It is how we respond to these energies that determines the quality of our lives. Life is both yin and yang, it contains “good” and “evil”. When there is no more separation between ‘that’ and ‘this’, it is called being one with the Tao.”Īll opposites – thoughts, views, opinions, interpretations, phenomena – all spring from a common source. All can know good as good only because there is evil.” Then, more provocatively, he asks: “Is there a difference between yes and no?” “Is there a difference between good and evil?”Ĭhuang Tzu, another legendary Taoist sage, states that depending on your point of view, “Everything can be a ‘that’ everything can be a ‘this.’ Therefore, ‘that’ comes from ‘this’ and ‘this’ comes from ‘that’ – which means ‘that’ and ‘this’ give birth to one another. He writes, “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. If there is no “light”, there is no “dark”, no “up” without a “down”.
Lao Tzu, the immortal Taoist sage, reminds us that one polarity cannot exist without the other. There is a constant, natural flow between them.
Neither is excluded, neither one is superior to the other. All opposites are in actuality part of one whole, giving rise to one another. (Remember the sunny and dark sides of the mountain.)Īll is Tao. And the curved line suggests a flowing dynamic between the two – they are constantly changing, literally flowing into each other and becoming each other. The small dot signifies that as each energy reaches its fullest expression it already carries the seed of its opposite. You can see in this figure that the two energies are depicted as equally proportional, symbolizing a harmonious balance between the two. It is also sometimes referred to as the “yin-yang symbol”. This image is named the Tai Chi Tu, or Supreme Ultimate Map. This describes the interplay of yin and yang. Light and dark were not static but interacted with one another, defined one another, and actually assumed each other’s roles in the process of change.
As the sun moved across the sky it gradually began to light the opposite side while the earlier sunlit face became dark. Early in the day, the sun would illuminate one part of the mountain while the other side would remain dark. The original meaning of the term “yin-yang” signified the dark (yin) and light (yang) sides of a mountain. It is through them that the Tao reveals itself. Their interaction creates all manifestation. Whether it is the structure of DNA, with its positive and negative strands, the transmission of neurons in our brains, from a positively charged sender to a negatively charged receptor, the existence of the earth’s magnetic fields which regulate the ebb and flow of the ocean tides, or the makeup of electricity with its positive and negative currents – all of these processes take place because of these two opposing energies. It is yin and yang make the world go round! Our entire physical reality is based on the interplay of these two energies. It is important to note that these attributes are only descriptive and do not carry any moral value. Yang is characterized as creative, assertive, positive, and light, while yin is receptive, yielding, negative, and dark. They arise from a common source, the Tao. Though opposite in nature, they are not experienced as diametrically opposed, but rather as complementary and relative to one another. Yin and yang are the two essential and interdependent energies of life. This principle lies at the very root of the Taoist tradition and describes the underlying unity of life through the interplay of two primal forces. This is achieved through an understanding of yin and yang.
Yin and YangĪn important first step toward attaining this experience of interconnectedness is by learning to recognize and align ourselves with the movement of life itself. Gaining knowledge of the main principles of Taoist thought allows us to cultivate and strengthen our own process of self-exploration, growth, and transformation, and to connect us deeply to our inner nature and to the world around us. Their purpose is to assist us in experiencing our essential nature as inseparable from that of the cosmos, to be part of the flow of life. Taoist teachings function as a guide to daily living. Each commentary will focus on explaining and understanding a separate principle along with its application to daily living.
#Yin and yang symbol meaning daoism series#
This is the second in a series of six articles on fundamental Taoist principles.
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