Yin and yang do not exist in isolation but are in a dynamic state in which they interact and fashion the complicated and intricate system of the human body. There is no a clear and definite way to determine the exact date of origin or the person who created the popular yinyang symbol. No one has ever claimed specific ownership of this popular image.
However, there is a rich textual and visual history leading to its creation. Inspired by a primeval vision of cosmic harmony, Chinese thinkers have sought to codify this order in various intellectual constructions.
Whether to formulate this underlying pattern through words and concepts or numbers and visual images has been debated since the Han dynasty.
The question first surfaced in the interpretation of the Yijing. The Yijing is constructed around sixty-four hexagrams gua , each of which is made of six parallel broken or unbroken line segments yao. Each of the sixty-four hexagrams has a unique designation; its image xiang refers to a particular natural object and conveys the meaning of human events and activities.
The Yijing thus has generated a special way to decipher the universe. It mainly incorporates three elements: xiang images , shu numbers , and li meanings. They act as the mediators between heavenly cosmic phenomena and earthly human everyday life. From the Han dynasty through the Ming and Qing dynasties CE , there was a consistent tension between two schools of thought: the school of xiangshu images and numbers and the school of yili meanings and reasoning.
At issue between them is how best to interpret the classics, particularly the Yijing. For the school of Xiangshu the way to interpret the classics is to produce a figurative and numerological representation of the universe through xiang images and shu numbers.
It held that xiangshu are indispensable structures expressing the Way of heaven, earth and human being. The emphasis is on the appreciation of classics. In other word, the school of Yili treats all classics as supporting evidence for their own ideas and theories.
The emphasis is more on idiosyncratic new theories rather than the explanation of the classics. In what follows, our inquiry focuses on the legacy of the Xiangshu school. The most common effort of the Xiangshu school was to draw tu diagrams. Generations of intellectuals labored on the formulation and creation of numerous tu. Tu often delineate structure, place, and numbers through black and white lines. They are not aesthetic objects but rather serve as a means of articulating the fundamental patterns that govern phenomena in the universe.
Tu are universes in microcosm and demonstrate obedience to definite norms or rules. During the Song dynasty CE , the Daoist monk Chen Tuan CE made an important contribution to this tradition by drawing a few tu in order to elucidate the Yijing. Though none of his tu were directly passed down, he is considered the forerunner of the school of tushu diagrams and writings. It is said that he left behind three tu ; since his death, attempting to discover these tu has become a popular scholarly pursuit.
Robin R. Wang Email: rwang lmu. Yinyang Yin-yang Yinyang yin-yang is one of the dominant concepts shared by different schools throughout the history of Chinese philosophy. They are the basic fabric of existence: Heaven and earth have their regular ways, and men like these for their pattern, imitating the brilliant bodies of Heaven, and according with the natural diversities of the Earth. The Huainanzi offers more detailed explanation of the cosmological process of yin and yang : When heaven and earth were formed, they divided into yin and yang.
As chapter 8 of the Huainanzi claims: Yinyang embodies the harmony of heaven and earth, manifests the forms of myriad things, contains qi to transform the things and completes various kinds of things; yinyang extends and penetrates to the deepest level; begins in emptiness then becomes full and moves in boundless lands. Yinyang as Xingzi Concrete Substance Yinyang also has been understood as some concrete substance xingzhi , according to which yixing and yangxing define everything in the universe.
Yang was identified with the sun and yin with the moon: Heaven and earth correlate with vast and profound; four seasons correlate with change and continuity [ biantong ]; the significance of yin and yang correlate with sun and moon; the highest excellence [ zhide ] correlates the goodness of easy and simple.
The Yinyang Symbol There is no a clear and definite way to determine the exact date of origin or the person who created the popular yinyang symbol. Chan, Wing-tsit, ed. A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Bodde, Derk. Essays on Chinese Civilization. Dong, Zhongshu. Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn.
Su Xing. In fact, some have suggested that the yin-yang symbol closely approximates a graphical representation of the daily change of a pole's shadow length during the year. The yin begins at the summer solstice and represents the dominance of darkness over daylight and is associated with the moon. Yin-yang also represents the observation of the shadow of the earth on the moon, and the record of the position of the Big Dipper constellation through the year. These observations make up the four points of the compass: the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the direction of the shortest shadow measured is south, and at night, the pole star points north.
Thus, yin and yang are fundamentally connected with the annual cycle of the earth around the sun and the resulting four seasons. Written about 2, years ago, it is the earliest Chinese medical book. It is believed that to be healthy, one needs to balance the yin and yang forces within one's own body. Yin and yang are still important today in traditional Chinese medicine and Feng Shui.
Jaeger, Stefan. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.
Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. It's from Psychology Today, but you don't have to know anything about psychology to read it. The founder of Daoism was Laotsi sometimes spelled "Lao-Tzu". He even has a facebook page! Share: facebook twitter reddit whatsapp email classroom.
List them. Yin and Yang are, as we've seen, multidimensional. They cover direction, energy level, color, temperature, attitude, emotions, and so on. View discussion. What do you think are the pros and cons of a religion or philosophy in which the "God" is not per Customize This Lesson Create and share a new lesson based on this one. More from The Way We Think. National Geographic Society.
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