
Diving into Qi - explanation of Yin and Yang - bagua trigrams
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Wuji the nothingness, engenders Taiji the absolute
Taiji generates two forms (i.e. yin and yang)
The two forms generate four phenomena, Xiao yang and Tai yang, small and large Yang, and, Xiao yin and Tai yin, small and large yin.
Tai yang also means the sun
Tai yin the moon.
The four phenomena generate the 8 trigrams (Eight times Eight make sixty-four hexagrams).
The stingray of the sea
The Great White Horse (Greek: ღან ...
兩儀生四象(即少陽、太陽、少陰、太陰)
四象生八卦 (八八六十四卦)
(Fuxi (伏羲))
FUXI:
Fuxi, originally from Chengji, is the legendary founder of the bagua during the Neolithic period. He embodies a fundamental concept in ancient Chinese philosophy, widely used in Daoism and the I Ching.
In Chinese mythology, Fuxi is an ancient figure, recognized as a civilizing hero and the leader of the Huaxia people. He is also the founder of traditional Chinese medicine and is credited with creating the first Chinese characters.
Fuxi was deified as the first god of the three augusts, and he is famous for his marriage to Nuwa, the second august and creator goddess. Their union symbolizes the divine couple, cosmic brother and sister, and is mentioned in ancient texts such as the Shanhaijing (the classic of mountains and seas), the Liezi (the true classic of perfect emptiness), and the Songs of Chu, especially in the chapter Questions to Heaven. Their story is also evoked in later works such as the Huainanzi, dating from the 2nd century BCE.

Fu Xi and Nu Wa are brother and sister, they are represented with snake bodies (laudatory) which intertwine (which expresses the union between Yin and Yang).
The Way (Dao) generates the one
One begets two
Two begets three
Three generates the multiplicity of beings.
The multiplicity of beings carries yin
And embrace the yang
Every being is the mixture engendered
By these two forces.
(Laozi, Dao De King, the Way and Virtue, book of virtue chapter 42).
THE QI (TCHI)-氣
Qi, a concept deeply rooted in Chinese and Japanese philosophies, represents the universal life energy that animates everything in the universe. Often translated as "breath" or "energy," Qi is considered the very essence of life, circulating through living things, natural elements, and the environment.
According to tradition, Qi is divided into Yin and Yang, representing feminine and masculine forces, respectively, complementary and interdependent. It is central to practices such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong and acupuncture, where the goal is to harmonize and strengthen Qi to maintain physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Originating from the universe, Qi binds all beings and things together, flowing through and within them, manifesting in infinite ways.
We are not simply animated by Qi; we are Qi itself, an expression of the original force that gives shape to the universe and to beings, continually transforming them. Everything is in motion, everything is in perpetual evolution, nothing is permanent.
IQ evolves on three levels:
First, that of the structure of the universe. At the beginning of the cosmos, during the wuji phase, where the original Qi, still undifferentiated (yuanqi), polarizes to form the duality of Yin and Yang, the essence of Taiji, the absolute, considered as the "supreme ridge beam" of the universe.
Second, that of spirituality. By participating in spiritual evolution, the refinement of the breath through practices of body alchemy leads to a mental state merging with the fundamental functioning of the universe, resulting in the return to wuji.
Third, that of living beings. Qi circulates inside the body through meridians that converge towards the "energy center", also called the "cinnabar field" (Tanden in Japan and dantian in China).


Qi, which could be compared to the breath (pneuma) of the Greeks, to the Latin spiritus (derived from to spire , to blow).
Nothing is born, nothing dies
Nothing is lost, nothing is created.
Everything is changing
Anaxagoras, Greek philosopher (500 - 428 BCE)
Also approach Indian prana and Tibetan lung
It is present in all manifestations of nature.
TAIJITU-太極圖- THE YIN AND THE YANG- FIGURE OF THE SUPREME PEAK

Taiji (the absolute) generates two forms (i.e. yin and yang, the movement of life)
Four centuries BC, the philosopher Zhuang Zi proposed that the entire universe is permeated with Qi. According to him, at a certain point, a separation occurs: the light elements rise to form the sky, while the heavy elements descend to form the earth. The Qi of the sky is associated with Yang, while that of the earth is associated with Yin. Thus, everything is composed of a combination of Yin and Yang.
These two complementary categories are used in the analysis of all phenomena of life and the cosmos.
we can use the sun to represent the Yang of the day, we can use the moon to represent the Yin of the night.
The swansong of the swansong
(Yi Zhuan)
In spring and summer, Yang rises (lesser yang), reaching its peak in midsummer (greater yang), when all beings are born, grow, and multiply.
Then Yin begins to gradually increase, with autumn and winter marking the decline of Yang (lesser yin).
During winter, Yin reaches its peak, and all beings wither and prepare for hibernation (big yin), waiting for the next cycle of rising little Yang, and so on.
The two forms generate four phenomena, Xiao yang and Tai yang, small and large Yang, and, Xiao yin and Tai yin, small and large yin.
Tai yang also means the sun
Tai yin the moon.
This perpetual cycle of life and death, growth and decline, Life, death, the living, the movement of planets, stars, galaxies, is governed by the famous Taiji tu, commonly called the yin and yang symbol.
This representation symbolizes the incessant alternation of Qi Yin (black) and Yang (white), inseparable from each other and each containing the seed of the other.

"From dawn to midday, it is the yang of Heaven: yang within yang. From midday to dusk, it is the yin of Heaven: yin within yang. From nightfall to cockcrow, it is the yin of Heaven: yin within yin. From cockcrow to dawn, it is the yang of Heaven: yang within yin. And for man, it is the same..."
(Suwen, chapter 4)
YIN-YANG AREAS ACCORDING TO THE MAWANGDUI MANUSCRIPT:
Mawangdui is an archaeological site near Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, China. It is here that a series of tombs dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD) were discovered in 1972. These tombs have yielded a treasure trove of remarkable artifacts, including ancient texts, murals, silk objects, and jade implements.
One of the most important discoveries at Mawangdui was a collection of ancient texts, including early versions of the Dao De Jing (or Tao Te Ching) attributed to Laozi, as well as medical texts, philosophical treatises, and divinatory writings. These discoveries have given scholars a deeper understanding of ancient Chinese culture, philosophy, and medical practices.
YIN 阴Earth, Autumn, Winter, Night, a small principality, a weak country, an idle man, that which shrinks, a minister, the inferior, the woman, the son, the younger, the commoners, misery, mourning, to be ruled, the busy, the pupil, silence, to receive.
YANG 阳 Sky, Spring, Summer, Day, A great principality, A powerful country, a busy man, that which extends, the sovereign, the superior, the man, the father, the eldest, the oldest, the nobles, success, marriage and birth, to rule, the occupant, the master, the word, to give.
Being and emptiness are generated
Each other.
Easy and difficult complement each other
Long and short define each other
High and low meet
Each other.
Voices and sounds match
Before and after blend together.
(Laozi, Dao De King, the Way and virtue, book of the way chapter 2).
THE PERPETUAL MOVEMENT OF YIN AND YANG
The concepts of yin and yang, from the Yi Jing (易經), the Book of Transformations, considered one of the oldest texts in Chinese culture, make their first appearance in a canonical commentary on this work. They are associated for the first time with the sun and the moon, as well as with even and odd in Chinese thought.
Above all, it is necessary to approach Yin and Yang from a dynamic perspective.

Every situation is made up of an incessant mixture of Yin and Yang, whose impermanent nature is constantly transforming. This energetic complementarity manifests itself in a perpetual rhythm of expansion and contraction.
Yang, symbolized by a continuous line, represents firmness and constancy. It is the initial force that triggers and sets in motion, remaining true to oneself.
Yin, represented by a double line, embodies flexibility and openness to difference, while being a force in itself. It diffuses over time, expressing a patience that inevitably leads to its accomplishment.
The four phenomena generate the 8 trigrams
From these incessant movements of Yin and Yang are born the 8 trigrams or ba gua (八卦)
A fundamental concept of ancient Chinese philosophy used in the Yi Jing and Taoism, but also Feng Shui, martial arts and navigation.
There are two orders of presentation of the eight trigrams, that of Fuxi (伏羲), called "Succession of the earlier heaven", and that of King Wen (文王), called "Succession of the later heaven".
SUCCESSION OF THE FOREIGN SKY (north is down)

- North = land
- Northeast = lightning
- East = fire
- Southeast = lake
- South = sky
- Southwest = wind
- West = water
- Northwest = mountain
SUCCESSION OF THE POSTERIOR SKY (north is down)

- North = water
- Northeast = mountain
- East = lightning
- Southeast = wind
- South = fire
- Southwest = land
- West = lake
- Northwest = sky
The key of Min Tou Men Fou (named after a Chinese scholar who took refuge in Tibet after the Cultural Revolution) allows us to move from one to the other.
The king goes northwest
The Queen goes southwest
The new south goes to the northeast
The new north goes to the southeast
The axes of the final cross exchange their positions
Anterior and posterior are distinguished by two different geometric states, the first must imperatively precede the last.
Which gives us, starting from the order of Fuxi (also called the order of the emperor Fo-Hi):
The sky goes northwest
The land goes southwest
The mountain goes northeast
The wind is blowing to the southeast
Lake and lightning exchange for fire and water
The four phenomena generate the 8 trigrams

The foundation of the Yi Jing, the Book of Changes, the trigrams are the essential keys to open the door to mysteries and to dive into the universe of Yin and Yang. Each hexagram is thus formed of two main trigrams.
Trigrams are essentially abstract concepts , representing energetic movements to which natural images have been attributed. It is crucial not to interpret them literally.
These are abstract forms that, like Yin and Yang, are closely interdependent. No trigram can exist autonomously; its influence is determined by its relationship to another trigram within the hexagram.
There are eight of them, each of them is associated with an ideogram and a natural image, referring to an element of nature and a specific emblem.
☰ or 乾 qián, ken in Japanese- sky

乾, writing in two parts.
In the center of the left part: a sun between a breath that struggles to come out and a plant
Right side: a growing force under a branch.
Direction of movement of the latent, initialization.
Creativity, strength, initiative
qián: natural image of the SKY.
It is a dynamic that triggers, initializes creativity and vigor.
To excess: too much Yang hence the absence of Yin inducing fatigue, rigidity and lack of listening.
The sky, the creator, the father, the horse (good, old, thin, wild), the head, the round, the prince, the jade, the metal, the cold, the ice, the dark red, a fruit.
☷ or 坤, kūn, Kon in Japanese- Earth

坤, on the left a plant sprouts from the earth,. On the right, two hands on each side of an axis.
Idea of alternating extension of the fruitful power of the earth.
Availability, adaptability, welcoming, self-sacrifice
kūn: natural image of the EARTH, as a nourishing and protective matrix.
It is a dynamic that allows listening, welcoming, patience, protection and materialization, the ability to carry things through.
To excess: too much Yin hence the absence of Yang which leads to the impossibility of choice and power of reaction.
the earth, the receptive, the mother, the cow, the belly, a cloth, a cauldron, the economy, equality, the calf with the cow, a large chariot, the multitude, the trunk, the black soil.
☳ or 震 zhèn, shin in Japanese- Thunder

震: above the celestial vault from which rain falls, combined with the time marker.
Below, a bent man.
Below, the foot sign, direction of impulse.
Impulse, start, jolt
zhèn: natural image of THUNDER, of lightning, as a jolt. Sudden dynamic, which impels, shakes and awakens.
To excess: too much impulse breeds unproductive excitement.
the awakener, the dragon, the eldest son, the foot, the dark yellow, a large street, a reed or a rush.
☴ or 巽, xùn, sound in Japanese- Wind

巽: above, two official seals of officials.
Then two hands ready to receive them.
Below, an altar. General idea of choice and submission
Penetration, submission, internalization
xùn: natural image of WIND, as continuous penetration.
It is a dynamic that allows flexibility and adaptation. Being able to accept to bend. The power of flexibility.
To excess: remain in adaptation, with the impossibility of bouncing back.
The wood, the soft, the rooster, the eldest daughter, the thighs, the crow, the work, the white, the long, the high, the undecided
☲ or 離, lí, ri in Japanese- Fire

離: top left, a lid placed on a sieve, a net.
On the right, a bird whose wings can be seen.
Idea of grounding, grip, consistency.
Clarity, lucidity, liveliness, brilliance
there: natural image of FIRE, as light. It is a dynamic allowing lucidity and discernment.
To excess: blindness by glare or lack of clarity.
What clings, the pheasant, the youngest daughter, the eye, the brilliant, the breastplate and the helmet, the lance and the weapons, the dryness, the turtle, the crab, the snail, the tree dried up in its upper part
☵ or 坎 kǎn, kan in Japanese- Water

坎: On the left, a plant gradually rises out of the ground. Sense of continual reiteration.
On the right, a throat with its glottis surmounted by three aspiration lines.
Sign of deficit, of lack.
Depth, endurance, fear
kǎn: Natural image of the RAVINE, or WATER, as earth missing under the feet. It is not the natural image of water, but of the trouble and danger it represents.
This is a dynamic of fear, of anxiety. It is the only trigram with a worrying dimension, which, in fact, turns out to be very favorable by the action it provokes: to surpass oneself thanks to difficulties.
To excess: Visceral anxiety cuts off the legs, fear paralyzes.
The unfathomable, the pig, the younger son, the ear, the pits, the traps, the bow and arrow, the blood, the red, the moon, the firm wood with many marks.
☶ or 艮, gèn, gon in Japanese- Mountain

艮: a huge eye surmounts a human being. The movement of the latter is reversed. Sense of stopping in relation to something which causes, a stabilization.
Rigor, cohesion, calm, solidity
gen: natural image of the MOUNTAIN, as stability. It is a dynamic allowing anchoring, appeasement, inner cohesion and also the possibility of taking a break to move on to something else.
To excess: unwavering stability can turn into rigidity.
The stillness, the dog, the hand, the 3rd/youngest son, the detour, the stones, the doors, the fruits, the seeds, the firm and gnarled wood.
☱ or 兌, duì, da in Japanese- Mist

兌: a neck stretched under a mouth: meaning to exchange.
Above, two lines signify fluidity.
Ability to express and communicate, joy, lightness
due: natural image of the MIST, or the SWAMP. Mist as movement between what comes from above and what comes from below.
It is a dynamic that allows for exchange and the possibility of being able to express oneself.
To excess: Too much communication can breed chatter and superficiality.
The happy one, the sheep, the 3rd/youngest daughter, the mouth (and the tongue), the magician, crush, break into pieces, the neighbor, the hard, tiled floor…
