Yin, Yang and the philosophy of the sexes
You have often heard these words; you have probably even seen their symbols (hanging on doorways, decorations) and wondered whether it’s just another one of those design clichés. Clichés aside, the Yin and Yang is considered amongst the Chinese and the Koreans as a fundamental and powerful symbol.
Now, it isn’t a figment of an orient’s imagination, these symbols were formed more than a thousand years back, observed in nature and even the basis of many important oriental arts and sciences. For example Feng Shui, Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Chinese Acupuncture etc.
According to the ancient Chinese philosophers, in the beginning was Tao. But then Tao separated into the two prime principles, Yang and Yin. And from the many combinations of Yang and Yin everything else that is in the world has emerged.
Yin is representative of the female side of nature and is described as dark, moist, diffuse, vague, intuitive, and receptive whereas the Yang represents the male described as light, dry, directed, focused, logical, and action oriented. If you’ve noticed there is a small circle in both the Yin and the Yang, a white and black circle respectively embodying a bit of each other and a representation that “Nothing is solely Yin or Yang; everything involves polarity. This is stating that nothing is entirely good or entirely evil”. The figure above represents Yin and Yang in equilibrium, one where opposites are complimentary and a necessity for a harmonious existence. The Ying Yang is cyclical by nature (the swoosh in the circle seems to suggest continuous movement), and they overtake each other in turns to maintain harmony like seasons through the year. In the example of the seasons, if for instance the cycle of seasons is disturbed there can be disharmony in nature and this is applicable to everything including our lives and relations.
The Yin and the Yang theory is found in many civilizations most notably ours. This thought is reiterated in myths and symbols in Indian art and civilization lingam and yoni, Siva and his goddess, symbolize the antagonistic yet co-operating forces of the sexes. Their sacred marriage is multifariously figured in the various traditions of world mythology. They are the archetypal parents, father and mother of the world, themselves the first-born of the pairs of opposites, first bifurcation of the primal, cosmogonic reality, now reunited in productive harmony. Under the form of father heaven and mother earth they were known to the Greeks as Zeus and Hera, Uranos and Gaia, to the Chinese as T’ien and Ti, Yang and Yin.
Now let me explain what Yin and Yang means to mere mortals, Woman and Man respectively.
A woman is typical of the Yin, receptive, nurturing like mother earth, intuitive, moist (as in sensitive), which is the reason why when you are in the presence of a woman you feel cared for. The virtues of the Yin are best manifested in the unconditional love that a mother gives her child, that which nature has blessed her with. Without the Yin in a woman, the child wouldn’t be taken proper care of and the result would be disastrous. Even in a relation, it is often that a woman plays the role of a soother often calming or emotionally supporting the emotionally strained man. If it wasn’t for the Yin in a woman, we would have a society of disoriented, emotionless and undernourished people.
A man is representative of the Yang - dry, directed, focused, logical, and action oriented, which isn’t surprising why men form a majority of the scientists and people in power. The Yang virtues in a man is obvious in the way he prefers rationalization over emotions, head over heart because to him “a hunter cannot have emotions over his prey or else he will go hungry”.
Now let’s look at it from a scientific perspective. A human being has two brain hemispheres and it’s an interesting fact that man and woman have different predominant spheres and uses his or her part of the brain differently. The left one is the male hemisphere (intellect, logical thinking), the right one being the female hemisphere (holistic thinking, intuition). But this doesn’t mean that we ignore one part of our brain completely (or else we’d be alien to each other!), only that one hemisphere is predominant over the other. This principle which has been scientifically proven subscribes very much to the Yin Yang.
For a society to be in harmony, the virtues of the Yin and the Yang have to be in harmony too.
For instance if the Yin is out of proportion and dominant we’ll have a society that is well nurtured but scientific progress and rationality will be suffer a setback. As an individual you are likely to be intuitive, sensitive, and caring but wonder why you never seem to achieve your dreams. You help others achieve greatness but it is hard to get motivated on your own projects. You know you have talent but you often wonder why you cannot seem to express it or profit from it.
On the other hand if Yang is dominant, we’ll have a society ruled by race for power, a never ending rat race. (which unfortunately seems to prevail today). As an individual if you have been taught to allow the masculine (Yang) energy overpower the feminine (Yin) you are likely to mistrust feelings and intuition, to doubt yourself, suppress your emotions, or push them aside. You may feel as if you need more soulful qualities such as love, rest, creativity, or adventure, but you can easily ignore these in the name of practicality or duty. You may be satisfied with the adrenaline addiction or you may be tired of the rat race and wonder, “When is it my turn to have a life?”
A society or nation that is in harmony with the Yin Yang achieves overall progress. One such society is Japan where the concept of the Yin and Yang is adhered to by the people in general. It is evident in the way they organize themselves and also the fact that men and women have equal status, roles & responsibilities. Adherence to the Yin and Yang brings about a society that is in harmony which is no surprise why Japan as a society and nation is highly successful and revered.
Though we are citizens of a civilized society (apparently), the status quo isn’t very rosy and the relation between humans is at an all time low with distrust, animosity and superficiality ruling the roost. Even at the family front -the fabric of our society, relations aren’t always amicable. The obvious blame goes to the society as that is the easiest thing to do but I believe it is a collective irresponsibility starting from the individual. Will Yin Yang solve the prevailing problems and mend back relations to normal? Well not exactly, but it can give you a perspective of what is wrong.
Like I’d said earlier, the Yin Yang has small circles of equal sizes; white and black respectively. This symbolizes virtues of each other when in perfect harmony. To cite examples, a cricket coach (manifestation of Yang) who makes his players go through the grind and prepares them mentally and physically for a match and at the same time caring about them and bringing them together as a family (virtues of Yin); A mother (manifestation of Yin) who nurtures children, chiding them, always a source of warmth and love for them but at the same time focused about their future and their career (virtues of Yang).
The Yin/Yang principle, also called unity, integration or polarity, holds that a person is born with both masculine and feminine traits. A man supposedly could have been a man 250 times and a woman 250 times in previous incarnations and the memory of those past life experiences are said to remain as indelible traces of consciousness. Thus, we are each a combination of male and female, masculine and feminine. The New Age encourages children and adults to appreciate and practice the harmony of opposites, teaching the individual to merge the two selves, man and woman.
In a relation between a man and a woman the stability and the quality of the relation is only as good as the compatibility between the couple. In my knowledge and from whatever I’ve experienced, good relations are almost always one of harmony with a little compromise, which of course is mutual. If you have an overbearing or bossy partner (which is Yang out of proportion) get him/her to realize it and extinguish that with your love and compassion, eventually he/she will learn to get the demeanor in control. If your partner is too caring, possessive and shielding (Yin out of proportion) to the extent that it is suffocating, get him/her to realize it from a rationalistic point of view that the excess love and warmth is only doing the opposite on you and is affecting the relation.
Yin and Yang is only a reminder of the universal truth that harmony can only be achieved out of mutual consent and collaboration between the sexes. Half of life is best understood from the feminine point of view, the other half by the masculine and both poles are needed to get at the whole “great mystery” of life.
Tags: Philosophy, Yin Yang
