Chapter 10 : The Positioning of the Front Door

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

In general, feng-shui practinioners regard the northeast and the southwest as "ghost door" positions. Doors are therefore never installed at these two positions.

The front door should be installed in an orientation compatible with the birth magnetic orientation of the head of the household. Doors are "chi entrances," and main doors are "major chi entrances." For people living in modern apartment buildings, the main entrance on the ground floor is the "major chi entrance," while the entryway to their apartment is a "minor chi entrance."

Just as a person's mouth can have a great impact on one's life, a house's front door plays a critical role in dictating the lifeline of the house. There is a common Chinese saying that "via the mouth, illnesses find their way in (through unhealthy eating habits) and disasters find their way out (through unwise words).

Some geomancers hold the following opinions:
~A front door facing east is most appropriate for businesses or commercial properties because east is associated with the rising sun and vitality.
~A front door facing south benefits politicians, religious beads and industrialists. Historically, Chinese emperors built their palaces overlooking their subjects to the south. Nevertheless, my opinion is that one should avoid positioning the front door facing east or south if one's magnetic birth orientation happens to be incompatible with facing east or facing south.

A student had once asked the question, should a front door be positioned in the middle, on the dragon (left) side, or on the tiger (right) side?

"You have asked a question that hits upon my secret to the positioning of front doors!" I replied.

When Taoist Master Ch' ing Chen taught me The Secrets of Earth Magic, he explained that the positioning of the front door should be determined by the flow of "shui-shen" for "water spirit" [watercourse]. This is a great feng-shui secret!

1. Middle door - middle front door should be constructed if "water spirit" chi accumulates in front of the house. This would be the case if, for example, the front of the house faced a lake or ocean. Also, when building a house upon flat ground, where the land is without hils or sloping gradients, a middle front door is appropriate.

2. Dragon door - When "water spirit" flows from the tiger side to the dragon side, a dragon door is appropriate. That is, if, from the inside of the house looking out, land to the right is more elevated than land to the left and the watercourse flows from right to left, the house should have a dragon door.

3. Tiger door - When "water spirit" flows from the dragon side to the tiger side, when the left side of the land is more elevated than the right and water flows from left to right, the house should have a tiger door.

This simple secret to the positioning of front doors is priceless. A door positioned according to this principle will have an ample supply of "water spirit" chi, the chi that brings money. This chi will flow naturally through the "chi entrance" into the house, filling it with wealth.

I once helped a businessman reposition his company building's front door. Upon such a locale, the building should have had a dragon door but had a tiger door instead. He had reached a nadir in his business ventures, and despite great effort, was unable to solicit any new orders. Employees were working inefficiently and business had virtually come to a halt. After the rearrangement of his front door, the reception of "water spirit" chi into the building led to the company's complete turn around. The first business transaction immediately after the repositioning was a success, and everyone's spirits lifted. Business began to flourish and employee confidence greatly improved.

Thus, the prime factor determining whether a middle, dragon, or tiger door should be installed is the directional flow of "water spirit" and the best positioning of the front door to receive this chi.

Another student asked, "What can be done when the front door's position is incompatible with one's magnetic birth orientation??
"One can re-position the doorframe," I replied.
By re-positioning the doorframe, its orientation also changes. One can even re-orient the frame by a ninety-degree turn. All architects know how to design and re-orient doorframes, and by doing so, the orientation of the whole house is not changed, only the direction faced by the front door.

Another student asked, "What if a house should have a dragon door but has a tiger door instead? A bedroom is located on the dragon side making the creation of a dragon door there practically impossible. What then should be done?"

Taoist Master Ch' ing Chen has taught me the following remedy for such a situation: a feng-shui practitioner can place a stone tablet (or rock) on a selected spot so that the "water spirit" chi, when flowing from the tiger side to the dragon side, collides with the stone tablet and is rerouted towards the tiger door.

Master Ch' ing Chen used the game of billiards to illustrate this secret method. To send a billiard ball into a pocket, one must utilize the "rebound" force from another ball. When using this feng-shui approach, the "water spirit" chi strike against the stone tablet which redirects the chi into the house.

Locating the site for the positioning of the stone tablet, however, requires the expertise of a true geomancer. For the stone tablet to be efficacious as an enhancer of benevolent energy, it should also be installed using appropriate Taoist rituals and prayers.

My methodology for deriving an auspicious orientation for a front door is based on the theory that each of the twelve Earthly Branches is associated with a birth magnetic orientation. Each birth magnetic orientation, in turn, has its own compatible orientations. In deciding whether a door should be installed in the middle, to the left, or to the right, I rely on the directional flow of water spirit chi. An understanding of these two methods, the principal tools in door positioning, is knowledge that any geomancer must possess.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap10.shtml

Chapter 11: The Destructive Energy of a Road Pointing at a Site

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

When I first arrived in the United States, I resided for some time in the city of Tukwila in the State of Washington. While staying there I noticed a store located at the western end of Strander, the town's main street. This store frequently changed names and had a new owner virtually every month. A "Closed" sign often hung on the door while remodeling took place inside. I was told that this store, located at the end of the road, had undergone twelve different owners in one year. After observing the store and surrounding road patterns, I noticed the classic case of a site being targeted by the destructive energy of an oncoming road.

Strander is a long, straight road with heavy traffic, and the store is located right at the end of this road. The many cars traveling along the street carry with them wave after wave of chi directly aimed at the store. Inside the store, the surging chi is turbulent and unstable. Whatever the business established, the owner would eventually decamp and take flight.

Americans who did not understand feng-shui were puzzled by the fact that so many businesses had failed at this location.

In Honolulu, I was shocked to learn that Mitsukoshi, a large, Japanese-owned department store, had lost its business and closed down. When I took a look, it turned out that this was another case of a site being targeted by the formidable destructive energy of a long, straight, oncoming road.

A house targeted by an oncoming road is analogous to an animal with arrows flying straight towards it. In this feng-shui pattern, known as "arrow piercing heart," it is difficult to keep malevolent energy in check. People with the special ability to observe chi can see the endless agitation of earth chi at such a site; and people living inside such houses are like little dinghies rocking amidst stormy, turbulent waves.

Oftentimes, people living in such houses are very temperamental and accidental deaths, suicides, or homicides may result. If commercial property is built upon the site, then there are often difficulties in making money.

Some people propose erecting a large wall at the end of an onrushing road to ward off destructive energy. They advocate that this be done before any houses are built on the other side of the wall. This building of this dam-like structure is one solution, but would such a large wall at the end of a road not disrupt the aesthetic appearance of the street?

Others have also proposed that the buildings at such sites be designed as circular structures, similar to the designs of some large hotels. This is also a workable solution since cylindrical buildings can indeed minimize the agitation of onrushing chi caused by the approaching road. This is done by dividing and diverting the noxious chi into two streams that flow away to the left and right.

Taoist Master Ch'ing Chen has told me, "The method for common households to counteract the onslaught of energy from a road is to install a semicircular pool in the front yard, with the outside curve facing the oncoming road, and the pool always 80% filled with water." This employs the curvature of a semicircle to ward off the onrushing sha-chi. The water also neutralizes this sha-chi, and residents of the house can thus keep their peace.

Some geomancers have taught people to hang objects such as concave mirrors, bronze bells, or flutes as remedies, but these objects do not have that great a resolving power and can only provide a limited measure of psychological relief.

If one is to build a large structure at the end of an onrushing road, such a structure can be a temple, as the round pillars of a temple can divert and minimize sha-chi from the road. A courthouse or other government buildings that incorporate cylindrical structures into its designs (such as the round columns in front of the White House) are also good solutions. If, in front of the courthouse, city hall, or temple, one adds a fountain, the site is even safer. Fountains are uniquely useful in these situations.

A man asked me what one should do if one's house is at the end of an oncoming road but not enough land is available for one to install a semicircular pond. When I asked him if he could move, he replied that it was not financially feasible for him to relocate.

In principle, when I help someone on feng-shui readings, I offer "countermeasure" methods as a first solution. If the problem cannot be resolved this way, then I suggest relocation. If relocation is not feasible, then I teach them to employ "spiritual remedies."

Taoist Master Ch'ing Chen has instructed, "Find a piece of green bamboo and, after removing the green peel, draw on it a talisman that stops sha-chi from onrushing roads. Select a date marked as 'Ting' on the lunar calendar and bury the talisman in the ground in front of the house." Such a remedy offers a "spiritual solution" to a feng-shui problem.

In my opinion, feng-shui deals specifically with patterns and flow of chi and energy in the land. Both residential and burial site feng-shui are affected by earth chi. Since the elements of feng-shui are a part of nature, one should avoid extensive human interference in changing a site's feng-shui.

As for the "spiritual remedies," they are Taoist solutions that fall under the heading of "shamanistic" or "magical practices" and are separate from general feng-shui knowledge. I, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, understand general feng-shui as well as the Taoist magical practices. This is because feng-shui, the pattern and flow of energy in the land, is inherently the manifestations of yin and yang and the five elements; esoteric and magical practices can thus balance the elements and harmonize yin and yang.

Most geomancers are aware of the adverse patterns of oncoming roads, but opinions differ on how to remedy the situation. The remedies disclosed here are invaluable.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap11.shtml

Chapter 12 : Adverse Conditions "Outside" and "Inside" the Door

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

When taking a feng-shui reading for a house, one first determines the orientation. Next, one must note whether or not there are any "outside" or "inside" adverse conditions.

The following outside conditions are to be avoided when they directly face one's door:
1. Electric poles or large pillars
2. A long and straight onrushing main road
3. Deep pits or a broken cliff very close to the house
4. The curve of a road, river, or building that points at one's house
5. Chimney, corner, "knife-edge," or other sharp and pointed objects projecting from the house across the street
6. The front door of another house if it is larger than one's own front door

Manure pit, vegetable patch, garbage incinerator or any filthy objects
All these are unfavorable outside conditions that should be avoided. While some of the above factors have an effect directly on the "earth chi," others are primarily psychological. If the adverse influence is due to earth chi, then we have to use remedies that can change the earth chi.

If the adverse influence is psychological, then we have to resort to "psychological remedies." For example, some people write words such as "bring me money" on an electric pole as a symbolic psychological relief. They go outdoors, see the pole and read the phrase "bring me money." Over time, the psychological block caused by the electric pole will be removed.

Some people feel psychologically better by hanging certain objects outside their front doors. These include "pa-k'uas (eight trigrams)," mirrors, talismans, flutes, and bells. "Pa-k'uas" are used to neutralize noxious sha-chi, mirrors are reflectors and enhancers, talisman destroy evil spirits, flutes (which in Chinese sounds the same as the word "whistle") whittle down the inauspicious and ominous, and bells avert evil influences.

This mindset of self-protection is understandable, so we need not berate people who, by hanging such objects, seek to receive some psychological comfort. In fact, these psychological relief methods do work to a certain degree and, if they can be employed in combination with rituals and the "intent to invoke divine protection," they form a kind of magical practice.

However, there are situations wherein psychological relief methods will not work. Some examples are when the house is facing a large deep pit, an onrushing road, a manure pit, or when it is situated right outside the bow of a curve. In such cases, before the psychological relief methods could avert the negative influences from the earth chi, one's household would have already been stricken by natural or man-made disasters.

The following inside conditions are to be avoided when they occur directly inside the front door :
1. Facing a staircase upon entering
2. Face a "knife-edge" (which is the corner of a wall in line with the mid-point of the front door)
3. Facing a beam which points at one
4. A wall that is so close that one can hardly turn around
5. Any of the following visible upon entering the front door:
a bed in a bedroom; a fire in the kitchen; the toilet in a bathroom; fireplace
6. The back door. When the house has its front door connected to the back door this way, it is known as "having its chest pierced."
7. Such a narrow construction that the front and back of the house are too close. Such construction is known as "having a compressed chest."

There are reasons why such conditions are undesirable. For example, in the case where the front door leads directly to the back door, the chi slips away as soon as it enters the door. Here the chi cannot be stored. When a house is unable to store chi, people living there will have financial problems.

When chi enters the door and is stopped by staircase or a wall that is too close, or if the space between the front and back of the house is too narrow, the chi will become chaotic. Families living in houses with such designs will not get rich and will experience disharmony.

As soon as chi enters the door and faces a "knife-edge," or a directly pointing beam, bed, fire, or toilet, then people living in the house will become agitated, hot-tempered, accident-prone, inflicted by illnesses or strange diseases. Their children also will suffer these ailments.

I, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, feel that the front door is a major chi entrance, as well as the portal through which people come and go. As such, it has an extremely significant role in affecting the fortune of the whole house. One should pay special attention to the conditions inside as well as outside the front door, and should avoid all destructive features. Otherwise, even if the house is designed to be auspiciously oriented, the existence of adverse conditions will ensure that one's fortunes will come to nothing.

Ideally, treatments for a house with adverse conditions existing inside or outside the front door include alterations that will remove the offensive features. True geomancers are able to employ simple altering methods to rectify the situations. These achieve better results that resorting to the hanging of objects that provide mainly psychological relief.

The treatment for a house with adverse conditions outside the front door is to change the position of the front door to an orientation that does not have the destructive conditions but that is still compatible with the birth magnetic orientation of the head of the household.

To treat the adverse conditions inside the front door, one can remodel or relocate the offensive feature.

Regarding the size of the front door, it should be entirely determined by the size of the house itself. Both a large house with a small door or a small house with a large door are inappropriate. Fire, toilets, and filthy objects either outside or inside must absolutely be avoided as the adversely affect the health and harmony of the family living in the house.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap12.shtml

Chapter 13 :The Money-Reserve Spot is the Chi-Gathering Spot

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

I once evaluated the feng-shui of a rich man's new home. Although a self-proclaimed master in the art of residential feng-shui had designed many elements of his new house, I found many of the designs riddled with errors. I could not help but mentally note the ineptitude of this individual who had fanned his reputation through advertisements.

As the rich man walked me through his new house, parading the original designs and his collection of antiques and wealth, I discovered that this luxurious garden villa was missing its "money-reserve spot." The nook where the "money-reserve spot" should have been located had been turned into a passageway.

The rich man said to me, "The person I hired to design this villa is a world class geomancer. His name is often in newspapers, he gives feng-shui talks on television, and he has numerous students."

"Then why did you invite me here?" I said smiling.

He replied, "Because you, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, have the faculty of dharma eyes and can tell whether these designs are any good by simply taking a look around. And, of course, it is also a great honor just to have the Living Buddha shine some light upon this house."

"Well," I said, "Would you like to hear the truth or not?"

"Is there something wrong?" he asked astonished.

"Close this passageway..." I began as I pointed out to him specially designed by a renowned feng-shui master, to be filled with so many errors. He did not say a word. As I looked at his dejected mien, I realized I had spoken out of turn.

This rich man chose not to follow my suggestions to make the necessary changes. After all, the original designer was a feng-shui master who often appeared on television.

Approximately one year later?

The same rich man was in his kitchen one day when he suddenly decided to slice some fruit for his guests. He was using a very sharp knife and the knife slipped, severing one of his fingers.

Some time later, he ran for the legislature assembly but failed to be elected.

In another incident, the car he was driving accidentally hit and killed two elementary school students coming out of the local school.

Five of the six factories he owned shut down.

Finally, the rich man called me, "Living Buddha, you were right. It has only been one year and I am finished. The so-called master was a phony and he is still deceiving others!"

Today, I write this book, Household Feng-shui, because I wish people to have some knowledge about the workings of earth chi. I hope they will not be fooled and hurt by the many fraudulent feng-shui masters.

After examining the conditions outside and inside the front door, one next must determine where the "money-reserve spot" is.

The money-reserve spot is located at the corner diagonally across from the living room entrance. If the living room door is on the left side, then the money-reserve spot is the "kitty corner" on the right. If the door is on the right side, then the money-reserve spot is the kitty corner on the left. If, however, the living room entrance is in the middle, then both the left and right corners of the opposite wall are money-reserve spots.


The money-reserve spot in a house is the spot most able to easily gather and store chi. The chi here is not the "dead chi" found in storerooms but "live chi" that continually flows in, accumulates, and gradually flows out.

At the money-reserve spot, there should be no windows, doors, or passageways, and it is best that no one walks around that area. It is a nook, a corner formed by two walls.

At the money-reserve spot, it is best to place an evergreen houseplant such as a Japanes rohdea, kapok, palm trees, rubber trees, etc? these plants symbolize vitality, vibrancy, and growth, and thus promote auspiciousness.

It is also a wonderful idea to place a fish bowl with golden fish at the money-reserve spot. Golden fish symbolize gold and wealth, and the word for fish in Chinese rhymes with the word for "leftover" or "reserve." A bowl with live fish located at the money-reserve spot also enhances vivaciousness and the thinking power of the owner. Furthermore, a fish bowl at the money-reserve spot prevents visitors from stepping upon that location.

If there is a French window at the money-reserve spot, chi will slip away. Similarly, if there is a door or passageway, chi also will not gather there. In these situations, wealth will be diluted and money will be lost.

If the money-reserve spot is handled and decorated appropriately, one's luck will steadily rise and produce extremely beneficial profits. By locating the money-reserve spot and giving it the proper attention and decoration, one brings out the most positive features of a home.

The living room is the heart of a house and should not be too gloomy or too bright. The spot that gathers chi is the money-reserve spot and, being the center of all affairs, exerts an important control and influence on the house's overall state.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap13.shtml

Chapter 14 : A House that Brings Good Health

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

The relationship between health and feng-shui is a very wide-ranging topic. It will not be possible to cover it entirely in this book, so in this chapter, I will discuss in detail some of the most important secrets.

Listed below are some correlations between certain illnesses and the conditions of a house:

1. Tumor Case - examine a house for any asymmetrical, protruding objects
2. Surgical Case - look for missing corners, the installation of skylights, and examine the remodeled or rebuilt parts of a house
3. Metabolic Illness - pay attention to the position of incinerators and purifying troughs
4. Urology Illness - pay attention to the drainage of water from the house to see if there is any blockage
5. Mental Illness - pay attention to the placement of beds and shrines
6. Ear and Nose Illness - pay attention to the positions of windows to see if there are problems in their placements
7. Bone Illness - pay attention to horizontal beams and the structure of pillars

Although it may not seem apparent, a house definitely can influence one's health. Ordinary feng-shui practitioners, perhaps, are unable to point out these intricate connections, but a true master knows that the inhabitants of a house are profoundly influenced by the home in which they live.

First of all, the pathway of chi circulation inside the home will affect its inhabitants.

Secondly, a magnetic field is created when a house is built. The human body itself is also a magnetic field. Whether these two magnetic fields are compatible and harmonize, or whether they repel, is another key factor.

Thirdly, the inhabitants are subjected to the influences of the earth chi or energy from the land upon which the house sits.

I have been studying the positions of bathrooms for some time. The function of a bathroom is actually comparable to that of a purifying trough. If a bathroom is positioned incorrectly, it will predispose the inhabitants to illnesses such as dizziness, eye disease, tooth infections, pneumonia, heart problems, diabetes, gastro-intestinal diseases, hepatitis, and nerve problems.

When we draw a cross at the center of a house and extend the arms of the cross so that it divides the house into four sections, it is very important that a bathroom not be located anywhere along these lines. A bathroom located on the lines of the cross will definitely affect the health of the home's inhabitants.

Incinerators do not refer to stoves in kitchens but to fireplaces, rather common features in American households. Fireplaces are related to hot tempers. It is critical that the fireplace not be placed directly across from the front door, because the sight of fire entering the house immediately raises one?|s temper. This factor plays an important role in causing the kind of disharmony that leads to the break-up of many families. (There is a connection between the high rate of divorce of American couples and the fireplaces in their households.)

Because fireplaces are of the fire element, they should not be positioned on the northern end of the line bisecting a house. This is because the elements of fire and water are incompatible. Neither should a fireplace be placed on the southern end of the middle line bisecting the house because the elements of fire and fire together will be too ferocious.

The best position for fireplaces is the east direction.

Incinerators that can stir hot tempers also should not be placed anywhere along the lines of the cross. Fire can significantly affect one's health, so it is best to locate such a feature at the east, southeast, and northwest positions.

The fire element has the most important role in one's body. Fire is temperature, and all types of inflammation and infection are related to fire. We should install bathrooms and incinerators at positions that will not bring us disasters.

It is also important to pay attention to the water drainage of a house. When water drains smoothly, without any obstruction, decaying matter will not accumulate. Poor drainage will result in bad quality air inside the house and, when the air is poor and smells of mildew, people living in the house will definitely become ill.

Regarding the positions of beds and shrines, these I will discuss in a subsequent chapter.

Another issue to consider is the placement of plants inside and outside the home. In my opinion, both indoor and outdoor plants are valuable, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for their abililty to enhance the vitality of a house, as with the example of having a vibrant plant at the money-reserve spot. Placing a houseplant next to a door or in an unclean location also signifies "purification" and the removal of unlucky and violent matters.

If a dwelling is completely lacking of any surrounding vegetation, it is necessary to plant trees and shrubs outside one's house. On the other hand, trees that are too tall or dense are undesirable because they create a dismal atmosphere. When tall and dense trees block out sunlight, the yin energy of a house increases and becomes inviting to evil spirits and ghosts. Living in a house that produces such gloomy feelings adversely affects one's health.

Windows should be installed based on the principle of providing sufficient air ventilation and optimal sunlight for the house. Too many windows are just as bad as too few. A house that is too bright or too dim is undesirable. If the house is too bright, chi dissipates. If the house is too dim, decaying chi gathers and invites evil spirits.

The most auspicious scenario for a house allows an optimal amount of light and good air circulation. In such a house, air flows slowly through, without obstruction, even through places where chi accumulates. Achieving such a state is a great art.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap14.shtml

Chapter 15 : Fire Problems in the Kitchen

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

A newlywed couple once invited me to their home for a feng-shui consultation. They lived in a very beautiful home surrounded by trees with red blossoms and berries. While inspecting the kitchen, I realized that the position of the stove presented a problem. Their "designer" home had the stove built right in the center of the kitchen. It stood in the middle of the room, unshielded by any objects. Furthermore, the faucet and basin were located directly across from the stove.

Such a placement is problematic for two reasons:
1) It is important that the kitchen fire be located in a place that gathers chi. Only a fire that gathers chi can continually burn and maintain its temperature. According to the book The Secrets of Earth Magic, a stove should be protected on three sides with chi flowing in from the fourth side. The best locations for stoves are the south, east, or southwest positions.

Although an unshielded stove located in a central island is a convenient working area, it does not afford the advantage of easily storing chi. Quick dissipation of the temperature of the stove fire can lead to the dissipation of money.

2) It is disastrous to have the kitchen faucet directly facing the stove fire, as this symbolizes the clashing of fire and water. From my observations, such a design portends great trouble and can lead to sexual promiscuity and excessive drinking.

Upon arrival, I noticed that the mistress of the house was a very beautiful, graceful lady with tapering fingers and soft palms. Her shoulders were round and her back not too thin. In terms of physiognomy, the upper, middle, and lower segments of her face were well proportioned. She had the hallmark features of a distinguished woman. But I also noticed a coquettishness in her bright, almond-shaped eyes and a charming seductiveness in the way she moved and swayed-characteristics of someone with "secret peach-blossom luck." (The term "peach-blossom luck" in Chinese refers to the luck one has in attracting lovers.)

I asked my friend, "Do the newlyweds believe in feng-shui?"

The mutual friend who had invited me said, "Only a little. They work in scientific fields."

"Then the purpose for my coming today was...?" I asked.

"Just to get acquainted with them and take a look around," answered my friend.

Since I was only there to get acquainted and enjoy the home's gorgeous furnishings, I needed to be tactful by commenting only on the good and avoiding mention of anything negative. I wanted the meeting to be harmonious and cheerful, and I did not want my friends to feel any unpleasantness in the air.

It was only after leaving the house that I told my friend to give a message to the owners: they must rectify the fire problem in the kitchen.

The owners ignored my advice.

A year later, I learned that the lady of the house had had an extramarital affair with her supervisor at work, and her husband had a mistress and had become an alcoholic. In the end, the marriage ended and each went their separated ways.

I would like everyone to heed this fact: if the "kitchen fire" is situated in the center of the kitchen, then whichever direction the faucet is installed in-north, south, east, or west-chances are that it will be sitting directly across from the stove fire. With the faucet a symbol for "yang" and the stove a symbol for "yin," this is an omen for licentiousness and promiscuity.

I have noticed that the designer kitchens of many new homes in the United States have stoves built right in the middle of the kitchens. Architects of such kitchen designs are definitely uninformed in the science of feng-shui. Although their goal may be to create a convenient, aesthetic space, they are, however, contributing to the flourishing of licentiousness!

I want readers to know that, when one enters a house, fire must not be the first thing one sees. This means that the kitchen or the fireplace should not be the first thing seen upon entering a home. Avoid having these two types of "fire chi" facing the front door.

In business settings, such as restaurants, under no circumstances should stoves (gas stoves, water heaters, electric stoves, electric cookers, etc.) be installed at the center of the cross of the restaurant. Such centrally located "fire chi" can pollute the air inside the entire restaurant, creating a hot and fiery atmosphere. In such an environment, business partners will not get along and customers will not feel comfortable. Over time, they will not want to set foot in the restaurant. And even more importantly, "fire chi" in the center makes it difficult for earth chi to remain balanced.

In the kitchen, one must also pay attention to the following things: Make sure garbage does not accumulate, is well contained, sealed, and frequently disposed of. Pay attention to the flow of water in the kitchen sink. Also, select a stove fan that does not have its working parts exposed, and install a range hood that does not protrude too conspicuously as this also affects kitchen feng-shui. Finally, one must not install skylights in kitchens as this is conducive to the upward spreading of "fire chi." A skylight opening in the kitchen incurs unexpected accidents and calamities.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap15.shtml

Chapter 16 : Desks in Offices and Studies

Written by : Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by : Janny Chow

A medical doctor once consulted a famous geomancer for help in positioning a desk in his office. As soon as the geomancer arrived, the first words out of his mouth were the fees for his service. "The total charge will be three thousand U.S. dollars!" said the feng-shui master.

"Three thousand U.S. dollars for one desk?" the medical doctor asked flabbergasted.

"Yes," replied the geomancer. "One thousand for determining the orientation, one thousand for selecting an auspicious date, and one thousand for personally moving the desk for you. All together, it will three thousand U.S. dollars."

The doctor opened his mouth to speak, but could think of nothing to say. Finally he said, "I think I will just consult someone else instead."

"Whom do you have in mind?"

"There is a Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu, who never demands a price for his consultations and lets people pay as they like."

The geomancer's face turned ashen, and he went off in a huff.

This is a true story in which the setting up of a desk would have cost an individual three thousand dollars. If readers carefully study this short chapter, they can learn how to set up their own business or study desks and save themselves three thousand U.S. dollars! Such knowledge is definitely worth learning.

The theories and principles behind the arranging of all desks are the same, whether in one's workplace or in one's study room at home. Essentially, one must remember the following six principles:
1. Avoid facing the door directly - Do not position one's desk or chair in the line of the doorway. That is, when a perpendicular line is drawn from the door, the desk and chair should not be in the path of this line. If they are, onrushing chi charging through the door will cause one to feel restless and agitated.

2. Avoid sitting with one's back to the door - From our sitting positions, we should be able to see people entering and exiting the room. We feel insecure if we cannot see people coming or going, and sitting with our backs to the door encourages mean-spirited people to act behind our backs. One's career will also lose momentum, leaving one dispirited and listless. Over time, one's situation will decline and worsen.

3. Have a solid wall behind one - When sitting at the desk, avoid having windows firstly behind the chair. I often see people sitting before large French windows which are actually not strong or solid enough to lend sufficient support. To sit in a chair in front of a large window is to sit insecurely on shaky ground. When earth chi travels to that spot, it slips away and, as a result, we receive no help from the earth energy.

4. The back support should be close - in addition to having a strong, solid wall behind the chair, the wall should be close to the chair in order to provide adequate support. In the past I have come across leaders of large companies who, for the sake of showing off their wealth and enterprise, purchased extra large desks and plunked them down in the middle of their offices. On top of their desks were twenty telephones used so far away from proper back support, they also will not get help from the earth energy.

5. Utilize the twelve Earth Branches directions as a guide for orientation - Once one's desk faces the door, does not sit in the pathway of a door, and has a solid and close wall behind it, the next step is to use a geomancer's compass to determine the two orientations that have a mutually attractive relationship with the magnetic orientation of the user of the desk. If neither of the two orientations will work, one may pick an orientation that is neutral. This way, one can still avoid loss of earth energy. Ideally, of course, it is best if all requisites are met, and the desk faces the optimal orientation.

6. Selection of date - one may consult a lunar calendar to select either a "Ting" or "Man" day to move and set up the desk.

Why is the proper arrangement of an office or study desk so important? The reasons are very simple. When one works or studies at such a desk, one finds one has more energy and is more excited about work or study. One's memory becomes sharper, and one is more relaxed, happy, and efficient. With a desk positioned at a good spot, one is able to tap into the earth energy, and this helps everything proceed harmoniously. One's work will advance by leaps and bounds.

If the office or study is not well placed and the magnetic orientation of the desk and one's own magnetic orientation repel, one will not have sufficient energy to carry out one's work, even if one was initially enthusiastic. Instead, mistakes will be made. Fatigue will overwhelm one. One's situation will worsen and it will be difficult to rebound.

When I perform household feng-shui readings, I pay particular attention to the desk in the study. Desk placement is equally important for children. It greatly influences whether or not a child likes to study, and whether or not he or she gets good grades.

I once visited the home of a physicist with a Ph.D. degree. I asked him, "How many years have you not been sitting at your desk?"

"How did you know?"

"This desk sits directly in the pathway of a door. How can one sit here long? Besides, dust and spider webs have accumulated behind the chair, which tell me this chair has long been deserted."

"Is this feng-shui?"

"No, this is not feng-shui. This is meticulous observation," I replied.

Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book69/chap16.shtml