PAGE #2 Archives week 2

Stephanie Responds:

I guess you mean he looks with- "... in his own body [yang?], [and] at a distance (yin?) [and] he gained insight from natural objects" Stephanie

Roy to Stephanie:

Yes, Fu Xi uses his own body to make yin/yang comparisons at close range. But at a distance he gain this insight from the natural objects.

In peace, Roy

Mike Chen Responds:

roy, we could probably say that yin-yang relationships are always done with reference to one's own body!
mike chen

Roy to Mike:

Yes Mike, I believe that it all boils down to this as well. I think that point Confucius was making has more to do with the near/far analogy. In other words, if you will indulge me: Certain things are "more relative" when they are viewed close up and personal. Then when you take yourself from the picture and view the picture from a greater distance you see a slightly different dymanic going on. In other words you don't just see the rabbit and how it appears maybe more yin to your body frame and physiology, etc., but rather the rabbit in contrast or harmony with the trees, rocks, meadow, and under the sky, etc. I think this is an important idea that Confucius is putting forth -- these yin/yang viewing methods of near/far, internal/external, up/down, self/non-self, etc.

Thanks for the feed back.

In peace, Roy

Mike Responds:

roy, yes, this is an excellent formulation. both views - near and far - are "macro" views! well done!
mike chen

Let us continue:

After the Shang conquered the Yangshao-Longshan tribes they managed to merge many of their ideas with their own.  Fu Xi’s ba gua system was not popular with the Shang for divination.  Instead they liked to heat up inscribed animal bones and turtle shells in the fire and poke holes in them until they would crack. The person reading the cracks would interpret for the king.  This period was not so long-lived and the Shang eventually burned themselves out and were hated by nearly everyone.

However examination of the bones/shells used for divination show a recurrent image or pictograph that is equivelant to yin/yang idea.  The first symbol depicts a sun with a strong shadow being cast and the second symbol depicts a moon with coiled clouds or weak shadows.  These symbols show that there are forces of opposition and complementation going on in the universe.  The modern characters for yin/yang are stylized forms of these ancient oracle bone pictographs.

top: shows left yang sun and right yin moon.

bottom: modern Chinese characters for yang and yin.

Also found on these burnt shells and bones was the signature of the diviner who used the sign of the cross potent (+).  This was a sign that originated by the Persian Magi who were hired by court officials throughout the area of the Silk Route.  They were well known by the Greeks, Babylonians, and Egyptians. In the Old Testament in Jeremiah 39.3 the Persian Magi are also referenced.  The Magi’s influence had spread from their homeland in ancient Iran (Mesopotamia) across the Silk Route from the Levant to China by the Common Era.  The Three Magi comprise one of the most important events in the Christian religion, having predicted the birth of Jesus.  Now we know it was the Magi who were helping to spread yin/yang knowledge in the Silk Route!  This is all very interesting, no?!  The Yangshao originate it and it is spread by the ancient magicians, 3 of whom found the Christ child….

Another feature that became prominent during the Shang was the new belief in a corporate body of spirits that lived in the sky who gave messages to the Shang kings via divination.

Remember previously that the main religions during the Neolithic were animism and pantheism (in China) and polytheism in other civilizations. But earlier in China earth worship of local gods was widespread.  Anyone could communicate with whatever spirits they liked and feel a certain comfort from that.  Now with the Shang, there is “SHANG TI” and only the kings have access to Ti’s advice.  Shang Ti lives in the sky, above the people and whatever advice SHang Ti gives to the rulers this advice cannot be challenged. 

So you see Shang Ti becomes an important political move by the Shang so they can control the masses and get what they want.  The earth-oriented religions (previously practiced) have now been replaced by a sky-oriented religion.  This creates more oppression among the citizens and soon the Shang are overthrown (by the Zhou) and the Zhou get rid of Shang Ti idea.  They replace it only with “Tian” (sky/heaven). But UNLIKE the SKY idea of Fu Xi of being passive and yielding, this new Heaven idea is construed to symbolize the male, yang force!

It is a bit complicated but let me try to quickly get you to see the events that led to this.

First we come upon the future King (Wen Wang) of the Zhou.  He knows about Fu Xi’s ancient yin/yang charts.  He does not like them and changes them around.  He takes the ultimate yin in the north (3 broken lines) and puts it in the southwest position.  He then puts the ultimate yang in the south (3 solid lines) and places it in the northwest position.

In the north postion he puts one solid line between two broken and in the south he puts one broken line between two solid lines.  The final picture looks like this: