Yin or Yang

[wenwu]

Just a quick question, that i have been mulling over

 

Is Yang always less effective/desiralble than Yin?

[thaddeus]

Just a quick question, that i have been mulling over

 

Is Yang always less effective/desiralble than Yin?

Yes and No.

[Yen Hui]

"Taoist internal alchemy teaches us to accumulate yang fire in the morning and expell yin energy in the

evening. If you do not know the methods of accumulating yang fire and expelling yin energy, then you

must let go of the material world and accumulate good deeds to move the lords of heaven. You must

find an enlightened teacher to show you your original nature and instruct you in the methods of

accumulating yang fire and expelling yin energy. Original nature and the Way of Heaven are not

simply understood when heard. The teachings are given orally but must be received by the heart."

(Ms. Wong's Cultivating Stillness, 1992 Shambhala Edition, p. 56)

[Taeguk]

Hi, wenwu!

 

You asked;

 

Is Yang always less effective/desiralble than Yin?

 

It's my understanding that the ideal of Taoist philosophy is balance and harmony! Choosing only one of a pair of complimentary "opposites", identifying only a part of the whole as "good"---this can only lead to discord and suffering.

 

So I think one should be focused on integrating or balancing both yin and yang, not choosing one over the other! In fact, I'd imagine it's impossible to have only yin or only yang--the taijitu symbol shows that the two always go together, and the seed of one is always present in the other.

 

Now having said that, the Tao Teh Ching does tend to highlight the role of Yin! This isn't because yin is "superior" to yang, but because there is a tendancy for people and society to cling to yang. As a result, the world is unbalanced. To counteract this, one must cultivate yin. That's why you have passsages extoling the feminine principle, highlighting qualities like receptiveness and calm!

[wenwu]

Thanks Taeguk

 

 

through experience i know that there is yin and yang in everything, people have a habit to lean to yang becasue it is forceful and may be aan easier energy to manifest through my dealings with people i know that yin is often more effective. is it more effective becasue of the yang nature of people? if people were more yin would a yang response be as effect? i would write more but it is late at night/early in the morning?

[Taeguk]

Hi again, wenwu

 

I think you're right, if a person is inclined too much to yin, then yang is appropriate. Take a look at this passage from the writings of Chuang Tzu:

 

The want of placidity and the want of contentment are contrary to the character (of the nature); and where this obtains, it is impossible that any man or state should anywhere abide long.

 

Are men exceedingly joyful?--the Yang or element of expansion in them is too much developed. Are they exceedingly irritated?--the Yin or opposite element is too much developed.

 

When only one of those elements thus predominate in men, (it is as if) the four seasons were not to come (at their proper times), and the harmony of cold and heat were not to be maintained..

 

The implication seems to be that yang is the "remedy" for too much yin!

 

For whatever reason, though, I think societies tend to value "yang": activity, aggression, etc. Things certainly haven't changed much since the time of Lao Tzu!

 

On the other hand, here's a thought: it's possible certain forms of spirituality overemphasize yin, to the exclusion of yang! This might manifest as a preoccupation with prayer or meditation, or as inaction (NOT wu wei). There's definitely such a thing as too much passivity, after all!

[rex]

By happy coincidence I've just been reading Thomas Cleary's introduction to Wu Chen P'ien's Understanding Reality where he mentions that yang and yin have different associations and applications depending on the matter in hand. All that follows is nicked from his introduction:

 

In Complete Reality Taoist practice there are three phases/practical aspects of working with yang and yin:

 

1) Fostering yang while repelling yin.

2) Blending yin and yang.

3) Transcending yin and yang.

 

Yang could be the original primordial mind and yin could be acquired temporal conditioning. So some practices aim to 'foster yang while repelling yin'.

 

'Yin convergence' can refer to blending worldly conditioning that has survival utility with the original mind so that the mundane becames a servant of the primordial. Then there is the freedom to be or not to be beyond conditioned response.

 

Movement is yang, stillness is yin. Movement can involve travel, exercise, psychosomatic exercise and ordinary activity. Stillness could be pyhsical stillness as an aid to finding inner stillness; the stilling of undesriable qualities; and a state of inner tranquility in the midst of action. In this context yang and yin both have utility and neither is necessarily preferred over the other.

 

Stillness and movement can have a more subtle application to consciousness in 'transcending yin and yang'. This involves cultivating no fixed duality between stillness and movement so one is 'always calm yet always resonsive, always responsive yet always calm'. According to Cleary this is a basic aspect of uniting heaven and earth within humanity.

Edited March 8, 2007 by rex

[林愛偉]

"Taoist internal alchemy teaches us to accumulate yang fire in the morning and expell yin energy in the

evening. If you do not know the methods of accumulating yang fire and expelling yin energy, then you

must let go of the material world and accumulate good deeds to move the lords of heaven. You must

find an enlightened teacher to show you your original nature and instruct you in the methods of

accumulating yang fire and expelling yin energy. Original nature and the Way of Heaven are not

simply understood when heard. The teachings are given orally but must be received by the heart."

(Ms. Wong's Cultivating Stillness, 1992 Shambhala Edition, p. 56)

 

Very True. Move the Celestials. They want to know if one is humble, dedicated, dilligently cultivating. Only then will they appear and teach. They cannot be persuaded otherwise, because they do not seek anything for personal gain. One must show cultivation, or devotion to it. Then maybe.

 

Peace,

Aiwei

Edited March 9, 2007 by 林愛偉