三さん才さい

noun

the three powers (heaven, earth, and man)

Formal or literary term from East Asian cosmology. Refers to the triad of 天 (heaven), 地 (earth), and 人 (man).

• 三さん才さいとは、天てん・地ち・人じんの三みっつの力ちからを指さす。

  The three powers refer to the three forces of heaven, earth, and man.

noun

everything in the universe

Extended formal use: the totality of existence, derived from the cosmological triad. Rare in modern conversation.

• 古こ典てんでは、三さん才さいが森しん羅ら万ばん象しょうを表あらわすことがある。

  In classical texts, the three powers sometimes represent all things in the universe.