Yin and Yang, Shiva and Shakti – Dual forces in Singularity

Yin and yang – the dark and light energy and their force – the man and woman – the shiva and shakti – the static and dynamic energies – the the matter and the energy – the husband and wife- the body and the mind, receptive and active , north facing shade and south facing light , the winter and summer constitute the whole visible universe.

The opposite and contrary but yet integrated forces knit closely into one another are complementary, interrelated, interconnected and independent forces in the universe.  This is represented in Tajjitu symbol with a balance in light and dark shades and yet having an element of representation in each of them. Yin – yang and Qi have become the central principles of Chinese philosophy, medicine and martial arts. Qi is expressed in Tao as oneness.

Chinese cosmology thus speaks about material energy – also called as Qi as a single entity by structure and duality in function – released by the primordial force to create the whole cycle of nature and make the cycles of life and death, creation and annihilation, construction and destruction, order and chaos, Nasadiya sooktam of Rigveda has explained this in terms of both a primordial state at the beginning and its expression of dualism through its own breathing of energy.

Adi Sankara on the opposite in his Advaitha philosophy felt matter and existence of life as less important in his principle of primordial material energy. He has yet contributed a part of the duality in terms of singularity of the primordial force and the existence of dualism in soundaryalahari. Dwaita and Vishistadwaitha of Madhwa and Ramanuja have expanded and explained the Adwaita. Advaita speaks of material energy – the primordial force, Dwaita or dualism explain the yin and yang – its expression in terms of Karma and Yoga.

Its a dualistic monism or dialectical monism reflected in Hinduism as Shiva and Shakti. This is also the cause of Nastik and Aastic vada, atheism ( belief in material )and theism ( belief in matter and energy ).The question of theism is not only believing any outside force but a force within you which is the cause and continuity  of life. Atheists are contradicting their own existence. Theism may have gone to any extent in expressing this philosophy in word and ritual from primitive to advanced thinkers in human civilisation, yet we cannot contradict the very existence of the self in every individual. If anyone contradicts, he won’t exist.

Karma and Yoga is distinctively, subtly expressed in Rigveda hymn ( ) as there are two forces operating in every individual. One as looking or thinking and the other as doing in the human life. Without doing there is no life and without thinking there is no order. Both are necessary for the existence of life. The more the matter dominates there will be destruction – the more the energy dominates there will be chaos in the visible universe. Hence there should be a perfect balance of both thinking and doing to have a successful, peaceful and happy life at every moment. 

Socialism and capitalism are extremes of society and individual. Karl Marx as Charvaka philosophy in Ancient India has underestimated the existence of energy within the matter in his dialectical materialism which is the very foundation of socialism and communism. Communism is an extreme of socialism led to the single individual control and diminishing. Democracy in its evolution has seen the both the forces of capitalism or socialism each dominating in its various stages and yet survived due to a delicate balance them. If this balance of capitalism and socialism survive on a stable and integrated mode, democracy will become the ultimate philosophy of politics with participatory existence. Hence, the democracy as its meaning in Greek “ rule by people” is surviving since the beginning of human community living to the present. 

The primordial force itself is dormant in state and chaos in function. The whole living evolution from the state of matter is trying into the primordial force with awakening and awareness. It has been the human endeavour to think from mind ( energy )and do with body ( matter ). The more this balance in an individual the more enlightened and applied to the concept and action in philosophy. The ultimate of this philosophy is seen in Sri Krishna – with his mind or self detached for enlightenment and body is connected and applied to the cause of balance in society. This is philosophy of karma yoga  with karma karma phala tyaga – concentrating  on action without connected to its result. 

The key to achieving this balance state of being is Astaanga yoga – primarily – the dhyana or focus on ones own mind comprehend and direct the life and death at his own will