Yin and yang

Yin and Yang is a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of Yin and Yang and formed into objects and lives. Yin is the receptive and Yang the active principle, seen in all forms of change and difference such as the annual cycle (winter and summer), the landscape (north-facing shade and south-facing brightness), sexual coupling (female and male), the formation of both men and women as characters and sociopolitical history (disorder and order).

Concept

The concept of Yin and Yang originated in ancient Chinese philosophy and has been in use since the third century BCE or even earlier. This philosophy is used to explain a variety of phenomena in nature and human affairs. Yin and Yang are seen as the two fundamental principles of Chinese cosmology and philosophy, a dualistic concept that represents the dynamic interplay between opposites in the universe.

Symbol

The Yin and Yang symbol, also known as the Taijitu, is a representation of the concept. The symbol is a circle divided into two swirling sections, one black and the other white, with a dot of the opposite color in each section. The black section represents Yin, and the white section represents Yang.

In Medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of Yin and Yang is used to understand the body's balance of energy and to diagnose and treat illness. Health is seen as a balance of Yin and Yang, and illness is seen as an imbalance.

See Also

• Chinese philosophy
• Dualism
• Taijitu
• Traditional Chinese medicine

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  Chinese characters for Yin and Yang

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  Yin and Yang symbol