BASIC FENGSHUI KNOWLEDGE: WHAT IS FENGSHUI?

Literally, FENG is Wind and SHUI is Water. In simple terms, it is the observation of the geographical features and man made features of our environment.

In truth, the term Fengshui has no English equivalent, and it is wrong to call it geomancy (which is a prophecy from the pattern made when a handful of earth is cast down), or a Fenghui practitioner a geomancer.

In the beginning, Fengshui application was only for tombs. It is called Yin Fengshui. Later, ancient Chinese had also learned to apply it on buildings and environment for the living, called Yang Fengshui.

Yang Fengshui application encompasses almost every aspect relevant to the building, including its location and position in relation to the entire geography of the area, the position of the building in relation to other surrounding buildings, the shape and structure of the building, the interior layout and partition, the positioning of all the furniture.

In a residential unit, the direction of the main entrance, the placement of the bed and the position of the stove are among the most critical considerations. While for a commercial unit, its position in relation to the entire building, its main entrance direction, the allocation of rooms and desks and the positioning of the cashier counter, if any, are the main considerations.

For the past decade or so, Fengshui is experiencing a renaissance. From an exclusive and secretive knowledge, it has become a trendy application, thanks to modern communication in the global village. However, while knowledge spreads fast in the world today, unfortunately, so does misinformation.

The wrong idea of going for crystals, figurines, and ornaments to improve Fengshui has distorted the true image of the ancient science. It is sad to see some consumers being reaped off tens of thousands of dollars in purchasing Fengshui products, believing that the money spent could bring better luck.

Rather, classical Fengshui is about observing Xing Fa Ri. Xing (Form) is the study of the geographyical features of the vicinity. Landform is formally called Wailuantou, literally, the mountain outside (a building). Fa refers to calculations, on determining the correct orientation and direction, and the nitty gritty of how to make correct use of the space and location in the building. Ri referes to date selections. While we try to harness good physically Qi, we should not ignore the harnessing of aupicious Qi of time, and Ri (date selection) applies when we do renovations, install cures and move in.