Is Feng Shui scientific? The Xuankong Temple is considered a bad omen in Feng Shui, so why is it so popular?

The theory of Feng Shui, also known as Kanyu, is a mystical art with a long history in China. It believes that the geographical location of a house or cemetery and the surrounding wind direction and water flow can lead to good or bad luck for the resident or the deceased, so Mr. Yin and Yang are asked to make a decision. In today's society, Feng Shui theory is very popular, and some people even think that it is "super scientific". However, the Feng Shui theory only explains some of the simplest principles, and there is nothing profound in it. It can be said that there is a lot of feudal dross in it, and its core guiding ideology has long been transformed from simple experience in the early days into metaphysical superstition.

Let me give you an example that is difficult to justify in Feng Shui theory. In the North China region of my country, there is a famous Hanging Temple. It is located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge in Hengshan County, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. This majestic and steep building complex was built in 491 AD. It is a unique temple that combines Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Its architecture is very distinctive, and it is famous for its precipitousness, which is like facing an abyss. It is known as the slang term "hanging temple, half a day high, with three horsetails hanging in the air". It is famous for its precipitousness, which is like facing an abyss. In the writings of Mr. Jin Yong, the master of martial arts, Xuankong Temple is also the ancestral holy place of Hengshan Sect, one of the Five Sacred Sword Sects, and it is also famous in the world. Jin Yong's novel "Swordsman" describes the Xuankong Temple as follows: Yihe, Yiqing and other disciples entertained guests respectively, and said to Fang Zheng and Chongxu: "After descending this peak, there is a mountain beside the Ci Kiln entrance. It's called Cuiping Mountain, and the cliffs are like mirrors. There is a Hanging Temple on the mountain, which is a scenic spot in Hengshan. Taoist Chongxu said happily: "I have long heard that the Hanging Temple on Cuiping Mountain was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was built in a place where pines cannot grow and apes cannot climb. It is a wonder in the world to build a temple out of thin air with great will." ?. Ling Gu Chong led Master Fang Zheng and Taoist Master Chongxu down to Jianxing Peak, toward the entrance of Ci Kiln, and to the foot of Cuiping Mountain. Fang Zheng and Chongxu looked up and saw two huge pavilions standing on the top of the mountain, like immortal pavilions, appearing in the clouds. ?

Such a prestigious and auspicious building complex is nothing at all in the eyes of Feng Shui masters. According to the theory of Feng Shui, the Hanging Temple is completely on a cliff, and its residents The environment is an absolutely dangerous place. However, unlike the "big disaster" predicted by Feng Shui theory, Xuankong Temple has been prosperous and full of tourists for thousands of years.

(Steep Hanging Temple)

It can be seen that Feng Shui theory cannot explain the great luck of Hanging Temple. Similar examples can be said to abound, everywhere. Since Feng Shui theory cannot accurately guide practice, why do we say it is scientific?

Objectively speaking, Feng Shui theory is not without value, but its value is indeed relatively low. What parts of it are valuable are just correct nonsense. For example, anyone with normal intelligence knows that houses should be built away from rivers that are dark and humid and prone to flooding. It is better to build houses on higher ground and sunny and dry terrain. This is safer and will make residents healthier. These simple principles can be mastered in practice even if builders do not understand any theoretical knowledge of Feng Shui theory. As for the mystical elements in Feng Shui theory, they are completely idealistic. Not only do they lack any empirical evidence, but they are also complete pseudo-science.

We can easily make a rhetorical question: If Feng Shui is really as effective as it says, why not directly immigrate all the people in poor counties to places with "good Feng Shui"? In this case, we don’t need to work hard at all and can become rich just by studying Feng Shui. However, throughout the ages, we have not seen any dynasty that relied on the guidance of Feng Shui masters to achieve greatness, prosperity and expansion.

So, what are the ideological core and flaws of Feng Shui theory? In the final analysis, except for a few simple experiences, the main body of Feng Shui is metaphysical thought, because the core of Feng Shui's advocacy is "the unity of nature and man." In fact, this is just the intuition of ancient ancestors to understand things, and there is nothing special about it. However, judging truth cannot rely on intuition. To sum up, there are three types of intuitive thinking in Feng Shui:

First, natural intuition. For example, if you see a monkey being flexible, you will think that the monkey people are also flexible. Seeing that acupuncture can relieve pain, I thought that the earth also has many "acupoints", and finding acupuncture points on the earth to bury dead people can cure diseases.

Second, pictographic intuition. When the Feng Shui master sees that the house is relatively high and pointed, he thinks that the house has committed the so-called "pointed knife evil".

However, many foreign houses have been of this style since ancient times. There are many buildings with high and pointed domes. Their builders did not use our country’s Feng Shui principles at all. However, after hundreds of years and thousands of years, the people living in them have become People also spent their lives peacefully. In addition, Feng Shui masters also believe that the two ponds in front of the door are "crying", which is a place of great evil. However, many rural areas, especially the water towns in the south, almost have such terrain structure, and there is no sign of the evil. It should be pointed out that this so-called "crying" character is an extension of fantasy based on Chinese characters. If it were a foreign language, there would be no such ridiculous problem at all.

(Such spire buildings are common abroad)

Third, homophonic intuition. For example, it is believed that "4" and "death" are homophonic, which is very unlucky. All Feng Shui masters will believe that "auspicious points" must not be built in places with unlucky names, otherwise it will bring bad luck to the residents. However, the place name of a place is not static, but changes frequently. Moreover, if a place has an auspicious name, do its residents necessarily live in a pure paradise? Chang'an, isn't this place name very lucky? Long, long, long, safe, stable and happy, really long-lasting peace and stability. However, Chang'an has experienced countless wars and disasters in history. Every time the city was broken, the residents would be slaughtered, leaving only numerous bones. For example, on December 13, the first year of Guangming (880), Huang Chao led his troops to attack Chang'an City, and then looted and slaughtered the residents. Corpses were everywhere and the city was empty. How come such an auspicious place name didn’t change the place’s bad luck?

Not to mention place names, even the earth’s crust and surface environment are constantly changing. For example, if there is a raging river in front of our house today, it may disappear in hundreds or even ten years. Doesn’t the Yellow River often change its course? Therefore, the so-called "good points" found today are likely to change into "unfortunate points" as the surface environment changes greatly in the future.

There is another example that refutes Feng Shui. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian did not believe in the so-called Feng Shui at all when he was alive. He said: "If the clouds in my family's tomb are unlucky, I should not be honored as the emperor; if the clouds are auspicious, my brother should not die in battle." ?

Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty said, do you think my family’s ancestral grave is a geomantic treasure? Yes, don't you think I became the emperor? But you can also say that this ancestral grave is a dangerous place. Why? Because my brother Yang Zheng died on the battlefield. My brother and I both have the same ancestral grave. One became the emperor, but the other died on the battlefield. I would like to ask, is our ancestral grave a geomantic treasure?

After some logical deduction, we can come up with a reasonable explanation, that is: In fact, wealth is created by people's initiative. How can there be such a treasure in the world?

Let me give you another example to show the weakness of Feng Shui theory. Among the dozens of countries in Asia, there are only four developed countries, namely Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Israel.

Everyone knows the country of Israel’s reputation. Its national power cannot be underestimated, it is militarily powerful, sweeping across the Middle East and winning every battle. Its GDP is higher than many provinces in China. However, this tiny land with an area of ​​only 22,000 square kilometers has a desert area of ​​12,000 square kilometers. Excluding the desert, the remaining land of Israel is 10,000 square kilometers. Don't worry, not all of these 10,000 square kilometers are suitable for habitation. They also include uninhabited plateaus and the Grand Canyon, which directly account for one-half, which is 5,000 square kilometers. In other words, there is still a mere 5,000 square kilometers of land that can be utilized for the Israelis to live and develop. The entire territory of Hong Kong, China, is 1,000 square kilometers. Israel is a country, and the land that can really be used is only equivalent to the area of ​​5 Hong Kongs. I checked and found that the area of ​​Beijing, my country, is 16,410 square kilometers. Israel's total land area is only a little larger than Beijing's, and its usable land area is less than one-third of Beijing's area.

(Israeli flag)

Looking at the climate, the whole of Israel is extremely humid and hot in the summer, with an average temperature as high as 45 degrees, and the annual rainfall is scarce, only 200mm. Looking at the surrounding environment, it is very unstable on all sides. There are hostile regimes and KB elements everywhere who are eyeing the Jews.

Combined with these unfavorable factors, in the eyes of my country's Feng Shui masters, this Feng Shui pattern is really abominable! This, this, where is this place suitable for human beings to live? !

(Israel is basically covered with desert terrain like this)

However, Israel is extremely influential in the entire world. It is not only the largest power in the Middle East, but also internationally. He also has a huge voice. The high prosperity of the country Israel just proves the ineffectiveness of Feng Shui theory.

Except for Israel, look at the three countries of Japan, South Korea and Singapore. They are either islands in the corner of the sea or peninsulas with scarce resources. They are not vast in territory and rich in resources at all, and they have been far away from the civilization of the Central Plains since ancient times. The central wilderness. In terms of Feng Shui theory, this is not only not a first-class blessed place, it is not even a fourth-class place. However, these three countries are all long-established developed countries and the most important financial centers in the world.