The Twelve Theorems

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In the USA, we just finished celebrating Independence Day on July 4th. Political
independence against tyrannical government is an important step toward the
realization of human freedom. Another step on the path toward full
independence is freedom from erroneous concepts about life and how it is
structured and organized. Many problems in the world today stem from one-
sided, unbalanced and incomplete notions about life.

George Ohsawa (born Sakurazawa Nyoichi) devoted much of his life to

educating people how to overcome such limitations, believing human happiness
would be improved in so doing. To such improvement of the quality of life for
people everywhere, this month's article is dedicated.

George Ohsawa believed we must strive to understand the mechanisms, or

causes, behind life's endlessly varied events and activities. He believed all life and
activity is governed by the interaction of opposites, called Yin and Yang by the
ancient Chinese philosophers. Mr. Ohsawa classified and summarized properties
of Yin and Yang, and described how these tendencies interact. He organized
them as theTwelve Theorems of the Unique Principle.

The following article is based on the list that appears in Appendix II of Zen
Macrobiotics, published by the George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation of
Oroville, California. Here they are presented in the same order, as follows:

1. Yin and Yang are the two poles of the infinite pure expansion.

Infinity expands in all directions from every point, creating the compressed,
phenomenal world of time and space, or duality. Such duality is
called Yin and Yang. At one pole, infinity is infinitely compressed (Yang); at the
other, infinitely expanded (Yin). Halfway between both extremes spins our
material universe, perpetually evolving from, and returning to, its source.

2. Yin and Yang are produced infinitely, continuously and forever

from the infinite pure expansion itself.

Creation of the dualistic universe which we inhabit, and its simultaneous

destruction, continues everywhere, and will continue, for all time. Infinity is the
ultimate recycler. Nothing is ever lost, and nothing gained. Overall equilibrium
between creation and destruction is always maintained.

3. Yin is centrifugal; Yang is centripetal. Yin, centrifugal, produces

expansion, lightness, cold, etc. Yang, centripetal, produces
constriction, weight, heat, light, etc.

The two tendencies of expansion and contraction create, sustain and disperse all
phenomena. An example: expanding a gas (like CO2) makes it become cooler
and lighter, while compressing a gas makes it warmer and
heavier. Refrigerators depend on the validity of this theorem to keep our food
cold.

4. Yin attracts Yang, Yang attracts Yin.

Opposites attract. That's why male and female attracts, north and south poles of
magnets attract, hot weather (Yang) attracts us to cool beverages (Yin), while
cold weather (Yin) makes hot soup and beverages (Yang) more desirable.

5. All things and phenomena are composed of Yin and Yang in

different proportions.

If every created thing was composed of precisely the same proportions of Yin
and Yang, everything would be the same. Creation's endless variety is due to the
reality of this theorem. This theorem directly relates to, and is explained by,
#8, below.

6. All things and phenomena are constantly changing their Yin and
Yang components. Everything is restless.

This theorem is also explained by, and tied to, theorem #8. Just as life cannot be
separated into isolated elements, the 12 Theorems are also interdependent. You
cannot explain one without referring to the others. Each defines, and is defined
by, the others. They are one whole, a Gestalt (more than the sum of their parts).
This fact gives credence to the assertion that they truly represent the scheme of
things, the Order of the Universe.

The reason life is restless (constantly changing) is because Yin and Yang never
can reach perfect balance, or stasis. This fact drives the universe and everything
in it to constantly and perpetually seek a balance that can never be
attained. Momentum always carries every attempt at balance beyond the point of
perfect balance back to imbalance. This fact makes the universe a field of endless
flux.

Rather than strive for stasis, we must realize perfect balance is unnattainable,
and strive to perfect instead the ability to make our way through the flux field we
call the universe. To do this, we must try to recognize Yin/Yang aspects of each
situation, and thereby alter our course away from the destruction that awaits at
either extreme.

Life can only survive within certain limitations. If we exceed these limitations,
our lives cannot continue. By recognizing Yin and Yang components of each
situation, we are better equipped to deal effectively with each situation as it
arises. Since each situation differs from every other one, there are no set
formulas that can make us masters in each situation. We must rely entirely on
our own instinct/intuition to evaluate each situation and react appropriately to it.

The old schools of Zen tried to awaken the spontaneous ability to react
appropriately in each situation by forcing students to suspend the tendency to
rely on rational thought. Instead, the student was encouraged to rely on
instinctive reaction, and reach intuitive answers to illogical or irrational
problems that intellectual reasoning could not solve, much less apprehend.

We should try to bring back some of this approach to learning in modern

education. In many ways, it could better equip our children to deal with life's
constantly changing situations than depending on "formulas for success" so
popular today that don't encourage creative problem-solving.

That is a real value of Yin/Yang study: to enhance our survivability. Change is

inevitable, in every area of life. Those who cannot adapt to change, like
dinosaurs, become extinct. Those who grasp the dynamics of change, the way
opposite forces interact, are better equipped to deal with change effectively as it
occurs. Q: Considering the fact that life is constantly restless, changing ceaselessly,
can perfect balance ever be attained on any level & in every area of life?
 7. There is nothing completely Yin or completely Yang. All is relative.

This statement is the true "Theorem of Relativity". For example, an onion can be
considered more Yang than a cabbage because it is more compact, but a carrot is
more Yang than than an onion because it is even more compact than an onion,
and much less pungent. But burdock root is more Yang than even a carrot
because it is more compact, darker in color and grows deeper below the ground.

So if someone asks, "Is (this or that) Yang or Yin?", the only correct answer is,
"Relative to what?"

8. There is nothing neuter. There is always Yin or Yang in excess.

This theorem has already been pretty well explained in discussing the previous
ones. Again, the dynamics of universal movement and change are explained by
this theorem. There is no rest anywhere. Everything is constantly trying to reach
a state of rest which is never achieved because the perpetual imbalance of Yin
and Yang propels the universe onward in a ceaseless attempt to reach
stasis. Change is the only constant.

9. Affinity, or force of attraction between things, is proportional to the

difference of Yin and Yang (potency) in them.

An example of this: The more masculine a man is, the more women are attracted
to him. The more feminine a woman is, the more strongly men are attracted to
her. People may want to overlook, minimize or mock such statements, but they
stand true and verifiable, nonetheless.

If a man compromises his masculinity by ingesting too much Yin food, beverages
and drugs over time, feminine women will be less attracted to him. Also, women
who compromise their femininity by eating too much meat, smoking tobacco and
using too much salt (all Yang) will become less and less attractive to masculine
men. Instead, they will find more Yin men become attracted to their Yang
masculinity.

If there is enough polarity established between overly Yang women and very Yin
females, or overly Yang men and very Yin males, attraction can occur between
members of the same sex. If people really understood that these mechanisms are
no different than what is observed between magnetic polarities, they could
change their lives whichever way they wish. Very strong opposite magnetic
polarities are attracted to each other very strongly.

Macrobiotics is not condemnatory; we all are born free to seek health and
happiness. Macrobiotics simply says, be honest with yourself. Echoing the ancient
Greek philosopher, Epictetus, Macrobiotics says, If you are not happy, it is your
own fault.

10. Yin expels Yin; Yang expels Yang. Expulsion or attraction between
two things Yin or Yang is in inverse proportion to the difference of
their Yin or Yang force.

Again, magnetic polarities offer the clearest example to validate these statements.
Similar magnetic polarities repel each other. Military leaders, gang leaders and
other warriors are often very Yang, aggressive individuals. When they confront
equally Yang opponents, conflict often occurs as they try to expel or prevent each
other from encroaching on their territories or national boundaries. The animal
world is also full of examples of this law.

Knowing this, fathers, ambassadors and peacemakers can adopt more

accomodating (Yin) stances when confronting overly Yang sons, rivals and
opponents. The Oriental Martial Arts are based on taking complementary
measures to neutralize opposition. For example, when someone thrusts forward,
the student is trained to step back, allowing the opponent's thrust to continue to
the point where it unbalances. This harnessing of the other's Yang force to defeat
himself is based on a deep understanding of Yin/Yang dynamics.

11. Yin produces Yang, Yang produces Yin at the extremity.

An example: cold (Yin) weather and climate produce very hardy (Yang) people.
Northern people historically have often been able to defeat people from southerly
climes, because warmer climates create more Yin diets which in turn create less
robust people.

The defeat of America in Vietnam can be explained by the condition of troops

raised on many Yin foods and beverages in modern America coming against
people raised on a Yang, simple diet of mostly brown rice and vegetables, as
characterizes the rural Vietnamese diet. In this case, as in early Roman
territorial expansion, Southern soldiers used to consuming a dietary regimen
based on whole grain cereals were able to defeat Northerners. Modern
civilization no longer follows the usual model, because it has interrupted the
natural order by importing and creating Yin foods and beverages that nature
would not normally provide.

In most other cases, Northern cultures usually dominate cultures from the South
throughout history. America's Civil War, Germany's initial defeat of its
southerly neighbors in World War's I & II are examples. Overly Yang behavior
is barbarous and cruel. Ghengis Khan's defeat of China and Russia was
accomplished because of the Yang climate and culture which created the Mongol
warriors. However, the arts, religion and culture (Yin influences) of southern
cultures end up dominating the civilization of the conquerors, as occured after
the Mongol Empire reached its full expansion (Yin). Yang became Yin at the
extremity.

This fact of life is also clearly evident if we track the course of Roman
civilization. The religious zeal of the early Christians galvanized (Yangized) them
and made them strong enough to overcome all the persecution that was thrown
against them by the Roman Empire, which started very Yang but became very
Yin (decadent) over time.

12. Everything is Yang at its center and Yin at its periphery.

Example: most fruits have a hard (Yang) central core -- the pit or seed. The soft,
sweet part (Yin) is located on the outside. The planets all have hot (Yang) cores,
with cool (Yin) exteriors. Seeming exceptions: strawberries have seeds on the
outside because the fruit is actually more Yang than the seeds, so they position
themselves accordingly. Most animals have hard (Yang) bones on the inside
(center) and are softer on the outside. Insects are mostly opposite -- hard on the
outside, soft on the inside. Again, flesh of insects is actually more Yang than their
outer shell, which is made of a material more like hair (chitin). Hair is also found
on the periphery in mammals.

The more one searches for corroboration of the preceding theorems, the more
one will recognize their validity. As one studies more and more, a vast
orderliness begins to reveal itself -- from the smallest of universes within atomic
structures to the largest cosmic constructs fathomable.
It is hoped you will begin your own research, trying to understand how the
universe operates, guided by the magic spectacles, as George Ohsawa called
them, of Yin and Yang.

Fred Pulver
July 5, 1997