Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Volume Nine, Human Affairs

Page Eight

River Map and the Five Tones Diagram

The "River Map" (original: "Hetu" 河圖) is an ancient Chinese cosmological diagram consisting of dot patterns representing the numbers one through ten. It is considered a blueprint of the natural order of the universe.

The fourth note of the pentatonic scale (sol), associated with the element of Fire and the direction of South.

original: "Li" (禮); one of the five Confucian virtues, representing propriety and social order.

Left to right: Jue (third note/mi, associated with Wood and East); Benevolence (Ren 仁); Gravity (Zhong 重, referring to the heavy, central quality of the Earth element); Righteousness (Yi 義); and Shang (second note/re, associated with Metal and West).

The fundamental first note of the pentatonic scale (do), associated with the element of Earth and the Center.

original: "Zhi" (知); associated with the element of Water and the direction of North.

The fifth note of the pentatonic scale (la), associated with the element of Water and the direction of North.