Qi And Objects
Qi (chi) and objects are not two separate entities, they are two aspects of one whole. In the non-material realm qi crystallizes to form objects that come into expression in the material world. Qi is to the object it creates as an object is to its shadow in the phenomenal world. An object and its shadow are not two separate entities.......they are, (like qi and its object mentioned above) two aspects of one whole. In the intangible realm an object is qi's "shadow", and in the tangible realm an object is a shadows qi. That is, qi creates objects and objects create shadows.
Another way of looking at it is that in the intangible realm qi is the shadow of Tao and in the tangible realm objects are the shadow of qi.
If you can meditate and ponder on the above statements and rise beyond the "haziness" of the description, you may be surprised at what you may discover. It is definitely metaphysical.