“The Suppression of Yin, Patriarchy and the Person of Jesus” by Keith Basar

I wrote this short piece a few months back, collecting dust until now.

~K

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The following is an abbreviated and contemporary definition/interpretation of the energy called Yin (derived from the Chinese principle of Yin-Yang). In Chinese thought Yin-Yang are two great counter-categorical/entirely connected/complementary forces at work in the cosmos.

DEFINITIONS

— YIN FORCE: fluid, mysterious, earth centered, heart-centered, soft, nurturing, feminine, downward seeking, meek, patient, intuitive, quiet, receptive, contemplative, restful, inward, bending, of the inward/interior, meticulous…

— YANG FORCE: active, hardness, male, dryness, penetrative, upward seeking, restless, productive, domineering, direct, mental, excited, outgoing, logical, intensity, rigidity, reactive, upward seeking, fast, restless, productive, expansive...

NOTE: Yin-Yang are not opposites, rather, they exist simultaneously within each other — thus the Yin-Yang symbol as shown below.

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Throughout history, overemphasized attributes of Yang, at the expense of the balancing properties of Yin, have produced a highly toxic setting for a vast majority of humans. Patriarchy is a powerful example of such. A subdued Yin produces an overly aggressive, exploitative, domineering male-centic world. Specifically, this imbalance rears it’s ugly head in the form of destructive and exploitive economic systems, political malice, religious dogmatism for the sake of power, subjugation of the feminine in the worst imaginable ways, and last but not least, pure insanity! An over-emphasized Yang, at the expense of Yin, becomes a key contributor to our planetary demise.

Illustration by Hanna Barczyk - Purple Rain Illustrators

In and of itself, Yang qualities are good and necessary for the utmost functionality of the human family — but must be balanced with, and tempered by Yin. Too much of anything, even the best of things, becomes unhealthy, and if left unchecked, life threatening. A single chocolate bar is delectable — an exclusive diet of them is a killer!

As a balancing energy it is imperative that one recognizes the indispensability of Yin. As an essential equal, it tempers, softens, and helps cultivate a more prudent attitude about how one lives one’s life, how societies should function and interact, and the inherent value of universal sisterhood/brotherhood. In other words, when a greater heart-head balance is achieved, a more harmonious world is possible. Weaken or negate these Yin qualities and you fuel forces contributing to the present human mess.

Consider the inner merits of Jesus. He exemplified a good number of yin qualities in his ministry — specifically, through word and deed. It seems obvious that the spirit of Yin embodied his life and ministry. This tender Yin side of Jesus made it easy to trust, love and follow him. The “jealous god” of the Old Testament, as understood by the people of that time and place, possessed far fewer of these Yin characteristics. Jesus, in the purest sense, manifested both the masculine (yang): direct, intense, reactive, with the feminine (yin): nurturing, quiet, inward, intuitive. He, like so many of the mystics, saints, and sojourners of truth of all spiritual traditions, manifested an unprecedented degree of these “Yin-like qualities.”

This is not New Age gobbledygook, or esoteric mumbo gumbo, or a Church/biblical truism. It's simply one persons perspective outside of the Western cultural sphere. Hopefully it adds insight into the stain of patriarchy and it's malevolent effects on the human race.