Wu Wu-fang has said that at the time of the Chaos, when the heavens and the earth were first opened, that there was Pan Ku born in the great desert, and that hie was the first to understand the doctrine of Heaven and Earth, and the principles of the Yin and the Yang. He was the."st_ruler of the three powers, Heaven, ar.'h, and Man, It was then that the Chaos Was opened up. Let me describe it you. Atthe time the World-honoured Sekyamun't Buddha shed abroad his light, revealing al! the kingdoms under heaven and the four great continents, vast nebulous, and so compacted together as to be unable to rise or fall. The heavens were confused and the an dark. The rods mourned and the demons were sad, fike men floundering in the midst of fire and water, a most pitiable state indeed Then the World-honoured from his home in the Lin-Chin mountain shot: from.the knob on his head a thousand-leaved lotus, whose ten branches sent forth a hundred beams of precious light; each light-beam revealing everywhere ten sandy river-beds. He could also lift the hills as one would lift a pestle. Everywhere there was an empty void, and all the universe looking up to him'with love and fear, bowed humbly, and sadly prayed that Buddha would take pity and reveal the matter. Buddha replied: Very good, Very good!" He then called Onan, and said: "You seo the four great continents of the universe you not?" Onan replied: Your servant is very stupid and does not know what the four great continents are like." Buddha then asked all the disciples whether they saw into these things. They answered: We know not." Buddha answered: The four great continents of The one hero is Hsihochia. The one to the east is Tung shénshéng. To the north is Peiniulo. The other one is} Nanshanpu. Heaven and earth are a_vast wilderness!" Just then the great Kun Yin sprang forward, clasped her hands, bowed reverently, and addressed Buddha, saying: Oh, Honourable One! To-day the appointed time for the Nanshanpu continent is at hand. I beseech the Honoured One to exercise his authority and bestow his saving grace.by showing how Heaven and Earth may be again opened up." Buddha said: " Good So let it be! To-day we will seek for a man who shall split open Heaven and Earth, and so become the foremost lord of all the ages, But this is no small matter. My only fear is that we shall not get the man Then there appeared on one side of the group a god clapping his hands and Iaughing. The World-honoured recognised him as Kuan-to-pong-so-un (we shall call him Kuanto for short) and ordered him to come forward. Raising his hands and falling down before Buddha he addressed the Honoured One, "T fear if heaven and earth be opened on the Nanshanpa continent, we, the aieciplen, woul in personal danger. How can it be avoided Buddha replied: "I have given you one life. Go! cut open heaven and earth and complete the work that will endure through all the ages. Don't be anxious about dangers! Go forward quickly and accomplish it. When Heaven and Earth are divided and the beginning of all things is made, then Heaven will first bring forth water, then Earth will bring forth fire, then' Heaven will bring forth wood, then Earth will produce metals, and Heaven will last of all produce clay. When the tivo essences separate, I will come and save you, and bring you back to this place." After Kuanto had received Buddha's command, he could only bow in submission and take leave. After upon a loud and passed away from the Wes-worship] ing all the gods, he seated himself tern Abodes of the gods, and came to the Nanshanpu, a vast and desert part of the universe. With great shout, he shot into the earth and changed himself into something like a flat peach, in which was a stone shaped like a little child. So he went whirling round and round forty-nine times and gradually grew into a man thirty-six feet tall, with a hideous square head, godlike eyebrows, angry eyes, Tioge teeth, a broad mouth, id his whole body covered with shaggy hair. Straightening himself up, the heaven slowly rose and the earth sank. But there were some parts that remained in contact; so takin, a chisel in his left hand, and axe in his right, he split with the axe and opened with the chisel, and so by the use of such god-like power, Heaven and Earth after a long time were separated, and the two essences rose and fell, the pureascending became Heaven, while the coarse descending became Earth, From this time Chaos was opened up and Tai Chi produced the two laws (the Yin and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.