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According to Taoist philosophy, every object or matter in the world contains both Yin and Yang, which is why there is a portion of the Yang in Yin, and vice versa. The Chinese strongly believe that when something nears reaching its extreme, it becomes its polar opposite, as illustrated by the symbol. To illustrate this concept, for example, consider an ordinary balloon. As the balloon fills to its extreme with air, the balloon will certainly burst, causing a transformation to a deflated piece of rubber.
As illustrated by the symbol where Yin and Yang intersect, opposing forms are only a thin line from their counterparts. It would be very simple to re-inflate the balloon, creating a return to its original form, the opposite of its burst condition. Taoist philosophy infers that when opposing forces exist in balance all is calm, while on the other hand, when one force is disproportionate to its complement confusion and disorder arise. This bipolar worldview does not pertain to the principles of good and evil, but instead, yang and yin represent equally essential forces in the dynamics of an impersonal universe (Thompson, 3). One who can recognize the Yang and Yin in all matter will possess the capability to understand the philosophy of the Tao. In summary, it can be explained that all things in life will move in one direction, and eventually in the other creating a healthy balance in the end.
It is a Taoist belief that one who has reached this point in understanding the universe will be able to predict the outcome of events and situations and readily accept the constant evolution of life. In light of this thought, the philosophy encourages the Taoist to gain knowledge of what cannot be physically seen or felt by creating potential opposites of what can be seen and experienced. For example, operating under Taoist frame of thought allows one to assume the existence of another world, such as heaven from the existence of that which can be observed on Earth. Both will fail to exist without a complement, and the complement of earth by heaven would make perfect sense to the Taoist philosopher. The idea of balance stands as the basis of a large portion of Taoist philosophy.
An equally important concept in Taoist thought is that of change. The idea of a ceaseless flow of change can be seen throughout other aspects of Taoist philosophy (Thompson, 5). Along with the importance of change represented by the Yin Yang symbol, the philosophy addresses the constant evolution within what it is referred to as the Five Elements. These elements include wood, fire, earth, metal and water and are believed to be phases of a constantly moving cycle (En Britannica). Each of the elements symbolize and correspond to certain objects and events in the universe such as colors, directions, parts of the body and seasons, among others. In Taoist philosophy, the element wood is seen to represent the direction of east, the season of spring and the color green; the element fire to represent the south, the summer and the color red; and the element earth to represent the center and the color yellow.
In addition, metal is seen to represent the west, the autumn and the color white, while water represents the north, the winter and the color black. In addition of their recognition for the direct representation of objects and events, the five elements are understood to represent change and evolution. Each element is believed to evolve and replace the previous, similar to the process of the changing seasons. Two cycles can be seen at work within the rotation of the five elements, one constructive and one destructive. In the constructive or creative cycle, burning wood creates fire, fire leaves ashes to create earth, earth contains ore, creating metal. In turn, metal melts, creating water, which nourishes plant life and creates wood, completing the cycle.
On the other hand in the destructive cycle it is believed that wood hinders and destroys earth, earth becomes polluted destroying water, and water extinguishes fire. In completion of the cycle, fire melts and destroys metal and metal in turn destroys wood. These cycles have a practical use in the Taoist philosophy, that of restoring a balance of energy in a body which has been upset by for example, grief or unhappiness. Since grief is seen in correspondence to metal, earthy herbs with a metal boosting nature may be recommended, and any fire related foods may eliminated from ones diet, as fire destroys metal. Most importantly, the five elements represent the underlying philosophy of the Tao that everything changes, and furthermore, changes in accordance to a universal law, and that appreciating the changes and working with and not against them makes for a peaceful and happy life (En Britannica).
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Research essay sample on Yin And Yang Five Elements
