.: Demystifying Chinese Metaphysics – PART 1: Ying and Yang
Almost everyone has seen this ancient Chinese symbol of duality called
Yin and Yang.
The outer circle represents ‘Mu Chi’ – everything, yet nothing. It relies on a cosmic event where the universe is created and is filled with the ‘Tai Chi’ which is Ying and Yang.
“Only after [the One] is acted upon will it begin to penetrate [through yin and yang]. Without the two forces there cannot be the One” Chang Tsai (1020-1078).
The yang portion is white. It is the male side and represents light, joy, happiness, heat and strength while the Yin portion is black. It is the female side and represents dark, sadness, cold, weakness and so on.
While there are 2 portions, a little black circle exists within Yang and a little white circle within Yin. This signifies that neither is complete without the other. Going to extremes presents imbalances that disrupt aspects of our life, grey areas are necessary for harmony and balance.
It is difficult to know which came first, but in Western science the Big Bang theory and the Bible assumes that first there was nothing and then ‘something’ happened – be it an infinitesimal hot mass expanding into what we know as the universe or a superior being creating life and the universe. Yin and Yang exists no matter how we describe creation and the universe.
Yin and Yang is simple, but complex. It lays the foundation for all Chinese metaphysics including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Feng Shui. Akin to the West’s binary system of zeros and ones, Yin and Yang should not be unfamiliar or mystic as it represents the foundations for all living things. Look at the European languages like French and German and you will see that nouns are divided into masculine and feminine. In technology, the first computers were coded with instructions on cards that consisted of zeros and ones.
Fu Hsi - Ancient mythical sovereign (4000 BC)
It is uncertain when Yin and Yang developed. The concept of duality in life is said to date back to Fu Hsi (4000 BC) and can be found in many ancient Chinese writings including ancient medical texts of the Yellow Emperor found in the Han tombs. These medical texts suggest that illnesses are caused by imbalances in Yin and Yang and the 5 elements of the universe that support it. (next month’s article will cover the 5 elements).
While there are many intricacies and considerations, the fundamental basis of Feng Shui and Four Pillars of Destiny (Ba Tzi) is derived from Yin and Yang and the 5 elements of Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire. All consultations examine the relationship between Yin and Yang and the 5 elements as they appear in your home, office or garden. In fact any space can be assessed and improved using only these fundamental laws of nature. It sounds easy on the surface, but add the dynamics of time and motion layered with human nature and free will and it soon gets complicated.
At its simplest level, the physical features of a room can be assessed using the principle of Yin and Yang. For example a room that does not have good sunlight and is prone to damp and cold would be considered Yin, while a room that is exposed to constant sunlight and movement is classified as Yang. One is not more dominant or better than the other. For harmony and prosperity, there must be a balance of Yin and Yang.
Getting this balance correct to ensure harmony, prosperity and wellbeing in your family or at work is what a skilled traditional Feng Shui consultant will provide.
An excerpt from the Yellow Emperor’s ancient text explains how Yin and Yang assessments could be made in relation to a person’s health;
“If Yang is overly powerful, then Yin may be too weak. If Yin is particularly strong, then Yang is apt to be defective. If the male force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive heat. If the female force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive cold. Exposure to repeated and severe heat will induce chills. Cold injures the body while heat injures the spirit When the spirit is hurt, severe pain will ensue. When the body is hurt, there will be swelling. Thus, when severe pain occurs first and swelling comes on later, one may infer that a disharmony in the spirit has done harm to the body. Likewise, when swelling appears first and severe pain is felt later on, one can say that a dysfunction in the body has injured the spirit….” Translated by Mark Coyle
I would like to share my thoughts on Yin and Yang using a very recent and simple example…
Setting up my fabulous fish tank has brought me pleasure and pain. In itself the fish tank is water and cold. It is also metallic so you would consider it as Yin. But for the tropical fish to survive, I must heat the water and create movement with a filter which is yang. Getting the balance right between water temperature and movement proved critical to the lives of my fish. My tank being Yin, could not sustain life without the correct balance of heat and movement being yang. Needless to say my first lot of neon tetras died (supposedly the most hardy of tropical fish). I shed a tear and felt remorse for being responsible for not getting the balance right – or perhaps it was the thought of failure. Needless to say, I monitored the next lot of fish every hour on the hour – checking the thermometer, adjusting the filter and testing the PH of the water. This time, after the second day, I felt relieved and joyous that my fish had lived.
Within my tank I had got the balance between Yin and Yang right so it could sustain life and bring my family hours of joy as we watch the brightly coloured fish swimming around. My only thought now is for how long because ensuring balance and harmony is an ongoing effort.
I would love to hear how you can apply Yin and Yang principles to simple events in your life. Leave a comment.
So when you are on the street or surfing the net and see the symbol of Yin and Yang you will know its origins, what it stands for and if you want to show off, you will also recognise if it is the right way up or not. This symbol is often distorted and sometimes incorrectly represented on jewellery, emblems, flags and everywhere a symbol can be attached or engraved.
In the next article we will overlay the 8 trigrams of Yin and Yang (forming the commonly seen ‘bagwa’) and representing the 5 elements onto the Yin and Yang Symbol to reinforce the correct orientation of the symbol.
As in this picture below, the correct presentation for this revered symbol is with Yang swelling at the top and tailoring down the left hand side. The warmer elements of Fire, Wood and Earth dominate the Yang portion. Yin swells at the bottom and tailors up the right hand side of the symbol. The cooler elements of Water, Metal and Earth dominate the Yin portion.
I hope you enjoyed this article, you are welcome to provide comments if you would like to join in a discussion thread. Please pass this link onto your friends as something new and interesting to learn.
If you would like to learn more about Feng Shui, contact FengShui by Sakura to enquire about our 1 day Feng Shui workshops and 2 day certified Feng Shui courses. You are also welcome to browse our online Feng Shui products and gifts – modern and traditional quality Feng Shui products representing great value.
Author: Mariko Fisher
