All phenomenon’s whatsoever can be translated in terms of Yin and Yang. The basic and primary concepts of Yin and Yang can be traced deep within the Taoist philosophy.
Taoist Philosophy on Yin and Yang
Taoism philosophy has been connected with the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu who around 500 B.C.E wrote the main book of Taoism, The Tao Te Ching. According to Taoism, its basic principles are inaction, simplicity, and living in harmony with nature. Taoist philosophical principle rested on a belief in the law of the unity of the two opposite forces: yin and yang.
The Yin and Yang meaning
Yin and Yang make lots of appearances in the popular and consumer culture representing things like balance and inner peace. But the profundity of Yin and Yang goes way beyond that. In order for us to change our view about this universe, it is important that we understand this mysterious philosophy. The meaning of Yin and Yang is paradoxical like the black and white which are two opposing forces but are complementary in nature. The continuous attraction and repulsion cause a constant change that manifests in what we call the universe.
Certain phenomena like life and death, summer and winter, light and dark, matter and emptiness are the physical manifestation of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang can be popularly referred to as masculine and feminine according to famous Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu in his ancient masterpiece “The Tao Te Ching”.
In this book, Lao Tzu referred to mother earth as the feminine who is mysterious, receptive, and a passive force which is depicted by the black part of the Yin Yang symbol. In contrast, the masculine part is the active force that is basically most active and prominent, represented by the white part of the Yin and Yang symbol. This according to Lao Tzu was not an attempt to undermine any of the sexes, but rather it stresses upon showing the opposite natures of each.
When we look closely at the Yin and Yang symbol, we see a black dot in the middle of the white area and a white dot in the black area. This suggests that both masculine and feminine carry the seed of one another. Every situation in our life has its own aspects of Yin and Yang. But there shouldn’t be any absolutes in terms of identifying the Yin and Yang.
According to Lao Tzu,
“When people see some things as beautiful,
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.”
Every example has its own element of Yin and Yang in it. Yin, in general, resembles the low, passive, empty, dark whereas the Yang symbolizes the high, full, light, active, and aggression. These two elements of Yin and Yang are complementary in that they cannot function in the absence of one another. However in our modern world, very often we seem to undermine the importance of Yin elements in most situations. We have become a goal-oriented species with our preference for actions over cessations. Because of this, we generally lack respect for the passive elements of life. But this isn’t the case in a real sense. Yin or the passiveness has its own aura of massive energy.
For example, muscles aren’t built in the gym. They are built-in bed, couch, and in any situation when they don’t work so that the course of nature can rebuild the muscle tissues. Hence they turn out stronger in the next lifting session. So the most prominent characteristic of Yin is its receptiveness. It is the ability of the receptiveness of a flower to be pollinated by the insects to that of the beautiful shy women waiting for the forthright man to make its first move.
Seeing these examples, Yin is nowhere without the presence of Yang element in it. An emptiness can only be of use if there is something built around it. Even in the case of pollination of a flower by the bees, bees normally are the Yang element in reference to the flower which is the Yin element. However, if we look closely into the bees, these tiny organisms have their own elements of Yins and Yangs on a huge scale. The scale of Yin and Yang in the bees can be tracked deeply into the level of atoms where it has been made with negative electrons, positive protons, and neutral neutrons.
In a nutshell, the action of Yin and Yang are complementary. When one element of Yang grows too dominant, the other Yin element will begin to grow until it becomes dominant and the other will grow. For instance, it is relatively difficult for us to stay angry all the time throughout the year. Our anger is often accompanied by the sudden realization of its futility by sending us into a mood of peacefulness.
“If you want something to return to the source,
You must first allow it to spread it out.
If you want something to weaken,
You must first allow it to become strong.If you want something to be removed,
Lao Tzu
You must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to possess something,
You must first give it away.”
Yin and yang complement each other, create each other, support each other, regulate each other and transform each other. It was advised that a balance in Yin and the Yang is extremely important for oneself to have. Your food tastes delicious as you had tried something disgusting in the past. You are only pretty because someone else is ugly. Without the opposites, there is nothing to support your position in the hierarchy. We are good as a result of many bad people. Nonetheless, too much passiveness and too much activeness aren’t good for both the element of Yin and Yang. A proper balance in both elements is needed for a meaningful life.
Yin and Yang story
Once upon a time in China, there were two kingdoms Yin and Yang. The Yin kingdom is in the midst of the Himalayas and it was freezing cold with the temperature totally unsuitable for the growth of crops. Moreover, the sporadic avalanches, the resident had to face made it hard for the people of Yin to live as they were mostly dependent on the crops they grow.
While the Yang kingdom existed in the midst of the Taklamakan desert of Xinjiang prefectures of China. The lasting on draught for many years has made the life of the people in Yang kingdom very miserable. Their difficult condition has been made worse by the frequent sandstorm.
Life has been difficult for both the kingdoms and nobody from the kingdoms could figure out why everything in their life had to be so tough? Hence the people of both kingdoms relied heavily upon the spiritual supernatural orders to relieve them of their difficulties. However, their efforts were unanswered with the difficulties still at large in their respected kingdoms. So they consulted the highly ordained monks from their own kingdoms. The highly ordained monk from the Yin kingdom was called Zhen and the highly ordained monk from the Yang kingdom was called Chen.
One day Zhen and Chen set out of their kingdoms in their long quest to consult Qyun Tzu the highest monk of China who lived in the sacred temple of heaven. The two monks set out from their kingdoms for months and months with no other contact from any beings. Since they both set out of their kingdoms roughly at the same time, the temple was the roughly same distance from each kingdom.
As they reached the temple door around the same time, as they came into each other sight, the symbols around their necks started tugging on the chains of each other. They began to pull strongly towards each other and it broke away from their chains. When these two symbols combined, a bright light shone so brightly that it momentarily blinded the monks for a while. A new symbol was formed and both the monk understood this as a signal from the god to solve their problems.
It became clear to both of them that to overcome their difficulties, they must help each other. Hence the monks went back to their respected kingdoms, packed all the belongings of the residents, and walked halfway away from their kingdoms. Thus formed a new kingdom called YenYang which lived in harmony and prosperity.
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