Is Feng Shui a Daoist practice?

Is Feng Shui a Daoist practice?

No, Feng Shui exists much earlier then Daoism. Back then, the practice is not known as Feng Shui yet but as Kan1 Yu2.

But why is Feng Shui always associated with Daoism?

This is because both Daoism and the practice of Feng Shui are based on the same core concepts of Yin-Yang, the five elements, the Ba Gua, the He Tu and Luo Shu, and also the existence of Qi. They share the same philosophical roots that are derived from the Yi Jing (I-ching). The reason being the earliest practitioners of Kan Yu are the Fang Shi 方士 (experts of th esoteric formulas) of ancient China who also happens to be the predecessors of the Daoists. That is why Cate Bramble (a Certified Traditional Feng Shui consultant and affiliate with the American Feng Shui Institute) said:

"Daoists developing Feng Shui were the theoretical physicists of the ancient world — part mystics and part scientists, their keen observations of and hypotheses about nature are the closest thing the ancients had to modern scientific inquiry, surpassing the Greeks by a considerable margin."

Master Yap Cheng Hai also commented on this:

"Feng shui has no bearing with religion. It is similar to the Taoist philosophy, which has its roots in China much earlier than Buddhism, in that everything is cyclical and everything will revert to the Tao or nothingness.
The link between feng shui and Taoism is very obvious. The scholars in ancient days were all Taoists and you could say that the Taoists practised feng shui. As the general population became more educated, feng shui spread as a form of knowledge and broke free from Taoism."

As a result, both Daoists and Feng Shui practitioners alike find it easy to embrace each others’ beliefs and practices since ancient time. That is also why many Feng Shui masters happens to be a lineage carrier of some Daoist sects (especially in Asia). In fact, over the centuries ideas, concepts and terminologies have been borrowed from Daoism and incorporated into Feng Shui and vice versa. The author Lim Jian Qiang林健强 in his book [玄空风水科学检证] has mentioned:

“风水思想和理论的形成虽然比道教要早，但道教的思想和理论渗透到风水文化之中，为推动玄空风水的发展产生深远的影响，功不可没。”

“据学者考证，玄空风水中的“七星”、“九星”之名源出于道教。道教中应用的扶占、符箓、祝咒等，都在玄空风水文化活动中得到宽泛的运用。”

Lu Xun 鲁迅, the father of modern Chinese literature, once said: " The roots of China lie in Daoism 中国根柢全在道教." Delve into the history books and it is not difficult to see that almost everything Chinese has intimate links with Daoism.

However, do not be mistaken to think that one have to be a Daoist to practice and use Feng Shui. This is not necessary and definitely not my purpose here. But I need to make clear one thing: Please do not deny Daoism's role in the development of Feng Shui, for to do so is to deprive others of the chance to know Feng Shui comprehensive history. I know alot of teachers in an attempt to market Feng Shui to the masses always claim that "Feng Shui has absolute nothing to do with Daoism. Period. " . I feel that this is unjustifiable and uncalled-for.

Here's what Larry Sang's student P.K. Odle said in her Feng Shui Advantage's website:

"Classical Feng Shui is a science with the same roots as Acupuncture. Needles are used in Acupuncture to treat the energy patterns of the body, while Feng Shui uses the five elements to treat the invisible energies in your home / office. Unless your religious beliefs prevent you from visiting an Acupuncturist, there isn’t anything stopping you from using the science/art of Feng Shui to improve the energy patterns that are already affecting every area of your life."

Regards
Alvin Chua

Written by Alvin Chua. All rights reserved. Copyright @. Not for commercial use of any kind.