A straightforward explanation of Yin and Yang that ordinary people can understand
When we talk about Yin and Yang, our minds are inevitably filled with images of the Tai Chi symbol, the two fish, the concepts of Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine, Tai Chi Chuan, and even some seemingly mystical things. But what exactly are Yin and Yang?
The concept of Yin and Yang originates from Chinese culture and is the source of traditional Chinese culture and even Eastern civilization. In the "Xici" of the "Book of Changes," it is stated: "Therefore, the Book of Changes has Taiji, which generates two symbols, and two symbols generate four images, and four images generate eight trigrams." Among them, Taiji is the undifferentiated state of Yin and Yang, the chaos of heaven and earth, because it encompasses everything to the extreme, it is called "Taiji." However, when things reach an extreme, they will reverse. When Taiji is too much, differentiation will occur, and what is differentiated is Yin and Yang. Therefore, Yin and Yang separate, forming heaven and earth, or in other words, everything itself has both Yin and Yang. Yang represents heaven, Yin represents earth; white represents Yang, black represents Yin; the sun represents Yang, the moon represents Yin; even the soul represents Yang, and the spirit represents Yin, and so on.
First of all, Yin and Yang are not specific things, because we cannot see or touch them, and Yin and Yang are relative, so they can only refer to a characteristic, an attribute, and are not specific things. Yin is the substance, while Yang is the law of operation. At the same time, things that have the characteristics of "substance" and things that have the characteristics of "operation" can also be referred to as Yin and Yang respectively.
For example: heaven and earth, heaven is vigorous and gentlemen should constantly strive to improve themselves. The universe is constantly rotating, and people should follow the laws of nature and advance forever. This is the embodiment of the natural law in humans, which is Yang, the law; the earth is accommodating, and gentlemen should carry the heavy burden of morality. The broad and gentle momentum of the earth and gentlemen should increase their virtue and accommodate all things. This is the embodiment of substance in humans, carrying all things—making visible and tangible things a reality, and it is like "keeping your feet on the ground." Only by stepping on the ground can you achieve practical success. This is Yin, the substance. Similarly, people often say "the sun is Yang, and the moon is Yin." Compared to the sun and the moon, the sun is hot and unrestrained, while the moon is cold and restrained. Here, it is shown that Yang is more dynamic, and Yin is more static. When the law is in operation, it is constantly changing; while the substance remains there all the time, only when the corresponding law affects it will changes occur. It is like a mathematical equation: 2×3+(6+8-5)=15, where the numbers 2, 3, 6, 8, 5, and 15 are the substance, the unchanging, the Yin, and addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are the law, the change, the Yang. And the whole equation is the world or an object.
The world of computers is also a combination of numbers and operational rules
Water is fluid, Yin and Yang, static and dynamic
So Yin is the substance or has this characteristic, while Yang is the law of operation or has this characteristic. Relative Yin and Yang are determined by who has more characteristics of Yin or Yang.
