Yin yang sign symbol and philosophy. Feminine and masculine: symbols "yin" and "yang"

The Yin-Yang theory is one of the basic and oldest philosophical concepts in the Taoist tradition, and despite the fact that now it is difficult to find people who would not have heard of it, in reality few people truly understand its full depth.

The seeming simplicity of this theory actually carries an innermost meaning, which lies in understanding the relationship between the two original opposite forces that make up the entire Universe. Understanding Yin and Yang is very important for an adept who embarked on the Great Path of comprehending his Primordial Nature, since this will allow him to build his practice in the most optimal way and avoid various extremes in any direction.

At present, the Yin-Yang diagram is widespread, which is also called the Taiji Circle or the Great Limit ball (see the figure in the title of this article).

It consists of black and white “fishes”, absolutely symmetrical to each other, where the black “fish” has a white “eye”, and the white one has a black one. But, despite the great popularity of this sign, it should be noted that it is not entirely correct when it comes to the practice of "internal alchemy", and in the most ancient texts it does not occur in this form, therefore this diagram is referred to as "modern ( popular) "style.

Let's take a look at the history of this diagram and what is “not quite true” in it. It is reliably known that the neo-Confucian philosophers had a hand in the creation of this Yin-Yang symbol.

This process began with Zhou Dunyi (周敦颐) (1017-1073), who was the founder of neo-Confucianism. It was he and his followers who began to actively preach an abstract-relative understanding of the theory of Yin and Yang. Usually Zhou Dunyi is credited with writing a treatise "Taiji tu sho" ("Explanation of the drawing of the Great Limit"), which talks about the correspondences of such concepts as: Wu Ji, Taiji, Yin-Yang and Wu Xing. In fact, the text is an over-compressed commentary on such ancient Taoist texts as: Wu ji tu ("Plan of the Infinite"), Tai ji xian tian zhi tu ("Plan of the Great Boundary before the Celestial Empire"), "Shang fang da dong zhen yuan miao jing tu" (" Plans for the wonderful canon of the highest and greatest penetration into the true beginning ").

All this raised a number of questions, so that even one of the famous contemporaries of Zhou Dunyi, the neo-Confucian Lu Tszyu-yuan, argued that the main Taoist ideas were too clearly expressed in the treatise "Taiji tu sho" ), so this text could not have been written by Zhou Dunyi, a zealous and zealous preacher of neo-Confucianism.

The prototype of the modern Taiji diagram tracing dates back to the Taoist Master Chen Tuan (陳 摶), who was the Master of Zhang Sanfen (張三丰), the creator of Tai Chi Chuan. Chen Tuan's diagram is called "Xian Tian Taiji Tu" ("Plan of the Pre-Heavenly Great Limit") and it was not only depicted as follows (see the figure on the right), but also understood in a different way than the modern style. Here, the inclusions of dots means the principle of combining Yin and Yang (and therefore they touch each other), i.e. the result to be achieved through the practice of inner alchemy.

When this diagram came to the neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi (朱熹) (1130 - 1200), a follower of Zhou Dunyi, he modified both its outline (transforming it to a modern form) and philosophical understanding. And now he contributed to the widespread dissemination of his new doctrine. Thus, we see that the well-known Taiji symbol and its interpretation were introduced into wide use not by Taoists at all, but by neo-Confucian philosophers. It was not very difficult for them to do this, since neo-Confucianism itself contains various ideas borrowed from Taoism and Buddhism, and therefore its ideas could easily penetrate these traditions and, to a certain extent, change the original meaning and explanation of certain concepts. Also, neo-Confucianism at one time was designated as the main ideology of the state, which means that the possibility of its influence on other ideologies was very significant.

Now let's turn to the features of the Taiji diagram that belongs to Zhu Xi. The key point of this theory is that it considers a fairly abstract understanding of the concept of Yin and Yang and denies the existence of "pure" Yin or Yang forces. This denial is expressed in the diagram by the fact that the "black fish" has a "white eye" and vice versa. Those. we see here an exclusively philosophical view of the world forces of Yin and Yang. This understanding, of course, has a right to exist and can be effectively used in many cases.

But, there is a big "But"! And this "but" arises when, within the framework of the practice of internal alchemy, we begin to work with the energies of Yin and Yang. Here we are just faced with the fact that philosophy is philosophy, and reality may turn out to be completely different than we could imagine. In this case, it is expressed in the fact that in the course of practice we find "pure" Yang energy without Yin and Yin energy without Yang.

To better understand what is at stake, let's now look at the ancient Taoist diagram of Yin and Yang, which more accurately depicts the relationship between the forces of Yin and Yang, and which was used by Zhou Dunyi (see figure below). Looking at this diagram, we see a very different picture and the relationship between the two forces that it displays. And to understand what is drawn here may not be so easy.

And now this diagram is very ancient and was made in the Neolithic era, and this is more than 3 thousand years BC. Now let's look at what the essence of the ancient theory of Yin and Yang is. In the diagram, we see that the black (Yin) and white (Yang) stripes are symmetrical relative to each other, and this establishes a balance between the two opposite principles. All this is a natural law of Nature - just as day replaces night, inhalation is followed by exhalation, after cold comes warmth.

We also see that the Yin and Yang forces exist in parallel and are opposite to each other. An empty circle inside indicates the One Primordial from which everything flows. It is also necessary to say that the energies of Yin and Yang by themselves do not attract, like "+" and "-", but, on the contrary, are repelled. This is primarily due to the fact that their power is multidirectional, i.e. the Yang force lies in the movement from the center to the periphery, and the Yin force - from the periphery to the center, therefore they cannot be connected in their normal states. And, nevertheless, in all living (material) organisms, the energies of Yin and Yang are present simultaneously, and they support each other, although they can be in different proportions, and also collect in their pure form in separate parts of the body.

The simplest example of "pure" Yang energy outside of our body is sunlight, and Yin energy is the force of gravity. In this case, the Sun itself also has Yin energy, and in the center of the Earth (the planet's core) there is Yang energy. It is often said in popular literature that Yang is "strong" and Yin is "weak." This statement is erroneous, and, for example, the same force of gravity can in no way be called "weak". It is necessary to understand that both forces can be in different states, both active (strong Yang and Yin) and passive (weak Yang and Yin), and it is this understanding that underlies the theory of Wu Xing (five elements).

Based on the foregoing, we can draw the following conclusion: in Practical Taoism, the Yin and Yang energies are quite concrete forces, and not abstract concepts, as they believe in philosophical circles.

One way or another, an ordinary person perceives the world dually, there is a subject (the person himself) and the objects that surround him. And this duality is nothing more than the same Yin and Yang. The goal of Taoist practice is to comprehend one's Primordial Nature, which is possible through the achievement of One (One), which means the disappearance of duality and the achievement of an integral Unity with the entire Universe at all levels, from the grossest to the most subtle.

In the Taoist Zhen Tao School (as well as in other traditional Taoist schools), the path to attaining Unity begins with "cleansing the mind of defilements" and "eradicating defilements." At the level of working with energy, the basic technique is that we comprehend its qualities and properties of Yin and Yang and carry out their fusion (匹配 阴阳). This is a very difficult task, based on the fact that the energy impulses of the Yin and Yang forces are in different directions, and therefore we can say that Yin and Yang in the body of an ordinary person can never merge into one by themselves, because it is not natural for them. Only through the methods of internal alchemy (nei dan) can a person achieve their connection and use them simultaneously, and not in turn. When such a merger occurs, then a person receives completely new opportunities and a new level of perception of reality. This result can be displayed in the following diagrams (see pictures below).

They reflect the alchemical result of the fusion of Yin and Yang, and note, despite the fact that in the first diagram we see the same "fish" as in the "modern" style, only they do not have any "eyes". Alchemical diagrams well reflect the dynamic processes of two opposite forces, therefore, we can talk about the existence of young, mature and old Yang and young, mature and old Yin. In an ordinary person, the Yin and Yang energies do not interact in such a combined way, as indicated in the drawings, this is typical only for those who practice internal alchemy. Therefore, one of the most important goals of Practical Taoism is the fusion of the energies of Yin and Yang, which, in fact, is the first step to gaining immortality (enlightenment) and comprehending Tao.

"Bobruisk Courier" returns to its "historical" section "Yin-Yang", which is more than 20 years old, and which in recent years has been undeservedly "forgotten" by us.

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Yin and Yang - feminine and masculine. This concept came to us from China. The ancient Chinese sages interpreted Yin-Yang as a symbol of the unity of the whole, the opposite parts of which pass into each other, making up the strongest energy together.

The original meaning of Yin and Yang is the shady and sunny side of the mountain. This meaning perfectly reflects the essence of these two principles. They are just different sides of the same mountain. Their differences are determined not by the inner nature of the slope itself, but by the third force (the sun), which alternately illuminates one or the other side.

And now - in more detail about each of the components of the Yin-Yang symbol.

Yin

The Moon corresponds to the feminine energy in astrology. Therefore, the feminine principle is night, darkness, abyss, cold, passivity, introversion (emphasis on the inner). Here the principle of fluidity and flexibility finds its place. As a result, the predominance in women of such qualities as gentleness, tenderness, the ability to forgive and accept. Feminine power is the power of intuition and emotion.

Yin energy can be compared to water: water has no form, it takes the form of the surrounding world, fills with itself.

Also, the earth is endowed with Yin energy to a large extent: it humbly grows in itself all the seeds that have fallen into it from outside. She waits idle to be used. She accepts.

Yin energy is inert: it is simply in space and waits for something to give it a vector of motion.

Yang

The male energy in astrology corresponds to the Sun. The masculine principle is day, fire, activity, dedication, dynamics, categoricalness, leadership, extroversion (emphasis on the external). The power of the masculine principle is the power of reason.

Yang energy gives motivation and desire to act. It has a vector and aspiration.

The masculine principle is the Idea, the Seed. He needs a land that will grow this Seed in itself. Yang energy gives.

But this does not mean at all that a woman is filled exclusively with Yin energy, and a man - with Yang energy. In fact, both energies are present in each of us, regardless of gender. But for the harmony of the personality, it is important that women have more feminine energy, and men - masculine. In the opposite case, an imbalance of energies will occur, which can lead to unpleasant consequences. Let's talk about them in more detail.

A woman has too much Yin energy

1. Loss of physical fitness. Extra weight appears or the muscles become sluggish and weak.

2. Outbursts of uncontrollable emotions. Sadness, depression, tantrums, resentment, apathy become a constant companion of a woman if there is no Yang energy in her.

3. Laziness, unwillingness to do anything. Such women will always want to take a horizontal position: lie on the sofa and do nothing. After all, Yin is peace, earth.

4. Lack of goals in life. Since the Yin energy has no vector, then a woman in whom there is too much of this energy will become inert and lack of initiative.

5. Dissatisfaction with everyone and everyone. Yin has no goal, therefore no result can be achieved. Such a woman will not know what she wants, and everything that she has will seem to her not what she would like.

There is too much Yang in a woman

1. Male physique. Large shoulders, narrow hips, lean muscles - this type of figure is often caused by an overabundance of Yang energy in a woman. And if such a woman begins to gain weight, then this happens, as a rule, according to the male type: her arms grow fat in the shoulder area and her stomach grows.

2. The habit of “building everyone”. A woman with an overabundance of energy Yan loves to command, does not tolerate disagreement with her opinion.

3. Tension. Yang is the energy of constant tension. It is very difficult for a woman who is dominated by this energy to relax and turn off her brain.

4. Inability to accept. Yan energy is a giving energy, not a receiving one. It is not surprising that a woman with an overabundance of this energy is ready to give her "last shirt".

5. Sexual deviations. The desire for rough sex with elements of violence is a way for women with an imbalance of energies to harmonize themselves.

The man has too much Yang energy

1. Excessive passion for your body. The activity that is contained in the Yang energy will definitely find a way out in sports. And if a man has increased this energy, then he will not get out of the gym for days, bringing his body to the ideal.

2. Dominance. A man with an excess of Yan energy wants to dominate always and over everyone. Great difficulties will arise in relations with the authorities, because obeying for such a man is sheer torture.

3. Aggression and rudeness. An excess of Yan energy transforms such good qualities as determination and confidence into obstinacy and self-confidence. Attempts to disagree with a man who has an increased Yang energy level is fraught with outbursts of aggression and rudeness on his part.

There is too much yin in a man

1. Passivity. It is not surprising that a man with a predominant Yin energy will be overweight and have little income. Indeed, the activity and determination inherent in the Yang energy will be blocked by the passivity and inertia of the Yin energy.

2. Softness. The principle of fluidity and flexibility inherent in the Yin energy will lead to the fact that a man in whom this energy is dominant will try to avoid sharp corners, not enter into conflicts, and make compromises.

3. Inability to give. Such a man does not feel like a breadwinner. He has absolutely no desire to give something, but to receive something without making efforts, he will not refuse.

Balance is a very fragile thing. It can be difficult to achieve a balance of energies and find harmony. But not easy does not mean impossible. We will tell you about the ways of personality harmonization in our next article under the heading "Yin-Yang".

For the first time, two principles called "yin" and "yang" are mentioned in the famous ancient Chinese treatise "The Book of Changes". Yin, according to this book, symbolizes dark and soft matter, yang - light and hard. In this work, the idea of \u200b\u200btheir interaction has not yet been expressed, it begins to develop a little later, as Chinese philosophy improves. Both principles acquire more and more pronounced and detailed features: yin becomes a symbol of darkness, night, moon, earth, cold, odd numbers, negative phenomena, yang is the complete opposite. Philosophers are beginning to wonder how these concepts affect each other.

The ancient Chinese sages concluded that the polar forces must constantly interact with each other in order to generate changes in nature that give rise to life. Yin and yang, they are closely related to each other and represent a single phenomenon. As a result of the development of this idea, a new teaching called Taoism appeared: two opposite sides of being reveal the concept of Tao, explain the changeable nature of the world and the complementarity of all existing phenomena. There can be no light without darkness, good without evil, white without black - both ideas are equal. Moreover, for harmonious development, they must balance each other, otherwise violations are possible. So, according to this teaching, the imbalance of yin and yang can be the cause of diseases developing in the human body.

The meaning of yin and yang

The interaction of both principles is well represented on the famous Taoist symbol - a circle divided into two halves, black and white, with dots of the opposite color on each of them. These points mean that each force carries the seed of a different beginning. Symmetry symbolizes stability and balance of two forces, and - variability, absence of static, constant movement in a circle.

Each of the concepts corresponds to a whole set, opposite in meaning. Yang is a masculine principle, it symbolizes activity, life, fiery element, dryness and warmth. Yang is outward movement, space and expansion. Red and white colors are associated with this beginning, sour and bitter tastes correspond to it. Summer is a manifestation of yang, all animals and grains are a product of this power.

Yin is the feminine principle, corresponding to cold, passivity, softness and heaviness. Yin symbolizes contraction, position within, focus on one's own state, and not on the environment. Therefore, in introverts the yin side is strong, and in extroverts the yang side. Yin is described as purple and black, sweet, pungent, and salty, as well as all

In ancient Chinese mythology and natural philosophy, yin-yang ("tai tzu", the Great Limit) is a symbol of the creative unity of opposites in the Universe. He was depicted as a circle, the image of infinity, divided by a wavy line into two halves - dark and light. Two points symmetrically located inside the circle - light on a dark background and dark on a light - spoke of the fact that each of the two great forces of the Universe carries within itself the embryo of the opposite principle. The dark and bright fields, representing yin and yang, respectively, are symmetrical, but this symmetry is not static. It assumes constant movement in a circle - when one of the two principles reaches its peak, it is already ready to retreat: “Yang, having reached the peak of its development, retreats in the face of yin. Yin, having reached the peak of its development, retreats in the face of yang. "

“The concept of yin and yang - two opposing and complementary principles - permeates everything in the Chinese cultural tradition, from the system of government and relations between people to the rules of nutrition and self-regulation. It also extends to a very complex scheme of relationships between a person and the spiritual world ... The concept of yin and yang as accurately as possible conveys the Chinese perception of both the external world and the world within themselves. " (A. Maslov)

According to the ancient Chinese, all manifestations of Tao are generated by the dynamic alternation and interaction of these opposing forces. The separation of Heaven and Earth was preceded by the state of the primordial integrity of the world. This source of all things was called Chaos ("hundong") or Infinite ("wu ji"). For the creation of the world to begin, chaos had to differentiate. First of all, it split into two main elements - yang and yin. The interaction of these elements led to the formation of objects of visible nature.

“Initially, yin and yang meant, respectively, the shadow and sunny slopes of the mountain (such an understanding can, in particular, be found in the I Ching) - and this symbolism perfectly reflected the essence of these two principles. On the one hand, they represent only different slopes of one mountain, not reducible to each other, but also not differing from each other; on the other hand, their qualitative difference is determined not by the inner nature of the slope itself, but by some third force - the sun, which illuminates both slopes in turn ”. (A. Maslov)

Since the Zhou era, the Chinese began to view the sky as the embodiment of yang, and the earth as yin. “The Qi of Heaven and Earth, when collected, forms a unity, and when separated, it forms yin and yang,” said the traditional formula. The Sun and the Moon, "Tai Yang" and "Tai Yin", the Great Yang and the Great Yin, form a pair of opposites that give rise to the forms of Heaven.

Already in ancient times, yang and yin gave birth to a number of cosmological symbols. The yang power was correlated with the sky, sun, warmth, light, spirit, life, active and masculine principle, left side, odd numbers. Yang symbolizes everything light, dry and high: mountain, heaven, sun animals and birds. Yin is the primordial waters, passive, feminine, moon, soul, depth, negative, soft and compliant, north, darkness, death, even numbers. In the field of human thinking, yin is the intuitive female mind, yang is the clear rational mind of a man. Yin is the immobility of the sage immersed in contemplation, yang is the creative activity of the ruler. The contrast of yin and yang is not only a principle that organizes all of Chinese culture, but is also reflected in two main philosophical trends in China. Confucianism gives preference to everything rational, masculine, active. Taoism, on the other hand, prefers the intuitive, the feminine, the mystical.

Extreme yang and extreme yin correspond to the elements of Fire and Water. The cycle of their mutual transformations includes two intermediate stages, symbolized by the elements of Metal and Wood. A circle of yin and yang transformations is formed, which, like any circle, has its center. The element of the Earth acts as the emblem of the center. Thus, the Great Limit unfolds into a fivefold structure, which combines the duality of yin-yang and the triad of creation, and therefore is a capacious symbol of the universe.

One of the most important concepts of the traditional Chinese worldview is san tsai - "three matters", "three gifts", "three riches": Heaven, Earth and the Man connecting them. In the cycle of its development, Chaos gives rise to two principles of the universe - Heaven and Earth, and gets its completion in Man. The Tao Te Ching says: “One gives birth to two; two gives birth to three; three gives birth to all the darkness of things. " Man, according to Chinese concepts, stands in the center of the universe, closes in on him, he keeps the world stream of being. “From the all-encompassing character of Tao, which contains both the macrocosm and the microcosm, in the Canon of Changes follows the idea of \u200b\u200bman as the center of events: a person who is aware of his responsibility can be on an equal footing with the forces of space - Heaven and Earth ... To the extent that a person who is aware of his responsibility is given to influence the course of things, variability ceases to be an insidious unrecognizable trap, becoming an organic world order that is in harmony with human nature. Therefore, a person is assigned a far from insignificant role. " (Helmut Wilhelm, "Change")

Thus, everything that exists is nothing more than a transformation of a single stream of being, a projection of the Great Way, ultimately - a "transformed single". Both beginnings - yin and yang - are included in the circle of universal cyclic circulation and change.

A. A. Maslov

Yin and Yang: Chaos and Order

A.A. Maslov China: The Taming of Dragons. Spiritual quest and sacred ecstasy.

M .: Aleteya, 2003, p. 29-36.

The concept of yin and yang - two opposing and complementary principles - permeates everything in the Chinese cultural tradition, from the system of government and relations between people to the rules of nutrition and self-regulation. It also extends to a very complex system of relationships between a person and the spiritual world. The image of the yin-yang symbol (in fact, it is not ancient and arose quite late) as a dark and light semicircle has become almost a visiting card of the entire East Asian culture, and it can be found on the covers of Western books on dietology, healthy lifestyle, philosophy, religion of China.

Yin-yang have become so closely associated with the "Chinese theme" that they are perceived as some implicit inherent in it. The concept of yin and yang as accurately as possible conveys the Chinese perception of both the external world and the world within themselves. However, this should not be taken primitively and simplistically.
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First of all, it is necessary to dispel the long-standing myth about the essence of yin and yang: in Chinese culture, they have never been "assigned" to certain pairs of opposites, as is commonly believed in popular writings. This means that the yin-yang were by no means equal to the dark-light, male-female, sun-moon, etc., and this mistake has already been repeatedly criticized by experts. Nevertheless, such a primitive interpretation can be found both in modern Chinese literature and at the level of everyday ideas of the Chinese. Thus, the true essence of yin-yang - so, it would seem, repeatedly stated - remained hidden. It seems to us that the very understanding of the "innermost" in Chinese culture is impossible without a correct understanding of yin-yang,

The principle of yin and yang extends far beyond the framework of such a simplified view; it lives at the level of perception of the spiritual world, the relationship between a person and society, a Chinese and a "barbarian" foreigner. Even in politics, China is one of the few countries that, according to all treaties, invariably requires "duiden" - the parity of relations, measures and steps.

The concept of yin-yang meant the presence of a first division in general, which marks the actual generation of the entire material and spiritual world. It is easy to understand that the creation of a culture for China is, first of all, the ordering of entities, the end of the chaos.

The perception of the world by the Chinese is always situational and never constant, that is, the world is constantly transforming, and therefore nothing exists truly and to the end, nothing is true in nature and initially. Actually the motive of truth, which can only be given as a constant transformation, is the basis of the mystical representation of yin-yang.

The very situational perception gives rise to the idea of \u200b\u200ba constant transition of opposites into each other, therefore yin-yang do not equal the female-male binom, and the masculine-feminine, empty-full pairs are only a consequence of this binary type of thinking.

Initially, yin and yang meant, respectively, the shadow and sunny slopes of the mountain (such an understanding can be found, in particular, in the I Ching) - and this symbolism perfectly reflected the essence of these two principles. On the one hand, they represent only different sides of one mountain, not reducible to each other, but also not differing from each other, on the other hand, their qualitative difference is determined not by the inner nature of the slope itself, but by some third force - the sun, which alternately illuminates both slopes.
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For the magical space, neither yin nor yang, as well as luck or misfortune, are absolute - these are only aspects of one phenomenon, and their division into "good" and "evil" parts of life occurs only at an ordinary level, in the mind of an uninitiated person. The Taoist, for example, is well aware that “as soon as they learned in the Celestial Empire that beautiful is beautiful, ugliness immediately appeared. As soon as everyone knew that good is good, evil immediately appeared. For presence and absence generate each other. Complex and simple create each other ”(“ Tao Te Ching ”, § 2). The mystical law of "paired birth" (shuang sheng) launches an endless wheel of mutual birth, which can be stopped only by avoiding the first separation at all. The motive of the endless "ring", where all parts are equal to each other, is also played up in the "Tao Te Ching", where it is said that "before" and "after" follow each other, that is, in the mystical world there is no division into "beginning" and “the end”. In essence, this is the absolute embodiment of Tao, which is equally "stretched out to the left and to the right" ("Tao Te Ching", § 34).

Separately, these qualities do not exist, since in this case the thing / phenomenon (y) is isolated from the world flow and the consonance of the world is violated, a certain “name” (min) is assigned to it, while the true Tao is “nameless”.

The sacred space of being in China is in absolute binary yin-yang equilibrium, which manifests itself even at the level of everyday beliefs. For example, if someone died in the house, then soon some happy event will happen in it, but if a child is born, happiness and luck may bypass the house for some time. Moreover, it is believed that good luck will visit first of all those who helped to dress or wash the deceased or actively prepare the funeral ceremony. This is considered a reward from the soul of the deceased (hyen) to all those who came to the funeral.

Formally, yin and yang are considered absolutely equal to each other, and this is how they are interpreted at the everyday level. But the realities of Chinese occultism show that there is no absolute equality between yin and yang.

In the mystical closed tradition, yin was considered more valuable and higher. It was this that was a generalizing metaphor for everything hidden, hidden, secret that was so highly valued in China. It was the beginning of yin, for example, that was "depicted" in Chinese landscapes behind painted mountains-waters or orchids. It was yin, as the dominant and all-embracing, but constantly hidden principle, that stood behind the entire power of the imperial decor.

It is not difficult to understand such a great significance of yin - in fact, the Put-Tao itself was nothing more than the embodiment of yin. Tao has all the traits of yin and pi, one trait of yang. First of all, it is "hidden", "unclear", "vague". It also has purely feminine functions - it generates all the phenomena and things of this world. It eternally slips away, it can neither be felt nor expressed. Tao in many ancient treatises turns out to be synonymous with water - its pliability, the absence of a constant form:
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The female always overcomes the male with her rest.
Resting at ease
it is in the bottom position. (« Tao Te Ching » , § 62)

Having cognized the masculine, preserve the feminine,
becoming the hollow of the Celestial Empire.
Be the hollow of the Celestial Empire, -
then constant grace will not leave you. (« Tao Te Ching » , § 28)

The tradition of concealment and disorder, unformed yin is also present in the concept of the blessed energy de. It is the fullness of te that distinguishes true masters and great rulers, emperors from other people. Nevertheless, everything carries a part of grace-de. But Grace is not divine, as a manifestation of the Supreme God, but absolutely self-sufficient and self-full energy. It acts as an infinitely “secret” (xuan) and “refined” (miao) energy, which is why it is not noticed by the uninitiated. Moreover, any true blessed energy is latent, and it cannot even exist in any other capacity.

Nevertheless, "hidden grace" everywhere, like a vital fluid, washes and nourishes the whole world. The same is manifested in the concept of being filled with souls or spirits (lin) of the whole world. The souls of the dead, for example, rush in streams of water and wait for the moment when they can connect with the streams of blood of living beings in order to be reborn later. They come to life in some Yellow Waters (Huang Shui) - streams formed by melted snows in spring.

The beginning of yin here in an amazing way acts both as a hidden container of invisible and disordered spirits representing the world of the dead, and at the same time as a beginning that gives life and existence in general, like the Tao-path.

Note that in the Chinese tradition, water was obviously associated with fertility (like among most peoples), as well as with fertility. This was in part due to the connotations between water and the Tao way. Both of these principles did not have a permanent form and took the form of "the vessel into which they were poured." There is also pliability, elusiveness, adherence to changes. However, the most important thing is that Tao gives birth to a myriad of beings, while, as it were, giving an impulse to life, but then does not rule over them, leaving the highest degree of freedom of development: "To give life and not to rule." Tao, like water, “occupies a lower position” by analogy with how all the waters from the upper reaches to the valleys. “The female, also occupying the lower position, dominates the male,” says the Tao Dejing. All these hydraulic allusions about Tao-will, found in Lao Tzu, are echoes, and sometimes even quotations from ancient mystical cults, recorded in the 6th-5th centuries. BC, but having a much earlier origin.
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It would seem that water should correspond only to the feminine principle of yin as pliable and giving birth. In general, as we have already said, in ancient Chinese mysteryology, yin always prevails over yang in terms of internal occult reality, since Tao rather corresponds to the beginning of yin than equally symbolizes both of them. However, water was most often a symbol of life-giving seed, regardless of the masculine or feminine principle - I think this symbolism arose long before the Taoist concept of Tao-water.

Water generally symbolizes a certain rhythm of life, the spirits of the dead live in it in order to be reborn again, it is filled, according to various legends, with either qi or the seed-jing. For example, the ancient treatise "Guan-tzu", attributed to the author of the 7th century. BC. (in reality, the text was written a little later), the adviser to the ruler of the kingdom of Qi, speaks of water as a childbearing principle and a symbol of a “true” person: “Man is like water. Only when a man and a woman are together, his seed-jing and her energy-chi unite, there is an outflow of waters that give form to the [new] person. "

The situation is quite different in the secular tradition, to which, by the way, many things that outwardly resemble some kind of "secrecy" could also belong. Here the beginning of yang, on the contrary, was rated higher. Sometimes this is explained by the patriarchal orientation of society, where the man, that is, the exponent of the beginning of the Yang, played the main role. There are even known rituals through which a woman (i.e., yin) could move to the level of a man (i.e., yang) and thereby improve her status. Basically, such rituals were associated with various "transformations" of menstrual blood, which at that moment was considered the embodied yin energy. In one of these rituals, in particular, the son symbolically drank the mother's menstrual blood and thereby raised her to the status of a man. At the same time, he himself strengthened his energy through the reception of this "secret" principle, that is, yin. It is no coincidence that the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties specifically ordered to collect the menstrual flow of young girls - they made longevity pills, which also significantly increased
male energy.

Heavenly spirits and the very highest spirit of antiquity Shandi were presented as the highest moment of ordering, absolute harmony and order. This is the beginning of yang, and it is they who help the soul after the death of a person to maintain its
individuality, due to which descendants can refer to it in the future.
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These features were passed on to the representative of the Shandi on earth - the emperor, the Son of Heaven. This harmonizing and ordering effect is opposed and at the same time complemented by the world of the beginning of yin, represented by spirits of the gui type, signifying chaos, unstructured mass and entropy, harmfulness and destruction. Moreover, the spirits and shang-di themselves may not represent some mystical entities, but only a metaphor for the eternal collision of an unstructured mass (the spirits of the gui, including in purgatory) with a clear structure and hierarchy, represented by the good heavenly spirits of Shen. Such a strange structure of understanding the world as an alternation of chaos-order even allowed some researchers to talk about the presence of a certain unified metaphor for the perception of the world, and it is difficult to disagree with this. The concepts of spirits, of a complex heavenly hierarchy were ultimately not only objects of faith, but a metaphor for imperial-hierarchical unity: chaos and order in the esoteric world always have their exact reflection in the world of this world.

Yin is an obvious primordial chaos, it is a person's turning to the very source (more precisely, to the source) of his own origin. Chaos in Taoist thought, as well as in all mystical schools, has a positive and creative character, since it symbolizes the indivisibility and unity of the world. It is not so much a sign of the birth of the world as the potentially inherent possibility of the birth of anything without a clear definition of its essence. It is the possibility of everything and the potential for everything in its absolute amorphousness and uncertainty. Its metaphor is the concept of “primordial lump”, “echoing emptiness of the cave”, “infinite” (u-i, zi), “pre-heavenly” (xian tian). This is the abode that has no forms and boundaries, where knowledge and ignorance, birth and death, being and non-being are merged together.

All imperial culture - the embodied yang - opposes the symbolism of the "primordial coma". It is designed to divide and "give out names," and the almost paranoid craving of ancient Chinese sages and modern politicians to streamline and create clear value hierarchies is nothing more than an attempt to embody the principle of the prevalence of yang over yin. At the same time, this is the principle of secular culture - here yang prevails over yin, while in the mystical paradigm, yin is the only possible outcome of opposition and complementarity of yin and yang.

The mystical cults, embodied in Taoism and in some folk rituals, on the contrary, gave priority to yin, given that Tao itself acts as yin - it is pliable, invisible, its allegory is pliable water that has no form, a hollow, a female womb. Thus, the mystical teachings by no means put an equal sign between yin and yang, but obviously with their concepts of "secretly hidden", "amazingly hidden" they tried to turn a person to the beginning of yin. Right here

the priority of chaos as an initial, undivided state over order as something frozen, rigid, approaching death was cultivated. The coming to pre-born indissolubility is manifested, in particular, in the myth of the unborn baby. Thus, Lao Tzu compares himself to a baby "who has not yet learned to smile" who "does not show signs of life." It is noteworthy that this is one of the rarest passages where Lao Tzu speaks in the first person in the "Tao Te Ching" treatise, here you can hear the speech of a dedicated preacher and mentor.

Ultimately it is the yin gravitation » gave rise to the seeming marginalism of the Taoist and its underlying mystical culture. She in every possible way avoided manifestations of yang, practiced ecstatic cults, eliminating order and harmony, preached by the imperial officialdom. Numerous sexual cults were practiced here, which were not recognized by the official authorities. In particular; worshiped spirits-kui, associated with yin and harmfulness in general, the graves of murdered robbers and fallen women, performed rituals of summoning spirits, conversations with them, traveling to the world of the dead.

The widespread thesis of the mystical "transition of yin to yang" (yin yang jiao) had a very real, albeit very unusual, refraction in Chinese folklore. First of all, he touched upon the possibility of transforming the person himself, or rather, his most characteristic feature - sex change. In Chinese magic stories, the moments of transition of a woman to a man and vice versa are often discussed. Gender reassignment could be performed by various magical methods, such as taking miraculous pills or with the help of Taoists or wandering magicians.

This is partly due to the same exceptional occult magic, shamanistic archetypes that lived in the minds of the Chinese and emerged in folklore. The change in appearance is generally a common part of occult rituals, since entry into the beyond world is characterized by a general transformation of the external appearance of the adept - this emphasizes the fundamental difference between the world of spirits and the world of people. And this is what implies, in a number of cases, the temporary rebirth of a person in a different image and appearance, including the transition of a man into a female deity.

So, one story from a Taoist collection tells about a woman who, after a long absence of a man with the help of magical means, managed to transform into a man, inseminate herself, and then, again as a woman, give birth to a child.
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Moreover, in the Chinese tradition, such wonderful transformations had a didactic implication: here even magic was used with the pragmatic purpose of serving the ancestors. For a long time, the girl regretted that she was not born a young man, because only a young man can fully perform all the ritual ceremonies for deceased ancestors, and above all for his father. Tormented by the fact that she was not able to fully embody the ideal of filial piety (xiao), one night in a dream she saw a spirit that opened her belly and put something into it. When she awoke from her sleep, it turned out that she had turned into a man. In general, in such stories Z. Freud could well draw his inspiration, however, in general, the motive of reincarnation, sex change has here not only a psychological, but also a religious-shamanistic aspect. Of course, even modern Chinese folklore reveals the deepest aspects of the human psyche and demonstrates what has been carefully erased in the Western tradition, sanctified by Christian norms.

Thus, the yin-yang composition turned out to be a universal scheme of the alternation of events, most often perceived as absolute order and absolute chaos, and it was chaos and the beginning of yin that turned out to be attributes of the mystical culture of China. All that is true associated with yin, therefore, became hidden and hidden and was presented in this world through symbols, numerical and color magic. And, as a result, the realization of the existence of a certain magical scheme of being, equal to absolute non-being, came, which must be calculated.

B.L. Riftin

Riftin B.L. Yin and Yang. Myths of the peoples of the world. T.1., M., 1991, p. 547.

In ancient Chinese mythology and natural philosophy, the dark principle (yin) and the opposite light principle (yang) always appeared in a pair combination. Originally yin meant, apparently, the shadow (northern) slope of the mountain. Subsequently, with the spread of the binary classification, yin became a symbol of the feminine principle, north, darkness, death, earth, moon, even numbers, etc. And yang, originally, apparently, meant the light (southern) slope of the mountain, accordingly began to symbolize the masculine principle, south, light, life, sky, sun, odd numbers, etc.

Among the oldest such paired symbols are kauri shells (feminine - yin) and jade (masculine - yang). It is believed that this symbolism is based on archaic ideas about fertility, reproduction, and the phallic cult. This ancient symbolism, emphasizing the dualism of male and femalebegan, received iconographic expression on ancient bronze vessels in the form of phallus-shaped protrusions and vulva-shaped ovals.

Not later than in the Zhou era, the Chinese began to view the sky as the embodiment of yang, and the earth as yin. The entire process of creation and being was considered by the Chinese as the result of interaction, but not the confrontation between yin and yang, which tend to each other, and the culmination of this is the complete fusion of heaven and earth.

The Yin and Yang system was the basis of the ancient and medieval Chinese worldview, was widely used by Taoists and in folk religion for classifying spirits, for fortune telling, etc.

A.I.Pigalev, D.V. Evdokimtsev

Pigalev A.I., Evdokimtsev D.V. Yang and Yin.

History of philosophy. Encyclopedia. Minsk, 2002, p. 1347-1348.

YANG and YIN - the interconnected concepts of the ancient Chinese philosophical school of Taoism, as well as the Chinese symbol of the dual distribution of forces, including the active or masculine principle (Yang) and the passive or feminine principle (Yin). It has the shape of a circle divided in two by a sigma-like line; the two parts thus formed acquire a dynamic intention that does not exist when division is carried out by means of a diameter. (The light half represents Yang, and the dark means Yin; however, each of the halves includes a circle - cut from the middle of the opposite half, thus symbolizing the fact that each of the modes should contain the germ of its opposite.) nature and man are generated by the Earth and Heaven. At the moment of the beginning of Existence, transparent air, ether, in the Void separates from Chaos, transforms and gives rise to Heaven; heavy and muddy air, precipitating, forms the Earth. The connection, cohesion of the smallest particles of Heaven and Earth is carried out with the help of Yang and Yin, forces interacting and mutually overcoming each other, as well as the principles of Evil and Good, Cold and Heat, Darkness and Light. The interdependence and interdependence of Yang and Yin were described in the context of the growth of one in the other, passing the stage of the limit of the predominance of one, then the other and vice versa. The endless process of world movement, active being is built in concentric circles around the conditional center of the universe, associated for a person with a sense of harmony, confidence, peace. Yin (Earth) and Yang (Sky) give rise to the four seasons and all things of the world (both inanimate objects and animate beings), acting as a substance of "vital energy" ("qi" - Chinese, "ki" - Japanese.). Interaction of Yin andYang produces five main elements that can transform into each other: wood, earth, water, fire and metal. Endless sky, indicated by an endless line (circle); the earth, due to its limited space, described by the sign of a square, coupled with a person, whose symbol is a triangle - the phenomena of the sacrament of life, passing through a series of metamorphoses ("captured" by magic signs-symbols "gua") - in the center of their classic image in the form of a circular scheme and the "monad" of life is placed - Yin and Yang complementary to each other. They are the fundamental principle of all kinds of changes, the supporting structure of the "Great Boundary" ("Taits-zy") - an inescapable source. Yang acts as an "inner" life, an advancing, creative masculine principle; Yin - like the external world, receding, crumbling - the female hypostasis of the two-fold basis of being. Internal organs of a person and their aggregates (complexes) are subdivided into Yang and Yin "subsystems". Yang organs are subject to the effects of states of consciousness and unconscious mental impulses, the health of the body is determined by the Yin organs. Fear, anxiety, excitement (and other Yang influences) can have a destructive effect on the Yin organs. Mutual transformation, complementarity, mutual enrichment, mutual absorption, mutual creation of everything and everything - Yang and Yin - everything that can be understood and comprehended by a person, and that which lies beyond his understanding - the basic law of Tao. The theory of Yin and Yang originated in the middle of the 1st millennium BC.

In the tradition of modern sexual and erotic urban folklore of the European type, the Yin and Yang symbol acquires a meaning that significantly complements the reference behavioral models. It postulates not only an indissoluble unity, mutual responsibility and the need for harmony of loving people, but also proclaims the high value of the readiness of individuals in love for self-transformations (not necessarily conscious and rationally motivated) in order to achieve compliance with the spontaneous mental and bodily metamorphoses of their loved one initiated by the external environment, as well as truly human the meaning and sound of the phenomenon of the presence in "Yin-Yang" unions of acquired and internalized spiritual traits of each other.