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What is Feng Shui? (Part 2)

Core2Duo 12 March 2007 Chinese Culture 8 views No Comment  Print This Post

 

How To Define a Sight According to Feng Shui:

Feng Shui uses different methods to define a favorable sight. The most commonly used methods are:
1) The Method based on the compass
2) The Method based on shape
3) The Lo Shu Method which is supported by the Lo Shu Diagram

Feng Shui based on the compass

The origin of the magnetic compass is closely related with the geomantic fortunetelling of “Feng Shuiâ€? (“power of wind and waterâ€?) Feng Shui, which the date of origin is suspected to be around the 3rd century B.C, tries to harmonize the layout of buildings, cities and burial places with the cosmic energy flow (Chi).
 
To define a sight, the Feng Shui masters used a prognosis plate (earth), on top of that plate, a rotating plate (heaven). During the centuries, the rotating plate was replaced by a wooden spoon (lei dou) and later by a bronze spoon because it rotated better on the earthplate. The shape of the spoon was based on the star constellation “Big Dipper aka Big Bearâ€?.
In the 2nd century BC, the earthplate was made of polished bronze. Hereby was also discovered that the spoon aims itself towards the north-south axis.

 

The compass had a religious function: to show the right direction of which buildings and burial places had to be facing during construction. Feng Shui based on the compass is called “Feng Wei”. It’s a analytic approximation which is commonly used in the Chinese provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

A very important breakthrough in the way of working came in the year 960, during the Sun Dynasty, and is credited by Wang Chih. The scientist based his studies on the Lo Pan compass, called Feng Shui compass.
 

Left Original compass ‘Lo Pan’ Right simplyfied compass ‘Lo Pan’

In the present-day society, especially in the big cities which have a large population, shortage of building ground and strict regulation of constructing, the Lo Pan compass is not much usable. The technique is very complicated and long-winded. I am confining myself to by just publishing this system and will not explain it more detailed.

Feng Shui based on shape

Feng Shui based on shapes is called “Hsing Shihâ€?. It’s a more intuitive approach of a case. The most forestanding person of this theory, Yang Yun Sung, lived in the period 840-888 during the dynasty of Emperor Hi Tsung (874-888). The system is commonly used in the provinces of Jiangxi and An Hui. The study orientated itself by looking to the surroundings on the site that need to be constructed.
Hsing Shih uses a technique which is based on the moment of birth:
1. The orientation method

2. The birth method.

Feng Shui based on shape, the orientation method

This intuitive approach is based on Ying and Yang. According to Taoism, the ideal ratio is 60% Yang and 40% Yin.

Hsing Shih based on Ying and Yang
 
The orientation method can be best used in the present-day western society and is easy applicable. The method uses as a base orientating the positive and negative energy and the ratio between these two.
The Southern orientation is Yang. This means positive, active, summer and is displayed by a red phoenix.

The Northern orientation is Yin. This means negative, passive, winter and is displayed by a black turtle.
The East orientation is Yang. This means positive, active, spring and is displayed by seas and a green dragon.

The West orientation is Yin. This means negative, passive, autumn and is displayed by snowy mountains and a white tiger.

The Yang Chi, the positive energy, flows during the hours when your sun is rising; during midnight until in the afternoon.

The Yin Chi, the negative energy, controls the period in which the sun sets, during the afternoon till midnight.

The ideal orientation of a house’s entrance is faced towards the south (maximal Yang Chi). If the local situation makes it not possible to do so, then the house must be faced toward the south-east as much as possible. Important functions needs to be faced south-east at all times.

The orientation method also uses practical methods in which the hour of birth of the occupier of the building is not used.

Feng Shui based on shape: the Birth Method

The second approach combines the balance between Ying and Yang with certain elements of the Lo Pan compass.

The Birth method uses 2 techniques:

- The first technique: a total of 4 gradations.
Based on the correct moment of birth of the occupier (year, month, hour and certain elements) there are 4 elements determined which are connected with this person. These elements will determine the ideal site, orientation and interior of the house.
The problem with this technique is the importance of the correct time of birth. As most people know their date of birth, they don’t know their exact time of birth, which causes that the 4 element cannot be determined. In most cases, people can find out their exact time of birth at the city-hall of the town in which there were born in.
-  The second technique: the year of birth
Only the year of birth determines one element that is connected to the occupier. The ideal site, orientation and interior are based on this element.
The problem with the birth method (1st and 2nd technique) is that in most houses there are more than one occupiers, and every occupier has a different year and time of birth which causes contrary birth elements and so it must be reconsidered.

Feng Shui based on the Lo Shu Diagram

The Lo Shu Diagram is, in my opinion, the simplest technique and is easily applicable. It is specifically used to determine the site and the orientation of a new building or the interior design.
This method takes into account the day, month and the year of the occupier. Although this technique is easier to apply, in a family with multiple members it will be a problem because of the different dates of birth. In eastern countries, the head of the family is the most important one. His of her date of birth determines the design of the house and of the interior according to the Lo Shu Diagram.

Feng Shui based on the Lo Shu Diagram is easy applicable and is preferred in the Asian countries. In the western society however, where there isn’t a clear difference in value between members of a family, this method can give problems. We will look into this problem next time.

The Lo Shu Diagram is connected to the Aposteriori trigram. We will look into this trigram later.

The Lo Shu Diagram exist of a square with nine subdivides (3×3) These squares are resembling the different part of the house. To each square, there is a number which can be 1 till 9. The numbers are setup on such a manner that the sum of all numbers (horizontal, vertical and diagonal) is always 15. This diagram is called within Feng Shui the magic square with 9 numbers.

To be continued…

Previous part: http://culture.afmag.net/what-is-feng-shui.html

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