 In their precosmic aspects, shen, qi, and jing (in this order) represent three consecutive stages in the process of the generation of the cosmos, from the initial state of Non-Being and Emptiness (wu, xu) to the coagulation of the Essence that finally generates the “ten thousand things”. Shen is the principle that presides over non-material entities (including the celestial deities, which are also called shen, “spirits” or “gods”); jing is the principle that presides over material entities; and qi is the principle that maintains the whole cosmos for its entire extent and duration and throughout its continuous changes. Under these aspects, jing, qi, and shen are usually prefixed by the word yuan, “original” (yuanjing, yuanqi, yuanshen). In certain cases, Original Breath (yuanqi) is also seen as a principle prior to the emergence of Essence, Breath, and Spirit; when it is used in this sense, it is also called Ancestral Breath (zuqi) and is equated to the Dao itself.