GODAI

The art of Tenchi Seiki Te-Ate operates within the conceptual framework of a system known as godai, or, the 'Five Elements'. (This godai five-element system should not be confused with the Chinese Five Elements system).

Everything in the universe (including seiki) is perceived to be a manifestation of five great elemental 'building blocks'. - referred to as: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind/Air, and Void/Sky/Ether.

Earth gives substance; Water holds things together; Fire heats or transforms; Wind/Air is responsible for movement; & Void/Sky/Ether connects with the creative source.

In the godai system, the thumb represents Void or Sky (Power, Creativity); the index finger is associated with elemental Wind [Air], (Will, Wisdom); the middle finger, with elemental Fire (Passion, Agression); the ring finger - elemental Water (Emotion, Adaptability); and the little finger with elemental Earth (Stability, Physicality).


To each element are are linked many qualities and attributes.

For example: Anger, which is connected to heat in the body, relates to the Fire element. Unfulfilled desires & oppressive living conditions of any degree - whether familial, social, political, etc. can be the root cause of imbalances in the Air element; and so on.

These Five Elements: Void, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, are named respectively: Ku, Fu, Ka, Sui, & Chi (this latter is not the same as the Chinese Ch'i : energy).

Copyright © 2002 James Deacon