Briefly describe how Feng Shui came into being. (Requirement: self-selected topic in the form of a short paper, no less than 800 words)
A brief description of how Feng Shui came about
Feng Shui is a mystical art with a long history in China. The more academic term is called Kanyu. It is a theory that studies the microscopic substances (air, water and soil) and the macroscopic environment (heaven and earth) on which human beings survive and develop. Because the Feng Shui works "Green Bag Sutra" and "Blue Bird Sutra" have wide influence, some people also call Feng Shui "Green Bag Sutra" and "Blue Bird". "Feng Shui" was first seen in the "Book of Burial" written by Guo Pu in the Jin Dynasty: "Qi will disperse when riding the wind, and stop when bounded by water; the ancients gathered it to prevent it from dispersing, and moved it to stop it, so it is called Feng Shui." It is the earliest definition of Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is originally the art of looking at the ground, that is, the method of checking geography on the spot. It is also called geography and the ancient name of Kanyu. It is said that the founder of Feng Shui is Jiutian Xuannv. The relatively complete Feng Shui knowledge originated from Warring States Period. The core idea of Feng Shui is the harmony between man and nature. In the early days, Feng Shui was mainly related to methods and principles such as the location, orientation, and construction of palaces, residences, villages, and cemeteries. The original meaning was the science of choosing suitable places.
Feng Shui has a long history. In ancient times, Feng Shui was popular in the Chinese cultural circle. It was a very important factor in food, clothing, housing and transportation. There are many documents related to Feng Shui that have been preserved. From the documents, it can be seen that in ancient times, Feng Shui was mostly used for site selection of towns and villages, as well as palace construction, and later developed to find burial terrain. Gao Yuxiang, director of the Chinese Architectural Feng Shui Research Association, advocates studying Feng Shui dialectically, removing the dross and taking the essence, and using scientific and reasonable methods to explain Feng Shui phenomena. Its use for divination is actually just a kind of psychological comfort. Although there are some truths in it, it can only be used In pursuing good fortune and avoiding misfortune, if there is no actual action, everything will be in vain, so don't be obsessed with it.
In layman's terms, living here in a place with good feng shui symbolizes prosperity and the hope of making future generations rich and prominent. Strictly speaking, it means a geographical location or environment that conforms to the principles and standards of "rich" and "noble" in Feng Shui (the so-called "good Feng Shui").
"Feng Shui" is just a name, not wind and water. Feng Shui is also called Kanyu, or the art of divination, phase house, picture house, Qingwu, Qingnang, form, geography, yin and yang, and landscape. In the ancient Chinese literary meaning, "Kan" means the way of heaven, the high place, and "Yu" means the earth, the low place. "Kanyu" refers to the study of the relationship between heaven and earth, especially the relationship between high and low terrain. It is based on the ancient organic view of nature, and introduces ancient astronomy, climate, earth, hydrology, ecological environment and other contents into the art of selecting locations and building the environment step by step.
Shu takes Qi as the origin of all things, and believes that the world goes from nothing (no Qi is seen) to existence (the beginning of Qi). Qi is the origin (1), which differentiates into Yin and Yang (two instruments), and into five substances (the Five Elements): metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The rise and fall of these substances have unchangeable laws (with certain degrees and without change), and With misfortune (good luck, bad luck, regret), these misfortunes can be predicted.
Talking about the origin and historical development of Feng Shui, the Chinese people's awareness of geographical Feng Shui emerged very early: "In ancient times, there were few people and many beasts, and the people were invincible to the beasts, insects, and snakes." In that crisis-ridden situation, Under the natural conditions, people first used trees as nests. Later, in the practice of understanding and transforming nature, they first transformed their living environment. The ruins of Banpo Village, a primitive village about six to seven thousand years ago, "are mostly located on the well-developed Malan terraces, especially at the intersection of rivers... those farther away from the river are mostly near springs." The Banpo site in Xi'an is located above the terraces of the Chan River, a tributary of the Wei River. The terrain is high and gentle, and the soil is fertile, suitable for living and reclamation.
In the Yin and Zhou dynasties, there were already articles about divination of houses. For example, Gong Liu of the Zhou Dynasty led his people to move from Tai to Bin, and he personally inspected the tombs of his house. "The scenery is a hill, its yin and yang, and its flowing springs." ("The Book of Songs Gong Liu")
In the Warring States Period and The pre-Qin period was the period when Feng Shui theory was formed. Sima Qian's "Historical Records: Biography of Chuilizi" records: Chuilizi, the half-brother of King Hui of Qin during the Warring States Period, chose a place to the east of Zhangtai in Weinan during his lifetime. He predicted: "In the next hundred years, there will be The Heavenly Palace is sandwiched between my tomb." Sure enough, Changle Palace was to the east and Weiyang Palace was to the west. It reflects the original selection rules for the residences of the living and the dead. "Soushan Ji" written by Zhu Xiantao in the Qin Dynasty has become an important part of Feng Shui theory.
By the Han Dynasty, people had combined Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, Tai Chi, Bagua, etc. to form a unique Chinese theoretical system for understanding the overall framework of the universe.
This framework is the theoretical cornerstone of Feng Shui and is of particular significance to the application and development of Feng Shui. It has elevated Feng Shui from a mechanical activity used for fortune-telling and house-building to a theoretical stage.
During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Feng Shui theory has been gradually improved. For example, "The Book of Burial" written by Guo Pu has been praised as the "classic" of Feng Shui theory. At the same time, he also wrote the "Book of Burials". Feng shui masters at that time were also highly respected. For example, Guan Ren was famous for his fortune-telling, fortune-telling, and tomb-finding. It is said that when he passed the tomb of Wei general Guan Qiujian, he once "leaned against the tree and chanted sadly." When people asked him why, he said: "Although the trees are luxuriant, they are invisible for a long time. Although the monuments are beautiful, they have no heirs to guard. The black dragon hides its head, the black dragon loses its footing, the white tiger carries the corpse, the red bird cries sadly, the four dangers are prepared, and the family must be exterminated."
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the most prominent manifestations of the popularization of Feng Shui were the popularity of the "Burial Book" and the widespread use of the compass. The birth of "Qingnangaoyu" has made Feng Shui an independent theory and formed a certain system and source. This was determined by the historical environment and scientific development at that time. From the end of the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, Li Bo, Li Chunfeng and his son wrote "Astronomical Elephant Ode", "Dayan Calendar", "Jin Shu" compiled by Li Chunfeng, astronomical records in "Sui Shu" and many other astronomical books, all of which were based on the The major constellations in the sky are described in detail, making the study of Feng Shui correspond to the heaven and earth. In geography, enthusiasm for investigating mountains and terrains arose, which promoted the application of Feng Shui theory to the exploration of mountains and terrains.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Feng Shui reached its peak, and Feng Shui activities spread among the people and even the royal family. Liu Bowen was a Feng Shui master during the Kaiyuan period of the Ming Dynasty, and he also had a great influence on Feng Shui. In the later period, Jiang Dahong developed a new stage of geographical Feng Shui based on Yang Gong. The book "Dialectics of Geography" takes star-gazing as the main content of regulating qi, and is a classic of modern Feng Shui theory.