The bagua, or eight trigrams, associated with the Yi Jing (I-Ching) are important to Taoism, as well as to Chinese religion in general. There are also "caves" within the body, that is, containers of energy, sometimes also known as "cinnabar fields." Cinnabar is symbolic of immortality primarily because it was an ingredient commonly used in elixirs, and also because of its red color, which means good fortune. The central altar in Taoist ritual is called a cave table. Adepts meditate in caves, dragons (also a symbol of immorality) live in caves, and the Taoist canon is divided into three main parts called caves or caverns. Caves are believed to be repositories of special, purified qi. Learn more about the I Ching in the next section.The cave, like the gourd, is a container for mystery. Many of the fundamental ideas supporting this worldview are described in the book known as the I Ching. This progressive development is apparent in many Chinese disciplines including acupuncture, herbal lore, philosophy, literature, painting, calligraphy, and the martial arts. The long-term effect of this tendency is the formation of a worldview that is comprehensive, systematic, and rigorous. The Chinese system of traditional medicine, for example, is based not only on concepts and techniques arising from within their own culture, but also on ideas from many foreign lands, including India and Tibet. History also attests to their remarkable ability to integrate new symbols and new ideas into an existing system of thought. The Chinese have proven themselves adept at creating highly abstract systems of symbols that encompass large bodies of knowledge. Its symbols can still be traced to original meanings. This is not true of the Chinese language. In some cases, such as the English language, the images have become so abstracted from their original meaning that it is no longer possible to see the relationship. Later, pictorial images were used to represent these words. Words represent objects as well as ideas. In fact, this is exactly how both spoken and written language developed. They were used as a means of encoding information in a way that could be conveniently remembered and recorded. In the past, though, symbols were created for another reason. Around this symbol, a product or line of products is marketed. This only happens because that symbol brings to mind the whole idea of the product - what it can do for us, how it tastes, or why we need it. Graphic artists are highly paid to conceive of symbols that will resonate with people and gain the attention of the buying public. Once society recognizes a symbol, it becomes a powerful tool in the world of marketing and advertising. Each year, patent offices worldwide process countless requests to patent particular symbols. This can be seen even today in our modern world. Taken out of context, a symbol is essentially without meaning. What makes a symbol powerful is the body of knowledge behind it. Everyone will experience a change in mood. Upon entering the cathedral, they will likely all fall silent. Whether or not individuals in the group are conscious of this, the effect will be the same. Even the architecture of the cathedral itself has been designed to evoke a religious feeling. There may be statues here and there and other religious artifacts. First they see the windows, stained glass that has darkened with age, depicting dramatic biblical scenes. Imagine, for example, a group of people entering a very large cathedral. In either case, they most certainly exert a powerful influence on us. We may unconsciously understand the veiled meanings of the symbols, or we may not. Most of the time, the symbols and their deeper meanings remain hidden from our conscious mind. As such, they may contain many layers of meaning. These icons are symbols that tell stories without words. The most important myths have, over time, all been transformed into icons.
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