I was recently sent the question below, verbatim:
If the universal life force energy is the force/energy that energizes/ fuels/ heals / changes/ shifts all the energy / elements /life force then why can it not be used to cure feng shui chi which is nothing more than energy? Why can we not call upon it and intend for it to positively heal / redirect the flow or itself for that matter to balance how it is flowing in a particular area so that the flow is balanced and positive in relation to a particular space / person? Isn’t the energy itself enough “cure”?
This question brought up a flood of responses in my mind and I wanted to flesh out those responses in an article format for the benefit of all interested and not just the person who sent the email.
Like Cures Like
There is a notion in Chinese Medicine as well as in Feng Shui about healing in an appropriate way. This extends to other life situations and is actually based in common sense. For example, if someone is getting sick from chronically eating unhealthy food, then the obvious solution to the problem is to stop eating the unhealthy food and start eating the nurturing food. Many problems would be resolved that way. It is an example of “like curing like.” In contrast, if someone was making himself sick with unhealthy food, then hanging a wind chime outside the house would not “cure” that problem. It would be outside the “like cures like” concept. Equally, if someone has a symptom of any kind and they choose not to address the cause of the problem and only treat the symptom, their success will be blunted or not as complete.
Within the principles and applications of Feng Shui, we also want to do what is appropriate in regards to any perceived flaw in the environment. If a room is chronically dark, the solution would be to open the window curtains, clear out any shrubbery blocking light from coming in the window, or maybe even put in a skylight for a windowless room. And when those options are not possible, then using artificial lighting is the answer. Of course this is obvious, but you may be surprised how many times a Feng Shui “remedy” or “cure” does not even seem related to the problem at hand. In other words, hanging a red tassel on a door knob is not going to take care of a room that is too dark, too yin.
Non-Obvious Influences
Often, there are non-obvious Feng Shui problems which would also benefit from non-obvious solutions. These are matters which need to be learned and do not necessarily come intuitively to a person. Feng Shui solutions are often based on principles of time, space, direction and the unique relationship that a person has with their own home or work space, and including their natural exterior environment as well.
Still, we try to work within the realm of “like curing like.” In Feng Shui, and all of Chinese metaphysics, there is a concept of “Heaven Qi, Man Qi, and Earth Qi.”
Sometimes this is also called Heaven Luck, Man Luck and Earth Luck. A whole book could be written on this topic, but it also lends itself to treating life situations in an appropriate way, such as from a Heliocentric (Heaven), Egocentric (Man) or Geocentric (Earth) platform.
In a classical Feng Shui analysis, we could observe and treat a situation after qualifying if it is an issue based in Heaven, Man or Earth qi dynamics.
The question posed to me was first acknowledging that qi is this all-powerful, pure energy which should be able to adjust itself and not need any “props” like a typical Feng Shui remedy. A typical Feng Shui remedy could be an item made of a certain material (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, or Metal) that can change the magnetic field of a room. Another “remedy” or “cure” may be the positioning of a piece of furniture in order to correct a design flaw, so that the qi (approximating air currents) may flow more smoothly within the space. Another remedy may be a landscaping adjustment outside to re-direct the air currents away from a property or to buffer qi flow from traffic which is directed toward a structure, with a street being like a virtual river moving near a house.
The gist of the philosophical question posed to me is why this all powerful qi cannot just right itself and why we have to go through the trouble of manually and physically changing our immediate surroundings in order to have a positive result. This question could be applied to just about anything! How come humanity as a whole is so sick? Why is our planet in so much turmoil? Why can’t we just meditate all our problems away?
Why does cancer even begin and why can’t we just will it away with positive qi as opposed to surgery and chemotherapy? Even with acupuncture treatment, there is an understanding that the qi may be out of balance and need to be re-directed through a procedure or technique, such as applying needles to stimulate certain meridian points that need assistance.
It should first be clarified that qi and energy are not the same thing. We often hear qi (aka ch’i) referred to as “life force energy”, but qi is the supplier of energy. It is beyond energy and it has no agenda. Energy on our planet is just one of the many manifestations of qi and we have to deal with much of it in the third dimension.
It is true that some people can create a protective aura shield around them and be impervious to negativity and sha qi. While this is possible, anything is possible, I’ve never a met any person who had transcended the laws of time and space in this dimension on a continuous basis. Even the Dalai Llama has health issues and legal problems. Even yogis get old and die. So at what standard are we setting ourselves up for, if we think that we can use sheer will for anything and everything to happen? Or to just let qi takes its own course and hope for the best.
Certainly, maintaining a positive mind can help in all matters in life. Certainly, miracles appear to happen, such as when cancer goes into remission through no conscious effort. And when it comes to Feng Shui, I can agree that some of the interpretations of our environment and circumstances sound dire and even hostile. And yes, we can rebel against notions that would imply that “qi” has an agenda to cause harm. That is actually a misrepresentation of qi.
Hopefully, in the decades to come, Feng Shui practitioners the world over will re-assess their knowledge and their presentation of what Feng Shui really is and how it should be applied to inspire and empower people, as opposed to re-enforcing a victim mentality or that ordinary situations are completely outside our control. This is not true. Even Feng Shui philosophy relegates the impact of the physical environment to be only about 20%. The mind, Free Will and attitude play a huge role in how we shape our lives.
There is also a misconception about the term “balance” that is used rather generically in Feng Shui. In truth, we are not seeking the “balance” or equilibrium conceptualized by the scales of Justice. Complete balance would bring energy to a standstill, which by definition would not be good Feng Shui. Everything is in a state of flux, movement, and transformation. We do not even need to have as a goal a notion of “balance.”
Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions (R)
from the Feng Shui Theory Blog Series
