TEOFS - Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Why is it that some places emit a sense of well-being and peace and others a feeling of unease? How can it be explained that some families or businesses seem dogged by bad fortune and others blessed by success? A feng shui master would not hesitate in his reply - the forces at work in the land and in the cosmos may be in harmony at one place and in chaos at another. If the orientation of a building clashes with the contous of the land, the flow of a river or the direction of a road, if the position of a front door or a piece of furniture blocks the flow of ch'i, the life-giving energy, it is usually a matter of course that misfortune will follow.

 Feng shui is not a matter of luck and is more than a system of omens. In the west it is considered a bad omen to walk under a ladder and there is little that can be done about it; in the east it is bad luck to have a tree planted directly outside the front door but something can be done to counteract its effects. Instead of being passive recipients of fate those who believe in feng shui can actively shape it. In the words of Stephen Feuchtwang: 

 The truth of the matter is that omens tell only of the workings of fortune itself, and the Chinese have, of course, their share of such omens too, while feng shui purports to be a way of manipulating luck. What is especially interesting about feng shui is that its is very much more like a system of beliefs, supported by expect practitioners of feng shui who have at their disposal a vast literature and the tools of their practice.

For the Chinese feng shui has traditionally been a way of life. It is both an art and a science that has influenced the shape of Chinese cities, palaces, village and cemeteries. It is a force alive in the environment and as long as we follow its flow, which is also the flow of the universe, the Tao, we can achieve the three great blessings; health, happiness and prosperity. Futhermore, extreme steps are not usually required to achieve this harmony. A well-positioned door, tree or aquarium filled with goldfish may be enough to improve your fortunes. 

  Feng shui literally means 'wind and water'. These are the elemental forces which shape a landscape and also have the hidden power to affect human fortune. They are at work everywhere and in many forms, particularly in the flow of ch'i and in the balance of yin and yang. Ch'i is continually on the move, condensing, evaporating, inhaling and exhaling. If it is blocked by the position of a door of a building it can cause disaster but, by contrast, it can also evaporate in a space that is too open. Yin and yang are opposing forces in a continual state of flux and tension. They represent female and male, light and dark, water and fire; they are in everything that exists and changes. Since the feng shui expert is familiar with the flow of ch'i and the balance of yin and yang across the landscape and through buildings or cemeteries he can advise on planning or identify the source of bad luck in an existing building.

  Knowledge of feng shui is not, however, the prerogative of the feng shui master. Although he has a more detailed knowledge of the mysterious workings of the universe through Chinese arts and sciences, there are practical principles which anyone can follow. Many involve common sense, others are learnt, and others involve intuition (see chapters 5-8). For example, a house on low-lying ground is likely to be flooded during heavy rains or a tree planted too close to the house is likely to affect the foundations. This is bad feng shui. At other times the view from a building may be pleasing to the eye and provide a sense of well-being. That in itseft is positive feng shui.

  Feng shui is often referred to as geomancy, more popularly known in the west as 'earth magic', but feng shui in fact embraces more than western geomancy. It is not only part of everyday life, catering for physical comforts, for mental well-being and financial security but also harnesses far greater cosmic forces that it is believed affect the universe. Through the use of the compass the feng shui expert aligns human activity with these forces (see chapter 3). Feng shui is now becoming increasingly popular in the west as a development of traditional western geomantic practices and is considered to add a more sympathetic dimension to the relationship between people, structures and their environment. While most people outside the Chinese community would find it strange to pay for the services of a feng shui expert as well as a surveyor before buying a house, it is not unusual for businesses in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to pay for such a survey.

  The outward signs of feng shui are still most obvious in Hong Kong and Chinese communities throughout the world. Many Chinese hang a ba-gua, a small mirror surrounded by lines known as hexagrams, outside restaurants, homes or offices. Its purpose is to deflect bad fortune that may be caused by the position of the fornt door or the direction of the road facing the building. Sometimes the mirror alone is not powerful enough to deflect bad fortune and wind chimes are also hung in the doorway since ghosts and spirits fear their sound. 

  If the mirror or chimes are not sufficient to resolve bad feng shui, structural alteration may be necessary and many business or families are willing to carry the cost of expensive alterations. Even before a building is constructed in Hong Kong a feng shui expert is naturally part of the design team. When the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank was built it was the tallest building in the area, a sign of authority; it was facing north, a favourable direction for this site; it had the protection of the hill known as the 'Peak' behind and the good fortune to be on a slight gradient that let down to the wide, open space of the harbour. Meanwhile, the Bank of China was building a new bank nearby and had delayed the construction until work on the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank was complete. To assert their authority over the financial transactions of Hong Kong, their building had been built slightly higher than the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. The feng shui of the neighbouring buildings also deteriorated since it was believed that the sharp corners of the Bank of China were like daggers dicing their businesses and the reflective windows turned had fortune back on to its neighbours. To avert further bad luck and to protect clients and staff, the managing directors of neighbouring office blocks hung ba-gua mirrors or small pridents on the outside wall of their office to stave off the effect of the sharp corrners. A third office block, to be called Central Plaza, is currently being built on Hong Kong island. When it is finished it is intended to be the tallest building on the area, at least another floor higher than the Bank of China, and will symbolically have financial dominance over furrounding business.

  Once you are familiar with the basic rules of practical feng shui, there may be no need to call in an expert. He or she would say that if you believe in the power of feng shui and know where to look you could not only reverse your misfortune, but also improve your mental and physical well-being. For many the power of feng shui is a matter of life and death and they believe that careful planning could possibly avert tragedy.

  When Man-Ho Kwok, (the co-author of this book) lived in Hong Kong, he knew of a married couple who had lived happily for more than fifty years in their farmhouse in the New Territories. They had raised three sons and two daughters. Their daughterss had married and gone to live with their in-laws; two sons had also married and brought their wives to live in the farmhouse. Between them the sons had three grandchildren, and when a third son was djue to marry the parents realised they couldn't offer the new couple their own bedroom. Determined to keep the family under one roof, they arranged for an extension to be built to the right-hand side of the house. The extension was completed within a month and immediately after their marriage the youngest son and his new wife moved in. Three months after their marriage the youngest son was electrocuted when he was trying to fix an old electric fan. Three months later, the second son died in a road accident and a fortnight later his mother fell seriously ill. She was rushed to hospital but it appeared that Heaven could not help them and she died on the journey. The father could not believe that in the space of a year he should lose three of his family and griefstricken he turned to his friends and neighbours for help. Although the feng shui of the house had been assessed before it was built, the neighbours suggested a feng shui master should visit once again to identify the source of this misfortune.

  When the feng shui master arrived he drew out his compass and carefully checked the main door, and every room in the house. The positioning of the rooms and furniture was perfect and the master was puzzled. He checked the back of the house where the pigs and poultry were kept and once again the reading appeared to be excellent, even the hill behind the house protected the family not only from the bad weather but also from misfortune. He moved to the front of the house where he came across the extension and then he knew why the family had suffered such tragedy.

  'Knock this extension down immediately', he ordered. 'This is the source of your unhappiness. The spirit of the White Tiger resides at the right-hand side of your house and the spirit of the Green Dragon on the left. Since you have built the extension the Tiger has become so powerful that the Green Dragon can no longer control it. The Tiger is now free to roam your house and to consume there who live there'.

  The feng shui master pointed out to the family that this structural imbalance would always bring misfortune. They may have had better luck had they consulted the almanac before choosing a day to start the construction or they could have hung powerful charms. The situation would even have improved had they built the extension on the left-hand side of the house, the side of the Green Dragon. He could only suggest that they demolish the extension.

  Not all structural mistakes have such severe consequences as the example above, and can usually be resolved without resorting to demolition or extensive rebuilding. According to feng shui principles, fortunes can be improved by rearranging furniture, changing the internal decor or by small structural alterations in the home or office.

  On a recent visit to Hong Kong, Kwok Man Ho was invited to lunch by a freind who ran a clothing factory. During the course of the meal, the man admitted that his business was in decline and that if trade continued like this he would be bankrupt within the year. He knew his factory was well-sited and for years his business had been flourrishing, but since moving to a new apartment his luck had changed. Kwok Man Ho agreed to visit his friends and after choosing an auspicious day for a feng shui reading from the Chinese alamanac, he arranged the visit. Kwok Man Ho was led into the living room but even before he had a chance to take the feng shui compass out of its case he spotted the source of his friends's financial problems. A door had been built linking the living room to the dining room at a position in the room known as the wealthy point, The good fortune that should have accumulated at this point was disappearing through the doorway and into the dining room. The ch'i or life-giving energy was dispersing in too many directions. Kwok Man Ho then assessed every room in the house using his compass and the feng shui proved to be perfect. THe following day the door was filled in and a new one built further down the wall. Three months later he was invited to a celebratory dinner by his freind who informed him that business had never been better.