Feng Shui

One of the main beliefs Chinese people have is in Feng Shui. In literal translation it means Wind and Water. Feng Shui is geomancy, or the study of the position of the Earth in relation to people and how this affect fortune. The roots of Feng Shui can be traced back to before establishment of the Chinese culture.

Feng Shui is said to influence everything in people's lives. It affects bodily functions, health, marriage, career, etc. It affects one's existence, dominates one's life, and guides one's destiny. Not many Chinese would dare rearrange furniture or build a house on that has bad Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is based on the concept that man and nature must exist in harmony. It is closley related to the idea of the yin and the yang, but Feng Shui is an entire school of environmental and cultural doctrines. The basic principle of Feng Shui is that spirits inhabit every imaginable spot on Earth. These spirits influence the fate of the people that live or pass by the location they inhabit.

An example of Feng Shui is as follows:

Hills represent dragon spirits in Feng Shui. To build a house on an eye of the dragon will irritate the dragon causing bad luck. Masters of Feng Shui would be called in to determine a locations Feng Shui before a house would be built.

There are many rules to Feng Shui. To become a Feng Shui master is difficult since reading the spirits of a location is not an easy thing to do. During the Ming dynasty, there was a folly dealing will a Feng Shui master hired to bring bad Feng Shui to people in a prosperous town:

One town in the Ming Dynasty was blessed with good Feng Shui and was pushing the other nearby towns in the background in business dealings, civil service examination selection, and a myriad of other achievements. These towns banded together to bring the downfall of this prosperous town. They hired a Feng Shui master to read the Feng Shui of the nearby town to counter act its luck. Unfortunately for the misfortuned towns, the master misread the Feng Shui and the town became even more prosperous.

Feng Shui plays a large role in China as well as in any other country. For example, in America, the Stock Market Broker's offices have been analyzed by Feng Shui masters to bring the best luck in al transactions.