1. What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui, also known as Kanyu, Tuzhai, Qingnang, Landscape Technique, etc., is an important category of magic in ancient Chinese culture. The ancient "Burial Sutra" written by Guo Pu, a native of Jin Dynasty, said: "Qi will disperse when it rides on the wind, and it will stop when it is bounded by water. The ancients gathered it to prevent it from dispersing, and moved it to stop it, so it is called Feng Shui. The method of Feng Shui is to get water as the top priority. "Feng Shui has a long history and has many sects. Today, we use a scientific attitude to eliminate the superstitious and metaphysical elements, and Feng Shui is actually an ancient environmental science and field theory. It is the study of the relationship between man and nature. The theoretical system based on ancient Feng Shui is "the unity of nature and man" and pursues the harmony between man and nature. This philosophical concept has long influenced people's ideology and lifestyle, resulting in our nation's advocating nature.
When choosing a living environment, ancient Feng Shui masters often believed that a place that is “surrounded by mountains and water” and “harbors wind and gathers energy” is the best. The place "surrounded by mountains and rivers" is directly moistened by the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers. It is an ideal choice from the perspective of magnetic field science, aesthetics and psychology. Ancient scholars lived in seclusion in forests and ravines, and wealthy residents of developed countries moved to the mountains and rivers outside the city. This has impressed us deeply in Feng Shui. However, there are too few places surrounded by beautiful mountains and beautiful waters. Residential areas in cities are often located between buildings, roads, and factories. Under such conditions, we have to think more from the perspective of "hiding wind and gathering qi". In ancient Feng Shui, site selection is a very complicated matter. Not only are there many requirements, but there are also differences and disagreements among various Feng Shui schools. The most important point is that, strictly speaking, everyone’s ideal Feng Shui model is different. It's different. It's not that all "good places" will prosper and "all bad places" will fail. Here we only talk about the most basic common sense of site selection in a general sense.
The essence of Feng Shui is yin and yang. The original meaning of the word Feng Shui created by Guo Pu refers to the movement and stillness of the dragon. It talks about the relative relationship between yin and yang and the intercourse between yin and yang. When the dragon moves, it will roar and generate wind, and the wind will take the initiative; when the dragon stops, it will be surrounded by sand and water, and the water will be calm. The meaning of Feng Shui is to choose a place where the dragon moves in a controlled manner, and use it through architectural means to ride on the dragon's vitality and contain the strong Tang Qi.
The Origin and Development of Feng Shui
The formation of Chinese Feng Shui has a long history and can be traced back to ancient times.
In primitive society, although there was no theory of Feng Shui, people at that time had to "select a place to live" because of the survival challenges posed by the harsh natural environment and the importance of farming and pastoral society. Choose a place "near water and facing the sun" that is suitable for human reproduction and habitat. This is an adaptive choice. After entering civilized society, Feng Shui was immediately recorded in written records. For example, there are many records about house divination in oracle bone inscriptions. It can be seen from a large number of oracle bone inscriptions and the Book of Songs excavated in later generations that the Chinese during the Shang and Zhou dynasties divided the land into different landforms such as mountains, ports, hills, plains, mausoleums, and hills, and divided the water areas into Sichuan, spring, river, stream, swamp, swamp, river, tuo, etc. At that time, the differences of the earth were classified in extremely detailed ways, which laid the foundation for the future development of "Phaseography". In the Book of Documents, the territory at that time was divided into Kyushu based on rivers and mountains. This is also the origin of the name "Kyushu" in China later. In the "Book of Rites of Zhou", words like "Use the method of adapting to the soil, manage the names and objects of the ten and two soils, use the people's houses and remove their interests and disadvantages, use the people of Fu, use the birds and beasts, and use the grass and trees." began to appear. There is a saying of "matching people's houses", and there is a knowledge system like "Tu Yifa" to match the land. "Book of Yizhou" records that "the earth is suitable for the weather, and all things are governed." It can be seen that the word "earth" echoes the weather, and observing the earth with the sky is the rule for all things at that time, and it is also the method of governing things. Therefore, it became Feng Shui in later generations. The basis of the technique. During the Zhou Dynasty, when King Wu of Zhou built Luoyi, he ordered the Duke of Zhou to look after the land. "Shangshu" records that "when the Duke of Zhao was in charge of the house, the Duke of Zhou went to the camp to form the Zhou Dynasty and the envoys came to tell the divination." It can be seen that the people of the Zhou Dynasty believed in divination, and the Duke of Zhou was also a prime minister. Master.
During the Warring States Period and the Pre-Qin Period, various academic disciplines arose. With the development and popularity of the Book of Changes and the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories, the academic thought led by "looking up at astronomy and looking down at geography" began to be established. After Qin Shihuang unified China, he not only inherited the previous concept of "Tu Yi" but became more specific, and at the same time began to have the concept of "Qi". From the "Book of Jin" we know that "during the time of the First Emperor, those who looked at the Qi said, 'Five hundred years from now, Jinling will have the Qi of the Son of Heaven', so the First Emperor traveled east to suppress it, renamed the area Mooling, and cut the northern mountain to eliminate its power." At that time, there was the term "qi gaozhe", which shows that there were already professional workers in the Feng Shui industry. According to Volume 95 of "Taiping Huanyu Ji", there was a mountain in Changshui County in the Qin Dynasty (today's south of Jiaxing County, Zhejiang Province). Qin Shihuang heard the magicians say that there was a king's energy on the mountain, so he sent a group of death row prisoners to dig the mountain. They couldn't stand the hard work and left in a hurry.
The Epang Palace built by Qin Shihuang covers an area of ??nearly 300 miles, with villas scattered throughout the valley. With Nanshan as the palace gate and Fanchuan as the pool, the front hall of Afang can seat nearly 10,000 people. The First Emperor used 700,000 civilians to hollow out Mount Li and penetrate the three layers of soil. The scale was truly unprecedented. There is also the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, which covers a vast area and is large in scale. The implementation of these two major projects shows that the level of physiognomy in the Qin Dynasty was very high. From this, it is not difficult to understand the superb geographical survey technology of the Qin Dynasty, which can also be attributed to the technique of physiognomy. developed. In fact, as early as the pre-Qin period, the Xiangzhai activity existed. On the one hand, it was the residence of the living people, and on the other hand, it was the cemetery of the dead.
"Shangshu" records that "King Cheng was in Feng and wanted to live in the city, so he asked Duke Zhao to live in the prime minister's house first." This is Xiangyang's house. "The Book of Filial Piety" records that "the omen of the house were divination and the place was built." This is Xiangyin's house, and the location was chosen using divination.
In the Western Han Dynasty, the art of physiognomy was even more popular. Sima Qian's "Historical Records" records that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gathered to occupy the family and asked if he could marry someone, but the family members said no. At this time, the Kanyu family was proficient in astronomy and geography, and the art of physiognomy was also called "Xingfa". In the Eastern Han Dynasty, people began to pay attention to funerals, which led to the rise of the concept of Feng Shui. Wang Chong's "Lunheng" details the taboos surrounding funerals. The people of the Eastern Han Dynasty paid great attention to the living environment. The "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" mentioned the household principle of "having good land and a large house, with a mountain behind and a stream, surrounded by ditches and ponds, bamboos and trees around, a garden in front, and an orchard behind the trees." Become the basic theory of Yangzhai. In the Han Dynasty, there were also Feng Shui works such as "Kanyu Golden Chamber", "Palace Terrain", "Migration Law", and "Picture House Art", which marked the preliminary induction and summary of Feng Shui in theory.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, many Feng Shui masters appeared in China, the most famous of which was Guo Pu. His "Book of Burial" extracted Feng Shui from the traditional phase and earth technique, and made some changes to Feng Shui. Define and comprehensively construct the Feng Shui theory, laying the foundation for Feng Shui in later generations. The method of Feng Shui he pioneered, "getting water is the first priority, hiding wind is the second priority" has been passed down for more than 1,700 years and remains strong, and it shines even more brightly today. Chinese people are accustomed to call Guo Pu the originator of Feng Shui.
The Sui Dynasty did not believe in Feng Shui relatively, but a famous physiognomist named Xiao Ji emerged, who wrote "The Essential Records of Physics and Earth", "Zhai Jing", "Burial Jing", and Famous works such as "Five Elements of Righteousness" are admired by future generations. He once chose an auspicious place for the queen, and when the emperor did not listen to his advice, he predicted that the Sui Dynasty would be short-lived. When Yang Gongren, the prime minister of the Sui Dynasty, moved his ancestral tombs, he invited five or six groups of Feng Shui masters to come to visit the site. One of them, Shu Chuo, guessed what was underground and was heavily rewarded. It can be seen that Feng Shui was still prevalent at that time.
The Tang Dynasty was a rare heyday in Chinese history. Various academic disciplines also emerged widely. At the same time, it further promoted the development of Feng Shui theory and formed a relatively complete theoretical system. At that time, most literate people understood Feng Shui, and a large number of famous teachers emerged. Among them, Yang Junsong, a Feng Shui master from Jiangxi Province, played a comprehensive role in promoting the practice of Feng Shui among the people. Since then, in the vast land of China, palaces, villages, and tombs have been affected by Feng Shui theory to varying degrees. . The famous Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty also believed in Feng Shui. There are many records of Feng Shui in "New Accounts of the Tang Dynasty" and "Taiping Guangji". Taoist priests at that time also knew more about Feng Shui. In the Tang Dynasty, there was a "Si Tian Jian" that specialized in observing astronomical phenomena. Therefore, officials in Si Tian Jian must understand Feng Shui. Yang Junsong once served in Si Tianjian. Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty appointed him as a national counselor, and his official rank was Jin Ziguanglu, a doctor, who was responsible for the geographical affairs of Lingtai. It can be seen that the Feng Shui of the Tang Dynasty was not only believed by the people, but also valued by the court. Yang Junsong later took out the palace Feng Shui books and spread them throughout Jiangxi, and the response from his many disciples was great. In the Tang Dynasty, the national power was strong and its territory expanded to the Western Regions. From the documents found in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes such as "Zhao Jing" and "Yin Yang Shu", it can be seen that the concept of Feng Shui spread far and wide in the northwest region.
After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms followed the prosperity of Feng Shui in the Tang Dynasty. Emperors of all generations believed in Feng Shui. By the late Zhou Dynasty, many superstitious colors were added to Feng Shui, making it difficult for the world to distinguish between true and false.
In the Song Dynasty, famous Yi scholars such as Chen Tuan, Shao Kangjie, Zhu Xi, and Cai Yuanding explained and identified Feng Shui, and some Feng Shui works were published one after another. As a result, Jiangxi Xingfa School and Fujian Lifa School emerged. Juche's Feng Shui theoretical system. Song Huizong believed in Feng Shui. He originally had no children, but a magician told him that if he raised the terrain in the northwest corner of the capital several times, he would be able to have a son. Therefore, he believed more in Feng Shui and ordered people to choose a precious land to build the "Shangqing Baozhuan Palace". As a result, the people wasted money, the treasury was empty, and the regime declined. There were many Feng Shui masters in the Song Dynasty. Lai Wenjun, Chen Tuan, Xu Renwang, Wu Jingluan, Fu Botong, Cai Yuanding, etc. are all famous.
When Zhu Yuanzhang in the Ming Dynasty established Jinling as his capital, he attached great importance to Feng Shui. Most of the mountains outside the city faced the city, giving the appearance of an arch. Only Niushou Mountain and Huashan Mountain faced the city wall. Zhu Yuanzhang was displeased and sent The people beat Niushou Mountain with a hundred sticks, dug a hole in the nose of the cow and passed it with an iron rope, turning Niushou Mountain inward. At the same time, they cut down the Huashan Mountain extensively and made the mountain bald and yellow. When Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, it was built entirely in accordance with the Feng Shui concept. Ming Chengzu was an emperor who believed deeply in Feng Shui, which also led to people all paying attention to Feng Shui. Feng Shui became a very important criterion in the lives of Ming Dynasty people. The Ming Tombs, a famous tourist attraction in Beijing, was chosen by Feng Shui master Liao Junqing and recommended to Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, and it became the mausoleum area of ??the Ming Dynasty emperor. There was also a legendary figure Liu Bowen in the Ming Dynasty. According to folklore, he was good at Feng Shui. It is said that Jinling, the capital, was the place where he met. There is a book "Kanyu Manxing" named after him.
In the Qing Dynasty, there was a Si Tianjian, who was not only responsible for observing the sky and recording astronomy, but also responsible for the construction of mausoleums, because the emperors of the Qing Dynasty believed in Feng Shui and attached great importance to the location of the mausoleums. The Eastern Tomb of the Qing Dynasty is 125 kilometers long from north to south and 26 kilometers wide from east to west. It spans three suburban counties of Beijing and has a total area of ??2,500 square kilometers. It is an extremely large imperial cemetery. This shows that the emperors of the Qing Dynasty attached great importance to the feng shui of the tombs. The Forbidden City, the Forbidden City, which has been completely preserved to this day, is a classic masterpiece built strictly in accordance with Feng Shui. Its majestic momentum has conquered countless people. The Qing Dynasty also had a Imperial Preceptor Office, with more than 400 Imperial Preceptors. Because these imperial advisors received generous salaries, they devoted their lives to serving the dynasty and the emperor.
The tasks of the Imperial Prefecture are: first, to find good Feng Shui treasures for the dynasty and arrange how to use them; second, to destroy the geographical Feng Shui of the people so that no one dares to rebel against the imperial court and cannot seize the throne. This is an example of the rulers of the feudal dynasty using the invisible science of geography and Feng Shui as their ruling tool.
Throughout history, the Pre-Qin Dynasty was the gestation period of Feng Shui theory, the Song Dynasty was the period when it was popular, and the Ming and Qing Dynasties were the periods of proliferation.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, through the collection and arrangement of various Feng Shui books and the continuous research of scholars, the Feng Shui theory was quite complete. The survey activities of Feng Shui masters have spread to various places, from imperial palaces to urban and rural residences. From the Republic of China to the present, scholars have mainly re-evaluated and studied the traditional Chinese Feng Shui culture. In the last century, Feng Shui had a large market in old China. The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum of the founding father Sun Yat-sen was determined after repeated surveys by the famous Xuan Kong School Feng Shui master Shen Zhurong. After liberation, Feng Shui theory suffered a heavy blow, but it is still being used in practice. After the 1970s, there was an upsurge in studying Chinese Feng Shui in Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States, and more and more foreigners began to use Feng Shui theory to guide their lives. In recent years, with the international emphasis on Feng Shui and its applicability, this ancient discipline has become full of vitality. Former US Presidents Bush and Clinton both asked Chinese Feng Shui masters for consultation when purchasing new homes, which shows the charm of Chinese Feng Shui culture.
Contemporary Feng Shui is in an unprecedented period of integration and renewal. In order to make Feng Shui better benefit mankind, a large number of scholars are working tirelessly on research, taking its essence and discarding its dross and combining it with modern science. Feng Shui has made scientific evaluation and new interpretation and development. Feng Shui is lifting its mysterious veil and entering modern people's lives.