Yin and yang
Taijitu, the traditional symbol representing the forces of yin (dark) and yang (light). In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang ( is used to describe how seemingly opposing forces are bound together intertwined and interdependent in the
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese:	陰陽
Simplified Chinese:	阴阳
Japanese name
Kanji:	陰陽
Hiragana:	いんよう
Korean name
Hangul:	음양
Hanja:	陰陽
Vietnamese name
Quốc ngữ:	âm dương
Chữ nôm:	陰陽
Hán tự:	陰陽

Part of a series on Taoism
Fundamentals
Dao (Tao) · De Wuji · Taiji Yin-Yang · Wu xing Qi · Neidan Wu wei
Texts
Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) Zhuangzi · Liezi Daozang
Deities
Three Pure Ones Guan Shengdi Eight Immortals Yellow Emperor · Xiwangmu Jade Emperor · Chang'e Other deities
People
Laozi · Zhuangzi Zhang Daoling · Zhang Jiao Ge Hong · Chen Tuan Wang Chongyang
Schools
Five Pecks of Rice Yellow Turbans Shangqing · Lingbao Quanzhen · Zhengyi Xuanxue
Sacred sites
Grotto-heavens
v • d • e

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified Chinese: 阴阳; traditional Chinese: 陰陽; pinyin: yīnyáng) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena in the natural world, combining to create a unity of opposites in the theory of the Taiji. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Tao ( 道, Pinyin Dào) is a metaphysical concept found in Taoism, Confucianism, and more generally in ancient Chinese philosophy De ( is a key concept in Chinese philosophy, usually translated "inherent character inner power integrity" in Taoism, "moral character virtue morality" Wuji (無極 is the primordial state of non-being a state of Nothingness and boundlessness or that which is without Bounds or Limits. Taiji (太極 is a state of being from Tao and Wuji. It is a state of absolute and of infinite potentiality In traditional Chinese philosophy, natural phenomena can be classified into the Wu Xing ( or the Five Phases, usually translated as five elements, In traditional Chinese culture, qi (zh [[wikt氣 氣]] Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping Neidan (内丹 a Chinese method of Internal alchemy. Part of the Chinese alchemical meditative tradition that is said to have been separated into internal and external Wu wei ( is an important tenet of Taoism that involves knowing when to act and when not to act The Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing ( originally known as Laozi or Lao tzu ( is a Chinese classic For the book with the same name see Zhuangzi (book Zhuangzi ( was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th Note This article is about the Liezi text For the author Liezi please see Lie Yukou. Daozang ( meaning "Treasury of Dao " or " Daoist Canon" consists of almost 5000 individual texts that were collected circa C The Three Pure Ones ( also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities Guan Yu ( Chinese: 關羽 Guān Yǔ was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of The Eight Immortals ( are a group of legendary xian ("immortals transcendents fairies" in Chinese mythology. Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, is a Legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the The Queen Mother of the West (西王母 Pinyin: Xīwángmǔ Japanese: Seiōbo) in Chinese mythology, is the ruler of the western Paradise The Jade Emperor ( or 玉帝 Yù Dì) is the Taoist ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell Chang'e, Ch'ang-O or Chang-Ngo ( also known as Heng-E or Heng-O ( 姮[[wiktionary 娥|娥]] Héng'é is the Chinese Goddess Classical Chen Po (Chen Tuan Chen Hsi I 871-989 Ge Hong 284–364 Guo Xiang (Kuo Hsiang d Laozi ( also Lao Tse, Lao-Tzu, Laotze, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations was a philosopher of ancient For the book with the same name see Zhuangzi (book Zhuangzi ( was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th Zhang Daoling (張道陵 Pinyin Zhāng Dàolíng, Wade-Giles Chang Tao-ling) also commonly called Zhang Ling, was an Eastern Zhang Jiao or Zhang Jue (d 184 was the leader of the Yellow Turbans during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. Ge Hong ( 284–364 Courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川 was a minor southern official during the Jìn Dynasty (263-420 best known for his interest in Chen Tuan (陳摶 (birthname Chen Tuan name as a sage Chen Hsi I Chen Xi Yi (871-989 was a legendary Taoist sage Wang Chongyang ( 11 January 1113 – 22 January 1170) calendar] 宋徽宗政和二年十二月廿二 – 金世宗大定十年正月初四] The Yellow Turban Rebellion, sometimes also translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, ( was a AD 184 peasant rebellion against Emperor Ling of Han The Shangqing School (Chinese上清 or Supreme Clarity is a Daoist movement that began during the aristocracy of the Western Jin dynasty The Lingbao School (Simplified Chinese 灵宝派 Traditional Chinese 靈寶派 pinyin Ling Bao Pai also known as the School of the Sacred Jewel or the School The Quanzhen ( School is a major sect of Taoism that originated in Northern China. Zhenyi Dao (Chinese正一道 pinyin Zheng Yi Dào or the Way of Complete Orthodoxy is a Chinese Daoist movement that emerged during the Tang Dynasty Xuanxue ( Chinese: 玄[[wikt 學|學]] or Neotaoism is a sub-discipline of Confucianism and Taoism, its main theme is to study the Grotto-heavens (Chinese洞天 Pinyin Dongtian are a type of sacred Daoist site Chinese philosophy is Philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Ancient Philosophy Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher was the first to suggest this unity of opposites Taiji (太極 is a state of being from Tao and Wuji. It is a state of absolute and of infinite potentiality The term liang yi (simplified Chinese: 两仪; traditional Chinese: 兩儀; pinyin: liǎngyí, lit. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use "two mutually correlated opposites"), also known as Yin and Yang or earth and heaven has a similar meaning.

The concept of yin and yang (or earth and heaven) describes two opposing and, at the same time, complementary (completing) aspects of any one phenomenon (object or process) or comparison of any two phenomena. They are universal standards of quality at the basis of the systems of correspondence seen in most branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine being an example^[1]. Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM,) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China.

Contents 1 Two qualities 2 Four Laws of Yin-yang 3 Taijitu 4 Dichotomy in other philosophies 5 Unicode 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

Two qualities

Yin (陰 or 阴 "shady place, north slope, south bank (river); cloudy, overcast"; Japanese: in or on; Korean: 음, Vietnamese: âm) qualities are characterized as soft, slowness, substantial, water, cold, conserving, tranquil, gentle, and corresponds to the night. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam)

Yang (陽 or 阳 "sunny place, south slope, north bank (river), sunshine"; Japanese: yō; Korean: 양, Vietnamese: dương) qualities are characterized as hot, fire, restless, hard, dry, excitement, non-substantial, rapidity, and corresponds to the day. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam)

Four Laws of Yin-yang

• Yin-yang are Opposing
  • Yin and yang describe the polar effects of phenomena. In viewing any one phenomenon (or the comparison of two phenomena), yin and yang describe the opposing qualities inherent in it. For instance, winter and summer would be the yin and yang, respectively, of the year.
• Yin-yang are Mutually Rooted
  • Yin and yang are two complementary qualities. That is to say, the yin and the yang aspect of any one phenomenon will, when put together, form the entire phenomenon. Yin-yang is a philosophy of duality. This is the reason the Chinese word has no "and" between yin and yang - the term always expresses the two making up the one. In the example above, winter plus summer makes up the whole year.
• Yin-yang Mutually Transform
  • The maximum effect of one quality will be followed by the transition toward the opposing quality. In other words, once the maximum Yang aspect has manifest, such as the long days of summer, this will be followed by the transition toward the Yin aspect, with the shortening of the days as winter approaches.
• Yin-yang Mutually Wax and Wane
  • The Yin and yang aspects are in dynamic equilibrium. As one aspect declines, the other increases to an equal degree. For instance, in the cycle of the year, the long days of summer gradually shorten and the nights gradually lengthen as winter approaches. Throughout the process, however, the length of each day is constant (the equilibrium) while it is only the relative length of light and darkness that changes (is dynamic).

• Yin and yang are neither substances nor forces^[1]. They are the terms used in a system of dualistic qualification which can be applied universally. Further dividing Yang and Yin into their respective Yin and Yang aspects, yields four combinations: the Yin of the Yang, the Yang of the Yang, the Yin of the Yin, and the Yang of the Yin. This allows an endless scale of universally defined qualities, which is foundational to classical Chinese thought, as seen in the Tao Te Ching, and science, as seen in the Yellow Emperor's Huangdi Neijing. The Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing ( originally known as Laozi or Lao tzu ( is a Chinese classic Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, is a Legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the Huangdi Neijing ( also known as The Inner Canon of Huangdi or Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, is the seminal medical text of

Taijitu

The Taijitu (pictured at top of page; traditional Chinese: 太極圖; simplified Chinese: 太极图; pinyin: Taìjí tú; Wade-Giles: T'ai⁴ chi² t'u²; literally "diagram of the supreme ultimate"), often referred to as yin-yang in English, is a well known symbol deriving from Chinese culture which represents the principle of yin and yang from Taoist and Neo-Confucian philosophy. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language The term Taijitu itself refers to any of several schematic diagrams representing these principles.

The taijitu represents an ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents the entirety of perceivable phenomena, while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two principles or aspects, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause the phenomena to appear in their peculiar way. Each of them contains an element or seed of the other, and they cannot exist without each other. There are other ways that Chinese schools of thought graphically represented the principles of yin and yang, an older example being the solid and divided lines of the I Ching. The I Ching ( Wade-Giles) or “Yì Jīng” ( Pinyin) also called “Classic of Changes” or “Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the

Wu Jianquan, a famous Chinese martial arts teacher, described the name of the martial art Taijiquan this way at the beginning of the 20th century:

"Various people have offered different explanations for the name Taijiquan. Wu Chien-ch'uan (吳鑑泉 1870-1942 was a famous teacher of the soft style Martial art of T'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial and early Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese Martial arts. Tai chi chuan (is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for Health reasons The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Some have said: - 'In terms of self-cultivation, one must train from a state of movement towards a state of stillness. Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Taiji comes about through the balance of yin and yang. Taiji (太極 is a state of being from Tao and Wuji. It is a state of absolute and of infinite potentiality In terms of the art of attack and defense then, in the context of the changes of full and empty, one is constantly internally latent, not outwardly expressive, as if the yin and yang of Taiji have not yet divided apart. The I Ching ( Wade-Giles) or “Yì Jīng” ( Pinyin) also called “Classic of Changes” or “Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the ' Others say: 'Every movement of Taijiquan is based on circles, just like the shape of a Taijitu. Therefore, it is called Taijiquan. ' Both explanations are quite reasonable, especially the second, which is more complete. "^[2]

In the image showing yin-yang as a circle the white part represents yang and the black part represents yin. Two parts pass through each other on a line because yin and yang are never separated. There is a small black round in white part and a white one in the black part.

In yin yang cosmology, the taiji is preceded by wuji. Wuji (無極 is the primordial state of non-being a state of Nothingness and boundlessness or that which is without Bounds or Limits. Wuji separates into taiji or yin and yang (also liang yi "two symbols"). Taiji (太極 is a state of being from Tao and Wuji. It is a state of absolute and of infinite potentiality Two symbols became four symbols. Subsequently, four symbols became bagua. The Bagua ( are eight diagrams used in Taoist Cosmology to represent a range of interrelated concepts And at last, bagua describes the myriad things of creation. Myriad is a classical Greek name for the Number 104 = 10000. In modern English the word refers to an unspecified large quantity This framework underlies both the I Ching and Tao Te Ching. The I Ching ( Wade-Giles) or “Yì Jīng” ( Pinyin) also called “Classic of Changes” or “Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the

Dichotomy in other philosophies

The concept of "unity in duality" as underlying the nature of the Cosmos is fundamental in the philosophy of Heraclitus, one of the Presocratics^[3][4][5][6]. A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts In its most general sense a cosmos is an orderly or harmonious system Heraclitus of Ephesus ( Ancient Greek: &mdash grc-Latn ''Hērákleitos ho Ephésios'' English Heraclitus the Ephesian) (ca Note that the Heracletian duality has nothing to do with an ontological dualism. In Philosophy, ontology (from the Greek, genitive: of being (part

Indian philosophy has a distinct dualistic strand, known as Samkhya. Sankhya, also Samkhya, ( सांख्य, IAST: sānkhya - 'enumeration' is one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy. In this theory, Yin corresponds to Prakrti and Yang to Purusha.

Gnosticism and Zoroastrianism posit a supernatural dualism to explain suffering in this world. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings

Indonesia has the motto: "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" that is "Unity in diversity" which originates from a quotation of an Old Javanese poem. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The official national Motto of Indonesia is Bhinneka Tunggal Ika which is Old Javanese and is often loosely translated as 'Unity in Diversity' but literally This idea is similar to yin and yang philosophy. "Tunggal" means the only one, as in "anak tunggal" (only child).

Unicode

Taijitu is defined in code point U+262F (☯). As an alternative, Unicode suggested it can be substituted by U+0FCA (Tibetan symbol nor bu nyis -khyil), the double body symbol (࿊)^[7]. In Computing, Unicode is an Industry standard allowing Computers to consistently represent and manipulate text expressed in most of the world's

References

See also

• Five elements (Chinese philosophy)
• Golden Mean
• I Ching
• Onmyōdō
• Tao Te Ching
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Zhuangzi
• Duality
• Flag of South Korea

External links

• Where does the Yin Yang Symbol come from?

In traditional Chinese philosophy, natural phenomena can be classified into the Wu Xing ( or the Five Phases, usually translated as five elements, In Philosophy, especially that of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes one of excess and the other of deficiency The I Ching ( Wade-Giles) or “Yì Jīng” ( Pinyin) also called “Classic of Changes” or “Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the is a traditional Japanese Esoteric cosmology, a mixture of Natural science and Occultism. The Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing ( originally known as Laozi or Lao tzu ( is a Chinese classic Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM,) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. For the book with the same name see Zhuangzi (book Zhuangzi ( was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th The Flag of South Korea, or Taegukgi has three parts a white background a red and blue Taegeuk (taijitu or "yin-yang" in the

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