《论衡·卷二·命义篇》
人承受气而出生，怀气而长大，承受尊贵的气则人尊贵，承受卑贱的气人卑贱。同属尊贵有时官阶还有高有低，同属富裕有时财物也有多有少，这都是按众星宿地位尊卑大小授给的缘故，所以天上有大小百官，有众多星宿，地上就有形成万民、五帝、三王的气。
人禀气而生，含气而长，得贵则贵，得贱则贱；贵或秩有高下，富或资有多少，皆星位尊卑小大之所授也。故天有百官，天有众星，地有万民，五帝、三王之精。
Human beings receive qi and are born, and grow up in qi. Those who receive qi of honor are honored, and those who receive qi of lowliness are lowly. Some people share the same qi of honor, but they differ in their rank and pay, and some people share the same qi of wealth, but they differ in the amount of their wealth. This is because of the different degrees of honor accorded to the stars. So there are officials of varying degrees of greatness in heaven, and there are many stars, and on earth there are people of ten thousand stations, five emperors, and three kings.