Definition

1. Noun (Philosophical Term):
   • The Two Fundamental Forces / The Dual Principles: In traditional Chinese philosophy, "lưỡng nghi" refers to the two primary, opposing, and complementary forces that emerged from the primordial unity (Thái Cực). These are most commonly understood as Heaven (Yang, active, light) and Earth (Yin, receptive, dark), which form the basis of all existence and creation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thái Cực sinh lưỡng nghi. (The Supreme Ultimate gives birth to the Two Fundamental Forces.)
  • Trong triết học cổ, lưỡng nghi là khởi nguồn của vạn vật. (In ancient philosophy, the Two Fundamental Forces are the origin of all things.)
  • Âm dương là biểu hiện của lưỡng nghi. (Yin and Yang are manifestations of the Two Fundamental Forces.)

Advanced Usage

• The concept is foundational in the (Kinh Dịch / I Ching), where the Two Fundamental Forces generate the Four Symbols (Tứ Tượng) and then the Eight Trigrams (Bát Quái).
• While "Heaven and Earth" is the most concrete interpretation, "lưỡng nghi" can more abstractly represent any fundamental duality: light/dark, active/passive, creative/receptive.

Variants and Related Words

• Thái Cực (n): The Supreme Ultimate; the undifferentiated, infinite source before the division into duality.
• Âm Dương (n): Yin and Yang; the detailed principle of dualism that flows from and elaborates upon the Two Fundamental Forces.
• Tứ Tượng (n): The Four Symbols (e.g., Greater Yang, Lesser Yin) generated from the combinations of the Two Fundamental Forces.

Synonyms

• The Two Poles: Emphasizing the opposing ends of a spectrum.
• The Dual Principles: Emphasizing their fundamental, governing nature.
• Heaven and Earth: The most common concrete representation.

Related Concepts and Idioms

• Âm dương điều hòa: Harmony between Yin and Yang; a state of balance stemming from the interaction of the Two Fundamental Forces.
• Lưỡng nghi sinh tứ tượng, tứ tượng sinh bát quái: A classical phrase meaning "The Two Forces generate the Four Symbols, the Four Symbols generate the Eight Trigrams," describing the cosmological process of differentiation.

1. (từ cũ; nghĩa cũ) Heaven and earth (in chinese philosophy)