Introduction Of Tibetan Buddhism Buddhism was introduced in Tibet in the 7th century AD under the reign of King Songtsen Gampo (around 617-650 AD). He married Nepalese and Chinese princesses who were both Buddhists. Buddhist influence in Tibetan religion and culture started when they brought with them Buddhist scriptures and statues. During Landama's reign, Buddhism was banned and eradication of the scriptures and statues began until it was restored again in the 10th century AD. Tibetan Buddhism, also called Lamaism, was established in the 10th century AD and gradually became dominant in Tibet. It proliferated into neighboring provinces and countries later and it gradually split into different sects and gained political influence. Tibetan Buddhism is based on Madhyamika and Yogacara which belongs to the Mahayana school. It utilizes symbolic ritual practices of Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana) and incorporates features of the indigenous Tibetan Bon Religion. Tibetan Buddhism is more mystical than other forms of Buddhism due to Tantric and Bon influences, relying strongly on mudras (ritual postures), mantras (sacred speech), yantras (sacred art) and other initiation rites which are performed in secrecy. Tibetan Buddhism has many sects and sub-sects. The following sects are the most influential ones: The Nyingmapa sect, also known as the Ancient Ones, began around 750 AD with Padmambhava. Its name means "old" because it was the oldest sect in Tibet. The Nyingmapa sect was also called the Red sect because Nyingmapa lamas wore red robes and hats. It has a loose organization and focuses on mantras. The lamas can be married and they usually live in small groups. The sect has kept intact some practices that can also be seen in the indigenous Bon religion. Nyingmapa lamas believe that one's mind is pure and that one can be a Buddha through the Buddhist cultivation, that is, prevention of external disturbances or conflicts. Compared to other Buddhist sects, this sect has the most deities. Famous Nyingmapa monasteries include Mindroling Monastery and Dorje Drak Monastery. The former is well known for its Tibetan calligraphy. Kahdampa is another sect in Tibetan Buddhism. Kahdampa means that Buddha's deeds and teachings should be doctrines of cultivation. It is Atisha's lineage. Its tradition stresses on the scriptures and discipline; although, a few outstanding ones can be imparted with Tantra. The sect believes in samsara and retribution. Its Yoga and Tantra are free from traditional and religious influence. Kahdampa's main monastery is the Ratreng Monastery. It was once the seat of Tibetan government when the Dalai Lamas were young. This sect was later converted to Gelugpa. The Kagyupa sect began with two great teachers, Marpa and Milarepa. The name of this sect means "to teach orally". It focuses on Tantric cultivation. This sect is also known as the white sect because Marpa and Milarepa wore white robes. Unlike the Kahdampa sect, this sect's tradition focuses on the combination of quasi-qigong and Buddhism satori practices. It also advocates asceticism and obedience for individual development. Its doctrines are unique. One important contribution of the Kagyupa sect was the establishment of the tulku (incarnation lama) system wherein an existing lama can provide clues of his future lama embodiment. Kagyupa's principal shrine is the Tsurphu Monastery, which is the seat of Karmapa lama. The Sakyapa sect was named after the Sakya Monastery and was established in 1073 AD. The sect governed the whole of Tibet for some time. Because the wall of the monastery was painted in red, white and black strips, it was colloquially called the colorful sect. Sakyapa's doctrines persuaded people to do good deeds to gain good incarnation in the next samsara. It also teaches the abandonment of an individual's temporal desires to be relieved from pain. Gelugpa, the order of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, is also known as the yellow sect because they wear yellow hats. The sect began with Tsong Khapa, a great Buddhist reformer, in 1407 AD. It absorbed Kahdampa and carried on Atisha's tradition. It stresses on strict discipline and study of the scriptures. The successful reform made by this sect in the 17th century AD left the other sects to play a minor role in Tibetan society. Thus, it was the dominant sect during that time. It has six main monasteries namely: Ganden, Ta'er, Drepung, Labrang, Sera, and Tashilhunpo Monasteries. Culture Rites Dissemination Monastery = Catholicism A Century Ban on Catholicism From 1706 to 1805, the ban on Catholicism by the Chinese government remained effective for about 100 years, which is called in history A century ban on Catholicism. During that period, missionaries were expelled from China and their churches were changed into Buddhist temples, government offices, storehouses, schools and so on. Some missionaries were involved in court conflicts and official affairs, evoking the emperors' hatred toward them. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, many missionaries were put into prison. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the successor to Yongzheng, missionaries were set free and some of the learned missionaries could serve in the imperial court. But he did not change the policy thoroughly. During his reign, there were still some cases in which Catholics were persecuted. During the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1795-1820), the government carried on the policy of ban on Catholicism. During this period, the Society of Jesus was dismissed in Europe. Many missionaries went back to Europe, and those remained in China were no longer put in an important position. The missionaries in charge of calendar were replaced by Chinese. Most of the churches in Beijing were damaged, and the most important ones were destroyed. Thus, the activities of Catholicism suffered a heavy blow. - Foreign Missionaries - Catholics - Churches - Catholicism in China = Confucianism Confucianism is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture. It is a complete ideological system created by Confucius, based on the traditional culture of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Confucianism has dominated a feudal society that in essence has lasted 2000 years and for that reason its influence over the history, social structure and the people of China cannot be overlooked. Life of Confucius Confucius has proved to be the greatest influence over the Chinese character. Besides being a great educationist, thinker and unsuccessful politician, he was first of all an intellect with a noble morality. He pursued truth, kindness and perfection throughout his life and his success and failure were largely due to his character, which had an everlasting impact on Chinese intellect. Confucius was born in 551B.C in the State of Lu which is known today as Qufu in Shandong Province.. In Chinese, his name was Kong Qiu. Kong was the family name while Qiu was his given name. This was because his parents had prayed for a son at Niqiu Hill and 'Qiu' was an appropriate token of their thanks and joy at having their prayers answered. Sadly, his father died when Confucius was very young but despite a hard life, he dedicated himself to study at the age of 15. Patriotism was the driving force for the young Confucius and he set his sights on an official career as a means to apply his political ideals. He had gained some fame by the time he was 30 but it was not until he was 51 that his official life really assumed great importance. This eventful career was to last for only four years as he was forced to resign when he found it impossible to agree with the authorities. Such was the opposition to his ideas that he was obliged to leave his country and to travel around the states. During these 14 years, he was in danger on many occasions and even risked his life. At the age of 68 he was welcomed back to Lu but he was set up as a respected gentleman without any authority. He died of illness at the age of 73. A brilliant star fell into silence. His students treated him as father and wore the willow for three years. Zigong, one of the famous disciples, set up a cabinet near his tomb and stayed there for six years to mourn his beloved teacher. Confucius could never have dreamed that his lonely tomb would develop into the large Cemetery of Confucius (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shandong/qufu/forest.htm) and that his ideological system would become the norm for Chinese society. Compared to his frustrated political career, Confucius' career as a teacher and philosopher was brilliant and full of achievements. Much of his approach to education was avante garde as he promoted the ideas "to educate all despite their social status" and "to teach according to the students' characteristics". The first of these broke with tradition as only the aristocracy had the privilege of education. Confucius also proposed a complete set of principles concerning study. He said, "Studying without thinking leads to confusion; thinking without studying leads to laziness." Today's quality-education was nothing new to Confucius. Imparting knowledge was only part of his teaching; he was a living example of the concepts he promoted and this had a deep and lasting influence upon his disciples. Confucius' private life was a model of his doctrines. The Analects of Confucius provide a vivid record of his teachings but although he wrote nothing personally, his words were collected and recorded for posterity by his disciples. The accumulated words of wisdom have come down to us as "The Analects", one of the most important of all the Chinese classics. Confucius took great delight in studying and was modest enough to learn from anyone. He never tired of teaching his disciples while diligence, his unremitting pursuit of truth, ideas and perfect personality, his integrity, kindness, modesty and courteousness inspired his disciples and the intellects of subsequent generations. Uniquely, only he is qualified to be called "the teacher of ten thousand generations". It is said that among 3000 of Confucius' disciples, there were 72 who were brilliant and who succeeded in morality, literature, language, and especially politics. These politicians contributed much to the spreading, formation and development of Confucianism. Confucius stuck to righteousness, saying, "Improper fortunes are just flowing clouds to me. For proper fortunes, I will do jobs such as a driver." He was quite easy with his ideas despite of poverty. He was virtuous, always ready to help others and treated others with tolerance and honesty. To him, a benevolent person is one who loves others. He said, "Do not give others what you do not want yourself", similar to the Bible teaching of "All those things which you would have men do to you, even so do you to them: because this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew7:12) Influenced by Confucianism, in Chinese culture, an intellectual is not limited in study alone. He should be successful in being a human and in his bearing of himself. A key objective of an intellectual should be to make full use of his ability, personality and intelligence to do good for the state, society and the world at large. This idea is so precious that we cannot help asking why the products of today's education system are far from satisfactory! Why do not we pay attention to our ancestor's core values instead of wasting so much of our time and energy in word puzzles! Confucius' marriage was ignored purposefully by his followers. All we know is he got married at 19 and divorced his wife at 23 and remained single for the rest of his life. As Confucianism laid down the social ethnics of the Chinese society, why Confucius divorced remained a puzzle. We cannot find out how he behaved as a husband or as a father. However, the records show that he loved his disciples as much as his own children. He was not a cold or dull old man; instead, he was affectionate, humorous and optimistic. It is something of an enigma that this humble and wise man should have been first apotheosized as a Saint then demonized only to be re-established as a Saint by succeeding generations. In Chinese, he was known as Kong Sheng Ren (Saint Kong). We hope our introduction goes some way to show Confucius as a truly human being. The background of Confucianism Confucius lived in the Spring and Autumn Periods, a time when the established system could not meet the demand of development as the ruling classes of China experienced the transition from a slave to feudalist society. It was a time of "the collapse of etiquette and the deterioration of music", which implies the ethics and moralities of society were in decline. The intellectuals of the day were concerned about the future mode of society, hence the most brilliant contention of a hundred schools of thought, such as Legist, Taoist, thrived in a vibrant period in Chinese history. This is often regarded as the most exciting of times for Chinese intellectuals as no single doctrine dominated their lives. Confucius' proposal was to discipline oneself and to revive the ethics of Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, he brought forward a series of norms, which step by step developed into Confucianism. Confucianism and its development in the history Confucianism was further developed by Mencius (372B.C.-289B.C.) and Xun Zi. It was in the reign of Emperor Wu during the Han Dynasty that Confucianism was promoted to being the state ideology. Since then, Confucianism became the orthodox doctrine of Chinese society. And Confucius was glorified as a Saint instead of an ordinary man. In the coming Wei and Jin Dynasties, Confucianism coexisted with Buddhism and Taoism. Up to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the struggle for dominance between the three became heated. The Song Dynasty witnessed a vital period of the development of Confucianism. Featuring Confucian school of idealist philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties, Confucianism restored its orthodox role for the following 700 years. Waving the banner of science and democracy, the New Cultural Movement from 1915 attacked the feudal system, including its core ideological system of Confucianism. During the Cultural Revolution, Confucianism was once again under violent attack. In recent years people can look at Confucianism with a more rational state of mind, some even suggest returning to Confucianism for wisdom while opponents hold that Confucianism should be held responsible for the backwardness of China's development and for that reason its dominance should not be revived. In any event, that would not be possible. To our delight, many scholars devote themselves to the study of Confucianism and its application to modern society. Such study is important as the Chinese language has experienced considerable changes over the centuries and the lack of any punctuation in the ancient classics has made it difficult for us to fully comprehend Confucius' ideology. Confucianism is succinct as well as intensive. Strictly speaking, it is not a religion but more a doctrine than belief, while the meaning behind the beautiful words renders wordy post-modernism pale and dull. Confucianism is part of world cultural heritage and an integral part of Chinese life. Related links: Temple of Confucius in Beijing Cemetery of Confucius (Kong Lin) The Kong Family Mansion (Kong Fu) Temple of Confucius (Kong Miao) = People The earliest appellation Emperor was a general designation of Three Kings and Five Emperors. Three Kings were referred to Emperor of Heaven, Emperor of Earth and Emperor of Human, the three ancient emperors in Chinese legends. Originally, Emperor was referred to Emperor of Heaven, the sovereign ruler of everything on earth. Later on, after wars occurred between many states, their rulers called themselves emperor, such as Western Emperor, Eastern Emperor, Mid Emperor, Northern Emperor, and so on, which made the Emperors in the heaven come down into the world and thus became a honorific title in the world. (There was another saying that Five Emperors were referred to the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Yan, Emperor Ciyou, etc. in the tribe age.), Read detailed information, please go to the following links. Emperors Philosophers Scientists and Engineers Militarist Doctors Painters & Calligraphers Minister & Emissary Poets Fiction Writers Prose Writers Ancient Belle Others = Emperors The earliest appellation Emperor was a general designation of Three Kings and Five Emperors. Three Kings were referred to Emperor of Heaven, Emperor of Earth and Emperor of Human, the three ancient emperors in Chinese legends. Originally, Emperor was referred to Emperor of Heaven, the sovereign ruler of everything on earth. Later on, after wars occurred between many states, their rulers called themselves emperor, such as Western Emperor, Eastern Emperor, Mid Emperor, Northern Emperor, and so on, which made the Emperors in the heaven come down into the world and thus became a honorific title in the world. (There was another saying that Five Emperors were referred to the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Yan, Emperor Ciyou, etc. in the tribe age.) After the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) unified the whole country, he regarded himself having more virtues than 'Three Kings' and obtaining more achievements than 'Five Emperors', and combined King and Emperor, the two superlative titles in the world, and took it as his appellation. From then on, the Sons of Heaven were called Emperors. Qin Shihuang Emperor Qin Shihuang (also called the First Emperor of China) was the founder of the first unified empire in the history of China. He established an autocratic state with centralized power over the feudal society...... Han Gaozu The Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), the first to unify China under one ruler, collapsed amid peasant revolts, civil war and natural disasters in 210BC after the death of its First Emperor...... Han Wudi If we say that Qin Shihuang was the first emperor who unified China in terms of territory, then the first emperor who unified China in terms of ideology was none other than Han Wudi...... Tang Gaozu The Sui Dynasty (590-618) only had two emperors. At the end of the Sui, peasant uprisings rapidly swept throughout the country due to heavy taxation and extravagance of the emperor, which made the common people suffer a lot...... Tang Taizong Tang Taizong (599-649), named Li Shimin, was the second son of Li Yuan, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)...... Wu Zetian Empress Wu Zetian (624-705) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was the only female monarch of China, and ruled the empire for over half a century...... Tang Xuanzong Tang Xuanzong, named Li longji, is also known as Tang Minghuang. Li longji, a man of competence, was the grandson of Empress Wu Zetian, the only female monarch in China's history...... Genghis Khan Genghis Khan, or Yuan Taizu, was the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Born in today's Dadale County in Mongolia in 1162 and died in 1227, he was the son of the Kiyat-Borjigid chieftain Yisugei...... Kublai Khan Kublai Khan, named Hu Bilie, was the founder of China's Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Born in 1215, he was the second son of Toluia and Sorghaghtani Beki and the grandson of the great Mongol conqueror, Genghis Khan...... Ming Taizu Ming Taizu, named Zhu Yuanzhang, was the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the longest dynasty in China's history. Zhu Yuanzhang was one of the first peasants who started a Chinese dynasty...... Ming Chengzu Ming Chengzu, born in 1360 and named Zhu Di, is the 4th son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)...... Nurhachi Nurhachi, the Manchu ruler, was the founder of the Later Jin Dynasty (1616-1636) and laid the foundation of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)...... Kangxi Emperor Kangxi, named Xuanye, was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the third son of Emperor Shunzhi...... Yongzheng Yongzheng, titled Qing Shizong, was the 4th son of emperorKangxi. Because Kangxi had many sons, the rivalry between each was very fierce...... Qianlong Emperor Qianlong is Emperor Yongzheng's fourth son. He was born in the 50th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1711), and died in the 4th year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign at the age of 89...... Daoguang The Daoguang Emperor (September 16, 1782 - February 25, 1850) was the seventh Emperor of China|emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850...... Xuantong Emperor Xuantong, named Pu Yi, was the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He was born in 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu's reign (1906 AD), died in 1967...... = Philosophers Confucius Confucius (551-479BC), or Kong Zi, was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of the Ru School (Confucian) of Chinese thought. His teachings, preserved in the Analects , form the foundation of much of subsequent Chinese speculation on education...... Laozi Laozi is a major figure in Chinese philosophy whose historical existence is debated. Chinese tradition states that he lived in the 6th century BC but many modern scholars claim that he may have lived in approximately the 4th century BC, during the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period (475-221BC)...... Mozi Mo Zi (470-391BC) was another great thinker in Chinese history. In ancient China, Mohism was an influential philosophical, social, and religious movement that flourished during the Warring States era (479-221BC)...... Han Feizi Han Feizi, named Han Fei, was a prince of the royal family of Han during the Warring States Period (475-221BC). He and Li Si studied with the philosopher Xun Kuang. Li Si, who later became chancellor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) under the First Emperor Qinshihuang, felt that he was not the equal of Han Fei...... Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (朱熹, Hanyu Pinyin: Zhū Xī, Wade-Giles: Chu Hsi) (1130 - 1200) was a Song Dynasty (960-1279) Confucian scholar who became one of most significant Neo-Confucianism|Neo-Confucians in China...... Han Xiangzi One of the Eight Immortals, Philosopher Han Xiang (韓湘子 in pinyin: han2 xiang1 zi0) or Han Xiang Zi, in Wade-Giles as Han Hsiang Tzu, was born Han Xiang in Tang Dynasty | Tang, and his courtesy name is Qingfu...... = Scientists and Engineers Zhang Heng Zhang Heng (78-139), a native of Nanyang in central China's Henan Province, was a mathematician, astronomer and geographer of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220)...... Zu Chongzhi Zu Chongzhi (425-500), born in Fanyang (now Laiyuan County in Hebei Province), was a great mathematician and astronomer during the North and South Dynasty (220-581)...... Guo Pu Guo Pu (276-324) was a noted natural historian and also a versatile and prolific writer of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420)...... Hou Ji Hou Ji, Chinese Prince Millet, was said to be the ancestor of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11 century to 771BC) that followed the Shang Dynasty (17 century to 11 century BC)...... Jia Sixie Jia Sixie, author of China's first agricultural encyclopedia, was one of the leading agronomists in Chinese history. In the late years of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), he wrote Qimin Yaoshu...... Lei Zu Sericulture is the technical term for the silk industry in all its forms -- farming, harvesting, spinning, and weaving...... Li Bing Li Bing, fighter against the "river deity" 2,200 years ago, was a water conservancy expert during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)...... Li Shizhen Li Shizhen (1518-1593), author of Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), was a pharmacist and naturalist of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)...... Lu Guimeng Lu Guimeng, agronomist and poet in the late Tang Dynasty (618-907), was a native of today's Wujiang, East China's Jiangsu Province ...... Shen Nong Shi Shen Nong Shi, also called Yan Emperor or Lie Shan Shi, was one of the Three Emperors in remote antiquity legends...... Shen Kuo Shen Kuo was an eminent scientist of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)...... Ximen Bao Ximen Bao, founder of China's first irrigation work, was once a military officer in the Wei State during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)...... Zhan Tianyou Zhan Tianyou (1861-1919), a national hero for his role in building China's railroad system, was born in 1861 in southern China's Guangdong Province and died in 1919....... Zhu Shijie Zhu Shijie (朱世杰 mid-1270s?-1330?) was one of the greatest Chinal Chinese mathematicians...... Xu Guangqi Born in Shanghai, Xu Guangqi (1562-1633) was a famous scientist at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In 1600, Xu came across Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), who came from Italy...... Song Yingxing Song Yingxing, was born in 1587 in Jiangxi Province. He lived in the latter part of China's feudal society when commodity economy began to flourish, and agriculture, handicraft industry and traffic on land and water developed rapidly...... = Militarist Sun Wu Sun Wu was a native of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). The family name of his ancestors, who were Qi nobles, was Tian...... Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang, the minister of the State of Shu during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), was an outstanding politician and military expert who was known for his use of tactics and strategies, as is best exemplified in the following two stories...... Yue Fei Yue Fei (1103-1142), a national hero, was a very famous general in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) who fought against the invasion of the State of Jin...... Gongsun Du Gongsun Du (Traditional Chinese: 公孫度, pinyin: Gōngsūn Dù; ?-204) was a general of the Late Eastern Han Dynasty...... Cao Ren Cao Ren (曹仁; style name Zixiao 子孝; 168-223) was a military commander under the third century China|Chinese warlord Cao Cao. He played a significant part in the civil wars leading to the fall of the Han Dynasty, and the establishment of the state of Wei during the Three Kingdoms...... Wu Sangui Wu Sangui (Chinese language|Chinese: 吳三桂; pinyin: Wú Sānguì; Wade-Giles|WG: Wu San-kuei) (1612 - October 2, 1678) was a Ming Dynasty|Ming Chinese general who opened the gates of the Great Wall of China at Shanhai Pass to let Manchu soldiers into China proper...... Zhang Liao Zhang Liao (張遼) (169 AD - 222 AD) was a famous general during the Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China...... Yuan An Yuan An 袁安 (styled Shaogong 邵公, d. CE 92) was a prominent scholar, administrator and statesman at the Han Dynasty courts of Emperor Zhang of Han China...... Cao Cao Cao Cao (155-220), zi Mende, was a regional warlord who rose to become the self-appointed Imperial Secretarist under Han Xian Di and the de facto ruler of Northern China during the last years of Eastern Han Dynasty...... Ming Yuzhen Ming Yuzhen (旻玉珍, then 明玉珍) (1331 - summer 1366) was a peasant who established the rebel Empire of Daxia (大夏 "Great Xia") during the late Yuan Dynasty in China. He changed his surname in adulthood to mean "Brilliancy"...... Hong Tianguifu Hong Tianguifu (洪天貴福 in pinyin: hong2 tian1 fu2 gui4) (1848 - 1864), also called Hong Tiangui and in Qing historical record, Hong Futian (洪福瑱 fu2 tian4), was the second and last monarch|king of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping...... An Lushan An Lushan (Simplified Chinese characters|安禄山; Hanyu Pinyin: ān lushān) (703 - 757) was a military leader of non-Han Chinese origin during the Tang Dynasty in China...... Dou Xian Dou Xian ( 50s - 92), leader of the consort clan Dou, first of which engaged in the struggle for power against eunuchs in the Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty...... Gongsun Kang Gongsun Kang (公孫康 gong1 sun1 kang1; ?-221) was a China|Chinese warlord in Liaodong and northwestern Korea...... Sun Jian Sun Jian (156-191), courtesy name Wentai, was a warlord from Jiang Dong, the southeastern part of China, later the Wu Kingdom...... Zhang Jiao Zhang Jiao (张角) was a legendary rebel leader during the period of the Han Dynasty in China. He was said to be a sorcerer, and was a follower of Taoism...... Yuan Taotu Yuan Taotu(died c. 625 BCE, posthumous title "Xuanzhong" 宣仲) was a nobleman and diplomat of the Spring and Autumn Period|Spring and Autumn state of Chen (state)|Chen...... Chang Tso-Lin Chang Tso-Lin (WG) (Chinese language|Chinese: 張作霖, pinyin: Zhang Zuolin) (March 19, 1873 – June 4, 1928), nicknamed the "Old Marshall" or "Mukden Tiger", was a China|Chinese warlord in Manchuria in the early 20th century...... Guan Gong Guan Gong (關公) , or Guan Di (關帝), is a Chinese god based on the historical Guan Yu, a third century military commander. He is often called the "Chinese God of War" though this title is not entirely appropriate...... Zhang He At the end of the reign of the Han Emperor Ling, Zhang He (張郃) joined the volunteer army under Han Fu, in an attempt to suppress the Yellow turban rebellion. He was appointed as Commander and fought on several occasions...... Hong Xiuquan Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全, Wade-Giles: Hung Hsiu-chuan, born Hong Renkun 洪仁坤, Courtesy name Huoxiu 火秀) (January 10, 1812-June 1, 1864)...... Li Zicheng Li Zicheng (李自成) (September 22, 1606 - 1645), born Li Hongji (鴻基), was a rebel in late Ming China who proclaimed himself Chuang Wang (闖王), or "The Roaming King"...... Gongsun Yuan Gongsun Yuan (公孫淵 gong1 sun1 yuan1; ?-238) was a China|Chinese warlord in Liaodong and northwestern Korea...... Xu Shouhui Xu Shouhui (徐壽輝, in Wade-Giles Hsü Shou-hui, ? - 1360) was a rebel leader in late the Yuan Dynasty in China and proclaimed himself emperor. He was also known as Xu Zhenyi (真一 or 真逸, in WG Hsü Chen-i)...... Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo(董卓; stylename: Zhongying 仲颖) (139? - 192 AD) was a general in the Later Han Dynasty of ancient China...... = Doctors Bianque Bianque, whose surname was Qin and original given name was Yueren, was born in Bohai (now Renqiu County of Hebei Province) in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period (770-221BC)...... Chao Yuanfang Chao Yuanfang lived in a period from the end of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) to the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)...... Chunyu Yi Chunyu Yi was from Linzi in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD). He was born in 205BC, but the year of his death is unknown. As he once worked as a Taicang Zhang (an official in charge of tax and salary), he also had the honorary title of "Taicang Gong" (Sir. Taicang), simply as "Cang Gong"...... Ge Hong Ge Hong (284-354),was from Danyang County (now in Jiangsu Province) of the Jin Dynasty (265-420 ). His grandfather Ge Xi used to be a "Dahonglu" (a big official) of the Eastern Wu Kingdom in the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-265)...... Hua Tuo Hua Tuo,with a style name Yuanhua, also called Fu,was born approximately at the beginning of the second century AD and died before the 13th year of the Jian'an reign (208)...... Huangfu Mi Huangfu Mi was born in the year 215 in a poor farmhouse in Anding Chaona (now Lingtai of Gansu Province) of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220)...... Li Shizhen Li Shizhen(1518-1593),whose style name was Dongbi, also called Binhushanren (Person of the Mountain by the Lake) in his late years, was from Jizhou (now Jichun County of Hubei Province) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)...... Sun Simiao Sun Simiao (581-682) was a great medical scientist of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). His native place was Jingzhao Huayuan (now Sunjiayuan in Hui County, Shaanxi Province)...... Wang Bing Wang Bing,self-named "Qixuanzi", a famous doctor in the mid Tang Dynasty (618-907), lived roughly in the time from the Jingyun Period to the Zhenyuan Period (710-804) of the Tang Dynasty...... Wang Shuhe Wang Shuhe, also named "Wang Xi", was from Gaoping (now Gaoping County, Shanxi Province) of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316)....... Zhang Zhongjing Zhang Zhongjing was born in Nieyang of Nan County (now Rangdong Town in Deng County, Henan Province; or another saying, Nanyang City, Henan Province) of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220)...... = Chinese Folk Custom Chinese like hilarity. On festivals, it is more happy and everywhere is full of exciting air. Though in the freedom Chinese washed and globed by the western culture, every traditional entertainments of the festivals have not stopped and vanished. Many folk custom and entertainments have added to the the happy of the festivals and the competition of celebrating the New Year and handed down from generation to generation. in which the most common one is the playing with dragon or lion. The children grown up in China, though can't walk, must have seen it on the shoulders of the father or on the TV. Besides the mentioned above, the common entertainments in the folk are many such as running the boat on the road, wearing the shoes with very high heels, the old carrying the young on his back, and the dance of the clam goblin etc.. The old carrying the young on his back is a beautiful miss hung the half wooden body of the old whose poise was carrying the miss. It is said to play two persons by one. It is played by Mo drama. The dance of the clam goblin which use the bamboo to make a clam, and the girl as the clam goblin who use the hands to operate the clam to match with the fishnet of the fisher, is very interesting. As for the folk entertainments which have one or two thousand of years in the history, they have still been playing by the children in nowadays. In China, as the highlight and promotion, many culture centers in the folk, book bureau and folk custom and arts stores sell the books and CD to introduce the Chinese folk custom and entertainment in details which can be used for the references. As for the schools, there are many primary students who guided by the teachers and make the properties of the folk custom and entertainments which combined the lively, vivid side of the Chinese traditional culture with the modern life. It is kept for ever, at the same time, it make the Chinese free life richer. Chinese Marriage Custom Ethnic Marriage Old-styled Han Marriage Customs in Beijing A Wedding Without Bridegroom Wedding Customs in Northern Shaanxi Weddings of Zang Nationality in Northwest Sichuan Camel Trains in the Desert Customs of the Hakkas Customs of the People of Taihu Lake De'ang Customs Deities Worshipped by Farmers Dragon Dance in the Hometown of the Dragon Dragon Boat Races Flower Fair at Spring Festival Time Funeral Customs Kashi, A Pearl on the Old Silk Road Mazu and Mazu Culture Paper Joss Silkworm Raisers' Customs Tattoo in Chinese Minorities The Customs of the Hui Minority The Customs of the Thousand Lakes Province The Customs of Tajik People Unique Customs in Hui'an,Fujian Province Unique Tibetan Food and Souvenirs for Tourists Zhoucun's Lantern Fair = Chinese Feng Shui Traditional or classical Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief system that addresses the layout of cities, villages, dwellings, and buildings. Fengshui has been identified as a kind of geomancy by 19th-century Christian missionaries but they differ widely in their scope, aims and means. Traditional or classical Feng Shui involves the use of a Luopan compass and a systematic method involving iterated steps. The New Age versions — Black Sect, Pyramid, Fusion, Intuitive, etc. — typically do not. The Black Hat Sect school of Feng Shui, which began in the 1960s, heavily influenced by the New Age movement, explains Feng Shui as the arrangement of objects within a home to obtain an optimum flow of qi; however this qi has never been observed and many believe that certain, corrupt interior designers have abused this concept to profit from naïve consumers. During the same time, Pyramid Feng Shui began a western adaptation of classical Feng Shui to assess how an individual experiences his or her environment. In its original expression: Wind that which cannot be seen — invisible. Water that which cannot be grasped — elusive. Fēng Shuǐ = (A life-force/entity that is) Invisible & Elusive. Feng Shui has its roots in the Chinese reverence for nature and belief in the oneness of all things. The assumption is that the key to living a harmonious life is to reflect the balance of nature in their daily lives. This is most easily understood by the following concepts: Yin and Yang, qi, and the Five Elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. In rural China, however, according to recent fieldwork by Ole Bruun, qi flow is rarely mentioned. Nevertheless, Feng Shui is used to increase wealth, health, and harmonious relationships. Classical Feng Shui began as an interplay of construction and astronomy. Early Yangshao houses at Banpo were oriented to catch the mid-afternoon winter sun at its warmest, just after the solstice. (Some tribes in southern China still refer to this month as "House-building Month.") Professor David Pankenier and his associates performed retrospective computation on the Chinese sky at the time of the Banpo dwellings (4000 BC) to show that the asterism Yingshi (Lay out the Hall, in the Warring States period and early Han era) corresponded to the sun's location at this time. Several hundred years earlier the asterism Yingshi was known as Ding. It was used to indicate the appropriate time to build a capital city, according to the Shijing. The grave at Puyang (4,000 BC) that contains mosaics of the Dragon and Tiger constellations and Beidou (Big Dipper) is similarly oriented with cosmological accuracy along a north-south axis. The tombs of Shang kings and their consorts at Xiaotun lie on a north-south axis, ten degrees east of due north. The Shang palaces at Erlitou are also on a north-south axis, slightly west of true north. These orientations were obtained by astronomy, not by magnetic compass. All capital cities of China followed rules of Feng Shui for their design and layout. These rules were codified during the Zhou era in the Kaogong ji (Manual of Crafts). Rules for builders were codified in the Lu ban jing (Carpenter's Manual). Graves and tombs also followed rules of Feng Shui. From the earliest records, it seems that the rules for these structures were developed from rules for dwellings. The oldest known Feng Shui device consists of a two-sided board with astronomical sightlines. Liuren astrolabes have been unearthed from Qin-era tombs at Wangjiatai and Zhoujiatai. These devices date between 278 BC and 209 BC. Today Feng Shui practitioners can select from three types of Luopan or Feng Shui compasses: San He (the so-called "form school", although the compass name means "Triple Combination"), San Yuan (the so-called "compass school", although the compass name actually refers to time), and the Zong He that combines the other two. Feng Shui (also known as "geomancy") is an ancient Chinese art used to promote such things as health, happiness and prosperity. The words literally mean 'wind' and 'water'. Feng Shui, also called the Chinese Art of Placement, is a technique that is thousands of years old for bringing balance to one's home, business and the land that surrounds them. It looks at many areas of one's life (health, wealth, family, relationships, career, friends, fame, children, and knowledge) to determine blockages within the home or business, that might cause some type of problem, and then at the different types of "cures" that can be used to alleviate the problem. The methods for analyzing a space and the "cures" to correct the problems can vary from esoteric modalities used for centuries to technological solutions of our current timeline. Both must blend in harmony to created balance in one's life. The purpose of life is to create balance in all things allowing your consciousness to evlove beyond time and emotion - the duality of the illusion. Healing and working on yourself - is part of the equation - as all things are created by mathematica' design / the blueprint or architetcure of our consciousness program in third dimension - Sacred Geometry. When you are in a space where feng shui has been used to create balance - you will experience it in all levels of your soul's awareness ... then you will understand. Feng Shui is an old Chinese art and science which is now becoming recognised by Western Cultures. It's an art similar to Interior Design in that it requires skill and knowledge but also a science in that Feng Shui requires calculations and positioning of objects. Feng Shui is all about the way that we live in harmonize with the nature, benefiting from the 'positive' energies in our living environment. By enhancing the relationship between people and their environment we find that the correct combination will create an ability to absorb the 'Ch'i' or cosmic energy. Good Feng Shui can be achieved by positioning furniture, fixtures etc at the appropriate places based on careful calculations done by the Feng Shui practitioner. Never the less, it still boils down to the skills of the practitioner, and his ability to read the different aspect and elements in the environment and the people, achieving the prefect overall balance of 'Yin' and 'Yang'. Pronunciation and Meaning There are different ways of pronouncing the words, depending upon where you are in the world. Cantonese people pronounce it "Fung Soy" or on the China mainland they call it "Foong schway", we recommend sticking to which one you feel comfortable with pronouncing! The words translate from 'Feng' meaning wind and 'Shui' meaning water. However, the real explanation of what it really means is based around the invisible Ch'is energy which is carried along by the wind and water. Ch'i Energy If you want to understand how Feng Shui works, you need to learn about Ch'i energy - invisible energy. This energy flows through the air, similar to the way radio waves or satellite transmissions work. Ch'i is a source of prosperity, harmony, health and honour. To allow for it's full effect it should be accumulated gently, but it must never be trapped otherwise it will stagnate and turn into "bad ch'i" which brings bad luck. Since Ch'I is energy, places where it gathers become rich, full of opportunities and luckier. Places where this energy is absent, life is barren and unproductive. Much of the practice of Feng Shui is to allow the Ch'i to flow throughout your living space. Yin and Yang Yin and Yang symbolise energy also, where Yin is symbolised by a broken line represented as a female passive energy whilst Yang is symbolised by an unbroken line, the opposite of Yin and is represented as a male active energy. This will be explained in detail at a later stage. The Pa Kua (bagua) One important Feng Shui formula concerns the eight main life Aspirations, corresponding to the four cardinal Directions and the four inter-cardinal Directions of the compass (Lo Pan). Each of these Aspirations is symbolized in the octagonal shaped Pa Kua, one of the most basic Feng Shui tools, which identifies where the particular Aspirational locations lie in your home or workplace, allowing you to energize them as required. This will stimulate positive chi (life force) flow and create good Feng Shui for you. A Bagua Map is a tool used in Feng Shui to map a room or location and see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one's life. The Bagua Map is based on the I Ching, the Chinese Book of Changes. 'Bagua' is translated directly as 'eight trigram', which describes the eight basic blocks surrounding the center of a room or location. The map is intended to be used to map one's home or office and find areas lacking good chi, and to demonstrate how those physical areas are reflected in one's life. = Origins of Feng Shui Taoism The particularly strong characteristics of the earth science known as Feng Shui lie deeply within the ancient Chinese philosophy known as Taoism, but it also has certain connections with Confucianism as well as Buddhism and Japanese Shinto. Feng Shui also links across to Vashtu Shastra in India and even has connections with Native American Questing and Space Clearing as well as Ancient Egyptian mythology with wild touches of the Knights Templar, Freemasonry, Celtic traditions and mystic Hebrew! Quite a mixture. It also has strong echoes through the Eastern martial arts, in particular Tai Chi and the exercise regime of Chi Kung. Taoism, pronounced Dowism is a name which has been applied to a kind of naturistic religion and a number of schools of philosophy found in Ancient China. It should be said however that before Taoism, pictures of animals and symbols connected with Feng Shui have been found which date back into prehistory. This pictures include the twelve astrological animals. The actual term Taoism was not used until the Han dynasty in the 2nd century AD. Its main beliefs and rituals had merged into the main concept of the ?Tao? as being the unity behind the multiplicity of things. The Tao is ?the way?, the nothingness from which all things are created to take part in ?becoming and unbecoming?--the constant whirl of life, surrounded by the vibrational energies given off by all things, known as ?chi?. It is interesting to note that ?becoming and unbecoming' fits very well into the basic theories of Quantum Physics, i.e., nothing stays the same---- and with the working of the electromagnetic fields around the earth known as the Van Allen Belts [which were only discovered in 1958!] Yin/Yang and the Five Elements From Tao, ?nothingness? came Yin and Yang, opposites which attract, from Yin and Yang developed the five elements---Earth, Water, Fire, Metal and Wood. From the five elements came the ?10,000 things?, i.e.-everything else. So, everything is a part of the Tao, the oneness, the tapestry of life and everything is built up from yin/yang---opposites, trying to become each other---female/male and from a mixture of the five elements. It is these basic ingredients which form the chi, flowing in from all the Compass directions, used in Feng Shui, colourfully known as ?the dragon?s breath?. Lao Tzu Taoism is thought to be the philosophy of Lao Tzu who, some sources say, was born in South China in 604BC. It may well be however, that he did not really exist and that the philosophy of Taoism, like Feng Shui, came from a group of learned sages and masters. There are many stories connected with Lao Tzu, saying that he and the Buddha were the same person and that Lao Tzu was born at the age of eighty! What a pregnancy that must have been!!!!! His name is important and that the plum tree and plum blossom, used in Feng Shui remedies have connections with him. Lao Tzu, or the group of sages known as Lao Tzu, wrote the book called The Tao Ching, which tells of the nature of life in harmony with the universe. It is a book which brings together many of the concepts of Taoism and Feng Shui as well as the broad beliefs of Buddhism and Shinto. Early Feng Shui But remember, Feng Shui had already existed, probably back into prehistoric times, from human beings watching nature and working out his/her connections with it. Feng Shui had been used in the sitting of gravesites to protect them from feng wind? and shui?water. For the luck of the living family to be good, the gravesite of their ancestors had to be protected from being windswept or flooded. Feng Shui , pronounced Fung Schway [or Fong Choy], was brought into the philosophy of Taoism and became part of the way of life for the Ancient Chinese. It was not a' Sunday? religion, but very much a practical way of organising your environment and life. The arts of Feng Shui in the environment surrounding humans, were also used in the internal environment of the human body through Chinese medicine, especially acupuncture. In my study of Taoism and Feng Shui, particularly the writings of Kristofer Schipper, I have been amazed by the many rituals of Taoism in which the human body is referred to as a land, a natural environment, with rivers and mountains, its chi energy helped by Tai Chi, acupuncture and other forms of medicine and exercise. Feng Shui and Taoism, then later on, Buddhism, also blended with the way of martial arts, particularly Kung Fu . Feng Shui is this concerned with the chi of the ?inner and outer landscapes?. The Development of the Earth Science Without going into the vast detail which I had to study during my PhD course, you are already beginning to see through Part One how Feng Shui is not an isolated earth science or art form, but rather it is an important part of a huge picture, a way of life to the Ancient Chinese, which therefore linked together and made complete sense and was not an ?airy fairy, mystical mumbo jumbo?! This is the danger in what I call ?The Emperor?s New Clothes Syndrome?, the blinding of people with mystical terms and phrases--stay way from it--keep it down to earth, and so , by using The Compass School Feng Shui explained in this series of articles, it can always be approached as practical, simple and well proved! Observing Nature In Taoism, salvation, enlightenment, is not brought by deep religious prayer but rather by the careful observance of nature, the natural ways of life, the seasons, the flowing forces of chi, the natural energies all around us. These meandering flows of subtle energies flow throughout the environment and through the human body--the inner and outer landscapes. The Tao, the eternal movement of these energies, is the all embracing ultimate principle which existed before all else. The Tao is the life force, which emits the chi, the' dragon's breath' and right through Chinese history and prehistory, chi is referred to, along with-the four celestial animals of the four cardinal compass points [north, south ,east and west]. These symbols were being used in ritual earthenware and decoration, so the dragon, the phoenix, the turtle and the tiger were well known before Taoism really got going. They were symbols of the types of chi, the energy, the calm, the dangerous, the nurturing, the lively---all the subtle ?winds' swirling through the lives of humans---the essentials of Feng Shui, developed through the observation of nature. Simplicity The aim of the philosophical Taoist was to become one with the Tao realizing the universal law of ?the return of everything to its source?. Many years later Taoists tried to achieve this through becoming immortal and as you study more about Feng Shui, you will read of the legends of immortality and the symbols of it which remain today in such Feng Shui remedies as the crane, the deer and the pine tree. In these symbols, along with the Chinese astrological animals, there are strong links to Buddhism, Shintoism and even Hinduism. Taoists, through meditation and ritual, were trying to find a special kind of emptiness-?wu?-and simplicity-?pu? and abide in non-action-?wu wei?, just be-ing rather than do-ing. In this, Taoism shares certain similarities with Buddhism . The insistence that the intellect cannot comprehend the Unknowable, the Tao, which once named is not the Tao any longer. Taoism teaches that understanding is not derived from knowledge or theory- but, by comprehension of what is obvious------ by observing nature and the natural laws of the weather, the seasons and in particular the flowing of water, which though gentle is so very strong. Here, once again, the philosophy contained within Taoism, Buddhism, Japanese Shinto and Tibetan Bon have very strong connections with Feng Shui. The Chinese Way of Life Taoism had existed alongside Confucianism and Buddhism in China throughout the centuries, and along with Feng Shui, it had exerted a great influence on Chinese intellectual, poetical, artistic and spiritual life as well as the ordinary everyday life. As Yin and Yang are opposites striving to blend, so Confucianism and Taoism seem to be opposites and yet were brought together as a combined way of life by the Chinese, very much as a way of living rather than a set religion. They were simple, near to nature and part of the everyday world of farming, crops, weather, illness and death Taoists saw as the ideal, a return to rural simplicity, in which people would be content to conduct their lives unconcerned with what went on in the next village, the perfect, simple life. The Taoists valued the mountains? solitude and also believed that mountain tops brought them closer to the sources of the Tao than anywhere else. The rolling mountain landscapes were the sleeping dragons, the rivers its veins of flowing blood and the energies of chi,' the dragon?s breath?. The mountain monastery tradition carried through into Japan with many of the Buddhist retreats being up in the mountains, the ?yamabushi?, the mountain monk warriors who still exist today in the Northern Sacred mountains of Japan. The yin and yang ideas also travelled to Japan to become Japanese Feng Shui, known as ?Inyodo? or Fu Sui. In yo do means the way of yin and yang, Fu Sui means wind water---indeed the Japanese days of the weeks reflect the important essentials of Feng Shui, Fu Sui---Sun Day, Moon Day, Fire Day, Water Day, Wood Day, Metal Day and Earth Day. The Chinese days of the week are not so romantically linked, simply, What Day is it?, and then day one, two, three, four five, and six! Inyodo, the way of yin and yang is crucial to the study of Feng Shui, but it existed back into the prehistory of China and right through the history of Japan and other eastern cultures--this was while Europe was fighting its way through the Dark Ages and The Plague!!! Yin and Yang, two forces which operate throughout the universe-----yin and yang--known in modern Physics as positively and negatively charged electrons [amongst other complicated names and particles!]. These opposites are used in meditation and Tai Chi as well as Feng Shui. Confucianism was seen as a Yang philosophy, strong and forceful----Taoism, on the other hand is gentle and so is yin, soft and feminine. Kung Fu is yang, Tai Chi is yin. Its power, the power of the chi, the ?dragon?s breath? comes directly from nature. Water Water, as stated before, represents the Tao, the One, everything and the great importance of water in Feng Shui is very powerful and can be explained from its links with Taoism and Buddhism. Indeed, Taoists used water with other natural herbs and fungi to try to achieve immortality. Meditation, breath control and sexual yoga became known as internal alchemy and all three were practised. Buddhists, Hindus and to a lesser degree Confucianists also used these tantric (secret, quick) methods as a way of searching for enlightenment. When Buddhism first came into China, the Taoists took many of its features. This carried on right up to the Mao Revolution period when Feng Shui, Buddhism and Taoism were banned by the communists, but now they are back again in the mainstream life of China. In towns as well as in the countryside too, some of the larger Taoist temples are again functioning. Now the temples are built of stone, not wood, so that they can never again be burnt down, as they were in the early 1950?s. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, Taoism and Buddhism never really went away. It is interesting that in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the tradition of Feng Shui is extremely strong. Note how strong and prosperous both these communities are! Confucius Apart from Taoism and Buddhism, Chinese society was also strongly influenced by another body of ideas-Confucianism. Kung Fu Tzu (551-479 BC), westernised into the name Confucius, was the founder of the first Chinese wisdom school .Confucius believed that good government was a matter of ethics, people must play their assigned roles in a fixed society under authority. He wrote strict moral teachings, based on the strong foundation of institutions and practices that have been used by the Chinese for centuries, and that were once again linked to Feng Shui. To accept the inevitability of the world was one of the outstanding characteristics of the ideal person of Confucius. It became a personal philosophy for how each person lives their lives and was strongly aligned with the natural laws governing Feng Shui. Feng Shui is concerned with the enhancement of ?earth luck?, doing what you can with the environment around you, to make it as healthy and harmonious as you can. Merit, good luck achieved through good works and karmic luck, inherited from previous lives, can never be strongly affected by Feng Shui. Earth Luck It is important to note then that in the practice of Feng Shui, you can never guarantee the dismissal of all problems and pain--but it will enhance the good, produce opportunity and potential, but also allow you to cope with the bad times in a much more positive way. Feng Shui is an important piece of the jigsaw of human existence, but it is just one piece. What Feng Shui does do every time, without fail, is to attract better luck for you and also enable you to deal with bad times in a much better way than if Feng Shui had not been applied. You are living in harmony with your environment rather than fighting against it. Luck then, is not just accidental as we seem to think in the West, it relies on earth luck, the chi in your environment and how you use it, this ?dragon?s breath?. Merit luck is how you conduct yourself through life and karmic luck is passed through from previous lifetimes. Karmic and merit luck are particularly connected to Buddhism and Taoism. It is important that Westerners in particular realise that Feng Shui will not necessarily bring a magical cure into their lives. It often does, but because we are only dealing with one third of the ?luck?, sometimes, life although improving, will still have its difficulties and problems---that is life, always has been and always will be. Buddha's Chinese Buddhism, with its concepts of merit and karma, developed through the 6th and 7th centuries. It divided into two distinct schools, Chan Buddhism which used meditation and the other school developed into a strongly devotional sect which practised the invocation of particular Buddha's and was a definite religion rather than a philosophy. These Buddha's, notably Ho Tai and Tara, also known as Quan Yin, are used in Feng Shui enhancements, for cures and protection. Remember that all of the figures used in Feng Shui were real living people and they are examples of what can be achieved and called Gods because of this, not in any Western religious sense of the word God. These certain Buddha figures, both male and female, humans who have ?cracked the code? and knew how to live their lives, crop up along with Taoist immortals in the symbolic applications of Feng Shui. In Japan too, where Feng Shui is known as inyodo (the way of Yin and Yang), these Buddha figures are used in Feng Shui, as well as elements of its own very ancient religion, Shinto. Shinto is very similar in many ways to Taoism and the nature loving philosophies of Tibet and Ancient China, where Tai Chi and secret Tantric practice developed through the observation of nature, in particular the forces of wind and water--linking it again to Feng Shui. Meditation Throughout all of these philosophies meditation was used. It was, and still is, hard work and can be made easier by the influences of Feng Shui! Meditation stressed oral instruction and was constantly looking to nature for examples. It became the strong inspiration for artistic and poetic creativity. Riddles and questions were asked of the meditation students who were then left to ponder them. These became the famous koans of Zen Buddhism in Japan. Meditation, and the philosophies associated with it, is concerned with things as they are ----not how you would like them to be and in this way it links again to the practice of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is working with things as they are, to try and enhance your life, bringing your life into harmony and balance with its surroundings, the principles of yin and yang, comprising the five elements of water, earth, fire, metal and wood. The essence of all things, made of the elements in different combinations, the chi, is eternal, immutable and independent-worldly things arise, pass away and so are empty-once again, the very core of Taoism and Buddhism. Japan Buddhism was spread into Japan in the 6th century by Korean and then Chinese scholars. Japan had borrowed all things Chinese anyway, including its written language, so this was a natural progression. Once again, as in China, Buddhism combined with the philosophy which was already there. Tai Chi was already there and so we believe was Feng Shui, Buddhism blending into Shintoism, completed the picture! ?Chi? became the Japanese---?Ki?. Shinto, the ancient Japanese way of thinking about life and death, -the way of the Gods, was very simply paying reverence to all things in nature, its spirits and human ancestors-so the links to Taoism and Feng Shui were extremely strong. Shinto teaches that all things, animate and inanimate have their own ?kami?-gods, special spirits, special energies-which protect the living and their dead ancestors. Shinto emphasised rituals of bodily cleanliness and fertility. Buddhism and then Zen Buddhism fitted very well into this love of nature and ritual. Wind and Water Feng Shui, meaning wind and water was a natural way of looking at things. Wind and water were seen as the two most important and natural elements which helped to underline the theories of Buddhism. Wind and water were the intermediaries between earth and heaven. Feng Shui was first used in the sitting of graves. It was important to site the graves of ancestors in good places that would be unaffected by floods water] and typhoons wind]. If the graves were disturbed--- then bad luck would descend upon the living members of the family! Also, water is the sustainer of life and has been used in many rituals in many religions and philosophies throughout the ages. Taoism and Buddhism as we have mentioned, used water a great deal in their practices. Soon, common festivals spread across all the philosophies of China and Japan. For example, on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the Chinese carry out a ritual and communal banquet which is intended to release suffering souls from hell. This festival is Buddhist in origin, but in China, Taoist priests would perform their own versions of the ritual and the same happened with Shinto priests in Japan. The closeness of these philosophies to the simple, everyday way of life and cycles of nature cannot be emphasised enough-and this thinking still exists today within the very elements of Feng Shui.Chi, the essence of nature, the essence of everything, is the vital life giving energy which flows inside us, inside everything. It is the energy flowing through the meridians or invisible channels of the body, used in acupuncture and meditation and now proved to exist by the experiments of Chinese doctors in America. Chi is the energy spinning in the Chakra centres of the body as used in Yoga. It is the energy used in martial arts, notably, Kung Fu, Karate and Tai Chi. It flows like wind and water. Indeed, Buddhist mantras are said to be carried around the body by special ?riding?winds.At the agricultural, or garden level, chi is the life force which, if not stagnant, ensures fertile crops, flowers, shrubs and trees. At a climatic level, chi is carried on the wind and on the waters. As stated before, Feng means wind and Shui, water--the two elements which dominated life in Ancient China. These two natural elements were important in connection with the sitting of graves and the growing of crops. Later on the Feng Shui principles, of ?wind? and ?water?, with the flowing of the ?chi? from the eight compass directions became important in the building and the design of the interiors of houses. Chi and Earth Luck These energies in India and Japan became important in the sitting of religious buildings. In India, the sitting of these temples uses the art of Vashtu Shastra. Where temples were constructed was all important, since chi enlivens the earth as well as the body. Slow, meandering rivers or streams accumulate chi in the land nearby. Living, praying, meditating near or on concentrations of chi is therefore a source of greater concentration, clear headedness, wealth, health and happiness and links directly back to the Taoist sages and the Tantric Buddhist masters who used the chi to help during their meditations to bring enlightenment. This is how chi helps in the accumulation of earth?luck?, something which can be worked at, enhanced and improved. The essence of Feng Shui is------ to analyse a landscape, house, office, garden and to determine where the most favourable flows of chi are located, and then work out how to produce new chi or enhance existing chi concentrations. When the chi does not flow freely, stagnant chi will accumulate. This must be dispersed and its harm reduced as much as possible. Once your good chi provides you with an increasingly positive attitude to the world, as through Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, chakra cleansing-your reaction to those around you becomes much more positive. Feng Shui does NOT imply a lack of free will. It simply suggests that it is much easier to go with the flow than fight against it! By careful manipulation of Feng Shui techniques you can ensure that the flow, the chi, is going your way-or---- is it you going the way of the flow? Energy Fields and Flow This flow of chi energy within you and outside you is constantly mixing together. Every building, garden, landscape, town, street etc, has its own unique movement of chi -- natural---- and man made electro magnetic energy fields. Wherever you are, your own flow of chi is constantly being influenced by your surroundings. Hence the feeling of----- this is a ?nice? place or the feeling of' I don?t like it here.? Beams and sharp corners, chi rushing through in straight lines can make you feel very uneasy! It is therefore important to be able to control the chi of your environment through Feng Shui, but also, if you can, your own chi flow by using Tai Chi and meditation. Once again, these control methods link back directly to Taoism, Buddhism and the martial arts. A B C Awareness, Balance and Control/Calmness are so important in the uses of Feng Shui, meditation and Tai Chi. A lack of any of the above-A-B-C-will show through into your life as stress, tension, anger, illness and suffering. Feng Shui is one good way of attempting to restore the balance, the calmness, control and awareness of your life. It has a highly complex and well structured philosophy as we have seen, its pedigree is a long one and is connected and interwoven with the major philosophies of the Far East. It needs years and years of practice, an in-depth understanding and sincere intuition which only comes with the practice! Congratulations-you have taken the first step on a very long journey. Through the application of Feng Shui, you can structure your life around a series of tried and tested principles so that all the energies within and around you are aligned in harmonious balance. Your Awareness will be total, your Balance superb and your Calmness and Control increased! Having achieved all of that, opportunities for good fortune are more likely to open up to you, and you will find that you are in a position to recognise and grasp them. Also, if bad luck happens to come your way, and it can never be totally within our control----you will be in a much better position to cope with it and to defend yourself! Feng Shui, with its roots blended within the philosophies of the Ancient Eastern World is a way of life, it will encourage you to be more observant of your environment and to reflect on the ways it influences your life. The Internal Landscape Feng Shui is learning to tap into the chi, the natural energies which flow all around us in our environment, by using special enhancements and cures. Tai Chi, the Chinese slow motion exercise, is a way of tapping into and building up the chi inside your body. A body which the Taoists described as the internal landscape. Tai Chi is an experience--------a way of life, a philosophy tightly connected to Taoism, Feng Shui and Buddhism. You carry Tai Chi with you in the same way that when you have meditated a great deal, you will leave the meditation room and it stays with you-----------------so with Tai Chi! During the actual slow motion exercises--of which there are many forms, the mind, the soul, breath, balance, co-ordination and various parts of the body are combined to work simultaneously and spontaneously during each and every movement. The hands and the feet together with the breath combine to harmonize the powers of the yin and yang, the swirling rivers of chi all around us. The eight Compass points of the Pa Kua, the symbol used in Feng Shui, are all travelled through during the performance of Tai Chi, a moving meditation, as you stand, beginning and ending in the tai chi centre. You are taking in the chi energies from all the compass points including the centre, which is healthy and ?earthing?. Tai Chi In Feng Shui, the centre of any property or garden is called the tai chi and in it is the essence of yin-yang energies, light and dark, swirling round in a whirlpool. The tai chi should always be left open. The tai chi was originally the dark and sunny sides of a mountain, or the dark and sunny sides of a roof, where the tai chi was the main beam across the centre. The other compass points have different kinds of chi flowing in meandering streams. In the north it is calm and sleepy, in the north east, it is sharp and changing, in the east, it is nurturing and produces growth. The south east contains chi which brings great opportunity, the south is fiery and passionate, the south west, staid and solid, the west--unpredictable, lively and dangerous and the northwest, strong and reassuring, like a kindly father! All these energies are used in Tai Chi and they are all used in the practice of Feng Shui. Tai Chi begin in observance of the movement of animals, just as feng Shui observed Nature---the Tao, the Oneness. Tai chi without Tao (Oneness) is no longer Tai Chi, but Chinese exercise. Feng Shui, without care, compassion, intuition and love, without an understanding of the Eastern philosophies is mere ?ornament placing?---simply interior decoration or garden design. This is why the first four parts in this series of articles tuned you into the background which is blended into Feng Shui. Studying Feng Shui in isolation leaves so many questions unanswered and renders the earth science of Feng Shui sterile! The universe, is a vast Oneness, a great Unity-the Tao, from which chi, the energy life force comes. Everything is dependent on everything else and that harmony, that balance and the awareness of it, is the basic principle of all existence. The universe is a vast tapestry in which every star, every creature, every rock and every drop of water is an essential thread helping to hold all the other threads together. This vast picture is the one which can be echoed in your environment through the application of Feng Shui principles. Becoming and Unbecoming This rich, complicated tapestry, the Tao, has a peculiar characteristic. Its many threads are always moving, adjusting and changing their relationships, swinging between yin and yang-- containing the Five Elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Metal and Wood, ?Becoming and Unbecoming?. These elements then are not like the staid and solid elements of the Western world, rather they are moving and constantly changing like the protons and electrons in Quantum Physics. Change is the only constant in the Tao. With the human body, it is the same----like the Tao, the body is also a totality, a unity. As long as all of the parts co-operate with one another, the body will stay healthy-conflict will destroy. As long as all the elements of your environment are balanced and not allowed to rush about or stagnate, your surroundings will be healthy and ?luck nurturing?. Feng Shui has to ensure this happens. |
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