Daoism and Yin Yang in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are the two cornerstones of its philosophical landscape. Every other theory and practice builds upon them, so understanding them is a necessary step to grasp TCM better. In this post, I’ll go over the main points so you can have a clear view of them.
Daoism discusses a Supreme Ordering Principle that creates and sets everything in motion and order. This principle is called the Dao/Tao which is translated as ‘The Way’. All phenomena happen because of the Dao and all phenomena cyclically follow the Dao. Yin and Yang theory further expands this by describing the two fundamental qualities of all universe components (Yin and Yang) and their relationships and giving a more complete view of the universe.
Daoism and Yin Yang in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Although they are widely known Eastern philosophies in the Western world, most of the time they are poorly understood and can sometimes give a false image of what the ancient Chinese were communicating.
So it is important to know the historical context for better understanding.
History
In ancient China, like in all other ancient civilizations, several theories were developed to make sense of the universe and its functioning. Most of them developed separately and were refined throughout time.
Then came the period of the ‘Hundred Schools of Thought‘ in ancient China where Chinese philosophy bloomed. This is a period between the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221BC) where there was significant intellectual development in China.
Many philosophies emerged from this period, and some of them are still widely known and revered nowadays. The most notorious ones were Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Legalism, Yin Yang School, and the Naturalists.
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Chinese Medical knowledge benefitted especially from Daoism and the Yin and Yang schools of thought, as they provided a systematic and complete philosophical background for their knowledge, thus aiding in its development.
The Schools of Naturalists also influenced TCM when Zou Yan complemented the Yin and Yang theory with the Five Elements theory.
Read also: The Chinese Medicine Five Elements Theory Simply Explained
Daoism
Daoism was founded by Lao Tse (also romanized as Laozi or Lao Tzu) who lived in the 500s BC and was the most important exponent of Daoism. Daoism comes from the word Dao, a core concept in this philosophy.
According to tradition, the teachings and philosophy of Daoism are collected in the book Dao De Jing, which Lao Tse wrote before traveling west to the wilderness.
There are also other exponents of Daoism like Zhuang Zi but the most influential one was Laozi with his Dao De Jing.
The Dao De Jing can be separated into two main parts:
- One part explains the Dao and how it creates and organizes the Universe.
- The other part explains how one can live following the Dao.
Daoism also explains the relationship between the Microcosmos and the Macrocosmos, claiming that we and our inner landscape are a reflection of the greater landscape and cosmos.
Dao
Dao is a Chinese word that has two main meanings. One is ‘The Way’ and the other one is ‘Word or verb’. This word is used to describe the most important concept in Daoism.
Dao is described as being the Supreme Organizing Principle of the universe. It is what creates the universe, what organizes it, and what sets and keeps it in motion.
The Dao talks about an endless and eternal intelligent principle (or mind) that is the creator and foundation of the universe.
The Dao cannot be defined, nor can it be named because the Dao is infinite thus any name or concept that tries to put the Dao in a box will be futile because it won’t be talking about the true Dao.
The Dao represents the underlying and undivided universal truth. It is the Supreme Simplicity.
It has several important similarities with the ancient Greek concept of the Logos as described by Heraclitus.
The Dao is always in motion, it never stops, and with its motion, it makes and shapes the universe, makes it move, and makes everything do what it needs to. The Dao makes the rivers flow, the forests grow, the animals move, etc.
Every phenomenon that happens occurs because of the movement of the Dao, even humans. The way of the eternal return is the essence of the Dao. This explains the cyclical nature of our universe like the seasons and life.
To live following the Dao is the ultimate goal.
Following the Dao and Wu Wei
How does one live following the Dao?
The Dao De Jing explains the proper way to live following the Dao. It emphasizes valuing the inside rather than the outside appearances, stripping oneself from the senseless aspects of life, and following the Natural flow of things by cultivating Wu Wei.
Wu Wei is translated as Non-action.
This translation has brought many misconceptions because it gives the idea of not doing anything at all while it doesn’t mean that. It doesn’t mean idleness and it certainly does not mean taking no action at all.
Wu Wei refers to an ‘action without an action’.
Wu Wei is a concept that is better understood as an action taken without forcing our wills into nature and the Dao. Non-action speaks about acting following the natural flow of things. Given that one is acting by the natural flow and the Dao, there is no need to impose our will into the action.
The psychologist Ellen Langer made a good definition of mindless during her interview with Dr Jordan Peterson.
She defines an action as mindless when there is no other way it could happen or be done.
This fits perfectly with the concept of Wu Wei.
There are other times when Wu Wei is paired with the state of flow, those times when you are immersed in the work itself that you become one with the work. There is a writing in the Zhuang Zi that talks about how a chef achieved the Dao by learning how to cut an ox.
You can try this yourself: Look for an activity that fully immerses you in it to the extent of losing track of time while creating something. This is one example of Wu Wei, you are mindless, there is no other way to act but the way you’re acting.
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So Daoism teaches about harnessing nature and following its flow, going along with nature, and not imposing ourselves on it. Some examples can be the use of Dams harnessing the river flow to create electricity, and understanding how our body works to create better medicines.
Wuji and Taiji
These are two philosophical concepts deeply related to Daoism.
Taiji: Is the Supreme Polarity, it refers to the ultimate division of all the universe, between Yin and Yang.
Wuji: The Supreme Simplicity or the Supreme Void. This is a concept used to refer to the ultimate simplicity, the undifferentiated universe, the nothingness that contains the potential to everything.
According to classical Chinese philosophy, first was the Wuji, the Supreme Simplicity, and then came the Taiji, the Supreme Polarity. From there, everything else was created. This is not an attempt to try and discover what was at the beginning of the universe but rather it explains the essence of what was at that time.
Relationship Between Microcosm and Macrocosm
Daoism also explains a deep relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm. Everything is part of the whole and is also a reflection of the whole.
This means every component of the universe is a reflection of the universe in itself. Everything shares the cyclical nature of the universe in its natural movement, everything is made of the same things the universe is composed of.
This conception is useful in TCM because it allows us to explain the natural flow of life and the course of disease using the philosophical framework of Daoism thus giving the holistic approach that characterizes Traditional Chinese Medicine.
This relationship between the whole and its parts is further expanded by the Yin Yang theory which I’ll talk about next.
Yin and Yang theory
Yin and Yang theory was developed as a separate philosophical trend during the period of the Hundred Schools of Thought. But because of the overwhelming affinity between them, it was eventually absorbed by the Daoists and now you can’t talk about one without talking about the other.
Yin and Yang theory explains that everything in the universe possesses and can be defined as two main qualities: Yin and Yang. They represent contrary concepts but are not antagonistic.
This theory is closely related to the theory of the essential substances (Qi, Shen, Jing, Blood, and Fluids) and most of the time Yin and Yang are also called Yin Qi and Yang Qi.
Yin Represents:
- Darkness
- Night
- Cold
- Water
- Rest
- Moon
- Winter
- Earth
- Female
- Passive
- Softness
- Inner
- Negative
- Stillness
- Contracting
- Descending
- Substance
- Slowness
- Yielding
- Emotional
- Matter
- Lower body
- Front of the body
- The right side of the body
- Left brain (analytical, logical)
- The shady side of a hill
- North-facing slope
- Inward energy
- Solid organs (Zang)
- Fluids
Yang Represents:
- Light
- Day
- Heat
- Fire
- Activity
- Sun
- Summer
- Heaven
- Male
- Active
- Hardness
- Outer
- Positive
- Movement
- Expanding
- Ascending
- Energy
- Speed
- Assertive
- Physical
- Energy
- Upper body
- Back of the body
- The left side of the body
- Right brain (creative, intuitive)
- Sunny side of a hill
- South-facing slope
- Outward energy
- Hollow organs (Fu)
- Energy and warmth
This theory builds upon Daoist philosophy to give a broader and better explanation of the universe. Parting from the Daoist conception of eternal movement and the cyclical nature of the world, this theory gives a more complete explanation using Yin and Yang.
Yang arises and becomes predominant until it reaches its maximum point, then begins to fade. Yin begins to arise becoming predominant until Yin reaches its maximum and starts to fade, and the cycle repeats itself.
Another key component of this theory is the intergeneration relationship between those two qualities: Yin can engender Yang and Yang can engender Yin. Inside them lies the seed and potential of the other.
And just like in a closed circuit, excessive Yin creates Yang and Excessive Yang creates Yin. This explains why ice which is of Yin nature, can feel like burning when touching it for a prolonged time, and also why some people feel cold with high fevers (Yang nature).
The Yin and Yang theory describes and explains the universe and the relationship between Yin and Yang has been depicted in the now-famous Taijitu or Yin and Yang symbol.
Yin and Yang are the two parts of a whole, delimited, with a dynamic relationship. Yang is lighter and is represented in white with a black dot inside which is the seed of Yin. Yin is shown in black with a white dot, the seed of Yang. They are painted in an S shape to represent the eternal movement and dynamic relationships between Yin and Yang.
Several interpretations can be drawn from this theory and the Taijitu diagram.
Yin and Yang represent the eternal duality of our world because one quality depends on the other:
- Hardness can only exist because there is also softness.
- Ascension exists because Descension also exists.
- Day exists because night exists.
These descriptions of Yin and Yang can be applied when comparing separate objects but also when comparing just one. The uppermost part is the most Yang while the lowermost is the Yin.
Laws of Yin Yang Theory
Yin and Yang theory follows a set of rules that explain more clearly how the relationships between those two qualities are. Those laws are:
- Interposition
- Interdependence
- Mutual balance
- Intertransformation
There is also one special relationship which is the Infinite extension of the Division.
Interposition:
This law explains the basic premise of the Yin and Yang theory. Every component of the universe has a Yin and a Yang aspect within them, and also everything in the universe can be qualified as Yin or Yang. This is a dialectic relationship between them and can be either extrinsic or intrinsic.
- Extrinsic are between separated objects: the Sun is Yang, and the Moon is Yin.
- Intrinsic are within the same object: Your left side is more Yang than your right side, the Heart is Yin and the Stomach is Yang.
Interdependence
This law explains that for one to exist the other one must exist also. That’s how we get the eternal duality:
- Day cannot exist without night.
- Beauty cannot exist without ugliness.
- Hardness cannot exist without softness.
Mutual Balance
This law encompasses two types of relationships: Increasing, and Decreasing. It explains that both Yin and Yang exist in a state of mutual balance, so when one increases the other one decreases to maintain balance.
This is one of the theoretical bases for diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
If Yang increases, Yin decreases, and vice versa.
Intertransformation
This is the law that explains why Yin can engender Yang and Yang can engender Yin.
The seed and potential to engender their contrary lies deep inside them.
Infinite extension of the Division
This relationship explains that we can take any object or aspect and divide it into Yin and Yang infinitely. For example: the uppermost part of a cylinder is Yang, but the lowermost part of that upper part is Yin now with the new division. Yet on that Yin side, there is an upper part and a lower part, therefore giving us Yin and Yang again.
Influence in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Now that you have learned about Daoism and Yin and Yang you may be wondering, how does this apply to Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Keep in mind that while I discussed them separately, in TCM they are used together along with the other theories like the Five Elements, The Organs, and the Textures.
These theories provided a solid and sound philosophical foundation for understanding the functioning of the human body as a reflection of the greater cosmos with a logical order of natural phenomena. It helped establish a concept of what a healthy person is and achieve a holistic approach to health and disease.
Yin and Yang theory is used in diagnostic methods like the Eight principles method to help classify diseases into Yin or Yang. It is also used in dietary therapy and Herbal medicine, some foods help strengthen Yin or Yang aspects, and different herbal formulas do the same.
Later on the Five Elements theory got paired with Yin and Yang which helped understand the Physiology of the body according to TCM.
Do you have any questions? Do you want me to write about a specific topic? Leave a comment below!
See you in the next post!
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