- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Part One
- Part Two
- The Luo Shu - 3x3 Magic Square
- The Enneagram and the Lo Shu
- 5x5 Magic Square
- 7x7 Magic Square
- 9x9 Magic Square
- 11x11 Magic Square
- 13x13 Magic Square
- Discussion - 13x13 Magic Square
- 15x15 Magic Square
- 17x17 Magic Square
- 19x19 Magic Square
- 21x21 Magic Square
- 23x23 Magic Square
- 25x25 Magic Square
- 27x27 Magic Square
- The Significance of the 27x27 Luo Shu Magic Square
- Part Three
- Bibliography
The Origin of the Luo Shu
THE LUO SHU
THE RIVER DOCUMENT
The origins of the Luo Shu and the Yi Jing have been lost in the mists of time but both are connected to the legendary heroes Fu Hsi and the Great Yu. These sages were responsible for discovering the principles of nature and giving Chinese civilization the tools to survive and evolve. They can be compared to Hermes Trismegistus and the Greek gods who discovered language, writing, math, tools, weather and water management, agriculture, fishing, hunting, marriage, and everything important to humankind.
The Great Yu, founder of the Xia Dynasty (2000-1500 B.C. ), lived around 2205 B.C. and was known as the patron saint of water. Controlling the floods each spring was critical for survival and a successful harvest and it was the Great Yu with his carpenter's square who was able to bring the floods under control through land surveying and the mathematics of the right angle triangle theorem. China had a great system of dykes, canals, and hydraulic works that placed them well ahead of the rest of the world in these areas of engineering. This led to an advanced society based on highly efficient agriculture.
The Luo Shu was popular among Daoist priests and scholars and is the basis for the mandala. Alfred Schinz, in his book The Magic Square (p. 9, 294, 295), has made this connection of the sacred jingtianzhi to the mandala. The mandala has at its core a pattern of nine divisions which will be a three by three square grid enclosed in a circle, thus symbolizing the balance of yin yang.
Legend has it that the Great Plan was presented to the Great Yu by Heaven. The Great Plan(Hong Fan) allegedly contained the plan for the universe. A tortoise crawled out of the Luo River and on the underplate (plastron)of the river dweller was a pattern of symbols that represented the Luo Shu pattern of nine. This magical diagram was the basis for all science and mathematics that would equip the ancient Chinese to understand the mysteries of nature. The ancient Chinese believed that using the mathematics of the Lo Shu would better equip their society to establish the order of the universe and create a yin yang balance to maximize the vital material force that would allow man to prosper and evolve.
THE LUO SHU RIVER DOCUMENT 