辯偽錄 1.9

1.9

The first transformation states: 'The Dao is the father and mother of the myriad transformations, the supreme venerated one of spontaneity. Within this profound, dark, subtle, and wondrous [state], the Void was born. The Void is the True One. After the pneumas of the True One transformed and gave birth, nine hundred ninety-nine myriad billion, nine hundred ninety-nine myriad years elapsed, and then they transformed and gave birth to the Upper Three Pneumas. The three pneumas were separated from each other by nine hundred ninety-nine myriad billion, nine hundred ninety-nine myriad years. Combining their three virtues, they jointly gave birth to the Unsurpassed, who is the Heavenly Worthy of the Void Sovereign. Passing through the same number of years again, they gave birth to the Middle Three Pneumas. Combining their three virtues, they gave birth to Xuanlao, that is, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Passing through the same number of years again, they gave birth to the Lower Three Pneumas. Combining their three virtues, they jointly gave birth to the Supreme, that is, the Supreme Dao Lord. Thereafter, one purna again gave birth to three pneumas, each pneuma separated from the other by eighty-one myriad billion, eighty-one myriad years. Combining their three virtues, they jointly gave birth to Li, Lord Lao. Although the four sages followed one another in sequence, each was not caused by the other; this is called independent transformation. After Lord Lao was born, he then gave birth to the Five Phases of Cosmic Change: namely, Taiyi (Great Change), Taichu (Great Beginning), Taishi (Great Origin), Taisu (Great Simplicity), and Taiji (Great Ultimate).' The fifth transformation states: 'Lord Lao is the ancestor of Chaos, the father and mother of Heaven and Earth. Therefore he was able to distribute the clear and the turbid, and open and cleave Qian and Kun [Heaven and Earth].'