In Taoism what reconciles yin and yang?

[Jetsun]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

[Ya Mu]

"...but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces."

This is one of the things inner alchemy does. One of the first stages is becoming the manifestation of yin & yang so that we are more than the single thing. This is why neigong practices use both Heaven & Earth. Pull them in and transmute to one energy that is neither yin nor yang. In our system, when we project qi, wai qi liao fa, it is neither yin nor yang but a transmuted creative force of energy. Dan Tian is "place where transmutation occurs" (field of elixer).

[dwai]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

 

Consciousness is the transmutation agent, imho (Tao and Te)...without this (i.e. individual finding their te) true balance cannot be achieved...imho.

 

Besides the Holy Spirit of the Christian Trinity is not exactly the same as how the term would be used in Eastern traditions (if at all). Christian Holy Spirit is a unique and separate entity from humans...and is part of the triumvirate of Holy Father, Holy Son and Holy Ghost or Spirit...iinm.

[林愛偉]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

 

 

Yin and Yang itself are relative to each other. People are both Yin and Yang. "Harmonization" of the two is not needed because the two are only relative; they exist because of the conditions of separation. The underlying truth of Yin and Yang is that because there is an attachment to there being one and the other, there will be a view of needing a balance. Harmony is when neither Yin or Yang are relative to the mind. No view of separation and non-separation.

 

In terms of cultivation, it is all relative. Too much muscular development in Breath training, leads to an imbalance of the organ systems; in turn deteriorating the the body physically, and causing deficiency internally.

 

To "harmonize" the "internal and external", just cultivating energy through standing, moving, sitting and lying isn't enough. Proper diet must be adhered to, along with a strong/controlled mind, mindfulness of habits, thoughts, actions, speech. Then, once this basic stage is somewhat settled in, and becomes a natural "doing", energy practices will have a more...profound effect, not to mention actually hold merit in maintaining an "inner balance" in the body, out of the body, and in mind.

 

If the diet is terrible, the mind will not be stable, and thus can not cultivate to its "better" potential.

 

So if you want to have a "trinity" within Daoist cultivation that "harmonizes" Yin and Yang, relatively, then;

Mind + Body + Diet. Each one will have its several stages in which one will utilize in order to reach a stable, strong and wise foundation so they can go further without slacking off, or being pulled by the mind's ...winds.

 

***Adding this: Also, the Mind, Body, Diet is only one aspect...foundational, and still on the superficial level. but without it, any "attainment" is temporary.

Edited May 7, 2012 by 林愛偉

[dawei]

My gut says that the harmonizer is mind/intention/awareness... that is what creates the separation and ergo, harmonizes them. I also think practice can bring this along to. As an example:

 

If you practice Tai Ji, do you practice sensitivity training for it? Meaning, to practice forms, swing arms, move body is one thing... to open the meridians, to connect the Yin movement with the Yang movement, to slow them down until there is no longer a noticeable soft/hard transition and it is instead a singular whole flow.

 

In Qigong, I would say the same for sensitivity training... it is one thing to just practice Qigong and another to practice sensitivity or stillness training.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

 

Tao?

[flowing hands]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

Yin and yang are one and are not separate entities. They are in harmony with each other by being together. Of course this is only a way of describing the process of nature in a very simple shamanistic way, it is of course the environment and the creative forces that mold them into what they become.

[寒月 Hanyue]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

 

Trinities abound in Daoism, and yin and yang (liang yi) is yin and yang seperated from taiji which is the state where 'harmony' can be seen. So yes, in that sense there is only yin and yang, yin and yang are not taiji.

 

Much of the study of "yin-yang" is about the point of change, the pivot, or place of origination/birth from one into the other, this is the "third force" you are referring to.

 

The trigrams are one aspect of understanding how yin and yang interacts with a 'pivot' or change point. Though the most common trinity in Daoism is probably Tian Di Ren He, where ren is the meeting place of, 'reconciling force' of yin and yang.

 

Hope this helps,

[Jetsun]

Thanks for all the replies, it may sound like a bit of a basic question yet I generally don't find a lot of people tackling it directly, or only talking about it cryptically.

 

My gut says that the harmonizer is mind/intention/awareness... that is what creates the separation and ergo, harmonizes them. I also think practice can bring this along to. As an example:

 

If you practice Tai Ji, do you practice sensitivity training for it? Meaning, to practice forms, swing arms, move body is one thing... to open the meridians, to connect the Yin movement with the Yang movement, to slow them down until there is no longer a noticeable soft/hard transition and it is instead a singular whole flow.

 

In Qigong, I would say the same for sensitivity training... it is one thing to just practice Qigong and another to practice sensitivity or stillness training.

 

It makes sense that consciousness itself could be the force which unites yin and yang as it is possible to have both yin and yang forces in your awareness at the same time which can prevent one from dominating your awareness, I know that they are both only exist in relationship with one another but in your own conscious awareness without some sort of training usually one dominates over the other and claims your awareness. I am trying to work out how the lower Dan Tian relates to this.

 

I don't do any Tai Ji myself but I do self awareness and observation exercises and I have discovered that the left side of my body feels more emotional and fluid and the right stronger or more assertive, yet there doesn't seem to be much harmonisation between the two sides of my body and sometimes it even feels like they are at war with each other, so I do think harmonisation is needed and it is something which is described in European Alchemy quite a lot as a necessary stage in development, you unite the sun and moon or king and queen to create an inner hermaphrodite.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Jetsun

[Jetsun]

Trinities abound in Daoism, and yin and yang (liang yi) is yin and yang seperated from taiji which is the state where 'harmony' can be seen. So yes, in that sense there is only yin and yang, yin and yang are not taiji.

 

Much of the study of "yin-yang" is about the point of change, the pivot, or place of origination/birth from one into the other, this is the "third force" you are referring to.

 

The trigrams are one aspect of understanding how yin and yang interacts with a 'pivot' or change point. Though the most common trinity in Daoism is probably Tian Di Ren He, where ren is the meeting place of, 'reconciling force' of yin and yang.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Thanks this is something for me to contemplate.

[Practitioner]

There is a mysterious border between Yin and yang which is both yet, yet it is both neither. it can be described as the line that separates the yin from the yang. If I remember from earlier discussions it was called Taomiao. If you do a search here you may find more. Taomeow (namesake lol) can also surely expound on this if she reads this, or if someone mentions this to her. She's amazing at esoteric concepts like that and the shamanic history of Taoism.

[goldenfox]

The Christian trinity does not relate to ying and yang in the way you think. From the yogic perspective, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost refers to 'Sat' - Absolute, Formless Unmanifest aspect of God or Brahman which exists beyond creation, whereas when it is reflected in creation it is referred to as 'Tat', the Son or Christ Consciousness - divine intelligence inherent in all creation, and when this formless omnipresent consciousness manifests creation it is through the Holy Ghost or 'Aum/Om' - the vibratory aspect or manifester of creation, expressing as sound and light and vibrating all the causal/etheric idea forms within the consciousness of God into manifestation.

 

How ying/yang relates to this is that there is a subtle nature or Prakriti inherent within Infinite Consciousness. It is like fire and its power to burn, you cant have one without the other. The seed of creation or origination lies within this subtle Prakriti aspect of the Eternal Tao or Father aspect. When it is expressed, at the moment of creation, the polarity of positive and negative, masculine and feminine springs into play. That is the yin and yang. They are resolved in oneness in the unmanifest absolute, but become polar opposites at the moment of creation. They will never be resolved or harmonized in creation or in oneself until you return to the Father or Eternal Tao beyond vibratory manifestation. It is the same thing as achieving Nirvana and what Jesus meant when he said "I go unto my Father".

Edited May 8, 2012 by goldenfox

[Wayfarer]

Taoism talks about the nature of yin and yang a lot and describes the way the forces change and interact but I don't hear a lot of reference to what it is which harmonises them and unifies the forces, whereas in real Christian teachings there is the concept of the trinity, so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?

 

Well if you think about it - if there is only oneness how can Yin and Yang exist? Yin is the nameless and Yang is the nameless - to notice either is to see with eyes of delusion. For the nameless to exist at all requires something other than it. We only think we are different and see difference because for most of us we don't notice the nameless - when realisation occurs talk of Yin and Yang is a distraction.

 

Also in Christianity (the stuff Jesus spoke of not what is generally discussed today) there was not the trinity, only oneness. He just happened to call it God, where as we call it Tao but essentially neither we, god or tao exist.

 

Hope that helps lol!

Edited May 15, 2012 by Wayfarer

[konchog uma]

Tao?

 

in the sense that there was one before it became two, wuji, right?

 

and in the sense that the two became three, the middle of the three, or the reconciler is human beings, right? as in heaven, earth, and man?

[mYTHmAKER]

Well if you think about it - if there is only oneness how can Yin and Yang exist?

 

Yin and Yang are different aspects of the Oneness.

They are part of and not separate from the Oneness.

There is nothing that exists - as far as i know- that is not made up of the Oneness.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

in the sense that there was one before it became two, wuji, right?

 

and in the sense that the two became three, the middle of the three, or the reconciler is human beings, right? as in heaven, earth, and man?

 

Well, yeah, I just mean in terms of "so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?"

 

There is harmony because Tao is Tao, because Tao is the way of harmony. Like Liu I Ming talked about the way holes are filled and mounds are leveled. Yin and Yang cooperate due to the nature of Tao.

[idiot_stimpy]

it can be described as the line that separates the yin from the yang.

 

The balance point?

[gj551]

talk nerdy to me^^

[konchog uma]

Well, yeah, I just mean in terms of "so there is three forces yin, yang and a reconciling force which unifies both together, without the trinity and third force how can there ever be a harmonisation?"

 

There is harmony because Tao is Tao, because Tao is the way of harmony. Like Liu I Ming talked about the way holes are filled and mounds are leveled. Yin and Yang cooperate due to the nature of Tao.

 

i didn't quote you in any subconscious attempt to say "i think youre wrong"

 

your post just made me think! hahaha

 

i think tao is the ultimate reconciler, that which brings all opposites together into oneness, and i just wanted to kind of share my further thoughts

[Jetsun]

I think on the wider scale the Tao brings Yin and Yang into balance, but in the human body this is not something which seems to just happen hence the need for alchemical techniques (or something has happened to humanity which stops this from happening naturally). For example in European alchemy there are descriptions of marrying the King and Queen or uniting the Sun and Moon internally which leads to the next stage of alchemical progress, but this marriage doesn't just happen something else has to come in to allow it or make it happen, we have to bring in another force.

 

[Harmonious Emptiness]

i didn't quote you in any subconscious attempt to say "i think youre wrong"

 

didn't think you were

 

your post just made me think! hahaha

 

Yes, Tao seemed like a fairly obvious answer to me, but there is much more to say about what it actually could mean in this question..

 

i think tao is the ultimate reconciler, that which brings all opposites together into oneness, and i just wanted to kind of share my further thoughts

 

ditto.

 

Seemed like maybe you were also implying that man was sort a reconciler, as the two between one and three?

[RyanO]

In terms of chi, it's called yuan (original) chi:

 

http://www.sacredpeaks.net/meYuanChi.htm

[mYTHmAKER]

There is a mysterious border between Yin and yang which is both yet, yet it is both neither. it can be described as the line that separates the yin from the yang. If I remember from earlier discussions it was called Taomiao. If you do a search here you may find more. Taomeow (namesake lol) can also surely expound on this if she reads this, or if someone mentions this to her. She's amazing at esoteric concepts like that and the shamanic history of Taoism.

 

There is no line of separation between yin and yang.

One flows into the other like night into day.

The only separation is in our minds.

When we lose the idea of separation we are in the flow.

[konchog uma]

Seemed like maybe you were also implying that man was sort a reconciler, as the two between one and three?

 

right.

[lienshan]

What reconciles yin and yang in Taoism is everything!

Laozi wrote in chapter 42:

 

Everything carries yin on the back and embraces yang.

 

That'll say the trinity of everything, yin and yang.

That'll say Laozi rejected the yin and yang theory with a simple oneliner!

 

Let's try to challenge his arguement with this oneliner:

 

Nothing carries yin on the back and embraces yang.

 

What reconciles yin and yang of nothing?

Edited May 22, 2012 by lienshan