Luke, I am your Yin Yang

The Yin Yang is about balance, so why then is it even possible to compare this to The Force from Star Wars? How influential was Daoism on the creation of the Dark Side and Light side of the force? Often times when we think of the Dark Side and Light Side of the Force we think of Good vs. Evil but it is much more than that, it is about the balance between one side and another, both from their perspective are the good side and in return believe the other is the bad. Without the existence of the dark there would be no need for the light. It isn’t that simple though because a side must always exist, and in return their counter balance will naturally form equally.  In regards to Star Wars, if all the Sith were killed essentially only the light side would exist, but for how long? There would be division among the light side and a new “light side and dark side would emerge” If we read to much in to good and evil it is hard to understand but to know there must always be counteractive forces to ensure one does not grow too strong is the reason the force exists.  It is similar when we look at Daoism, balance of life v work, wealth v generosity, bad v good all exist within us. Daily mini struggles to determine what makes us happy or complete. If we eat too many snacks, we should work out to maintain a balance in our bodies, if all we do is eat snacks we will become unhealthy… and ironically if all we do is work out we risk missing the joys of life like an ice cold soda and nachos.  Of course Daoism is more complex and deep in its importance as a way of life, much deeper than the simple balances of life I used as examples, and even deeper than that of the Star Wars Force.

The idea behind Daoism from what I understand though is balance. Balance is key to life, and it transcends religion into normal routines and daily life. I often believed Daoism was less of a religion and more of just a way of life, or “The Way”. Balance comes in many forms and though I barely scratched the surface of what Daoism is all about, I believe when using the comparison of Star Wars or the simple balances of daily tasks it helps us understand the foundation of it.

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