Tai Chi is an important concept and category in the history of Chinese Taoist culture, and as far as the literature seen so far is concerned, it was first seen in the Zhuangzi: "The Great Dao is above Tai Chi but not high, below the six poles but not deep, congenital but not long, long in antiquity but not old." Later, it was seen in "Yi Chuan": "Yi has Tai Chi, which is to give birth to two instruments." Two rituals give birth to four elephants, and four elephants give birth to gossip. After Zhuangzi, later generations gradually deduced the mature concept of Tai Chi according to the discussion of "Tai Chi" in the "Zhou Yi Zhi Ci", and really absorbed the essence of Zhuangzi's chaotic philosophy.

Like Zhuangzi's chaotic philosophy, the Tai Chi concept, which looks at the phenomena and essence of all things in a trance, and this way of thinking itself, actually contains a sober and wise philosophy, and its ultimate purpose is to hope that human activities will conform to the Tao of Virtue and the laws of nature, not be bound by external objects, "do nothing but do nothing", and finally reach a quiet and harmonious spiritual realm that is all-encompassing.

"Yi Ji Ci Biography" (Western Han Dynasty Mawangdui unearthed version) records that "the ancients Fuxi is the king of the world, looking up at the sky, looking down at the law on the ground, watching birds and beasts and the text of the earth is appropriate, close to the body, far from all things, so the beginning of gossip" content. It means that in the process of forming a hexagram, there is Tai Chi first, and it has not yet begun to separate yarrow (easy to divinate yarrow is used as a tool), and after dividing yarrow, it will form two lines of yin and yang, called Liangyi. When the two are added together, there are four possible images, which are called the four images. Add one to each of them, and it becomes gossip. Here is the process of gossip drawing. It was originally related to astronomical meteorology and the direction of the region, and was later further explained by the Song Dynasty physicists in a philosophical way.

Taoist editor

In Taoism, Tai Chi generally refers to the most primitive state of order in the universe, which appeared after the chaotic period when yin and yang were not divided (Wuji), and then formed the origin of all things (the universe). In the Chinese classics, "Yi" has always been used as a philosophical book that exhausts the mysteries of heaven and earth, and the analysis of the process of forming hexagrams, fundamentally speaking, is also an overview of the opening of heaven and earth. Tai Chi gives birth to two instruments, which is the process of forming heaven and earth from the differentiation of Tai Chi, and the two instruments are heaven and earth, and can also be yin and yang. The concept of Tai Chi often comes up with Yi Xue. Taoist Yi has its own unique system, and the concept of Tai Chi is an important basic concept of Taoist Yi's cosmology and cultivation theory.

Taxonomy editing

There are many kinds of Taiji diagrams, such as Zhou Dunyi Taiji Diagram, Congenital Taiji Diagram (formerly known as "Heaven and Earth Nature Diagram", commonly known as "Yin and Yang Fish Diagram"), Ancient Taiji Bagua Diagram (Congenital Taiji Diagram is surrounded by Bagua symbols), Laizhide Taiji Diagram and Duanmu Guohu Taiji Diagram of the Qing Dynasty. After being passed down to the present, each picture is only known to the congenital Taiji diagram and the ancient Taiji Bagua diagram, therefore, the modern people call the "Taiji diagram" is the "Yin and Yang fish diagram" or "the natural diagram of heaven and earth", and the modern people call the "Taiji Bagua diagram" is the ancient Taiji Bagua diagram paradigm, and even often the "Taiji Bagua diagram" is simply called the "Taiji diagram".

This entry adopts the habit of modern people, and the simple yin-yang fish diagram is called "Taiji diagram", and the yin-yang fish diagram with gossip symbols is called "Taiji Bagua diagram".

Definition editing

Tai Chi, the category used by ancient Chinese philosophy to explain the origin of the world, the word "Tai Chi" comes from the "Zhuangzi": "The Great Dao is above the Tai Chi but not high, below the six poles but not deep, congenital but not long, longer than the ancients but not old". Extreme, the end, the pole. The pole of things changes, and the change changes, so the source of change is Tai Chi.

Regarding the meaning of Tai Chi, there are several interpretations:

(1) Refers to the original integrated vitality of Yumu. Tang Yingda's "Zhou Yi Justice": "Tai Chi is said that before heaven and earth are divided, the vitality is mixed into one. "Yiwei Dry Chisel" believes that "the tangible is born from the invisible", and proposes four stages of "Taiyi, Taichu, Taiji, and Taisu" to explain "Yi has Taiji". It is too easy to see the qi when it is too easy, the beginning of the qi is the beginning, the beginning of the form is the beginning, and the beginning of the quality is the primitive. The state in which the shape and quality of the qi are mixed and not separated is called chaos. Chaotic things are what the ancients called vitality. Taking the undivided state of vitality as Tai Chi, Bin has the meaning of its original substance. This view was more common in the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, such as Liu Xin: "Tai Chi Central Yuan Qi", and Wang Chong quoted Yi scholars as saying: "Yuan Qi is not divided, chaos is one". Zheng Xuan explained Daji with "pure and undivided qi".

(2) Take the essence of nothingness as Taiji, such as Wang Bi's explanation of "the number of Dayan, one of which does not need to say" is not to use the way of use, not to count but to count, and the Taiji of Siyi. Taking "one" as Taiji, it is believed that this "one" is not a number, but "nothing", and "nothing" is the basis for the formation of the number of forty-nine. Han Kangbo commented that "it is easy to have Taiji, and it is to give birth to two instruments" and said: "The husband must start from nothing, so Taiji gives birth to two instruments." “

(3) The forty-nine numbers of the number of Dayan are not divided into Taiji. Cui Jing said: "Forty-nine numbers are combined but not divided, it is like Tai Chi." Now it is divided into two, and the image is two. Divide its yarrow, all with four as the number. One strategy for one time, so four strategies for four times. (quoted by Li Dingzuo's "Zhou Yi Ji Jie", according to the "Huang's Yi Shu Kao") Cui Jing's exposition of the number of Dayan and his Taiji theory do not regard one as a nihilistic entity, and the number of forty-nine is not divided into the great pole, and believes that the gossip is contained in the number of Dayan. This view is of great significance in the history of Yi philosophy, and provides a method for Song Yi to transform Han Yi's theory of cosmogenesis into ontology.

(4) Mixing yin and yang is not divided into Taiji. Zhou Dunyi's "Taiji Diagram Says": "Wuji and Taiji, Taiji moves and generates yang, moving pole and static, static and yin, static pole complex movement, one movement and one static, each other is its root, and it divides yin and yang." The two instruments stand up. After Zhou Dunyi, the interpretation of Tai Chi was divided into three major schools. a, represented by Shao Yong, to the number of the extreme. It is pointed out that "Tai Chi is one, immovable is two, and God is also"; And it is believed that in people, "the heart is the great pole", and in heaven and earth, "the Tao is Taiji." "B, represented by Zhu Xi, Daniel said Tai Chi. "The extreme is the extreme of the truth, and the principle of all things in heaven and earth is Taiji. ("Zhu Zi Taiji Diagram Explanation") "Tai Chi people, its reason is also. Tai Chi is the sum of the principles of all things in heaven and earth, and there are also Tai Chi principles in specific things. Therefore, it is said: "Everyone has a Taiji, and everything has a Taiji." ("Zhu Zi's Language") c, represented by Zhang Zai's "one thing and two bodies, its great pole is the same as ?", it is believed that there is no yin and yang, its unity is unpredictable, and its opposites are mutually exceeding, so as to show that Tai Chi is the root of the movement and change of heaven and earth. Wang Fuzhi expounded Zhang Zai's doctrine and insisted on the unity of opposites to talk about Tai Chi. It is asserted that Tai Chi and Liangyi are physical, not father-son. It is also believed that Tai Chi is an entity that integrates yin and yang, and this entity itself has the nature of movement and the law of change. And in the heaven and earth, all phenomena are different manifestations of this yin and yang unity, and play the idea of "Taihe Qi" as the origin of the world.

(5) Tai Chi also refers to: "One Yin and One Yang is the Tao" which is also the interpretation of Tai Chi. So what is the Tao? It refers to the way of heaven, the way of the earth, and the way of humanity. There are two sides to everything, and they are constantly changing, and they are also related to a certain extent. The way of heaven and the way of the earth have been proven and understood according to science. The key is humanity, and humanity mainly refers to thoughts, and thoughts determine behaviors and attitudes. It is also about respecting our own thoughts and respecting the laws of nature. Learn to control your emotions, such as not having evil thoughts, not being afraid of evil thoughts. Finding the right way is what we should strive for.

Theory editing

Tai Chi is a Taoist philosophical concept. This concept has influenced Chinese cultural schools such as Confucianism and Taoism. "Liezi" talks about Taiyi, Taishi, Taichu, Taisu, Taiji, and the five stages of the universe. Song Confucian Zhou Dunyi said at the beginning of "Taiji Diagram": "Wuji and Taiji." This injects the word Wuji mentioned in Laozi and Zhuangzi into the meaning of science, and also links the concept of Wuji with Taiji. The "Yizong Jinjian" compiled by the Tai Hospital during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty adopted a five-stage theory (Nie Wentao talks about "Zhou Yi"): "Wuji is too void and reasonable, and Taiji is too void and reasonable." Yin and Yang are born by pneumatic stillness, and Yin and Yang are divided into heaven and earth. There is no cosmic qi form, there is already a cosmic form of qi. From the form of the study of qi is called yin and yang, that is, the qi concept is called Tai Chi. ”

1. The primordial, primordial meaning.

"Zhuangzi": "The Great Dao is above the Taiji but not high, below the six poles but not deep, congenital but not long, longer than the ancients but not old". "Book of Changes": "Yi has Taiji, the first two rituals, the two rituals give birth to four elephants, and the four elephants give birth to gossip." Kong Yingda Shu: "Tai Chi means that before heaven and earth are divided, the vitality is mixed into one, that is, the beginning and the one." ”

2. Song Dynasty scholars believe that "Taiji" is "Li".

"Zhu Zi's Language" Volume 75: "Tai Chi is just a muddy bottom truth, which contains yin and yang, rigidity and softness, and strange coupling, and everything. Qing Wangfu's "Zhang Zizhengmeng Note Taihe": "The Taoist, the general principle of heaven and earth figures, that is, the so-called Tai Chi." ”

Source editing

Compared with the Bagua symbol image, the Taiji diagram appeared later. The gossip symbol appeared before the Zhou Dynasty, and is said to have been made by the ancient Fuxi clan, and the word "Taiji" was first seen in the "Zhuangzi": "The Great Dao is above the Taiji but not high, below the six poles but not deep, congenital but not long, longer than the ancient but not old". Later, it was seen in "Yi Chuan Zhi I": "Yi has Taiji, which is to give birth to two rituals, two rituals to give birth to four elephants, and four elephants to give birth to gossip." "Taiji" means "to", "extreme" has the meaning of "limit", and "taiji" refers to the limit, referring to the initial form of yin and yang in the evolution of the universe. Therefore, in a strict sense, the Taiji diagram of the Yin and Yang fish-shaped rings turning and hugging each other is not a diagram used to express the image of Taiji, but its original name is "The Natural Diagram of Heaven and Earth" (expressing the natural flow of yin and yang), and if you want to express the image of Taiji, an empty gray circle seems to be enough.

Tai Chi Jane Says Edit

In the study of Zhuangzi, there is a philosophical concept of Tai Chi. Influenced by Taoism and Yin-Yang Buddhism, it is said in the "Transmission of Words": "It is easy to have Taiji, it is to give birth to two rituals, two rituals to give birth to four elephants, and four elephants to give birth to gossip." He also said in "The Second Biography": "The gossip is in a column, and the image is in it." Therefore, it is important to be in it. Rigidity and softness push each other, and change is in it. ”

What is Tai Chi, the sages have different interpretations. Yu Chuan said: "Tai Chi, Tai Yi also." Han Kangbo said: "Tai Chi is not called. Kong Yingda said: "Tai Chi is the beginning of Taiyi. Su Zizhan said: "Tai Chi people, there are things first." Zhu Xi said: "Tai Chi, Li Ye." Lai Zhide said: "Tai Chi is the ultimate reason." Jiao Xun said: "Tai Chi is still a big thing." Although the commentaries are different, in fact, they all take Tai Chi as the original body of the characters of heaven and earth, referred to as the ontology, which contains infinite images and endless functions, and the functions of the ontological images are not separated. If we don't learn Zhou Yi and don't understand how to reason, we don't know that we are here, and we don't know that everything is prepared for me, so that everything is left to the end and rushed outward, causing all kinds of disasters for ourselves and the masses. If you learn to be easy and reasonable, you can avoid evil. The greatest evil is that the problem of life and death cannot be solved, and the greatest auspicious person is to learn to be a saint. If you want to learn from a saint, you must first seek to solve the problem of life and death. According to the Analects, Zilu asked about death, and Confucius replied: "I don't know life, but I don't know death." "If you want to know how to solve the problem of death, you must understand the source of life, and the source of life is Tai Chi.

Tai Chi gives birth to two rituals, Tai Chi is silent and immovable, there is no image, only a pure and bright body, which is the reason of lifelessness. Movement is the manifestation of use, and it is called life. The image of birth, its number is infinite, but when it starts, there are only two colors, one bright and one dark, the bright color is yang, and the dark color is yin, so it is called yin and yang two instruments, as explained in "Kong's Justice", as Rong Yi said, because it has not yet become an image, it is not called two images, only called two instruments. However, these two instruments are actually the basic structure of the four images and even Vientiane, and Vientiane is subdivided into two instruments, so all Vientiane has yin and yang two instruments. Although the number of Vientiane is infinite, the basic number is yang and yin. When Fu Xi painted the hexagram, he invented two very simple paintings to show the source of the infinite number of symbols.

Cultural distribution edits

Europe

The Tai Chi diagram is a simple geometric shape, and this type of symbol appears in many cultures. As early as the fifth century BC, in Celtic art

There are patterns similar to those of the later Taiji Tu. Later, in the military uniform insignia of the Roman Empire, the Taijitu pattern appeared almost exactly the same as in the Far East, but in a different color.

Tai Chi Tu is also one of the symbols of some martial arts, especially Tai Chi. The design of the Korean flag is also derived from the Taeji diagram.