Everything In Its Proper Place |
It has come to this column’s attention that there is a revival of interest in ancient studies, particularly those of the Orient. Some of these disciplines, like zen, refer to state of mind and philosophy; others to traditional herbal and medical practice that may seem somewhat archaic today. Feng shui, which is concerned with the location of physical objects and their relationships with one another and with their surroundings, should still be valid and is being taken very seriously by many people. This article will describe how a 3,000 year old science applies to today’s world and can be used in our own lives.
It all started when somebody in China made the profound observation that people are affected by their surroundings. From this observation there developed a set of spiritual beliefs about the arrangement of objects in a space. Violation of these principles can have dire consequences. A New York feng shui authority explained that last July’s scaffolding collapse in Times Square was caused in part by the fact that in a picture on a nearby billboard, the nose of a Concorde jet was pointing the wrong way. Many successful celebrities arrange their homes or businesses in a manner which reflects some of its most auspicious principles, and experts charge real estate agents as much as $200 an hour to erase the negative energy from a property.
In Chinese, feng is wind and shui is water. Ch’i is the invisible energy that surrounds us and is the basis of feng shui. If ch’i flows well, you have good feng shui but if it flows too quickly, or if it flows too slowly, you have poor feng shui. The basis of traditional feng shui is the pa kua, an eight-sided figure with three combinations of yin and yang on each of its eight sides. This figure determines the best orientation for everything.
The Career sector is oriented to magnetic north, and the eight compass points correspond to the following: career prospects; knowledge and education; family relationships and health; wealth and prosperity; recognition and fame; marriage and romantic happiness; children; mentors, helpful people or networking. Everybody has a kua number which determines that individual’s most auspicious direction. The formulas for calculating the kua number and most auspicious direction can be found in any good book on feng shui. This direction is the one you should face while doing the most fundamental things. Orient your beds and chairs to correspond with it, and sleep with your head pointing that way. Always check directions when traveling, even to the extent of taking a compass with you for verification. You can buy a kit which contains a laminated pa kua chart for determining favorable and unfavorable hotel room energies.
Feng shui principles apply to your home, garden and place of business. The following are some examples of cures and enhancements recommended by prominent feng shui authorities:
Hang up a pa kua mirror outside the house, especially above the main door todeflect poison arrows. Such a mirror is even more effective than a mezuza on the door is in bringing good luck to Jewish people.
Use wind chimes in halls to slow down the flow of fast ch’i.
Keep your toilet seat down and keep plugs in plugholes to prevent ch’i being unnecessarily flushed away. It’s important, if your front door faces the bathroom door, to keep the door shut all the time and the toilet lid closed to prevent good ch’i from being flushed away.
Hang bamboo flutes on overhead beams to counteract negative ch’i pressing down on the room below.
Place a fountain or an aquarium in the southeast to activate the Wealth area.
In Arizona the University of Advancing Computer Technology is the first campus totally designed around this philosophy. According to its Treasurer, "The main entrance in the town of Tempe is located in what is called the career space of the pa kua, the library is situated in the Knowledge sector, while accounting and corporate offices bask in the Wealth area. It’s one of the most advanced educational facilities to be found anywhere."
If you apply the principles of feng shui in your daily life, you too may be able to attain the degree of health and happiness and the high standard of living that the people of China have enjoyed over the centuries.