Feng Shui in the Far East Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction Feng Shui has been practiced in China for centuries. Throughout antiquated China, masters of Feng Shui were highly respected meteorologists, astronomers, and other scientists and who were charged with sustaining the good wad and prosperity of the royal court. It has been guardedly passed down the generations through with(predicate) very special lineages (Feng Shui Advisors). It was widely practiced in modern-day China until the Cultural transformation when Chairman Mao utilized mass force to destroy those with variant ideas (Craze 9). It has evolved to be both a science and/or an art, depending on whose flavor is being given or taken. The science comes from the calculations and methodology used to collapse the space/site that adept lives or works in. Some delve it an art because there are many aspects to it, and, ultimately, it is up to the person donjon/working in the space to determine whether it feels right for him/her. Chuen states, It is an analytical r emains developed, not by one person, but by a centuries-old cumulative tradition based on meticulous observation and experimentation (8). Feng Shui is in addition described as an art of arranging ones lifetime in accordance with the forces of the universe, and it stretches back over at least 7000 geezerhood and probably far further (Chuen 14). Feng Shui literally stands for wind and water both of the most basic forms of lifes energy. Without air we die indoors seconds. While we can live weeks without food, without water we soon perish (Chuen 14).The I Ching, or Book of Changes is an ancient Chinese divination manual and confine of wisdom. It is a sacred text that ancestors of ancient China received through their meditative and spiritual practices. Made up of cardinal trigrams, or gua (kua) and 64 hexagrams (combinations of two trigrams) the symbols of the I Ching are known for its oracular qualities (Chuen 24). Each of the eight trigrams, or gua (kua) is associated with an element and a set of specific qualities, polarities, colors, etc. The I Ching, combined with the five elements theory, form the foundation of many Chinese arts, including warriorlike arts, medicine, music, and of course Feng Shui. The I Ching is important to Feng Shui because it contains the 64 hexagrams that are important as they combine the eight house directions ... ...earchers and authors of Feng Shui literature. This was an enormous problem for me because half of what I read said one thing, and half said something different. I confide that the discrepancy may have come when the principles and rules of Feng Shui were translated from Chinese to English. For future study, one could compare all of the different discrepancies, and try to find the original belief or principle. References Chuen, Master L.K. (1996). Feng Shui Handbook How to Create a Healthier breathing and Working Environment. New York Henry Holt and Company, Inc.Craze, R. (1999). Feng Shui Made Easy An introduct ion to the bedrock of the ancient are of feng shui. New York Godsfield Press.Feng Shui Advisors. (1999). What is Feng Shui A brief Feng Shui introduction. Internet Source. run short Modified 03/09/2002. Internet Explorer April 2, 2002. Available http//www.168fengshui.com/Articles/whatis.htmWeightman, B. (2002). Dragons and Tigers A Geography of South, tocopherol and Southeast Asia. New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc