Yin and Yang - what's that ?

Written by Knud Erik Andersen © 1998

What most people connects with Yin and Yang, is the symbol called The Double Fish Diagram.

The Double Fish Diagram

The Double Fish Diagram

The Diagram consists of a circle, in which there are two "Fish", where the one is black with a white "eye", and the other is white whit a black "eye". This Diagram was adopted by the Taoists and the common people. This Diagram was originally called: Tai Chi, and will be called so in the rest of this article.

The other Diagram was designed by Chou Lien-ch'i, a notable scholar of the Sung Dynasty (A.D. 1017-1073). This Diagram was adopted by the Confucians. Though the differ in form, they are exactly the same in representing the theories of Yin and Yang. The Chou Diagram was derived from I Ching, which contains the Chinese philosophy of Changes.

 

Chou's diagram

 

Chou's diagram

The black represents Yin - woman, softness, inactivity. The white represents Yang - man, firmness, activity etc. In general Yin and Yang are complementary opposites which unite to form a whole. Although they are opposite in nature, there is a harmonious relationship between them. For example, where there is day, there must be night and where there is night, there have to be day. Day is Yang, night is Yin. The relationship of day and night is that of opposites. Nevertheless, they are mutually coexisting and inseparable just like two sides of a coin.

Ancient Chinese philosophers called the void and boundless state which prevailed before the world was created and from which the universe was formed, Wu-Chi or the ultimate nothingness. Before creation, it is said there is nothing, yet certainly there is something. We do not know what that something is, nor do we know what that something comes from; but certainly something is there. This something cannot be comprehended rationally; its existence is only implied, like an object one almost catches sight of in a fog. Ancient Chinese philosophers described it as the phenomenon of nothingness or "thing of none". That is to say, that it has form, yet is unformed; it has shape that is still without shape; or, one could say, it is vagueness confused. One meets it, and it has no front; one follows, and there is no rear. This phenomenon of nothingness was the source of movement and stillness. Everything in the universe, including Yin and Yang, is believed to evolve continually from this unperceivable source. Lao Tzu called it Tao, the I Ching named it Tai Chi and Wang Tsung-Yueh who lived in Ching Dynasty in his theory of Tai Chi commented: "Tai Chi is born of Wu-Chi or the ultimate nothingness. It is origin of dynamic and state and the mother of Yin and Yang. If they move, the separate. If they remain static, they combine." Generally speaking, the concept of Wu-Chi and Tai Chi describe not only the aspects of creation of the universe, but also stages of all relationships between people, between objects or between people and objects. For example, a room before people enter it, is in the Wu-Chi stage; when people go into the room they bring movement and Tai Chi begins. Tai Chi is, thus, the source of Yin and Yang. The relationship between a person and a piano is Wu-Chi if the person has no intention to play it. When the person starts to play the piano or even has the intention to play, the relationship becomes Tai Chi. Wu-Chi then exists before anything happens, for even the intention to act arises from Wu-Chi.

When something arises from Wu-Chi, the original state of nothingness no longer exists. At this point, the state of Tai Chi begins. The situation then has two aspects. The voidness of Wu-Chi is Yin and the something originating from Wu-Chi is Yang. In general, Yin and Yang are complementary opposites which unite to form a whole. Although they are opposites in nature, there is a harmonious relationship between them. The characteristics of Yang are heat, motion and outward centrifugal force; whereas cold, stillness and inward centripetal force are the characteristics of Yin. The idea of Yin and Yang can be illustrated by the various stages of an object's movement. The beginning of the motion is the birth of Yang and the end of the motion is the birth of Yin. The beginning of stillness is the birth of mildness, and the end of stillness is the birth of rigidity. Aspects of Yin and Yang changes may be likened to the various forms of water. At the boiling point, water becomes steam and produces tremendous power. This is Yang. At the freezing point, water becomes ice and enters its still, but no less powerful, stage. This is Yin.

In prime condition, a man is full of energy. He has strong mind, warmth in his limbs and an active and ambitious spirit. At this point, the the function of Yang has reached its peak. He is like a river which has swelled to the edge of its banks. It has no way

to flow but outward. At the opposite end of this spectrum is a man lacking energy. His mind is unsound, his limbs are cold, his movements and temper are uneven and his attitude toward life ispessimistic. The function of Yang is at its lowest point, and the function of Yin is high. At this stage, one should confine oneself and stay with the present situation. An attempt to advance would invite only failure. This withdrawal need not be negative or permanent. By retreating with Yin's character as a guideline, one can cultivate the positive side.

Faced with a slight failure, some people complain of having bad luck. They feel lost and confused because they do not understand the process of Yin and Yang theory. If there is sunshine, there will be rain. After the rain, sunshine follows.

Up to this point, the Yin and Yang theory has been explained with examples from human behavior and natural phenomena, but it can also be explained in a graphic method called the Fu Sze Tai Chi diagram, ancient Tai Chi diagram or diagram of the natural universe.

 

Fu Sze's diagram

Fu Sze's diagram

There are several basic principles that should be discussed about the Tai Chi diagram:

The dividing line for Yin and Yang in the diagram is curved and not straight.

If the dividing line were straight, it would indicate that Tai Chi is in a motionless state. The curved line shows Tai Chi is in a state of dynamic circular movement. Variations in the curvature of the line represent different speed of movement. A small curvature means slow motion.

What is the meaning of the entire Tai Chi diagram? The Tai Chi diagram illustrates how two opposites can be harmonized into a whole interrelated unit. Like other principles of Tai Chi, this one can apply to natural as well as human relationship.

For example, positive and negative polarities in electricity can be seen in terms of Yin and Yang harmony. Neither a positive electric charge nor a negative one can separately produce light or heat. These opposites need each other to become electricity, just as both Yin and Yang are necessary to form a Tai Chi unity.

In working out the proper combinations of Yin and Yang in Tai Chi Chuan, the student will find a guide in Confucianism and Taoism, the two major schools of Chinese philosophy. Confucian philosophy emphasizes moderation and standards of proportion, so-called "golden mean philosophy" that can be seen in Western thought in the development of notions of proportion. Taoism emphasizes the continuous importance of changes, which can make any rigid standard for behavior inappropriate.

We can see the two approaches at work in an example of a man who earns $100. How much ought he spend and how much save? The Confucian approach might say "Save $50, spend $50". The Taoist might reply "If he doesn't need any money at the moment, he cannot spend a penny. But if he truly needs to, he may spend the whole $100".

In Tai Chi, the hard tenseness or soft suppleness with which the hands are held, shows an application of these two concepts. First, the hand is never held "totally" soft, for then it is outside the useful proportions of movement and is called "dead". As Yang Cheng Fu once said to a student, while they were practising Pushing Hands and the students contact was to loose: "Don't lay You dead flesh on me, I'm not a meathook". Similarly, it is never held totally rigidly in an outward attack gesture; this would also develop poor balance.

The beginner may practice the principles of Yin and Yang in the pushing hands exercises, by in the full extension only to have a slight tension, and when the hand is close to the body to relax and yield in circles. The purpose is to make the transitions of Yin and Yang as smooth and even as possible.

The Tai Chi diagram can also illustrate the relationship of a married couple. By complementing each other in spite of emotional and physiological difference, a husband and wife will live in harmony. Instead of fighting, they can help each other to create a peaceful family unit. Although the traditional Chinese interpretations of Yin and Yang relationships considered women naturally more passive and subordinate to men, various aspects of a marital system may be stable in one of three general ways: the submission of a wife to her husband, the submission of a husband to his wife, and equal cooperation between the two partners.

In Tai Chi Chuan itself, the highest achievement combines the attributes of both Yin and Yang. The Tai Chi master can choose how to respond to any situation. In response to an attack, he or she can disappear like the fog, resist like a mountain or fight back like a tiger. Thus, the master understands the separation and combination of Yin and Yang.

©1998 Knud Erik Andersen

 

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