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Over the past few years, Feng Shui (pronounced as Foong Shway)
has become quite popular in India. But very few people know
what it is all about. So lets first define it. Feng Shui
is the art and science of understanding and manipulating the
internal and external environment of a house to the benefit
of its residents. It takes into consideration the effect of
directions, external land formations, magnetic field, time
and constellations. But recently a hotchpotch form of FENG
SHUI is being propagated in the market, which is not in keeping
with the true study of Chinese geomancy that has evolved over
the last 4000 years.
Many people would like to harness the benefit of FENG SHUI
but do not know how to find the right person who will help
them. Also considering the steep fees that most consultants
charge, it is important to identify a proper expert. The problem
is that every second person who reads a FENG SHUI book turns
into an "expert" overnight. Can a person become
a neurosurgeon by reading a few books?
Confused? Here are a few simple tips that will help you weed
out the bad apples:
- Lineage & Certification: First and foremost,
ask the person for his scholastic lineage and certifications.
Only a handful of traditional masters teach FENG SHUI in
English. And if they do, courses are very expensive and
very few Indians can afford it. Some of these masters are
Yap Cheng Hai, Joey Yap, Larry Sang, Raymond Lo and Joseph
Yu. Please note that the above list of masters is only indicative
but not exhaustive.
- Luo Pan: It is a Chinese geomantic compass. The
frame is square and the compass has concentric rings. Usually
a Luo Pan is between 8-12inches in size and has as many
as 36 concentric rings. Each ring gives information about
the different aspects of the environment that affect the
house. It is important to note that even a half-degree mistake
in the reading of the compass can change the analysis radically.
Hence it is absolutely impossible for a FENG SHUI consultant
to make accurate analysis with a simple magnetic compass.
Lack of a Luo Pan is a clear give away for a fake "expert".
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Information asked for: There is some basic information
that a FENG SHUI consultant has to ask his clients like
birth dates of each family member and date of construction
of the house/ date of the family moving in to the house.
Without this information a FENG SHUI consultant cannot
complete his audit.
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"8 Aspirations of life": This is the
most commonly practiced method by non-certified FENG SHUI
consultants as it is very easy to use. Here, unlike traditional
FENG SHUI, one standard 3x3 grid is used for all houses.
Different squares of this grid are allotted different
aspirations of a person like career, children and fame.
It is defined as "Art of Placement" and is a
simplified mixture of FENG SHUI, Tantric Buddhism, Colour
Therapy, Western Psychology etc. But this method lacks
any classical lineage and is only 20 years old. The easiest
way to spot such a consultant is that he will tell you
that "Your house does not have a wealth square"
or "Your bathroom/ kitchen is suppressing your career
sector". Cate Bramble, a reputed FENG SHUI expert,
calls this version "McFengShui" (a la McDonalds)
because of its quick fix, standardized approach. The experts
do not recommend this school as it make FENG SHUI appear
as just a "New Age" fad.
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Not just inside the house: The external environmental
features of a house, like mountains, water bodies, trees,
buildings and roads, have a profound impact on the well-being
of its residents. Most FENG SHUI formulae are based on
the location, direction, quality and size of these landforms.
A consultant who does not take into account such features
does not have full knowledge of FENG SHUI.
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Toads & Turtles: Most people think that FENG
SHUI is all about placing statues of funny creatures all
around the house. Please clear this misconception from
your head. Such symbols are a part of Chinese culture
and mythology… not FENG SHUI!!! No doubt that these
items are very attractive, but they do not have any effect
on the FENG SHUI of your house. In traditional FENG SHUI
audit, the only cure recommended is through corrective
action using the interaction of five elements or phases
of energy: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.
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Testimonials: A good FENG SHUI consultant should
be able to give references of previous clients with whom
you can verify the benefits they have derived out of a
FENG SHUI consultation. Also verify that these "clients"
are not his friends or relatives!
- Rituals & Spirituality: FENG SHUI is a metaphysical
science and has nothing to do with spirituality and religion.
Chanting of Mantras and sticking symbols is not part of
FENG SHUI. Some people will make you believe that FENG SHUI
has its origins in Tantric Buddhism. This is totally untrue.
Also rituals like "Space Clearing" and "Clear
your Clutter" are not a part of the traditional method.
Though the above steps are not a foolproof way of identifying
a genuine FENG SHUI consultant, you can at least keep the
obvious charlatans at bay.
This article has appeared in the Mumbai Editions of Indian
Express and Loksatta.
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