Xuanxuan Shangren

Xuanxuan Shangren (玄玄上人) was the first supra-being incubated from Tao, according to an introduction by Lao Tsu (道祖老子) in a Taoist guidance book called "The Feast of the Immortal Peaches" (scroll one chapter one). The same genesis in the Chinese creation myth was also explained in a second guidance book called Tiantang Yiuji 天堂遊記 (Text Reference No.1) whereby it was described that out of the primodial infinite "Nothingness" or Wuji (無極) came Taiji (太極 ), which then split into the binary yin and yang (陰陽) or "two aspects" (兩儀), yin and yang splitting into the "four realms" (四象) and from which begets bagua (八卦) , and from which every beings were created. The following texts were traceable to the legendary emperor Fuxi as well as Tao Te Ching:

*無極生有極, 有極是太極,
*太極生兩儀, 即陰陽;
*兩儀生四象: 即少陰、太陰、少陽、太陽,
*四象演八卦， 八八六十四卦

Xuanxuan Shangren is also sometimes called Hongjun Laozu (鸿钧老祖, 洪钧老祖, 鸿元老祖, 洪元老祖) reputedly the teacher of the Three Pure Ones. He was the first personified "being" from creation but not a known historical person who attained purification and made it to heaven.

References

*Text Reference No.1 - passage from Chapter Four of Tiantang Yiuchi “...即是「玄玄上人」，又稱「元始天王」。因位居至上，又稱「上帝」。又為萬物之始祖，...運轉既滿週圓，氣自分散...玄玄上人為造化天地，用心默運真，五方定位，世界成形，無人可立，而三才不貫，…原由無極 (Wuji) 元始一動而生太極 (Taichi)，太極含兩儀("two aspects") 陰陽 (yin and yang)，而化三才四象("Four Realms") 五行(Wu xing)……。”

ee also

* Chinese mythology
* Chinese folk religion
* I ching

External links

* [http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00875/text/ChineseC.htm Chinese story of creation]
* [http://www.1bird.net/541a.html Tiantang Yiuji 天堂遊記 in chinese]