Hands of Duality

Hello, Everyone!

A bit about Zentangle:

The Zentangle® Method is an easy to learn, fun and relaxing way to create beautiful patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. "Zentangle" is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

You know, I am actually considering renaming this blog. The name of this blog ought not to be ZenTales, but DualityTales or YinYangTales. Because I ultimately circle back to the same concept, the same theory. At the end of the day, that is what I always write (type?) about – Yin Yang and Duality.

I really don’t know what is it with me and the Yin Yang. It is one of the most famous symbols around. Everyone already knows what it represents (fairly, at least), but, for some odd reason I cannot fathom, I am absolutely mystified by it. I am in complete awe of it every time I think about it. I love it to the point where all I tangle about, is it. This is called true love, I guess. But my love for the Yin Yang borders on the periphery of obsession. Yes, obsession – that’s what it is.

How else would you explain a random schoolgirl’s, who has never been to China, who does not follow Taoism or Confucianism, who has no remote Chinese ancestry, whose only other connection with China is her love for Chinese food (the sauces and kimchi rock!), ungodly love for a theory which originated from China?

Anyway, I digress. As a matter of fact, I always do. Digress, I mean.

My tangle is yet another representation of the Yin Yang theory.

There. I have unveiled my tangle to the world. (Unveiled to the world? Really? But it has a nice ring to it.)

The blobs of patterns are supposed to be hand-like figures, albeit mutated ones. I did not mean to make them mutated, but it happened. That is because I did not plan what I was putting on paper. I did not think about what I was going to tangle. I just wanted to de-stress. I let my heart run my hand and sent my brain off on a vacation.

This justifies my love for this theory. Even when I tell my brain to shut up and go to bed, the only thing my heart thinks of is Duality and Yin Yang.

Anyway. I digress, yet again.

The bottom mutated hand is Yang, the top one is Yin. Both of them, when clasped together, form the Yin Yang.

The Yang hand is filled with straight, rigid patterns. There is a certain order, a certain discipline about it. It portrays strength, duty, loyalty and truth. The patterns do not deviate or digress (like I always do. I am doing it right now.). They travel in a straight line, like soldiers, marching off to a parade, unmindful of any temptations. They know that they could be one amongst the surrounders, giving in to human desires, but they choose a life of rigorous practice and ultimate discipline.

On the other hand (excuse the pun), the Yin hand features flowing patterns, free patterns, curvy patterns. The unpredictability of the patterns presents a delightful chaos. It seems as though the lines have stopped to see a beautiful butterfly flittering through the woods, chased it for a while, gone off course, and decided that they didn’t want to go back to the original, pre-decided route and continued along their own path, only to be distracted by another butterfly.

But, you would say, the Yin Yang symbol features Yin in the Yang and Yang in the Ying. Where is that in the tangle?

It is there. It is always there, regardless of how much ever one tries to create perfect Yin or perfect Yang. That’s because complete Yin or complete Yang isn’t even possible. It is impossible to create chaos without order and order without chaos.

The Yin hand too has a certain order in the patterns. Look at the pattern in the top left. Do you not see order and discipline?

The Yang hand has chaos too. The top right corner. The lines are straight, yes, but the combination of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal presents chaos.

And that, my friends, is how you present a concept as old as the world (or perhaps, even older) with a different idea. ;D

But why hands?

Because they clasp. Hands are things which are so similar, you wouldn’t be able to tell the left from the right. But they compliment each other. When hands clasp, fingers interlink. Connections are formed. Two seemingly similar objects are different and as distinct as the Yin and Ying. But they join together to provide a whole. They join to provide a symbol of peace, power, friendship, and prayer. They show how duality in life always exists and is essential for life itself.

Yin and Yang. Female and Male. Creation and Destruction. Negative and Positive. Nature and Man. Liberal and Orthodox. Passion and Austerity.

One needs the other. One wants the other. One fights the other. One pacifies the other. One loves the other. One hates the other. One attracts the other. One repels the other. One longs for the other. Together, they make life.

And since I suck at ending blog posts or any creative writing piece, for that matter, I will go away now. So long, friends and fellow tanglers! Happy tangling!