YIN AND YANG-THE LAW OF NATURE

     Yin and yang, which come from ancient Chinese philosophy, are a general term for two opposites of interrelated things or phenomena in the natural world. At first, their connotations were quite simple, referring to the two opposite sides of an object. The side facing the sun is yang and the reverse side is yin in the course of long practice and observation, the ancient Chinese people came to understand that the opposition and wax-wane of yin and yang are inherent in all things. Yi Zhuan says, "Yin and yang are what is called Dao", (Dao means the basic law of the unity of opposites in the universe). In other words, "Everything in the universe contains yin and yang." And they further believed that yin and yang can not only represent two opposite objects but also be used to analyze two opposite aspects existing in a single entity. Generally speaking, things or phenomena which are dynamic, bright, hot, functional, etc..., pertain to the category of yang, while those that are static, dark, cold, substantial, etc. , pertain to that of yin. The yin-yang theory holds that the development and changes of everything in the universe result from the unity of opposites be tween yin and yang. Su Wen says: "yin and yang are the law of heaven and earth, the principles of all things, the parents of all changes, the origin of life and death... " The yin-yang theory is an important constituent of the theoretical system of TCM and runs through every aspect of the system. It is used to explain physiology and pathology of the body and to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment. The basic content of yin-yang theory can be summarized as follows.        

阴阳来自古代中国哲学，是自然界中相联系的事物和现象中相互对立面的总称。最初，它们的内涵很简单，指的是事物的对立两方。向阳为阳，背阳则为阴。在长期的观察实践中，古代中国人民开始认识到阴阳的对立和消长存在于一切事物中。《易传》曰：一阳一阴谓之道（道代表宇宙中对立统一的基本规律）。换言之，“宇宙中的每个事物都包含阴阳两方面”。并且他们进一步认为阴阳不仅代表两个对立的事物而且可用于分析一个单独实体中存在的两个对立面。总之，动态的、明亮的、热的、功能的事物或现象属于阳；反之静止的、黑暗的、冷的、实质的事物和现象属于阴。阴阳理论认为宇宙中一切事物的变化发展来自于阴阳的对立统一。《素问》曰：阴阳者，天地之道也，万物之纲纪，变化之父母，生杀之本始。阴阳理论是中医理论系统的重要组成部分并贯穿于该系统的各个方面。它用于解释人体的生理和病理现象并指导临床的诊治。阴阳理论的基本内容可总结为以下几方面。

 l. The Unity of Opposition Between Yin and Yang

 1.阴阳的对立统一  

By the opposition between yin and yang is meant that all things or phenomena in nature have two opposite aspects-yin and yang, such as heaven and earth, motion and quiescence, ascending and descending, exiting and entering, day and night, heat and coldness and so on. The former being yang and the latter yin（P29） in every pair above. The unity is the outcome of mutual opposition and restriction between yin and yang. Without opposition, there would be no unity; Without mutual opposition, there would be no mutual complement. It is only through this kind of opposition and restriction that the dynamic equilibrium can be established. For instance, in the nature world, the motions of celestial bodies, the variations  of the four seasons, the alternations of days and nights, as well as sprouting in spring, growing in summer, reaping in autunm and storing in winter, are all the concrete manifestations of the unity of opposites between yin and yang.      

阴阳对立指的是自然界中所有的事物和现象都存在对立两面—阴阳，如天地、动静、升降、进出、日月、寒热等等。以上的每对现象中前者为阳，后者为阴。统一是阴阳对立制约的结果。没有对立就没有统一，没有相互对立就没有相互补充。正是这种对立统一，阴阳才能达到动态平衡。例如，天体运动、四季变迁、昼夜交替、以及春生、夏长、秋收、冬藏的变化，皆为阴阳对立统一的具体表现。

   TCM believes that the normal physiological functions of the human body result from the opposite and unified relationship between yin and yang. Both of them are always in a state of dynamic balance. Even under normal physiological conditions of the human body, yin and yang can not be in a state of absolute balance, but in a state of relative balance. If, for any reason, the relative balance is destroyed, there is bound to be excess or deficiency of yin or yang, and then a disease will arise. As is stated in Su Wen , "Yin in excess causing yang disease, while yang in excess leading to yin disease." It is precisely due to the unity of opposites between yin and yang that all things can develop and change ceaselessly and the natural world is perpetually full of life.

中医认为人体的正常生理功能是阴阳对立统一的结果。阴阳总是处在动态平衡的状态。甚至在人体正常的生理条件下，阴阳也不可能达到绝对平衡，而是处于相对平衡的状态。一旦阴阳的相对平衡被打破就一定会导致阴阳的偏实偏虚，疾病也就随之产生了。正如《素问》所指出的“阴胜则阳病，阳胜则阴病”。也正是由于阴阳的对立统一万物才得以发展变化，自然界才得以永生。

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