T'ai-chi

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 628 words | Copyright

T'ai-chi (Chin., ‘ridge-beam’). The supreme ultimate in Chinese philosophy and religion. It is the source of order and appearance in the I-Ching: ‘In the changes, t'ai-chi produces the two energies [yin-yang], which produce the four images [ssu-hsiang, the four possible combinations of Heaven and Earth, which give rise to the four seasons], from which arise the eight trigrams.’ In neo-Confucianism, t'ai-chi combines li (structure) and ch'i (primordial materiality), in an alternation of rest (yin) and activity (yang): from these arise the five elements (wu-hsing) which constitute all existence.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN BOWKER. "T'ai-chi." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "T'ai-chi." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Taichi.html

JOHN BOWKER. "T'ai-chi." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Taichi.html

Learn more about citation styles