The name "táizhi-tu" comes from the Chinese and literally means Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate; it is an essential element of Taoist and Confucian philosophy and cosmology. This image is a simple yet powerful visualization of the eternal principles of yin and yang, and of the way they interact to define everything that exists. They are the opposing but complementary principles that compose all of reality. Yin is the female principle, and is associated with calm, passivity, concentration and shade. Yang, the male principle, is associated with activity, passion and light. Symbols of yin include the earth, the valley and the tiger, while yang is symbolized by the sky, the mountain and the dragon. Ancient Chinese mythology tells us that many thousands of years ago, a dragon rose from the waters of the Yellow River to reveal the yin-yang diagram to a Chinese emperor. The táizhi-tu mandala incorporates the rippling currents of the Yellow River into this classical form, the mighty dragon ready to emerge from its waters. Here the flow, the dance, the push and pull of all universal elements find a crisp visual expression. Here you will find the swirling interactions of heat and cold, light and dark, matter and space. Here you will discover the tapestry of everything that exists, and realize that you are intimately woven into the majestic fabric of the cosmos.