Chinese Idiom: 一物降一物 (Yi Wu Xiang Yi Wu)
English Translation: One Thing Overcomes Another
pīn yīn: yī wù xiáng yī wù
Idiom Meaning: This idiom suggests that there is always one thing that can counteract or control another, emphasizing the idea that everything has its match. The term “降” (xiáng) means to subdue or overcome.
Historical Source: Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi).
Idiom Story: The classical Chinese mythological novel Investiture of the Gods, written by Xu Zhonglin in the Ming Dynasty (or attributed to Daoist Lu Xingming), narrates the chaotic political events at the end of the Shang Dynasty and the subsequent conquest by King Wu of Zhou.
The last ruler of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou (Di Xin), was a tyrannical monarch. King Wu of Zhou, with the assistance of Jiang Ziya (Jiang Taigong), rallied the feudal lords and launched a military campaign against him. During the battles between the Shang and Zhou armies, the author of Investiture of the Gods incorporated numerous deities and immortals assisting both sides. The immortals supporting King Wu were from the Chan School, while those aiding King Zhou were from the Jie School.
In these divine conflicts, each immortal wielded their own magical “treasures” or tools to subdue their opponents. When one immortal presented a powerful treasure, the opposing immortal would counter with an even stronger one. This back-and-forth struggle of magical artifacts continued until the Jie School was ultimately defeated, leading to the downfall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty under King Wu.
From these mythological battles, the idiom “One Thing Overcomes Another” (一物降一物) was derived, summarizing the concept that for every powerful entity, there is another that can defeat it.
