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Taiji
Taiji
(or Tai Chi) is a Chinese
philosophy that talks about
Yin and Yang - the
contrary forces (or fields)
of everything in the natural
world are interconnected and
interdependent; they
complement and control each
other.
When one
of the two dominates, its
power will gradually be
reduced as the contrary
force grows stronger and
starts another cycle.
However, the time length of
each cycle may be different
every time. The Taiji
represents such a cycle –
the black and white
represent Yin and Yang,
where there is a continuous
cycle with one growing
stronger while the other
lessens.
Example of an Ying-Yang
Cycle: Fire is Yang and
water is Yin. A piece of
burning charcoal will
consume all its contents
(including the water
molecules inside) and will
turn into ashes. When the
fire extinguishes, the Yang
is gone. The ashes start to
absorb the moisture in the
atmosphere and the Yin takes
back the control.
Winter and
summer (cold and hot) is
also another example. After
the coldest day has come,
the weather will turn warmer
and warmer. Likewise, when
the hottest day comes, the
weather will turn cooler and
cooler, and a cycle is
formed.
This Chinese philosophy
believes that Yin and Yang
are paired and have to be
balanced. If you force one
(say make the fire bigger),
you will just force it to
its end (a stronger fire
consumes more firewood and
all the firewood will be
used up in a shorter period
of time). |