2. Taijitu
Book 1
Sunny Martin Strong
In Chinese philosophy,
a taijitu
(simplified Chinese: 太极图;
traditional Chinese: 太極圖;
pinyin: tàijítú; Wade–Giles: tʻai⁴chi²tʻu²)
is a symbol or diagram (图; tú)
representing Taiji
(太极; tàijí; 'utmost extreme')
in both its monist (wuji)
and its dualist (yin and yang) aspects.
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Such a diagram
was first introduced by Neo-Confucian philosopher
Zhou Dunyi
(周敦頤; 1017–1073)
of the Song Dynasty
in his Taijitu shuo (太極圖說).
9. In some diagrams,
there is a smaller empty circle at the center of this,
representing Emptiness
as the foundation of duality.
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Below this second circle
is a five-part diagram
representing the Five Agents (Wuxing),
representing
a further stage
in the differentiation of Unity into Multiplicity.
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The Five Agents
are connected by lines
indicating their proper sequence,
Wood (木) → Fire (火) → Earth (土) → Metal (金)
→ Water (水).
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14. During the Mongol Empire and Yuan dynasty,
Taoist traditions and diagrams
were compiled and published
in the encyclopedia Shilin Guangji
by Chen Yuanjing.
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The original description of a taijitu
is due to Song era philosopher
Zhou Dunyi
(1017–1073),
author of the Taijitu shuo
太極圖說
"Explanation
of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate",
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which became
the cornerstone
of Neo-Confucianist cosmology.
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His brief text
synthesized
aspects of Chinese Buddhism and Taoism
with metaphysical discussions
in the Yijing.
Zhou's key terms Wuji and Taiji
appear in the opening line 無極而太極,
which Adler notes
could also be translated
"The Supreme Polarity that is Non-Polar".
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Non-polar (wuji) and yet Supreme Polarity (taiji)!
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17. Activity and stillness alternate;
each is the basis of the other.
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In distinguishing yin and yang,
the Two Modes are thereby established.
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The alternation and combination of yang and yin
generate water, fire, wood, metal, and earth.
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With these five [phases of] qi
harmoniously arranged,
the Four Seasons proceed through them.
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Zhu Xi
could not accept a Daoist origin of the design,
because it would have undermined
the claim of uniqueness
attached to the Neo-Confucian concept of dao.
Ming and Qing eras
While Zhou Dunyi
(1017–1073)
popularized the circular diagram,
the introduction of "swirling" patterns
first appears in the Ming period.
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27. symbols of Tibetan Buddhism;
but while the Tibetan designs
have three or four swirls
(representing
the Three Jewels or the Four Noble Truths,
i.e. as a triskele and a tetraskelion design),
Lai Zhide's taijitu
has two swirls,
terminating in a central circle.
Simplified form of Lai Zhide's "Taiji River Diagram" (1599)
Modern yin-yang symbol
28. The Ming-era
design of the taijitu
of two interlocking spirals
was a common yin-yang symbol
in the first half of the 20th century.
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The flag of South Korea,
originally introduced as the flag of Joseon era
Korea in 1882,
shows this symbol in red and blue.
This was a modernisation
of the older (early 19th century) form
of the Bat Quai Do
used as the Joseon royal standard.
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29. The 1882 flag of Korea (since 1949 the flag of South Korea)
"The Great Monad" from Edna Kenton's Book of Earths (1928),
after the design shown by Hampden Coit DuBose (1887)
30. Since the 1960s,
the He tu symbol,
which combines
the two interlocking spirals with two dots,
has more commonly been used
as a yin-yang symbol.
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31. Compare with
In the standard form
of the contemporary symbol,
one draws on the diameter
of a circle two non-overlapping circles each
of which has a diameter
equal to the radius of the outer circle.
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One keeps the line that forms an "S",
and one erases or obscures the other line.
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The design
is also described
as a "pair of fishes
nestling head to tail against each other".
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32. The Soyombo symbol of Mongolia
may be prior to 1686.
It combines several abstract shapes,
including a Taiji symbol
illustrating
the mutual complement of man and woman.
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In socialist times,
it was alternatively interpreted
as two fish symbolizing vigilance,
because fish never close their eyes.
33. The modern symbol
has also been widely used in martial arts,
particularly tʻai chi chʻüan (taijiquan),
and Jeet Kune Do, since the 1970s.
In this context,
it is generally used to represent
the interplay between hard and soft techniques.
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The dots in the modern "yin-yang symbol"
have been given
the additional interpretation of "intense interaction"
between the complementary principles,
i.e.
a flux or flow to achieve harmony and balance.
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34. The Role of Yin-Yang Theory
in Health
What is yin-yang theory?
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How does it relate to health and disease?
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How does East Asian medicine
use yin-yang theory in diagnosis and treatment?
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35. The philosophy
at the root of the traditional East Asian
approach to health
and well-being used at Creekside Acupuncture
is yin-yang theory.
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In this theory,
yin and yang
describe all known phenomena.
They are descriptions of easily observed processes
such as day turning into night, youth into old age,
one season into the next.
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36. The application of yin and yang to real life
is far reaching.
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Your own observations
have probably shown you
that if a plan is based on an unchanging structure
that does not adapt with people’s needs,
its long term success is unlikely.
Creative adaptability is the crux of yin-yang theory.
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37. The yin-yang principle
holds that all the phenomena of the universe
can be understood
as limitless pairs of opposites
that interact
according to these principles:
The source of yin and yang, and all dualities,
is that which is unified and unchanging.
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Yang is active and yin is passive,
but nothing is pure yin or pure yang.
This is why there is a dark spot
within the white area of the yin-yang symbol
and vice versa.
If either yin or yang predominate,
the one in excess tends to consume the other.
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38. Some examples of yin-yang pairs
are passive/active; substance/function;
inside/outside; body/mind; dark/light; space/time;
cold/heat; contraction/expansion.
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When something yin or yang
reaches its extreme it transforms into its opposite.
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39. For example, extreme activity necessitates rest.
Extreme yang activity (violence)
leads to extreme yin (death).
Extremely energizing substances
such as caffeine or sugar
usually lead to a crash in energy after they wear off.
In meditation,
concentration on a single object
ultimately results in universal awareness.
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Applying yin-yang theory
to health is a dynamic and practical framework.
In a normal state of health,
yin and yang harmoniously support
and depend on each other for existence.
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40. Food in the body transforms into energy.
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Energy in the body assimilates nutrients
which build the substance of the body.
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A balanced interplay of yin and yang
is a state
where they are
in a constant state of transformation of one to the other,
without ever reaching
a state of extreme yang or extreme yin.
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41. A condition of ultimate health
occurs when the moment-by-moment transformation of
the body and mind are harmonious.
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In a broad sense,
disease results
when there is not a state of flowing transformation
between yin and yang.
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Traditional East Asian medicine
employs a multitude of techniques to diagnose and
address imbalances of yin and yang.
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42. Diagnostic techniques
include detailed questions
about one’s history, lifestyle and diet,
and observation of such things as the pulse, tongue,
abdomen and complexion.
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Methods for addressing yin-yang imbalance
including acupuncture, massage, herbal medicine,
diet, and lifestyle changes.
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44. Usually translated
as Five Phases or Five Agents,
is a fivefold conceptual scheme
that many traditional Chinese fields
used to explain a wide array of phenomena,
from cosmic cycles
to the interaction
between internal organs,
and from the succession of political regimes
to the properties of medicinal drugs.
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45. The "Five Phases"
are Fire (火; huǒ),
Water (水; shuǐ),
Wood (木; mù),
Metal or Gold (金; jīn),
and Earth or Soil (土; tǔ).
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46. This order of presentation
is known as the "Days of the Week" sequence.
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In the order of "mutual generation"
(相生; xiāngshēng),
they are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
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In the order of "mutual overcoming"
(相克; xiāngkè),
they are Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal.
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48. The system of five phases
was used for describing interactions
and relationships between phenomena.
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After it came to maturity
in the second or first century BCE
during the Han dynasty,
this device
was employed in many fields
of early Chinese thought,
including seemingly disparate fields
such as
Yi jing divination, alchemy, feng shui, astrology,
traditional Chinese medicine, music, military strategy,
and martial arts.
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49. Although
often translated as the Five Elements
in comparison
to Classical elements of the ancient Mediterranean world,
the Wuxing
were conceived primarily
as cosmic agents of change
rather than
a means to describe natural substances.
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50. Applications
The Wuxing philosophy
is applied to explain different concepts
in various fields.
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Phases of the Year
Cosmology and feng shui
Dynastic transitions
Chinese medicine
Music
Martial arts
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51. Phases of the Year
The five phases
are around 73 days each
and are usually
used to describe the transformations of nature
rather than their formative states.
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Wood/Spring: a period of growth,
which generates abundant vitality,
movement and wind.
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52. Fire/Summer: a period of swelling, flowering,
expanding with heat.
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Earth can be seen as a transitional period
between the other phases or seasons
or when relating to transformative seasonal periods
it can be seen as Late Summer.
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This period is associated with stability,
leveling and dampness.
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53. Metal/Autumn: a period of harvesting,
collecting and dryness.
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Water/Winter: a period of retreat,
stillness, contracting and coolness.
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54. According to wuxing theory,
the structure of the cosmos mirrors the five phases.
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Each phase
has a complex series of associations
with different aspects of nature,
as can be seen in the following table.
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In the ancient Chinese form of geomancy,
known as Feng Shui,
practitioners
all based their art and system on the five phases (wuxing).
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55. All of these phases
are represented within the trigrams.
Associated with these phases
are colors, seasons and shapes;
all of which are interacting with each other.
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Based on a particular directional energy
flow from one phase to the next,
the interaction can be expansive,
destructive, or exhaustive.
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A proper knowledge of each aspect of energy flow
will enable the Feng Shui practitioner
to apply certain cures or rearrangement of energy
in a way they believe to be beneficial
for the receiver of the Feng Shui Treatment.
56. Dynastic transitions
According to the Warring States period
political philosopher Zou Yan
(c. 305–240 BCE),
each of the five elements
possesses a personified "virtue" (de 德),
which indicates
the foreordained destiny (yun 運) of a dynasty;
accordingly, the cyclic succession of the elements
also indicates dynastic transitions.
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57. Zou Yan
claims that the Mandate of Heaven sanctions
the legitimacy of a dynasty
by sending self-manifesting auspicious signs
in the ritual color
(yellow, blue, white, red, and black)
that matches the element of the new dynasty
(Earth, Wood, Metal, Fire, and Water).
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From the Qin dynasty onward,
most Chinese dynasties
invoked the theory of the Five Elements
to legitimize their reign.
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58. Chinese medicine
The interdependence of zang-fu networks
in the body
was said to be a circle of five things,
and so mapped
by the Chinese doctors onto the five phases.
59. In order to explain
the integrity and complexity of the human body,
Chinese medical scientists and physicians
use the Five Elements theory
to classify the human body's endogenous influences
on organs, physiological activities,
pathological reactions,
and environmental or exogenous influences.
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This diagnostic capacity
is extensively used
in traditional five phase acupuncture today,
as opposed to the modern eight principles
based Traditional Chinese medicine.
Furthermore in combination
the two systems
are the study of postnatal and prenatal
influencing on genetics, psychology and sociology.
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60. Movement Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Planet Jupiter Mars Saturn Venus Mercury
Mental
Quality
idealism,
spon-
taneity,
curiosity
passion,
intensity
agreeableness,
honesty
intuition,
rationality,
mind
erudition,
resourceful
ness, wit
Emotion anger,
kindness
hate,
resolve
anxiety, joy grief,
bravery
fear,
passion
Zang (yin
organs)
liver heart/
pericardium
spleen/pancreas lung kidney
Fu (yang
organs)
gall
bladder
small
intestine/
San Jiao
stomach large
intestine
urinary
bladder
Sensory
Organ
eyes tongue mouth nose ears
Body Part tendons pulse muscles skin bones
Body Fluid tears sweat saliva mucus urine
Finger index
finger
middle
finger
thumb ring finger pinky finger
Sense sight taste touch smell hearing
Taste sour bitter sweet pungent,
umami
salty
Smell rancid scorched fragrant rotten putrid
Life early
childhood
pre-puberty adolescence/
intermediate
adulthood old age,
conception
Covering scaly feathered naked human furred shelled
62. Music
The Yuèlìng chapter (月令篇)
of the Lǐjì (禮記)
and the Huáinánzǐ (淮南子)
make the following correlations:
Movement Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Color Qing (Grue) Red Yellow White Black
Arctic Direction east south center west north
Basic Pentatonic Scale pitch 角 徵 宮 商 羽
Basic Pentatonic Scale pitch pinyin jué zhǐ gōng shāng yǔ
solfege mi or E sol or G do or C re or D la or A
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63. In this use,
the Chinese word 青 (qīng)
is an ambiguous color
inclusive of both green and blue as its shades.
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This concept is common in many languages
but largely alien to modern English,
where it is only sometimes encountered as "grue".
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64. See the article
on "blue–green distinction in language"
for further details.
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It is said that this is the color of a dragon's scales
when seen through the mist.
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65. In most modern music,
various five note or seven note scales
(e.g., the major scale)
are defined by selecting five or seven frequencies
from the set of twelve semi-tones
in the Equal tempered tuning.
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The Chinese "lǜ" tuning
is closest to the ancient Greek tuning of Pythagoras.
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66. Martial arts
T'ai chi ch'uan
uses the five elements
to designate different directions, positions
or footwork patterns.
Either forward, backward, left, right and centre,
or three steps forward (attack) and two steps back
(retreat).
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The Five Steps (五步 wǔ bù):
Jìn bù (進步, in simplified characters 进步) – forward step
Tùi bù (退步) – backward step
Zǔo gù (左顧, in simplified characters 左顾) – left step
Yòu pàn (右盼) – right step
Zhōng dìng (中定) – central position, balance, equilibrium
67. Xingyiquan
uses the five elements metaphorically
to represent five different states of combat.
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Movement Fist Chinese Pinyin Description
Metal Splitting 劈 Pī To split like an axe chopping up and over
Water Drilling 鑽 / 钻 Zuān Drilling forward horizontally like a geyser
Wood Crushing 崩 Bēng To collapse, as a building collapsing in on
itself
Fire Pounding 炮 Pào Exploding outward like a cannon while
blocking
Earth Crossing 橫 / 横 Héng Crossing across the line of attack while
turning over
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68. Wuxing heqidao,
Gogyo Aikido
(五行合气道) is an art form
with its roots in Confucian, Taoists
and Buddhist theory.
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This art is centralised
around applied peace and health studies
and not that of defense or material application.
The unification of mind, body and environment
is emphasized
using the anatomy and physiological
theory of yin, yang
and five-element Traditional Chinese medicine.
Its movements, exercises and teachings cultivate,
direct and harmonize the Qi.
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