The Mandarin Meaning of Yin Yang Philosophy

Yin Yang is a philosophical concept of balance. The symbol associated with this concept is described here by Elizabeth Reninger: The image consists of a circle divided into two teardrop-shaped halves - one white and the other black. Within each half is contained a smaller circle of the opposite color. The Chinese Characters for Yin and Yang The Chinese characters for Yin Yang are é™ °Ã©â„¢ ½ / é˜ ´Ã©Ëœ ³ and they are pronounced yÄ «n yà ¡ng. The first character é™ ° / é˜ ´ (yÄ «n) means: overcast weather; feminine; moon; cloudy; negative electrical charge; shady. The second character é™ ½ / é˜ ³ (yà ¡ng) means: positive electrical charge; sun. The simplified characters é˜ ´Ã©Ëœ ³ clearly show the moon/sun symbolism since they can be deconstructed to their elements æÅ"ˆ (moon) and æâ€" ¥ (sun). The element é˜  is a variant of the radical é˜Å" which means abundant. So Yin Yang could represent the contrast between the full moon and the full sun. The Meaning and Significance of Yin and Yang It should be noted that these two opposites are viewed as complementary. To a modern observer coming from a Western background, its easy to think that yang sounds better than yin. The sun is obviously more powerful than the moon, light is better than darkness and so on. This misses the point. The idea behind the symbol of yin and yang is that they interact and that both are necessary for a healthy whole. Its also meant to represent the idea that extreme yin and extreme yang are unhealthy and unbalanced. The small black dot in the white shows this, as does the white dot in the black. 100% yang is very dangerous, as is complete yin. This can be seen in taijiquan, which is a martial art partly based on this principle. Here is Elizabeth Reningers further explanation of the meaning of the Yin Yang symbol: The curves and circles of the Yin-Yang symbol imply a kaleidoscope-like movement. This implied movement represents the ways in which Yin and Yang are mutually-arising, interdependent, and continuously transforming, one into the other. One could not exist without the other, for each contains the essence of the other. Night becomes day, and day becomes night. Birth becomes death, and death becomes birth (think: composting). Friends become enemies, and enemies become friends. Such is the nature - Taoism teaches - of everything in the relative world.