Symbolic Significance of the Carpenter's Square with the Compass

THE COMPASS AND THE CARPENTER'S SQUARE 
FU HSI AND NU WA 
TOMB OF FAN YEN-SHIH
689AD

ESTABLISHING ORDER

The gnomon generates the right angle and practical information is obtained by those who can use this knowledge to make measurements of the Earth, in other words, to survey the land. The carpenter's square is symbolic of the gnomon (right angle) as well as the Earth, or the yin. In Chinese, the word for carpenter's square is ju or chu, and can be used interchangeably with gnomon and the right angle. It is of upmost importance to realize that it is the math of the right angle triangle that makes the carpenter's square such an important symbol for order to the ancient Chinese. It is this traditional math that allows man to predict the workings of the cosmos, through the use of a calendar, to establish order and prosper. This math (number) pre-existed civilization and was waiting to be discovered by man.

The compass makes a perfect circle and is symbolic of the Heavens, its planetary spheres, and the moon. In early Chinese cosmology (Zhou dynasty) the Heavens encircle the square earth, but work in harmony with the earth. The word for compass in Chinese is gui . The Heavens are represented by odd numbers in the Yi Jing and the earth is represented by even numbers. The Heavens represent the yang and the earth the yin. The Heavens were considered the male force or yang and the earth was considered the female force or yin.

When used together, the compass and carpenter's square are symbolic of an ideal yin yang relationship, ultimately used to bring cosmic harmony to the universe. In Chinese mythology, the carpenter's square is traditionally held by the legendary male hero Fu Hsi and represents the earth, while the compass is traditionally held by the female Nu-Kua (sister-wife of Fu Hsi, Mother Earth) who represents the moon.

The characters for compass and carpenter's square when combined form the word gui ju (kuei chu) which means virtuous living or following the rule of tradition and moral standards for establishing order; the way things should be.

This is an extremely significant concept. The archetypes of the (carpenter's) square and circle (compass) are incorporated into the characters and words of the Chinese language and keep the tradition of ancient philosophical beliefs in the present.

The carpenter's square is symbolic of the gnomon and its relationship to measuring the heights and distances of the universe; the carpenter's square represents the wisdom of the right angle triangle and is symbolic of the establishment of order on earth.

Inscriptions of the carpenter's square and compass have been found in reliefs in the Wu- Liang tomb shrines circa 140 AD.

“The reference to Yu here undoubtedly indicates the ancient need for mensuration and applied mathematics.”

   Sir Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China,  Volume III

Needham does not hesitate to offer that the carpenter's square, gnomon, compass, and resulting mathematics are sacred and used as icons in the tomb-shrines of the ancient Chinese hierarchy. As the compass and square symbolize the greatest order of the forces of yin yang, the symbolism of the two occurring together in a tomb-shrine facilitates an ideal balance of yin yang for the soul as it travels through the underworld.

More Needham, Science and Civilisation in China , Vol. III, p. i, the first printed page, in reference to the front cover of this magnificent publication:

“The picture of the Taoist Genii printed on the cover of this book is part of a painted temple scroll, recent but traditional….At the top left is Liu Thein Chun, the Comptroller-General of Crops and Weather. Before deification (so it was said) he was a rain-making magician and weather forecaster named Liu Chun, born in the Chin dynasty about +340. Among his attributes may be seen the sun and moon , and a measuring-rod or carpenter's square . The two great luminaries imply the making of the calendar , so important for a primarily agricultural society , the efforts, ever renewed, to reconcile celestial periodicities. The carpenter's square is no ordinary tool, but the gnomon for measuring the lengths of the sun's solstitial shadows. The Comptroller-General also carries a bell because in ancient and medieval times there was thought to be a close connection between calendrical calculations and the arithmetical acoustics of bells and pitch- pipes.”

In one insightful paragraph, Needham makes the association of the gnomon, agriculture, the calendar, the carpenter's square, arithmetic, and the heavens. On page 23, Needham continues, as he quotes from the Zhou bi suan jing, to make the connection of the carpenter's square, compass, gnomon, the mathematics of the right angle triangle, and symbols of these appearing in tomb-shrines of ancient Chinese aristocracy.

This attempt at establishing a predictable pattern to the apparent Chaos of the Heavens could help harness the harmonic energy of the Universe. The Vital Force could be used to influence evolution, prosperity, and harmony on Earth. A functional calendar is the result of this understanding of man's observations and mathematics and would be used to establish a positive yin yang balance of the Heavens and earth for the advancement of agriculture and civilization.

This page is dedicated to Sir Joseph Needham.