Monday, October 17, 2011

Does Feng Shui Work?

A simple question but the answer cannot be simple. The answer depends on what you actually mean by "Feng Shui works".

If you live and work with support from behind and facing a lot of opportunities and you can also get help from people who are your left and right hands, obviously you will have a very good chance of success. This shows that the arm-chair principle of Feng Shui works. If further, there is vibrant energy coming to you that helps you do your work well, and that you can bath in the energy that helps you live a healthy and happy life, obviously you will enjoy a wonderful life. This requirement is provided by the good water star and mountain star that are invisible and not measureable. I can only say that with my numerous case studies throughout my 30 plus years of practice, this is a modest but true experience.

Wild claims like "Bury in the Yin year and get rich in the Mao year 寅葬卯發" is not uncommon by Feng Shui masters. Listen to Master Jiang Da Hong's proud words:

On this piece of land, other masters bury the dead will yield robbers.
When I bury the dead, it will generate kings and dukes.

人葬出賊頭     我葬出王侯

I don't know what he would have said when asked, "Why didn't you bury your parents to make yourself a king or duke?"

Yang Yun Song 楊筠松 was the imperial Feng Shui master. Yet the imperial palace fell to the hands of the rebels with the emperor fled and him ordered to cut his hair and walk the dragon in Kun Lun Mountains. If Feng Shui under the hands of the supposedly best Feng Shui master of all times could not even protect the emperor, how can one claim that it works?

All I can say is that Feng Shui works but not in the way people claim it to work. I will never say that with the help of Feng Shui, a Feng Shui master can create billionaires. Well, at least the Feng Shui master who makes such claims has not become one yet.

JY

8 comments:

Jodi Brunner said...

Yes, Feng Shui works because whether we believe in it or not, the Feng Shui of
our home or business affects us.

It is then a matter of calculating the water and mountain stars (and other things) to see *how* the Feng Shui affects us. The stars will tell us, in the majority of cases, what is happening to the people and how the Feng Shui is affecting them. (So I would say this invisible qi *is measureable*).

Occasionally the Feng Shui doesn't work because the will of the people or their heaven luck are overcoming negative circumstances which should be befalling them because of the Feng Shui.

Occasionally the Feng Shui also doesn't work because the people are
stubbornly refusing to do as their practitioner has advised and continue to use an unlucky front door, for instance!

(Actually, Feng Shui always works, it just depends on whether it works in favour of the person or not...).

Howard Choy said...

Hi Joseph,

May be a more interesting question to ask would be "HOW does Feng Shui work?" instead of "Does Feng Shui Work?"

My Russian translator told me he studied FS for more than 10 years from different masters and still could not work out how it works in practice, so he gave it up and concentrate on Bazi instead.

As FS teachers, I think we need to concentrate a bit more in this area, not whether it works but how it works.

HC

李杰 said...

Hah hah, caught you here, Howard, it's getting boring at the 5arts without you around. As to your question, I had just posted something for scientist on metaphysics on my facebook wall from your inspired question here, : ) My apologies Master Yu for hijacking your space but I like your question too for Mr. Jiang : )

Regards and Cheers.

Howard Choy said...

Hi Leegiat,

I am not a "Xiao Qi Gui", I don't go where I am not welcome. Meek broke his own rule just to mute me, it is not the righteous behavior of a fair host. You know you can alway write to me direct via email.

For the scientist on metaphysics in you, a good book to read is one just written by my friends, Dr Michael Mak and Dr. Albert So, "Scientific Feng Shui for the Built Environment - Fundamentals and Case Studies" published by City University of Hong Kong. It has a forward by Drek Walters.

And for a general interest on HOW Feng Shui works, I have post up my final summer camp presentation in Poland with the title "The Inner Workings of Classical Feng Shui - What is classical Feng Shui and how it works in practice".

You can download the pdf file here:

http://fengshui-college.org/poland

It is a big file so it will take a minute or so to show up. Everyone is welcome to take a look and let me know what you think.

Sorry Joseph, for not addressing you direct but you are always a part of the conversation.

Regards,

HC

Joseph Yu said...

Hi Howard,

Long time no see. Thanks for inspiring me to write another post. However, I have to address the issue of "proving" that Feng Shui works first.

JY

Joseph Yu said...

Hi Leegiat,

According to records, Jiang Da Hong was short of money to buy a piece of land with good Feng Shui to bury his mother. That is why he could not make himself a king or duke/earl.

His claim I quoted actually referred to the importance of choosing the right direction for facing of a tombstone. This has to be accurate to get the auspicious fenjin: 分金差一线,富贵不相见。

JY

Howard Choy said...

Hi Joseph,

I look forward to your "proving" that Feng Shui works, after all you do run a Feng Shui research center.

Also, this saying 分金差一线,富贵不相见。("Mising one line in fenjin and one will not see prosperity.") in my opinion, should not be taken literally, because the instruments used in the olden days were not possible to be so accurate.

It is meant to highlight the importance of being as careful and as thorough as possible in auditing, measuring and analyzing a site. Besides there are more than just orientations to consider, we have to take into consideration the form and configurations of a site as well as the human characters and fate involved, and in these areas we should be as thorough and as careful as we can as well to do a proper job.

So we can also say 形勢差一點,富贵不相见 (one little difference in form and configuration and one will not see prosperity) or 性命差一質,富贵不相见 (one little deficiency in the human character and fate and one will not see prosperity).

So the outcome is not so simple and deterministic as just in the accuracy of measuring one "line" ("xian" 线).

HC

李杰 said...

Dear Howard,

Just kidding, wanted to use Xiao Wan Dong instead : )

Sure, I will write to you if I m going anywhere nearby you. I ve been keeping tab thru your facebook and blog on your location.

Thanks Howard for the pdf which I am sure readers here would like to have a look too. Also for readers here, let me repost what I wrote elsewhere for the scientists:

"In my opinion only, 'Chinese Metaphysics is not a Science yet as Science have not progress to a level to understand it.' It is like explaining to a monkey on the need of fork and knife to eat when the hand can be used" : )

Thanks Master Yu for your further additional information. Interestingly, Taiwan Famous Master Zeng Zi Nan of Xie Zi Fa (lineage claims of from Master Jiang Da Hong) attempt to do it for his son, Zeng Wang Jun (the name Jun Wang inverse he picks for his son refers to a governor and so forth)

The latter went into politics but unfortunately did not make it, getting less than 1000 votes at his first and last attempt and fade into obscurity. This despite Master Zeng having audited his own grave and buried there after his death.

Its great having an intellectual(Art) discussion with both of you rather than a scientific (Progress) one.

Cheers.