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LXXXVI. Yin Yang Symbolism  

The four things that I combine to complete my model of the existence of one totality are; seed body of world, seed body of self, soul spirit of self and soul spirit of world.  I find yin and yang symbolism to be useful in illustrating how I assign passive and active qualities to the four things that I combine to complete my model of the existence of one totality. Before I proceed to explain how this is useful, I believe it would be worthwhile to briefly review the original meanings given the yin and yang by Taoist.

To summarize, the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 42 states:

The Tao is the One,

From the One come yin and yang:

From these two, creative energy;

From energy, ten thousand things;

The forms of all creation;

All life embodies the yin

And embraces yang,

Through their union

Achieving harmony.

Tao is the word for the cosmic whole and the way of this cosmic whole is the Tao. This cosmic whole is broken down into yin and yang. I believe the essential difference between the Chinese conception of yin and yang and other classic philosophical dualisms such as good and evil is that the latter are involved in eternal conflict, where as yin and yang are basically in eternal accord. Yin and yang are together in harmony. Yin and yang are complementary. Taoists elaborate a complete system of opposites. Maybe for Taoists the yin cosmic principle represents everything about the world that is dark, hidden, passive, receptive, yielding, cool, soft, and feminine. Maybe for Taoists the yang cosmic principle represents everything about the world that is illuminated, evident, active, aggressive, controlling, hot, hard, and masculine.

Some Taoists go on to describe yin and yang as the opposing forces of change. Maybe this means several things to Taoists. First thing is that all phenomena change into their opposites in an eternal cycle of reversal. Second thing is that since the one principle produces the other, all phenomena have within them the seeds of their opposite. Accordingly sickness contains the seeds of health and health contains the seeds of sickness. Wealth contains the seeds of poverty and poverty contains the seeds of wealth, etc. A third thing is that even though one may not see an opposite to be present, since one principle produces the other, no phenomenon is completely devoid of its' opposite. The body is never completely healthy since health contains the principle of its opposite, sickness. Taoists call this "presence in absence."

The yin yang symbol illustrates the Taoist concept of the opposing forces of change in the world. Red regions represent the active yang cosmic principle. Black regions represent the passive yin cosmic principle. The symmetrical disposition of black yin and red yang and rotation of the yin yang symbol suggests cyclical changes. When yin reaches its climax, it recedes in favor of yang. When yang reaches its climax, it recedes in favor of yin. This is the eternal cycle. Taoists add two smaller circles, one to represent yang within yin; and another to represent yin within yang to complete the yin yang symbol. These smaller circles illustrate that within each principle is found the seeds of the other; and brings the total number of elements contained within the yin yang symbol to four.

 I believe seed body of self has voluntary functions that are passive to an active soul spirit of self; and I believe soul spirit of world is passive to laws of cause and effect that follow from the design of an active universe. These beliefs lead me to assign an active quality to soul spirit of self and seed body of world; and to assign a passive quality to the voluntary functions of seed body of self and soul spirit of world. I use the four elements of the yin yang symbol to illustrate the way I assign passive and active qualities to the four things that I combine to complete my model of the existence of one totality. I use the red yang disk to illustrate the way my beliefs lead me to assign an active quality to the soul spirit of self; and I use the surrounding black yin region to illustrate the way my beliefs lead me to assign a passive quality to the soul spirit of world.  I use the black yin disk to illustrate the way my beliefs lead me to assign a passive quality to the voluntary functions of the seed body of self; and I use the surrounding red yang region to illustrate the way my beliefs lead me to assign an active quality to the involuntary functions of the seed body of world. 

Maybe Abrahamic religions lead faithful communities to believe soul spirit of self is non-existent and therefore passive to the will of an active seed body of self; and to believe seed body of world is passive to the will of an active soul spirit of world. Maybe these beliefs lead them to assign an active quality to seed body of self and soul spirit of world; and to assign a passive quality to soul spirit of self and seed body of world. I use the four elements of the yin yang symbol to illustrate the way Abrahamic religions lead communities of faithful believers to assign passive and active qualities to the four things that I combine to complete a model of the existence of one totality. I use the black disk to illustrate the way that their beliefs lead them to assign a passive quality to the soul spirit of self and I use the surrounding red yang region to illustrate the way that their beliefs lead them to assign an active quality to the soul spirit of world.  I use the red yang disk to illustrate the way that their beliefs lead them to assign an active quality to the seed body of self and I use the surrounding black yin region to illustrate the way that their beliefs lead them to assign a passive quality to the seed body of world.

  From a comparison of my beliefs and those beliefs propagated by communities of faithful believers self organized around Abrahamic religions; emerges two different and opposite ways of assigning passive and active qualities to the four things that I combine to complete my model of the existence of one totality. My way of assigning passive and active qualities makes the voluntary functions of seed body of self passive to an active soul spirit of self; and makes the soul spirit of world passive to the involuntary functions of an active seed body of world. The opposite way of assigning active and passive qualities makes the soul spirit of self passive to an active seed body of self; and makes the seed body of world passive to an active soul spirit of world. I use the four elements that combine to complete the yin yang symbol to depict two different and opposite ways of assigning active and passive qualities of the four things that I combine to complete my model of the existence of one totality.

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