📖 Meaning
The compass (规) draws circles and symbolizes Heaven; the square (矩) draws squares and symbolizes Earth. Together, the idiom means to model oneself on or emulate the order and patterns of Heaven and Earth. It often describes architecture, governance, or conduct that follows cosmic principles.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Zhang Heng's 'Rhapsody on the Eastern Capital' (东京赋), collected in the Wen Xuan (文选), a renowned literary anthology of the Eastern Han dynasty. In the passage, Zhang Heng describes the construction of ritual palaces where round structures imitate Heaven and square ones imitate Earth. The commentator Xue Zong explained that palace decorations followed this cosmological symbolism—round elements representing Heaven and square ones representing Earth, reflecting the ancient Chinese belief in a round heaven and square earth (天圆地方).
💡 Example Usage
古代宫殿建筑多取天圆地方之意，规天矩地，以示法象自然。
Ancient palace architecture often adopted the concept of a round heaven and square earth, modeling itself on the cosmos to symbolize harmony with nature.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 规天矩地
- Pinyin: guī tiān jǔ dì
- Literal Translation: compass, sky, square, earth
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4