Yin yang is a philosophical and religious principle that explains the existence of two opposite, but complementary forces that are essential in the universe: yin, associated with the feminine - darkness, passivity and earth; and yang - associated with masculine, light, active and sky. According to this philosophy, both energies are required to maintain a universal balance.
Graphic representation of the principle
The graphical representation of the yin and yang forces in Chinese is known as taijitu, and is a diagram represented by a circle separated by a sinuous line. The symbol has two colors: black and white. One of the first such charts was created by Lai Zhide (1525-1604), a Taoist practitioner from the Ming Dynasty.
The Yin and Yang symbol is the so-called "first mentioned in the book" Differentiation in Mutation Diagrams "written during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).).
In this diagram, the opposing forces are fish-shaped (one black, representing yin, and the other white, representing yang). Each has a point of the opposite color to symbolize the presence of the opposite force.
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Concept emergence
This concept came from the Yin-Yang School, one of the so-called "100 Schools of Thought," a series of philosophical and spiritual movements that emerged in China between 770 and 221 AD. BC. C.
Later, Taoism, a philosophical and religious doctrine of Chinese origin, which arose during the same period, absorbed the principles of the Yin-Yang school, claiming that everything that exists has an analogue necessary for existence. There is no such thing as unchanging, static, but everything is constantly changing, in an endless flow, harmonious and balanced by the forces of yin and yang.
Although there is no consensus about the origin of these terms. The oldest records that have been found so far suggest that as far back as the Shang Dynasty (1776 BC - 1122 BC), there was a graphical representation of two opposing and complementary forces. interpreted as precursors of the concept that would later be in Taoism.
Yin and Yang Principles
According to Taoism, Yin and Yang meet certain universal principles:
- Yin and Yang are opposites: however, they are not absolute, since for this philosophy everything that exists is relative.
- There is yin inside yin, just as inside yin there is yang: it complements the previous principle, asserting that in each of them there is an opposite, even if it is the smallest, therefore they are not absolute.
- Both forces generate and consume each other: an increase in yin energy implies a decrease in yang energy, but this is not considered an imbalance, but part of the life process.
- They can be infinitely subdivided and transformed: yang energy can be subdivided to create yin and yang energy (and vice versa). In the same way, one of the forces can be transformed into its opposite.
Yin and Yang are interdependent: each of these forces needs the other in order to exist.
