139 BC

Explore 1 quote from the year 139 BC

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Before heaven and earth had taken form all was vague and amorphous. Therefore it was called the Great Beginning. The Great Beginning produced emptines and emptiness produced the universe... The combined essences of heaven and earth became the yin and yang, the concentrated essences of the yin and yang became the four seasons, and the scattered essences of the four seasons became the myriad creatures of the world.

Huainanzi

More information about this quote

Topic

Origin of the universe Creation of the world

Source

Huainanzi

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Chinese

Time

139 BC 130s BC 2nd century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Huainanzi. c. 139 BC, essay 2, sect. 7.

Current Citation

The Huainanzi, edited and translated by John S. Major, Sarah A. Queen, et. al. Columbia University Press, 2010, essay 2, sect. 7.