Resolution

Another year is coming to an end. It is time to make our New Year resolutions. However, looking back, what happened to our last year resolutions? Whatever it is or whatever they are, you should be seeing some results when you have start working on it. Otherwise move on.

Students asked me how long it takes to study Bazi and Feng Shui. I replied that as long as it takes to learn. The fact is that there is no full stop to learning. The question should be how long it takes to read Bazi and Feng Shui. Reading is a technique and the answer is almost immediate. Theories are no ending and it is very vague. Once you know the technique of applications, the theories will fall in place.

I am in fact talking about fundamentals. If the fundamentals are sound, you will find the application techniques very easy. It is meant to be simple and easy to apply. However, most concentrate on theories which are formula based. That is why after years of studying, you are still stuck in your Bazi reading and Feng Shui auditing. The worst scenario is not knowing where to start.

If you are stuck after years of studying, it is time to move on. That should be one of your New Year resolutions.

The Art of Divination

When Francis put up my course schedule for 2009, I received not one but a few queries asking the same question: ‘Will I be teaching San Yuan Da Gua?’ Amazingly there ain’t such thing as San Yuan Da Gua but only Xuan Kong Da Gua or San Yuan 64 Guas. Perhaps that is a new term coined. The former is a date selection art while the latter is a water placement art. Xuan Kong was never a Feng Shui art but a fusion divination skill from San Yuan and Mei Hua Yi Shu. Both have their origin in Yi-Jing but not Chou Yi.

Yi-Jing and Chou Yi are two different sets of application. The former predicts the latter advised. Yi-Jing is a prediction of natural occurrences while Chou Yi is an holistic set of advices on what actions one is expected given a certain condition or event.

Another misconception is that Mei Hua Yi Shu is not about converting Early Heaven Gua into Later Heaven Gua to do a reading as commonly taught. It is about the relationship between the numerals and Gua interpretations. It is about converting numerals to Gua and vice versa to ascertain the Early Heaven and Later Heaven relationship.

Well, let us face it. This is the sad state of our once wonderful art of Chinese Metaphysic.

Happiness and Sufferings

Many pursue happiness but what they need to know is that happiness is already in them. They just need to exercise it. Greed, jealousy and desire are the main obstacles. Happiness is not a destination or a goal. It is about doing good and avoiding evil. Be ambitious but not at the expense of someone or harming someone in the process. Aggressively promoting yourself is fine. We call that marketing. But to promote oneself by plagiarising others’ intellectual rights is not something to be proud of even if no one is aware of that.

I find it a little disturbing when one talks about the preparation they did for the future lives. Don’t live for the future. Live in the present. That is why it is pre-sent. You reap what you sow; the sowing is now. The cause you are doing now. The ‘reaping’ will take care of itself.

One thing I know for sure is that God cannot be the creator of sufferings to test us, as claimed by many, nor a place for sinner called hell of eternal burning. That should not be god, but another sloth like us. Suffering is a manifestation of what we do wrong or not being happy with what we were given. This is commonly called karma or kamma, the manifestation of cause and effect in this present life.

Even in Buddhism, the cause is living this life well, the effectiveness of future lives depend on it. The art lies in contentment.

Gratefulness

I have been away from the blog for a while. Beside work, I am spending a lot of time on understanding the philosophy of Buddhism. Amazingly, Buddha never said ‘worship me’. It is unlikely also that He created a place like Hell or suffering. It is all about cause and effect.

A genuine Buddhist should never badmouth someone on the pretext of warning others in order to put him on a higher pedestal. The cause and effect will deal with it in due time. To badmouth is a cause for which effect will follow.

To exercise gratefulness to the hands that feed you is one of the greatest virtues. To bite the hand that feeds you and turn around to pretend not knowing that person is morally sinful and unbecoming as a person.

They call these political games but I think it is just an excuse for their weaknesses. It is much easier to push blame than to look truthfully the reflection on the mirror of their heart.

I am guilty of that along the way. I am glad true Buddhism opens my heart to the understanding.

Wisdom

Reflecting on the past 50 years, wisdom indeed comes with age. I am still discovering and realising the essence of life. Having chased after the wealth, status, good food and branded materialism, nothing beats the trust of a true friend, the occasional call from a beloved one or the silent approval from a wise one. Materialism is transient. However the materialistic ones will never get it.

It is so sad to see some people, in their pursuits for wealth and status, make use their friends, students, masters and comrades to attain their objectives and forsake them as soon as they no longer serves their purposes. They do not appreciate the intrinsic values of relationship. Feng Shui is not like that. It is an art of wisdom. Feng Shui is not just about the planetary positions and their influences on our life, but it is the philosophy of life. It is about respect; respecting the source you drink from and the hands that feed you. It is about nurturing the young who are in your care. She should not try to oust her spiritual master when he refused to feed her hunger for power; he should not embarrass his instructor maliciously when trying to protect his humble beginnings; he should not encourage his marketer to maledict other masters while hiding behind the veil.

Likewise with food, the bird-nest soup, the shark fin meal and the abalone dish may be the finest; but nothing beats the familiar Mom’s cooking or the traditional Wan Ton Noodle. Those who have been there and done that would understand my sentiments.

Simple Bazi thoughts

It was taught that Output star equates wealth because Output star creates wealth. That is the philosophical explanation by Bazi scholars. However, can output star create wealth when it is negative? That is the problem with most interpretation in most classical text. It is often a one sided interpretation. In fact when Output star is negative it can only cause a loss of wealth. It can never create wealth when it is negative. It is talking about a bad investment, a failed start up, a quick temper person and an outspoken characteristic.

In the course of your Bazi studies, you need to question the followings:
1. How do we know if the Officer star is good or bad in a chart?
2. When is the Officer star good and when is it bad?
3. Can a good Officer star turn bad and vice versa?

It is often said that you do not mix the Officer and 7 killing stars [官杀混杂], what if the Officer and 7 killing stars are good? Then what is the problem with that?

The Singapore Flyer

The Flyer is a rotating wheel equips with observation capsules in the Marina Bay area similar to the London Eye. It gives you a panoramic view of the island from west coast to the east coast. The Wheel sits on a beautifully designed shopping mall with a rainforest landscape under the Wheel.

There were complaints of bad businesses and was said to be due to the west to east rotation of the Wheel away from the business district centre. Upon the advice of some Feng Shui Masters, the Company spent a 6-figure sum to have the Wheel rotates from east to west so as to bring Qi into the business centre. This is to help create business for the shopping arcade in the Flyer Building. We shall await the result. I doubt you will see much changes.

Meanwhile let us examine the scenarios. Firstly, capsules do not carry Qi. If they do, then vehicles would do the same. The vehicles that leave the business district centre would be carrying Qi away on a daily basis. Secondly the centre of the building is not stable and Qi cannot settles down. Thirdly the Yin-Yang of the building is completely off balanced. Fourthly, the heart of the structure is not contained. Fifthly, the overhead bridge link with the car park is not beneficial to the complex.

The saving grace is that the entrance to the Wheel is located on a good sector of the Building. It helps maintain a balanced account for the Company. More needs to be done for profit.