Most Auspicious Orientation of Yin and Yang?

[XingLik]

 

I'm designing a new logo and I would like to know what the member's opinions are on understanding and orientating the Yin Yang symbol auspiciously. Every orientation seems to be valid in one way or another depending on dynasty and intent and there seem to be many contradictions between scholars. I notice that TDB's logo for the site icon has changed a number of times and that the current incarnation is a very old depiction. May I also ask what was the rationale behind choosing this TDB version?

 

As I understand it there are 3 phases of the Yin Yang.

 

My teacher has told me there is:

 

1. Something

2. Nothing

3. Emptiness (also known as transition between something and nothing)

 

My teacher also tells me the original YinYang symbol was this...

From my own research I have noticed that this pattern (more or less) manifests for me when I'm practicing sun gazing QiGong (although a bit more miasmic than this one ;)

 

In Thomas Cleary's translation of Chang PoTuan's Understanding Reality  https://terebess.hu/english/Cleary-Thomas-Understanding-Reality-by-Chang-Po-tuan.pdf he refers to the 3 phases as: 

 

1. Fostering yin whilst repelling Yang

2. Blending yin and Yang

3. Transcending yin and Yang

 

Can anyone help please?

[Aetherous]

According to the Yijing, it's a great situation for pure yang to be below pure yin, as in 11 tai (peace)...the worst situation is for pure yang to be above pure yin, as in 12 (pi) obstruction.

In terms of a human being, yang within yin is a living person, and yang (life/movement) outside of yin (physical body) is a dead person.

According to the cycle of the year, yang is growing in spring, flourishes in the summer, in the autumn yin is growing with yang lessening, and in winter yin is flourishing and yang is stored.

With the typical yin yang symbol, we see the seasons working normally.

 

 

According to the Yijing, is this symbol wrong because it shows yang ascending and yin descending? I don't think so. The natural tendency is for yang to ascend and yin to descend (to return to where they came from), so this symbol represents natural order...but the yin-within-yang (black dot) anchors the yang from escaping up, and the yang-within-yin anchors the yin from escaping down. The symbol contains the yang within yin, so it contains the tai hexagram.

I think if the symbol looked like this...



It would be unnatural...for one, because the seasonal cycles don't have increasing yin in the spring. Also, because yin doesn't naturally rise...think of it like, waterfalls don't fall upward...it will only rise due to yang steaming it up...and that only happens when yang is stored within yin, in the lower section. So to me, this version of the symbol represents disorder, even though at first glance one might think it's showing yang below yin.

Anyway...those are just some ideas. I think Damo Mitchell has info in one of his books on the different variations of the symbols, as well.

Edited October 25, 2017 by Aetherous

[XingLik]

ignore this, it's meaningfully meaningless...

Edited October 25, 2017 by XingLik
quoting mistake

[XingLik]

25 minutes ago, Aetherous said:

It would be unnatural...for one, because the seasonal cycles don't have increasing yin in the spring. Also, because yin doesn't naturally rise...think of it like, waterfalls don't fall upward...it will only rise due to yang steaming it up...and that only happens when yang is stored within yin, in the lower section. So to me, this version of the symbol represents disorder, even though at first gland one might think it's showing yang below yin.

 

Thanks Aetherous, this is a valid point and makes sense to me. 

 

I have Damo Mitchell's book "Daoist NeiGong" within my grasp. Reading it now, he describes what you say, however he says 

 

"Heaven is the manifestation of pure, unadulterated Yang energy whilst Earth is the manifestation of Yin energy"...

 

Given that Yang is clear and yin is black (water as you imply) his description seems to me to be contradiction to other scholars and, I'm sorry to say, to what you are saying  you make sense tho

 

Perhaps I misunderstand...

 

No - you got it clear above (yang, heaven), dark below (yin, earth)

Edited October 25, 2017 by XingLik
enlightenment

[thelerner]

57 minutes ago, XingLik said:

 

I'm designing a new logo and I would like to know what the member's opinions are on understanding and orientating the Yin Yang symbol auspiciously. Every orientation seems to be valid in one way or another depending on dynasty and intent and there seem to be many contradictions between scholars. I notice that TDB's logo for the site icon has changed a number of times and that the current incarnation is a very old depiction. May I also ask what was the rationale behind choosing this TDB version?

 

As I understand it there are 3 phases of the Yin Yang.

 

My teacher has told me there is:

 

1. Something

2. Nothing

3. Emptiness (also known as transition between something and nothing)

 

My teacher also tells me the original YinYang symbol was this...

From my own research I have noticed that this pattern (more or less) manifests for me when I'm practicing sun gazing QiGong (although a bit more miasmic than this one

 

I wonder what that would look like if spun quickly?  I expect the black would blur, it could be at a certain speed of spin, you might get something close to the usual yin yan symbol.

 

I like it for the emptiness, but seems like the world becomes a little black as it spins along. 

[XingLik]

Thanks thelerner

3 minutes ago, thelerner said:

I wonder what that would look like if spun quickly?  I expect the black would blur, it could be at a certain speed of spin, you might get something close to the usual yin yan symbol.

 

I agree, and that's what I understand: that TaiJiTu is 3, not 2. 

 

This implies 3rd dimensional spin perhaps???

 

Just as you are describing.

 

A Barista's nightmare...

[Taomeow]

1 hour ago, Aetherous said:

According to the Yijing, it's a great situation for pure yang to be below pure yin, as in 11 tai (peace)...the worst situation is for pure yang to be above pure yin, as in 12 (pi) obstruction.

In terms of a human being, yang within yin is a living person, and yang (life/movement) outside of yin (physical body) is a dead person.

According to the cycle of the year, yang is growing in spring, flourishes in the summer, in the autumn yin is growing with yang lessening, and in winter yin is flourishing and yang is stored.

With the typical yin yang symbol, we see the seasons working normally.

 

 

According to the Yijing, is this symbol wrong because it shows yang ascending and yin descending? I don't think so. The natural tendency is for yang to ascend and yin to descend (to return to where they came from), so this symbol represents natural order...but the yin-within-yang (black dot) anchors the yang from escaping up, and the yang-within-yin anchors the yin from escaping down. The symbol contains the yang within yin, so it contains the tai hexagram.

I think if the symbol looked like this...



It would be unnatural...for one, because the seasonal cycles don't have increasing yin in the spring. Also, because yin doesn't naturally rise...think of it like, waterfalls don't fall upward...it will only rise due to yang steaming it up...and that only happens when yang is stored within yin, in the lower section. So to me, this version of the symbol represents disorder, even though at first glance one might think it's showing yang below yin.

Anyway...those are just some ideas. I think Damo Mitchell has info in one of his books on the different variations of the symbols, as well.

 

This describes the natural process accurately, but the reverse is not disorder, it's alchemy.    Alchemy is messing with the mind of tao, no less.    You do raise yin and drag down yang if you want them to mate and merge.  Otherwise they will just naturally go in the opposite directions.    

 

P.S.  I should have said if you have the know-how for alchemical work, otherwise it can indeed just mean something along the lines of that Hiawatha parody:

He killed the noble Mudjokivis.   Of the skin he made him mittens,   Made them with the fur side inside,   Made them with the skin side outside.   He, to get the warm side inside,          Put the inside skin side outside;   He, to get the cold side outside,   Put the warm side fur side inside.   That ’s why he put the fur side inside,   Why he put the skin side outside,         Why he turned them inside outside.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Taomeow

[XingLik]

Slowing do

7 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

You do raise yin and drag down yang if you want them to mate and merge.  Otherwise they will just naturally go in the opposite directions.    

 

 

Slowing down nature... and time...? 

[Taomeow]

1 minute ago, XingLik said:

Slowing down nature... and time...? 

 

Yes.    Among other things.  

[XingLik]

 

2 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

Yes.    Among other things.  

 

Are you able to share some of the other phenomenon you've experienced Taomeow?

[Aetherous]

22 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

You do raise yin and drag down yang if you want them to mate and merge.  Otherwise they will just naturally go in the opposite directions.

It seems that what you're talking about is fire and water...the yin within yang, and yang within yin. Interaction is essential for existence.

[XingLik]

Thank you all so much for your input.

 

I'm getting there with the logo (which is why I asked the question in the first place)

 

Here's where I am so far...

 

 

I would appreciate your comments if you have any.

 

Thanks

[9th]

On 10/25/2017 at 6:01 PM, XingLik said:

I'm designing a new logo and I would like to know what the member's opinions are on understanding and orientating the Yin Yang symbol auspiciously. Every orientation seems to be valid in one way or another depending on dynasty and intent and there seem to be many contradictions between scholars.

 

Everything you need to know about how to orient a yin-yang for the most auspicious circumstances for you is already contained within this statement you have already made yourself.

[9th]

On 10/25/2017 at 8:11 PM, Taomeow said:

 

Yes.    Among other things.  

 

This chick is the bomb, btw 

 

[XingLik]

1 hour ago, 9th said:

Everything you need to know about how to orient a yin-yang for the most auspicious circumstances for you is already contained within this statement you have already made yourself.

 

Thank you. Isn't that always the way  

[XingLik]

This is my latest effort... 

 

[XingLik]

 OK, I reckon thats it... (for now)