Winds are Winds; Cash not Cash
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Cash is not Cash
The following is a direct quote from Sloperama FAQ 18. Mahjongg
Symbolism
“The Winds - Chinese culture, traditions, and rituals are based on the
four winds, which correspond to the four seasons. In the Spring, the
wind (it is said) comes from the East. In the Summer, the wind comes
from the hot South. In the Autumn, from the West, and in the Winter,
from the cold cold North. If you visit Forbidden City in Beijing, you
will learn of various ways that buildings and entrances were built to
accommodate rituals related to the seasons and the four ordinal
directions.”
Note that the Wind direction in mahjong follows the same
counterclockwise pattern of the earth.
http://www.mrdowling.com/images/601seasons.jpg
The following tables, taken from a book called Daoism A Short
Introduction by James Miller (2005), Assistant Professor of East Asian
Traditions at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, show the
correlations of natural elements and human existence. Chinese
astrology, cosmology, geomancy, medicine and physiology are inter-
related and change with the seasonal cycle as written in Chinese
history.
The mahjong game seems to capture the essence of an agrarian society
in ancient time when livelihood depends entirely on Father Heaven and
Mother Earth.
Wood East Green Spring
Fire South Red Summer
Earth Centre Yellow Late summer
Metal West White Fall
water North Black Winter
View the two tables side by side to see correspondence of cosmology
and physiology aspects of Daoism.
Jupiter Liver sour Anger
Mars Heart bitter Joy
Saturn Spleen sweet Worry
Venus Lungs pungent Sadness
mercury kidneys salty Fear
Obviously the Winds of mahjong correspond with the seasons and they
are aspects of cosmology in Daoism. There can be little doubt about
that. Rules of play in mahjong dictate the change of winds and their
directions by their seasonality.
Now why would you and I not to expect all symbols somehow relate more
to Seasons and Winds? Why do people hang on to the notion that the
circle in mahjong is Cash? What has Cash to do with the Winds?
One answer often given is that mahjong has its 3 money-suits derived
from old games and the Winds tiles were added later. Who would do a
thing like that and for what reason? It does not make much sense.
Winds and Money do not mix at any time, other than by accident.
By simple logic, if those circles on mahjong tiles represent real
cash, then the Winds in mahjong would not be real winds; and if EAST,
SOUTH, WEST, NORTH represent real winds for the four seasons, as
described in FAQ 18 above, then the Circles are not cash.
++++++++++++++
Allan Lee
March 9, 2009