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Interpreting ying-yang

Posted on February 18th, 2008 in Beliefs, Spirituality by

The ying-yang symbol has bee around for centuries but its very difficult to determine the exact date of origin of the symbol or who created it and no one has ever laid claim to the symbol either. In spite of this there is a rich history, both textual and visual behind this one symbol.

Keeping in mind visions of cosmic harmony many Chinese thinkers have sought to codify this symbol is various intellectual constructions. Whether this pattern is to be formulated in words, concepts, number or visual designs is something that has been debated since the time of the Han dynasty.

This question was first asked in the interpretation of the Yijing which was constructed around sixty four hexagrams, each made of six parallel line segments. Each of the sixty four segments has a unique design and its image relates to a particular natural object and conveys the meaning of human activities and events. Thus the Yijing has given a different approach to the way the universe is deciphered and it incorporates three elements xiang (image), shu (numbers) and li (meanings).

The school of Xiangshu has given a different way to interpret the classics and according to them it is to produce a figurative and numerological representation of the universe through images and numbers.  What this school did was to draw diagrams and this was meant as a means of articulating the basic patterns that govern the various phenomenons that take place in the universe.

The school of Yili focuses more on new theories than explaining the classics.

Thus many schools have tried to interpret the ying-yang symbol in their own way but there has never been one claimant to it. Even so it remains one of the foundation stones of Taoism and will continued to be revered by followers of the religion.

 

Ying-Yang I

Posted on February 18th, 2008 in Beliefs, History, Spirituality by

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Yin-Yang is a dominant philosophical concept that is shared by most schools of Chinese philosophy. It is used to explain 3 basic things:

·         yinyang as the coherent fabric of nature and mind, exhibited in all existence,

·         yinyang as jiao (interaction) between the waxing and waning of the cosmic and human realms, and

·         yinyang as a process of harmonization ensuring a constant, dynamic balance of all things.

The earliest instances that have been found of ying-yang are inscriptions made on oracle bones where ying and yang are descriptions of natural phenomena such as weather conditions etc.

The interpretation of ying-yang that has stood the test of time for the longest is related to the concept of ‘chi’ or vital energy.  According to this interpretation ying and yang are ‘chi’ which operate in the universe.  In the “Duke Shao” chapter of the Zuozhuan (The Book of History), yin and yang are first defined as two of six heavenly qi:

There are six heavenly influences [qi] which descend and produce the five tastes, go forth in the five colours, and are verified in the five notes; but when they are in excess, they produce the six diseases. Those six influences are denominated the yin, the yang, wind, rain, obscurity, and brightness. In their separation, they form the four seasons; in their order, they form the five (elementary) terms. When any of them is in excess, they ensure calamity. An excess of the yin leads to diseases of cold; of the yang, to diseases of heat.

Ying yang has also been spoken of as some concrete substance (xingzhi) according to which yixing and yangxing explain all the concepts in the universe and yang was identified with the sun and ying with the moon.

It is believed that both human as well as heavenly bodies have ying-yang and that they are present everywhere to bring about harmony in the universe.