肇論新疏 3.180

3.180

'Chaos' (hun) means the primeval indistinctness; 'primal' (yuan) means the root origin. 'Divided' means split apart. 'Myriad existences' refers to the myriad things. Worldly texts often say that the original qi was vast and indistinct, forming a chaos shaped like a chicken's egg; thereafter, the clear qi rose arching upward to become heaven, and the turbid qi sank sprawling downward to become earth—this is the division of the primal chaos, and is also 'one generates two.' Pangu was born within it for eighteen thousand years, and so forth; this is 'two generates three.' After Pangu died, forms separated and things portended, and the myriad things sprang up in profusion; this is 'three generates the myriad things.' The present meaning is: prior to the primal chaos belongs to non-existence; as soon as the single qi begins to sprout, one enters the realm of existence; this is non-existence generating existence. The next two pairs clarify that existence and non-existence complete each other. From 'therefore' downward, Laozi is cited to conclude, all showing that they arise depending upon each other. From 'this is' downward shows that it is a fixed destiny, not caused by any commanding agent; hence it is called 'natural.'