The Principles of the Yin and Yang
The principle of the yin and yang is embedded in all facets of my
life. But its operations have taken the subtlest of forms, unfolding
through a kind of shy conspiracy, an inner dynamism in the nature of
things. Such qualities are inherent in the way Chinese traditions
view things, as the web that has no weaver, an intricate and
interlaced patterns of relationships of all that there is without a
known creator and creation day. It is far different from a historical
timeline or a linear logic. It surmises that everything is related to
everything else and lays heavy emphasis on what is now that must be
appreciated and contemplated upon rather than dwelling on the past or
what will be in the future. In the Chinese philosophical traditions,
the truth of things is here and now and is laid as a never ending
patchwork of bonds and connections. Therefore a part can only be
defined in view of the whole pattern, and the role that it plays in
it.
They dynamics of yin and yang are ever present, quite like the
universal laws in Physics governing the movements of nature. Each
morning, I wake up with a fully restored energy level before setting
to work. Thus, each morning I am with an abundance of potential
energy (yin) yet to be transformed into productive kinetic energy
(yang). Such a transformation is an unhurried, subtle development
that takes place between waking up in the morning and going to bed at
night. Within this 12-hour working cycle, are smaller cycles of
activities (yang) and rest (yin); naturally humans are not capable of
laboring for a straight 12-hours. An attempt at excess on one ...
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... meaning always in relation with other people.
Our world is a world of plurality and conflicts – always a potential
groundwork for the actualization of the yin and yang. Being true to
the principles of yin and yang, we must contemplate on and appreciate
this plurality as it creates a more diverse and inspired world for
us. More often than not, we rarely take time to see the beauty of
this creative tension emerging from differences and oppositions.
Perhaps if we do, we will consciously work towards the full
realization of yin and yang which is harmony.
References:
Chinese Medicine: The Web That Has No Weaver, Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D.,
McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 2nd Edition, 2000.
Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, Harriet
Beinfield and Efrem Korngold, Ballintine Books, 1992.
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"Main Concepts of Taoism: Yin and Yang." Taoism and the Taoist Arts. April 2002. http://www.taoistarts.net/main.html#yin LeGuin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2000.
have said has come true and now the greatest is yet to come i.e. being
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"The way to find the 'real' world is not merely to measure and observe what is
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