Yin and yang are regarded by the Chinese as being the balancing, harmonizing factors of the universe. They are opposite energies and neither could live without the other. In fact, yin energy can always be found inside yang, and vice versa as the white spot (yang) inside the yin and the black spot (yin) inside the yang of the popular yin-yang symbol testify. Lao Tzu said, “A single Yin cannot be born, and a single Yang cannot be grown.”
Yin and yang are normally pictured inside a circle creating the Taichi symbol of completeness. The yin, the yang, and the circle are the three elements of the symbol that become one. Taichi means the “supreme, the ultimate” and derives from the two words tai and chi. Tai means the greatest, and chi means the utmost.
The etymology of the words yin and yang is interesting. Yin signifies the shy, northern side of a hill, while yang signifies the sunny, southern side.
Yin and yang together make up Tao, the way. Everything in the universe is made up of yin and yang energies. They constantly interact with each other.
Yang is active, masculine, dominating, and positive. It is full of power and energy. Yin is receptive, feminine, yielding, and negative. It supports, nurtures, and sustains. Yang is day, and yin is night. There are many other examples to represent yin and yang, such as heaven and earth, night and day, black and white, female and male. One cannot exist without the other. For instance, without night there is no day, and without death there is no life. The Chinese delight in collecting opposites to represent yin and yang energies.? Although the Chinese enjoy doing this, they are also aware that it can be overdone. “Yin yi tou, Yang yo tou” (“one face in yin and one face in yang,” which means to hide one’s real intention) and “Yin yang guai qi” (“strange yin-yang airs,” which means to act strangely) are also popular Chinese sayings.
The ancient sages never tried to fully explain the concept of yin and yang, preferring to allude to it in poetic words. After all, ch’i energy is the life force and it created the duality of yin and yang. It simply is. Neither yin nor yang can be evil or good. are.
In feng shui, hills, mountains, and other raised areas represent yang energy. Valleys, rivers, and streams represent yin. Earth that is completely flat is said to contain too much yin. An extremely hilly landscape with no water or plants would be described as being too yang. Gently rolling countryside represents a good balance of yin and yang.
We can achieve balance of yin and yang using feng shui. For instance, we could introduce plants, rocks, and buildings to a flat landscape. We would need to be careful doing this as small trees grow into bigger trees, and this can ultimately affect the feng shui of the immediate area.
The concept of yin and yang applies even in death. A yin house is for the dead while a yang house is for the living. Because ancestor worship is an important part of Chinese life, it is not surprising that feng shui is involved even after someone has died. It is believed that the correct placement of the grave has an important influence on the success of the descendants.
For instance, the Chinese believe that the astonishing success of Sun Yat-Sen at the turn of the century was caused by the perfect feng shui placement of his mother’s grave. Chiang Kai-shek’s success was also attributed to the placement of his mother’s grave. His downfall began when the communists dug up the grave.
As a result, there is a whole branch of feng shui related to determining not only the best burial place, but also the most propitious day in which to conduct the funeral. Ideally, a burial ground should be undulating, as this relates to the body of a dragon. The dragon symbolizes the Superior Being. Flat ground symbolizes a “false dragon,” while undulating ground represents a “real dragon.”
If possible, the burial ground should face south. The Chinese believe that the dead need air to breathe, and south- facing ground provides the “breath of cosmic life,” which is very favorable. The Chinese believe that a lack of this cosmic breath would adversely affect the fortune of the person’s descendants, making selection of a suitable grave site exceptionally important.
Finally, the tomb has to be oriented in the right direction. This is determined from the birth date of the person being buried. By consulting a luo-pan, or geomantic compass, the correct direction is determined.
The graves must be well looked after to ensure that good fortune remains with the descendants. On All Saints Day the descendants visit the graves of their ancestors and clean them thoroughly. It is a bad sign if the grave changes color A blackening of the grave is a portent of disaster, and white indicates a time of mourning for the family. Usually, a red powder is placed on the grave stones to try to avoid the possibility of whitening or blackening.
The Taoist symbol of the universe is the yin-yang surrounded by the eight trigrams. This symbol, known as the pa–kua, is extremely popular in the Far East, and can be found in temples, palaces, shops, and houses.
