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taiji is beyond duality and origin of itMaxnumb231 said:
Taiji (simplified Chinese: Õñ¬µ×ü; traditional Chinese: Õñ¬µÑÁ; pinyi: 't├áij├¡'; literally: 'great pole') is a Chinese cosmological term for the "Supreme Ultimate" state of undifferentiated absolute and infinite potential, the oneness before duality, from which Yin and Yang originate, can be compared with the old Wuji (þäíµÑÁ, "without ridgepole").
The (2nd century BCE) confucianist and daoist Huainanzi mentions a Zhenre "true person; perfected person" and the Taiji "Supreme Ultimate" that transcends categories like yin and yang, exemplified with the yinyang fusui and fangzhu mirrors.
The fundamental postulate is the "great primal beginning" of all that exists, t'ai chi ― in its original meaning, the "ridgepole". Later Indian philosophers devoted much thought to this idea of a primal beginning. A still earlier beginning, wu chi, was represented by the symbol of a circle. Under this conception, t'ai chi was represented by the circle divided into the light and the dark, yang and yin, [1]. This symbol has also played a significant part in India and Europe. However, speculations of a Gnostic-dualistic character are foreign to the original thought of the I Ching; what it posits is simply the ridgepole, the line. With this line, which in itself represents oneness, duality comes into the world, for the line at the same time posits an above and a below, a right and left, front and back ― in a word, the world of the opposites. (1967:lv)
Taiji is understood to be the highest conceivable principle, that from which existence flows. This is very similar to the Daoist idea "reversal is the movement of the Dao". The "supreme ultimate" creates yang and yin: movement generates yang; when its activity reaches its limit, it becomes tranquil. Through tranquility the supreme ultimate generates yin. When tranquility has reached its limit, there is a return to movement. Movement and tranquility, in alternation, become each the source of the other. The distinction between the yin and yang is determined and the two forms (that is, the yin and yang) stand revealed. By the transformations of the yang and the union of the yin, the 5 elements (Qi) of water, fire, wood, metal and earth are produced. These 5 Qi become diffused, which creates harmony. Once there is harmony the 4 seasons can occur. Yin and yang produced all things, and these in their turn produce and reproduce, this makes these processes never ending. (Wu, 1986) Taiji underlies the practical Taijiquan (T'ai Chi Ch'ua) ― A Chinese internal martial art based on the principles of Yin and Yang and Taoist philosophy, and devoted to internal energetic and physical training. Taijiquan is represented by five family styles: Chen, Yang, Wu(Hao), Wu and Sun. There are also several offshoots of the five families as well as more recent simplified and combined styles for competition.
