From his insights and meditations he designed the double fish configuration to represent these universal characteristics. He saw this in the daily cycles of day and night, the phases of the moon, the changing of the seasons, in fact in every aspect of life. This symbol can be traced to around 1000 AD, during the Sung Dynasty, when a Confucian cosmological philosopher called Chou Tun-yi (Zhou Dunying) observed the cyclical relationship of all things. Incidentally, the word geometry comes from the Greek root of ‘ge’ (earth) and ‘metron’ (to measure) and so making it ‘the measuring of the earth’. The straightedge will most likely be a ruler and the pencil of course includes any method of making a mark. Medieval geometers considered the compass to be analogous to the ‘Eye of God’ due to its ability to create from one seed point (of no dimension), the all encompassing and transcendental (w)hole that we call the circle. All of the diagrams in this article can be constructed using the three ancient and classic tools of the geometer these are the compass, the straightedge and the pencil. Although we will all have some degree of familiarity with the Tai Chi symbol, perhaps not so many people will have drawn a geometrically accurate depiction of it. It is equally true in the art of sacred geometry, the art of the mandala and in one’s ability to recognise the deeper significance of signs and symbols. The above maxim holds true whether we are talking about Tai Chi or anything else in life.
‘Real understanding requires participation’ Rather than go over this well covered ground, I would like to look at the development of the yin-yang symbol in it’s various guises and give a few pointers on how these can be constructed. Most books that have any mention of Chinese philosophy, martial arts or feng shui, will explain and list qualities and characteristics of yin and yang. Just 30 years ago, relatively few people in the west would have been familiar with this ancient Chinese diagram, yet today, most people have at least a basic grasp of its meaning. The Tai Chi or yin-yang symbol must surely be one of the most recognised symbols in the world. Hard: Where yin is soft and flexible, yang energy is hard and unbending.Tai Chi Tu – Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate.