Chapter 35: The Separation — How Yin Became Yin and Yang Became Yang
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A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN
As gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
On the Matter of the Separation — How Yin Became Yin and Yang Became Yang
Before the separation, there was no Yin. There was no Yang.
There was Wuji — 無極 — the limitless. There was Hundun — 混沌 — the primordial chaos. There was Qi — 氣 — the undifferentiated breath.
All things were one. All things were none. The distinctions that would become the world had not yet been drawn.
Then something moved.
The texts do not agree on what moved. They do not agree on why it moved. They agree only that it moved.
From the movement came the first distinction.
The first distinction was called Yin and Yang.
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On the two characters.
Yin is written as 陰.
The character shows a hill — 阝 — fu — on the left. On the right is the character for cloud — 云 — yun — and below it the character for gathering — 今 — jin. Together the character means: the shaded side of the hill. The side where clouds gather. The side that does not receive the sun.
Yang is written as 陽.
The character also shows a hill on the left. On the right is the character for sun — 日 — ri — and below it the character for spreading — 昜 — yang. Together the character means: the sunny side of the hill. The side where sunlight spreads. The side that receives the sun.
The characters describe a single hill.
One side receives the sun. That side is Yang.
One side does not receive the sun. That side is Yin.
The hill is the same hill. The distinction is not in the hill. The distinction is in the relation of the hill to the sun.
Yin and Yang are not two things. They are two aspects of one thing.
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On the oldest record of Yin and Yang.
The concept of Yin and Yang appears in the earliest Chinese texts.
The Zhou dynasty bronze inscriptions — 青銅器銘文 — qingtongqi mingwen — from approximately 1000 before the common era — contain the characters. They appear in the context of geography. The Yin side of a mountain. The Yang side of a mountain. The Yin bank of a river. The Yang bank of a river.
The Yijing — 易經 — the Book of Changes — compiled during the Western Zhou dynasty — 西周 — Xi Zhou — contains the first philosophical treatment of Yin and Yang.
The Yijing states: One Yin and one Yang are called the Dao.
This is the earliest definition. Yin and Yang are not opposites. They are the two movements of the Dao. One movement contracts. One movement expands. Together they produce all things.
The Yijing does not explain how Yin and Yang arose from the Dao. It states that they did. It states that they are the Dao in motion. It states that the ten thousand things arise from their interaction.
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On the second record. The Dao De Jing — 道德經 — Daode Jing.
The Dao De Jing — 道德經 — attributed to Laozi — 老子 — written approximately 400 before the common era — speaks of Yin and Yang in Chapter 42.
Chapter 42 states: Dao produced One. One produced Two. Two produced Three. Three produced the ten thousand things. The ten thousand things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang in their arms. They blend the Qi to achieve harmony.
This is the most quoted passage on Yin and Yang in the Chinese tradition.
The One is Wuji — 無極. The Two are Yin and Yang. The Three is the blending of Yin and Yang into Qi. The ten thousand things are the forms that arise from the blending.
The text does not describe the separation. The separation is assumed. Before the Two, there was One. Before the One, there was Dao. Dao produced One. One produced Two.
The production is not a physical event. It is a logical sequence. Dao cannot be seen. One can be seen as the first manifestation. Two can be seen as the first distinction. Three can be seen as the first interaction. Ten thousand things can be seen as the result of interaction.
The text adds: the ten thousand things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang in their arms.
Every thing that exists has Yin and Yang within it. Yin is the back. Yang is the front. Yin is what faces away. Yang is what faces toward. No thing has only Yin. No thing has only Yang. Every thing has both.
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On the third record. The Zhuangzi — 莊子.
The Zhuangzi — 莊子 — written by Zhuang Zhou — 莊周 — approximately 350 to 300 before the common era — contains the most vivid description of Yin and Yang in action.
Chapter 6 states: The Great Clod carries me with form. It labors me with life. It eases me with death. It rests me with old age. So I consider life good, I also consider death good. When a man hides a boat in a ravine and hides a mountain in a marsh, he calls it secure. But in the middle of the night a strong man comes and carries it away on his back. The fool does not know it is gone. If you hide something in what is great, there is no danger of losing it. But if you hide something in the Great Clod, there is no danger of losing it at all. For you are born from the formless and return to it. This is what is called the great security. Therefore the Yin and Yang never encroach on one another. The four seasons never encroach on one another. The ten thousand things never encroach on one another. They are all in harmony with the Dao.
The text describes the harmony of Yin and Yang. They do not encroach on each other. They do not fight. They do not compete. They move in their own time. They occupy their own space. They are the two movements of one process.
Chapter 23 states: The Yin and Yang are the great Qi of heaven and earth. They move and the ten thousand things are born. They are still and the ten thousand things rest.
This is the clearest statement of the function of Yin and Yang. They are Qi. They are the Qi of heaven and earth. They move. Things are born. They are still. Things rest. The movement and stillness are not separate. They are the same Qi in two phases.
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On the fourth record. The Huainanzi — 淮南子.
The Huainanzi — 淮南子 — compiled under Liu An — 劉安 — around 139 before the common era — presents the most detailed account of the separation.
It states: Before heaven and earth were formed, there was formlessness. It was called the Great Beginning. The Great Beginning produced the Void. The Void produced the Universe. The Universe produced Qi. Qi had a boundary. The clear and light Qi rose to become heaven. The turbid and heavy Qi sank to become earth. The clear and light Qi was Yang. The turbid and heavy Qi was Yin.
This is the separation.
Yang is what rises. Yang is what is clear. Yang is what is light. Yang is what becomes heaven.
Yin is what sinks. Yin is what is turbid. Yin is what is heavy. Yin is what becomes earth.
The text adds: heaven and earth did not yet have form. There was only the formless. The formless gave birth to the Void. The Void gave birth to the Universe. The Universe gave birth to Qi. The Qi separated. This separation is the origin of Yin and Yang.
The text does not say why the separation occurred. It does not say what caused the clear and light Qi to rise. It does not say what caused the turbid and heavy Qi to sink. It states that it happened. The cause is not recorded.
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On the meaning of the separation.
The separation is not a physical event. It is a conceptual event.
Before the separation, there was no distinction. There was no up. There was no down. There was no light. There was no heavy. There was no clear. There was no turbid. There was no heaven. There was no earth. There was no sun. There was no shade. There was no hill. There was only the undifferentiated.
The separation is the drawing of the first distinction.
Once the distinction is drawn, everything follows.
Up implies down. Light implies heavy. Clear implies turbid. Heaven implies earth. Sun implies shade. Hill implies two sides.
The separation is the moment when the one becomes the two. The two become the ten thousand things.
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On the characteristics of Yin.
The texts list the characteristics of Yin.
Yin is dark — 暗 — an. It is the side of the hill that receives no sun.
Yin is cold — 寒 — han. It is the Qi that sinks. It is the Qi that contracts.
Yin is female — 雌 — ci. It is the receptive. It is the yielding. It is the nourishing.
Yin is earth — 地 — di. It is the ground beneath the feet. It is the solid. It is the stable.
Yin is water — 水 — shui. It flows downward. It seeks the lowest place. It accumulates. It stores.
Yin is moon — 月 — yue. It reflects the light of the sun. It waxes and wanes. It is the light that appears in darkness.
Yin is winter — 冬 — dong. It is the season of storage. It is the time when Qi sinks into the earth. It is the time when the surface is cold and the depths are warm.
Yin is north — 北 — bei. It is the direction of cold. It is the direction of night. It is the direction of the Pole Star — the still point at the center.
Yin is interior — 內 — nei. It is what is inside. It is what is hidden. It is what is not seen.
Yin is stillness — 靜 — jing. It is the Qi that does not move. It is the Qi that rests. It is the Qi that prepares for movement.
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On the characteristics of Yang.
The texts list the characteristics of Yang.
Yang is bright — 明 — ming. It is the side of the hill that receives the sun.
Yang is hot — 熱 — re. It is the Qi that rises. It is the Qi that expands.
Yang is male — 雄 — xiong. It is the active. It is the initiating. It is the creative.
Yang is heaven — 天 — tian. It is the sky above the head. It is the vast. It is the moving.
Yang is fire — 火 — huo. It rises upward. It consumes. It transforms. It radiates.
Yang is sun — 日 — ri. It is the source of light. It rises and sets. It is the light that illuminates everything.
Yang is summer — 夏 — xia. It is the season of growth. It is the time when Qi rises to the surface. It is the time when the surface is hot and the depths are cool.
Yang is south — 南 — nan. It is the direction of heat. It is the direction of day. It is the direction of the sun at its peak.
Yang is exterior — 外 — wai. It is what is outside. It is what is revealed. It is what is seen.
Yang is movement — 動 — dong. It is the Qi that moves. It is the Qi that acts. It is the Qi that creates.
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On the unity of Yin and Yang.
The texts emphasize that Yin and Yang are not separate.
The Yijing states: Yin and Yang are the Dao. They are not two things. They are two aspects of one thing.
The Dao De Jing states: the ten thousand things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang in their arms.
There is no thing that is only Yin. There is no thing that is only Yang.
A mountain has a Yin side and a Yang side. The mountain is the same mountain.
A day has Yin and Yang. The day is Yang. The night is Yin. The day and night are the same cycle.
A year has Yin and Yang. Summer is Yang. Winter is Yin. Summer and winter are the same year.
A human has Yin and Yang. The back is Yin. The front is Yang. The body is the same body.
The mind has Yin and Yang. Stillness is Yin. Movement is Yang. The mind is the same mind.
The spirit has Yin and Yang. The formless is Yin. The manifest is Yang. The spirit is the same spirit.
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On the interaction of Yin and Yang.
Yin and Yang do not fight. They interact.
Yang expands. Yin contracts. The expansion and contraction are one movement.
Yang rises. Yin sinks. The rising and sinking are one circulation.
Yang heats. Yin cools. The heating and cooling are one temperature.
Yang moves. Yin rests. The movement and rest are one rhythm.
Yang gives. Yin receives. The giving and receiving are one exchange.
Yang creates. Yin nourishes. The creation and nourishment are one process.
Yang initiates. Yin completes. The initiation and completion are one cycle.
The interaction of Yin and Yang produces all things. The ten thousand things are the forms that arise from the interaction.
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On the cycle of Yin and Yang.
Yin and Yang do not remain in one state. They cycle.
The cycle is described in the Yijing — 易經 — the Book of Changes.
The cycle has twelve phases.
The first phase: Yang is born. It is winter solstice. The sun has reached its southernmost point. It begins to return north. The light is minimal. The darkness is maximal. But Yang has begun.
The second phase: Yang grows. It is early spring. The days lengthen. The cold lessens. The Qi begins to rise.
The third phase: Yang expands. It is spring. The earth warms. Plants push through the soil. The Qi rises freely.
The fourth phase: Yang rises. It is late spring. The days are longer than the nights. The Qi is strong. The growth is rapid.
The fifth phase: Yang peaks. It is summer solstice. The sun reaches its northernmost point. The light is maximal. The darkness is minimal. Yang is at its height. Yin is born.
The sixth phase: Yin grows. It is early autumn. The days shorten. The heat lessens. The Qi begins to sink.
The seventh phase: Yin expands. It is autumn. The earth cools. Plants draw energy into their roots. The Qi sinks.
The eighth phase: Yin sinks. It is late autumn. The nights are longer than the days. The Qi is stored. The harvest is gathered.
The ninth phase: Yin peaks. It is winter solstice. The sun reaches its southernmost point. The light is minimal. The darkness is maximal. Yin is at its height. Yang is born.
The cycle repeats.
There is no end to the cycle.
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On the interdependence of Yin and Yang.
Yin cannot exist without Yang. Yang cannot exist without Yin.
Light is defined by darkness. Without darkness, there is no light.
Heat is defined by cold. Without cold, there is no heat.
Movement is defined by stillness. Without stillness, there is no movement.
Up is defined by down. Without down, there is no up.
Heaven is defined by earth. Without earth, there is no heaven.
The sun is defined by the moon. Without the moon, the sun is only light. The sun needs the moon to be the sun.
The moon is defined by the sun. Without the sun, the moon is only darkness. The moon needs the sun to be the moon.
This interdependence is recorded in every text that discusses Yin and Yang.
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On the transformation of Yin and Yang.
Yin can become Yang. Yang can become Yin.
The winter solstice is the moment when Yin is at its peak. At that moment, Yin begins to become Yang. The light returns. The cold begins to recede.
The summer solstice is the moment when Yang is at its peak. At that moment, Yang begins to become Yin. The light recedes. The heat begins to lessen.
Day becomes night. Night becomes day.
Summer becomes winter. Winter becomes summer.
Youth becomes age. Age becomes death. Death becomes rebirth.
Everything transforms into its opposite. Nothing remains in one state. This is the law of Yin and Yang.
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On the four transformations.
The Yijing describes four transformations of Yin and Yang.
The first transformation: Tai Yang — 太陽 — Great Yang. This is Yang at its peak. It is summer. It is noon. It is the sun at its height. It is the Qi that has fully risen.
The second transformation: Shao Yang — 少陽 — Lesser Yang. This is Yang in its growth phase. It is spring. It is morning. It is the sun rising. It is the Qi that is rising but has not yet peaked.
The third transformation: Tai Yin — 太陰 — Great Yin. This is Yin at its peak. It is winter. It is midnight. It is the sun beneath the earth. It is the Qi that has fully sunk.
The fourth transformation: Shao Yin — 少陰 — Lesser Yin. This is Yin in its growth phase. It is autumn. It is evening. It is the sun setting. It is the Qi that is sinking but has not yet bottomed.
These four transformations produce the four seasons. They produce the four directions. They produce the four times of day. They produce the four phases of every cycle.
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On the eight trigrams — 八卦 — Bagua.
The eight trigrams of the Yijing — 易經 — are formed by the combination of Yin and Yang lines.
A broken line — — — is Yin. A solid line ——— is Yang.
Three lines stacked form a trigram.
Eight combinations are possible.
Qian — 乾 — Heaven — three solid lines. Pure Yang. Creativity. The father.
Kun — 坤 — Earth — three broken lines. Pure Yin. Receptivity. The mother.
Zhen — 震 — Thunder — one solid line above two broken lines. Movement. The eldest son.
Xun — 巽 — Wind — one broken line above two solid lines. Penetration. The eldest daughter.
Kan — 坎 — Water — one solid line between two broken lines. Danger. The middle son.
Li — 離 — Fire — one broken line between two solid lines. Clarity. The middle daughter.
Gen — 艮 — Mountain — one solid line above two broken lines. Stillness. The youngest son.
Dui — 兌 — Lake — one broken line above two solid lines. Joy. The youngest daughter.
These eight trigrams are the fundamental patterns of Yin and Yang interaction. They produce all the patterns of the universe.
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On the Taijitu — 太極圖 — the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate.
The Taijitu — 太極圖 — the diagram of the Supreme Ultimate — is the most famous representation of Yin and Yang.
The diagram is a circle.
Inside the circle are two teardrop shapes. One is black. One is white. They fit together like two fish swimming in a circle.
The black teardrop contains a white dot. The white teardrop contains a black dot.
The black teardrop is Yin. The white teardrop is Yang. They are not separate. They fit together. They complete each other.
The white dot in the black teardrop means: within the deepest Yin, Yang is already present. The black dot in the white teardrop means: within the fullest Yang, Yin is already present.
The circle represents the Supreme Ultimate — Taiji — 太極. The Supreme Ultimate is the one that contains the two. It is not Yin. It is not Yang. It is what Yin and Yang are.
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On the Dao that includes both.
Beyond Yin and Yang is the Dao.
The Dao is not Yin. The Dao is not Yang. The Dao is what Yin and Yang are.
The Dao De Jing states: The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.
Yin can be spoken. Yang can be spoken. The Dao cannot be spoken.
The separation of Yin and Yang is the first distinction. Before the separation, there was no distinction. There was only the Dao.
The Dao does not move. Yin and Yang move. The Dao does not change. Yin and Yang change. The Dao does not distinguish. Yin and Yang distinguish.
But the Dao is not separate from Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are the Dao in motion. The Dao is Yin and Yang at rest.
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On what the separation represents.
The separation represents the beginning of the world.
Before the separation, there was nothing that could be called the world. There was only the undifferentiated. There was only the potential. There was only the formless.
After the separation, there was heaven and earth. There was light and dark. There was movement and stillness. There was the possibility of the ten thousand things.
The separation is the moment when the one became the two.
The two became the ten thousand.
The ten thousand became the world.
This is why the separation is recorded. Not because it was an event in time. Because it is the condition that makes time possible.
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On the return to the undifferentiated.
The texts record that Yin and Yang will one day return to the undifferentiated.
The cycle will complete. The movement will stop. The ten thousand things will dissolve into Qi. The Qi will settle into stillness. The stillness will return to the formless. The formless will return to the Dao.
This return is not recorded as a future event. It is recorded as a logical necessity. What separates must reunite. What expands must contract. What rises must sink. What begins must end.
The separation is the beginning.
The reunion is the end.
Between the beginning and the end is everything that is recorded in this text.
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE