About Yin and Yang

Three ancient representations of T'ai-chi or the Supreme Ultimate The figure A stress the complementarity between yin and yang, figures B and C stress the dynamic interaction between the two poles.

Yin and yang are the essential terms of the classical Taoist philosophy. Speculating on the dialectics of these two principles was the main interest of the later esoteric schools that hoped to achieve immortality by using very diverse psycho-physical practices.

However, as it seems to all appearances, these two concepts are not as old as we tend to believe.
In the Book of Changes - I-ching - these terms are not mentioned and are replaced by "bright" and "dark", "strong" and "weak", and by other syntagms of the same kind, referring to all natural contraries.

Originally the word yin designated the northern slope of a mountain, that is the obscured side, and was further associated with a cloudily sky. Yang points to the mountain slope facing the sun, and so it was associated with brightness.

The two terms are polar manifestations of Tao in its shape of Supreme ultimate (t'ai-chi), and their concrete manifestations was associated with Earth and Heaven.

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