Introduction
Yang is a light swirl, while Yin is a dark one. Each side also has a dot of the opposite colour, hinting at the meaning of Yin and Yang. Did you know the yin and yang symbol dates back thousands of years? It’s simply an ancient pictograph. I’ll explain how it happened—and how it’s more than meets the eye from an astrological standpoint!
A symbol
You’ve probably seen this symbol before, as a temporary tattoo or at a Chinese temple. It’s called the yin-yang symbol. It comes from Taoism, a Chinese religion, and it has far more meaning than you may realize. The Yin is a dark swirl, while the Yang is light. In addition, each side has a dot of the opposite color, which hints at the meaning of Yin and Yang.
Everything carries the seed of its polar opposite. Darth Vader carries the seed of good, and Luke has the potential to follow in his father’s footsteps to the dark side. Yin and Yang, like Luke and his father, are not directly opposed. They are related to one another. According to Taoist philosophy, the universe is made up of energies, vibrations, and matter that behave differently in different contexts.
Something can be Yin or Yang depending on a number of factors. So, while wheat is growing, it is yang; when it is harvested, it is yin. The crest of a wave represents Yang, while the trough represents Yin. Liuyang and Shiyang are names of villages in China on the sunny side of a valley. Jiangyin, for example, is located on the shady side of the Yangtze River valley.
Yin and Yang
The brake is the yin to the yang of the gas pedal. The eggshell represents yang, while the egg inside represents yin. You think you’ve got it? Yang is tougher, more powerful, brighter, and faster. However, one can evolve into the other, or they can be viewed as two sides of the same coin. In comparison to the shadows, the sun’s rays are yang. Yang makes the pitch, and Yin makes the catch. The Yang initiates an action, which the Yin receives and completes.
Yin is the cup’s interior space; it wouldn’t be a cup without it. Yang represents the cup. The heat of the coffee, on the other hand, is yang, and its blackness is yin. Yang can go berserk at times, but there are some very powerful Yins as well, even if they don’t go berserk.
Yin is the darker swirl, the female, but it contains a white dot. Yang is the lighter, male counterpart, but it has a black dot on its forehead. Water flowing calmly in a river is yin; however, water flowing over a waterfall is very yang. When compared to a telephone pole, toothpicks are yin. A person’s back is more yang than their front. The yang end of the person is at the top.
Taoism
According to Taoism, there is a power in the universe. It is greater, deeper, and more true than any other force. It’s known as the Tao. It alludes to the path. The Tao, like the Force in Star Wars, has two sides. In contrast to other religions, where the higher power is all good and possibly has an all-evil enemy. According to Taoism, we must learn from both Yin and Yang. And, unlike religions with personal gods, Taoism’s higher power is not.
Taoists believe that living in harmony with the way reduces the need to oppose the natural flow of the universe. Listen more and argue less, for example. You’ll make faster progress if you’re prepared to backup or undo something. Don’t worry about being the best; just be yourself. Because complications detract from the Tao, live simply.
“The wise person is flexible,” Taoists say. Learning to use the Tao is what Taoism is all about, and that’s why you should know your Yin from your Yang.
Conclusion
The yin-yang symbol represents much more than just “dark and light.” In fact, it captures the entire Taoist philosophy: that everything in the world is interconnected and behaves differently depending on its surroundings. Yin and Yang coexist in perfect harmony at all times, giving rise to all of the wonderful things in the world. It is up to us to keep this principle alive by adapting to our surroundings.
References
[1]John Bellaimey [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezmR9Attpyc&ab_channel=TED-Ed