陰陽 Yīnyáng - Yin Yang

Taoism and the Balance of Opposites

The Balancing Scale

A scale as a tool plays the role of balancing and does not control how much is placed on its weights. Yin and Yang represents what is being measured on the scale. If the scale is balanced or unbalanced, we can know if something is good or bad, this is the mechanism of the balancing scale. Balance is beneficial for a good life. An unbalanced scale is hell. To get to the point, Yin is not evil. Yang is not evil. If _either_ are unbalanced, too weak or too strong, then discord starts to reign. Good and bad do not make balance and Holy and Evil do not make balance. Balance is what is good and inequality is bad. Striving to “embrace a bit of evil” to be a balanced person is _not_ the way to go. In fact chaos throws things into extremes and can lead quickly to a bad life. Striving to be more assertive, or subtle, is the healthier balancing way to go if one is otherwise not so.

The Unbalanced Scale

The following qualities are not associated with specifically yin or yang – think of it more like a scale that judges their level of balance. On one side of the scale is yin, on the other – yang. When they are balanced, you get something that’s “good,” and when they’re unbalanced, you get something that’s “bad.” The devil is androgynous and chaos can be masculine or feminine.  Chaos and order do not correspond to yin and yang; rather, chaos is the lack of balance between yin and yang, a skewed scale, and order is the balance between them.

What’s NOT part of the balance – The Scale
Unbalanced	Balanced
Discord	Harmony
Bad	Good
Evil	Holy
Chaos	Order
Dirty	Clean
Sick	Healthy
Extreme	Moderate
Harmful	Helpful

So what is needed to create a harmonious balance? What is placed on the scale? What is the yin-yang balance comprised of? What are their individual components, that when balanced, creates a more holy order of things?

Example List of Yin Yang Correspondences
Yin	Yang
Wavering	Direct
Versatility	Mastery
Stimulates the new	Cherishes the current
Fiction	Non-Fiction
Variety	Routine
Changes	Status-Quo
Liberal	Traditional
Romantic	Pragmatic
Cold	Hot
Shade	Light
-	+
Weaken	Strengthen
Asleep	Awake
Resting	Moving
Soothing	Vibrant
Slow	Bolt
Calm	Energetic
Halt	Hasten
Hesitant	Eager
No	Yes
Obstacle	Motivation
Hold	Release
Restrain	Indulge
Silence	Noise
Hushed	Speaking
Discourage	Encourage
Serious	Playful
Dark	Bright
Monotone	Rainbow
Logic	Emotion
Mature	Immature
Secrets	Answers
Obscurity	Clarity
Unknown	Known
Masking	Candid
White Lies	Black Truths
Safety	Risk
Honing-in Abilities	Expanding Horizons
Learn	Teach
Follow	Lead
Take In	Put Out
Take	Give
Audience	Performer
Complex	Simple
Mental	Physical
Domestic	Foreign
Incorporate	Exclude
Civilization	Wilderness
Culture	Landscape
Comfort	Struggle
Meditation	Exercise
Vacation	Work
Avoid	Watch
Tame	Wild
Idle	Active
Passive	Aggressive
Polished	Rough
Beauty	Beast
Attract	Repel
Closed Spaces	Open Spaces
Inside	Outside
Wall	Window
Mountain	River
Long Periods of Time	Short Periods of Time
Planned	Spontaneous
Run	Chase
Return	Going
Wisdom	Intelligence
Should One?	Could One?
Apprehension	Confidence
Uncertainty	Expectation
Asking	Telling
Negative Emotions	Positive Emotions
Withdrawn	Outgoing
Private	Public
Self	Others
Feminine	Masculine
Intuition	Instinct
Receptive	Giving
Gain	Loss
Use	Refill
Left	Right
Even	Odd
Cat	Dog
High Pitch	Low Pitch
Reached Goals	Aiming at a Goal
Fruition	Propagation
Eating	Cooking
Reward	Risk
Achieving	Being Tested
Outcome	Source
Clothed	Naked
Form	Function

As you can see, neither polarity is “good” nor “bad”; both yin and yang are needed for a harmony to exist.