The Yin and Yang of the Tao

The symbol of Tai Chi puts the harmonious coexistence of male and female - yin and yang - so powerfully and simply as the interaction of black and white in a circle. This interaction creates wholeness, represented by the circle, and inside the black half there is a little white circle just as inside the white half there is a little black circle.

That is how we are. No matter how feminine or masculine you are, you will always have an area in your life where the opposite energy rules. Some may suppress it, but it is still there. You have been created by the union of yin and yang, you have both your parents in you, just as they were the product of their parents. So inside you, there are these two different energies running.

You might be a man, the embodiment of yang energy; so you extend your energy, you are assertive and are out to conquer, while yin takes energy in, is more passive and inclusive. Surely, there are girls and women who are dominated by male energy, just as there are boys and men who are dominated by female energy, which explains homosexuality. The principle is the same though, male and female energy unite to find wholeness.

The union between yin and yang brings balance. We are all out to find our right partner - the complementary energy that makes us whole. If you live by yourself you must realize that something is missing. So, most of us anyway, are drawn to the opposite sex to become whole, stable and balanced. Just as the Tao stabilizes and harmonizes the energies in the Universe, so in the way, you aim to replicate this feat in your family life. As above, so below, as they say.

Apparently, we can not just simply go out and have sex to achieve this balance and harmony. Sex gives you a temporary high, it allows you to play out the yin and yang dance in the physical exchange. Who lies on top and who is below, who is giving and who is receiving, who is screaming how and when - all these acts are psychological expressions of yin and yang. Yet, as you return to your home after the physical union, your satisfaction soon vanishes. You need to live with your complementary energy field if you aspire to experience wholeness, hard though this sometimes seems to be.

Yin and yang also represent the opposite side of physical world. Actually, they are the polar ends of a complete spectrum. The union is one, that is what the Universe is as well. All energy forces work that way. High energy meet low energy, exuberance meets depression, day meets night and birth meets death. We often want the one and not the other, but we have to wholeheartedly embrace both if we like to be happy. It is all a cycle of energy. When your energy is low, take a rest, just as you sleep at night to be ready for the sunny next morning.

The black circle in the white half and white circle in the black half indicates the dynamic nature of Tao. It is always changing and moving. When you feel happy, the seed of sadness is already on the way to sprout. Because it is still beneath the surface so you can not sense it yet, but it is already on its way. It is the same when you are sad, the seed of happiness is on the way too. Observe it in yourself, it is possible to see if you are sensitive enough.

Tai Chi studies and expresses these energy moves. Let everything in your life flow as effortlessly; accept every move without resistance and get completely lost in it. There is never any control, never any anticipation, just movement along the harmonious flow. The mind is not involved at all, and the emotions flow in tandem with the Tao. Embrace the Tao, embrace life's energy - lead a life of balance and harmony by effortlessly merging your energies with others along the Tao. When you dance to the Tao's tune you can go beyond the duality of life and taste oneness for yourself. Enjoy!

By Christian and Su Zhen