13 Voices

Outlook 2012: The Black Water Dragon

2012-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

Its another New Year again! Welcome to 2012.

They said that this year marks the end of the world. Do you believe them?

Does it matter if it is really the end of the world when you have lived life to the fullest each and every day?

Live today right.

You may download the Outlook 2012 in our other website: www.onetreeconsulting.com or www.onetreefengshui.com

Enjoy...

Outlook for 2011!

2011-01-31T18:39:00.000-08:00

Time flies. It has been one year. We learn much. Truly there are big fat wolves in sheep's skins preying on the weak and innocent. I am glad we saw through those lies and deceptions.

We are active again in OnetreeConsulting.com and OneTreeFengShui.com. We have compiled an 'outlook for 2011' and hope it will bring a different insight/perspective for the year.

In late Feb/March, I will write on my failed resolutions. These perhaps helped me wise up!

I am glad that the betrayal in my chart is over and done with. BaZi does not lie but the way it manifested itself is amazing.

Ultimately, to seek success, one must accept the fact that there is no compromise for hard work, sincerity and respect.

We wish all a very Happy Holidays!

Common Feng Shui Mistakes

2009-12-18T02:38:00.001-08:00

‘It is bad karma to teach based on what people say and not based on personal experiences and empirical evidences’

Face reading

Eyes belong to Li Gua therefore eyes belong to the fire element. Wrong.

Nose belongs to Gen Gua therefore nose belongs to the earth element. Wrong.

Mouth belongs to Dui Gua therefore mouth belongs to the metal element. Wrong.

You must first know the difference between Gua and element. These are some of the wrong information that was taught.

Flying Star

This is a divination technique. It is used to predict events happening in a given location and in a given year. It is NOT a Feng Shui technique. It uses the dynamic elements and not the static elements.

Xuan Kong Da Gua

This is a date selection technique, disguised as a Feng Shui technique. It doesn’t matter whether you are using water or fire to activate. Date selection techniques can produce results but not in the Feng Shui way. Choosing the right date to match will create results.

Direct and Indirect Spirit Locations

Did the classics say the above are split between the Periods 1, 2, 3, 4 and the 6, 7, 8, 9? While reading the classics, please differentiate among the author, the annotator and the interpreter. They were different people from different backgrounds, mindsets and eras. The annotator and interpreter often do not convey what the author intended. These are assumptions.

When you plan to continue in the Feng Shui studies, please get your foundation right.

Producing Immediate Results?

2009-12-14T04:46:00.001-08:00

Yes, it is possible. Otherwise why was it known that Great Grandmaster Yang produced results within hours [寅葬卯发]? He was that great. However with all the recent self promoted ‘Grandmasters’ title, the word is either abused or redundant.

If producing immediate result is not possible, why bother learning Feng Shui at all? You are asking to be conned for wanting to learn more Feng Shui after you have not seen results as promised. These ‘Grandmasters’ are not responsible for your ignorance because you choose to stay on.

What do I mean by results? If your child failed in his grades, use Feng Shui to up his performance. He should be within the top 10 in class after placing the pagoda/water features/crystals in his Wen-Chang[文昌位] position. You may try saving a marriage with a pair of mandarin ducks as recommended in many websites. If these placements work for you, it is your good fortune. If not, move on… These are specific performances that must be achieved if agreed upon. As practitioners, we must first try it on ourselves; see the results as promised, before you go out in the world to try it on your clients.

How about seeing a shop up their sales by 30% after you did a Feng Shui audit for results or create a fully packed restaurant? If Feng Shui cannot make a stroke victim recover and walk, don’t waste time on Feng Shui. Stick to the medical route. Obviously the genuine art of Feng Shui is lost.

These are all possible results. If not, what are all the practitioners doing all these centuries? Conscientious practitioners will follow up to as many times as required and record each and every case to make sure the Feng Shui applications create the desirable results.

Architecture Marvel, Feng Shui Nightmare?

2009-12-09T22:59:00.001-08:00

I attached these very interesting pictures of a building in Japan. At the first glance, I thought it was a mass mover. It actually has an encased highway passing thru the building! They must have difficulties going round the building. Or the building was meant to build over the road. Perhaps the road was there first.

Is this good or bad Feng Shui? It is commonly taught that this is bad Feng Shui. It is like an arrow piercing through the abdomen. I guess this is where the theory of open book shelves becomes Sha Qi [Killing Force] comes from. I assure you that this is crap theory.

Practicing Feng Shui is likening to an investigator. You need to investigate if the building has a full occupancy rate or there is little demand. When the occupancy is full, are the companies doing well? The result speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Good Feng Shui must tally with good results.

When practicing Feng Shui, you cannot take any given answer for granted. It must be proven. Every answer comes with a sound fundamental. You have to ask for the fundamentals to the answer or search the classical texts for some reasonable explanations and then think and think and think… to find out how it work.

That is how I learn Feng Shui.

Yearly Feng Shui Audit?

2009-11-28T20:52:00.001-08:00

This question lingers on the mind of every believer in Feng Shui. Not that you cannot audit your house’s or office’s Feng Shui yearly but because it is really unnecessary. You require a Feng Shui audit only when you are facing a series of unfortunate events; business becomes bad; or starting out a business; or when there are health issues. Specific Feng Shui deals with specific requirements. When you plan to do ‘General Feng Shui’, it can only mean that the Feng Shui practitioners must up the capacity of the said subject.

A good Feng Shui house works wonders for everyone living in it. It has everything to do with harnessing the energy. It really has nothing to do with placement of ornaments. Once your house or office has harnessed the right energy, you need not do any more Feng Shui audit until there are constructions in your vicinity that may affect the energy flow. The truth is that simple.

The sad truth is that there are many apartments with many restrictions from the management that nothing much can really be done. Therefore selecting a good unit from start is the best prevention.

Sha Qi [杀气] 2

2009-11-21T20:53:00.001-08:00

Sha Qi or loosely translated as ‘Killing Force’ is one of the negative vibes in the art of Feng Shui. It can be visible or invisible but it does extreme damages to a family unit if not properly taken care of. It can be directed to one member or the whole family. It can bring down a whole company. Not that our forefathers were unwilling to teach; if the art goes to the wrong hands, it is detrimental. Just look at the mass commercialism rampage in the current market. You can only sigh! If only carrying or displaying a jade carving would make you rich; the merchandiser is first to benefit; the salesperson would keep it and not sell anymore; work becomes redundant… even well trained doctors cannot assure you longevity.

Sha Qi depends on the location and the direction around the building. The most potent are those you can see when you stand at your door; and that includes your back door and balcony. Therefore the Sha Qi usually comes from the external environment. So you can be rest assured that open book shelves do not emit Sha Qi. This is one of the silliest creations I have heard. The other concern is beams in the ceiling. All high rise buildings have beams. Beams are not Sha Qi. It is just oppression. Not all beams cause oppression. It depends on how the beams are distributed within that space. Yes, you can sometimes sit and sleep under beams. Otherwise the tiny apartments in Hong Kong cannot be slept in. Yet these are the most hardworking entrepreneurs.

Examples of Sha Qi obstacles are pylons, abandon buildings, stagnant pools of water, foul smell, howling winds, wind gaps, and sharp edges. So is Effiel Tower a Sha Qi obstacle? Sure it is. It is a pylon, isn’t it? It would be plain ignorant if you say that it is not an obstacle because it is beautiful. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Unfortunately, nature is unbiased in her judgement. Now, it is your duty to find out why the Parisians are not affected by it negatively. We shall discuss that in the next instalment.

Inauspicious Dates

2009-11-07T20:50:00.001-08:00

Please avoid choosing the below dates for any major activation. These are least beneficial dates:

1. 13 Nov 2009 Friday

2. 12 Dec 2009 Sat

3. 15 Dec 2009 Tuesday

4. 21 Dec 2009 Mon

5. 24 Dec 2009 Thursday

6. 27 Dec 2009 Sunday

7. 2 Jan 2010 Sat

8. 5 Jan 2010 Tuesday

9. 13 Jan 2010 Wed

10. 18 Jan 2010 Monday

11. 8 Feb 2010 Monday

The governing stars are unfavourable. There are some hours that can be used but unless you are an expert in date selection technique, it is not advisable to start renovation or officiate any openings.

Renewing Qi

2009-10-29T02:32:00.001-07:00

From our experiences verified through our clients’ cases, Feng Shui can renew the personnel make-up in a Company. It is like the Universal reshuffling the portfolio in her invisible ways. The suitable people will come and fill the job. The others will find suitable job elsewhere. Employment offers will come in different ways.

In one case, two employees finally resigned after a long internal political struggle. The Company heaves a sign of relief. The atmosphere is friendlier and people spent their time in more productive ways. Another Company feedback to us that new people needed to fill very specific role came in rather timely. The role requires an independent individual to have specific knowledge and very keen interest in the project. At the same time, a few people left the employment which is a good thing or otherwise, they would have been made redundant. In this way, it gives stability to the company. On the other hand, leaving an employment may not necessarily be a bad thing because the good energy gives them an outlet or a new platform to something greater.

Employing Feng Shui in business has its perks. Beside the increase in sales, we are also targeting efficiency. People will tend to be more positive and more proactive. People will see greater opportunities not just for the company but also for themselves. Now that the ball is in their court, it is really up to them to do something positive about it.

Our job as practitioners will have to constantly follow up and see how nature fulfils her role when the Yin-Yang balances itself. This is where you know for sure the Feng Shui is working in mysterious ways to bring balance and harmony to an environment.

First Thing First

2009-10-26T09:03:00.001-07:00

I have always loved watching ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ and ‘Criminal Mind’. Not only are the story lines great, you will envy the team spirit. They take good care of each other. I also like the way they pick up the small details. They were so detailed in their investigation. The reason is that they really love what they are doing. It is no longer a job or work but a passion and hobby. This passion is the driving force behind their achievements. Frankly, you won’t get to see this driving force in ordinary people. Why some people are so outstanding even in their quiet ways is because of the passionate driving force. No excuses. When you love and treasure what you have, you really want to do something about it.

You may say that it is only a show. Yes I agree. However you can ‘see’ that their attitude by their professionalism in their work and I believe their commitment to their job reflects the way they live their lives. The actors are so engrossed in their work and they really believe in what they are doing. I believe they treasure their professions and do not take it for granted. Otherwise they would not last so long in the entertainment circle, doing the shows season after season. Many have fallen wayward with drugs and booze.

You found your reason for not performing?

An Interesting Date Selection

2009-10-26T01:29:00.001-07:00

It is easy when you select a date for anyone else because you can be very objective about your goals. However when you try selecting an auspicious date for your own office’s ground breaking. It is almost nerve breaking.

The classic date selection techniques by our great ancestors as recorded in the classic manuals are so skilful that they predict a sequence of events following the ground breaking. The date I selected predicted fire and rain; followed by sunshine among the dark clouds; then the Phoenix will rise and the white crane will pass by. Wow, how could those events manifest in our modern time?

Our contractor was early on the appointed time for the breaking of ground. The moment he hammered into the ceramic tiles, sparks flew. I asked him if this is normal; he said no. In fact it was a first time for him. A few minutes followed and suddenly there was a gushing of water from the air conditioning pipe into the bathroom. We assumed it may be a reaction from the 3 strikes into the ground. Within 6 minutes, it drizzles for a while and the Sun came out.

We were on the lookout for the white bird; not expecting any white crane or phoenix. There were birds chirping but that was from the Myna birds. Then we saw this huge gunny sack leaning by the original door that marked ‘SongHe Thai Fragrant Rice’ with the design of a white crane nestling on its leg. We had a good laugh but it was amazing to see how nature presents herself. In Xuan Kong context, it could be my Thai Master delivering me a message.

After a while, we moved on to the newly created door to discuss on the final look for the main door. The we saw the ‘Golden Phoenix Triple ‘A’ Fragrant Rice’ in red print by the door. Well, we should not take it too literally but it revealed a lot of what our ancestors were capable of. Date Selection for specific purposes will also help activate specific results.

Understanding Five Elements [2/6]

2009-10-22T03:12:00.001-07:00

The Element of Fire

The universe is made up of the fundamental energy of the Five Elements. The Five Elements should be viewed as one component. They are inseparable. The Five Elements must co-exist for them to become productive and useful. The concept is the same as the principles of Yin-Yang.

The nature of fire element is the spirit of enlightenment 元神. It frees the mind from entanglement and the spirit from bondage. It defines nobility. The enlightenment does not relate to spiritualism but the awareness of the dimensions of nature. Fire embodies the rising energy of passion. It governs the energy of the tongue, sweat and blood [arteries and veins]. Its dynamic element represents the Sun.

There is a great confusion among practitioners with regards to the Element and the Gua. Gua is part of the Element. Element is the energy while Gua is the image. You apply Feng Shui applications using the energy while you use Gua for divination and prediction.

Taking Li-Gua 离卦 for an example: It is only one small representation of the Fire element. Eye and blood are associated with Li-Gua because of the pictorial images and representations. Eyes are not governed by the fire energy. Eyes are governed by the wood element as in the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In the Li trigram-the middle Yao is a Yin line meaning a broken line. The top and bottom Yao are Yang; Yin is dark Yang is light. Therefore it is the image of an eye.

Li Gua is represented by red colour similar to the fire element. Therefore Li-Gua is associated with blood because of the colour representation, not by the energy. Blood is governed by the water energy as understood by Chinese Physicians.

These gross misinterpretations arise because of the crossing teachings between San He and San Yuan. The introduction of Xuan Kong Feng Shui further complicates the issues. This is one of the main reasons why Feng Shui no longer seems to work.

Feng Shui Attitude

2009-10-11T18:20:00.001-07:00

The western countries are doing well the last two centuries without the influence of Feng Shui. Yet in the last 20 years they are embracing Feng Shui with open arms. However, the Chinese from the Asia Pacific regions has Feng Shui as their daily bread for centuries, yet Feng Shui is not as respectable or well acceptable as in the western countries. That is ironical, isn’t it?

The fact that many corporate companies are not ready to disclose their use of Feng Shui as an added advantage clearly speaks for itself. Many businesses do not include Feng Shui as part of their overhead costs is disturbing.

I believe these stem from the unprofessional practices and the association with spiritualism that make Feng Shui unattractive. Feng Shui has sadly been commercialised, trashed and abused.

We are not treasuring the precious knowledge that has been passed down. I have heard the usual complaints:

1. ‘The knowledge is being kept in the lineage’

Fact: The knowledge is all around us. All the places you patronised that did well, did you ask yourself questions that may lead to an answer? Did you meticulously record all the differences and try to decipher the consistent reason for their successes from the Feng Shui point of view?

2. ‘The Masters kept the information to themselves’

Fact: Are you sure they have the information in the first place? Check the audits they do and see if there is any consistent result with every case. The theories are all in books. What we want from the Masters are the applications and the results.

3. ‘Chinese classical text is difficult to decipher’

Fact: This is the greatest excuse. There are capable translators and interpreters. It beats paying for a class that sell you wholesale copied and translated works of other authors for a fortune.

4. ‘Good teachers are hard to come by’

Fact: You are your best teacher. The system of Observation, Recording and Analysis is your greatest strength. You are just not maximising it.

5. ‘Not sure if the knowledge is authentic’

Fact: Authenticity comes from your verification. What have been taught may be wrong from the start. Whatever you learn, verify it from the text and your application. When your applications do not show results, verify with your teacher and your books. When the teacher becomes evasive, or curb your curiosity, move on.

At the end of the day, it is you who decides when you can access the information. Unfortunately, the laziness in us is the greatest hurdle. This article reflects my thought on the lifestyle philosophy of the Vietnamese:

Waking up at 7am is late for anything.

Look like we have a long way to go.

Choosing Good Feng Shui Books

2009-09-28T04:03:00.001-07:00

My sincere thanks to all students who wrote in to enquire about the classes. My heavy schedule comes from corporate business Feng Shui which demands very specific performances. Most of these business people have high expectation demanding an average overall performance of 20% annually. Our Feng Shui just has to show the positive results. This takes time away from preparing a well thought class which may takes months. To prepare last minute work is grossly unfair to the students. Every class is different because of those questions asked and those changes in the examples. Questions are important because they stimulate thinking. A good teacher encourages thinking through questionings.

Much time is required to prepare a proper syllabus for conducting a class or writing a book. Copied and translated work from Chinese books robbed the authors their rightful earnings. Compiling translated work from different Chinese books without assessing the contradictions serves to confuse more than educate.

A good Feng Shui book serves to educate or challenge. It must be well researched with sound foundation. Sources must be quoted and with respect to authors and contributors. Feng Shui theory must be based on the classics stating the title and chapters, quoting the statements or verses and verifying the authentic authors. Bibliography is compulsory. No new theory is necessary in Feng Shui. This is the fundamental ethic of an author.

In the name of commercialism, new age Feng Shui books are so rampage. The authors are so creative that the ideas do not have any basis in the Feng Shui classics. The elemental understanding is basically restricted static objects. They insult the intellects of the modern world while laughing their way to the banks.

When we say classics, we mean Feng Shui texts before the Qing Dynasty. The rest are just commentators and most of the time incorrect in their analyses. We cannot trust the Feng Shui book from the Qing Dynasty era because we do not expect the Han Chinese to release any valuable information to the Manchu people. Moreover the Qing’s Feng Shui techniques are more aggressive in nature because of their warrior nature and mindset. Their compilations of compendiums were just a maze of flowery poetry and rhythmic verses without the key to unlock its secret.

For any serious practitioners, the classic texts you need to read and understand to practice Feng Shui usually consist of simple bare truths- Yin-Yang and the five dynamic elements. The important books are 葬书/葬经Burial Book; 青囊经the Green Pouch classic; 青囊奥语 The Green Pouch Annotation; 天玉经 Heavenly Jade Classic; 玉尺经 Jade Yardstick Classic. Amazingly, these books are applicable both for San He and San Yuan interpretations.

Specifics of Feng Shui Auditing

2009-09-27T00:23:00.001-07:00

Given the worst surrounding landform, a properly Feng Shui audited house should see tangible positive results within 6 months. That is the time frame. Feng Shui does not take years to produce results. Neither does it take generations. For that matter, Feng Shui is used only for producing good results. That is the only logical reason for engaging the services of a Feng Shui consultancy firm.

Any Feng Shui methods [be it San He or San Yuan] should yield tangible positive results. Understanding the coagulation of Qi helps to bring in crowds whereas the tapping of Qi encourages the spending power of the consumers. These are the specifics when you audit for a restaurant, hawker stall or a café. You enhance the production work flow when auditing a central kitchen or an assembly line. You must up the overall grade and standing when you audit an educational facility. The students benefit. An educational facility with smaller capacity will attract only average performing students yielding average grade. Feng Shui enhances the capacity of the facility encouraging average performing students to excel.

Feng Shui is not restricted to rich and wealthy. You work with what is given to you be it bad landform, poor background or low education. Feng Shui helps you leap from one platform to another higher platform.

This is the reason why Great Grandmaster Yang Yun Song can work wonders for the poor. We should not make any more excuses.

Understanding 5 Elements [Part 1/6]

2009-09-22T09:18:00.001-07:00

五行者，本乎天地之间而不穷者也，故谓之行。

The Five Elements [五行 Wu Xing] are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These are the static elements that are so commonly associated with objects and ornaments such as trees, flame, earthenware, iron and water fountains. These are mere representations of objects but they are not the gist of what authentic Feng Shui is all about. Just as the twelve animals are used to represent the twelve zodiacs, it is nowhere near what the twelve zodiacs mean. The purpose of using static elements and animals is to help the layman understand these seasonal phases and time.

The Five Elements, literally translated is ‘Five Movement’. In other translations it is referred to as ‘Five Phases’ which is more appropriate than ‘Five Elements’. Xing 行 in Chinese means movement, travel and shifting. These ‘elements must move’ before it can be dynamic. Therefore to understand the real essence of the Five Elements, you must understand how it moves. Only when it moves, then you will find effectiveness in the applications. Static elements will remain as that: static.

The next time you use Five Elements theory, make sure it moves.

Sha Qi [杀气] Transformer

2009-09-20T10:29:00.001-07:00

This is obviously a Sha Qi or commonly known as Killing Force. Why is it that this Sha only affects this shop and not the others around it?

Sha Qi is technically straight piercing Qi. It is not sentimental. That is why it is detrimental when it is located right in front of the main door. Sha is perhaps one of the most misunderstood element in Feng Shui. What you see around your house that is ugly and piercing eg: abandoned buildings, high tension pylons and barren mountains, it is just a Gua image, not necessary a Sha Qi. It tells you an event that may happen during a certain period based on where it is located. It is truly a Sha Qi when it is right in front of your main door.

In this picture, not only is the transformer a Sha Qi but the narrow lane across the road is causing much damage. It is causing fights and arguments.

The next time you get a new place, look straight out of the main door and make sure there is no Sha Qi.

Emerging Nan-Chang, China

2009-08-31T22:19:00.001-07:00

This is one of the important stops in our China itinerary. It is located in the South East sector of China, an hour flight from Shanghai. It is a special place because the River Gan 赣江flows from Southwest to Northeast. The other river that is unique is River Nile in Egypt which flows from South to North. You will realise that the ‘unique reverse directional’ flow affects the way we do Feng Shui.

A simple reason for River Gan to be flowing from Southwest to Northeast is because the higher ground is on the Southwest location. It was taught that the Period 8 Indirect Spirit location must be lower ground in order to garner wealth. Nan Chang must be doomed then. That is not so. Nan Chang is an up and coming city with one of the highest spending power. The business climate is exciting and the economy is booming, despite the negative sentiments.

One observation is that their local Dio Coffee Club is within 10 minutes walking distance from each other. They are able to conquer the country’s market share even an international brand would envy. Their local duck delicacy by the brand name of 绝味[the pinnacle of taste] gets me hooked up even though I am a non-duck person. These and many others business brands originated from Nan Chang.

So much for violating Period 8 Indirect Spirit in the Southwest location with highlands; it simply says that the theory is not sound. In the spirit of learning, one must question the validity with real life cases and the consistency of producing the same results with the same application.

Action speaks louder than Words

2009-08-29T23:46:00.001-07:00

“When you cannot deliver, it is wise to shut up”- Anonymous

Are your Feng Shui audits delivering positive results as promised? Effective results speak loudest most. Less talk more work. It should be evident in our Feng Shui. Like charity, Feng Shui begins at home. Is your own Feng Shui bringing in work for you? It must if you claim authentic Feng Shui. Are you still criticising and condemning others to look good? You should not if you claim you have substances. Are you still at that same level of insinuating in search of work and praise? You should not when you announce you are turning over a new leaf. Or are you simply finding excuses for your failure and incompetence instead of working and focusing hard to deliver results through empirical evidences?

These are stop checks to see if we are on the right track. Whatsoever, my writing this paragraph could be a simple waste of time because you may also be focusing hard on going down with your enemy. In that process, nobody wins. It is still your choice. Born loser, sour grape, betrayer and insinuator are the natural repellent of good Feng Shui as our results and statistics reveal.

My constant worry is always about inconsistency both in results and focus because the responsibility is huge. When clients put their trust into our hands, they also put the job security of all employees at stake. We know and experience the powerful effects of Feng Shui, when correctly applied. The reverse is true.

Engaging China

2009-08-29T23:42:00.001-07:00

We were engaged for some audits in China. I was writing a number of my experiences for my blog only to realise that it is not accessible in China.

My first observation is their work attitude. I am amazed at the way they work. Anything that needs to be done is immediate. They understand speed so they know how to make it happen. Once decided, there is no procrastination or hesitation; there is only single mindedness and they are very focus. That is survival instinct. This is a general culture among them. In other societies, this would be a rare commodity or special gift found only in successful people.

My second observation is that they are street smart. They are intelligent yet practical. Feng Shui is relatively new to them yet they are not bought by the hype of ornament placing or colourings. They measure and observe before they place their trust in anyone. I observe that this is a skill born out of a tough environment.

My third observation is that they are thinking people. It is about how they think and why they think; not what they think. That makes them competitive and stronger. I observe this from the way they ask questions. They know how to position themselves regardless of the conditions. The exciting part is how they position themselves in an unfavourable condition. It is not what a school curriculum can teach.

It is not wrong to assume that they will be the unwilling world leaders.

Matter of Timing

2009-08-16T03:47:00.001-07:00

Much has been spoken on the art of Feng Shui. Producing the desirable tangible results is indeed challenging and this is a constant struggle for most practitioners. Ensuring the consistency of each application is unheard of; despite its history having span centuries. The proper Feng Shui application will produce good successful results while the incorrect application will yield nothing but failures. You cannot depend on good luck alone for your businesses as good and bad luck have their cycles. It is therefore not necessary to do your Feng Shui once a year. Once you have selected a prosperous site and apply the correct principles of Feng Shui, there is no longer any worry about the Star 5 and the Star 2. It will become good.

The lesser known part of Feng Shui is about its timing. Every application has a timing attached to it, be it correct and wrong application. When you place a water feature in the middle of the bedroom, you will experience sleepless nights. When your gas pipe to your stove is directed from the wrong direction, you will experience immediate loss of wealth. When your door is tilted to ‘facing outgoing water’, you will experience immediate catastrophe. That includes having the prosperous Star 8 at your door.

Likewise, when you align your door, bed and stove correctly, you will experience a positive change in attitude, more wealth creating opportunities and robust energy. These are the reasons why many people wanted a Feng Shui audit for their new houses. So these should be the results owners can expect to see after a period of time. The question then is when.

As I have often said, doing it correctly, you will see results in few days to 3 weeks. When the landform is not supportive enough, the result will probably manifest in 3 months’ time. When there are continuing construction and renovation within the near vicinity, give it 6 months.

Regardless if the environment is good or bad, there must be results and results should manifest within 6 months. That is the assurance.

Our brand of Feng Shui requires a one-time audit till there are constructions or renovation in the Tai Sui and San Sha locations.

Godliness

2009-08-08T03:35:00.001-07:00

A good friend has just returned from a short term monkhood practice. Obviously he enjoyed it. He is planning for a longer 3 year stint in the near future. What particularly caught my attention was that he relayed that his Master mentioned the Feng Shui belongs to evil forces. I was amused. I asked him if his Master is a practitioner of the art. He is not sure. I wondered what his basis for such a comment is. I reckon he must have come into contact with some bogus practitioners. It is indeed sad that this is the view held by a respectable spiritual Master. I do not think that the art and science can be evil but I believe perhaps it is the intention of the practitioners and the way the art and science are manipulated that makes it evil. I can live with spiritualism and commercialism as long as they do not hurt anyone physically, emotionally and spiritually, including himself. Unaware to many, the very misconception of the art of detachment caused much pains to themselves and families. Monkhood or the like should come with the blessings of the family. The first people to get hurt are perhaps the parents.

Godliness is not just about chanting, praying, doing your rounds of alms or rituals; it is about how you treat others. The fairness and consistency in your dealing with people around you reflect greatly your attitude towards godliness. Treat others the way you would like them to treat you. It is about attitude not piousness.

Coming back to the comment from the Spiritual Master, perhaps he does not know the weight of his speech may deprive another human being the chance of better health and relationship through the scientific art of Feng Shui. I rather he does not comment on something he does not know or has not personally experience the workings of Feng Shui. I would not blame anyone for associating bogusness and religion with Feng Shui given the commercialism and unethical practices commonly seen today. The hard sell tactic of instilling fear is a major injustice done to the art of Feng Shui.

From Doctors to Physicians and Spiritual Masters to Chinese Metaphysic Masters, it is all but a title. Nevertheless it is not about the knowledge, the charisma, the age nor the piousness, it is simply what comes from the heart.

Evangelizing Feng Shui

2009-08-07T09:51:00.001-07:00

We genuinely want to share with all the effectiveness of Feng Shui because it is an amazing art passed down by our ancestors many thousand years ago. It gets us so hype up whenever it shows results that is measurable and tangible. It is not just a ‘feel good’ thing. Sales went up; sick gets healed; study performance improved; speedy recovery in marriage breakdown and change in attitude; these are testimonies we received each time we do reviews. We do many reviews just to ensure the results are consistent.

We want to give all practitioners faith in the consistency of the art and that Feng Shui is truly workable just by harnessing the energy. Faith is the art in knowing it delivers. There is no water feature or wind chime to place in the house; no ornaments to buy and no rituals to follow. We have enough empirical evidences to ascertain that Feng Shui is a scientific art. It works wonder.

However I was concerned that the thrill to share and convince may sounds like bragging. I think it is a greater sin if we do not share that joy. Like the mindset of all evangelists, the truth is so infectious that you need to pass it on. We want all to see the light of Feng Shui in its proper form as a scientific art.

The Ice-Cream Man Can

2009-08-07T09:18:00.001-07:00

Remember the case we nicknamed the ice-cream man in my earlier blog? Last month we went back for a major Feng Shui makeover. We just learnt from him that his business has improved since last week. We were very happy for him. At least it is a start for better things to come along and I am sure of that. That is how tangible Feng Shui results can be.

Five of us spent a whole day there with the family and contractors during the Feng Shui makeover. There were about 7 workers. One retired bricklayer, an old friend of the family, came over to offer help building a wall. That is touching. That is what friends are for; to stand by you when you need them in times of difficulties. Obviously the ice cream man must have sincerely treated others well before misfortunes strike. We heard of his flight when we were doing Feng Shui audits in Batu Pahat near where he stayed. We also understand that he has been a very charitable man. He was doing well previously but you will never know what happens tomorrow. I believe many other friends were helping him in various ways. I knew a good friend was helping him with a bank loan.

The moral of the story perhaps is to remind us to be humble when we are doing well and treasure our friends by helping them with encouraging words always. Those who let pride gets into their head and treat their staff, colleagues and friends as a means to generate wealth will probably live a very lonely life because of the fear of losing their money! Even in moments of betrayal, we ought to be gracious. Instead of scheming to bring down your competitors, concentrate on improving your standards and knowledge.

Even if you feel that someone has wronged you, send them your blessings. Be gracious.

Fated or fate by choice

2009-08-06T00:11:00.001-07:00

风水界跟武侠片或武林界有点类似。仇恨，争霸，踢馆，争名夺利，是是非非都是免不了的事。好戏剧化噢。奇怪的是前辈们也不可能不晓得‘和气生财’的简单道理吧。

我们的祖先精创了无敌的风水术，为国民的将来带来了新希望，制福制富。可是还有千千万万的平民连三餐都吃不饱。为何呢？难道人的穷通就由命运控制着吗？常言道，一命，二运，三风水，四积德，五教育。天注定的命就没得改吗？那到是很不公平耶。没好命，就等于运与风水都不好吗？那倒不是。

如果命不正，运不佳，上天给了我们风水术，就是要我们用风水把我们的格局提高，让运的质量升高。好让我们有祸福的选择。

如果再不行的话，我们也可以用其他的原则。所谓积德，也就是有钱出钱，没钱出力的道理吧。其实能伸出一双温馨的手和一颗关怀的心，已经是一件难得的心意。

教育不是用文凭来衡量，而是反应我们的性格与人生观。欺善怕恶是企業世界内常见的景象，是意志低能的人做得到的吗？还具有諷刺意味的哦。所谓教育，是讲究我们对人对事的心态，而不是单单从学校学来的知识文化。以现在现实社会的票准，只是一个悲字。

Healthy Living

2009-07-29T03:14:00.001-07:00

I have known this auntie for more than 10 years. She lives on a ‘strictly vegetarian’ no meat diet for the last 20 over years. It could be for health or religious reasons. Recently I was told that she has stomach cancer. What irony! It was obvious that diet alone does not guarantee good health. I believe good exercise, and mental and emotional balances play some very important parts in the maintenance of good health.

The art of longevity is one of the 5 arts of Chinese Metaphysic. It emphasizes on the maintaining a healthy heart through proper diet, movement of energy within and meditation. Proper diet, though generally vegetarian in nature, refers to the way food is cooked. Boiled and steamed food without chemical enhancers are preferred. These may include stews and meat as in the Tibetan traditions where vegetables are in short supply and intolerable chilling temperature. Exercise moves the energy within. It may be Qi Gong or jogging. It enhances the Qi flow within the body. Meditation clears the mind and helps to focus. This helps us let go of any unnecessary burdens weighing us down. The art of detachment is not about avoiding or quitting any attachment. Rather, it is about acknowledging, accepting and confronting it yet we are not affected by the emotional changes evolve round it. Meditation takes away grudges and anxiety. These emotional entanglements rot our physical and spiritual well being. This is the trigger factor for bad health.

The philosophy behind the vegetarian diet lies in one of the 8 precepts of Buddhism that is the act of killing. This is to instil a sense of non-violence. While the intention of the precepts may be good, the act cannot be justified if the heart is not righteous. One can ‘kill’ with verbal insults, visual insinuation and mental instigation. That is the essence.

www.justbegood.net

Another Good Book

2009-07-23T02:05:00.000-07:00

The Imperial Guide to Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology: Thomas F. Aylward

This is another credible book to recommend with lots of transliterations and quotes from the classical texts. I am impressed with his works on the ‘Treatise on Harmonizing Times and Distinguishing Directions’ [钦定协纪辨方书].

I enjoy the way he verifies the Chinese way of thinking which is rare in English Chinese Metaphysic books. He demonstrates his understanding of Chinese cultures and various nuances of the Chinese language. He provides us a valuable window on the past and more importantly, the tenacity of inherited beliefs and practices.

The work by Mr. Aylward has full and illuminating discussions of virtually every major concept associated with the cryptic classic, from yin and yang, the Five Processes, the Luo Shu and HeTu diagrams, the Ten Heavenly Stems, the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Twenty Eight Constellations, Najia, NaYin, the Eight Palaces, and Early and Later Heaven Sequences. It is his explanation and references, together with the Compilers’ notes that make these concepts acceptable and practical.

The difficulties you may encounter are the terms used here. For example:
Sun = Xun = 巽; The Five Processes = Five Elements = 五行; Mutual Conquest Sequence = Countering or Controlling Cycle; Art of Scheduling = Date Selection/Divination; Art of Positioning = Feng Shui; Received Stems = NaJia; and Received Notes = NaYin; 28 Lunar Lodges = 28 Heavenly Stars [constellations] amongst others.

Another difficulty is the translation of the Chinese character using HanYuPingYin. Putting in the Chinese characters alongside the HanYuPingYin would have helped us identify the words.

There is no reason not to have this book in your library.

A passage from Jiang Yong [1681 – 1762] commented on cosmic correlations:
‘The HeTu, Luo Shu, Trigrams and Hexagrams, and all the individual lines all emanate from the same source, they reflect common trends, and are mutually interactive; hence concepts such as gougu [a traditional system of triangulation] and chengfang [multiplication squares] in mathematics, the five sounds and six notes [五音六侓]in music, the positions of the Seven Heavenly Bodies in astrology [天文], the NaYin and NaJia systems of the Five Elements, the resonant and pure consonants in phonetics, the Principles and Vital Breaths of the Luopan, the DouShou and QiMen methods of the Day Selection experts, and even the foundations and principles of medicine- including the five movements and six breaths of heaven and the veins of the human body- all emanate from HeTu, Luo Shu, Trigrams and Hexagrams and Lines. ‘ -Abstract simplified from Foreword by Richard J. Smith of Rice University.

www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com

p/s: The book costs me S$41/-

A Good Book

2009-07-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

Students asked me to recommend some good English Metaphysic books. I honestly cannot think of anything that is really trustworthy. The source is doubtful. For example, nine out of ten books said that the eyes belong to fire element. That is because of Li Gua [离卦]. Now that is Xuan Kong not Yin-Yang five elements. Although fire element and the eyes are represented by Li Gua does not mean that the eyes equate fire element. The eyes belong to the wood element. The nose as earth element and the mouth as water element are also incorrect as they are Gua image, not element. Is that something new to you?

Perhaps a good book for English speaking community who are interested in the origins on Chinese Metaphysics is ‘Li, Qi and Shu [理，气，数] : An introduction to Science and Civilization in China’ by Prof. Ho Peng Loke. This book is good for fundamental studies. It is not selling a collection of various formulae and tables. The research is in depth and he gave good references. He explained quotations from the Chinese Classical Literatures within its context correctly rather than throw a few titles of the classics to impress. He obviously knows his work well. He is very intellectual and he approached the subject from an academic point view.

“The first part of this valuable introduction to Chinese culture covers not only these three important concepts of ‘Li, Qi and Shu’ but also Yin Yang Wu Xing and Yi Jing. Part Two considers the development of Chinese mathematics, its Golden Age, and its decline; Part Three covers astronomy, the cosmology schools, calendrical science, and astrology; Part Four focuses on alchemy, magic and the search for immortality, elixir poisoning and other topics.”

He has three other books which are pretty heavy but the source is well explained. His writing on ‘Chinese Mathematical Astrology’ is impressive. In fact he was talking about 3 of the most important divination skills that have lost their real essence in today practice. The other two books are his in depth research on Chinese Medicine.

Good books are hard to come by.

www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com

p/s: I bought the book for S$21+

Feedback

2009-07-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

On one hand it was thrilling to get a positive feedback from a client that the expected event has happened but yet on the other hand, we hope that it has not happened or prevented as in the case of a divorce, miscarriage, business failure and sickness. That is our irony of reading Bazi.

Bazi reading is to help us make informed choices. Yet the reality is that people adhere to the belief that destiny is fated. They expected it to happen so it happened. They are conditioning it to happen. That is the sad part.

In the same light, you can condition good things to happen using positive thinking and expecting it to happen. But there is a fine line between expecting and daydreaming. One works for it to happen while the latter waits for it to happen.

Tilted Doors

2009-07-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

We travelled for the fifth time to visit a family in Johor, Malaysia to do corrective Feng Shui. They have their main entrance tilted to face the double 8s in 2008. They installed a huge fountain in the direction of the double 8s so as to activate the prosperous wealth star. Within half a year, the mother passed away, the youngest son become withdrawn and the daughter struggled emotionally. The two elder sons have sleepless nights. The family business floundered. I can only empathize with the father and his stress.

Our initial assessment indicates that the events started in 2007 during the Ding Hai Year. It was worsened with the activation of the double 8s with the huge fountain. That was the main cause of their problems because it does not conform to the surrounding environment. Flying Star Feng Shui is not so safe after all.

There are 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City but not one room has its door tilted. You do not see tilted doors in any of the structures that housed the majestic tomb of the Emperors. That speaks volume from the land where Feng Shui originated.

Walked!

2009-07-05T00:17:00.001-07:00

A prominent figure was down with multiple strokes in late 2006. After a series of tests by medical specialists from Asia and States, he was declared bed ridden for life with only the eyes being the functional organ. All other alternative means were sorted but he remained bedridden.

I offered my help and this is what I do. The first process is to stimulate the nerves and enhance the production of bone marrow. The second process is to strengthen the muscles so that he can exercise. The third process is to stimulate the brain cells for coordination. The last process is to help him with his clarity.

The first and second processes were implemented with a bedroom with attached bathroom. This bedroom lies in the Northeast sector of the house. I used a bedroom located in the Northwest sector of the house for the third process. I was told the sickness star 2 was there in 2008. It is not important to me.

The results: He is now walking with some help. His voice is loud indicating very strong lung power. I am currently working on his coordination and clarity.

We can do amazing things with Feng Shui.

Claypot Fun, Anyone?

2009-06-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

Rice is a staple food of the Asians but good quality rice is hard to come by. You recognize good quality rice not only by the regions it come from, but by its smell, puffiness and whiteness. It gives you a sense of warmth of a family when it is cooked. I did not realize that simply cooking rice can be an art. The heat, the amount of water and quality of the rice must be control within a certain timing to assure the firmness of the cooked rice.

This eatery in East Coast Playground, formerly Big Splash, perfected the Claypot rice by working on the rice. Surprisingly this Claypot rice does not use black sauce. The special mixed light sauce is uniquely different in favour from the usual heavy black sauce. I enjoyed the meat biscuit with salted fish Claypot rice and the chicken and mushroom Claypot rice. The Chef’s recommendation, Chinese sausages Claypot rice, is laden with Hong Kong flavour.

I am not exactly a fan of rice but this keeps me eating. In the course of my work, not only do I get to do the things I love most, I get to learn the inside story from the specialists of their fields first hand. That widens my horizon.

Cause and Effect

2009-06-25T03:52:00.000-07:00

Besides working hard on the things I like to do, I am also spending a lot of time in understanding the philosophy of Buddhism. Amazingly, Buddhism like Feng Shui is not a religion. It is a way of life. Buddha never said ‘worship me’. It is unlikely also that He created a place like Hell or any element of suffering. Whoever tells you that God punishes sure have some explaining to do. Good parents do not create suffering for their children, do they? They may discipline but I doubt they condemn. It is all about cause and effect.

A good person should never insinuate on the pretext of warning others. The clear intention is to put oneself on a higher pedestal. The cause and effect will deal with it in due time. Every evil intention is a cause for effect to follow. Intention comes from the heart. People may misunderstand our good intention but as long as we are genuine, clarification is not needed.

To exercise gratefulness to the hands that feed us is one of the greatest virtues. To bite the hand that feeds us and turn around to pretend not knowing that person is morally sinful and unbecoming as a human being. Though this may be the norm of the society, it does not necessary need to be a part of us.

We call these political mind games but I think it is just an excuse for our weaknesses in confronting challenges. It is much easier to push blame than to look truthfully at the reflection in the mirror of our heart.

I am guilty of that along the way. I am glad true Buddhism opens my heart to that understanding.

Decision Making

2009-06-25T03:46:00.000-07:00

‘Every man is the architect of his own fate’

Destiny reading using Bazi or Zi-Wei Dou-Shu forewarns us of what is ahead and hopefully help us be prepared for it. If opportunities are going to strike in the next couple of years, we make sure we are ready when they come. If illness is foretold, we watch our diet and exercise. Fate is in our hands, it is how we mould it. Be better prepared than we need to be.

We blame fate for all our misfortunes but we always forget fate lies in our hands. We are given free choices. Our choices depend on the decision we make. There is no right or wrong decision as long as we do not cause harm to ourselves and others. There are only good and bad decisions. The decision gives us an experience in life. Rather, it is how we manage this decision that matters. All bad decisions heal with time. We must come out wiser.

Investment : Property

2009-06-25T03:41:00.000-07:00

‘What’s right may not always be popular; what’s popular isn’t always right’

In Singapore, there is a popular deferred payment scheme for purchasing new apartment to entice buyers. You just need to place an initial deposit of perhaps 5% followed by a 10% when the apartment is ready for occupation which usually takes three years. It is very tempting indeed. Many wannabe investors would plan to sell their investment for a neat sum of money just before the apartment is completed. Going by the current economic outlook, it is tough re-selling a property for profit. Rental is equally challenging.

Unknown to many young investors, there is a clause that states buyers and owners may need to top up the difference if there is a drastic drop in valuation of a property. Assuming you loan S$800K for a S$1m property from a bank. When the bank valuation of that property went down by 30%, there is a possibility that you may be asked to cough up the difference of the S$100k in cold hard cash! Please be careful when committing to a loan.

Though the conveyances law in Malaysia is more humane, never commit to an instalment of more than 50% of your minimum income. Do not put all your cash into your property purchase. Remember to set aside spare cash. Do not over commit.

Investment : Tradings

2009-06-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

I am a moron when it comes to investment involving trading though I audited one of the top security companies on the island. My understanding is simple. You put your monies into these types of investment after you have set aside your retirement funds and when there is enough left over dollars for investment. It is not about putting your hard earned savings hoping for a quick and higher yield. This is called risk, uncalculated risk. You may be advised to buy ‘blue chips’ for long term investment. But there again, does the principle of ‘buy and hold’ always work? I do have my reservations.

When you observe successful fund managers, they have ‘risk controls and sell’ disciplines. We called ‘calculated risks’. They never hang on to a losing stock or commodity position. The fact is that the institutions account for more than three quarters of the global stock market volume. They have vast resources and deep pockets. Their job is to make more money! The question is ‘out of who?’ Somebody got to lose.

You are not ‘burnt’; you are helping somebody else getting richer.

Happiness and Sufferings

2008-12-23T03:28:00.000-08:00

Many pursue happiness but what they need to know is that happiness is already in them. They just need to exercise it. Greed, jealousy and desire are the main obstacles. Happiness is not a destination or a goal. It is about doing good and avoiding evil. Be ambitious but not at the expense of someone or harming someone in the process. Aggressively promoting yourself is fine. We call that marketing. But to promote oneself by plagiarising others’ intellectual rights is not something to be proud of even if no one is aware of that.

I find it a little disturbing when one talks about the preparation they did for the future lives. Don’t live for the future. Live in the present. That is why it is pre-sent. You reap what you sow; the sowing is now. The cause you are doing now. The ‘reaping’ will take care of itself.

One thing I know for sure is that God cannot be the creator of sufferings to test us, as claimed by many, nor a place for sinner called hell of eternal burning. That should not be god, but another sloth like us. Suffering is a manifestation of what we do wrong or not being happy with what we were given. This is commonly called karma or kamma, the manifestation of cause and effect in this present life.

Even in Buddhism, the cause is living this life well, the effectiveness of future lives depend on it. The art lies in contentment.

Wisdom

2008-10-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Reflecting on the past 50 years, wisdom indeed comes with age. I am still discovering and realising the essence of life. Having chased after the wealth, status, good food and branded materialism, nothing beats the trust of a true friend, the occasional call from a beloved one or the silent approval from a wise one. Materialism is transient. However the materialistic ones will never get it.

It is so sad to see some people, in their pursuits for wealth and status, make use their friends, students, masters and comrades to attain their objectives and forsake them as soon as they no longer serves their purposes. They do not appreciate the intrinsic values of relationship. Feng Shui is not like that. It is an art of wisdom. Feng Shui is not just about the planetary positions and their influences on our life, but it is the philosophy of life. It is about respect; respecting the source you drink from and the hands that feed you. It is about nurturing the young who are in your care. She should not try to oust her spiritual master when he refused to feed her hunger for power; he should not embarrass his instructor maliciously when trying to protect his humble beginnings; he should not encourage his marketer to maledict other masters while hiding behind the veil.

Likewise with food, the bird-nest soup, the shark fin meal and the abalone dish may be the finest; but nothing beats the familiar Mom’s cooking or the traditional Wan Ton Noodle. Those who have been there and done that would understand my sentiments.

Simple BaZi Thoughts

2008-10-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

It was taught that Output star equates wealth because Output star creates wealth. That is the philosophical explanation by Bazi scholars. However, can output star create wealth when it is negative? That is the problem with most interpretation in most classical text. It is often a one sided interpretation. In fact when Output star is negative it can only cause a loss of wealth. It can never create wealth when it is negative. It is talking about a bad investment, a failed start up, a quick temper person and an outspoken characteristic.

In the course of your Bazi studies, you need to question the followings:
1. How do we know if the Officer star is good or bad in a chart?
2. When is the Officer star good and when is it bad?
3. Can a good Officer star turn bad and vice versa?

It is often said that you do not mix the Officer and 7 killing stars [官杀混杂], what if the Officer and 7 killing stars are good? Then what is the problem with that?

The Singapore Flyer

2008-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Flyer is a rotating wheel equips with observation capsules in the Marina Bay area similar to the London Eye. It gives you a panoramic view of the island from west coast to the east coast. The Wheel sits on a beautifully designed shopping mall with a rainforest landscape under the Wheel.

There were complaints of bad businesses and was said to be due to the west to east rotation of the Wheel away from the business district centre. Upon the advice of some Feng Shui Masters, the Company spent a 6-figure sum to have the Wheel rotates from east to west so as to bring Qi into the business centre. This is to help create business for the shopping arcade in the Flyer Building. We shall await the result. I doubt you will see much changes.

Meanwhile let us examine the scenarios. Firstly, capsules do not carry Qi. If they do, then vehicles would do the same. The vehicles that leave the business district centre would be carrying Qi away on a daily basis. Secondly the centre of the building is not stable and Qi cannot settles down. Thirdly the Yin-Yang of the building is completely off balanced. Fourthly, the heart of the structure is not contained. Fifthly, the overhead bridge link with the car park is not beneficial to the complex.

The saving grace is that the entrance to the Wheel is located on a good sector of the Building. It helps maintain a balanced account for the Company. More needs to be done for profit.

Riding Sheng Qi

2008-09-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

HeTu and Luo Shu are the Map and Book of Feng Shui practice. These are the fundamentals that are derived from the interaction of Yin-Yang. They are the horizontal and vertical expressions of Qi movement. These are the basis of Yang Gong Feng Shui.

Yang Gong Feng Shui simply equates authentic Feng Shui in the Chinese Metaphysic World. However, everyone now claims to be practising Yang Gong Feng Shui. True Yang Gong Feng Shui is about riding on Sheng Qi which is prosperous Qi. If Feng Shui is about Sheng Qi, it really has nothing to do with dead Qi. In order to ride, you have to sit on it, don’t you? That is why sitting is always more important than facing. So Feng Shui is about riding, not activating. When you ride on Sheng Qi, the effective results are immediate.

Xuan Kong Feng Shui talks about activation. It is based on the 3 cycles 9 periods and the 2 cycles 8 periods calculations. The art is to activate the active and current prosperity stars. It has nothing to do with riding Sheng Qi. Hence, it should be used as a date selection technique.

Unfortunately, both Yang Gong Feng Shui and Xuan Kong Feng Shui are so thoroughly abused that the original gists are kept so secret and can no longer found in books.

Crap Feng Shui?

2008-09-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Xuan Kong studies developed in the late Ming Dynasty and became prominent in the Qing Dynasty. It was the [Manchu] Qing period that Emperor Kang Xi compiled all the information on Feng Shui on the pretext of unifying the ancient knowledge.

Could you believe that the Hans [Chinese] would gladly deliver the secret Feng Shui manuals to him on a silver platter? I doubt so. The Emperor later disseminated the manuals to the fellow countryman for prosperity. I would not be surprised that he had altered the manuals and released fake copies. Could you imagine the Manchu release the genuine Feng Shui books for the prosperity of the Chinese? It is highly impossible. The manuals were so badly watered down, so don’t be too happy if you have one.

What happened then to all the Feng Shui manuals? Of course, as commonly depicted in Chinese history, they have their way to perpetual their knowledge. The Knowledge is currently safe with the pact of the 13 families who escaped before the fall the Ming Dynasty. One thing for sure, the Qing Emperors received crap manuals, practising crap feng shui which is so common nowadays. Much ado about their grave for nothing.

Wise up.

Understanding BaZi Clashes

2008-09-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

One of my clients was troubled because she has Chou earth clashing Wei earth in her Bazi chart. In traditional Bazi terms, it was always said to be a sign of cancerous cell and more likely the cancer of the stomach. She has this worry for some time now and she has also gone through checks to ensure that she can do something about it when it is discovered early. Till now, nothing was detected.

Looking at her chart, I could not find any indication that she would have cancer. I believe it is too generic to pin point an illness based strictly on a clash in the chart. Likewise for all the other five types of clashes. A Yin-Shen clash does not necessary mean a car accident as commonly taught. A Zi-Wu clash does not indicate heart attack. A Chen-Xu clash cannot always be an earthquake or stomach ache. A Mao-You clash is not necessarily related to cervical issues. A Si-Hai clash can be dangerous only if one of the two branches is your Useful Star. A Chou-Wei clash may not be cancerous after all.

My research cases on cancer patients do not reveal anything concrete about cancer associated to clashes. Most earth clashes look innocently normal. A combination can be the cause of all your troubles. What you must identify is whether the branches and stems involved are the Protective or Useful Stars. Clashes among the positive and negative stars are interpreted differently. Clashes can be for the better.

Bazi is a very practical art. It is not about creativity. It is the skill of understanding each of the stars and their characters, and the platform they operate on. There is no generic. The next time someone mentions ‘beware’, tell him to mind his own business first.

Surviving the Forum

2008-09-04T03:41:00.000-07:00

The purpose of a forum is for exchanging information and experiences and hopefully, in that process, everyone benefits. Unfortunately that is not the case in the open/public forum of most Chinese Metaphysical websites. Instead it is used to ‘bicker and insult with all due respect’. I understand the zealousness of these young protégés.

The greatest sin perhaps is to impose our ‘right theories’ unto others in the forum. No theory is correct until proven so through experiments and documentations. It is tedious but necessary. Whichever method or theory is fine as long as they yield results in a reasonable time frame of say, 3 months. When activating a wealth star 8 through water feature, wind chime or a symbolic ornament, we should rightfully demand to see at least some wealth creating opportunities and it should be the same effect each time the wealth star 8 is activated.

To be able to quote from the Chinese classical text is great but to interpret it is another matter altogether. We need to remember that the quote may be correct but the interpretation is just an assumption based on the interpreter’s understanding, not the original writer. Therefore the interpretation can be wrong unless otherwise, supported by empirical evidences.

There are those who used others’ thoughts and writings in forum to further their own agenda without due credit to those they copied and imitated. There are also those who insinuate and character-assassinate their way to popularity.

Respect and forum ethics are important. Otherwise, it becomes just other political game of power and money, status and fame, greed and self preservation. It is indeed the greatest irony of mankind to see a man of god killing another fellow human being in the Name of God and they all claim to be serving the same God, whatever or whoever that is in their heart. These have become a common observation in this modern world.

About BaZi

2008-08-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

There are many schools of thought in Chinese Astrology. Bazi or Four Pillars, being one of them, shares the same sources but they are so divided because of different interpretations. More often than not, the interpretation is not even tested. The Earth was once thought to be flat. When each theory is tried and tested, the results will speak for it. The same interpretation should tally in real life, perhaps with a little variation.

It is time to pick up ten Bazi charts of unfamiliar people and simply read the characteristics of those people. When your method is able to correctly pinpoint the characteristics of seven out of the ten people, then yours is a viable method. You can go back to read the charts after a month. You should be able to identify the same characteristics without the need to remember what transpired during the last reading. You will know that your foundation is sound when you can correctly analyse the characteristics with the same method, not relying on memory of any previous conversations.

Honesty, shrewdness and obedience are three good characteristics to start with. The method should enable you to differentiate honesty from loyalty; and shrewdness from cunningness. You cannot say that a suicide bomber is not obedient and loyal. Neither can you say a person is ill discipline simply because he has no Authority Star in his chart.

When you understand these, you will realise that Bazi is no longer about good and bad charts.

God's Work or Man's Choice?

2008-08-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

It was an irony to me when someone complained that God as merciful as he/she is, permitted the Si Chuan earthquake, the Tsunami and Hurricanes. God is love and believes in free will. Is it the work of man?

I believe Planet Earth would be a more pleasant place to live when the countries stop their nuclear testing deep into the ground in the name of science. It may be the cause for the tectonic plates to shift resulting in earthquake and landslides.

When will the industrial revolution contains their emissions of poisonous gases in the name of progress? The truth is that it only makes those few wealthy fellows richer. They trapped the workers in polluted environment in the name of job creation.

When the existence of the tsunami warning system was revealed in the aftermath of the Aceh Tsunami, why wasn’t that shared with the less developed countries before it happened? It could have saved some unnecessary loss of lives. Ultimately, the developed countries have their own agenda to look after first.

We know they will not stop their relentless drillings into the Earth for rock and oil money in the name of exploration. After exploration, they leave behind giant holes in the ground without any regards to environmental erosions. It is a matter of time they make these giant holes into tourist attractions. These are business opportunities in the name of tourism.

I doubt the business crooks would stop the illegal dumping into the rivers and streams to maximize their profits. They forget that their families and relations may feed on the seafood or swim in the beaches they so willingly polluted.

The amazing forests that take away the carbon dioxide we breathe out are commercially felled or burnt for agriculture. Unfortunately many of these forests are not replaced. Even if there is replacement, the rate of felling and burning far exceeds the growth. The area of forest is getting smaller. We chose to mercilessly eradicate those that produce the oxygen for us.

Perhaps when we all do our part;
The tectonic plates would not shift;
The tsunami is nothing more than a textbook lesson;
The dormant volcanoes will not be awoken;
The glaciers may never retreat;
The weather is more predictable;
The mountains will remain green;
The river will not be poisoned;
The plains would not flood;
And the land would not slide.

My 15 minutes walk across town is now a 30 minutes drive. Should I thank progress and development?

Little Thoughts

2008-08-12T03:16:00.000-07:00

We witnessed the passing of Grand Master Zheng Zi Nan of the San Yuan School at a ripe age of 100 years as he has so predicted. A certain amount of his famous ‘Xie Zi Fa’ would probably be lost with him. We also mourned the loss of well known Miao Pai Grand Master Chen Pei Sheng recently. We would also expect his most respected experiences in Xuan Kong Da Gua to be lost in transition. While GM Zheng has the procedures of his burial clearly stated in writings to his followers, not much can be said of GM Chen. We hope for their returns to guide the Feng Shui world in mind and spirit. We salute their greatness.

I will be writing more articles and hope this will help enrich your knowledge. Should you have any specific questions and topics that you would like me to shed some light, please forward them to me. I will research them further to see if I can paint a clearer picture for all to understand. Feng Shui is so commercialised now that every practitioner carries the title of Master. Only if these Masters understand a little more of the Luo Pan other than the 24 mountains ring.

I have done away with the forum as it is being invaded by non students. Students can still forward their homework and questions to me for verifications. Bazi is a never ending learning process and please keep on working on it.

I want to do away with many of the Feng Shui theories that sound good only in books. All theories must be practical. I will express them in my website. When you embark on a Feng Shui journey, make sure what you learn can be applied immediately especially when they are stand alone theories. There is no point in doing an audit without any results. Results are part of the applications. I will be also in search of a lineage to share with all, minus the politics. Lineage has such closely guarded traditions and vows. It is one uphill task.

Geshe Zopa, the anointed spiritual leader of LDC in KL has gone into retreat after tendering his resignation. It was said in the chat box of Geshe Zopa blog that the demand of his resignation came from the current Executive Committee. Did the ExCo first seek the permission of the office of the Dalai Lama for the demand? If not, this is the insult and non respect for the Holy Authority who anointed him. The finger pointing, banging of tables and shouting are so unlike the nature of worshippers. Mixing feng shui with politics and worship reveals the hidden intention of the pretentious.

Like the recent sagas of NKF, Youth Challenge and Ren Ci, it is sad that places of worship and charitable organisations with the best of intentions can never be freed from the clutches of politics, power and money.

I register my support for his return and vision.