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Feng Shui >
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Doctrine -
Qi (or Chi)
Underlying the practical guidelines of feng shui is a general theory of Nature.
Nature is generally held to be a discrete entity that breathes qi (a kind of life force or
spiritual energy). The details about the metaphysics of what Nature is, what qi is
and does, and what breath consists of vary and conflict. It is not generally
understood as physical, but it is neither meant to be metaphorical nor fictionalistic
(the latter being the view that even though an entity is fictional, it is useful to talk as if
it really exists). It is the virtual energy and force that flows all around.
Feng shui translates into English as "Wind and Water". These are the two
containers for Qi. Since life exists within either air or water, Qi is said to be the life
energy that flows within these two environments.
The goal of feng shui guidelines is to locate and orient dwellings, possessions,
land and landscaping, etc., so as to be attuned with the flow of qi. Location is
considered to be of far greater significance than orientation. This is in line with
modern thinking, where the three principles of buying a piece of property are
location, location and location.
Yin and Yang
Fundamental to feng shui is the idea that yin and yang are the two basic principles
underlying all matter and energy in the universe. These forces are opposites, but
are not in opposition. Rather, they are complementary and need each other to exist
and flourish. The constantly changing interactions of yin and yang give rise to the
infinite variety of patterns in life.[6] The following table outlines the basic nature of
each principle:
Yin Yang Yin Yang
North South Winter Summer
Earth Heaven Matter Spirit
Female Male Negative Positive
Dark Light Night Day
Cold Heat Wet Dry
Down Up Low High
Inner Outer Decaying Flourishing
Passive Active Receptive Creative
Soft Hard Weak Powerful
Retiring Advancing Lingering Hasty
The Bagua - Directions and Elements
The bagua (or pa kua) of the Yi Ching (Book of Changes) is an octagonal diagram
used in feng shui analysis. Each direction on the octagon (north, northeast, etc.) is
associated with certain significant aspects. When one maps the bagua onto a
home, village, cemetery, etc., information about correct orientation and placement
can allegedly be gleaned. However, there are two very different versions of the
bagua. The first is the early heaven bagua, which represents the sacred,
unchanging universe, and is used to orient sacred spaces such as temples and
graves. The second version is the later heaven bagua which is used for more
everyday and pratical spaces, such as homes and offices, as it represents the
changing universe. Both have similar aspects, as they are both comprised of the
eight trigrams, or guas. The orientation of the guas, however, are different and
represent different trigrams and elements.
The Trigrams are the foundation of the I Ching, the seminal text of Chinese
wisdom, and represent qualities that are observable in Nature as well as in human
behavior. Each trigram is keyed to a particular orientation in space and to a
particular phase of change in nature. There are eight trigrams, which when
combined as double trigrams (called hexagrams), form a set of 64 potential
situations or conditions in nature and in life.
The eight trigrams are:
Heaven - The Creative principle which contains the potential for all of manifest.
Earth - The Receptive principle which contains the potential for physical
manifestation.
Fire - The Clinging principle which contains the potential for achievement, clarity,
and vitality.
Water - The Abysmal principle which contains the potential for adaptability, mystery,
and danger.
Thunder - The Arousing principle which contains the initial impulse for all new
things.
Lake - The Joyous principle which embodies rewards and endings.
Mountain - The Stillness principle which contains the potential for serenity and
internal power.
Wind - The Penetrating principle which contains the power to achieve without effort.
Whereas the trigrams describe conditions in the world, their change in time is
described by the Theory of Five Elements, also known as the Theory of Five
Transformations. In this view, each of these elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and
water - represents a particular state or condition in time. One didactic tool often
used to describe the elements and their relationship to each other is to compare
them to the different seasons. Consequently, the Theory of Five Elements is also
related to the rotation of the sun, its particular position at different points in time,
and therefore to the point of the compass. The practical use of the five elements is
based on the fact that it can be employed within the household in order to stabilize,
increase or decrease the Qi energies of the different elements.
The Five Elements are:
Water - This is the quiet, cool, condensed energy of winter. It represents pure
potential, such as the life force in a seed.
Wood - This is the awakening, active energy of spring. It represents growth, such
as a sapling.
Fire - This is the hot, vibrant energy of summer. It represents achievement and
clarity, such as a fruit.
Earth - This is the settled, mature energy of harvest time. It represents the
community partaking of the bounty of nature.
Metal - This is the condensing, hardening energy of fall. It represents a return to
beginnings and an ordering of nature's components.
In order to understand the Bagua and its relationship to space, it is necessary to
map out the position of these energies according to the early and later heaven
sequences. The early heaven sequence describes the state of nature in full
equilibrium, without change or transformation. It refers to the sacredness of reality
outside of space and time.
The eight directions of the early heaven bagua are:
North - trigram earth - element earth
South - trigram heaven - element metal
East - trigram fire - element fire
West - trigram water - element water
Northwest - trigram mountain - element earth
Northeast - trigram thunder - element wood
Southwest - trigram wind - element wood
Southeast - trigram lake - element metal
The later heaven sequence refers to the transformational quality of reality and
describes change in time. It refers to the profane world of ordinary existence: to
home, work, and human activity.
The eight directions of the later heaven bagua are:
North - trigram water - element water
South - trigram fire - element fire
East - trigram thunder - element wood
West - trigram lake - element metal
Northwest - trigram heaven - element metal
Northeast - trigram mountain - element earth
Southwest - trigram earth - element earth
Southeast - trigram wind - element wood
The Qi coming from each direction has its own quality, and these qualities vary for
the two baguas.
The directions on the Early Heaven Bagua represent the following:
The North contains the Qi of the Earth, the Nurturing Principle, which represents the
material foundation of the cosmos. Its energy is condensing, substantive, and
feminine.
The South contains the Qi of Heaven, the Creative Principle, which acts as a
template for all of manifestation. Its energy is vital, righteous, and masculine.
The East contains the Qi of Fire, the Clarity Principle, which sets in motion the
patterns of change and transformation. Its energy is active, expansive, and inspiring.
The West contains the Qi of water, the Abysmal Principle, which receives into itself
the patterns of resolution and decay. Its energy is condensed, still, and dangerous.
The Center is the primordial void from which all of existence springs forth. It is both
timely and timeless, local and universal. It is the foundation for the Tao.
For the Later Heaven bagua, they are as follows:
From the North the qi is nurturing and mysterious. Its symbols are the Black
Tortoise, (the animal of winter), and the moon. It is linked to the element water ,
which is diplomatic, intuitive and compliant.
From the South the qi is invigorating and lucky. Its symbols are the Red Phoenix,
(the bird of summer and good fortune), and the sun. It is linked to the element fire ,
which is dynamic, restless and energetic.
From the East the qi is protective, kind and competitive. Its symbols are the Green
(or Gold) Dragon,(the animal of spring), and thunder. It is linked to the element
wood , which is warm, generous, and seeks to grow.
From the West the qi is unpredictable and disruptive. Its symbols are the White
Tiger (the animal of autumn), and the lake. It is linked to the element metal , which
is unyielding, forceful and self-reliant.
In the Center lies the element earth, which is at home with all the directions, and
seeks to harmonise them. The element earth is patient, stable and prudent.
Each kind of qi seeks its opposite to achieve harmony. Thus the active, hot qi of the
south seeks the cool qi of the north to balance itself; and the wise qi of the east
seeks excitment from the qi of the west, and so on.
An example of use of the bagua is: The stove [kitchen] should not be placed in the
northern part of a house, as water extinguishes fire. This is only a rule of thumb,
and there are many other considerations in locating a kitchen.
Qi (or Chi)
Underlying the practical guidelines of feng shui is a general theory of Nature.
Nature is generally held to be a discrete entity that breathes qi (a kind of life force or
spiritual energy). The details about the metaphysics of what Nature is, what qi is
and does, and what breath consists of vary and conflict. It is not generally
understood as physical, but it is neither meant to be metaphorical nor fictionalistic
(the latter being the view that even though an entity is fictional, it is useful to talk as if
it really exists). It is the virtual energy and force that flows all around.
Feng shui translates into English as "Wind and Water". These are the two
containers for Qi. Since life exists within either air or water, Qi is said to be the life
energy that flows within these two environments.
The goal of feng shui guidelines is to locate and orient dwellings, possessions,
land and landscaping, etc., so as to be attuned with the flow of qi. Location is
considered to be of far greater significance than orientation. This is in line with
modern thinking, where the three principles of buying a piece of property are
location, location and location.
Yin and Yang
Fundamental to feng shui is the idea that yin and yang are the two basic principles
underlying all matter and energy in the universe. These forces are opposites, but
are not in opposition. Rather, they are complementary and need each other to exist
and flourish. The constantly changing interactions of yin and yang give rise to the
infinite variety of patterns in life.[6] The following table outlines the basic nature of
each principle:
Yin Yang Yin Yang
North South Winter Summer
Earth Heaven Matter Spirit
Female Male Negative Positive
Dark Light Night Day
Cold Heat Wet Dry
Down Up Low High
Inner Outer Decaying Flourishing
Passive Active Receptive Creative
Soft Hard Weak Powerful
Retiring Advancing Lingering Hasty
The Bagua - Directions and Elements
The bagua (or pa kua) of the Yi Ching (Book of Changes) is an octagonal diagram
used in feng shui analysis. Each direction on the octagon (north, northeast, etc.) is
associated with certain significant aspects. When one maps the bagua onto a
home, village, cemetery, etc., information about correct orientation and placement
can allegedly be gleaned. However, there are two very different versions of the
bagua. The first is the early heaven bagua, which represents the sacred,
unchanging universe, and is used to orient sacred spaces such as temples and
graves. The second version is the later heaven bagua which is used for more
everyday and pratical spaces, such as homes and offices, as it represents the
changing universe. Both have similar aspects, as they are both comprised of the
eight trigrams, or guas. The orientation of the guas, however, are different and
represent different trigrams and elements.
The Trigrams are the foundation of the I Ching, the seminal text of Chinese
wisdom, and represent qualities that are observable in Nature as well as in human
behavior. Each trigram is keyed to a particular orientation in space and to a
particular phase of change in nature. There are eight trigrams, which when
combined as double trigrams (called hexagrams), form a set of 64 potential
situations or conditions in nature and in life.
The eight trigrams are:
Heaven - The Creative principle which contains the potential for all of manifest.
Earth - The Receptive principle which contains the potential for physical
manifestation.
Fire - The Clinging principle which contains the potential for achievement, clarity,
and vitality.
Water - The Abysmal principle which contains the potential for adaptability, mystery,
and danger.
Thunder - The Arousing principle which contains the initial impulse for all new
things.
Lake - The Joyous principle which embodies rewards and endings.
Mountain - The Stillness principle which contains the potential for serenity and
internal power.
Wind - The Penetrating principle which contains the power to achieve without effort.
Whereas the trigrams describe conditions in the world, their change in time is
described by the Theory of Five Elements, also known as the Theory of Five
Transformations. In this view, each of these elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and
water - represents a particular state or condition in time. One didactic tool often
used to describe the elements and their relationship to each other is to compare
them to the different seasons. Consequently, the Theory of Five Elements is also
related to the rotation of the sun, its particular position at different points in time,
and therefore to the point of the compass. The practical use of the five elements is
based on the fact that it can be employed within the household in order to stabilize,
increase or decrease the Qi energies of the different elements.
The Five Elements are:
Water - This is the quiet, cool, condensed energy of winter. It represents pure
potential, such as the life force in a seed.
Wood - This is the awakening, active energy of spring. It represents growth, such
as a sapling.
Fire - This is the hot, vibrant energy of summer. It represents achievement and
clarity, such as a fruit.
Earth - This is the settled, mature energy of harvest time. It represents the
community partaking of the bounty of nature.
Metal - This is the condensing, hardening energy of fall. It represents a return to
beginnings and an ordering of nature's components.
In order to understand the Bagua and its relationship to space, it is necessary to
map out the position of these energies according to the early and later heaven
sequences. The early heaven sequence describes the state of nature in full
equilibrium, without change or transformation. It refers to the sacredness of reality
outside of space and time.
The eight directions of the early heaven bagua are:
North - trigram earth - element earth
South - trigram heaven - element metal
East - trigram fire - element fire
West - trigram water - element water
Northwest - trigram mountain - element earth
Northeast - trigram thunder - element wood
Southwest - trigram wind - element wood
Southeast - trigram lake - element metal
The later heaven sequence refers to the transformational quality of reality and
describes change in time. It refers to the profane world of ordinary existence: to
home, work, and human activity.
The eight directions of the later heaven bagua are:
North - trigram water - element water
South - trigram fire - element fire
East - trigram thunder - element wood
West - trigram lake - element metal
Northwest - trigram heaven - element metal
Northeast - trigram mountain - element earth
Southwest - trigram earth - element earth
Southeast - trigram wind - element wood
The Qi coming from each direction has its own quality, and these qualities vary for
the two baguas.
The directions on the Early Heaven Bagua represent the following:
The North contains the Qi of the Earth, the Nurturing Principle, which represents the
material foundation of the cosmos. Its energy is condensing, substantive, and
feminine.
The South contains the Qi of Heaven, the Creative Principle, which acts as a
template for all of manifestation. Its energy is vital, righteous, and masculine.
The East contains the Qi of Fire, the Clarity Principle, which sets in motion the
patterns of change and transformation. Its energy is active, expansive, and inspiring.
The West contains the Qi of water, the Abysmal Principle, which receives into itself
the patterns of resolution and decay. Its energy is condensed, still, and dangerous.
The Center is the primordial void from which all of existence springs forth. It is both
timely and timeless, local and universal. It is the foundation for the Tao.
For the Later Heaven bagua, they are as follows:
From the North the qi is nurturing and mysterious. Its symbols are the Black
Tortoise, (the animal of winter), and the moon. It is linked to the element water ,
which is diplomatic, intuitive and compliant.
From the South the qi is invigorating and lucky. Its symbols are the Red Phoenix,
(the bird of summer and good fortune), and the sun. It is linked to the element fire ,
which is dynamic, restless and energetic.
From the East the qi is protective, kind and competitive. Its symbols are the Green
(or Gold) Dragon,(the animal of spring), and thunder. It is linked to the element
wood , which is warm, generous, and seeks to grow.
From the West the qi is unpredictable and disruptive. Its symbols are the White
Tiger (the animal of autumn), and the lake. It is linked to the element metal , which
is unyielding, forceful and self-reliant.
In the Center lies the element earth, which is at home with all the directions, and
seeks to harmonise them. The element earth is patient, stable and prudent.
Each kind of qi seeks its opposite to achieve harmony. Thus the active, hot qi of the
south seeks the cool qi of the north to balance itself; and the wise qi of the east
seeks excitment from the qi of the west, and so on.
An example of use of the bagua is: The stove [kitchen] should not be placed in the
northern part of a house, as water extinguishes fire. This is only a rule of thumb,
and there are many other considerations in locating a kitchen.
Guidelines
Internal:
When one is sitting at a desk, the entrance door should be in a clear line of sight,
and you should have a view of as much of the room as possible.
When one is lying in bed, the entrance door should not be directly facing the soles
of one's feet. In other words, the end of the bed should not be in line with the door.
Straight lines and sharp corners are to be avoided, and especially should not point
where people tend to sit, stand, or sleep.
Avoid clutter.
Keep tops of tables simple. Avoid overdecorating tables with objects and clutter.
Those objects represent piles of stress and bad luck you could/will be carrying.
You should be able to sit at a table and have an open view in front of you.
Your stairs should never face the front door.
Some objects are believed to have the power of redirecting, reflecting, or shifting
energy in a space. These include mirrors, crystals, windchimes, and pools of
flowing or standing water.
External:
Roads to and from ancient towns were often curved and windy, an attempt to
disorient and keep away evil spirits, who were believed to travel in straight lines.
Avoid building houses in front of cemeteries, hospitals, and mortuaries.
The most auspicious spaces for homes are lots located in streets shaped like a
horseshoe.
In choosing homes in rural areas, with hills and mountains, pick the one that is on
a sloping hill.
In choosing homes in urban area, it's best to go for the ones that are on a flat
terrain.
Square-shaped lots are optimal for chi flow.
Schools of feng shui
The Form school
Feng shui developed thousands of years ago in little villages of East Asia. It was
called folk feng shui because each village had its own guidelines on how to use it.
Their livelihoods were dependent on it. They studied the formations of the land and
ways of the wind and water ("feng shui" translated means the way of wind and
water) to determine the best sitting for their survival. Over time feng shui developed
and was used by emperors to ensure their success.
The original Feng Shui Masters were hired by emperors to wage war. It is said that
they had the power to manipulate the wind, water and fog to help the outcome of
battles. Folklore has it that the emperor was fearful that they would use their skills
against him, so he ordered the Feng Shui Masters put to death.
Some of the Feng Shui Masters went into hiding in the Buddhist Monasteries in
fear for their lives. Some of them hid in remote village or densely mountainous
village. Some passed away without passing it to any students. A few managed to
pass it to very loyal students with good character. Some monks were trained in the
ways of feng shui.
This is the origin of feng shui and what is called Form school feng shui. It
addresses the energies of the roads, rivers and mountains, and placement of
structures relative to them. Its premises are based upon the forces of Mother
Nature. Typically, Form School is utilized by both the Black Hat School and the
Compass school.
The Compass school
Compass School has its roots in the study of the 28 Constellations along the
ecliptic of the sun. Ancient Chinese believed that everything in Heaven had a
corresponding part on Earth. The 28 Constellation ring is one of the most important
rings of the luopan. The 24 mountains ring is another essential ring. It is an
elaboration of the Ba Gua dividing each of the eight directions into 3 parts known
as Heaven Dragon, Earth Dragon and Man Dragon.
One technique is the use of the Local Space Chart, which was reproduced in a
generic form through the use of the luopan or geomantic compass. This device
helps to determine the directional alignment of buildings. True traditional
Compass School is based on translations of ancient texts and concepts. One such
concept is the reference to the five Chinese elements, or phases. Wood, fire, earth,
metal and water are not really elements in the western scientific sense, but merely
represent phases and movement of natural processes. Other properties include
temperature and rising/descending qualities.
There are two primary forms of feng shui that utilizes the luopan. The first is called
the East and West Group method, or Eight House (Eight Mansion) method. This
method examines the directional influence on the people and the building to
determine how and where best to align oneself within the building.
The second application is to use the luopan to find the orientation, combined with a
time aspect creates a detailed chart of the qi within the building. This method is
also known as Xuan Kong feng shui. Xuan Kong is also called the Time and Space
method. It is concerned with looking at the qi within the building and mapping the
floorplan to determine the auspicious and inauspicious areas. Using the five
Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, feng shui practitioners can
create a balance within the qi, similar to needles correcting the qi in acupuncture.
The Black Sect school
Black Sect is a recent development of feng shui in the West, led by Grandmaster
Thomas Lin Yun Rinpoche. It is sometimes called Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhist.
Black Sect feng shui relies less on directional energies, horoscopes and astrology
than on the internal orientation and organization of the space. For instance, the
Black Sect always orients the bagua in line with the space's entrance, rather than
northwards.
Some in the West prefer Black Sect feng shui, preferring to dispense with the
astrological aspects of feng shui and focusing greater emphasis on its
psychological benefits. Traditional Chinese feng shui schools do not officially
recognize the Black Hat Sect due to its failure to adhere to previously set principles.
Flying Star school
Flying Star school is a traditional Chinese feng shui technique which seeks to
optimize the potental of a building or structure. It is based on the relationship
between the timing of construction of a particular structure and its orientation in
space. Flying Star makes use of San Yuan or Three Cycles, which comprise 60
years each. These are further subdivided into periods of 20 years, single years,
months, days and hours. During each cycle, a certain form of Qi becomes stronger
than the rest. Consequently, spaces must be dealt with differently as the Qi
changes and shifts from one moment to the next and from one sector of a building
to another. Flying Star postulates that there are certain orientations in any given
cycle or period that are better than others. When applied in new construction, Flying
Star is used to determine optimal orientation. As time moves on, however, the Qi
may begin to falter, requiring additional adjustments to balance internal potential
within the structure.
By adjusting and shifting the energies within a space, one can renew the potential
of that structure within the constraints posed by the quality of that particular time
and orientation. This shifting of Qi helps to strengthen different aspects of life that
benefit the people that inhabit the space. Through the use of the bagua, the eight
trigrams, and five element theory, Flying Star takes into account environment as
well as interior design as a way of optimizing a space.[8]
Classical feng shui
Classical feng shui or Xuan Kung feng shui, as practiced in Asia and in the west
today, is an amalgam of all of the traditional aspects of feng shui. This includes
form school, compass school and flying star feng shui.
Use in burials
The effect of proper feng shui on the living is thought to carry over to the afterlife. In
traditional feng shui belief, the feng shui of cemeteries affects the state of the dead
spirits and, indirectly, their living descendants. Spirits of the buried were believed to
remain at their gravesites or by the homes of their kin, and just as bad feng shui
harms relaxation and ease of mind among the living, the spirits of people buried
with bad feng shui will be anxious and restless, and therefore more likely to trouble
the living. This reasoning led to careful feng shui planning of cemeteries.
Conversely, desecrating the feng shui of the grave of an enemy's ancestor was
thought to be a powerful weapon.
The straight lines and sharp corners should not point at a gravesite or at the
cemetery generally, a smooth or gradual landscape is preferable to rocky or
otherwise sharp terrain. Waterways should be visible from the gravesite, but not
loose rocks or boulders, which can be hidden by trees or bamboo.
The use of early forms of feng shui or geomancy in picking burial sites can be
traced back at least to The Book of Burial (c. 300 CE), written by Guo Pu of the Jin
Dynasty.
Criticism
Many critics regard Feng Shui as a form of superstition. Eitel calls it "a
conglomeration of rough guesses at nature, sublimated by fanciful play with puerile
diagrams."
High fees charged by independent feng shui consultants and a lack of consistency
in their advice have raised eyebrows among skeptics. This has led to accusations
of fraud, and practitioners being called cult members or snake oil salesmen, by
said skeptics. Penn & Teller did a special on their show Bullshit! that was highly
critical of the independent consultants featured.
Use in the West
In recent decades many feng shui books have been published in English, often
focusing on interior design, architecture, interior decorating, and landscape design.
Audiences have reacted skeptically towards the purported benefits of crystals, wind
chimes, table fountains, and mirrored balls, etc., on one's life, finances, and
relationships. Often, these claims are dismissed as New Age, pseudoscience,
relying on the placebo effect, or even outright fraud.
Others reject feng shui's justifications for its rules (movement of various energies,
etc.), but believe that some of its more practical rules (such as not working with
one's back to a door) are very useful.
It is unclear what relationship these Western interpretations of feng shui have to
the Eastern tradition. Many traditional feng shui practitioners in Asia regard
Western adaptations as inauthentic.
Donald Trump and Britain's Prince Charles are held to have used feng shui.
News Corporation reportedly consulted feng shui experts regarding the
headquarters offices of DirecTV after News Corp. acquired that company in 2003.
Internal:
When one is sitting at a desk, the entrance door should be in a clear line of sight,
and you should have a view of as much of the room as possible.
When one is lying in bed, the entrance door should not be directly facing the soles
of one's feet. In other words, the end of the bed should not be in line with the door.
Straight lines and sharp corners are to be avoided, and especially should not point
where people tend to sit, stand, or sleep.
Avoid clutter.
Keep tops of tables simple. Avoid overdecorating tables with objects and clutter.
Those objects represent piles of stress and bad luck you could/will be carrying.
You should be able to sit at a table and have an open view in front of you.
Your stairs should never face the front door.
Some objects are believed to have the power of redirecting, reflecting, or shifting
energy in a space. These include mirrors, crystals, windchimes, and pools of
flowing or standing water.
External:
Roads to and from ancient towns were often curved and windy, an attempt to
disorient and keep away evil spirits, who were believed to travel in straight lines.
Avoid building houses in front of cemeteries, hospitals, and mortuaries.
The most auspicious spaces for homes are lots located in streets shaped like a
horseshoe.
In choosing homes in rural areas, with hills and mountains, pick the one that is on
a sloping hill.
In choosing homes in urban area, it's best to go for the ones that are on a flat
terrain.
Square-shaped lots are optimal for chi flow.
Schools of feng shui
The Form school
Feng shui developed thousands of years ago in little villages of East Asia. It was
called folk feng shui because each village had its own guidelines on how to use it.
Their livelihoods were dependent on it. They studied the formations of the land and
ways of the wind and water ("feng shui" translated means the way of wind and
water) to determine the best sitting for their survival. Over time feng shui developed
and was used by emperors to ensure their success.
The original Feng Shui Masters were hired by emperors to wage war. It is said that
they had the power to manipulate the wind, water and fog to help the outcome of
battles. Folklore has it that the emperor was fearful that they would use their skills
against him, so he ordered the Feng Shui Masters put to death.
Some of the Feng Shui Masters went into hiding in the Buddhist Monasteries in
fear for their lives. Some of them hid in remote village or densely mountainous
village. Some passed away without passing it to any students. A few managed to
pass it to very loyal students with good character. Some monks were trained in the
ways of feng shui.
This is the origin of feng shui and what is called Form school feng shui. It
addresses the energies of the roads, rivers and mountains, and placement of
structures relative to them. Its premises are based upon the forces of Mother
Nature. Typically, Form School is utilized by both the Black Hat School and the
Compass school.
The Compass school
Compass School has its roots in the study of the 28 Constellations along the
ecliptic of the sun. Ancient Chinese believed that everything in Heaven had a
corresponding part on Earth. The 28 Constellation ring is one of the most important
rings of the luopan. The 24 mountains ring is another essential ring. It is an
elaboration of the Ba Gua dividing each of the eight directions into 3 parts known
as Heaven Dragon, Earth Dragon and Man Dragon.
One technique is the use of the Local Space Chart, which was reproduced in a
generic form through the use of the luopan or geomantic compass. This device
helps to determine the directional alignment of buildings. True traditional
Compass School is based on translations of ancient texts and concepts. One such
concept is the reference to the five Chinese elements, or phases. Wood, fire, earth,
metal and water are not really elements in the western scientific sense, but merely
represent phases and movement of natural processes. Other properties include
temperature and rising/descending qualities.
There are two primary forms of feng shui that utilizes the luopan. The first is called
the East and West Group method, or Eight House (Eight Mansion) method. This
method examines the directional influence on the people and the building to
determine how and where best to align oneself within the building.
The second application is to use the luopan to find the orientation, combined with a
time aspect creates a detailed chart of the qi within the building. This method is
also known as Xuan Kong feng shui. Xuan Kong is also called the Time and Space
method. It is concerned with looking at the qi within the building and mapping the
floorplan to determine the auspicious and inauspicious areas. Using the five
Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, feng shui practitioners can
create a balance within the qi, similar to needles correcting the qi in acupuncture.
The Black Sect school
Black Sect is a recent development of feng shui in the West, led by Grandmaster
Thomas Lin Yun Rinpoche. It is sometimes called Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhist.
Black Sect feng shui relies less on directional energies, horoscopes and astrology
than on the internal orientation and organization of the space. For instance, the
Black Sect always orients the bagua in line with the space's entrance, rather than
northwards.
Some in the West prefer Black Sect feng shui, preferring to dispense with the
astrological aspects of feng shui and focusing greater emphasis on its
psychological benefits. Traditional Chinese feng shui schools do not officially
recognize the Black Hat Sect due to its failure to adhere to previously set principles.
Flying Star school
Flying Star school is a traditional Chinese feng shui technique which seeks to
optimize the potental of a building or structure. It is based on the relationship
between the timing of construction of a particular structure and its orientation in
space. Flying Star makes use of San Yuan or Three Cycles, which comprise 60
years each. These are further subdivided into periods of 20 years, single years,
months, days and hours. During each cycle, a certain form of Qi becomes stronger
than the rest. Consequently, spaces must be dealt with differently as the Qi
changes and shifts from one moment to the next and from one sector of a building
to another. Flying Star postulates that there are certain orientations in any given
cycle or period that are better than others. When applied in new construction, Flying
Star is used to determine optimal orientation. As time moves on, however, the Qi
may begin to falter, requiring additional adjustments to balance internal potential
within the structure.
By adjusting and shifting the energies within a space, one can renew the potential
of that structure within the constraints posed by the quality of that particular time
and orientation. This shifting of Qi helps to strengthen different aspects of life that
benefit the people that inhabit the space. Through the use of the bagua, the eight
trigrams, and five element theory, Flying Star takes into account environment as
well as interior design as a way of optimizing a space.[8]
Classical feng shui
Classical feng shui or Xuan Kung feng shui, as practiced in Asia and in the west
today, is an amalgam of all of the traditional aspects of feng shui. This includes
form school, compass school and flying star feng shui.
Use in burials
The effect of proper feng shui on the living is thought to carry over to the afterlife. In
traditional feng shui belief, the feng shui of cemeteries affects the state of the dead
spirits and, indirectly, their living descendants. Spirits of the buried were believed to
remain at their gravesites or by the homes of their kin, and just as bad feng shui
harms relaxation and ease of mind among the living, the spirits of people buried
with bad feng shui will be anxious and restless, and therefore more likely to trouble
the living. This reasoning led to careful feng shui planning of cemeteries.
Conversely, desecrating the feng shui of the grave of an enemy's ancestor was
thought to be a powerful weapon.
The straight lines and sharp corners should not point at a gravesite or at the
cemetery generally, a smooth or gradual landscape is preferable to rocky or
otherwise sharp terrain. Waterways should be visible from the gravesite, but not
loose rocks or boulders, which can be hidden by trees or bamboo.
The use of early forms of feng shui or geomancy in picking burial sites can be
traced back at least to The Book of Burial (c. 300 CE), written by Guo Pu of the Jin
Dynasty.
Criticism
Many critics regard Feng Shui as a form of superstition. Eitel calls it "a
conglomeration of rough guesses at nature, sublimated by fanciful play with puerile
diagrams."
High fees charged by independent feng shui consultants and a lack of consistency
in their advice have raised eyebrows among skeptics. This has led to accusations
of fraud, and practitioners being called cult members or snake oil salesmen, by
said skeptics. Penn & Teller did a special on their show Bullshit! that was highly
critical of the independent consultants featured.
Use in the West
In recent decades many feng shui books have been published in English, often
focusing on interior design, architecture, interior decorating, and landscape design.
Audiences have reacted skeptically towards the purported benefits of crystals, wind
chimes, table fountains, and mirrored balls, etc., on one's life, finances, and
relationships. Often, these claims are dismissed as New Age, pseudoscience,
relying on the placebo effect, or even outright fraud.
Others reject feng shui's justifications for its rules (movement of various energies,
etc.), but believe that some of its more practical rules (such as not working with
one's back to a door) are very useful.
It is unclear what relationship these Western interpretations of feng shui have to
the Eastern tradition. Many traditional feng shui practitioners in Asia regard
Western adaptations as inauthentic.
Donald Trump and Britain's Prince Charles are held to have used feng shui.
News Corporation reportedly consulted feng shui experts regarding the
headquarters offices of DirecTV after News Corp. acquired that company in 2003.
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Red & Blue International Culture and Arts Center
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and
arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment. The
literal translation is "wind-water".
Feng shui involves the use of geographical, psychological,
philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic and astrological concepts in
relation to space and energy flow. It is not simply a decorating style,
but a discipline with guidelines compatible with many different
techniques of architectural planning.
The source of the term is purportedly the Burial Book written by Guo
Pu in the Jin Dynasty. Qi (that literally means gas), the energy of the
universe, is carried in the wind and retained within water. Both
elements were used as a way of directing Qi, thus giving feng shui
its name. Wind is said to carry energy, or Qi, and therefore
represents the principle of change and transformation in nature.
Water is said to hold energy and therefore represents the principle of
stability. When applied to human affairs, wind is also representative
of action, fervor and enthusiasm, whereas water is representative of
internal strength, meditative qualities, and psychological power. By
relating the holding and dispersing qualities of water and wind in
nature to those in human behavior, feng shui also seeks to improve
the human condition through the manipulation of physical space in a
way that will impact on its corresponding qualities in humans.
An individual is usually not described as having bad or incorrect feng
shui, but since the practice is linked to Qi, a person's energy can
either deplete or add to the energy of his or her surroundings. The
space can also affect the individual, especially in matters of luck,
health, and prosperity. Feng shui is not only a practice that is related
to physical space, but also to the inhabitants of the space itself, as
both are interconnected.
arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment. The
literal translation is "wind-water".
Feng shui involves the use of geographical, psychological,
philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic and astrological concepts in
relation to space and energy flow. It is not simply a decorating style,
but a discipline with guidelines compatible with many different
techniques of architectural planning.
The source of the term is purportedly the Burial Book written by Guo
Pu in the Jin Dynasty. Qi (that literally means gas), the energy of the
universe, is carried in the wind and retained within water. Both
elements were used as a way of directing Qi, thus giving feng shui
its name. Wind is said to carry energy, or Qi, and therefore
represents the principle of change and transformation in nature.
Water is said to hold energy and therefore represents the principle of
stability. When applied to human affairs, wind is also representative
of action, fervor and enthusiasm, whereas water is representative of
internal strength, meditative qualities, and psychological power. By
relating the holding and dispersing qualities of water and wind in
nature to those in human behavior, feng shui also seeks to improve
the human condition through the manipulation of physical space in a
way that will impact on its corresponding qualities in humans.
An individual is usually not described as having bad or incorrect feng
shui, but since the practice is linked to Qi, a person's energy can
either deplete or add to the energy of his or her surroundings. The
space can also affect the individual, especially in matters of luck,
health, and prosperity. Feng shui is not only a practice that is related
to physical space, but also to the inhabitants of the space itself, as
both are interconnected.
Some Feng Shui decorations in a store
The History - It is generally believed
that Qin fire had all feng shui books
burned. The most authoritative work is
"Qing Nang Jing" given by Huang Shi
Gong to Zhang Liang during the late
Qin Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty,
Yang Yun Song and his disciples
wrote several books that are
considered the most authoritative
work by all feng shui schools.
These books were written in cryptic
language and knowledge primarily
passed down through the oral
tradition, but it was also believed to be
intuitive and derivable from common
sense and our feeling of what is
natural. Eitel traces the origins of feng
shui as a distinct belief system to Chu
Hsi's writings and commentaries from
the Song dynasty (1126-1278). Chu
Hsi's thought greatly influenced
Confucianism and became the
foundation of feng shui. But, more
broadly speaking, feng shui's roots go
back to the origins of Chinese
philosophy.
that Qin fire had all feng shui books
burned. The most authoritative work is
"Qing Nang Jing" given by Huang Shi
Gong to Zhang Liang during the late
Qin Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty,
Yang Yun Song and his disciples
wrote several books that are
considered the most authoritative
work by all feng shui schools.
These books were written in cryptic
language and knowledge primarily
passed down through the oral
tradition, but it was also believed to be
intuitive and derivable from common
sense and our feeling of what is
natural. Eitel traces the origins of feng
shui as a distinct belief system to Chu
Hsi's writings and commentaries from
the Song dynasty (1126-1278). Chu
Hsi's thought greatly influenced
Confucianism and became the
foundation of feng shui. But, more
broadly speaking, feng shui's roots go
back to the origins of Chinese
philosophy.
The traditional Chinese
characters of 'Feng Shui'
with writing brush
characters of 'Feng Shui'
with writing brush
In the 19th century, the Chinese government regularly published almanacs
containing all the charts, diagrams and numerical data used in feng shui practice.
Early English-speaking settlers in China in the mid-19th century reportedly ran into
difficulties sparked by feng shui. Much like modern landowners having problems
with building codes, these settlers had trouble in construction and renovation
because their proposals did not conform to feng shui principles. Further, when
unwanted foreigners tried to purchase land, they would be directed to spots with
topographies known to cause very bad feng shui.
Early Western commentators on feng shui were often skeptical and derogatory.
Edwin Dukes wrote in 1885, "if any one wishes to see to what a howling wilderness
of erratic dogmatism the human mind can arrive, when speculation usurps the
place of science, and theories are reverenced equally with facts, let him endeavour
to fathom even the elementary principles of that abyss of insane vagaries, the
science of Feng-Shui."
Others noted that, while naive as a science, it is more accurate than some Western
mythologies.
Some scholars have noted that the general guidelines of feng shui have been
followed across times and cultures, using different languages and with different
justifications.
containing all the charts, diagrams and numerical data used in feng shui practice.
Early English-speaking settlers in China in the mid-19th century reportedly ran into
difficulties sparked by feng shui. Much like modern landowners having problems
with building codes, these settlers had trouble in construction and renovation
because their proposals did not conform to feng shui principles. Further, when
unwanted foreigners tried to purchase land, they would be directed to spots with
topographies known to cause very bad feng shui.
Early Western commentators on feng shui were often skeptical and derogatory.
Edwin Dukes wrote in 1885, "if any one wishes to see to what a howling wilderness
of erratic dogmatism the human mind can arrive, when speculation usurps the
place of science, and theories are reverenced equally with facts, let him endeavour
to fathom even the elementary principles of that abyss of insane vagaries, the
science of Feng-Shui."
Others noted that, while naive as a science, it is more accurate than some Western
mythologies.
Some scholars have noted that the general guidelines of feng shui have been
followed across times and cultures, using different languages and with different
justifications.
The Later Heaven Bagua
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