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30
How Did Feng Shui Start?
Filed Under Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a concept that if studied and followed correctly can affect the harmonious environment around an individual and the space they occupy. The first thing that a person must understand when grasping a new concept is what that concept actually means. Feng Shui translates to mean wind and water and these two components are two fundamental forms of life energy according to Chinese philosophy. Once this is understood, an individual can then begin to grasp the history of Feng Shui and how it has developed over the years.
Feng Shui began in ancient China around the third century B.C. with the West Han dynasty. According to feng shui design, a belief exists that the earth is a being with life that has an energy surrounding it. That energy in Chinese is called “chi”. Chi is determined by the placement of an object and the actual physical surroundings placed around that object. The site around an object, usually a building, is believed to have either positive or negative energy.
In ancient China feng shui design was practiced by rich and poor alike. According to the website www.indobase.com who gives a wonderful detailed explanation of the history of feng shui, “In ancient China a city was planned in concentric rectangles surrounded by walls surrounded by lakes, hills, valley, gardens, courtyards and parks.” The Chinese tried to ensure that both the manmade and the natural environment were planned to promote and enhance positive energy. Then they were landscaped using the Yin and Yang ideas.
Good feng shui was ensured by the ancients when they constructed the buildings to enhance harmonious relationships between members of a family and between the family and country. According to feng shui design, “the left of the building represented Yang or male force and was connected to the forces of heaven and the right of the building represented Yin or the female force and was connected with the energies of the earth.” The Yang forces were represented in sun lit roofs and elevation in the front. Yin forces were represented in structures that had shadowed eaves and elevations in the back. If a structure was not balanced and leaned more toward either Yin or Yang forces then this would be considered improper and unbalanced. Ancient emperors built their palaces based on this feng shui guide and this was thought to be very favorable to power.
Feng shui can be a complicated and confusing topic to fully understand. Every element is represented by the forces at work in the feng shui philosophy. However, a person can use good feng shui design to ensure that a harmonious environment both inside and outside of their dwelling is followed. By learning from the ancients, this tradition has been and will continue to be passed on to generations for years to come.
