Yin Yang symbol

[Mig]

I've tried to find a comprehensive explanation of the yin yang symbol. All I have found is generalization and not really instructional as to understand correctly the term, its origin and how it developed in the sign we already familiar. Here I found something that I found intriguing so if anyone can tip on this, I would appreciate it.

 

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/YinYang.htm

 

If you have any references either visual or textual, I will thank you.

 

Thanks,

[dawei]

nice link... I recall finding that many years ago.

 

I shared this else where and not sure I'd push this is an origin of the Yin Yang symbol, but I can't help but admire the similarity:

 

The ancient chinese character for Spirit, 神:

 

[Mig]

Interesting observation except that shen character is composed of one radical and another compound. The problem I am having is that what you find out there about the yin yang symbol is very simplistic and not educational. It will be interesting to find out a more in depth explanation and not generalizations about how to understand and interpret this symbol. Maybe someone has this type of information.

 

Thanks

[Brian]

I've tried to find a comprehensive explanation of the yin yang symbol. All I have found is generalization and not really instructional as to understand correctly the term, its origin and how it developed in the sign we already familiar. Here I found something that I found intriguing so if anyone can tip on this, I would appreciate it.

 

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/YinYang.htm

 

If you have any references either visual or textual, I will thank you.

 

Thanks,

Honestly can't say whether that is truly the origin of the symbol but the mechanics described are accurate. My first exposure to the symbol, when I was a kid, was through the pattern traced by the sun's shadow. Similar symbols show up in American Indian cultures. Edited March 6, 2017 by Brian

[dawei]

Interesting observation except that shen character is composed of one radical and another compound. The problem I am having is that what you find out there about the yin yang symbol is very simplistic and not educational. It will be interesting to find out a more in depth explanation and not generalizations about how to understand and interpret this symbol. Maybe someone has this type of information.

 

Thanks

 

Shen become two parts later...

 

Yin and Yang are just archetypes for duality.    Go back as far as possible in chinese history and it shows up.  Fuxi and sister-wife Nuwa are intertwined as serpents.

 

 

 

The first recorded evidence that may be symbolic of Yin and Yang was made by neolithic shells to form a tiger and dragon.

 

 

6,000 year old tomb. 

 

It shows up in several more archtypes as one progress through the centuries.  

[Mig]

Shen become two parts later...

 

Yin and Yang are just archetypes for duality.    Go back as far as possible in chinese history and it shows up.  Fuxi and sister-wife Nuwa are intertwined as serpents.

 

 

 

The first recorded evidence that may be symbolic of Yin and Yang was made by neolithic shells to form a tiger and dragon.

 

 

6,000 year old tomb. 

 

It shows up in several more archtypes as one progress through the centuries.  

Excellent finding and then how this story of the symbol was created? And how is explained today either by the popular culture or the scholars? Just wondering

[Rocky Lionmouth]

Hummm, i hadn't seen the chart of the yearly cycle before, thanks!

I wonder how the eyes fit in, the sparks of change within the bigger two.

 

It still grows on me as symbol, it very interesting how many things it covers and reflects. But comprehensive descriptions no.

[Starjumper]

This is supposed to be a yin yang symbol which predates the one in use now.  With it you can see the 64 hexagrams.

 

[dawei]

We would have to bring in feng shui or the earlier, Kan Yu practices...  Maybe Taomeow can talk to that.

 

I mentioned in my histories threads:

 

http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/38022-1-legendary-period-to-xia-3000-%E2%80%93-2200-bc/

 

 

Fuxi sought an understanding of the universal laws of nature and identified five planetary influences (ie: the precursor to the five phases, also known as the five elements).  He is said to have observed all things above and below, which is the essence of “Kan Yu” (堪舆, ancient precursor to Feng Shui, 风水, ‘wind and water’).  According to the Huainanzi, “Kan is the way of Heaven and Yu is the way of Earth”.

 

 

I think that the earliest understanding of the 'Way' things work and moved revealed an inherent duallity and likely the sky, as your first link showed, and observations of heaven and earth continued to give rise to such ideas.

 

The earliest chinese cosmology is the Tai Yi Sheng Shui and we find LZ repeating a phrase in it about Dao... but this is worth a read:

 

http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/18957-the-water-book-taiyi-sheng-shui-%E5%A4%AA%E4%B8%80%E7%94%9F%E6%B0%B4/

[gendao]

The first recorded evidence that may be symbolic of Yin and Yang was made by neolithic shells to form a tiger and dragon.

 

6,000 year old tomb.

Woaaa WTH - is that one of those ancient elongated skulls like from Paracas, Peru?  Where was this Chinese tomb, exactly?

Edited March 6, 2017 by gendao

[dawei]

Woaaa WTH - is that one of those ancient elongated skulls like from Paracas, Peru?  Where was this Chinese tomb, exactly?

 

In 1987, at Xishuipo Cemetary Ruins in Puyang County, Henan Province, figures of a dragon and a tiger were unearthed in a tomb.

 

Also see here:  MandateofHeaven.pdf

 

I wrote here:  http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/37889-3-holocene-neolithic-cultures-11000-2000-bc/?p=614708

 

 

The Xishuipo site in Puyang, northeast Henan is associated to the Yangshao culture.  The oldest evidence of a dragon design was formed by clam shells and was is found to the left of a burial thought to be a shaman.  To the right of the body was a tiger formed by shells.   This is dated to around 5300 BC.

 

 

The Yangshao culture (6000-3000 BC) is one of the most famous sites and reveals farming and shamanistic villages.

 

 

wiki:

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Xishuipo (Chinese: 西水坡; Pinyin: Xīshuǐpō) is a Neolithic site in Puyang, Henan, China, associated with the Yangshao culture. The site was excavated from 1987 to 1988; 186 burials were discovered at the site.

In one of the burials, tomb M45, the body of a tall adult male was flanked by two mosaics formed from white clam shells, a tiger design to the right and a dragon design to the left. Clam shell mosaics were also found in two nearby caches. The burial was accompanied by the bodies of three young children. Some archaeologists believe that the man was a shaman.

 

 

 

 

[Mig]

excellent findings and very interesting, still haven't found a different comprehensive explanation of the symbol yin yang.

[thelerner]

To me, it explains itself.  It's an accurate symbol/pictograph of its philosophy.   Yin flows into yang and the reverse.  It expresses the circular patterns of the seasons and nature.  Within deep yin in yan, and the reverse. 

[dawei]

excellent findings and very interesting, still haven't found a different comprehensive explanation of the symbol yin yang.

 

This is a fairly common explanation based on 'origin':     Yin as dark side of a hill and Yang as light side of a hill.

 

It should be noted that in the oracle bones, they were two separate concepts and not used together as a singular meaning of Yin-Yang.

 

 

 

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Yin_and_Yang

Origins of the Terms "Yin" and "Yang"

The earliest Chinese characters for yin and yang are found in inscriptions made on “oracle bones” (animals shoulder blades and turtle carapaces used in ancient Chinese divination). In these inscriptions, "yin" and "yang" refer to natural phenomena such as weather conditions, especially the movement of the sun. There is sunlight during the day ("yang") and a lack of sunlight at night ("yin").

 

According to the earliest comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters (ca. 100 C.E.), Xu Shen’s Shuowen jiezi (Explaining Single-component Graphs and Analyzing Compound Characters), "yin" refers to “a closed door, darkness and the south bank of a river and the north side of a mountain.” "Yang" refers to “height, brightness and the south side of a mountain.”[1]

 

The concept of yin and Yang probably arose from ancient agrarian religion and the daily life of peasant farmers, which centered around the sun. Daylight was the time for work, night was for rest. Yang (dong) represents movement, yin (jing) represents rest. The two characters were not associated in their earliest usages. The two characters first appear in writing together in a verse from the Shijing (Book of Songs), a compilaton of poems from the Zhou Dynasty (1027-771 B.C.E.) through the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.E.): “Viewing the scenery at a hill, looking for yinyang.” The phrase describes the effect of sunlight and shadow falling simultaneously on the hill.[2]

 

Hsi tz'u, or “Appended Explanations” (c. fourth century B.C.E.), an appendix to the I Ching (Classic of Changes), contains the phrase, “One [time] Yin, one [time] Yang, this is the Tao.”

 

The concept is called yin yang, not yang yin, because the former has a preferred pronunciation in Chinese, and the word order has no cultural or philosophical meaning.

[Mig]

This is a fairly common explanation based on 'origin':     Yin as dark side of a hill and Yang as light side of a hill.

 

It should be noted that in the oracle bones, they were two separate concepts and not used together as a singular meaning of Yin-Yang.

 

 

 

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Yin_and_Yang

Origins of the Terms "Yin" and "Yang"

The earliest Chinese characters for yin and yang are found in inscriptions made on “oracle bones” (animals shoulder blades and turtle carapaces used in ancient Chinese divination). In these inscriptions, "yin" and "yang" refer to natural phenomena such as weather conditions, especially the movement of the sun. There is sunlight during the day ("yang") and a lack of sunlight at night ("yin").

 

According to the earliest comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters (ca. 100 C.E.), Xu Shen’s Shuowen jiezi (Explaining Single-component Graphs and Analyzing Compound Characters), "yin" refers to “a closed door, darkness and the south bank of a river and the north side of a mountain.” "Yang" refers to “height, brightness and the south side of a mountain.”[1]

 

The concept of yin and Yang probably arose from ancient agrarian religion and the daily life of peasant farmers, which centered around the sun. Daylight was the time for work, night was for rest. Yang (dong) represents movement, yin (jing) represents rest. The two characters were not associated in their earliest usages. The two characters first appear in writing together in a verse from the Shijing (Book of Songs), a compilaton of poems from the Zhou Dynasty (1027-771 B.C.E.) through the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.E.): “Viewing the scenery at a hill, looking for yinyang.” The phrase describes the effect of sunlight and shadow falling simultaneously on the hill.[2]

 

Hsi tz'u, or “Appended Explanations” (c. fourth century B.C.E.), an appendix to the I Ching (Classic of Changes), contains the phrase, “One [time] Yin, one [time] Yang, this is the Tao.”

 

The concept is called yin yang, not yang yin, because the former has a preferred pronunciation in Chinese, and the word order has no cultural or philosophical meaning.

Thanks a bunch and the reference is extremely helpful. I am also interested in those resources in Chinese to compare and find out more about the origin and how it was shaped. In the link you posted there is a reference of the first link I posted in the beginning. I am getting there to understand better the symbol and happy to know that yin yang is only mentioned once in the DDJ and the order of the words have kept the same in any dialect of China.

[dust]

Honestly can't say whether that is truly the origin of the symbol but the mechanics described are accurate. My first exposure to the symbol, when I was a kid, was through the pattern traced by the sun's shadow. Similar symbols show up in American Indian cultures.

 

Also found in the art/insignia of various European cultures, including Celtic/La Tene and ancient Rome:

 

 

 

 

The Sun's patterns would be a logical explanation for such widespread use.

[Starjumper]

I was watching a video of someone upline in my Chen tai chi lineage and they presented an interesting yin yang symbol that I hadn't seen before.  It shows two different symbols combined so that the one is inside the other.

 

 

The person doing the presentation is Feng Zhiqiang, who was a top student of Chen Fa Ke and teacher of my teacher, Madam Gao Fu, who was an official National Living Treasure of China.

 

Edited March 8, 2017 by Starjumper

[Mig]

I was watching a video of someone upline in my Chen tai chi lineage and they presented an interesting yin yang symbol that I hadn't seen before.  It shows two different symbols combined so that the one is inside the other.

 

Feng.yinyang.jpg

 

The person doing the presentation is Feng Zhiqiang, who was a top student of Chen Fa Ke and teacher of my teacher, Madam Gao Fu, who was an official National Living Treasure of China.

 

So what's the rationale behind the symbol?

[Stosh]

Id tell ya but since I dont see you thanking anybody for responding , I wont.

[Mig]

Id tell ya but since I dont see you thanking anybody for responding , I wont.

Thank you 謝謝

[Stosh]

Well then,, Ill take that as being actually curious, So what I was told is that the unified vision of the circle represents the unified monist view of everything. The ascendency of one "fish or tadpole" occurring as the other wanes, the seed of eaches inverse implied by the eyes and each eye, implying the entirety of the circle. Thus theres cycles within cycles within the whole.

Thus depicted you start with one, , differentiate mentally two, totalling three, and then the eyes are multipliers yeilding the tenthousand thingies.

So.. all is the mental monist origin of mind, you differentiate at some point, self from not self ,and then begin the process of identifying all the internal and external objects.

Also, one could construe male and female components joined to be a complete individual , manifest and mystery, void and materialetc and so forth. Im told that traditionally the centerpoint, was representing constancy ,longevity, and the ideally peaceful spot from which change ,good and bad etc was seen to be essentially moot . Its a point of equanimity where the sage observes the world from.

[Mig]

Well then,, Ill take that as being actually curious, So what I was told is that the unified vision of the circle represents the unified monist view of everything. The ascendency of one "fish or tadpole" occurring as the other wanes, the seed of eaches inverse implied by the eyes and each eye, implying the entirety of the circle. Thus theres cycles within cycles within the whole.

Thus depicted you start with one, , differentiate mentally two, totalling three, and then the eyes are multipliers yeilding the tenthousand thingies.

So.. all is the mental monist origin of mind, you differentiate at some point, self from not self ,and then begin the process of identifying all the internal and external objects.

Also, one could construe male and female components joined to be a complete individual , manifest and mystery, void and materialetc and so forth. Im told that traditionally the centerpoint, was representing constancy ,longevity, and the ideally peaceful spot from which change ,good and bad etc was seen to be essentially moot . Its a point of equanimity where the sage observes the world from.

Need some thoughts on that description as I look at the symbol. Thanks.

[gendao]

You can study Daoism for years, and yet still not understand its most fundamental elements and principles...

Where is the Taiji from and what does it really mean?

What is a proper mabu and what does it really do?

How do you root?

How do you actually develop authentic qigong abilities...much less become a Daoist immortal?

[Mig]

I thought Laozi's teaching is real and practical. I don't understand what the sauwastika standard character in Sanskrit. "卍" has to do with Daoism or the yin yang symbol.

[gendao]

Macrocosm = microcosm?

Waves & particles are 2 houtian forms that Yin/Yang are perceived as - like the wave & particles shown in the symbol?

Many possible iterations...but who knows what the original source/meaning/purpose was? 

 

Although more than likely, it was something very literal born from (neidan?) experience, and not merely intellectual theory...

Edited March 12, 2017 by gendao