<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (陰 陽 yīnyáng, lit . "dark - bright", "negative - positive") describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another . Many tangible dualities (such as light and dark, fire and water, expanding and contracting) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality symbolized by yin and yang . This duality lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, taijiquan (t'ai chi), and qigong (Chi Kung), as well as appearing in the pages of the I Ching . </P> <P> Duality is found in many belief systems, but Yin and Yang are parts of a Oneness that is also equated with the Tao . The term' dualistic - monism' or dialectical monism has been coined in an attempt to express this fruitful paradox of simultaneous unity / duality . Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts . Everything has both yin and yang aspects (for instance, shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation . The yin yang (i.e. taijitu symbol) shows a balance between two opposites with a portion of the opposite element in each section . </P>

What does a yin and yang symbol mean