"It doesn't matter if you believe in Feng Shui or not. You have no choice.

Your life and destiny are interwoven with the workings of the universe and nature."

-His Holiness Grandmaster Thomas Lin Yun

We All Experience Feng Shui

In our busy, stressful lives, we often don’t realize how our surroundings influence us. Why do some rooms make you feel uneasy? Why are other rooms comfortable? Why are some workers more productive than others? Why are some businesses more successful than others? Feng Shui might explain it.

Literally meaning “wind and water,” Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the Chinese art of design and placement. This 4,000 year-old discipline is based on the principle that a vital life energy, ch’i, flows everywhere---in nature, buildings and people. Feng Shui balances ch’i through placement of dwellings, rooms, furniture, and design features like architecture, art and colors. If the ch’i flows smoothly in your environment, it will flow smoothly in your mind and body, leading to a healthy, successful life. However, if the ch’i is blocked, moving too swiftly or slowly, it can cause stress, uneasiness or illness, making life difficult. For example, an office desk should always be in the “command position,” facing toward the entry door, so you can benefit from the incoming ch’i, resulting in greater productivity and success.

Feng Shui in Everyday Life

The principles of Feng Shui design and placement can be applied to urban planning, building and land development, architectural design, interior design and landscaping.

The Force of Ch’i

Ch’i is an invisible energy force, like gravity. It is known as a “cosmic breath.” You can also think of ch’i as your breath of life. It is a vital life energy that keeps your mind active and heart beating. It’s a concept that has been adopted by popular culture. In acupuncture, the needles are inserted to unblock ch’i energy centers. In yoga, you form different body positions to encourage ch’i flow. And the movement exercises in tai ch’i and ch’i gung do the same. Even jogging or a gym workout helps to keep your ch’i flowing.

There is also the ch’i of the land and atmosphere--arteries of positive and negative energy flowing through the earth and nature. The laws of Feng Shui protect you by deflecting harmful ch’i and directing positive chi to benefit your mind, body, and surroundings. Feng Shui is rooted in the Taoist philosophy that two primordial opposite energy forces—yin and yang—govern the universe (hot-cold, light-dark, life-death). The balance of these forces influences your destiny.

Art & Science

Feng Shui is based on the study of cosmic forces. Long before the discovery of electromagnetic fields, ancient Chinese studied the energy movement of heaven (sun, moon, stars) and earth (nature, seasons) and developed theories about their influence on human life. This study became known as the science of Feng Shui.

Today, Western science defines ch’i as a “subtle energy,” a category of energies that do not fit into the classical physics definition of energies. Subtle energies function in a domain of the universe that we cannot access with our physical senses.

Feng Shui Has Many Names

The discipline of Feng Shui was developed in China, but similar practices are found in many ancient cultures. In Japan, it’s called Foo Sui and ch’i is known as ki. India has Vastu Shastra, Vietnam has Phong Thuy, and Thailand has Hong Jewee.

Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui

There are many schools of Feng Shui and they all strive to create an environment that will promote healthy and successful living, but their methods may differ. The traditional Compass School focuses on directions to determine the ideal placement. The Land-Form School considers the formation of the land.

The Black Sect Tantric Buddhist School focuses on the “mouth of ch’i,” the entry into an environment and the impact of immediate surroundings. Founded by His Holiness Grandmaster Thomas Lin Yun, Deborah Gee’s mentor, Black Sect Feng Shui adapts this ancient discipline to modern living and is sometimes dubbed the Modern School of Feng Shui. It’s an integrative school that incorporates contemporary science and arts, such as architecture, ecology, environmental design, medicine, and psychology, and also elements from all other schools of Feng Shui.

What also distinguishes Black Sect Feng Shui from other schools is its dual emphasis on the mundane (visible) and transcendental (invisible) influences on you and your environment. It stresses the power of applying both mundane cures, such as mirrors, plants, water fountains, and transcendental cures, which are remedies rooted in ancient tradition and folklore, such as rituals to invite greater prosperity or rid one of bad luck, and ceremonial blessings for a home or business.

Black Sect Feng Shui has a holistic approach and analyzes the ch’i of a place and person. The mothers of Chinese thought, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, shape the Feng Shui philosophy of living your life in harmony with nature to achieve peace and happiness. And Black Sect Feng Shui helps you to reach this goal by not only balancing the ch’i in your environment, but also the ch’i in you, which may include Buddhist meditations to attain better health, clarity, and serenity.

Although Feng Shui is a complex discipline and can seem daunting to put into practice, Black Sect Feng Shui is known for its practical approach and simple, effective remedies that don’t require moving doors or tearing down walls. There are many levels of Feng Shui, from the visible solutions of moving furniture and painting rooms to the invisible of transcendental cures. It’s up to you how much you want to integrate into your life.

Way of Living

With Feng Shui, you are designing your home or business for a higher purpose, beyond beauty and comfort, to a place that encourages you to flourish to your full potential. Feng Shui is a way of living in harmony with your surroundings, family, and life goals.