book

Religious Symbol - Yin and Yang

21 Pages 523 Words 1557 Views

Most religions in the world believe in a negative force and a positive force acting in their world. One of the most well-known examples of this is is yin and yang. Yin and yang is one of the most well-known religious symbols, but most people do not know the meaning behind it. It is a part of Confucianism and Daoism religions. The yin and yang are defined by William Young as, “the complementary, opposite forces present in all reality, according to the traditional Chinese world view.” Essentially Young is describing the balance of two equal forces that coexist together, one good and one bad. The yin force is the dark and mysterious side, which is usually thought of as the female side. The yang force is the bright and clear side, which is usually thought of as the male side. The belief of yin and yang as scholar Sung Hyun Yun describes, “is a cosmic concept that is cyclic, complementary, and correlative, but not oppositional and contradictory.” Meaning that yin and yang are balanced, and flow together as one. At first yin and yang was not meant to be used in regards to human relations or political ethics, but as the balance of nature and harmony in the world. The yin and yang were used to understand subjects, since yin and yang was a system of how the world and universe worked. Yin and Yang work together, and they balance each other out; this creates harmony in the human and natural realm. In modern Chinese society, the definition of yin and yang has been expanded. In Chinese society, yin and yang have added moral, ethical, and social aspects, due to the religion of Confucianism. Additionally, Confucian beliefs added the yang as a male entity and the yin as a female entity. According to scholar Yun, “According to one of the most important ancient Chinese classical writings such as Wujing the yin and yang analogies were described as hierarchal and gender-based.” This would make all women sit under yin, even if they were good p

Read Full Essay