"The terms Yin, the dark and Yang, the light, denote respectively the shadowed and light side of a mountain or a river. Yang represents the south side of the mountain, because this side receives the sunlight, but it connotes the north side of the river, because the light of the river is reflected to that side. The reverse is true as regards yin. The terms are gradually extended to include the two polar forces of the universe which we may call positive and negative."
WILHELM 1967 p297-298)
Ancient Chinese philosophers and sages are thought to have collected and first written down observations of the natural world around them during the Qin and Han dynasties (221BCE and 220CE). Their collection of writings formed the basis of the Chinese classic the “I-Ching” or Book of Changes. The sages believed that everything in the universe can be described in terms of a polar combination of entities which they called “Yin” and “Yang” and the Wu-hsing or five element theory which described a clyclic process of energy transformation of five basic types of energy, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
Yin and Yang Theory
Yin and Yang formed the basis of a system in which all phenomena can be described in complementary groups, a natural law of opposites. According to theory, all things and phenomena in the universe contain two polar aspects, “Yin” and “Yang” that are both seen as being complementary to each other and at the same time, in opposition to each other, that is, one cannot exist without the other. It would be impossible for us to have any concept of “day” if we had no concept of “night” to compare it with, hot cannot exist without cold, and good can not exist with out evil. Yin and Yang are therefore both interdependent, and in conflict with each other.
WILHELM 1967 p297-298)
Ancient Chinese philosophers and sages are thought to have collected and first written down observations of the natural world around them during the Qin and Han dynasties (221BCE and 220CE). Their collection of writings formed the basis of the Chinese classic the “I-Ching” or Book of Changes. The sages believed that everything in the universe can be described in terms of a polar combination of entities which they called “Yin” and “Yang” and the Wu-hsing or five element theory which described a clyclic process of energy transformation of five basic types of energy, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.
Yin and Yang Theory
Yin and Yang formed the basis of a system in which all phenomena can be described in complementary groups, a natural law of opposites. According to theory, all things and phenomena in the universe contain two polar aspects, “Yin” and “Yang” that are both seen as being complementary to each other and at the same time, in opposition to each other, that is, one cannot exist without the other. It would be impossible for us to have any concept of “day” if we had no concept of “night” to compare it with, hot cannot exist without cold, and good can not exist with out evil. Yin and Yang are therefore both interdependent, and in conflict with each other.
Just as one side of a mountain faces south and is warmed by the sun, the north remains in the shade and is cooler. Yin and Yang are not mutually exclusive, within Yin there is an element of Yang and within Yang an element of Yin. Yin and yang are usually held in balance, that is, as one increase’s, the other decreases.
The interrelationships of every thing that exists can be expressed in the form of Yin and Yang and are represented as complementary and opposite entities and maybe expressed in tabular form, two broad categories of complementary terms, the list below is only a representation of the Yin and Yang phenomena and is by no means exhaustive.
Yin / Yang
Female / Male
Dark / Light
Cold / Hot
Rest / Movement
Static / Dynamic
Moon / Sun
Earth / Heaven
North / South
West / East
Winter / Summer
Solid (Liquid) / Vapour (Gas)
Condensation / Evaporation
Contraction / Expansion
Descending / Ascending
Below / Above
Lower part / Upper part
Left / Right
Night / Day
Water / Fire
Yielding / Resistance
Soft / Hard
Passive / Aggressive
Introverted / Outgoing
Quiet / Loud
Slow / Fast
Even / Odd
Wet / Dry
Chronic / Acute
No comments:
Post a Comment