-tzu says,
The knowlede of the ancients was perfect... How perfect?
At first, they did not know that there were things.
This is the most perfect knowledge; nothing can be added.

Next, they knew that there were things,

but did not yet make distinctions between them.

Next, they knew made distinctions between them,

but they did not yet pass judgments of right or wrong upon them.

When judgments of right or wrong were passed,

the Tao was lost.