Yin and Yang in Education

 

At a family BBQ in my relative’s home in Melbourne, I was struck by an odd contrast: most of my uncles have beautiful singing voices, yet none of their children can carry a melody or play an instrument well. My daughter and I surprised everyone by performing on different instruments and singing in multiple languages.

 

I owe my own musical foundation to lessons at our local church and encouragement from those same uncles. That early grounding allowed me to grow as an amateur musician—and now I’m passing that passion on to the next generation.

 

Imagine a world without yin energy—without art, music, language art and compassion. If only yang energy prevailed, we’d foster growth but at the cost of unhealthy competition, aggression, calculation, and conflict.

 

Today’s schools claim to value music and art, yet they overwhelmingly emphasize math, science, and technology. This imbalance between yin and yang in our education system leads to societal suffering.

 

Right now, the world tilts too far toward yang, with everyone—men and women alike—focused on business, growth, and competition. As a results, we see more children raised with autism diagnoses and depressed adults. 

 

Attributed to Laozi, Yin and Yang embody two fundamental, opposing yet complementary forces in constant interplay. They manifest in doing and non-doing, softness and hardness, yielding and rigidity, or the sun and the moon. This dynamic balance is essential for aligning with the Tao—the ultimate reality and source of all.

 

By weaving this wisdom into our education system, we can nurture a more balanced, harmonious world.