OPPOSITES ARE COMPLIMENTARY IN NATURE

                                                    When all the world understands beauty

to be beautiful, then ugliness exists;

when all understand the goodness

to be good, then evil exists.

----- Lao Tzu

 

The subject of this article sounds not only paradoxical but perhaps counter­intuitive too. As per eastern philosophy, in nature, there is a basic oneness of everything. But definitely, that does not mean that all things are the same. The difference that we see between good and bad; pretty and ugly; pleasure and pain; heat and cold are all relative. This is what has been implied in the above quote of Lao Tzu the ancient Chinese philosopher. These are abstract ideas belonging to the realm of thought. The truth is that each is classified in a particular only with respect to the other which is opposite to it. For example, when there is anything good there has to be something not so good which therefore has to be termed as bad. And this what we say as bad, obviously is with respect to the one that we have termed as good. Hence we can see that the term bad and good are used as relative to each other. Thus good and bad; pleasure and pain; pretty and ugly; life and death are all relative terms and not absolute experiences belonging to different categories but are merely two sides of the same reality that are being perceived as extreme ends of a single whole. And similarly this same applies to all aspects of nature and its creations. These are within an all­ embracing unity in nature which the eastern mystics say as basic oneness in nature. And this relativity in nature between the two opposites is perceived and experienced by the human senses. This concept has been very appropriately represented in the ancient Chinese concept of the YIN and YANG. These are the two aspects that hold that every phenomenon in nature operates thru the mode of complement and counter­balance. It encompasses everything in nature as equal yet opposing components of an integrated whole which is the universe. The two are interdependent and constantly interacting with one another to maintain regularity in its process of operation as an integrated entity. Each one tries to dominate over the other but no total dominance ever happens as a permanent phenomenon because eventually, the other aspect takes over the dominant force. Thus there is a state of dynamic interplay which goes as a continuous process and that is the basis of change that occurs in nature and all creatures that exist in it. These two are archetypal poles termed as ' Yin and Yang ' in nature as represented by the bright and the dark (which can be seen in the below-given diagram), bright representing the male and dark representing the female. Viewing it from a visible and experienced human perspective would make it easy to comprehend the whole thing about Yin and Yang which has been represented by males and females. Yin is considered the complex female, intuitive mind whereas Yang the clear rational male intellect. *Yin the quiet, contemplative stillness of the sage, Yang the strong creative action of the king in the male.
 Each aspect cannot exist as independent without the other because both are interdependent and hence complement the other which together constitutes the whole. And that is why not only we human beings but every other organism is a creation that has emerged by virtue of the union of YIN AND YANG  in the form of both male and female.

*To understand the significance  better follow the link Yin and Yang  for further details on this subject