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What
is Feng Shui?
Most of us foreigners living in China have heard of Feng Shui,
yet the mystery and magic associated with it has convinced the majority of us
that it's primarily a dogma of ancient superstitions. Feng Shui is not a
religion, although it has roots in both Buddhism and Hinduism (as well as in
cosmology and other forms of metaphysics). It is said that it takes a Feng Shui
apprentice thirty years to master the art. This being said, I'd like to say that
the intention of this article is to simply describe what Feng Shui is; it's not
a how-to on channeling its power.
The name Feng Shui originates from China and can be translated to 'Wind and
Water.' At its essence, Feng Shui is about living consciously in harmony with
Earth and enjoying the highest quality of life possible while residing here.
It's the art of balancing and enhancing the flow of natural energies, or Chi,
that make up the essence of every person, place and object. Feng Shui has
evolved over thousands of years from a folk art to a highly sophisticated system
of philosophy and science, often blending the old with the more new age trends
and fads of the west. But its ancient form is still practiced by professional
consultants throughout China, and is based on the principles of the classic
Chinese book, I Ching.
Feng Shui was first used in ancient China about 3000 years ago to determine the
most auspicious sites for the tombs of ancestors in order to give them the best
vantage to help their living descendants. Later, it started to be used in
selecting sites for palaces, important government buildings and monuments, until
finally whole cities were designated and built according to Feng Shui
principles.
Hong Kong is one such example, and its prosperity is often cited as a prime
example of Feng Shui effectiveness. About 90% of all the properties there are
built according to Feng Shui protocols. An example of trying to manipulate chi
energies, the Hong Kong Bank of China was sued by neighboring businesses because
of its construction of a seventy story building of sharp angles. There's no
doubt that the architect of the building knew exactly what he was doing and
deliberately designed a structure that sends arrow-like 'killing chi' energy at
its competitors. The recourse of the occupants surrounding the building was to
erect Feng Shui mirrors in an attempt to reflect the dangerous energy back to
its source, and then commence litigation.
Feng Shui is based on the prevailing view of Asians that everything in our
environment, living or inanimate, is imbued with energy. This is now no longer
considered simply a belief, it's currently a scientific fact that objects and
elements are made up of tiny molecules and atoms that vibrate and are constantly
in motion. These objects and elements are imbued with an energy that cannot be
seen by the naked eye, but they are able to influence our every day life.
The energy (or Chi) of an object, person, or place is very important in Feng
Shui. This Chi relates to whatever is in space, and the flow of Chi is unique to
every home, business and recreational space. Space is defined as the directional
orientation of a structure and is traditionally determined with a Chinese Feng
Shui compass. Tools used to evaluate space calculate the Chi field, its Yin and
Yang, and the Five Elements.
Chi can be broken into two components: (1) Yin and Yang, representing the
opposite forces that are constantly interacting with one another, such as:
feminine/masculine; passive/active; destructive/creative; soft/hard;
dark/bright. These forces are always moving and always seeking balance. And: (2)
The Five Elements, which are water, wood, fire, metal, and earth. These elements
are believed to affect everything we do, determining our personalities, our
professions, and our degree of success in life.
Learning about Feng Shui isn't a study in "magic," but rather, it's
about developing an awareness of the living, natural elements that we interact
with daily in our lives.
Timothy Green is the co-author of SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English. You can
find fun and easy Mandarin lessons, as well as travel and culture tips about
China at http://www/CathayCafe/com
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