“Tao produced the One

The One produced the two

The two produced the three

And the three produced the ten thousand things.

The ten thousand things carry the Yin and embrace the Yang and through the blending of Qi – they achieve the Harmony.”

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 42

Everything is Yin and Everything is Yang. They are not fixed or absolute qualities. They’re the opposite sides of the same coin. They are the beginning and the end; black and white and grey. Together, they are the ONE WHOLE, they make totality.

Although appearing as a duality they are unification. They are in our make-up, they are in OUR nature and they are in the environment and nature around us. Yin and Yang are the universe and total existence. They are our mind and our soul. And they cannot exist without one another. We can use them to describe the relationship in nature. But as a totality, nothing is ever only yin or totally yang.

Yin and yang can be attributed to every corner of our life. Our body is our own yin and yang – our own totality and unification of forces. When these forces are balanced, everything is running smoothly. Actions follow reactions. When we rest and have enough sleep, we wake up refreshed. When we eat healthily and bring in the relevant nutrients, we stay nourished and our mental constitution reacts in a positive way. When we are with friends that make us laugh, we feel balanced and happy.

They are relative terms, fluid and dynamic and their designation can change depending on the context. Everything in the universe is seen in relationship to its opposite. But it is also inter-dependent. Especially in nature, which is more yin and with humans (yang). Both can be seen as having yin and yang qualities. Both, although existing in opposition, are co-dependent. Man – or humans – depend on nature to live and nature depends on humans for survival.

We need to understand that nothing arises independently in the world, everything exists dependent on something else. We cannot exist without oxygen and plants and plants cannot exist without animals and humans (natural fertilization and carbon dioxide). But when that balance is disturbed, undesirable effects appear, sometimes disastrous results.

However, over the last century our relationship with the nature has been disturbed – unbalanced. When yin and yang phenomena aren’t in harmony, they produce undesirable and sometimes disastrous results.

The climate is changing, so should we. We need to act now for the sake of our children and our children’s children. Yes, some countries and governments are going backwards but we, as individuals, can all make small changes and stop the disasters. Despite the policies of individual countries (but we can have a say in the election process). We have the power to act! Otherwise the lives of my children and your children and many other younger generations will be tougher, more dangerous, and more precarious. Fires and floods, viruses and food shortages, will be their new normal.

As I’m writing this, I literally feel frightened; scared of the future and what it will bring.

ACT NOW! Switch off that light in an empty room, refill your water bottle, stop the water tap running when brushing teeth, recycle, stop waste…. Stop the climate change, save the planet! Act now!

 

#climate #change #actnow #yinandyang