Master Howard Choy (蔡洪Cai Hong) [1]

ABSTRACT:

The increasing corruption of Feng Shui in modern times has been partly due to practitioners moving away or forgetting the basics of Feng Shui. By examining what are the core principles, we can work towards establishing a set of guidelines for the sound practice of Feng Shui to arrest the corruption and the danger of Feng Shui becoming a real superstition.

There are many references by modern scholars and experts on the subject, such as Prof. Wang Yude 王玉德 of Central China Normal University in Wuhan, who has written about the basic principles of Kanyu (Feng Shui), and a collection of excellent research papers edited by Prof. Wang Qiheng 王其亨of Tianjin University, in a book entitled “Research of Feng Shui Theory”, in which the Classics are cited and traditional buildings are researched for an answer to the correct practice of Feng Shui.
 

This paper will attempt to examine some of these citations for a preliminary investigation of what constituted the core principles of Feng Shui.

KEY TERMS

Core principles, appropriate response, yin and yang balance, the spirit of the site, topography, Feng Shui standards, Chinese aesthetics, dialectics and methodology.
 

INTRODUCTION

The Chinese have been using Feng Shui for the past 6000 years [2], yet we are still debating whether it is a science or a superstition worth preserving. Prof. Yu Kong-Jian 俞孔坚 made the following comment in the conclusion his book, “In Search of an Origin for the Ideal Landscape – the Cultural Significance of Feng Shui”: “Is it a science? Is it a superstition? Merciful Buddha! Why bother passing judgment on it? Feng Shui is a cultural phenomenon, its true meaning lies in what it reflects in its ideal landscape – a kind of blue print for a cultural and living model for us.” [3]

1. Practising Feng Shui Architect, director of Feng Shiui Architects Py. Ltd. Sydney and arqitetur.ac Berlin. Brunnenstr. 181, 10119 Berlin Germany. +49/30/28385-855, Fax –857. Email: fengshuiarchitect@hotmail.com Websites: http://www.feng-shui-architects.com and http://arqitektur.com
2. This assumption is based on archeological excavation of the Banpo Neolithic Village near Xian built more than 6000 years ago, showing evidence of the use of Feng Shui in the location and the layout of the settlement.
3. The writer has done all the translations from Chinese to English using the Chinese (Simplied) – Microsoft Pinyin IME 3.0 program.

Prof Yu is right; instead of trying to put Feng Shui into a pigeonhole, it is far more productive to study it seriously and see what it can offer us, otherwise Feng Shui will always remain a puzzle to us and open to continual fraud and further corruption.
What better place to start than to examine its core principles. These principles came about because the Chinese have used Feng Shui to manage their environment over hundreds and thousands of years, and this allowed them to collect many valuable experiences and insights.

The following paper uses Prof. Wang Yu-De’s work as a starting point4. Prof. Wang first wrote about the 10 core principles [4] of Feng Shui in his book, “Zhonghua Kanyu Shu” 中华堪舆术or “The Chinese Art of Kanyu”, published in Taiwan in 1995, to which I have added a further 5 principles based on my own research and experience, working as a Feng Shui architect and teacher [5].
 

THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF FENG SHUI

Core Principle 1
整体系统原则
An Integrated and Holistic System
 

In the Feng Shui paradigm [6], our environment is considered to be an integral system as a whole, with Man at the center, including all things “under Heaven and on Earth”. Each of the individual components does not stand-alone; they are mutually connected, mutually restrained, mutually dependent, mutually opposing and mutually transforming.
 

Because everything is inter-related, Feng Shui enable us to use such ideas as the theory of Yin and Yang 阴阳, Wuxing 五行 (Five Elements) and the concept of Qi 气 to observe and to describe the relationship between the parts and the whole. When there is synergy between these, the Chinese say it has Sheng Qi [7], and when the synergy is missing or out of balance, it has Sha Qi 煞气or Blocked Qi.
 

The inter-relationship between the macrocosm of the environment and the microcosm of the body is clearly stated in the “Huangdi Zhaijing’ 黄帝宅经 or “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Dwellings”:

4. Principles 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are based on Prof. Wang work.
5. The emphasis of this paper is on the Xingshi Pai or the Form School of Feng Shui, for those who are interested in the core principles relating to the Liqi Pai or the Compass School of Feng Shui, please refer to Liqi books like the ones written by Nanhai Zhuren 南海主人called “Kanyuxue Yuanli” 堪舆学原理or “The Principles of Kanyu Study”.
6. For a more detail explanation of the Feng Shui paradigm, please refer to my paper, “Towards an Inter-cultural Approach to Modern Architecture and Planning using Feng Shui” presented at the Second International Conference on Scientific Feng Shui and the Built Environment, Hong Kong 1996.
7. More explanation on the concept of Sheng Qi will be given in Core Principle 9. 2
   “The terrain is the body, the spring is the blood, the soil is the skin, the grasses are the hairs, the house is the clothing, and the doors are the accessories. If they are properly related to each other in a dignified way, then it is considered most auspicious.”

Qing Dynasty Feng Shui Master Yao Ting-Yi 姚廷奕 in his book “Yang Zhai Ji Cheng” 阳宅集成or “The Complete Collections for Yang Dwellings” also emphasized the functional character of an integrated approach to Feng Shui, where all of the components of a house and its environment are related to each other in an appropriate way [8].
 

The idea of an integrated and holistic universe is expressed in the Chinese saying “Tian Ren He Yi” 天人合一 or “Man and Heaven combined into One”. The authors of the book, “Geomancy and the Selection of Architecture Placement in China” summarized the development of this philosophical concept from the Zhou to Song Dynasty and concluded that it has three relevant implications for us to consider: 1) Man is part of Nature; therefore we are responsible to each other. 2) Nature has its universal laws and Man should follow them. 3) Human nature and the Dao are the same, so we should be “Ziran” [9] in our behavior.
 

In Feng Shui terms, this means that we should work with Nature rather than against her, it also means that we not only need to consider the individual parts but also their relationship to each other and to the whole, so our actions are always integrated and holistic in principle and in practice. The Daoist called this “Wuwei” 无为10, which is at the core of Feng Shui practices and it also brings us to the second principle:
 

Core Principle 2
因地制宜原则
Being Suitable and Appropriate to the Restriction and Limitation of the Site [8]

8. Yang Dwellings need to select the (right) topography, Back to the mountain and facing water is called “Renxin” 人心 (the will of the people), The contour of the Coming-Dragon holds its head high and graceful, The water should embrace to form a ring shape, A “Ming-Tang” 明堂is prosperous when it is large and generous, The wide-open “Shui Kuo” 水口can store 10,000 ounces of gold, The “Door Sha” 门 煞 (should be) free of obstacles, (and) A bright and airy courtyard brings prosperity to the house.”
9. What is “Ziran” 自然? Dai Jianye 戴建业in his book, “Laozi – Ziran Rensheng” 老子- 自然人生or “Laozi – the Ziran Way of Life” told an interesting fable to explain the meaning of being “Ziran”: “The Spirit of the Rivers was like us, he did not know what is “Ziran“ 自然, so one day he decided to ask the Spirit of the Northern Ocean for an answer. The Spirit of the Northern Ocean explained by making a comparison between the behavior of animals and human. He said the horses and the cows are born with four legs and that is “Ziran”. But when man came along and put a bridle on the horse’s head, and a rope through the cow’s nose, and metal shoes on their feet, then that is not “Ziran”. Man being selfish destroyed “Ziran”, and only when man ceases to be greedy and pretentious, and carefully observe the Way of Heaven (Tiandao天道), can he return to his innate character (“Benxing” 本性) and being “Ziran”.”
10. “Wuwei” doe not mean do nothing, but doing with appropriate and responsive actions.

Every site has its limitation and advantages. Some places are only suitable for residential use while others are more suitable for commerce or manufacturing, so there is a need to determine what a site is best suitable for, to allow the resultant development to be “Ziran” and not forced or out of balance with its neighbor.
 

In the “Book of Zhou Yi” 周易 (The Book of Change), under the commentary for the hexagram Da Zhuang 大壮, it is suggested that in a given situation it is always best to “Shi Xing Er Zhi” 适形而之or “aim for an appropriate form” (literally: “stop at a suitable shape”) and the “Shi Ji” 史 记or “A Record of History”, tells the story of how Jiang Taigong 姜太公, the Duke of Qin, used this principle to overcome the limitation of a site [11].
 

The landmass of China is extremely large and the topography as well as the weather pattern varies markedly from place to place, so there are many building forms to fit in with the local conditions. Prof. Cheng Jianjun 程建军 in his book, “Fengshui yu Jianzhu” 风水与建筑or “Feng Shui and Architecture” illustrated a variety of residential building types one can find all over China. See the illustration below (Figure 1):
 

Fig 1. Variety of residential houses found in China

11. “The Duke looked at the surrounding environment, realizing that the land is exhausted and the people are poor, so he suggested to Nu Gong 奴功, to abandon farming and concentrate on handicraft, fishing and making sea salt instead.”

When the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Taizu 朱太祖wanted to develop Wudangshan as a Royal and Daoist temple prescient, he forbade any excavation or removal of trees or soil from the site. Subsequently all the buildings were designed to fit in with the topography of the land to follow the slope of the ground, without any damage to the environment [12].
 

Within the same site, the location to “Dian Xue” 点穴, or to pin point the exact spot to build, should also be done according to the terrain and the usage. Prof. Wang Yude quoted the “Shuilong Jing” 水龙经 or “The Water Dragon Classic” to support this “Contextualist” approach to site selection: “Site selection is not easy because the “wind” and the “earth” of the four directions are all different and the terrain of the land is not the same. One can locate the “Xue” half way up the mountain or deep into the valley, or on a flat ground or between rock formations, or even under water…”
 

Core Principles 3
依山傍水原则
Bound by Mountains and Near Water

This principle has evolved through two different considerations: one is physical, as mentioned in Prof. Wang Yule’s book, “The Chinese Art of Kanyu” and the other is cultural, as mentioned in Prof. Yu Kongjian’s book, “In Search of an Origin for the Ideal Landscape”.
 

Physically, mountains are the “skeletons” of the land, they not only provide us with protection from the weather and from our predators [13]; they also provide us with food and resources. Water is the source of life and means of transportation, without water we cannot survive, so from as early as the Neolithic times, Chinese have preferred to live in a place, which is “bound by mountains and near water”. Much of the archeological evidence of primitive settlements in China shows this tendency.

Culturally, the Chinese prefer a landscape strategy that is hidden in nature and is a part of it rather than being exposed and set oneself above nature. Prof Yu’s diagram below (Figure 2) clearly showed the Chinese preference of being bounded by mountains and not locating his house right on top of a hill.

12. Wudangshan is an interesting example of how conservation and ecology played an important part in Feng Shui. Since the Daoist followed the principle of “Daofa Ziran” 道法自然or “The method of Dao is Ziran”, so to find the “Original Character” (Benxing) of a site and not to destroy it but to work with it is very similar to ecological principles.
13. “Bound by mountains and near water” also has a military advantage, it can take the initiative to attack but it can also be easily defended. During the Warring States period, the kingdom of Jin moved its capital 11 times and each time is was “bound by mountains and near water”, therefore we can see this criteria for site selection is of paramount importance to the prosperity of a nation.

Most of the ancient and modern cities in China are also “bound by mountains and near water”; the larger cities like Shanghai and Wuhan are either near the sea or near the junction of two or more rivers. In Feng Shui terms, it is said where the “Shui Kou” (“Water Mouth”) meets, it is also a place where it is “De Qi” or where the Sheng Qi is obtained, so naturally people will want to settle there.[14]

In the “Chengma” 乘马 chapter of “Guanzi” 管子 (reference) it is written: “Whenever we locate a capital, it is either at the front of a mountain range or on a broad plain. It must be elevated and near a sufficient source of water supply. The drainage must be clean and respond to the natural conditions of the site and the terrain of the land. Therefore, the layout of the city need not be too regular, and the roads need not to be too straight.” [15]

Core Principle 4
负阴抱阳原则
Carry the Yin and Embrace the Yang

14. Master Wang Tingzhi 王亭之, a famous Feng Shui master from Hong Kong, once wrote these words in his book, Feng Shui Pingtan” 风水平谈 or “A Casual Conversation on Feng Shui”: “Not knowing the “Shui Kuo” is not knowing Feng Shui”. Since he is the current grandmaster of Zhongzhou Pai Xuan Kong Feng Shui 中州派and their birthplace was in LuoYang 洛 阳where the three rivers meet, they placed a high regard on “Shui Kou” and has a unique Liqi formulae called “Pai Long Jue” 排龙诀 to calculate the influence of a “Shui Kuo” on a dwelling.
15. Prof. Wang Yude also pointed out that “bound by mountains and near water” can have two meanings, it can be “Tu Bao Wu” 土包屋or “Earth Wrapping the Houses” and the “earth” can be man-made like planting trees behind the houses. It can also be “Wu Bao Tu “屋包土or “Houses wrapping the Earth” and the “wrapping” can be done by the houses or the houses “wrapped’ in such a way that they become a mountain.

A Feng Shui house should be protected from the cold wind and facing the warm sun The phrase “Cang Feng Ju Qi” 藏凤聚气or “Hide from the Wind and Gather the Qi” is often used in conjunction with the phrase “Fu Yin Bao Yang” (Carry the Yin and Embrace the Yang) because both aim to find an ideal Feng Shui spot (Xue) where the Yin and Yang are balanced and where the Sheng Qi is assembled. This gives rise to the Siling” 四灵or the Four Mythical Animals” model (Figure 3), where the embrace of the four sides of the Azure Dragon to the left [16], the White Tiger to the right, the Red Bird in front and the Black Turtle at the back, gives the occupants a sense that the environment is embracing them and protecting them. The site is then considered to “You Qing” 有情, that is it has feeling and affection, and is most desirable.
 

Fig 3. Ideal Siling Model for a city and a village.
 

Some writers [17] have also called this principle “Zuo Bei Chao Nan” 座北朝南or “Sitting on the North and Facing South”, because China is located in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is recommended that a house should sit on the shadier side to the north and facing the warmer side to the south, so that it can take advantage of China being generally higher to the NW and lower to the SE, to protect the house from the cold wind coming from the higher directions.(18)

16. Unlike the west, which tends to look in, the Chinese often describe his orientation by imagining he is standing on the spot looking out.
17. An example is the writer Hui Yuan 慧缘, who wrote the article, “The 10 Major Principles of Landscape Feng Shui”.

He Guangting 何光廷, a Feng Shui master of the late Qing period, wrote in his book, “Dixue Zhizheng” 地学指正 or “The Correct Guide to the Study of Dixue (Feng Shui)”: 

“Wind cannot be avoided in the flat plain, but it has Yin Yang difference. Those that face east and south will receive the warm and hot wind (and) we called it the Yang Wind; those that face west and north will receive the cool and cold wind (and) we called it the Yin Wind. If there is no protection nearby, then the wind will penetrate the bones, and bring the owners increasing defeat and fewer off-springs.”
 

Core Principle 5
观形察势原则
Observe the Form and Examine the Configuration
 

Feng Shui is derived from the earlier art of “Xiangdi” 相地or “Observing the Land” and “Xiangzhai” 相宅or “Observing the Dwellings” [19], so observation and investigation of the landform to locate the correct site for a dwelling is one of the core principles of Feng Shui.
 

The procedure to “Xiangdi” was described in a “Luan Tou” 峦头 or “Mountain Tops” (another name for the Form School) method called “Dili Wujue” 地理五诀or “The Five Formulae for Dili (Feng Shui)” [20] These are namely: the “Long Fa” 龙法or the “Dragon Method”, the “Sha Fa” 砂法or the “Sands Method”, the “Xue Fa” 穴法or the “Acu-point Method”, the “Shui Fa” 水法or the “Water Method” and the “Xiang Fa” 向法or the “Facing Method” [21].
 

The procedure to “Xiangzhai” was described in “Xing Fa” or the “Form Method” of looking at the “Six External Matters” and the “Six Internal Matters” of a house. [22]

18. Prof. Wang Yude said when people live in a place like this, it is beneficial to health and well being, he said in a situation like this, the occupants can receive the “Ling Qi” 灵气or the “Wondrous Spirit” of the mountains and valleys and the light and warmth of the sun and moon, What more can one ask for?
19. Ref: He Xiaoxin, 何晓昕 “Fengshui Tanyuan” 风水探源, or “The Source of Feng Shui”, p10 and p66.
20. Ref: “Zhongguo Gudai Fengshui yu Jianzhu Xuanzhi” 中国古代风水与建筑选址or “Geomancy and the Selection of Architectural Placement in Ancient China” by Yi Ding 一丁, Yu Lu 雨露and Hong Yong, 洪涌who were all PhD students of Prof. Yu Xixian 于希贤from Beijing University.
21. This is also known as the landscape techniques of how to “Mi Long” 觅龙 (to seek the Dragon), how to “Cha Sha”21 察砂 (to examine the Sands), how to “Dian Xue” 点穴 (to pin-point the Feng Shui Spot or the Acu-point for burial or building), how to “Guan Shui” 观水 (to observe the Water) and to “Zhai Xiang” 择向 (to select the facing) respectively.
22. Ref: “Sanyuan Xuankong Lilun yu Shizheng” 三元玄空理论与实证 or “The Theory and Case Studies for Sanyuan Xuankong Feng Shui” by Qin Ruisheng 秦瑞生 of Taiwan.

The “Six External matters” are road and laneway, pond and well, toilet and urinal, animal enclosure, temple and alter, and bridge and overpass. Nowadays, the toilet and urinal is no longer outside and we seldom see an animal enclosure, pond or well. Instead we are more concerned with our privacy and disturbance from our neighbors.
 

The ‘Six Internal Matters” are gate and door, Ming Tang or light well and courtyard, living space, sleeping area, the kitchen and stove and the rice-grinder. Again, we do not have a rice-grinder any more and we are more concerned with our study and working from home. Moreover, the toilet and urinal with the utilities area have become an internal concern rather than an external one [23].
 

However, according to Prof. Wang Qiheng in his article, “The Xingshi Principles in the Feng Shui Theory and Design of Exterior Space of Old Chinese Buildings” [24], the Xingshi principles [25] are in fact an old Chinese theory of design of exterior space. They are systematic and scientific and have high theoretical and practical value. As Prof Wang said at the end of his article, “…the “Xingshi” theories not only can be used for reference in the study of the history and philosophy of traditional Chinese architecture and planning but they could also be used to explore the possible development of a theory on the practice of modern architecture with a Chinese characteristic.”
 

According to Prof. Wang Qiheng, “Xing” refers “Form” and “Shi” refers to “Configuration” [26]. They are the complementary opposites such as the near and the far, the small and the big, the individual and the group, the parts and the whole, the visible and the invisible, that make up a space. In practice they are mutually opposing and mutually generating at the same time.
 

“Xing” and “Shi” co-exist in a complex spatial arrangement, and by observing the Form (Xing) and examining the Configuration (Shi) in their various layers of relationship, we can begin to understand the “Original Character” (Benxing) of a site, and thus be able to create a building that will fit in naturally, and in a holistic way. That is being “Ziran” and “Wuwei” at the same time.
 

Prof. Wang Qiheng summarizes his approach with the following saying: “Ju Qiaoxing ye Zhanshi” 聚巧形而展势or “Gather the (individual) Form skillfully to show off the (whole) Arrangement”. By doing so, he says that there are not only “Space for Man” (“Rende Kongjian” 人的空间) but also “Space for the Spirit” (“Shende Kongjian” 神的空间) in a piece of architecture or planning.

23. These are all concerns covered in the Xingshi Pai 形势派or the Form School of Feng Shui, the other being the Liqi 理气派or Compass School of Feng Shui, where it is more concerned with the effect of direction, time and the cycle of luck in a building.
24. Ref: “Fengshui Lilun Yuanjiu” or “Rsearch of Feng Shui Theory”, edited by Wang Qiheng and published by Tianjin University Publications, 1992.
25. When we look closer at Prof. Wang’s Xingshi theories, they are generally very similar to some of the Feng Shui core principles being considered in this paper.
26. “A distance of a thousand feet represents the general configuration and a distance of a hundred feet represents the concrete form.” (“Qianche Weishi, Baiche Weixing” 千尺为势, 百尺为形)

Here the practical application of Feng Shui for an environmental designer is at its most beneficial, for we can use Feng Shui to look deeply and holistically at a situation and this allows the designer to have a comprehensive appreciation of what he or she is dealing with [27].
 

Core Principle 6
地质检验原则
Examine the Geology of the Land

According to Prof. Wang Yude, the Chinese had a means of examining the geology of the land as early as 2000 years ago. This was called “Tu Yi Fa” 土宜法or “The Method to Test the Suitability of the Soil”. In “Si Tu” 司徒chapter of the “Zhou Li” 周礼or “The Rites of Zhou”, it was written that one should: “Use the method of ”Tu Yi” to distinguish the 12 types of soil, in order to know their advantage and harmfulness, so as to benefit the people and the domesticated animals, the plants and the vegetables.”
 

In “Shen Bao Jing” 神宝经or “The Classic of Spiritual Treasures”, a Ming Dynasty Feng Shui book, it is recommended that: “The soil should be firm and not loose; the Sheng Qi will not return to a soil that is stubbornly hard and the True Yang (the essential ingredients) will not reside in a soil that is loose and dispersed.”

27. This is something worthwhile for the architects and the environmental designers interested in Feng Shui to investigate further. Perhaps one day in the near future, as hinted by Prof. Wang Qiheng, we can use Feng Shui as an inspiration, to make a breakthrough and create a new holistic modern Chinese architecture, not unlike the influence of Zen Buddhism in the creation of a modern Japanese architecture. Let us hope it will not be just another stylistic trend from the Orient, but a genuine innovation with its root firmly based on the sound traditional Feng Shui principles.

The ancient Chinese reckoned that there are four ways in which the geology of the land could affect the inhabitants:

• The soil could contain certain trace elements such as zinc, molybdenum, selenium and fluorine that could be exposed to the light and air to form chemical compounds that could adversely affect the health and well being of the inhabitants. This type of occurrence was recorded as early as 1000 years ago in the “Shan Hai Jing” 山海经 and in later books such as the “Er Tan” 耳谈or “An Earful of Conversation” by Wang Tong-Gui 王同轨of Ming Dynasty, which states that a: “Place where tin is produced is not suitable for agriculture, therefore the inhabitants are usually poor and has to emigrate to survive”.
• Places with excessive dampness and rotten smell will affect people’s joints and cause rheumatic illness, also heart disease and skin irritations. Mildew and rot is a natural breeding ground for gems and is a source of various types of sickness, therefore it is not suitable for human habitation.
• The influence of harmful radiations could also cause discomfort for the inhabitants. According to some Feng Shui practitioners, within 3 meters below the surface of a house, if there are underground streams, junctions between two or more subterranean water courses, hollow cavities or if the ground is composed of intricate layers of geology, then these unusual formations could radiate disturbing long-length waves, contaminated radiations and harmful particle streams that could affect the inhabitants and give rise to headaches, insomnia and even the lost of the function of some internal organs.
• Geomagnetic influences could also affect the well being of the inhabitants. Our planet is enveloped in a field of magnetic radiation; we do not physically feel its presence but it affects us nevertheless. A strong magnetic field could cure but it could harm as well. Generally speaking, it is better to avoid sitting or facing a strong magnetic field of influence. (28)

“Examine the geology of the land” is not the same as geomancy or dowsing in the west even though the two often get mixed up. Feng Shui practitioners rely on observation of what is above to make an assessment of what is below. They carry out physical testing, instead of using a dowsing rod or a pendulum to do their work.

Core Principle 7
水质分析原则
Analyze the Quality of Water

The quality of water (especially drinking water) often determines the quality of life because plants need to be watered and humans need to drink constantly. Water can also bring disease and sickness, as well as being used for defense and transportation.

In the “Jin Shu” 尽数chapter of the “Lushi Chunqiu” 鲁氏春秋or “The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Lu Family”, it is written:

“Running water is never stale and a moving door hinge is never worm eaten, because they are always active…
(Places with) soft water tend to have more bald and infantile people,
(Places with) heavy water tend to have more cancerous and injured people,
(Places with) sweet tasting water tend to have more refine and beautiful people,
(Places with) pungent smelling water tend to have more ulcerous and paralyzed people,
(Places with) bitter tasting water tend to have more distorted and disabled people.”

In other words, different kinds of sickness are often associated with the different qualities of drinking water available and when the quality is good and free flowing, then the inhabitants will tend to be healthy and well. The quality of water can also have a curative benefit because of the trace elements and the mineral content in it. Hot springs and health spas often attract human settlements nearby and they are considered to be places with good Feng Shui.

28. Yang Jun-Song 杨筠松of Tang Dynasty wrote in his “Shier Zhangfa” 十二仗法or “The Methods of the 12 Rods” (some translated it as “The 12 Methods of Burial”): “Directly rushing at or sitting on the middle of a Sha (that is a strong magnetic field) is not recommended. The suitable Qi is often located to the two sides. It is most essential to “open the rod” (that is to bury) slightly to two or three feet either side of the vein”. A strong magnetic field often attracts thunder and lightning as well, so even if the soil is lush, it is not a suitable place for settlement.

Read Part 2 of this article here: The 15 Core Principles of Feng Shui (pt. 2).