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Superstitions in Feng Shui come about when technical application of a philosophical concept is misunderstood. The Toilet Sha is a good example in which the modern inventor misunderstood the meaning of Sha Qi.
Sha Qi 煞氣 is “above form (“xing-zhi-shang 形之上), it is a philosophical concept expressing the undesirable state when things are out of balance and harmony. It is complementary opposite to Sheng Qi.
Toilet Sha turned this metaphysical idea into a “below form” (xing-zhi-xia 形之下) physical agent (a “vessel” or a “qi” 器) that can cause sickness if it is in line with a toilet bowl. That becomes a superstition because it misinterpreted a metaphysical concept and turned it into an irrational belief that a toilet bowl can “kill” (sha 殺).
Some people tried to bring in good hygiene to explain the Toilet Sha but the health effect of air-borne bacteria is a scientific observation that does not need the Toilet Sha to explain its working nor the other way around.
This lack of understanding of the key concepts in Chinese philosophy often turned Chinese metaphysics into superstitions, and it not only happen in “New Age” Feng Shui but also in folk Feng Shui in China and SE Asia.
Toilet Sha travels in a straight line, penetrating through solid walls to give anyone sleeping in its path health problems, in this case a thumping headache or even a tumor in the brain!
I wrote this as a discussion topic in the Fivearts Forum because a lot of students are confused about the discrepancies in the working of different Liqi Pai (Comapss School) Feng Shui, others might find it interesting and would like to comment here as well:
Fivearts Forum, Liqi Pihttp://www.fivearts.net/index.php/topic,4070.0.html
This is a question asked by students of Feng Shui all the time, like what to do with the different ways of counting time (Two Eras and 8 Periods v Three Eras and Nine Periods), the different ways of allocating the Direct and Indirect Spirits, and the different Yin and Yang correlations and Wuxing correlations, etc. etc.
The answer can be found in an analogy to games we play in sport. Each game has its own set of rules and its own point scoring system, try to understand them clearly and then play the game according to the rules from the beginning to the end. If one wants to know which game is more enjoyable and more rewarding, one needs to finish playing one game before trying another.
Imagine the chaos one can create when half way through playing an English football game, then decided out of the blue, to change the game to American football and pick up the ball and run towards the goal posts!
Feng Shui methodologies are like intellectual games; each game has its own set of rules and its own way to evaluate the desirability of a situation, none of them are more right or more wrong than another, it is just an acceptance between one another of how each game should be handled, which philosophical interpretation and which correlation one should adopted and so forth.
Our task as Feng Shui students is learn these different rules from different schools of Feng Shui and then play the intellectual game according to thier set rules one at a time and don’t try to mix them up. After a while, an experienced player will know which game is more enjoyable and more rewarding and in what situation and then it can become an effective tool in helping others.
Some people, after a while for some reasons, might want to set up their own school with a new set of rules. All he or she has to do is to gather a group of followers, big enough so it can survive as a school, and then we will have a new game-play on the block. This is exactly what happened to 林雲 Lin Yun’s Three Door Bagua and 談養吾 Tan Yang-Wu’s Xuan Kong Liu Fa.
Another way to become a founder is to create a set of sub-rules with a main game, like 王亭之 中州玄空派 Wang Ting-Zhi’s Zhongzhou Xuankong Feixing Pai or 陳倍生妙派 Chen Bei-Sheng’s Mei Pai Da Gua. These can come under the guise or the banner of “secret transmissions”, “authentic teachings” and “direct lineage” etc.
As students, we need to see the scenery clearly and seek a path we can walk down to reach our goal, aim for the main path and not the side passages and get lost on our way.
Scientific Feng Shui: Application of Feng Shui Knowledge to Preliminary Building Design Evaluation Using Knowledge-Based Expert Systems Approach Author: Michael Y Mak Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr Muller, Saarbrucken, Germany (2009) ISBN: 978-3-639-20940-2 Weblink to order:
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I had the good fortune of meeting Prof Wang Qi-Heng 王其亨 in his home three days ago before we flew out of Beijing to Berlin. Prof. Wang is a famous teacher from Tianjin University specialized in researching and teaching the history and philosophy of traditional Chinese architecture. He part wrote and edited one of the best source book on Feng Shui in Chinese called “Research into the Theories of Feng Shui” 風水理論研究, published by the Tianjin University Press (see book cover below). His university department is also responsible for many of the conservation planning around the major historical sites like the Forbidden City and the Ming and Qing Tombs.
During our three-hours meeting I asked him many questions on Feng Shui and architecture, especially about the Qing and the Ming dynasties of which he is an expert. The most memorable one for me was about Yinzhai Feng Shui and my question was, “Do you really think intelligent and capable rulers like the Qing Emperor Qianlong 乾隆皇帝 (1711-1799), would believe that if they bury their ancestors in the best Feng Shui spot, their family would rule forever?” He laughed and replied, “Of course not!”
Then he went on to say that if we research into the historical court documents like he did, then the imperial burial sites were chosen not for selfish gains or un-realistic expectations, but they are in fact imperial site selections and architecture with a strong sense of commemoration in memory of their ancestors, as required by the Confucian Rites.
He followed up by showing me an example in the commemorative tablet erected in the Qing Yu Ling 清裕陵 (Emperor Qianlong’s burial site), where these words were carved in stone:
聖水深巖
Sacred-waters and deep ravines,
靈山翠微
Spirit-mountains and shady retreats,
億年安宅
(We) set down a dwelling for a hundred million years,
築我丕基
(and continue to) build our great foundations.
There was nothing said about tapping into the right kind of earth energy to make the descendants more powerful, richer and happier. It is done to remain them of their heritage and responsibility as a ruler.
Some people actually blamed the Feng Shui of Qianlong’s tomb for the decline of the Qing Dynasty because although he was buried in a Meridian Spot, he choose to face a “Death and Empty Line”, so while his descendants continued to rule another 112 years, they were very mediocre and downright incompetent or died young. It is grossly unfair and downright superstitious to blame Feng Shui and Qianlong on the natural rise and decline of a dynasty and misunderstood the real purpose of Yinzhai Feng Shui.
When I pressed the point, Prof. Wang also pointed out in the official documents, no Feixing calculations were mentioned, the imperial Feng Shui experts selected the sites for burial mainly based on Xingshi 形勢 considerations.
Prof. Wang said the real purpose of a grave or a Mu 墓 is to have a place to admire (pay homage) the ancestors and the character to admire (mu 慕) has the same sound as for a grave although it is written in a different way and this was pointed out by Liu Xi 劉熙 of Eastern Han (25-220AD) in his book “Explaining the Terms and the Burial Rites” 釋名。釋喪制:
墓， 慕也；孝子思慕之處也。
“A grave (has) the same (sound) as to admire, it is a place where a filial son can admire and remember (the dead).”
Prof. Wang said at the same time to bury is to hide from the wind (葬，藏也), to avoid attack by the ants and the worms and flooding by water, rotting the corpse.
Finally he said there is an educated understanding of Feng Shui and an un-educated one (Prof. Wang Yude 王玉德 used the terms “academic” and “folk” Feng Shui to say the same thing), to think that burial in a good Feng Shui spot will bring selfish gains to the descendants is to misunderstand the cultivated way of behaviour in a traditional Chinese society.
Confucian filial piety required a gentleman 君子 to find a good Feng Shui spot to bury, to remember and to pay homage to the dead and not to expect anything in return. Prof. Wang Qi-Heng said this is the real purpose of Yinzhai Feng Shui.
Traditional Chinese culture has a different way of thinking and naming things. Trying to put Chinese studies into a western pigeonhole is always fraught with problems. Below is a question by Alexey and my reply that illustrated the difficulty.
Dear Howard.
Recently with some colleagues we had a discussion on the term “Chinese Metaphysics”.
The base of the discussion was the formula
形而上者謂之道，形而下者謂之器
Here, 形而上 (形而上學) corresponds with dao, shen 神 and metaphysics. While 形而下 corresponds to qi 器. In Chinese sciences we study more qi than shen, so we are more to 形而下 rather than 形而上, so “metaphysics” seems to be an improper term.
What do you think on that?
Best regards,
Alexey
Hi Alexey,
Aristotle made the distinction between physics and metaphysics and we tried to find the Chinese equivalent in the Chinese sciences, which is never an easy task, because even in a binary relationship of this kind, between the Way (Dao 道) and the Vessel (Qi 器) (with the Way being prior in time and without substance and the Vessel being subsequent in time and has substance), it has a common base in the Form (Xing 形) and cannot be separated as two distinct entities.
Zhang Dai-Nian noted that Wang-Zhi did not accept that the metaphysical and physical are related as above and below form as quoted in the Great Commentary, but he affirmed that form is the basis of what is above form and the metaphysical is not prior to form but an expression of form.
Zhang also noted that Dai Zhen accepted that there is a distinction between what is above and what is below form. That the Qi of Yin and Yang that has not yet become things is the formless, and that is above form and not below it.
So the discussions that you are having with some of your colleagues are also reflected in the history of Chinese philosophy and the discussions that went on between the scholars over time.
My take is that since in the Chinese sciences, we study the form and what is above and what is below all at the same time with varying degrees of mix (not always more qi than shen), so if we have to use the Aristotelian terms, then they are both physics AND metaphysics; I agree with you in the sense that to say it is only “metaphysics” would negate the physical observation of forms in the practice of the Chinese sciences. For example: in the practice of Xiang Shu 相術 (the art of observation) where Feng Shui is one of the methods, it requires us to see the “qi/vessel”in and below the form as well as to contemplate the “shen/spirit”outside and above the form.
Regards,
Howard
The way we relate to the Chinese arts is the same in the way we relate to the Chinese sciences mentioned earlier, Bada Shanren’s paintings below show when a painting has both vessel and spirit in the form, then it becomes a work of art and not just an ordinary painting any more. His work transcends space and time because it is not only physically beautiful but metaphysically enlightening and that is what a traditional gentleman/scholar would tried to achieve – to be practical and transcendental at the same time.
SJ asked me these probing questions below on BZMJ the other day and I gave him my answers, may be those who have learned some Bazhai would find them interesting and would like to make some further comments.
SJ: I recently heard that one could not cure inauspicious Bazhai portents by using a reductive cycle. For example, Liu-Sha (Water) cannot be cured by adding Wu-Xing Wood.
HC: It is true that BZMJ did not mention this way of doing things, but some master like my Master Ren Zhi-Lin said it was a “secret transmission”! I guess they might have been influenced by Shen Shi Xuan Kong Wuxing Shengke to Jiehua (“cures”) where the weakening or the reductive cycle is preferred over a generating cycle to deal with a bad star. Theoretically to me it makes sense, because the wondering star always has it element associates with it as it “wonders”, and we are dealing one type of wondering star at a time.
SJ: I am told that according to BZMJ, in Chapter 91, Yan-Nian (Metal) is needed to counter Liu-Sha (Water). Apparently, a star Qi is necessary to counter another star Qi. Other cases would be Fu-Wei (Yin Wood) to counter Huo-Hai (Earth); Tian-Yi (Earth) to counter Jue-Ming (Metal); and Sheng-Qi (Wood) to counter Wu-Gui (Fire).
With the exception of Fu-Wei (Wood) countering Huo-Hai (Earth), all other relationships are in a generating cycle. Also, as Fu-Wei is Yin Wood and Huo-Hai is Yang Earth, this relationship is acceptable as opposite polarities do not fight each other.
HC: I think you mean in Chapter 81 and not Chapter 91 where it only talked about the Yan-Nian picture (Yan-Nian Tu), whereas in Chapter 81 which is called “Jiu-xing Ji-fu” or how to “Subdue the Nine Stars” and it said, “Sheng-Qi falls on Wu-Gui, Tian-Yi bullies Jue-Ming, Yan-Nian holds down Liu-sha and what Fu-Wei subdue is already arranged (that is the left over Jue-Ming)”.
But what one must remember is when this chapter talks about the four auspicious wondering stars subduing the four harmful wondering stars, one must ask how can they subdue each other when they are constantly wondering at different places at different times and there are two sets of them going at the same time (one set generated by the Zhai Gua and the other by the Ming Gua)? The subduing cannot be done in space, it can only be done with the stove, because the stove can “hold down the sha and welcome the sheng”, which is the same as saying that the stoves should sit on the four harmful directions of a person and face the four auspicious directions of the same person, and this is the unique character of the BZMJ. It is not the same as saying one should use a generating cycle of a good star to counter a bad star in space.
SJ: Also, for example, if a bedroom is in the Yan-Nian portent (Yang Metal), it is best to face the bed in the Yan-Nian direction (Metal), and not Sheng-Qi (Yang Wood), as Metal controls Wood and Sheng-Qi direction will not be activated!
HC: Again you are talking about two single wondering stars rather than two groups of matching wondering stars, the priority goes with the grouping of East Four and West Four first. You need to refer to Chapter 31 of BZMJ called “The Position of the Bed” to see the guideline clearly, where it said, “…Matching the Ming direction is the most auspicious, follow by matching the different rooms (location to suit the person), then follow by the sitting mountain and finally by it relationship (of the bed) to the door of the room…” Then we also has to take the wondering stars of the person into consideration as well and they have priority over the Zhai stars according to BZMJ.
SJ: There is also a star/palace method in Bazhai where one can look at the underlying Luo Shu Gua of a portent and compare it with the Star to determine if the portent will be auspicious/inauspicious to begin with. For example, in the case of a Li House (East Four) SE: Tian-Yi (Yang Earth) – Guest Star; Luo-Shu Element (4, Yin Wood) – Host; Host Controls Guest. Inauspicious; Therefore, SE palace has inauspicious Qi even though Ju Men Xing star (Tian-Yi) is present in that portent. Similarly, NE palace with Huo-Hai is not very negative as Luo-Shu (8) Earth has same element as guest star Lu Cun (Huo-Hai).
HC: I teach this in the more advance level, but it is not exactly used in the way you mentioned. There are three ways we can use the theory of palace/star sheng-ke:
1) Use to assess the relationship between the main door and side doors in a house.
2) Use to assess the influence of a larger object near the main door.
3) Use to assess the relationship between the location of the bed and the bedroom door.
The theory behind this is quite complex and that is one of the reason I don’t teach it at the beginners level, and when one look at this method closely one can see how BZMJ is beginning to merge with Yangzhai Sanyao (YZSY – The Three Requirements of a Yang Dwelling) and Feixing (Flying Stars) in the way Ji-Xiong (auspicious and harmfulness) is determined by Wuxing Shen-Ke (the generating and controlling cycle of the Five Elements) between two stars, except the Elements for the wondering stars in BZMJ and YZSY are correlated differently to the flying stars in Feixing.
It is always a pleasure to read about others mentioning us, here is one written by Sue Holmes.
http://www.firehorsefengshui.co.uk/about/about-feng-shui-consultant-holistic-therapist-sue-holmes/about-my-feng-shui-teacher-howard-cho
Sue is a very hard working lady and she makes extra efforts to come to our Professional Practitioners Courses and Master Classes in Berlin and Krakow because we don’t run them in England. She has studied with many other teachers before she comes to us for some post-graduate studies, she does her consultations under the name Fire Horse Feng Shui (You have guessed it, she is a Fire Horse!) and if you ever need a consultant in England, do get in touch with her:
http://www.firehorsefengshui.co.uk/
As I am looking through these photos, I realized how in Feng Shui we use different means to get ourselves engaged with the environment through observation, I guess that is why Feng Shui is classified in the classics as a part of Xiang-Shu 相術, or the Art of Observation.
In Xing-Shi Pai (Form School), there is the Five Formulae for the Landscape model (Dili Wujuw 地理五訣), namely the Long 龍 (Dragon), Sha 砂 (Sands), Xue 穴 (The FS Spot), Shui 水 (Water) and Xiang 向 (Facing), to give us a guide line to assess the natural environment and there is also the technique of He-Xiang 喝象 or “calling out the image” to get us connect to what we saw with analogy, and with practice we developed an ability to “read” our landscape with “Ganying” 感應 or “mutual resonance”.
These photos showed how we tend to zero onto something we are familiar with and thus made us connected to what we are observing. Out of this vast and beautiful landscape in the south of France, we saw above all, a face in the rock.
They are not really tips to change your bad luck as such, which is really impossible and I will explain this later, but they are more like advice to handle your life during a bad luck period and reduce its negative impacts until it passes and when it does, you will be in a better position to handle the future.
The Chinese believe everything has yin and yang, including the quality of the cycles of time, which the Chinese called “yun-qi” 運氣 or qi of the cycles. Some cycles or yun-qi are “lucky” and you can get things done easily and things come easily. Some cycles or yun-qi are “unlucky” and you can try your hardest but things won’t come your way and at times you feel like Heaven is against you.
Because of the yin and yang complementary opposites, we cannot have good yun-qi without the bad ones, so when it happens we have to learn how to ride it out without losing our focus and the will to carry on.
What I like about these little tips is that they have a mixture of old and new, psychological and metaphysical, as well as just practical common sense. There use to be 7 tips made up by a Hong Kong Feng Shui master, I added the last two to make 9, the yang-est of all the yang numbers to symbolize being positive and pro-active.
1) Take a bath or shower with water soaked in 3 parts of green Pomelo leaves and 7 parts of yellow Chrysanthemum flowers. In theory, the beneficial effects should happen within 30 days.
2) Learn to rearrange the furniture in your house to achieve better Feng Shui and at the same time keep your mind occupied with something worthwhile.
3) Do some good deeds and then go to a temple or a joss house to pray for good luck.
4) At all time, remain patient and level head.
5) Do not lose your temper; instead try your best to be calm and good-natured.
6) Read more, exercise regularly and talk often with your friends.
7) Make greater efforts to improve and expand your work skill.
8) Boost your self-confidence in front of a mirror.
9) Regularly hum the tune “We Shall Overcome”.
There is no guarantee that this will work for everyone, but they do you no harm if you follow them and it won’t cost you a cent. One never knows these tips may come in handy one day.
The desire to be happy, to feel safe and secure is part of human needs, these needs may not be satisfied at some time in our life and we felt “unlucky” as a consequence, not knowing that they are also part of life and instead trying to change them, it would be equally valid to endure them and learn from them and then come out feeling stronger and more at peace with oneself.
1) Some people willl do anything for money.
2) There is no such a thing as an unbiased expert witness.
3) You are who pays you, so choose your clients carefully.
4) Don’t claim to be a Feng Shui expert by reading books, no one will believe you.
5) Always quote source and reference, otherwise it is seen as plagiarism.
6) Don’t judge Feng Shui by your own logic, which amounts to personal biase.
7) There are always two or more sides to a story, including the story of Feng Shui.
8) Trust is built on ethical behavior and not just on words.
9) Fame and fortune always come with a price.
10) Idealism is still an “ism”.
Two smiling Fungshuilo who have found fame and fortune by being the world’s first Feng Shui expert witness:
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