Feng Shui governs realm of the dead for Chinese<\/p>\n
Text and photos by Mauro Rahardjo<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP); The Encyclopedia Sinica defines Feng Shui as:
\n\"Feng Shui -- wind and water, the outward and visible signs of
\ncelestial yang and yin; the art of adapting the residence of the
\nliving and the dead so as to harmonize with the cosmic breath.\"
\nThis means that Feng Shui rules apply to buildings for both the
\nliving and the dead.<\/p>\n
Feng Shui principles have their origin in antiquity. It grew
\nout of the worship of the dead. These rules existed in the old
\nreligion of the Chinese. The deceased ancestors were their
\nprincipal patron divinities, who influenced the fate and fortunes
\nof their descendants in every way.<\/p>\n
It was believed that ancestors were to be venerated and that
\nif their final resting places were placed in good Feng Shui
\nlocations their descendants would prosper and enjoy good fortune
\nfor many generations. Their lives would be blessed with honor,
\nfame, material wealth, longevity and plenty of male offsprings.<\/p>\n
The ancient practice of geomancy is not only a means of
\ndivination, but also a way of foretelling the future based on
\nexternal phenomena. There are many cases that support this
\nbelief.<\/p>\n
Their are many success stories about men whose ancestors had
\ngood Feng Shui burial places. Zhu Yuan Zhang succeeded in
\nbecoming the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty soon after his
\nfisherman father buried his grandfather at a site known as the
\nCave of the King. The Chinese also believe that Sun Yat Sen's
\noutstanding success during the turn of the century was due to the
\nextremely favorable position of his mother's grave in Clearwater
\nBay in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Fortunes have taken a turn for the worse when the graves of a
\nfamily's ancestors were desecrated. This explains why in Taiwan
\nmany wealthy families often purchase the land in front of their
\nancestors' graves to guard them against the construction of
\nanything that may damage their Feng Shui.<\/p>\n
According to Basuki Sudjatmiko in his book Hong Shui Nipun, a
\nwealthy family in Probolinggo went bankrupt soon after the head
\nof the family was buried in front of his father's grave. A
\ngeomancer from Singapore advised them to move the son's grave to
\nthe back part of his father's, and after this had been carried
\nout the family was back in business.<\/p>\n
In Chinese belief, death is considered an extension of living.
\nThere is also a belief that everything in the universe is
\nintimately related. In fact, several other mystical philosophies
\nbelieve that every movement in the universe gives rise to a
\nreciprocal movement.<\/p>\n
It is important that the deceased be afforded the same or
\nbetter comforts than they had during their lifetime, so that the
\ndeceased can report happily to Heaven on the piety of their
\nchildren and grandchildren, and ultimately persuade the
\nsupernatural powers to bestow rewards and benefits to their
\ndescendants.<\/p>\n
How does the geomancer compute and derive the orientation of a
\nbuilding or tomb? Firstly, he has to know the date of birth of
\nthe person concerned. With the birth date of the person, he
\nrefers to the luopan or compass to find the correct orientation
\nof the site.<\/p>\n
One Feng Shui rule is that a man's fate is influenced by
\nastrological predictions in the year of his birth. Chinese
\nastrologers are supposed to be able to foretell the future of a
\nperson from birth to death by referring to these predictions. The
\ngeomancer then relates the year of birth to the Chinese animal
\nyear: dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog, rat, bull,
\ntiger and rabbit. This order repeats every twelve years.<\/p>\n
By computing the order in the cycle of the Chinese calendar, a
\nperson is classified as belonging to one of the following orders
\nof nature: gold, wood, water, fire or earth. Since the universe
\nis made of yin and yang and is represented by gold, wood, water,
\nfire and earth, the balance of these ingredients or elements
\naffects nature and man's fate.<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Evelyn Lip, a Fengshui expert, there are five
\nfactors that govern the choice of a burial place or building
\nsite:<\/p>\n
loong: dragon, this represents the location of the burial
\nground.<\/p>\n
xue: hole, but in geomancy it indicates the foundation of the
\ntomb or building site.<\/p>\n
sha: it symbolizes the surroundings of neighboring environment
\nof the site.<\/p>\n
shui: water, it depicts the streams flowing through of
\nbypassing the site.<\/p>\n
xiang: the orientation or the direction of the site.<\/p>\n
All these factors have to be considered when choosing a burial
\nplace or building site. Once they have been decided they will
\ninfluence the future or fate of the people involved.<\/p>\n
The burial ground must not only have the profile of a good
\ndragon but also the \"breath of cosmic life\" -- good air. A lack
\nof cosmic breath would affect the well-being of the dead and the
\nfortune of his descendants. Land that is flat, waterlogged or not
\nbacked by a hill is considered unsuitable.<\/p>\n
Both shui and xiang (water and orientation) are essential
\nfeatures in the houses of the living as well as the dead.
\nAccording to the geomancer, the buried need fresh air. Without
\nwind, the air is still; with wind the air circulates. The quality
\nof shui is believed to be divided into good or bad. Slow moving
\nwater round the house or burial ground is generally believed to
\nbring good luck. To get an accurate assessment of the entire
\nexternal environment is necessary because the location, ground
\nand quality of the sand do in fact influence the value of the
\nstream.<\/p>\n
Geomancy may have originated from the divination in ancient
\nChinese texts some three thousand years old. By means of such
\ndivination techniques as those of the Yi Jing and the theories of
\nyin and yang and the five elements, the intricacy of the Feng
\nShui system is employed to predict and control the phenomena of
\nnature.<\/p>\n
A filial piety which, in obedience to the lessons of ancient
\nand modern mentors of the nation, takes good care of the graves
\nof parents and grandparents, has a material reward. By Feng Shui,
\nthe graves are turned into mighty instruments of blessings and
\npunishments. The spirit of the ancestors are divinities of the
\nnation in which goodwill and all social happiness is intimately
\nbound up.<\/p>\n
But souls do not dwell in graves only. They also reside in
\ntablets exposed for worship on domestic altars, and in temples
\nerected to shelter them. There, too, precisely for the same
\nreasons, they ought to be made to live under the favorable
\ninfluences of Nature. Consequently, Feng Shui is firmly entwined
\nwith house building and the construction of ancestral temples. It
\nplays an important part even in the erection of altars and
\nsanctuaries, dedicated to all gods and saints.<\/p>\n
Different geomancers have different approaches to geomancy,
\nbut not all approaches can improve Feng Shui. In fact, the most
\nimportant factor lies in the moral character of the person
\nseeking advice. If he is evil or immoral, his good Feng Shui will
\nnot last.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mauro P. Rahardjo, is Director of the Research Institute
\nof Parahyangan Catholic University and an architect who practices
\nFeng Shui.<\/p>",
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