TaoMaster Posted August 14, 2014 Why does it matter ? Who cares.? Does it really matter what's right or wrong in the world . Do we want to live the right way or wrong way .? What's right for one person can be wrong for another . So how can we ever really know what's right , what's true or what's false , or what's wrong . There's a way . What this yin yang thingy and who cares if it's just opposites , so what , Who put the little black and white circles in each side ( unlike my avatar ) and who said they could do that ? What's the significance of those two little additions and what about blue green red yellow purple . Why just black and white when there's so so much more to life than black and white . ? Why was I pulled out of the fifth grade and told I could just play all day , roller skate , no school work no home work and then tossed back into jr and sr high school only to fail miserable while others excelled and graduated while I dropped out . Nice ! Thanks sooooooo much . I'm from the city of angels in calif , born and raised . There was no education in this subject and as far as I know , it's not correctly presented in any educations , in any country in the world. Threes no " planet earth users manual " that comes stock with each life form . You're on your own so to speak and I will tell you form my own experience that life on planet earth is a jungle baby. People killing animals , animals killing people , life forms eating other life forms , insanity , deceptions, Illusions , and the list goes on and on . Sorrow pain happiness gratitude. Pleasure and joy , agony and defeat success and confidence ,fear and love . What a bloody mess. It's all stirred up into a mass of confusion just waiting for us to be born into and try and sort out . How the heck did all this stuff come to be and who the heck did it . It didn't just " happen " on a Sunday afternoon did it " Who " really " knows . How can we ever know ? I mean we got prisons , and billionaires, rich people and the poor . Cars planes boats water sun moon and stars on a merry to round of light and dark It's no wonder so many say hey stop the ride I wanna get off and yet there are others who say let me live here forever and never die , I love it so much . You can read books watch tv and chit chat about life on earth until the day you die and still be no better off than the day you arrived . Is it all an illusion ? A dream ? Oh yeah ,, what's up with that ? Dreams , nightmares. I had one the other night . Haven't had one in a while . It fast short and horrible. ( lol ) then I woke up . Then there's the internet , are you kidding me ? How convenient is THAT? But looks what's in it . More of the same insanity , truth , lies , humor and everything else that's already here on the planet . Then we've got religion , war, nukes, submarines, presidents and dictators , little green men with big eyes made from silicone rubber from planets far away and living beneath the earth . WHAT ? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON????????????? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE HERE ? I want to have a talk with who ever is . : ) Can anyone help ? Let me know . There' IS a way to know . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) "How do we know what's yin and what's yang . Really." Hmmn, I hold it out a length and let go. If it rises up, I call it Yan If it drops to the floor, I call it Yin. If it floats, I call it balanced. Simple really. Just let go and observe. and that's kinda my answer to life Keep it simple. Drop the concerns about what others are doing. All your questions have answers, but knowing them probably won't make a lick of difference in your life. Define your path and walk. Edited August 14, 2014 by thelerner 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TaoMaster Posted August 14, 2014 "How do we know what's yin and what's yang . Really." Hmmn, I hold it out a length and let go. If it rises up, I call it Yan If it drops to the floor, I call in Yin. If it floats, I call it balanced. Simple really. Just let go and observe. and that's kinda my answer to life Keep it simple. Drop the concerns about what others are doing. All your questions have answers, but knowing them probably won't make a lick of difference in your life. Define your path and walk. thx man, so whats all the significance of yang and yin , yin yang ? is it yan or yang ? thelerner i know its an ancient symbol but how does it relate to life in the universe? Daeluin can you chime in too? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daeluin Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) frameworks may be useful in helping us map our perspective in the whole. knowing our root, and sensing connection to the whole, we can get out of the way of everything in between. getting out of the way, one cultivates emptiness and is filled. remaining empty is the key to remaining full. remaining full, one finds one's center within. remaining empty, one finds one's center without. finding one's center within and without, one slips beyond what some call illusion into a deeper, mysterious layer. letting yin and yang unfold as they will, one merges with life and nature. not attaching to yang and yin, one is not trapped or encumbered by their workings. by actively living and embodying the realization that one yang and one yin equal tao, one maintains one's center in this deeper reality. The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth. The named is the root of all things. Therefore, by being free from passion and desire, the subtleties of Tao can be experienced. The things existing in the world of duality can be well known by possessing passions and desires. The two above mentioned have the same source but are given different names. The ability of transformation between the two is a most mysterious thing, or the door of all mysteries. Tao Te Ching Chapter 1 tl; Hu Xuezhi Edited August 14, 2014 by Daeluin 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted August 14, 2014 To me its like this. First there was nothingness, from .. wait, I'm waxing philosophic, yuck. Yin and yan are processes as much as they are 'things'. Yin is feminine.. cool, absorbing.. vaginaliike (scratch that), contracting.. Yan is masculine, hot, expanding, thrusting.. Its all very Harlequin Romance. The symbol shows how positive and negative balance each other and in extremes change into each other. They change and evolve into each other. Each holds the other within its center. What I find interesting is when things get extreme they change, ie extreme yin is yang and vice versa. I certainly see this in the martial arts where a so called soft/yielding move can turn into a devastating throw. Shoot a bullet fast enough and it bounces off water. That kind of thing. We can think about the world and make decisions from yin yan basis. Keeping things balanced by applying the opposite. Sometimes going to an extreme inorder to create the opposite. I find element theory even better for this. Thinking of events in terms of fire, water, air, earth; what element or phase is going on, what adds or tempers it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TaoMaster Posted August 15, 2014 To me its like this. First there was nothingness, from .. wait, I'm waxing philosophic, yuck. Yin and yan are processes as much as they are 'things'. Yin is feminine.. cool, absorbing.. vaginaliike (scratch that), contracting.. Yan is masculine, hot, expanding, thrusting.. Its all very Harlequin Romance. The symbol shows how positive and negative balance each other and in extremes change into each other. They change and evolve into each other. Each holds the other within its center. What I find interesting is when things get extreme they change, ie extreme yin is yang and vice versa. I certainly see this in the martial arts where a so called soft/yielding move can turn into a devastating throw. Shoot a bullet fast enough and it bounces off water. That kind of thing. We can think about the world and make decisions from yin yan basis. Keeping things balanced by applying the opposite. Sometimes going to an extreme inorder to create the opposite. I find element theory even better for this. Thinking of events in terms of fire, water, air, earth; what element or phase is going on, what adds or tempers it. good points, male><female and extremes , interesting for sure . waxing philosophic? no problem . ive heard about staying cenetered and keeping things balanced is better that being yang all the time or yin all the time or ost yang or mostly yin . i see allot of that in my own life , and others. but what if you have 20 lifetimes of mostly yang and 20 of mostly yin . is that not also being balanced ? if you had a choice of living your life mostly on the yang side vs yin side which would you choose? lets say , i hit the like button on everyones posts. ( like is yang ) would it not become meaningless after a while ? same with Yin or no coment in this case since there is no hate button ( aka dislike ) no one wants to hate do they ? every one wants to like dont they ? still curious about dropping the g off the yang but its no big deal , its just anothet word for the same thing . i have not studied any tao in this life time so anyone who has some references to yang and yin , please post it up . the more the better . Mainly to compare it to what i know about it already . as you know ive already changed the symbol and turned it on its side and removed the black and white circles. may need to turn it a little more to the left to keep it balanced. so the big question if all things anre eithe yang or yin that make a thing whole how do we know whats yand and whats yin ? how do we know if right or left is yang or yin anyone ? frameworks may be useful in helping us map our perspective in the whole. knowing our root, and sensing connection to the whole, we can get out of the way of everything in between. getting out of the way, one cultivates emptiness and is filled. remaining empty is the key to remaining full. remaining full, one finds one's center within. remaining empty, one finds one's center without. finding one's center within and without, one slips beyond what some call illusion into a deeper, mysterious layer. letting yin and yang unfold as they will, one merges with life and nature. not attaching to yang and yin, one is not trapped or encumbered by their workings. by actively living and embodying the realization that one yang and one yin equal tao, one maintains one's center in this deeper reality. The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth. The named is the root of all things. Therefore, by being free from passion and desire, the subtleties of Tao can be experienced. The things existing in the world of duality can be well known by possessing passions and desires. The two above mentioned have the same source but are given different names. The ability of transformation between the two is a most mysterious thing, or the door of all mysteries. Tao Te Ching Chapter 1 tl; Hu Xuezhi thx !! good points fo sho , home cracker thx the eternal tao that can not be spoken of ( aka life, the creator of all things ) ( aka you and me non physical .....spiritual ) for some its not easy to spaek of things that do not exist in the universe yet still exists in a spirit , The 1 , the creator of all things cab certainly be refered to and can be known very well . The 1 knows us very well . It knows anything it wants to know .....or not know. The 1 has in fact total freedom of chioce . Theres no freedom more free than that . Its absolute . The eternal Tao is also absolute and can be Yang or yin to any degree . any ability , any level so to speak . someone had to create it , the universe that is . a back does not scratch its self . how do we communicate with the eternal tao ? it never speaks back . so how did the exteral tao come to be ? when ? a back does not scratch its self. better not go there yet back to the topic . how can we know what is yang and what is yin and even if we do know , how will that make a difference ? I see earth and our whole universe as the central point between the yang and yin . the future ( yang ) is heaven , the present time is earth and the universe ( center ) and the past ( yin ) is hell yang and yin do not make contact . ever........... and yet they complete each other as a whole . theres a tiny space between yang and yin , You wont see it with human eyes but its there . you will see earth and the universe with human eyes and other sences. but when you you at the whole past and the whole future in comparison , present time is almost impossible to see. Like looking at the space between my black and white avatar. see it ? me neither . the past is pessimism and the future is optimism google the definitions for both , its worth your time . when you trace yang and yin all the way back to the source of all creation , yang and yin flip and all things that were once yang become yin but ill go into more detail on that latter . i think the world would be copletely different if yang and yin were taught to children from like age 2 and up until their 8th year in college . Completely different . What a goal that would be i think ill do that next life time . even tho its already been done . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bearded Dragon Posted August 15, 2014 I've never really had any use for the terms Yin and Yang. They are just "nice to know" things that you can forget about once you understand them. The application of potential is much less confusing since it's relative to the situation. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TaoMaster Posted August 15, 2014 I've never really had any use for the terms Yin and Yang. They are just "nice to know" things that you can forget about once you understand them. The application of potential is much less confusing since it's relative to the situation. thx , pretty sure thats the case with most others too . I certainly didnt pay much attention to it until recently . Its was just a little black and white symbol for temporary tattoos on Fremont street here in las vegas. turns out to be amazing beyond my wildest imagination . its in everything and its every where from the begining to the end . Its in songs , spots, trees, people , words, dirt, dust, dogs and cats , the sun and the moon and galaxcys , stars , walnuts , home crackers too. me and you . in fact there is nothing that escapes it other than life . Even then life is like everything yang and yin . Life as in the eternal toa and the creator of all things . Some call god and pray to from time to time . but never get a call back . the all but elusive spiritual being that put everything we see now .....here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted August 15, 2014 yin yang seem to me the same thing interchangeable in that they are perspective dependent without perspective what is what 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Sternbach Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) The division into Yin and Yang is breaking the world of change down to its most basic principles, not unlike like the binary code computers are using. Then there is a greater Yin (the black "fish") and a lesser Yin (the black "fish eye"); vice versa for the Yang. Then there are all kinds of combinations of these forces as can be seen in the I-ching. Then there are "the ten-thousand things" - the manifest Universe. Edited August 15, 2014 by Michael Sternbach Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 15, 2014 The division into Yin and Yang is breaking the world of change down to its most basic principles, not unlike like the binary code computers are using. Then there is a greater Yin (the black "fish") and a lesser Yin (the black "fish eye"); vice versa for the Yang. Then there are all kinds of combinations of these forces as can be seen in the I-ching. Then there are "the ten-thousand things" - the manifest Universe. We sure know how to make life complicated, don't we? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Sternbach Posted August 15, 2014 We sure know how to make life complicated, don't we? Yep. That's why there are those neat metaphysical systems helping us to touch base. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 15, 2014 Yep. That's why there are those neat metaphysical systems helping us to touch base. Or lead us further astray. Depends. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Sternbach Posted August 15, 2014 Or lead us further astray. Depends. On you. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 15, 2014 On you. That didn't give me much to speak to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Sternbach Posted August 15, 2014 That didn't give me much to speak to. Trying to touch base. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 15, 2014 Trying to touch base. I'm sure we will find something in common to talk about eventually. Do live anywhere close to Freiburg? I had a lady friend who lived there. Maybe still does. Lost contact with her. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wu Ming Jen Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Observation of polar complete reality. Day and night are polar complete, white and black are not opposites when it comes to color. Red and black are polar complete, red most energetic, black least energetic. Purple is an extreme reverting back to black meaning it is the hottest fire color but the matter is at its least amount hence reverting back to black. Men and women are polar complete. when Yin and Yang reconcile their differences it gives birth to something new. Fire and water are polar complete, fire rises, water sinks, touched by ice feels like burning, touched by fire feels numbing. For those who grow up in the west and the absolute fragmented worldview good luck understanding. To begin maybe understand the basis of western culture before trying to understand the east. my two cents on the topic. Edited August 15, 2014 by Wu Ming Jen 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted August 15, 2014 For those who grow up in the west and the absolute fragmented worldview good luck understanding. To begin maybe understand the basis of western culture before trying to understand the east. my two cents on the topic. Here is my two cents.... There is no priority between the western and eastern cultures. It's best to know each separately but don't mix them. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wu Ming Jen Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Right, mixing, using one to understand the other does not work. In the real tradition there is no division of east and west. reality has no political boarders like the ones between states and countries. The division I was making is just as you say don't get mixed up. Now we have 4 cents on the table lets see how much money we can put in the pot. Edited August 15, 2014 by Wu Ming Jen 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Sternbach Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) I'm sure we will find something in common to talk about eventually. Do live anywhere close to Freiburg? I had a lady friend who lived there. Maybe still does. Lost contact with her. Marblehead, Maybe our views are complementary? (You know, Yin and Yang...) Your question I can't answer in a straightforward manner; there is more than one Freiburg relatively nearby. Well, that's how an American would look at it, anyways! I'll PM you on this shortly as I don't want to derail this thread. Edited August 15, 2014 by Michael Sternbach 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Sternbach Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Right, mixing, using one to understand the other does not work. In the real tradition there is no division of east and west. reality has no political boarders like the ones between states and countries. The division I was making is just as you say don't get mixed up. Now we have 4 cents on the table lets see how much money we can put in the pot. What is eastern and western culture? There are many different cultures in both of these generalized parts of the world. And there are even many more individual outlooks. It occasionally happens that I resonate more strongly with something or someone from the other vertical hemisphere than with something from my own cultural background. There is but one metaphysical reality that we all are trying to approach in our unique ways. Either something holds true or it doesn't. I like to compare and interweave all kinds of different views, as to get clearer about my own. I do feel that my soul is intimately connected with so many places and times in human history. One indication might be that I am a Swiss who married a Japanese at age 20; and I was interested in Asian philosophy and martial arts long before that. When I was very little, I asked my mum to make a samurai costume I had seen in a book for a big teddy I owned - as close as it got (it got quite close - the bear looked really cool with his multiple-layered uniform and the two swords). Bear in mind that cultures have always been strongly exchanging and intermingling their contents. The Chinese zodiac shares a common origin with the western zodiac according to scholarly research. Likewise for Alchemy. There are many more examples, to be sure. It should be evident that once again we are at a stage when knowledge and wisdom from all times, places and fields blends and gives birth to more complete perspectives (Yin and Yang getting together, resulting in new synthesis). Hope I didn't take any money out of the pot by my comments. Edited August 15, 2014 by Michael Sternbach Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) What is eastern and western culture? In general, I think it's the multiculture in the west vs the Chinese/Jepanese Cultures. The Chinese zodiac shares a common origin with the western zodiac according to scholarly research. The phrase in red was being biase already. The phrase in blue is tring to be persuasive for the readers. The scholarly research was done by westerner scholars of course. I have a feeling that there was a landslide in the decision for the conclusion. Edited August 15, 2014 by ChiDragon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 15, 2014 Here is my two cents.... There is no priority between the western and eastern cultures. It's best to know each separately but don't mix them. Well, I mixed them today as I had lunch at a local Chinese Buffet. (Yes, all the waitresses are Chinese.) 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted August 15, 2014 It's all one world, all mixed up already... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites