What is feng shui?
Feng shui ( Chinese: 風水, pronounced [fə́ŋ.ʂwèi] (listen) ), also known as Chinese geomancy, is pseudoscience originating from ancient China, which claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui literally translates as "wind-water" in English.
What is the difference between Feng Shui and Taoism?
Taoists believed that by balancing yin and yang elements, people can improve the flow of positive chi in their lives and keep the negative chi away. Feng shui is a method of balancing yin and yang, and improving the flow of chi by arranging furniture, decorations, buildings, and even whole cities in a beneficial way.
What is the astronomical history of feng shui?
The astronomical history of feng shui is evident in the development of instruments and techniques. According to the Zhouli, the original feng shui instrument may have been a gnomon. Chinese used circumpolar stars to determine the north–south axis of settlements.
Is feng shui a science or a pseudoscience?
In the culture of the West and in the United States, most people associate feng shui with a pseudo-science that relates to interior design—deciding how to arrange furniture and such. However, feng shui, which means "wind-water" in Chinese, is a pseudo-religion upon which many people base their lives.
Is feng shui a religion or philosophy?
In Chinese culture, a gentle wind and clear water mean good health and a good harvest. Feng Shui was developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is not a philosophy or a religion. Its object is to understand our relationship with nature so we can live in harmony within our environment.
Where did feng shui come from?
It originated in Chinese astronomy. Some current techniques can be traced to Neolithic China, while others were added later (most notably the Han dynasty, the Tang, the Song, and the Ming). The astronomical history of feng shui is evident in the development of instruments and techniques.
Is feng shui a Buddhist?
Feng shui comes from China where the most popular religious practice is Buddhism. Feng shui is not a Buddhist practice.
Is feng shui part of Confucianism?
The principles of Feng Shui have existed for thousands of years. Pictures of animals and symbols connected with feng shui have been found which date back to prehistory. It has connections to many beliefs, including Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Shinto, and Vashtu Shastri.
Is feng shui Japanese or Chinese?
ChineseFeng Shui (or Fu-Sui / 風水 in Japanese) is an ancient Chinese system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangements and orientation to best take advantage of energy flows to benefit business affairs of occupants in a structure.
What is the basic belief of feng shui?
By definition, feng shui is a practice of arranging the pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world. This is what it means to feng shui your home. The goal is to harness energy forces and establish harmony between an individual and their environment.
Is feng shui scientifically proven?
There is currently no scientific evidence to support that following Feng Shui will have any drastic effect on your wellbeing - the main issue is that there is no factual proof that “chi” exists, and without chi, or active energy flow, there can be no Feng Shui.
Do Japanese believe in feng shui?
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice where you arrange your surroundings to achieve harmony and balance. Feng shui is popular in Japan, and there are loads of Japanese feng shui items out there, including ones that grant good fortune just by setting them by your front door.
What are the 5 principles of feng shui?
The key five elements: The five elements of feng shui are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Their correct presence and placement benefit the members of the house, it stimulates Chi and promotes wellbeing. The energy map of our space, called Bagua in feng shui, decides what is the correct placement of these elements.
What should you not do in feng shui?
If you want to harness all the good energy your home has to offer, avoid or fix these feng shui faux pas—fast.A bed on the same wall as the door. ... A raised toilet lid. ... Mirrors (improperly placed) in the foyer. ... Greenery in the bedroom. ... Clutter. ... A mix of flooring. ... Rushing to decorate.
What happens when you wear a feng shui bracelet?
A feng shui bracelet is worn to activate good feng shui energy in the body. In feng shui, it is believed that the universe is made up of various energies (chi) that influence our experiences in life. Each aspect of human life, such as wealth, health, and relationships, has its own type of energy.
How accurate is feng shui?
All of this sounds beautiful, but what does science have to say about the effectiveness of Feng Shui design? Unfortunately, environmental psychologists who have studied Feng Shui have concluded that there is no evidence that following Feng Shui principles have any measurable effect on human beings.
Is feng shui scientifically proven?
There is currently no scientific evidence to support that following Feng Shui will have any drastic effect on your wellbeing - the main issue is that there is no factual proof that “chi” exists, and without chi, or active energy flow, there can be no Feng Shui.
Do Japanese believe in feng shui?
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice where you arrange your surroundings to achieve harmony and balance. Feng shui is popular in Japan, and there are loads of Japanese feng shui items out there, including ones that grant good fortune just by setting them by your front door.
What are the 5 elements of feng shui?
Feng shui divides the world into five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. If you have a room that doesn't feel quite right, try balancing the elements to make it more comfortable.
What should you not do in feng shui?
If you want to harness all the good energy your home has to offer, avoid or fix these feng shui faux pas—fast.A bed on the same wall as the door. ... A raised toilet lid. ... Mirrors (improperly placed) in the foyer. ... Greenery in the bedroom. ... Clutter. ... A mix of flooring. ... Rushing to decorate.
Where did Feng Shui originate?
v. t. e. Feng shui ( Chinese: 風水 ), also known as Chinese geomancy, is a pseudoscientific traditional practice originating from ancient China, which claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.
Which cultures use feng shui?
As of 2013. [update] the Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest known evidence for the use of feng shui. Until the invention of the magnetic compass, feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe.
How is polarity expressed in feng shui?
Polarity is expressed in feng shui as yin and yang theory. Polarity expressed through yin and yang is similar to a magnetic dipole. That is, it is of two parts: one creating an exertion and one receiving the exertion. Yang acting and yin receiving could be considered an early understanding of chirality.
What is feng shui in Chinese?
Feng shui is one of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics, classified as physiognomy (observa tion of appearances through formulas and calculations). The feng shui practice discusses architecture in terms of "invisible forces" that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together, known as qi .
What is feng shui?
Feng shui ( Chinese: 風水 ), also known as Chinese geomancy, is a pseudoscientific traditional practice originating from ancient China, which claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term 'feng shui' literally translates as "wind-water" in ...
Why do people use feng shui?
In particular, they use feng shui in the bedroom, where a number of techniques involving colors and arrangement achieve comfort and peaceful sleep . Some users of feng shui may be trying to gain a sense of security or control, such as by choosing auspicious numbers for their phones or favorable house locations. Their motivation is similar to the reasons that some people consult fortune-tellers.
When was the feng shui device discovered?
Cosmography that bears a striking resemblance to modern feng shui devices and formulas appears on a piece of jade unearthed at Hanshan and dated around 3000 BC. Archaeologist Li Xueqin links the design to the liuren astrolabe, zhinan zhen, and luopan.
What does religion have to do with faith?
Religion has much to do with belief and faith. When things are not going well, you’re often asked to “trust God’s plan for you” or “just have faith in God.”
Is Feng Shui a religion?
Feng Shui is not religious or superstitious because it doesn’t require faith and is not supernatural. In fact, it is similar to other bodies of knowledge that seeks to understand this world.
What is feng shui in Chinese?
However, feng shui, which means "wind-water" in Chinese, is a pseudo-religion upon which many people base their lives. Feng shui has as its foundation an attempt to identify and line up with "qi" or an energy flow. This is done using laws of heaven (astronomy) and earth (geography). This duality also is reflected in many culturally Chinese ...
What does feng shui mean in the Bible?
Those who use feng shui for home décor use the idea of the "I Ching" to determine which parts of the home are positive/negative and how to arrange furniture and décor. For Christians, the Bible says our peace and harmony is supplied only by faith in Jesus Christ ( Romans 5:1, Philippians 4:4–7 ).
Should Christians rely on feng shui?
Christians should not rely on feng shui to manipulate their environment to produce peace. This takes the place of Jesus. One other thought: the Bible teaches us that our true Home is not of this world ( John 18:36; 1 Corinthians 7:31 ).
Overview
Sources
• Allan, Sarah (1991). Shape of the Turtle, The: Myth, Art, and Cosmos in Early China. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-9449-3.
• Bruun, Ole (2003). Fengshui in China: Geomantic Divination Between State Orthodoxy and Popular Religion. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. ISBN 9780824826727.
• Bruun, Ole (2008). An Introduction to Feng Shui. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521863520.
History
As of 2013 , the Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest known evidence for the use of feng shui. Until the invention of the magnetic compass, feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe. In 4000 BC, the doors of dwellings in Banpo were aligned with the asterism Yingshi just after the winter solstice—this sited the homes for solar gain. …
Foundational concepts
The goal of feng shui as practiced today is to situate the human-built environment on spots with good qi, an imagined form of "energy". The "perfect spot" is a location and an axis in time.
Traditional feng shui is inherently a form of ancestor worship. Popular in farming communities for centuries, it was built on the idea that the ghosts of ancestor…
Traditional feng shui
Traditional feng shui is an ancient system based upon the observation of heavenly time and earthly space. Literature, as well as archaeological evidence, provide some idea of the origins and nature of feng shui techniques. Aside from books, there is also a strong oral history. In many cases, masters have passed on their techniques only to selected students or relatives. Modern practitioners of feng shui draw from several branches in their own practices.
Western forms of feng shui
More recent forms of feng shui simplify principles that come from the traditional branches, and focus mainly on the use of the bagua.
The Eight Life Aspirations style of feng shui is a simple system which coordinates each of the eight cardinal directions with a specific life aspiration or station such as family, wealth, fame, etc., which come from the Bagua government of the eight aspirations. Life Aspirations is not otherwis…
List of specific feng shui branches
• Luan Tou Pai, 巒頭派, Pinyin: luán tóu pài, (environmental analysis without using a compass)
• Xing Xiang Pai, 形象派 or 形像派, Pinyin: xíng xiàng pài, (Imaging forms)
• Xingfa Pai, 形法派, Pinyin: xíng fǎ pài
Contemporary uses of traditional feng shui
After Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972, feng shui became popular in the United States. Critics, however, warn that attempts to prove its power scientifically have shown that it is a pseudoscience. Others charge that it has been reinvented and commercialized by New Age entrepreneurs or are concerned that much of the traditional theory has been lo…