Simply put,
Feng Shui is the
ancient Chinese system of environmental placement. It sees
everything in the world as alive—with buildings, streets, property,
even furnishings, interconnected in a dynamic relationship that
affects everything we experience.
Where Feng Shui has been applied, people often report
extraordinary results: Improved health, rewarding relationships, and an increase in
happiness and prosperity.
The Meaning of "Feng Shui"
The words "feng " and "shui"
mean "wind" and "water", but Dr. Edgar Sung tell us that these words
have not always stood on their own as they do today. These two words
come from an ancient and very popular poem that was created to
describe the ideal landscape for a site:
The wind is mild The sun is warm The water is
clear The vegetation, lush...
This was such a popular poem
that as time passed people began to abbreviate it, so that when
referring to the poem and richness of it"s meaning they called it
simply "wind water" or "Feng Shui".
More on Feng Shui
We all know what discomfort is,
whether we classify it as illness, edginess that cannot be
explained, or just plain bad luck. We can find it anywhere - in our
homes, offices, workplaces, with ourselves or in relation to one
another. And we all have one thing in common; we yearn to find
relief, a loveliness, a sense of flow, balance and good health.
Feng Shui is an ancient
Chinese art and science which has been involved with the study of
the relationship between Heaven, Man and Earth for over 3,000 years.
Actually, Feng Shui itself is the study of the movement of Ch'i as well as the 'Chinese Art of
Placement'. An interesting description of Ch'i is the idea of a vein
of positive and negative energy, constantly moving and trading
positions with itself, an activity which is the result of the theory
of Yin and Yang. This energy courses through the earth, holding the
earth together like a web. This grid of energy is where all Life
derives its power. An invisible substance, Ch'i is a force which
nonetheless has palpable and observable manifestations. It is
thought of as not only the basis of activity - it is the activity
itself. It expresses itself both in and around our Selves,
permeating all life.
It is this pulse of life, the
Life Force that students of Feng Shui observe and study, seeking to
uncover the mysteries of the movement of Ch'i. The study of Feng
Shui has many parts, but it is presented here for the sake of
simplicity as having two basic parts.
Feng Shui per se is the study of
the movement of Ch'i and the Chinese Art of Placement. Externally
this involves studying the Ch'i of the Outer House - the flow energy
of the state, county, city, neighborhood and plot of land in order
to understand where to best place the structure or structures. Or,
if the structure is already in place, it is the study of how to best
enhance the property and the relation to its surroundings by
manipulating the energetics of the land around the structure(s) in
special ways. This includes landscape, and can involve the placement
of a water feature, bell, flag or other objects.
Internally, issues of placement
involve the relationship of the flow of chi throughout the Inner
House, the inside of the structure. It is this part that refers to
the placement of furniture, stove, bed, bathrooms, machines and so
on. Certain objects also can be used very effectively to adjust of
the flow of chi inside the home, office or workplace. This is also
where feng shui adjustments and cures are used when a person desires
personal transformation - stronger health, love, a new career, fame,
wealth and prosperity and so forth.
This point of view can also be
looked at by observing the chi of the individual or individuals
which are be affected by the structure they spend time in, both at
work and at home. This affects an individual's internal Ch'i as well
as their external Ch'i. There are many external indications which
reveal internal problems affecting an individual. How they feel and
how they appear to be are two sides of the same coin - if you know
how to read the signs correctly.
Feng Shui 'Schools'
Naturally
there are many aspects which go into the study of the movement of
Ch'i. And unfortunately for the beginning student, there are several
schools that address these aspects which is the cause of lots of
confusion for Westerners today when approaching the study of Feng
Shui. For simplicity these schools can be broken down into two
approaches.
Compass School Feng Shui
'Compass School' Feng
Shui is based upon on ancient systems and observations, and is
dependent upon the practiced use of a magnetic compass. A special
Chinese compass designed hundreds of years ago is available which
have many rings of charts each dedicated to a certain study, to make
the information logical and accessible. This compass is called a luo
pan. As far as homes and buildings are concerned, readings are taken
standing at the front door looking out, and deal with the
relationship between the structure and the degrees of the compass
reading at varience with the direction North. Each degree has an
exact judgement of afflictions, positive or negative. The luo pan,
or compass, is such a marvelous instrument, a work of genius having
many concentric rings with calculations to help in figuring a
variety readings, and need information for correct calculations
having to do with Birth date and place of the individual requesting
help, and are in turn representative of a whole host of issues, most
of which are classified as 'astrological' in
nature.
BTB Feng Shui
BTB
Feng Shui ("BlackHat" Tantric Buddhism) is a new name to the subject
of Feng Shui. The name is new, but it is based on the same
traditional material of the compass school except that it does not
rely on the luo pan as an instrument of directional positive-or-
negative information. The charts needed to calculate all of the
astrological information is derived from The Ten Thousand Years
Book, which has finally been translated into English. BTB Feng Shui
combines the essential and undeniable involvement of the culture's
ancient wisdom teachings of Taoism, Yin/Yang Theory, I Ching,
Confusianism, holistic healing, Feng Shui, Theory of Ch'i, folkloric
studies, and Bön, the ancient indigenous spiritual traditions of
Tibet. BTB Feng Shui was developed by Grandmaster Professor Lin
Yun, the founder and supreme leader of the contemporary BlackHat
Tantric Buddhism at its fourth stage.
"BlackHat" refers to the color
of hat worn by Tibetan Monks of the Bön Tradition. Each group of
Tibetan Buddhists have their own color of hat to identify their
group, or sect. The Dalai Lama, for instance, belongs to the Galugpa
sect, hence he wears a Yellow Hat. The word 'Tantric' refers to a
range of esoteric sacred Bon/Buddhist practices.
Both the Compass schools and the
BTB School rely upon similar techniques of Feng Shui adjustments and
cures.
Form School
Both
Compass and Black Hat schools of thought use the wisdom of the Form
School to interpret the shape, meaning and geomancy of the land
itself. Ancient rules come into play having to do with the study of
the nature of the ch'i of the land itself - shape of mountains,
sense of plains, wind, dryness, moisture, water and its movement.
This study is very detailed and rich in a depth of logic and
understanding that only years of sensitive study can
reveal.
Whether you want to transform your
home into a personal paradise, or your office into a powerhouse of
success, Feng Shui can help light your
way.
