Beyond Polarity
As well-known, the Yin-Yang relation is a symbol of polarity in the teaching of Taoism. This symbol, however, should not be confined to symbolizing a mere conventional mundane doctrine of Taoism, which is quite far from what Lao Tzu truly taught in his writing, Tao Te Ching. The so-called conventional Taoism practiced mainly in the level of the magic / mythic membership religiosity is the teaching upon the worldly benefits such as material prosperity (how to become rich) and physical health (long-lasting life), etc. Using the Spiral Dynamics terms, this is merely the Blue to Orange Meme value.
Needless to say, we should not emphasize the Blue to Orange Meme value alone, even though we are in the practical business world; even though we have to address to the profitability of the business sectors; and even though we have to consider our own profitability in one way or another. But rather, what the Yin-Yang symbolism can imply, by intentionally objectifying such polarity per se, is the more reflexive perspective.
The Yin-Yang symbolism is not to attach to this principle of polarity and dualism, but rather (knowing and observing such very principle) to detach from this very worldly movement and reach the reflexive perspective.
In any given situations, if we focus on one particular value alone, such one side approach will inevitably lead us to a certain imbalance. If we try to emphasize the masculine (Yang) aspect, then our effort to emphasize this one side aspect alone will eventually invite the feminine (Yin) aspect, which we did not intend in the first place. More generally, attaching to one side too much is conversely inviting and inevitably emphasizing the other (and vice versa). In short, attaching one too much produces the others eventually. Emphasizing black color too much is actually inviting the recognition of white color at the end.
Furthermore, we can easily notice that seeing God under such polarity will inevitably invite the features of non-God such as existence of devils, evils, demons, and exorcism, etc. Seeing God in the principle of polarity coincide with seeing what is not God. This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls in our spiritual religiosity. The truth is that God is beyond polarity. But then, without noticing this truth, as soon as we see God in the polarity, we fall in the dangerous magico-mythical view of religions, which is the cause of all religious, ideological conflicts and cruelties.
We should note that true God is what can never be seen in such polarity; He is that which can never be objectified. Thus, it is correct to say that God is no-where (therefore now-here and everywhere) and is never seen, but God just is (He sees us at the same time seen by us within); For, He is indeed beyond polarity and duality. This is why; "God says in the Scriptures, I will destroy the wisdom of all who claims to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." (1 Corinthians 1:19)
According to Lao Tzu, this Yin-Yang polarity is the basic principle of any processes in the world and even that of those intellectual interpretations by which we can produce the diverse kinds of theories, applications, practices and methods, etc. Ultimately, what we can achieve at the final moment would be a certain transcendental realm where nobody attaches anything but embracing everything and everyone.
But of course, such attitude sounds so esoteric especially in our everyday business practices. But then, even though it sounds esoteric, it is still important for us to keep in mind of such "spiritual perspective" in our everyday business practices. Especially in the contemporary multicultural environments we have been bombarded by a number of diverse business theories, applications, practices, tools, methods, and many other (both main and peripheral) socio-cultural perspectives and value systems. Such kind of bombardments have bothered us a lot and become the cause of our stressful life situations, which is called Life Conditions in the Spiral Dynamics terminology
Considering such Life Conditions particularly that Mean Blue Meme (religious, ideological conflicts and cruelties), Mean Orange Meme (materialistic consumerism), and Mean Green Meme (nihilistic, narcissistic value-relativism) have been creating a lot of serious conflicts and stresses in their inter-Meme conflicts, the broader and more reflexive perspective beyond these inter-Meme conflicts is necessary. In the reflexive perspective both horizontal (ontological, epistemological, and methodological) perspectives and vertical (cognitive, evolutional, and developmental) perspectives should be integrated in the micro (individual) and macro (collective, socio-cultural, historical) dimensions.
One of the key attitudes in such reflexive, integral perspective is that "Everything is right but partial." In this attitude we can avoid the so-called ego-oriented tendency to attach to one particular value, theory, application, practice, and method etc., which will always be the cause of conflicts and stresses that unable us to align with the true authentic direction or process towards our consciousness evolution.
Reflecting on the non-dual detached attitude of Lao Tzu, the Yin-Yang symbol should be rather appreciated as one of the symbols that can present such Reflexive, Integral Non-Attachment.
Needless to say, we should not emphasize the Blue to Orange Meme value alone, even though we are in the practical business world; even though we have to address to the profitability of the business sectors; and even though we have to consider our own profitability in one way or another. But rather, what the Yin-Yang symbolism can imply, by intentionally objectifying such polarity per se, is the more reflexive perspective.
The Yin-Yang symbolism is not to attach to this principle of polarity and dualism, but rather (knowing and observing such very principle) to detach from this very worldly movement and reach the reflexive perspective.
In any given situations, if we focus on one particular value alone, such one side approach will inevitably lead us to a certain imbalance. If we try to emphasize the masculine (Yang) aspect, then our effort to emphasize this one side aspect alone will eventually invite the feminine (Yin) aspect, which we did not intend in the first place. More generally, attaching to one side too much is conversely inviting and inevitably emphasizing the other (and vice versa). In short, attaching one too much produces the others eventually. Emphasizing black color too much is actually inviting the recognition of white color at the end.
Furthermore, we can easily notice that seeing God under such polarity will inevitably invite the features of non-God such as existence of devils, evils, demons, and exorcism, etc. Seeing God in the principle of polarity coincide with seeing what is not God. This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls in our spiritual religiosity. The truth is that God is beyond polarity. But then, without noticing this truth, as soon as we see God in the polarity, we fall in the dangerous magico-mythical view of religions, which is the cause of all religious, ideological conflicts and cruelties.
We should note that true God is what can never be seen in such polarity; He is that which can never be objectified. Thus, it is correct to say that God is no-where (therefore now-here and everywhere) and is never seen, but God just is (He sees us at the same time seen by us within); For, He is indeed beyond polarity and duality. This is why; "God says in the Scriptures, I will destroy the wisdom of all who claims to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." (1 Corinthians 1:19)
According to Lao Tzu, this Yin-Yang polarity is the basic principle of any processes in the world and even that of those intellectual interpretations by which we can produce the diverse kinds of theories, applications, practices and methods, etc. Ultimately, what we can achieve at the final moment would be a certain transcendental realm where nobody attaches anything but embracing everything and everyone.
But of course, such attitude sounds so esoteric especially in our everyday business practices. But then, even though it sounds esoteric, it is still important for us to keep in mind of such "spiritual perspective" in our everyday business practices. Especially in the contemporary multicultural environments we have been bombarded by a number of diverse business theories, applications, practices, tools, methods, and many other (both main and peripheral) socio-cultural perspectives and value systems. Such kind of bombardments have bothered us a lot and become the cause of our stressful life situations, which is called Life Conditions in the Spiral Dynamics terminology
Considering such Life Conditions particularly that Mean Blue Meme (religious, ideological conflicts and cruelties), Mean Orange Meme (materialistic consumerism), and Mean Green Meme (nihilistic, narcissistic value-relativism) have been creating a lot of serious conflicts and stresses in their inter-Meme conflicts, the broader and more reflexive perspective beyond these inter-Meme conflicts is necessary. In the reflexive perspective both horizontal (ontological, epistemological, and methodological) perspectives and vertical (cognitive, evolutional, and developmental) perspectives should be integrated in the micro (individual) and macro (collective, socio-cultural, historical) dimensions.
One of the key attitudes in such reflexive, integral perspective is that "Everything is right but partial." In this attitude we can avoid the so-called ego-oriented tendency to attach to one particular value, theory, application, practice, and method etc., which will always be the cause of conflicts and stresses that unable us to align with the true authentic direction or process towards our consciousness evolution.
Reflecting on the non-dual detached attitude of Lao Tzu, the Yin-Yang symbol should be rather appreciated as one of the symbols that can present such Reflexive, Integral Non-Attachment.
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