Qi and Yin and Yang

Qi and Yin and Yang

(Extract taken from Gyda Anders’ paper presented at the 4th International Conference on Scientific Feng Shui and the Built Environment, entitled “Feng Shui Criteria for Planning and Design”)

The principle of Yin and Yang forms the basis for Feng Shui. “ Once Yin, once Yang is called the Dao, the Dao of Kan Yu can not be separated from Yin and Yang”. Yin and Yang generate each other. In within Yin there is Yang, in within Yang there is Yin. If Yin reaches source for all being “ The so called dragon is enabled by the mutual transformation, the mutual transformation is enabled by Yin and Yang.” (Wang Yude 王玉德 (1995). “Zhonghua Kanyu Shu” 中华堪舆术. 文津出版社. Taiwan, p78ff)

All being derives from and is defined by the interplay of Yin and Yang. The balance of Yin and Yang define the quality of Qi. To investigate the Qi structure of a place, the qualities and tendencies of a given situation, its Yin Yang balance has to be recognized. To distinguish Yin and Yang 分陰陽 is the premise for the understanding and development of a place and by that for any building activity. Referring to Chinese Classic like the ”Zhou Yi”, the” Dao De Jing” or the Song Dynasty work “地理發微“(Gross And Subtle Principles Of Earth resp. Feng Shui by Cai Yuanding 蔡元定 1135 – 1198, picture showed below) Prof. Wang Yude and author Zhong Yiming 鐘義明 point out the most prominent aspects of Yin and Yang (辯陰陽) to be distinguished

1. Investigate hard and soft 推刚柔

2. Distinguish between substantial and unsubstantial 辯有無

3. Understand movement and stationary 明動靜

4. Distinguish between mountain and water 辯山水

5. Observe gathering and dispersing 觀聚散

6. Distinguish between form and configuration 辯形勢

7. Examine front and back 審向背

8. Distinguish strong and weak 變強弱

9. Differentiate the going along and going against 分順逆

10. Be aware of alive and dead 識生死

11. Inquire the subtle and prominent 察微著

12. Distinguish between stems and branches 辯秓幹

13. Study carefully the parts and the whole 究分合

14. Analyze appearance and essence 別浮沉

15. Determine shallow and deep 定淺深

16. Adjust abundance and reduction 正饒減

17. Particularize the accelerating and avoiding 詳趨避

18. Know about the diminishing and completing 知裁成

19. Regard female and male 觀雌雄

20. Ascertain the origin of mutual resonance 原感應

A system of variance gets established, serving as a frame or structure for the differences. The two complementary antipodes are opposed to each other. They constitute the extreme wherein everything develops. A meticulous inventory of the diversity is raised. With endless patience the being of the situation gets investigated, to find out the essence (本性) to draw its secret.

With this typology, a downright system of coherence is captured. This system is based on the oppositional- complementary relations of yin and yang. Each item or aspect is designed in reference and answer to another. Relevance evolves from their (inter)relation. The objective/aim is to make the specific potential perceptible and operant through grouping and configuration by developing and diversifying the interplay of Yin and Yang.

16 Ways to Determine the Directionality of a Building

Many student shave trouble working out the directionality (Sitting and Facing) of a building, often it is not because of their lack of abilities but it is caused by the house location and internal layout not responding appropriately to the context of the site. I have devised a checklist of 16 points for consideration to help them in the process.

From outside looking in – consider how the environment is affecting the building:

1) Consider the direction of the coming dragon, the coming side is the sitting and the going side is the facing.

2) Consider the topography of the land, the higher side is the sitting and the lower side is the facing.

3) Consider the location of the nearest watercourses; closer to the waterside is the facing and further away is the sitting.

4) Consider the nearest roadwork, closer to the road is the facing, further away is the sitting.

5) Consider the nearest open space (mingtang) and view, the more open and the better view is the facing, less open and lack of a view is the sitting.

6) Consider vehicular and pedestrian movements, the more active side is the facing and the more passive side is the sitting.

7) Consider neighbouring buildings, the taller and closer side is the sitting and the lower and further away is the facing.

8) Consider tress and shrubs, the side with higher and denser planting is the sitting and the side with shorter and sparser planting is the facing.

From inside looking out – consider how the building is responding to the environment:

9) Consider the different heights that made up a building, the taller side is the sitting and the shorter side is the facing.

10) Consider the proportion and shape of a building, the longer side is the facing and the shorter side is the sitting.

11) Consider the different levels within a building, the higher level is the sitting and the lower level side is the facing.

12) Consider sunlight and shade, the more sunny side is the facing, shadier side is the sitting.

13) Consider the internal spatial arrangement, the more active side (e.g. Living area) is the facing and the more passive side (e.g. sleeping areas) is the sitting.

14) Consider windows and openings, the side with more is the facing, the side with less is the sitting.

15) Consider the connection from inside to outside, the side with more connection is the facing and the side with less connection is the sitting.

16) Consider the location of the front door, where it is located is the facing and the opposite is the sitting.

By considering these 16 ways of contrasting the yin and the yang, we can better determine the directionality of a building, the general guideline is the more active and less substantial is the facing and the less active and more substantial is the sitting.

The Earliest Known Daoist Talismans

According to Prof. Ge Zhao-Guang 葛兆光 of the Department of History, Tsinghua University Beijing, the two Talismans shown above with their accompanying inscription are the two earliest known specimen excavated by archaeologists in China so far.

They were written in red Mercury Sulphide (Zhu Sha 朱砂 or Cinnabar) on a “Jie Zhe Ping” 解謫瓶, a ceramic bottle/vase that is suppose to have contained the deceased’s Yin soul which is to be taken up to heaven to rejoin with his Yang soul and his living sins absolved by the talismans (為死者解謫, 生人除罪過) (refer note at the end on Chinese concept of the soul)

The discovery was made in an Eastern Han 東漢 tomb in a village called Zhujiabao 朱家堡 in Huxian County 戶縣 Shaanxi Province 陝西 in 1972. The deceased’s surname was Cao 曹 and the inscription on the vase next to the talismans said he was buried in the 8^th Moon of the Second Year in the Reign of Yang Jia 陽嘉二年 (133 AD) when Liu Bao 劉保 was the Emperor.

Experts like Prof. Ge and Prof. Wang Yu-Cheng 王育成 have made attempts to decipher their meanings and below are some of their findings:

The first talisman to the right is composed of the characters Tu 土 (earth), Ri 日(sun), Yue 月 (moon), Wei 尾 (tail) and Gui 鬼 (ghost).  The Tu (earth) with the five Ri (sun) have the implication of being a Dou 斗, representing the Big Dipper in a commanding position of the Chinese sky. The Ri (sun) and the Yue (moon) together form the boundary of the entire heaven and the Wei (tail) with the Gui (ghost) could refer to the “life” and “death” parts of the 28 Lunar Mansions. They all have to do with the heavenly bodies and hidden within the characters and difficult to see is the character Shi 時 or time (as in being timely).

So the aim of this talisman could have been drawing on the power of the heavenly bodies and the heavenly spirits to assist the world in regulating matters of life and death, fortune and misfortune. (凭借天上星辰以及天上神鬼的力量对世间生死祸福进行调节) When the time is right, the Yin and the Yang are again harmonized by the power of the talismans, so the dead will continue to live in peace in the other world.

The second talisman to the left is less obvious in its writings, one can recognize the character Yun 允 (to allow and to permit), covering the whole talisman. In the middle below is a star formation in the shape of a Y, with the characters Tai 太, Tian 天 and Yi 一 recognizable at the top of the Y figure. Tai Tian Yi can be read separately as Tai Yi 太 一 and Tian Yi 天一, which are two stars in the Purple Palace Constellation above the Big Dipper, according to Prof. Qian Bao-Cong 錢寶琮.

However, Prof. Wang Yu-Cheng was more inclined to link the Y star formation and the characters Tai Tian Yi to a military formation called Tai Yi Feng 太一鋒 (“feng” is the cutting edge of a sword) to evade the enemies, except in this old illustration to avoid the enemies (Bi Bing Tu 避兵圖 discovered in another early Han archeological dig ) the Y figure is reversed.

The characters Zhu 主 (a master), Zhu 逐 (chase, expel), Sha 煞 (evil spirit) and Gui 鬼 (ghost) are also recognizable with three others uncertain below and to either side of the Y.  The general conclusion the experts drawn is this talisman ws used to protect the burial site 鎮安塚墓, but they also realized within the Daoist religion, only the initiated of the time are capable of fully understanding the symbolic meanings of these figures written during the funeral rite. They are written under strict spiritual guidance and strict ritual rules with deep inner sincerity to communicate with the Daoist Deities above. At the time of the writing, the Daoist priest is in a state of total communion with his counterparts in Heaven.

心与神合，神与气合，气与真合，阴与阳和，阳同日耀，阴同月耀

The Heart is in harmony with the Spirit, the Spirit is in harmony with the Qi, the Qi are truly harmonized (with each other), (thus) the Yin and the Yang are in peace, (while) the sun illuminated the Yang and the moon illuminated the Yin.

以道之精气，安镇五方

Using the Essence and the Qi of the Dao, to pacify and to protect the Five Directions. 

Reference:

葛兆光 《“神授天书”与“不立文字”》

王育成《东汉道符释例》

“In the…bodily existence of the individual…are…two… polarities, a p’o soul (or anima) and a hun soul (animus).  All during the life of the individual these two are in conflict, each striving for mastery.  At death they separate and go different ways.  The anima sinks to earth as kuei (gui), a ghost-being.  The animus rises and becomes shen, a spirit or god.”

[Cary Baynes, ed.; Richard Wilhelm and C.  G.  Jung, The Secret of the Golden Flower, (Harcourte Brace Jovanovich, 1962), p.64]