Yin-Yang

History

The idea of yin-yang is central to several schools of Eastern philosophy and cosmology. Though often associated with Taoism, the concept is older, originating in prehistoric times. Yin and yang are explicated in the ancient Chinese classics, the / Ching (Book of Changes), thought to date from the second or third millennium BC, and the later Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu.

During the Chinese Zhou Dynasty (around 480-720 BC), the yin-yang school was one of six primary schools of philosophy. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), scholars led by Dong Zhongshu sought to syncretize the various schools, including Taoism and Confucianism, and yin-yang was applied to diverse realms, including medicine. Taoism and Buddhism mutually influenced one another during the early Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), but Taoism ultimately became the official religion.

Yin-yang is also a key concept in the metaphysical systems of other East Asian countries, including Japan (where it is called in-yo), Vietnam, and Korea (as evidenced by the yin-yang symbol on the South Korean flag).

Basic Philosophy

In traditional philosophy, the Tao (usually translated as “the way”) comprises two primary principles, yin and yang, which in turn give rise to the five basic elements: earth, water, air, fire, and wood.

Originating in a prehistoric, nature-based belief system, yin initially referred to the shaded north side of a mountain or south bank of a river, while yang denoted the sunny south side of a mountain or north bank of a river. Over time, yin came to be associated with a range of characteristics and concepts generally described as “feminine,” including darkness, cold, night, the moon, the earth, passivity, submission, absorption, emptiness, and descending energy. Conversely, yang was associated with “masculine” concepts, including light, heat, day, the sun, the heavens, activity, dominance, penetration, fullness, and ascending energy.

Yin and yang are equally important, with neither being “higher” or “lower.” In fact, they are not considered separate, but rather essential parts of the whole, neither of which can exist without the other. Looked at another way, yin and yang give rise to and consume one another, as night leads to day and day to night, in a continuous cycle. Further, yin and yang define each other; for example, as dark is the absence of light, and cold has meaning only relative to heat.

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Figure 1 Taijitu or Yin-Yang Symbol

These concepts are represented graphically in the familiar taijitu, or yin-yang symbol (see Figure 1). The complete circle represents the Tao, or universal whole. The dark half represents the descending yin, while the light half represents the ascending yang. The smaller spots indicate that yin contains the seed of yang, and vice versa.

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