YinYang Pennine Tai Chi（阴阳叶绿泥石太极）.pdfVIP

Yin-Yang Whirlpools (Double Fish Spiral) by M. C. Escher Tai Chi Tu – Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate The Tai Chi or yin-yang symbol must surely be one of the most recognised symbols in the world. Just 30 years ago, relatively few people in the west would have been familiar with this ancient Chinese dia- gram, yet today, most people have at least a basic grasp of its meaning. Most books that have any mention of Chinese philosophy, martial arts or feng shui, will explain and list qualities and characteristics of yin and yang. Rather than go over this well covered ground, I would like to look at the development of the yin-yang symbol in it’s various guises and give a few pointers on how these can be constructed. ‘Real understanding requires participation’ The above maxim holds true whether we are talking about Tai Chi or anything else in life. It is equally true in the art of sacred geometry, the art of the mandala and in one’s ability to recognise the deeper significance of signs and symbols. Although we will all have some degree of familiarity with the Tai Chi symbol, perhaps not so many people will have drawn a geometrically accurate depiction of it. All of the diagrams in this article can be constructed using the three ancient and classic tools of the geometer; these are the compass, the straightedge and the pencil. Medieval geometers considered the compass to be analogous to the ‘Eye of God’ due to its ability to create from one seed point (of no dimension), the all encompassing and transcendental (w)hole that we call the circle. The straightedge will most likely be a ruler and the pencil of course includes any method of making a mark. Incidentally, the word geometry comes from the Greek root of ‘ge’ (earth) and ‘metron’ (to measure) and so making it ‘the measuring of the earth’. 1 The ‘Double Fish’ Y