A Little Story About Yin and Yang
The Way gave birth to the One;
The One gave birth to the Two;
The Two gave birth to the Three;
And the Three gave birth to the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things
carry Yin on their backs
and wrap their arms around Yang.
Through the blending of the breath
they arrive at a state of harmony.
TAO TE CHING
Once upon a time. Once upon a time in ancient China there was a hill. There was a hill and the sun was shining onto it. One side of the hill was facing the sun. The other side was facing away from it. One side of the hill was enjoying light and warmth, the other side darkness and a cool atmosphere. The ancient Chinese were very astute in their observations and they noticed that life on the sunny side of the hill developed differently from that on the shady side, and therefore each side of the hill had its own qualities. That plants growing in the sun were different to those growing in the shade. And that it had an effect on the disposition of people whether they settled on the sunny or shady side of the hill. This roused the interest of the ancient Chinese. It appeared there was a connection between light and how people lived. Between warmth and way of life. Between cold and darkness and way of life.
This potential connection was fascinating, especially since figuring out life was a favourite hobby of the ancient Chinese. So they crossed their legs and sat down in the lotus position, contemplated their impressions, observed a little bit more, waited, analysed, took a break now and then to stretch their legs, and did some more reflecting. Days turned into nights and nights into days. The seasons came and went. And then, suddenly, there was a loud ‘bang’. The wise men retreated and behind closed doors they entered all the results into their computer – and out came the concept of Yin and Yang: a comprehensive theory aiming to explain the connections between, and processes of, nature and life. This theory was based on the idea that the universe is subject to constant change. This change, however, is not dependent on a creator or some specific cause. It is the result of an inner dynamic that occurs according to certain patterns.
This inner dynamic is determined by fundamental forces; fundamental forces such as day and night, summer and winter, warmth and cold, rain and dryness. These fundamental forces behave in a particular way not because they depend on external impulses or influences but because their position in the universe endowed them with particular traits which determine their behaviour. Based on their analyses, the ancient Chinese were able to demonstrate that the fundamental forces showed certain analogies. That night, being dark, cold and still, had an affinity with winter. That day, being light, was more like summer. The sun also seemed to fit to the coupled pair of day and summer – just like dryness and warmth. Since most people tend to be more active when it is light and pleasantly warm, activity was added to the list already containing day, summer, warmth, dryness and sun. Activity entails movement. A further study brought new insights: during day and summer energetic movement is more from the inside toward the outside. During the warm season, plants are striving from the earth towards heaven. The sap of the trees is drawn from the roots towards the periphery, where it nourishes leaves, flowers and fruits. On a warm summer’s day we humans find it easier to leave our houses than in deepest winter. The list, which had started with day and summer, was extended to include outward movement and orientation.
The Chinese further discovered that the fundamental forces dominating everyday life and natural rhythms could be reduced to two opposing, but mutually connected categories. One category tends towards sun and light, the other towards darkness and shade. The next step was to determine which of the two categories the phenomena of this world had an affinity with. No matter what – fire or water, chaos or order, love or hatred, flexible or rigid, man or woma
