Yin Yang

Anohter of my favourites .... The Yin-Yang. This one small symbol has so much hidden in it. The opposites, the perfect harmony and balance, the interdependence - it conveys such a lot of meaning.



Got the following from Wikipedia -
Everything can be described as either yin or yang
1. Yin and yang are opposites.
Everything has its opposite—although this is never absolute, only comparative. No one thing is completely yin or completely yang. Each contains the seed of its opposite. For example, cold can turn into hot; "what goes up must come down".
2. Yin and yang are interdependent.
One cannot exist without the other. For example, day cannot exist without night.
3. Yin and yang can be further subdivided into yin and yang.
Any yin or yang aspect can be further subdivided into yin and yang. For example, temperature can be seen as either hot or cold. However, hot can be further divided into warm or burning; cold into cool or icy.
4. Yin and yang consume and support each other.
Yin and yang are usually held in balance—as one increases, the other decreases. However, imbalances can occur. There are four possible imbalances: Excess yin, excess yang, yin deficiency, yang deficiency.
5. Yin and yang can transform into one another.
At a particular stage, yin can transform into yang and vice versa. For example, night changes into day; warmth cools; life changes to death.
6. Part of yin is in yang and part of yang is in yin.
The dots in each serve as a reminder that there are always traces of one in the other. For example, there is always light within the dark (e.g., the stars at night), these qualities are never completely one or the other.

Here are some interesting links about this -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_yang & http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm