从“男左女右”看中国的传统文化

YiMin

在日常生活中，男左女右，好象约定俗成地渗透到了社会生活的各个方面。这种习俗是怎么产生的呢？据传说：中华民族的始祖盘古氏化仙之后，他的身体器官化为日月星辰、四极五岳、江河湖泊及万物生灵。《五运历年记》认为：中华民族的日月二神是盘古氏双眼所化，日神是盘古氏的左眼所化；月神是盘古氏的右眼所化，民间流传的“男左女右”习俗，就是由此而来。
In China, the custom of considering the left side as male and the right side as female seems to have permeated all aspects of people's daily lives. How did this custom come into being? As the legend goes, after the ancestor of the Chinese people, Pangu, became a deity, his body parts and organs turned into the Sun, the Moon, stars, mountains, rivers, lakes, all things on earth, and all lives. The book Wu Yun Nian Li Ji, written by Xu Zheng during the Three Kingdoms Period, states that the Sun and the Moon of the Chinese nation were transformed from the two eyes of Pangu. The Sun God was Pangu's left eye, and the Moon God was Pangu's right eye. This was the origin of the Chinese traditional custom of "male left, female right".

“男左女右”的习俗还和古代人的哲学观关系非常紧密。在传统文化的概念里，宇宙中贯通事物的两个对立面就是阴阳。自然界的事物有大小、长短、上下、左右等等。古人将其归类分为大、长、上、左为阳，小、短、下、右为阴。阳者刚强，阴者柔弱。人的性格，男子刚强属于阳于左，女子温柔和属于阴于右。“男左女右”在医学上的取脉中也有差异，中医诊脉，男子取气分脉于左手，女子取血分脉于右手。
This custom was also closely associated with the philosophy of the ancient people. In the traditional concept, the two opposite sides in everything were Yin and Yang. For example, everything could be differentiated by size, length, up or down, left or right, etc. Ancient people classified things that were big, long, up, and left as Yang, and things that were small, short, down, and right as Yin. The Yang was firm and strong, and the Yin was soft and weak. In terms of temperament, male is masculine, belonging to Yang--the left, while female is gentle and soft, belonging to Yin--the right. The concept of "male left and female right" is also reflected in the choice of wrist for taking one's pulse in Chinese traditional medicine. When feeling the pulse for diagnosis, taking the pulse on the left wrist was chosen for a male, and taking the pulse on the right wrist was chosen for a female.

其实， “男左女右”的源自于道家的阴阳学说，阴阳中，向日为阳，背日为阴，后来引申为气候的寒暖，方位的上下、左右、内外，运动状态的躁动和宁静等。阴阳学说认为，自然界的任何事物都包括着阴和阳相互对立的两个方面，而对立的双方又是相互统一的。阴阳的对立统一运动，是自然界一切事物发生、发展、变化及消亡的根本原因。正如《素问•；阴阳应象大论》说“阴阳者，天地之道也，万物之纲纪，变化之父母，生杀之本始”。
In fact, the concept of "male left, female right" originated from the theory of Yin and Yang of the Tao school. Regarding Yin and Yang, things facing the Sun were classified as Yang, and the opposite were Yin. Later, the concept extended to climate, location, state of movement, etc. The theory of Yin and Yang indicates that all things in nature have two contradictory sides, Yin and Yang. The two sides are also complementary, and the movement of the unity of opposites is the fundamental cause for things to come into being, to develop, to change, and to die. As it was said in the book Huang Di Nei Jing - Su Wen, the 5th Article, "Yin and Yang is the way of Heaven and Earth, the law of all things, the mother of all changes, and the beginning of life and death."

阴和阳，既可以表示相互对立的事物，又可用来分析一个事物内部所存在着的相互对立的两个方面。一般来说，凡是剧烈运动着的、外向的、上升的、温热的、明亮的，都属于阳；相对静止着的、内守的、下降的、寒冷、晦暗的，都属于阴。以天地而言，天气轻清为阳，地气重浊为阴；以水火而言，水性寒而润下属阴，火性热而炎上属阳。
Yin and Yang, can be used to describe opposites and to analyse the two opposite sides of matter. Generally speaking, things in violent motion, outward, upward, warm, or bright are viewed as being Yang. Things relatively still, inward, downward, cold, or dim are considered Yin. As for heaven and earth, the sky being light and clear, is considered Yang. The earth, being heavy and turbid is considered Yin. As for water and fire, water belongs to Yin, as it is cold and moist, while fire belongs to Yang for being hot and scorching.

阴阳学认为：木、火、土、金、水五行是其基本的变化关系。五行相互资生、相互制约，处于不断的运动变化之中。这种学说对后来古代哲学有着深远的影响，如天文学、气象学、化学、算学、音乐和医学，都是在阴阳五行学说的协助下发展起来的。
The theory of Yin and Yang posits that the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) represent the fundamental relationship of changes. The five elements are in continuous motion, impelling mutual generation and mutual restriction. This theory has had a deep impact on the development of ancient philosophies. Astronomy, meteorology, chemistry, mathematics, music, and medicine all attribute their development to the theory of Yin and Yang.

周敦颐的《太极图说》有一段这样的描述：“无极而太极。太极动而生阳，动极而静，静而生阴，静极复动。一动一静，互为其根。分阴分阳，两仪立焉。”是故“易有太极，是生两仪”。“（阴阳）二气交感，化生万物。万物生生，而变化无穷焉。”这就是古代易学家们对阴阳概念最好、最完备的阐述。而“男左女右”的概念亦为传统文化阴阳的表现方式。
There is such a description in the "Taichi Chart" by Zhou Dunyi, "Limitless emptiness produces Tai Chi; the movement of Tai Chi generates Yang; when the movement becomes extreme, it turns to stillness, and the stillness generates Yin; when the stillness becomes extreme, it turns into movement again. Movement and stillness are the origins of each other; Yin and Yang are differentiated and stand as opposites." Therefore, "Tai Chi generates Yin and Yang" and "when the two interact with one another, the multitude of things are produced. Things produce other things and the changes are endless." This is the best and most comprehensive explanation of the concept of Yin and Yang by ancient scholars of The Book of Changes. The concept of "male left and female right" is also a way of expressing Yin and Yang in traditional culture.

浮子

BlueSky

先占个位置，明天抽时间我把上次讲座的《中医基础入门（1）》的幻灯片传上来。呵呵。

既然是男左女右，先男后女，“无极而太极。太极动而生阳，动极而静，静而生阴”，一切都是先阳后阴，为什么不叫“阳阴”而叫“阴阳”呢？

BlueSky

引用第3楼游客于2011-08-16 22:41发表的 :
既然是男左女右，先男后女，“无极而太极。太极动而生阳，动极而静，静而生阴”，一切都是先阳后阴，为什么不叫“阳阴”而叫“阴阳”呢？

问得好！

从生理来说，先有肉体（属阴）；才有功能（属阳）。夜晚养阴，也就是好好睡觉，白天才会精力（属阳）充沛。从繁衍角度来说，母亲（属阴）承担着孕、产、育的重责，也更受重视。所以虽然“男左女右”，虽然阴阳相互依存，同等重要，但是在优先次序来讲，更重视阴。这和“物质基础决定上层建筑”的思维有相似之处，呵呵。此外，因为多数人右边肢体要比左边灵活一些，所以如果女人的位置在男人右边，男人更方便保护和照顾他的女人。

从中国古代医学分科来看，传统上分为内、外、妇、儿。妇女、儿童是从繁衍的角度较为优先。而男科是包含在内科里面的，只是到了现代，才单独立科。

美国许多的洗手间，都是男左女右的

引用第6楼一剪梅于2012-10-29 14:49发表的 回 4楼(BlueSky) 的帖子 :
"从中国古代医学分科来看，传统上分为内、外、妇、儿。妇女、儿童是从繁衍的角度较为优先。而男科是包含在内科里面的，只是到了现代，才单独立科。 "

That's because women tend to have much more medical issues than men do. Men are so lukcy in that aspect.

男人的毛病绝不少于女性。那个前列腺不知惹多少麻烦，不信去问你懂医的朋友。男性的平均寿命比女性至少少6年。