 163. Terminology |
YIN AND YANG: The original energy of the universe is fathomless and incomprehensible. It is beyond time and beyond space. Contained within it is all existence and non-existence. Yet it is neither existence nor non-existence. The ancient sages in one region of the world named it Tao. Tao, as the Subtle Origin of the universe, brings forth all things, nurtures and sustains them, and then draws them back to return to their subtle source. The ancient achieved ones revealed the subtle truth that the universe has two apparent aspects. One is the unmanifest aspect - the undivided oneness or ultimate nothingness, said to exist "before Heaven and Earth were born." In this aspect, the primal energy of the universe is undifferentiated, absolutely whole and complete. The other aspect is the manifest, perceptible world of multiplicity which is "after Heaven and Earth were born." Although these aspects appear as two, the manifest and the unmanifest are in fact one.
Tao manifests itself through an active process of self-expression. Creation may be viewed as the process in which the organization of the undifferentiated primal energy occurs. This organization brings about a polarization of the primal energy into two distinct categories called yin and yang. Although the active aspect (yang) occurs first, its presence implies the possibility of a relatively static perspective (yin) from which the action may be perceived. It is impossible to directly experience or absolutely define the quality of an action (yang) in space. It can be perceived only in relation to a solidified perspective (yin) which coincides and corresponds with it.
YOGA: Means "union" (union of God and man).
ZEN: (Ch'an). A sect of Buddhism which is only interested in God-self-realization, and does not use ceremonies or rituals. It's ancient origin is from Taoism, not the "folk" Taoism of today.
