The FBI’s war against Apple’s strong iPhone encryption has recently been much discussed in the United States. The FBI ruled that Apple must help to see what’s on an iPhone that belonged to one of the shooters involved in the mass killings in San Bernadino, California.
We often hear people say that they want to be on a spiritual path. Often they are people who have achieved worldly success but do not feel fulfilled. Or they may be people who are struggling, and hope to escape from the burdens and frustration of ordinary life.
“Is it better to have a round or square dining table?” In feng shui consultations, this is a frequently asked question. Naturally, which is better has a lot to do with the space; the surrounding furniture, the family structure, and the setting one is trying to create.
In consideration of any work, we always begin with the fundamental principles of yin and yang. What is dynamic and mobile is yang, while what is static and stable is yin. Hence, round shapes are yang and square or rectangular shapes are yin.
The recent unrest in Ukraine over its president Viktor Yanukovish backing out of a trade deal with the European Union, prompted one of my students in Kiev, to ask me about the national flag of Ukraine. How does the flag of Ukraine reflect the fate of the country? The flag is composed two equal sized blue and yellow bands. Originally, yellow on the top, now it is reversed and blue sits on top. Does this make any difference?
Ten years in the making, the National September 11 Memorial was completed and opened to the public on September 12, 2011. The eight-acre park was designed by Israeli- American, Michael Arad of Handle Architects, a New York and San Francisco firm.
The Memorial is composed of a forest of swamp white oak trees with two square pools, one on each of the original foot prints of the North and South Towers. The core of the design is a 30-foot man-made wall of water that hugs the sides of the one-acre reflecting pools. The downward-streaming water is meant to symbolize falling tears.
The next time you step out for Asian food, think about how marriage life should be like a pair of chopsticks. In many ways, the two are similar.
Photo: Pixabay
Human beings live between Heaven and Earth, nourished by Yang and Yin energy. The energy of Heaven comes downward from above, manifesting as sunshine, rain and so on. The energy of Earth rises upward from below, manifesting as food, water and other nourishing products. Heaven (yang) energy implies dynamic expansion while Earth (yin) energy implies collection, connection, cooperation and nourishment. Without the effects of Earth’s energy that emerges to balance the outward expansion of Heaven’s force, there will be conflict and strife. What are the most powerful factors in manifesting Earth energy, the energy of connection and cooperation? The answer is trees, forests and all vegetation. The places that tend to have more conflict in the world are just those
places that lack forests, or that have undergone recent, sudden deforestation. In modern history, there are positive correlations between the depletion of natural forests and the general level of strife and chaos in the world. This is the source of the problem.
In the arenas of politics, economics or other specialized spheres, there is constant effort to control chaos and conflict. The emphasis is not on how to solve the issues but on how to not create further problems. Due to this, there will always be an uphill battle to find a fundamental solution to today’s issues. From a feng shui perspective, the best solution is found in Mother Nature. We must look at it from an energy (chi) level. Chaos and conflict means there is too much Yang energy so it is necessary to increase the nourishing Earth or Yin energy or increasing energy for cooperation and support. How do we go about this? We must begin by planting trees and establishing greenery all over the world. In the meantime, where forests are abundant, water will be abundant. And water, to the planet, is like blood in the human body.
The global warming and the increase of CO2 is the modern urgent concern. While people search for different ways to find solutions, which are often complicated, we should just ask our Mother Earth for a solution. According to a scientific study, 20% of CO2 is attributable to deforestation, which is more than all of the world’s cars and trucks combined. Let us stop and take the time to think. How much of a positive impact will there be in solving the CO2 issue if instead of deforestation, we increased forestation?
I have been fascinated by crop circles for some years. However, once in a while, I believe there might be some created as a hoax. But because of the consistent neat and intricate patterns, created by UFOs or other mysterious forces or not, I find it is impossible to be the work of man. In the world of art design, how often does one encounter such unique and beautiful designs by humans? The crop patterns not only have been changing in size, from small to large, but the designs have developed from very simple, to extremely complicated in its detail. The recently appeared 250 meter by 60 meter jelly fish crop circle is most amazing! Form Defines Energy! I do believe the design represents some sacred meaning or message.
The core of feng shui teaching is about designing our ideal living environment. The guiding principle behind this is the natural principle. The fundamentals of the natural principle stems from the Yin-Yang theory.
What we should try to fine tune in our lives, is the striving for the balance of yin and yang, the two polar aspects of every existence and transformation. This same principle should also guide our activities in response to the natural seasons. Seasons has its Yin-Yang cycle. In spring, yang arises and by summer, yang reaches to the maximum. Come fall, yin appears and during winter, yin reaches the maximum. Yang is dynamic and active while yin is the opposite. If we are to live in synchronization with the seasons, we should be active in spring and summer then slow down in fall and rest in winter. In the natural world both plants and animals exhibit this pattern. In old times, farmers also followed this pattern; after fall harvesting, the farmer takes a good rest until the spring sowing time. However, after the industrial revolution, and in this modern society, we have no longer followed the natural way. The human has become a machine. The mechanical 9-5 daily working hour and 5 days a week working schedule throughout the year, in the name of proficiency or whatever reasons, prevent us to resonate with the natural rhythm. It is not ideal for health, emotion, and spiritual growth. It is a stupid human invention. We have lost sight of the big picture- a picture of wholesome living.
