The Tai Ji Tu of Zhou Dun Yi

The text at the top reads:
Yang moves / Yin is still

The five symbols below are the Five Agents, often misleadingly referred to in English as the Five Elements

Next comes the wú jí tú (empty circle). On the left side, the text reads:
Heavenly dao produces male
On the right side, the text reads:
Earthly dao produces female

The characters at bottom read:
生 化 萬 物
shēng huà wù wàn
Transformation gives birth to the ten-thousand things.
This is a quote from Dao De Jing 34.

tai ji tu


The tài jí tú 太 極 圖 was first drawn by the daoist sage Chen Tuan (871-989 CE).

It shows the ceaseless interaction between yang (the light, heavenly, masculine, principle) and yin (the dark, earthly, feminine principle). The symbol depicts the complementary nature of these principles. Each contains a seed of its opposite, and cannot exist without it.

The complementary opposites to which the symbol points include that between action (yang) and stillness (yin).

Someone asked: In the explanation of the tài jí tú, why does it mention movement (action) before stillness (inaction)? First function and then basis for function? First reaction and then silence (i.e., the silence in the heart from which all reactions come)?" Zhu Xi said: "Speaking in terms of Yin and Yang, the function lies with Yang and the basis for function lies with Yin. However, (alternations between) movement and stillness are without end, and Yin and Yang (alternations) are without a beginning. It is impossible to differentiate between the former and the latter.

Zhu Zu Yu-lei Da-quan. This conversation was recorded by Chen Chun, who studied with Zhu Xi from 1190-1191 and again from 1199-1200.

This article first published online 25th June, 2008 © Michael Lavocah.


© Michael Lavocah 2007 - 2009