Beyond Duality
Be in truth eternal; beyond earthy opposites—Bhagavad Gita
"Everything flows," said Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher. Indeed Heraclitus and several mystic traditions such as Taoism, Sufi sm, and Vedanta say that we live in an interdependent interrelated world. The only certainty in an uncertain world is change—which is believed to arise from the dynamic and cyclic interplay of opposites. In fact opposites are complementary and any pair of opposites is unity.
Taoist seers saw reality, whose ultimate essence they called Tao, as a process of continual fl ow and change. The chief characteristic of Tao is its endless cycles of change and fl ux. Nothing is ever static. They sought to introduce a defi nite structure with their notion of the polar opposite of yin (feminine principle) and yang (masculine principle), the two poles that circumscribe the limits of change.
The terms yin and yang have now become part of popular culture. However, it would be interesting to explore the original meanings of the two terms and its connotation in a contemporary context. The dynamic interplay between yin and yang is best illustrated in the ancient Chinese symbol known as the T’ai chi T’u or ‘Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate’:
This diagram is the symmetrical arrangement of the dark yin and the bright yang. The symmetry, importantly, is not static but a rotational symmetry indicative of a continuous cyclic movement. The two dots in the diagram symbolise that each time one of the forces reaches a peak, it contains embedded within it, the seeds of the opposite. Traditionally the yin is associated with feminine, contractive, responsive, cooperative, intitutive and synthesizing attributes. The yang on the other is associated with masculine, demanding, aggressive, competitive, rational, and analytic attributes. In Taoist symbology, both yin and yang are regarded as inseparable and vital for balance and harmony. There was no “moral virtue” or “political power” associated with either of these principles.
Yet in a contemporary context we have overvalued or over privileged the yang (masculine) over the yin (feminine). According to physicist and philosopher Fritoj Capra, “It is easy to see that our society has consistently favored the yang over the yin—rational knowledge over intuitive wisdom, science over religion, competition over cooperation, exploitation of natural resources over conservation, and so on. This emphasis, supported by our patriarchal system and further encouraged by the dominance of sensate culture over the past three centuries has led to a profound cultural imbalance which lies at the very root of our cultural crisis—an imbalance in our thoughts and feelings, our values and attitudes, and our social and political structures… It threatens the health of individuals, of the society and of the ecosystems of which we are a part."
That I think is clearly the challenge for the Women’s Movement in the twenty fi rst century—to partner with men in their move towards a balanced, gender equitable society based on true partnerships between women and men. My favourite leit motif is the androgynous or half female and half male Ardhanareeswara in Hindu mythology that captures a moment of synthesis and wholeness.
