Feng Shui
Published February 11, 2010
I’d like to try and explain; as a “foreigner,” Asian resident, and enthusiast, about this lifelong work-in-progress inter-cultural mindset development which I have pursued for two decades. Feng Shui is basically an environmental science and its origins are rather simple, actually. It is based on an interpretation of the natural world which enabled the Chinese to create efficient agricultural systems and also the study of the movement of heavenly bodies in order to determine the passage of time, going back to ancient days.
As you might be inclined to expect, the elements of this practice spread out from China to the rest of the world, with beliefs altered to fit into local traditions and customs. As part of this historical transformation and cultural evolution, folklore and superstition grew up as well, encircling the whole concept. With the ancient Chinese able to preserve the abundant and highly complex information in a written form, all societies have been able to retain the knowledge embracing Feng Shui, with occasional twists and turns in different disciplines.
In China it underlies all aspects of life, from foods and nutrition, to medicines and healthcare, even to exercise and artistic forms of expression. As practiced today, Feng Shui gives us advice on how to develop and sustain environments in which a person, family unit, or workplace feels comfortable and giving life. Opinions vary as to how to properly practice Feng Shui, given the diverse components ascribed to simple common sense attributes for one’s daily existence, or through the continuum all the way to more exotic, Traditional Chinese Feng Shui methods. Many try to make sense of this by just dealing with problem areas in our normal lives, while many connect to the energy of the spaces around each of us with the goal of bringing about desired changes.
Whew, that was a bit much, for a simplified explanation, but is part of the learning process, right? We are all on the go, modern living and unpredictable lifestyles leave most of us minimal time to pause and seriously reflect on the effects of our surroundings. There is an increasing awareness that some aspects of technology, materials used in developing personal and occupational infrastructures, along with pollutants released into the external environment (I like to call these not just compounds in form, but also verbal and social pollution…), leave lasting damage to our health and the planet earth.
Before you call me or others crazy – and some of us respectfully disagree on what is relevant to this kind of discussion – come on, bear with me here, let’s think through this. As a species, we have the capabilities to advance science at amazing speeds and build upon living standards that are indeed most incredible. And yet, we as the human race seem more devoid than ever before of being able to properly connect to others, to social compatibility, spiritual enlightenment, or fulfilling psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. We hear every day that the world is “spiraling out of control.”
These anomalies of so-called modern living are becoming increasingly destructive with a large number of folks turning to different approaches to living, in order to attempt to redress the balance. Part of Feng Shui involves giving people the opportunity to achieve health, happiness, and well-being through living in harmony with our environment. Nope, I am not necessarily talking about humming and chanting while sitting cross-legged either! I grew up in the industrial midwest of America, and all of this was a tough pill for me to swallow, too. Then again, after seeing what Chinese medicines can actually do, acupuncture, and all of the rest, it is not a stretch to become – if not a whole-hog believer – well at the very least a supporter of trying these things on for size. My goal has been to interpret Feng Shui for today’s world without straying from the underlying principles. Just about every business, engineering, and interpersonal business decision that I have to make in running a company, does for certain somehow involve at least an elementary grasp of Feng Shui
It is virtually impossible for me here to try and interpret skills and total understanding, which only come with many years of practice. This blog is intended to provide a glimpse of insight into this mysterious cultural belief system. Its core principles are useful in creating a nurturing, life-enhancing cozy space for our lives, homes, offices and working environments, gardens, and recreational venues.
Luck, Destiny, and more
The Chinese have a saying, “First, luck; second, destiny; third, Feng Shui; fourth, virtues; fifth, education.” Although Feng Shui can be a powerful force in shaping our lives, please never consider it a cure for all ills. We also understand than Yuan Fen and luck play a significant role accompanied by personality or karma, as it is called. By the way, Yuan Fen means in Chinese “fate,” or “serendipity.” I have a beautiful hand painted calligraphy of this saying done for me by the most famous Chinese artist in Shanghai, quite possibly in all of China. A different story for yet another day, maybe.
The single factor which sets Feng Shui apart from other philosophical systems (see, I keep calling it a “system.”) is that it has the capacity for change built into it. Most living standards, codes of conduct, and inter-personal systems have evolved from similar principles; understanding the natural world played a fundamental role and natural phenomena were believed to be penetrated with a spirit or deity. Where these systems became established as religions, the deities were worshipped, but Feng Shui has remained a philosophy and can be utilized in virtually any culture alongside any belief set of values.
Feng Shui uses formulae which determine the rising and falling energy in a given time span of an individual or, for example, a house. Perhaps the most common perception many of us have had involves determining the person’s best location within a home for a living room or office, the optimum placement of beds and desks, etc. This is probably what is most commonly known about Feng Shui, the orderly and fortuitous placement and positioning of windows, building frontage, facilities’ content – such as a fountain or waterfall – to bring about harmony, good fortune, a healthy and tranquil living environment. Many Chinese consult astrologers annually to further refine this, so that every activity with in the year can be pinpointed accurately and undertaken at an auspicious time. The general philosophy of Feng Shui is embraced by people who are aware of the impact that their surroundings have on them and feel the need to take action to improve their lives. Architects in Asia, often times endorse Feng Shui, either at the client’s insistence or as part of the overall design considerations of a project. It involves not only external design considerations, but also interior spaces; the use of colors, fabrics, materials, and positions of furniture. Even in the garden we can determine the best locations for the different activities we intend to pursue there, but we also have to take account of the plant specimens and their needs, which are equally important if the environment is to thrive.
Ancient people regarded the heavens, the earth and themselves as part of one integrated system. This holistic view of life persists in many cultures, within their dietary considerations, where health and medicine, eating and lifestyle, are the route to salvation, and are all interconnected in one ecological endeavor. The Tao, or the Way, is the underlying philosophy of Feng Shui. It shows us how to order our lives to live in harmony with ourselves, each other, and the natural world.