Modern society could gain allot from understanding and accepting the polarities of yin and yang within the context of daily life. According to Taoist philosophy the polar qualities of yin and yang permeate every aspect of existence. The manifested universe is seen in terms of a complex interplay of Yin and Yang.  Yin the negative, and Yang the positive are not seen as forces in opposition, but rather in mutual support. Yin contains Yang, and Yang contains Yin; the one cannot exist without the other.

Immortality and a utopian life without pain or trouble is just a pie in the sky.
Death and suffering are an important part of life. There is no life without death, no ecstasy without suffering, and no pleasure without pain.

The problem with our western commercial, industrialised mindset is that we always want the one without the other. We want something for nothing. It is amazing how far people will go for a bit of something for nothing. It’s the forbidden fruit of our culture. We want the holidays but we don’t want to work, we want the highs without the lows, we want the instant results without the effort. Our whole consumer culture is geared towards greater efficiency, greater luxury and instant, trouble free results. And yet, look at people: Have they got more time? Have they got the satisfaction that the adverts promised? I don’t think so. I have lived in many cities and my impression is that the more efficiency bound people are, the less time they tend to have. The more they run after security, luxuries and status symbols, the more they become trapped in their lifestyles.

If one studies our commercial culture, it becomes apparent that it is not leading to the trouble free utopian lifestyle that is promised in the media. The true effects are not so rosy. The stress of city life is just a superficial effect of global commercialisation. The deeper effects are war, exploitation, pollution and the destruction of our natural environment.

On my travels so far the happiest communities I have come across were the poorer ones, where suffering and hard times were an accepted part of life. Poverty forces people into simple lifestyles. They are not bothered by all the options, choices and trappings of commercial culture, because they cannot afford the luxuries. They are free of expectation. They are closer to the things that bring true happiness, like family, community, friends, nature and spirituality.

Happiness also comes from an acceptance of what is, and the ability to take the bitter with the sweet. The constant struggle to have the one polarity without the other will lead no where, because it is based on an unbalanced world view.

We can learn from the Taoist/ Buddhist saying:

“Out of the foulest mud
grows the most beautiful lotus”