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In my travels to different countries around the world to teach Qi Men Dun Jia. Many students have asked me what type of Feng Shui system I use. Do I use 8 Mansion? Or Flying Star? Or both? My answer is “I use San Yuan Feng Shui”. For many they immediately come to the conclusion that I use the Flying Star system. It is because many practitioners have been led to believe that San Yuan is Flying Star and vice versa. Detail intricacy of functions and process within San Yuan Feng Shui will be beyond the scope of this article as it requires detail instructions and explanations to understand and apply the system. This article is aim to provide an overview picture of what is San Yuan Feng Shui in order for readers to be clear once and for all what is Classical San Yuan Feng Shui.
Feng Shui as you may know has long been a kept secret among lineage and schools around China. Most of the knowledge has been guarded or explicitly for teacher to student teachings. Later books and publications have been on the market since the 1800. Most have been on Xuan Gong Flying Star and also 8 Mansion Feng Shui. As it is the most easy to digest and use. And since the explosion of Feng Shui enthusiast around Asia and also the world, this 2 branch of Feng Shui has gained much popularity. You say TOMAATO I say TOMAYTO
Xuan Gong Flying Star has been recognized in some publications and articles as SAN YUAN FLYING STAR. How the word San Yuan got into the Flying Star was because in Chinese there are a lot different meanings from a same word. ‘YUAN’ for flying star means the different PERIOD of Qi influence according the movements of the Lo Shu to coincide with the Later Heaven Ba Gua. So we have UPPER, MIDDLE and LOWER ‘YUAN’. There many writers refer Flying Star System to SAN YUAN FLYING STAR.
It is wrong? Of course not as the writer is referring to the San Yuan (3 Period) that is within the Flying Star System. But is it San Yuan Feng Shui? Absolutely not! What is San Yuan Feng Shui?
It is a branch of Feng Shui that dates back as early as San He system of Feng Shui Qi in itself will not become Strong or Weak (Favourable or Unfavourable). It is through the combination of 3 different factors that changes the innate quality of Qi in a surrounding or environment. These 3 factors are Time Location/Direction Yin Yang
As you may have guess now is that UNKNOWN FACTORS are also called ‘YUAN’. In this case San Yuan means 3 Unknown Factors that determine the quality of Qi or affect the quality of Qi.
Time
In different time periods, different place or environment will become either more favourable or less favourable for a Feng Shui setup. As the Tai Ji is forever in moving, through the interaction of Yin and Yang. Different places at a different time will have strong or weak Qi according to the Ba Gua and Lo Shu element representation. For those who are familiar with Flying Star Feng Shui, those different periods will have different locations and directions that will have optimal Qi. Location/Direction
If we have timing, but within a location and a different direction, these will also determine whether the Qi of the area will be weak or strong. For example, the North West location has the Optimum Timing for Strong Qi in Period 8, however which direction that you tap into for your Feng Shui setup will also make a difference whether you take in Strong Qi or Weak Qi, Let say you are at an optimum timing location, it means you have the Automatic Teller Machine just next door. But you will need the correct code to access to your account to withdraw cash or in this case strong Qi. Yin Yang
When we have an optimum timing and also an optimum location/direction, we will still have to check the surrounding to match with its Yin Yang. After all, Feng Shui is all about Balance. If the environment has strong Yang Qi (e.g. facing strong flowing stream or the sea), then it would be benefit to have your direction facing a Yin Gua Line (Yin Hexagram within 64 Hexagram). It is to balance the Qi and the Feng Shui setup so that it will become Auspicious. If we select a Yang Gua Line to face a strong Yang Qi then too strong of Qi will become Sha Qi. Remember Qi will not become strong or weak by itself; it is through these 3 critical factors that changes the quality of Qi. The above 3 factors are interconnected, meaning different timing will have pre-determined strong favourable Qi at a specific location, and a direction of the setup will determine whether to take in strong Qi or Weak Qi to balance it, in consideration to the Yin and Yang positioning of Environment (Luan Tou) around the setup. One cannot work without the rest in order to determine precisely the result of the setup. By now some readers would be thinking, isn’t this what Flying Star System of Feng Shui is doing?
Comparison to Flying Star
Flying Star System has only the TIMING and also LOCATION/DIRECTION to determine the quality of Qi (whether it is strong or weak) and the core principle is entirely different from San Yuan Feng Shui. For example, in Flying Star system, the practitioner will select for a location within Northwest or South for a good Location to harness optimal Qi Timing of Lower Period. It is then advisable to open door at 8, 9, 1 Facing/Water Star within the chart to harness the strong Qi. After which checking the environment for whether we have highland or lowland or water to activate the facing/water star or mountain/sitting star. One of the major crucial difference is that Flying Star System uses Later Heaven Ba Gua for its Gua Interpretation, while San Yuan Feng Shui uses Early Heaven Ba-Gua to determine the quality of Qi.
San Yuan Feng Shui does not have a fix chart as in Flying Star System for each direction to determine whether it which location within the setup has strong optimal Qi. The whole setup is evaluated base on the timing, direction and also the environment.
In brief the San Yuan Feng Shui setup is based on Optimum Timing Location Environment or Luan Tou to enhance the setup. What type of dominant element Qi is within the environment (each type of landforms and combination of landforms has it dominant element) and whether the practitioner is able to setup to take in the Qi successfully. If we cannot get the optimum timing location, then optimum direction to harness strong Qi is used through Gua Line (Hexagram) Finally the setup also need criteria of what type of person or business the setup is used for to harness a specific outcome.
For example, a row of shop house or business office cannot all be prosperous. Some will have good business and some will have slow or no business at all. Solely evaluating the Qi quality, some business may suit certain elemental Qi while others may be worse as a result of it. It is quite impractical to work on the basis that all facing/water star 8, 9 or 1 door for business and office will have good effect. It is similar to the analogy that anyone who is called Thomas or a specific name will be lucky for a certain period of time irrespective of checking their BaZi, family background and life conditions! San Yuan Feng Shui is considered one of the strictest criteria in Feng Shui setup qualifications, as it requires all 3 factors to be aligned before considering the setup to be beneficial... There are no Double Standards San Yuan Feng Shui is being used in Yin Feng Shui successfully ever since the Han Dynasty. Another critical point that readers need to understand is that there are no two sets of different Classical Feng Shui system that you may have been led to believe in which there is Yin Feng Shui System and Yang Feng Shui System. Feng Shui theories and principles originate from Yin Feng Shui and since then move on to setup for Yang Feng Shui. Therefore the system needs to be able to stand the test of time on both areas. What is proven to be effective in Yin Feng Shui is then transferred or re-suits to Yang Feng Shui conditions. Principles such as 5 Ghost Carry Treasures and also One Clear Gua System (Yi Gua Chun Ching) are principles that are used successfully in Yin Feng Shui and have been transferred to fit in Yang Feng Shui Setup. Xuan Gong Flying Star did not have that track record. It’s main purpose remain as a tool for prediction and divination on what would happen at a specific time within a confine space. Origin of San Yuan Feng Shui Our lineage of San Yuan Feng Shui started in early Han Dynasty after the great burning of books by Emperor Shi Huang Di. During that period it was a great loss of Chinese Metaphysics as much of the earlier text did not survive the burning. Therefore our ancestral teacher basically has to start from scratch again during the Han Dynasty. The renaissance period for Feng Shui in China was during the Tang Dynasty in which some of our ancestral teacher move to Guang Xi to learn from famous Master Lai Boh Yee at that time. The total knowledge of San Yuan Feng Shui was condensed by Master Yang Jun Song in a classic known as Di Li He Bi. It contains the essence of what is being applied by San Yuan Feng Shui Masters. Most of what we are using and understand in our lineage about Feng Shui Structural Setup is from our lineage interpretation of the classic itself. San Yuan Feng Shui in its Darkest Moment During the 1949 Civil War between Guo Ming Tang and Communist Party in China, About 41 of them manage to flee China and re-settled around the world in countries such as Hong Kong , Taiwan , Malaysia and Australia. At that time, Feng Shui again has fallen into one of its darkest moment as those that are able to leave China left only with their children. Most of their children did not have much practice in Feng Shui. Those who stayed behind in China are at a worst position because it was publicly banned to practice any form of Feng Shui.. 5 went to Hong Kong, and my great grandmaster was one of them. Since then, most have also passed away in Hong Kong leaving only my master, one of the surviving second generation of Feng Shui Master outside of China – Lau Kai Chi at the present day. Why it is called Feng Shui’s darkest moment? Because many are unable to practice or even teach it to others as Feng Shui up until then still has its close door policy meaning much of the knowledge only is within family or taught in a disciple and master relationship. My great grandmaster in his life time did only 5 Yin Feng Shui in Hong Kong. And that is very weak practice and application by any standards. Grandmaster Lau today in an average working day would have done up to 5 Yin Feng Shui projects. Is San Yuan Feng Shui available in the West? My master up to now has about 1500 students in Hong Kong alone; Master Chan Pui San of San Yuan Miao Lineage has the equal numbers of students in Hong Kong before he retires. The strongest reason would be the barrier of language. It is now!
I am expecting to bring San Yuan Feng Shui to different parts of the world. We are launching our programs in United States, Singapore and Germany for 2006. After successful classes of Qi Men Dun Jia, I have confidence that the essence of San Yuan Feng Shui would not be lost in the mercy of language barriers. Instead I see that it is a good time for the world to know and understand what REAL San Yuan Feng Shui is all about. Basic Checklist for Your Audit Is this setup suitable to the current timing? Is it situated in the Lower Period Qi area? Is your environment in Timing? Is the current location and direction tapping into the desired Qi? Are you taking in Strong Gua Qi or Weak Gua Qi? What facing are you taking in the 24 mountain directions and what setup of element are you harnessing? Which location of your property are you harnessing the Qi? What is the element are you collecting into your environment? Is it beneficial for your setup or harmful to your setup?
- Yin Yang (Movement and Stillness of the environment)
Is the mountain bringing in more of Earth Qi, Metal Qi, Wood Qi, Fire Qi or Water Qi? Is the river or water formation bringing in the correct element Qi for your setup? E.g. A water setup structure – face north and has a lot of water feature in its surrounding, but sits on a Fire Shape Mountain is having a clash of elements or Yin Yang. Therefore occupants are easily injured and full of quarrel and unsettling Qi. By now, I hope you understand and get a good picture of what San Yuan Feng Shui is about and how it is different and similar with other systems of Feng Shui. As mention before, for the total working of the system it is impossible to explain in an article or even a few books. However if you evaluate your Feng Shui audit base on these 3 crucial factors, then you are starting to think like a San Yuan practitioners and using the essence of San Yuan in its long line of lineage and proven system. In my next article I will talk about How to Get Away from Obsession with Feng Shui Formulas. In order for a practitioner to advance further in their skills, you will need to consider abandoning the obsession with more formulas and think deep into the basics and your understanding about a setup and not chase after total match with the formula you have. I will show you just how to think like a professional in evaluation of a Feng Shui audit that will increase your skill many folds. Until then... |
