Feng Shui: 'To Feng Shui' Or 'Not To Feng Shui'

By http://spirituality.indiatimes.com

Feng Shui: 'To Feng Shui' Or 'Not To Feng Shui'

Feng Shui began when people had a very different way of explaining the world. They regarded the heaven, the earth and themselves as part of one system. This holistic view of life has persisted in many cultures, especially where health, medicine, food and life styles are all connected.

For them charting the progress of the moon and sun, the movement of the stars and the planets, interpreting different weather conditions etc. was essential as these people depended upon the land to provide them with the means to survive.

The modern city dweller may never actually see food growing or for that matter the night sky with twinkling stars due to the high pollution levels. The modern world has problems that did not exist in the ancient world. However, today we must take these into consideration when studying Feng Shui. In the West, scientific development created different disciplines that advanced in isolation from each other while providing explanations for the goings-on in the natural world.

Feng Shui may be considered the most philosophically formalized of the ancient systems of integrating earth energies with harmonious human survival. The Feng Shui masters have probably said much the same things as other Great masters, but only in more magical terms. Feng Shui has grown over centuries by trial and error, observation and superstition. There are a lot of Feng Shui rules that even die-hard skeptics have trouble disputing. Let us consider the 'THEN' & 'NOW' explanation of some pertinent issues.

A Feng Shui master tells you not to build in a particular location, as there is a 'restless dragon' beneath the surface. A seismologist says you are close to a geological fault line, where the tectonic plate is likely to shift again.

A Feng Shui master suggests that you live in harmony with the elements of nature by establishing a balance in your environment. Present day focus on ecology, conservation and controlling pollution is an effort to achieve the same.

A Feng Shui practitioner advises against living under or very close to a flyover, as it will direct 'sha chi' or bad chi towards you. Scientists speak of high levels of carbon monoxide from car exhausts affecting your health.

A Feng Shui practitioner suggests that natural light in your house, even temperature, and a decor that establishes harmony between the materials and objects elevates the energy levels and moods of the inhabitants. Psychologists explain the depression and effect on peoples' moods due to change in weather as 'Seasonal Affective Disorder.' The cure prescribed is the same as what the Feng Shui practitioner advises.

A Feng Shui practitioner suggests the use of fragrances to clear negative or oppressive Ch'i within your space. A scientist suggests that the air you breathe may be heavily charged with positive ions due to the presence of electrical appliances. Fragrances add negative ions to alter the frequency of the air, thereby bringing about a balance.

A Feng Shui practitioner suggests that the meandering Ch'i amongst the hills is very nourishing. A scientist explains that negative ions are in greater abundance in hills and this conducive to stimulated brain activity.

According to Feng Shui , theoretically, the best place to live in is the countryside where the Ch'i is constantly vibrating and your personal Ch'i moves in harmony with the Ch'i of the earth. Scientists explain that the electrical field of living things is a direct current (D.C.) whereas the electrical current of electricity, electromagnetic fields, toxic air, synthetic materials, etc., is an alternating current (A.C.), alternating frequently every second thereby causing disharmony, which explains the greater stress levels in cities.

Feng Shui practitioners keenly observed the natural elements in their surroundings, the land formations, watercourses, and natural vegetation. They used the compass, geomancy, and astronomical calculations to locate auspicious sites for human dwellings that would protect them from natural disasters. Scientists today take into account geopathic stress, underwater streams, lay lines, and earth grids as the natural occurrences that are to be controlled to minimize their negative effect on human dwellings.

Feng Shui is neither a superstition nor a religion , and as science makes more progress more and more of its 'cause and effects' will be measurable and understood by the scientifically inclined.

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(See also: Feng Shui, Vaastu Shastra, Sacred Geometry, Sacred Space)