Consequently, if a person is not honest or trustworthy they will not be accomplished.įrom the perspective of Yin Yang we may view war as a product Zi Gong asked again, “What if another was to be removed?”Ĭonfucius said, “Foodstuffs.” Then he continued, “In the end, if all die, the people will not trust or support the government. Which of the three would be the first choice?” Zi Gong asked, “If one of these should be done away with, Zi Gong inquired, “What is required to properly govern aĬonfucius replied, “One must have plenty of foodstuffs, military arms, and the people must trust the government.” The core of this wisdom is based on the “Yang” quality of honesty. War and Peace in the Yi Jingĭuring a conversation with Zi Gong, one of his most devoted disciples, Confucius shared the skills required for good leaders. It is also applicable to communications, relationship building, and negotiation practices. The Yi Jing offers a unique way to see progressions and transgressions in our lives, relationships, and careers, from Yin –a cool and contracting perspective and Yang -a warm and expanding perspective. The Yi Jing is not a book of divination, rather it is an oracle that spawns wisdom and sparks enlightenment beyond the often narrow and two-dimensional perspectives to which our conditioning binds us. The Chinese mindset is based on connections that are based in Yin Yang interactions established on a concept of balance of contrary elements explained in the Yi Jing. The Western mindset has a tendency to perceive division and separation, which may cause one to falsely view the world around us through divisions and separations rather than relations and connections. Therefore, we say “Yin Yang” and not Yin and Yang. It’s important to note that there is no division within Yin Yang, rather a transition of giving way to or begetting, as the two remain one in constant flux. The cycle continues, and the wise person strives toward balance. which could cause a vicious cycle until it “burns out” - progressing to Yang. This transition requires sensitivity to the prevailing energy and the wisdom to initiate the change by not becoming gripped or blinded by the Yin energy. It may be understood through the example of transitioning out of Yin, -such as anger, to Yang energy -such as joy. At this point, Yang energy must be introduced to bring about balance. If Yin energy is continually produced, the progression moves further into Yin. “物极必反” ”When energy reaches a pinnacle it must switch” The Yi Jing Yin progresses to Yang and Yang becomes Yin. That could be a smooth process or an uncomfortable progression. As one energy reaches a pinnacle, it will switch to the other. The cycles in nature respond to energies engaging the moment, the elements, and circumstances. The balance between Heaven and Earth is the ultimate balance of Yin Yang. “The Western mindset has a tendency to perceive division and separation, which may cause us to falsely view the world around us through divisions and separations rather than relations and connections.” The Perfect Heaven-Earth Balance Thus, it’s easy to recognize Yin Yang in action as daylight becomes night and continues the cycle of days. In your mind, you can easily see the earth rotating and know that when it is daylight –Yang, for us, it is nighttime –Yin, for those on the other side of the planet. Without Yin, Yang cannot exist, and vise versa. Yang represents a respectable personality type.Īs you may be able to sense from the above explanation, each expression of Yin has a counter or opposite expression of Yang. Yang energy, on the other hand, is masculine, but not macho and not male - it is warm, bright, expanding, and unconcealed. Yin represents a scoundrel personality type. We may consider Yin as feminine energy, but it is not female - it is cool, dark, contracting, and concealed. The interactions of Yin Yang are far-reaching constantly changing, moving, and evolving.
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