The Sacred Art of Dying
By Kenneth Kramer
The Chinese attitude towards death pays particular attention to the correlation between creation and death. Basically, the principle is that before there is even creation death is a part of it. This quote sums it up well:
“…contained within the beginning is the not-yet-beginning-to-be-a-beginning
nature of creation, to say nothing of not-yet-beginning-to-be-non-being, In this
sense, true beginning is beginningless, and birth already contains its opposite, death(81).
The founder of these beliefs, Lao Tzu called these ideas Tao or the way. Tao is described as being formed yet formless, absent of sound and void yet it is still referred to as the mother of all. It should be observed that Tao is merely a name for something that is devoid of a name(82).
This attitude is also where we find the concept of Yin and Yang. According to text Yin and Yang are opposites of each other yet they are intermingled. Not only are they intermingled, however, they are thought to reflect the “anatomy” of the soul.
Yin Yang
is thought to be the moon is thought to be the
it represents: Sun it represents:
“1. Negative charge “1. Positive charge
2. Earth (matter, mother) 2. Heaven (aspiration)
3. Night 3. Day
4. Female 4. Male
5. Receptive, yield 5. Active, aggressive
6. Soft (the river) 6. Hard (the river bank)
7. Cold (moist) 7. Hot (dry)
8. Immediacy 8. Transcendence
9. Spontaneity, flow 9. Discipline, order
10. Death"(84) 10. Life"(84)
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