Yin and Yang, Stainless Steel, Pendant

Yin and Yang – Pendant

“Yin and Yang pendant – a deeply symbolic piece of jewelry that radiates the energy of ancient Chinese philosophy. An ideal gift for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and truth in life.

Yin and Yang (yin – Simplified Chinese: 阴; Traditional Chinese: 陰; pinyin: yīn; yang – Simplified Chinese: 阳; Traditional Chinese: 陽; pinyin: yáng; eum-yang in Korean; in English “yin and yang”) in Chinese philosophy and metaphysics is a concept describing how two seemingly opposite forces, energies and principles (which are part of Taiji, or the Great Ultimate. The Great Ultimate consists of the eternally alternating and interflowing opposites Yin and Yang.) complement one another and flow into each other.

Yin is the receptive, passive element of decline (that is, tending downward) and is associated with water, Earth, night and the Moon. Yang is the active element of development and creation (that is, ascent, rising) and is associated with fire, air, day and the Sun. Yang elements are pure and visible, while yin elements are hidden and elusive or barely perceptible. Yin is often symbolized by water and earth, while yang is symbolized by fire and air. With regard to people, women are traditionally considered to have a greater amount of the yin element, while men have more yang.

Yin refers to femininity (estrogen), while Yang refers to masculinity (testosterone). For this reason yin is also called the feminine element and yang the masculine element. At the same time, both sexes possess some of the other element within themselves, and when the desired inner harmony is achieved, the two elements become harmonized within the person. This balancing of yin and yang may be achieved either through spiritual development or through relationships (sexuality, marriage, communication, environment), by complementing one’s own predominant element with the element present in another person (a partner) or others (one’s social environment). Sexual partnerships are most often considered to compensate for the lack of complete harmony between the two elements by balancing them in masculine-feminine, yin-and-yang polarity.

Yang always contains the potential of yin, and yin always contains the potential of yang; in other words, yin and yang are opposites, and each contains within itself a part of the other. We see this in the two “eyes” or “dots” of the symbol. Thus the two forces are complementary rather than absolute, eternally connected and equal in significance. Where one force weakens, the other grows. Yin and Yang attract one another – Yin attracts Yang and Yang attracts Yin. One force cannot exist without the other, just as there can be no light without darkness and no night without day. Zhuangzi says that “Yin is the highest point of freezing, while yang is the highest point of boiling. Coldness comes from heaven (the heavens), while warmth comes from the earth. The interaction of these two elements creates qi (harmony) and gives rise to things.” (Zhuangzi, Chapter 21).[1]

According to Chinese philosophy, at the beginning of the world stands Wuji – the “Limitless Emptiness”, where infinity and nothingness are identical. Wuji passes into Taiji, where infinity divides and the forces of Yin and Yang arise. From them then emerge the eight gates – Bagua, representing the different possible relationships between Yin and Yang. The two forces are always in dynamic balance – Yin gives rise to Yang and vice versa; when one force reaches its peak, it transforms into the other. On an existential level, achieving their harmony is important, leading to the closing of Taiji and the attainment of the original Wuji.

The term is of exceptional importance in every field that uses Chinese terminology – philosophy, religious practice, Chinese medicine, ethics, martial arts, and so on. With the popularization of Chinese culture, the term also began to be used in Western specialist and literary works.

[1] Yinyang (Yin-yang), The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, University of Tenessee Martin