It has been years since you left your home. You've been traveling for so long you no longer remember where you are from, why you laugh so easily, or even who you are. You only know that you set out to learn more of the world, and to acquire more wisdom.
After traveling for many days without seeing another person, you arrive at a strange location. You have journeyed far in your time, but this place is like nothing you have seen. In each of five directions, there is a different wonder: the remains of a great fire, a mountain of rock, an exposed vein of metal, a towering waterfall, and a thick forest of wood.
A plaque sits on a pedestal in the center, bearing the five-pointed shape so beloved to some of your friends. An inscription reads,
Behold the Wu Xing, the five elements in constant relation to each other.
The engendering cycle is manifested by continuation,
the controlling cycle is revealed by commonality.
As you ponder the riddle you wonder whether it will bring you any of the knowledge you lack.