THE GEOMANCER'S RULER
The exact proportions of a building, room or the height of furniture should be checked by the geomancer to ensure fortune and prosperity. To do this he uses a geomancer's ruler that not only marks distances but also implies lucky or unlucky measurements.
The Chinese characters above the centimetres are for internal use, those marked under the inches are for external use. The characters that are written in the boxes indicate whether this is a lucky or unlucky measurement. At the end of the fourth box of characters on the internal and external markings the catelogy of fortune changes, for example the first four boxes marked on the external line in the diagram opposite represent different aspects of wealth and the four boxes that follow it represent different aspects of loss and disease. There is a character written in the middle of each group of four which denotes the overall fortune for that group. At the end of thirty-two boxes of characters on the external line and forty boxes of characters on the internal line the characters are repeated once again.
1.Readings from the lower line used for the internal measurements:
1-4 Harm
5-8 Prosperity
9-12 Distress
13-16 Reason
17-20 Official title
21-24 Death
25-28 Expansion
29-32 Loss
33-36 Wealth
37-40 Children
2. Readings from the upper line used for external measurements:
1-4 Wealth
5-8 Disease9-12 Leaving
13-16 Reason
17-20 Title
21-24 Robbery
25-28 Harm
29-32 Capital
THE LO SHU MAGIC SQUARE AND NUMBERS
Other numerical calculations used by the geomancer in his assessment are based on the Lo Shu magical square. Traditionally, Chinese cities and temples were laid out in a square broken into nine sections, a layout based on the concept of the Lo Shu magical square. This square was believed to have been revealed to the legendary emperor Yu by a turtle who emerged from the river Lo. Yu was the first man to control the flow of the mighty river Lo and was rewarded with knowledge of the magic square for his engineering skill.
Ta Yu had worked for the government for thirteenn years as an inspector of ditches, dykes, and water courses. He was respected for his knowledge and patience and many believed Heaven has blessed him with a great wisdom. Whenever a river broke its banks or new ditches had to be built in complicated terrain Ta Yu was summoned for his judgement.
Along its course the river Lo flowed through Shansi province and as it approached the north side of Dragon Gate mountain, its waters became turbulent, and deep, dangerous, whirlpools formed in its course so the fields were flooded. Many had been unexpectedly caught in its torrents and as soon as Dragon Gate mountain appeared in view the boats were hauled out of the water, but for some it was too late. When the river Lo reached the mountainside, huge waves lashed its sides, and long ago the trees had been uprooted by the force of the river and boulders tossed across the land. Once the river Lo had reached the mountain it followed a dangerous course around its base and continued on its south side.
The governor of Shansi province decided that the only man who might be able to tame the powerful river was Ta Yu and he was ordered to build a tunnel through Dragon Gate Mountain linking the north and south sides. Ta Yu spent many days surveying the site and once he had decided where to begin hollowing out the tunnel he asked for three hundred men and twenty cartloads of tools and equipment. During the ensuing weeks the men laboured on attempting to build the hollow for the tunnel, and many were thrown to their deaths in the water or killed by falling rocks. As each man died another was sent on to take his place. Ta Yu worked alongside the men each day, willing to put his own life as rist too, and in the evening, when the day's work had finished, he remained at the site assessing the work and making new plans.
After six months and the loss of more than a hundred lives a tunnel had finally been dug from the north the the south side of the mountain and the flow of the mighty river had been controlled. One evening, after he had examined the structure of the tunnel, Ta Yu followed a path up the mountain that he had never seen before. Suddenly the evening sun warmed his limbs but then, in the next moment, a cold wind passed over him. As he looked up, he saw an entrance to a cave that wasn't marked on the plans he had made. He entered a huge cavern, and guided by shafts of light that fell through narrow slits in the stone he came to a narrow path at the back of the cavern. The light had begun to fade, and it was too dark to see the way ahead, so Ta Yu unwillingly turned back and left the cave.
The next morning, armed with an oil lamp, Ta Yu retraced his steps and once more entered the path that led from the cavern, deep into the mountain. He noticed strange lines and diagrams carved in the damp walls of the passage and unexpectedly his light fell across the sleeping form of an animal. At first he thought it was a pig, but its skin had a faint yellow tinge and it held a bright, perfectly, rounded pearl in its mouth.
Ta Yu stepped across the animal's body and continued until he caught sight of a fierce dog, crouching low as through ready to pounce. He stood perfectly still but the dog only barked as though trying to speak to him. The dog rose to its feet, span on its heels and loped on deeper into the mountain. Ta Yu then heard a movement from behind and turned to see the yellow pig standing close behind him. He had no choice but to follow the dog.
He walked along with them for countless miles and although he had had nothing to eat or drink for a long time he felt exhilarated. It was only when he caught sight of a bright white light ahead of him that his limbs suddenly felt heavy and his body exhausted.
Without warning, the dog stopped, turned to face Ta Yu and fixed him with piercing, green eyes. Ta Yu was transfixed and unable to see the pig who had slowly begun to take the shape of a man in flowing, black robes. Then as he watched, the dog's fore and hind legs began to assume the shape of human limbs and gradually he, too, became a man in black robes. It was then that Ta Yu knew that his guards were the Jade Emperor's servants. A figure appeared ahead in a bright circle of light and Ta Yu was drawn to him. The creature had the face of a snake but the body of a man and Ta Yu knew he was in the presence of a deity. He lifted a parchment scroll from the floor beside him and beckoned Ta Yu to come closer. Eight groups of lines had been drawn in black ink on the scroll, some were straight and others broken. the creature had revealed the eight trigrams to Ta Yu.
'Are you the sage, the son of Wah Su?' asked Ta Yu.
'I am', he replied, 'my mother was born and lived in a perfect land. One day a rainbow appeared and she tood in its light for two hours. The Jade Emperor sent a baby down the rainbow and after twelve she gave birth to me.'
Ta Yu thought back to the legends he had learnt as a child and realised he was in the presence of a great Emperor famed for his wise rule throughout China. The Emperor then offered Ta Yu a jade tablet twelve units in length. Each unit represented the twelve divisions of the day and of the year. He then handed him a turtle shell inscribed with the Lo Shu magic square. Ta Yu bowed low and accepted his gifts. Finally the emperor spoke,
'You have shown great wisdom and skill in taming the river Lo. The tunnel through the Dragon Gate mountain was your final test; you have proved yourseft worthly of ruling China. The hexagrams on the scroll will help you to predict the auspicious years for your people, the jade tablet gives you the authority to govern wisely, the inscriptions on the turtle shell give you the ability to plan well.
Cradling the precious gifts in his arms, Ta Yu left the emperor and returned to the outside world. As the emperor had predicted, Ta Yu was praised throughout China for his engineering feats and was soon declared Emperor. According to legend, the Emperor Yu reigned for forty years and during his wise rule the land was never plagued by drought, flood or famine.
The even, female or yin numbers are placed at the corner of the square and the odd, male or yang numbers are at the four cardinal points and the centre. Nine and one are considered the most auspicious numbers since nine represents wholeness, something that is complete,and one is the beginning of all things. If the numbers are added up in any line they come to fifteen. The square is based on an earlier design that incorporated a central fifth square. Many cities not only in China but also in Egypt, India and in Ireland were based on this principle. The four quarters of the city and the central square the seat of government and guidance.
The simple square with a central fifth square probably developed into the square with nine divisions on the basis of a hand count. The little finger down to the thumb are the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 and the hollows between the fingers and the thumb are the even numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8. The number 5 at the centre is the most powerful, it is translated as 'wu' in Chinese and the Chinese characters for 'midday' and for 'myself' are also read as 'wu'.
The Lo Shu magical square is also a diagramatic representation of the seasons. The numbers, followed in a clock-wise direction, show the ratio of yang to yin in the annual cycle. In winter yang is at its lowest (1) and yin at its highest (8) and in the summer yang is at its highest (9) and yin its lowest (2). The square also orders the trigrams of the Later Heaven sequence and the elements according to the compass directions.
Aware of the power inherent in the Lo Shu magic square, architects, palaces and mansions to this plan. The Imperial Palace in Peking is based on this square, and in feudal times the landowner who could afford nine rooms followed this layout, moving from room to room according to the seasons so that his rule over his subjects was wisely regulated.
Even though planning according to the Lo Shu square does not exert such a powerful influence in modern day planning the association with lucky and unlucky numbers is still effective in Chinese life. Numbers themselves or hononyms - words which have similar pronunciation - have an important bearing on personal or business decisions. If the numbers in the time or date of a wedding or signing a contract added up to nine this would be considered lucky but numbers adding up to four or ending in four are considered unlucky since the Cantonese word for four sounds like the word 'die'.
Ta Yu had worked for the government for thirteenn years as an inspector of ditches, dykes, and water courses. He was respected for his knowledge and patience and many believed Heaven has blessed him with a great wisdom. Whenever a river broke its banks or new ditches had to be built in complicated terrain Ta Yu was summoned for his judgement.
Along its course the river Lo flowed through Shansi province and as it approached the north side of Dragon Gate mountain, its waters became turbulent, and deep, dangerous, whirlpools formed in its course so the fields were flooded. Many had been unexpectedly caught in its torrents and as soon as Dragon Gate mountain appeared in view the boats were hauled out of the water, but for some it was too late. When the river Lo reached the mountainside, huge waves lashed its sides, and long ago the trees had been uprooted by the force of the river and boulders tossed across the land. Once the river Lo had reached the mountain it followed a dangerous course around its base and continued on its south side.
The governor of Shansi province decided that the only man who might be able to tame the powerful river was Ta Yu and he was ordered to build a tunnel through Dragon Gate Mountain linking the north and south sides. Ta Yu spent many days surveying the site and once he had decided where to begin hollowing out the tunnel he asked for three hundred men and twenty cartloads of tools and equipment. During the ensuing weeks the men laboured on attempting to build the hollow for the tunnel, and many were thrown to their deaths in the water or killed by falling rocks. As each man died another was sent on to take his place. Ta Yu worked alongside the men each day, willing to put his own life as rist too, and in the evening, when the day's work had finished, he remained at the site assessing the work and making new plans.
After six months and the loss of more than a hundred lives a tunnel had finally been dug from the north the the south side of the mountain and the flow of the mighty river had been controlled. One evening, after he had examined the structure of the tunnel, Ta Yu followed a path up the mountain that he had never seen before. Suddenly the evening sun warmed his limbs but then, in the next moment, a cold wind passed over him. As he looked up, he saw an entrance to a cave that wasn't marked on the plans he had made. He entered a huge cavern, and guided by shafts of light that fell through narrow slits in the stone he came to a narrow path at the back of the cavern. The light had begun to fade, and it was too dark to see the way ahead, so Ta Yu unwillingly turned back and left the cave.
The next morning, armed with an oil lamp, Ta Yu retraced his steps and once more entered the path that led from the cavern, deep into the mountain. He noticed strange lines and diagrams carved in the damp walls of the passage and unexpectedly his light fell across the sleeping form of an animal. At first he thought it was a pig, but its skin had a faint yellow tinge and it held a bright, perfectly, rounded pearl in its mouth.
Ta Yu stepped across the animal's body and continued until he caught sight of a fierce dog, crouching low as through ready to pounce. He stood perfectly still but the dog only barked as though trying to speak to him. The dog rose to its feet, span on its heels and loped on deeper into the mountain. Ta Yu then heard a movement from behind and turned to see the yellow pig standing close behind him. He had no choice but to follow the dog.
He walked along with them for countless miles and although he had had nothing to eat or drink for a long time he felt exhilarated. It was only when he caught sight of a bright white light ahead of him that his limbs suddenly felt heavy and his body exhausted.
Without warning, the dog stopped, turned to face Ta Yu and fixed him with piercing, green eyes. Ta Yu was transfixed and unable to see the pig who had slowly begun to take the shape of a man in flowing, black robes. Then as he watched, the dog's fore and hind legs began to assume the shape of human limbs and gradually he, too, became a man in black robes. It was then that Ta Yu knew that his guards were the Jade Emperor's servants. A figure appeared ahead in a bright circle of light and Ta Yu was drawn to him. The creature had the face of a snake but the body of a man and Ta Yu knew he was in the presence of a deity. He lifted a parchment scroll from the floor beside him and beckoned Ta Yu to come closer. Eight groups of lines had been drawn in black ink on the scroll, some were straight and others broken. the creature had revealed the eight trigrams to Ta Yu.
'Are you the sage, the son of Wah Su?' asked Ta Yu.
'I am', he replied, 'my mother was born and lived in a perfect land. One day a rainbow appeared and she tood in its light for two hours. The Jade Emperor sent a baby down the rainbow and after twelve she gave birth to me.'
Ta Yu thought back to the legends he had learnt as a child and realised he was in the presence of a great Emperor famed for his wise rule throughout China. The Emperor then offered Ta Yu a jade tablet twelve units in length. Each unit represented the twelve divisions of the day and of the year. He then handed him a turtle shell inscribed with the Lo Shu magic square. Ta Yu bowed low and accepted his gifts. Finally the emperor spoke,
'You have shown great wisdom and skill in taming the river Lo. The tunnel through the Dragon Gate mountain was your final test; you have proved yourseft worthly of ruling China. The hexagrams on the scroll will help you to predict the auspicious years for your people, the jade tablet gives you the authority to govern wisely, the inscriptions on the turtle shell give you the ability to plan well.
Cradling the precious gifts in his arms, Ta Yu left the emperor and returned to the outside world. As the emperor had predicted, Ta Yu was praised throughout China for his engineering feats and was soon declared Emperor. According to legend, the Emperor Yu reigned for forty years and during his wise rule the land was never plagued by drought, flood or famine.
The even, female or yin numbers are placed at the corner of the square and the odd, male or yang numbers are at the four cardinal points and the centre. Nine and one are considered the most auspicious numbers since nine represents wholeness, something that is complete,and one is the beginning of all things. If the numbers are added up in any line they come to fifteen. The square is based on an earlier design that incorporated a central fifth square. Many cities not only in China but also in Egypt, India and in Ireland were based on this principle. The four quarters of the city and the central square the seat of government and guidance.
The simple square with a central fifth square probably developed into the square with nine divisions on the basis of a hand count. The little finger down to the thumb are the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 and the hollows between the fingers and the thumb are the even numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8. The number 5 at the centre is the most powerful, it is translated as 'wu' in Chinese and the Chinese characters for 'midday' and for 'myself' are also read as 'wu'.
The Lo Shu magical square is also a diagramatic representation of the seasons. The numbers, followed in a clock-wise direction, show the ratio of yang to yin in the annual cycle. In winter yang is at its lowest (1) and yin at its highest (8) and in the summer yang is at its highest (9) and yin its lowest (2). The square also orders the trigrams of the Later Heaven sequence and the elements according to the compass directions.
Aware of the power inherent in the Lo Shu magic square, architects, palaces and mansions to this plan. The Imperial Palace in Peking is based on this square, and in feudal times the landowner who could afford nine rooms followed this layout, moving from room to room according to the seasons so that his rule over his subjects was wisely regulated.
Even though planning according to the Lo Shu square does not exert such a powerful influence in modern day planning the association with lucky and unlucky numbers is still effective in Chinese life. Numbers themselves or hononyms - words which have similar pronunciation - have an important bearing on personal or business decisions. If the numbers in the time or date of a wedding or signing a contract added up to nine this would be considered lucky but numbers adding up to four or ending in four are considered unlucky since the Cantonese word for four sounds like the word 'die'.
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