yin && yang

In Hindu mythology, it is said, “Without Shakti, Shiva is shava,” meaning without the feminine energy, the male is impotent or as good as dead. In physics it is proven that energy is the catalyst that causes movements or transformations. A thing can have potential energy, but kinetic energy is of paramount importance for the transformation.  Shiva represents the yin energy in spite of being the male form and Shakti His female consort represents the masculine force or the yang, despite being a woman. Legend has it that in order to destroy a demon, Goddess Parvati Shiva’s wife, assumed the form of Kali and went on a killing rampage, destroying not only evil forces, but also vanquishing whatever came in her way. Just then, Shiva her husband posed as a corpse and lay on her way. Upon stumbling on her husband, Kali (Parvati) realized her folly. This only goes to show that too much of yang is harmful. She had to return to her yin side. When Shakti is yang, the legend shows the destructive power of yang energy. Later, she lay her one foot on his chest and brought him back to life. In order to quell her fury, He started crying like an infant, which stirred Kali’s maternal instincts and brought back the yin force in her. Here again, the legend goes to prove how yin and yang are both sides of the same coin.     

Where Shiva is the seed, Shakti is the energy, the primordial life force that breathes life into the body and brings the seed to fruition!The heavens are considered yang and the earth yin. When man proposes, the woman yields. The rains that descend from heaven that is yang, descends downwards, exhibiting its yin quality. The earth that’s yin looks upwards and receives rains and thus is productive. Being yin, the earth, makes itself yang, as creation is, energy that is yang.   None is superior to the other. If rains fall on concrete ground, no seed will germinate and the rain water just flows uselessly. Without rains, the seeds that have the potential to grow into sturdy trees will remain scattered and dry. Thus the wisdom of the yin and the yang only speaks about harmony and equality, not superiority.

The relationship between yin and yang is often described in terms of sunlight playing over a mountain and in the valley. Yin (literally the 'shady place' or 'north slope') is the dark area occluded by the mountain's bulk, while yang (literally the 'sunny place' or 'south slope') is the brightly lit portion. As the sun moves across the sky, yin and yang gradually trade places with each other, revealing what was obscured and obscuring what was revealed.

Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, and passive; and is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity and nighttime.

Yang, by contrast, is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, and aggressive; and is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime.

The Taijitu is one of the oldest and best-known life symbols in the world, but few understand its full meaning. It represents one of the most fundamental and profound theories of ancient Taoist philosophy. At its heart are the two poles of existence, which are opposite but complementary. The light, white Yang moving up blends into the dark, black Yin moving down. Yin and Yang are dependent opposing forces that flow in a natural cycle, always seeking balance. Though they are opposing, they are not in opposition to one another. As part of the Tao, they are merely two aspects of a single reality. Each contains the seed of the other, which is why we see a black spot of Yin in the white Yang and vice versa. They do not merely replace each other but actually become each other through the constant flow of the universe.

It is a reminder asking us to lead a more balanced life. While it’s perfectly fine for women to go out there and work rubbing shoulders with men, and perfectly fine for men to wash dishes, a balance has to be sought. If one consumes too much of salty food, the tongue craves for sweets and if one consumes plenty of sweets, a craving for pungent food is quite natural.  When it’s hot and stuffy, all that’s needed is open the windows, turn on the air-conditioning. And in colder regions, sitting around a bonfire is all that’s needed.

what we need is a BALANCED LIFE!:)