I want to state my understanding of this passage generally, and then get your feedback. It's my understanding that the original Chinese doesn't specify what one, two, and three are; it simply says one, two, three (一, 二, 三) and commentators don't agree on what these numbers represent. Is my understanding correct?
How have most professional Chinese intellectuals interpreted this passage over the years? Is there any interpretation that is most common?
Here are some different versions I was thinking of:
Interpretation A:
One is Taichi
Two is yin-yang
Three is Heaven, Earth, Man
Interpretation B:
One is Taichi
Two is yin-yang
Three is Heaven, Earth, Chi
(Myriad creatures would include Man)
Interpretation C:
One is Chi
Two is yin-yang
Three is Heaven, Earth, Man
Interpretation D:
One is Hydrogen
Two is Helium
Three is Lithium
Thoughts on these? I'm leaning towards interpretation B or D. Taichi must come before yin-yang, right?
