Foundation theories of Feng Shui:

Liangyi or Yin-Yang Sancai or Three Powers Sixiang or Four Images Wuxing or

Five Elements Hetu or River map Xiantian Bagua or Original Bagua Houtian
Bagua or Later Bagua Luo Shu or Luo River Chart
Yin-Yang
In the beginning there was Wui !"oi#$% Then Wui gave birth to Taii !&reat
'ltimate$%
Taii (ontains liangyi or two polarities) yin an# yang% Taii in movement
generates *ang+ in rest it generates *in%
Yin and yang are opposites.
Yin and yang depend on each other.
Yin and yang cannot be separated from each other.
Yin and yang change into each other.
Yin and yang contain each other.
The* e,press themselves on three levels) -eaven. earth an# human
The* pro#u(e the /our images !si,iang$%
The alternation an# (ombination o/ *in an# *ang (reates /ive e,pressions o/ 0i
!wu,ing$ %
Thus all the m*ria# things in the 'niverse are born%
The written (hara(ter /or *ang shows the sunn* si#e o/ a hill while the
(hara(ter /or *in shows the sha#* si#e o/ the hill% Yang is light. *in is #ar1ness%
-eaven was (reate# b* (on(entration o/ *ang. earth was (reate# b*
(on(entration o/ *in% Yang is (reative. a(tive energ*+ *in gives /orm to this
energ*% Yin (onserves. *ang #isperses%
Yin and yang are relative concepts. 2 mountain is *ang an# water is *in. when
we (ompare their relative height !use# in Chinese painting$% Water is *ang an#
mountain is *in when we (ompare their a(tivit* !use# in Feng 3hui$%
4ote) Yang vs% *in is not goo# vs% ba#%
The table shows some attributes assigne# to *in-*ang)
Yin Yang
Earth -eaven
moon sun
#ar1 light
north south
winter summer
night #a*
hours /rom noon to mi#night hours /rom mi#night to noon
(ol# hot
water /ire
/emale male
/ront o/ the bo#* ba(1 o/ the bo#*
right si#e le/t si#e
interior e,terior
lower part upper part
heav* light
small large
stillness movement
passive a(tive
responsive aggressive
(onservative #estru(tive
(ontra(ting e,pan#ing
#es(en#ing as(en#ing
3horthan# /or *in an# *ang are bro1en an# unbro1en lines)
Yin
Yang
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Sancai
Taii e,presses itsel/ through three powers !san(ai$)
The sages o/ ol# e,hibite# in the lines o/ Yiing the Dao of Heaven (alling it
5yin and yang5% The* e,hibite# in them the Dao of earth (alling it 5weak and
strong5. an# the Dao of humans (alling it 5benevolence and righteousness5%
!Yiing) 3huo &ua 6huan$
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Sixiang
Yin an# *ang pro#u(e the four images !si,iang$) Tai Yang !great *ang$. 3hao
Yang !small *ang$. 3hao Yin !small *in$ an# Tai Yin !great *in$%
Tai Yin is at the bottom) north. winter. mi#night%
3hao Yang emerges an# represents east. spring. morning%
Tai Yang is on the top) south. summer. mi##a*%
3hao Yin emerges an# represents west. autumn. evening%
4ote) 7epen#ing on the sour(e use#. the images o/ 3hao Yin an# 3hao Yang
(an also be reverse#% This is base# on the logi( that lines emerge /rom below%
Thus 8small *ang8 is the one where *ang is emerging /rom below an# 8small
*in8 is the one where *in is emerging /rom below%
Chinese maps show south at the top an# north at the bottom% East is to the
le/t an# west is to the right%
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Wuxing
Wuxing or five changes represent #i//erent e,pressions o/ 0i !energ*$%
Wood is 0i in its as(en#ing an# growing phase%
Fire is 0i in its e,pan#ing an# ra#iating phase%
Earth is 0i in its (entering an# stabili9ing phase%
Metal is 0i in its (ontra(ting an# (on#ensing phase%
Water is 0i in its #es(en#ing an# /lowing phase%
Explore some of the wuxing attributes by clicking at the desired element:
The /ive t*pes o/ 0i intera(t with ea(h other in #i//erent wa*s% The* operate b*
generating or (ontrolling ea(h other%
Generating ycleXiang Sheng
In the generating or enhancing cycle ea(h element strengthens the ne,t
one% Woo# /ee#s /ire. /ire /ee#s earth an# so on%
The weakening cycle !,iang ruo$ is the same. but with opposite point o/
view% Woo# is wea1ene# b* /ire. /ire is wea1ene# b* earth et(%
In the overcoming cycle !,iang ni$ the enhan(ing element is too strong /or
the one being enhan(e#% 3trong water #rowns woo#. strong woo# puts out /ire
et(%
In the absorbing cycle !,iang 0ie$ an e,(essive enhan(e# element absorbs
the wea1 enhan(er% 3trong woo# absorbs wea1 water. strong /ire (onsumes
wea1 woo# et(%
ontrolling ycleXiang !e
In the controlling cycle an element (ontrols another one% Woo# (ontrols
earth. /ire (ontrols metal. earth (ontrols woo# et(%
2n e,(essive (ontroller oppresses the (ontrolle# element% 3trong woo#
oppresses wea1 earth. strong /ire oppresses wea1 metal et(%
In the insulting cycle !,iang 1ong$ an e,(essive (ontrolle# element turns
ba(1 to /ight the (ontroller% 3trong earth insults wea1 woo#. strong metal
atta(1s wea1 /ire et(%
Function of the cycles
Both the enhan(ing an# (ontrolling (*(les are an integral part o/ laws o/
nature%
Water helps woo# grow an# is wea1ene# in the pro(ess% I/ there is a lot o/
woo#. but not enough water. woo# absorbs all water% I/ there is too mu(h
water. it ma1es the woo# rot or (arries it awa*%
Earth (ontrols water so that it #oesn5t #rown the worl#% Instea# it is (ontaine#
an# (an be ma#e use/ul% I/ earth is too strong. it blo(1s water (ourses an#
water be(omes useless% I/ water is too strong. it /loo#s over the earth an#
washes it awa*%
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Hetu
Ea(h o/ the /ive t*pes o/ 0i originates /rom the union o/ *in an# *ang% This is
shown b* the numerolog* o/ Hetu or River Map. 2lso (ompare it with si,iang %
The /ive t*pes o/ 0i are shown in their respe(tive #ire(tions) water in north.
woo# in east. /ire in south. metal in west. an# earth in the (enter%
-eaven : gives birth to water% Earth ; (ompletes it% Earth < gives birth to /ire%
-eaven = (ompletes it% -eaven > gives birth to woo#% Earth ? (ompletes it%
Earth @ gives birth to metal% -eaven A (ompletes it% -eaven B gives birth to
earth% Earth :C (ompletes it%
Even numbers represent *in an# Earth%O## numbers represent *ang an#
-eaven%
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Xiantian Bagua
I/ we ta1e the image o/ si,iang an# a## a thir# *in or *ang line on top o/ ea(h
bigram. we #erive eight trigrams or bagua% This arrangement is (alle#
Xiantian Bagua or riginal Bagua.
Click on the guas to find out some of their correspondences:
It is a stati( image o/ the ph*si(al worl#%
!ian !-eaven$ is above an# "un !Earth$ is below%
#i !/ire. sun$ an# "an !water. moon$ shine between -eaven an# Earth%
$hen !thun#er$ an# Xun !win#$ e,(ite the atmosphere%
%en !mountain$ an# Dui !wetlan#$ inter(hange their 0i an# thus provi#e the
geographi(al environment /or human a(tion%
8Thun#er moves things+Win# s(atters%Rain !Dan$ moistens%3un !Li$ #ries%&en
stops+7ui #elights%Eian rules+Dun preserves%8
!Yiing) 3huo &ua 6huan$
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Houtian Bagua
In Houtian Bagua or #ater Bagua the guas or trigrams are arrange# so as
to show the #*nami( (hange o/ time%
83upreme (omes /orth in 6hen% 3tru(ture# in Fun% 3ee ea(h other in Li%
Re(eive servi(e in Dun% Reoi(e in 7ui% 3truggle in Eian% Toil in Dan% Rest in
&en%8
Click on the guas to find out some of their correspondences:
82ll things originate in $hen in east%
The* are stru(ture# in Xun in south-east+ or#erliness means that all things are
pure an# e0ual%
#i #enotes brightness. all things see ea(h another+ it is the trigram o/ south%
The sages /a(e# south to listen to the ten thousan# things+ then the*
a#ministere# them well% The* too1 that pra(ti(e /rom this trigram%
"un means the earth !pla(e# at south-west$. whi(h nourishes the ten
thousan# things% Thus it is sai# 5Re(eive servi(e /rom Dun5%
Dui (orrespon#s to mi#-autumn !west$. when ten thousan# things reoi(e%
There/ore it is sai# 5Reoi(e in 7ui5%
3truggles begin in !ian. whi(h is the trigram o/ north-west% It shows Yin an#
Yang provo1ing ea(h other%
"an is water. the trigram o/ e,a(t north. where the ten thousan# things return
to /in# (om/ort an# rest%
%en is the trigram o/ north-east% 2ll things a(hieve (ompletion an# prepare /or
a new beginning% -en(e it is sai# 5Bring a(hievement in &en5%8
!Yiing) 3huo &ua 6huan$
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Luoshu
Click on the numbers to see information about &iuxing or ' (tars.
#uoshu is also (alle# the Gagi( 30uare% 3in(e an(ient times people have been
/as(inate# b* its mathemati(al stru(ture% The numbers in ea(h verti(al an#
hori9ontal row as well as both #iagonal rows a## up to :B% The an(ient Chinese
saw in Luoshu a re/le(tion o/ Celestial or#er% Ea(h number was assigne# to one
o/ the stars o/ the most stri1ing asterism in the 4orthern s1*. Bei)ou or the
Big 7ipper%
Click on the stars to see their Luoshu numbers and names.
Bei)ou
The pattern o/ Luoshu be(ame a mathemati(al /ormula use# in (al(ulating the
nature o/ both Terrestrial an# Celestial 0i% Luoshu itsel/ #esribes the 0i o/ Earth
!spa(e$% In or#er to map the 0i o/ -eaven !time$ the stars are /lown along the
Luoshu path !B-;-=-?-A-:-<->-@$ either /orwar# or ba(1war#% This te(hni0ue is
use# in the Fuan1ong Fei,ing 3(hool to obtain a star (hart !energ* map$ /or a
buil#ing a((or#ing to its #ire(tion an# the time o/ its (onstru(tion% From this
map the /ortunes o/ the house an# people resi#ing in it (an be rea#%
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PHivi "il11i