Wei qi life: yin and yang

Good quality go stones are often made of slate and shell and the natural colors are black or white. These stones feel and look beautiful on the board when they are placed and it makes a distinct sound that kind of grows on a go player as they use them more and more. However the black and white stones on the go board are not just there to tell us who placed a stone last but has a symbolic meaning to it. The black and white stones are actually a picture of yin and yang, the symbol of duality. 

It took me a while to understand the concept of yin and yang. At first I thought it was like good and evil. I think most people can relate to this. As kids we're taught good and evil/bad and it is repeated to us until we understand it. As we grow older we begin to see there seems to be a gray area in life. Some things are bad some times but other times it actually helps people. Why is that?

Think about natural forces that seem like opposites such as fire and water, sun and moon, hot and cold, old and young, happy and angry or slow and fast. These things are opposites but they exist in the same reality and make up the world we live in. Two opposing forces or attributes can actually exist peacefully together and even become one. That is what I think yin and yang is about.

Yin and yang. This concept is deep and takes time to understand. I'm still learning what it's about. 

Believe it or not when it comes to go the concept of yin and yang is important. It may come as a surprise and may be hard to understand as a new player but go is a game that really brings to life this concept of yin and yang. This game seems to be about capturing stones and building territory but the more you play the more you will realize that just seeing the game like this is not enough. The game from start to finish is a full on battle. Either you or your opponent will win. If you do not fight hard enough you will lose. From the very first stone to the last it is a fight to survive on the board.

On the one hand you must build your own territory but on the other you must gain your opponent's also. As you build your territory, your opponent will be building theirs right alongside you. There is no in between here. No gray area. Either you live or your opponent lives. Either you die or your opponent dies.

Die? That's terrible! Well good thing it's a game and doesn't hurt you in real life if you lose. Life and death in the game of go is an interesting picture of the battles we face in our daily lives. Do you step back and wait or fight head on? Knowing which to do at what time is often the difference between winning or losing. 

Wei qi/go/baduk. This game has a simple set up and is best played in a serene atmosphere with a calm mind but from the first stone to the last, you must fight to survive on the board. Just like what yin and yang tells us about life. When two opposing forces come together, it does not always mean bloodshed and violence. Each can be beautiful in its own right and the two can dwell in harmony and even become one to make up an even more vibrant reality. As we live life we will experience some things that may seem bad or downright unbearable but without them we would not have learned what we know and we would not be who we are today.