Yin
and Yang
The Yin Yang symbol:
The t'ai chi, more commonly referred to as the yin-yang symbol. Since
nothing in nature is purely black or purely white, the symbol includes
a small black spot in the light swirl, and a corresponding white spot
in the black swirl.
In Taoism, Yin and Yang represents the balance of opposites in the universe.
When they are equally present, all is calm. One cannot exist without
the other, and they are considered to be complimentary aspects of the
Tao that create natural order in the world. Taoist believe that nature
is a continual balance between yin and yang, and that any attempt to
go towards one extreme or the other will be ineffective, self-defeating
and short-lived. When people interfere with the natural balance by trying
to impose their egoistic plans, they will not succeed; rather, the non-egoistic
person allows nature to unfold watching it ebb and flow from good to
bad and back again.
Yin is a feminine energy. It is thought of as the breath that formed
the earth. It is represented by cold, evil, dark, and negative principles.
Yang is masculine energy. It is thought of as the breath that formed
the heavens. It is characterized by warmth, good, light, and positive
principles. It is important to note that without Yin there is no Yang
and without Yang there is no Yin.
What seems like Yin is often supported by Yang, and vice-versa. For
example, Taoist do not hold the position of Good against Evil; rather
they see the interdependence of all dualities. So when one labels something
as an Good, one automatically creates Evil. Similar to the Buddhist
concept of Sunyata "the void", good and evil are just empty
conceptual abstractions that have no permanent independent existence.
The reality of Good and Evil is that all actions contain some aspect
of each. Any action would have some negative (yin) and some positive
(yang) aspect to it. The idea of nonaction as representing the natural
course of things is a fundamental belief of Taoism. Nonaction is not
to say that Taoists subscribe to passive activities. This idea of nonaction
refers mainly to the constant interaction of Yin and Yang which are
believed to govern the behavior of all things.
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