The image of Lord Bo Tien portrays the need to be atop and balance the polarities or dualities of life. We cannot have only yin or only yang but need to find the fine point of combination of yin and yang, sometimes more yin and sometimes more yang.. The left hand of the lord saint in salutation bids us to be ever mindful and steady to go for yin yang balance as depicted by the feet atop the elements. The scepter in right hand depicts the mission for yin yang balance for all

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Knowing the yin yang equations in life

No 8 of Yin Yang Equations

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Yin and yang attributes are of opposites but they are complementary like fire and water or sun and rain. They are often antagonistic and opposing but yet often synergistic. They are polarities on the same axis. 

Good and the not-good are polarities on the axis of morality. Birth and death are polarities of life. We cannot only dwell on one as though the other does not exist or matter. There must invariably be some counterbalance of sorts but less of the unavoidable conflict. This is in a way moderation as such and dynamic at that, as well as productive in nature, not destructive or conflicting. 

Thus, if we live as though religion does not matter or if we live as though religion is all that counts, then life will be unreal and woolly. 

If we want to live, we must not fear death. If we want to be man, we must be prepared to be saint and if we want to be saint, we must learn to be man. 

But let not the opposites or polar positions cause conflict in the moment. We must live in the polarity of the moment but be mindful of the reality of the other polarity. 

If the polarity of the moment is that we must be a family member, we must do justice to that but be mindful that we are a member of the church family as well. 

That would take a back seat for the moment but would moderate how we behave in the family. Our morale conscience takes root in the church family and that motivates us to be better at being family to the whole family. 

But if the polarity of the moment is that we are part of the church as on Sunday church activities, we must be wholehearted in that but do not forget that we have the earthly or biological family. We do not go overboard and devote all our time and resources to the church and neglect the family. 

The same applies when the polarities of loyalty is concerned such as loyalty to the land and loyalty to God and saints. Give to God what is due to God and to Man what is due to Man. We do not go for one and forget the other. 

At any one moment, there must always be focus on one polarity with the other moderating it at the background. The focus may change depending on the issue at hand but always there will be the other interacting or moderating at the background. 

This is yin yang interaction in the many yin yang equations of life. There is equilibrium but dynamic equilibrium. 

Sometimes, the reaction is more on one polarity, that is more towards one side and sometimes towards the other but always there is equilibrium as in chemical or biological equilibrium. 

In equilibrium, one polarity affects the other but there is need for dynamic shift to one side or the other but always dictated by needs. There is ever the dynamic balance. This is the yin yang balance in life.