Have You Seen Their Taijitu?

Familiar with that black and white yin-yang symbol, known in ancient Chinese philosophy as taijitu?  Surely you’ve seen dogwood trees gracing the landscape but have you seen their taijitu?

Look closely at the blooms on this glorious tree.  Each stunning bract (appearing as one of four flower petals) appears marred like a bruise or singe blemishing its perfect beauty.

The contrasting cleft reminds me of my Qigong instructor’s explanation of the taijitu:  “The small dots on each side indicate that life is not perfect; nothing is 100 percent.”

That visual concept widened my black and white perspective to realize nothing is all good or all bad.  I became more accepting of life as is.  Even to say a perfectly imperfect life is perfect as it is.  Hmmm.  Seems Mother Nature already knew this.  Am I surprised?

Some More Thoughts on the Small Black and White Circles (in Taijitu)… 
“Located in the areas of their opposite colors, the small circles show that nothing is absolute. In each of the opposing forces there is a small part of the other. In all yin, there is yang and in all yang, there is yin… In every good, there is a little evil and vice versa. Nothing in the universe or in life is simply black or white. Each exists in the other and each needs the other in order to exist.” from the Complete Guide to Yin Yang Meanings for Life, Work, Home and Balance by Feng Shui Practitioner, Sally Painter.