There are many many forms of Feng Shui competing for our attention; almost all the forms prevalent in the West are based on Later Heaven principles, and are far removed from the natural balance and harmony of the Early Heaven teachings.
Although it will seem almost heretical to many, more and more people are recognising that Feng Shui as it is practised in the West, may be fundamentally flawed.
Those ancient Chinese techniques are certainly effective however: millions of people unquestioningly attest to their power; what is controversial and under investigation is whether their power is safe. There is growing concern that those techniques have been taken dangerously out of context, and may be misused innocently or even abused.
To best understand the problem we should consider their traditional origin: the Yi Jing was created by a social reformer called Chang (posthumously elevated in status and known as King Wen) around 1,050 BCE. But he did not create it from scratch; he carefully tore an ancient system of knowledge - Early Heaven - to pieces, juggled its components, and reassembled them into a brand new set of ideas reflecting his beliefs and suiting his needs. For further information visit our pages dedicated to the origins of Early Heaven.
The Early Heaven system was sidelined but its popularity was too strong to destroy utterly, and it found a stronghold from which it could not be dislodged: it functioned as an intermediary between mankind and the spirit world. To this day it endures in the Orient as the system of Yin Feng Shui that governs the sacred architecture of temples and shrines, particularly those devoted to the spirits of the ancestors. These structures are designed to reflect cosmic order rather than stimulate mundane activity. This persistance is despite the fact that the realm of spirits (ancestral or otherwise) is not recognised by the government of the People's Republic of China, which is officially atheist.
Chang's Bronze Age iconoclasm is nothing extraordinary (tragically, wars between differing religions - even between mere rival sects - are so depressingly common that they scarcely need repeating here). What is important is that the version of Feng Shui that transformed the Western world at the end of the 20th Century was exclusively based on Later Heaven doctrine. The Early Heaven system was sidelined again.
I am not actually proposing the introduction of Yin Feng Shui to the West (although it would be an interesting project); the simple fact is that, due to the continued dominance of the Later Heaven teachings in the Orient, we have yet to discover - let alone fully evaluate - Early Heaven ideas.
Crucially, because Early Heaven was based on eternal themes, the insights encoded in it are still as fresh and relevant to our modern world as they were 5,300 years when legend has it that the sage Fu Xi was inspired to formulate them.
The Later Heaven system, in contrast, deliberately skewed this natural harmony to produce a dynamic tension whose keynote is "change" (the very title of Chang's masterpiece - the Yi Jing - translates as the "Book of Change"). By accepting its version of Feng Shui into our homes, we unwittingly adopted a system that actively destabilises our relationship with nature, and replaces it with one that fermented revolt.
That's putting it crudely, but it gives you the idea. Because Later Heaven - Yang Feng Shui is the dominant version in the Orient, that was the one offered to us on a plate, and we accepted it greedily. Like many a Chinese meal, however, many of us soon found ourselves feeling rather dissatisfied and empty; now at least we know why.
Of course, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with Yang Feng Shui, and it does what it does very well; sometimes we all feel the need to be motivated and energised, even to the point where we are wound up tight as a mainspring. If something is worth fighting for, and you want to get yourself all worked up, it offers a very effective way of arousing a keen fighting spirit.
It is no accident that many major corporations have adopted elements of Later Heaven or Yang Feng Shui in their strategy to become more dominant, and to sharpen their competitive edge in the cut and thrust of commerce. Those are the very areas in which Yang Feng Shui can excell; as evidenced by the successful military campaign that originally launched it into mainstream culture.
However, with the 24/7 stresses of Western life, we don't all want to live on edge all the time; it can be great to get back into a sense of communion with nature, and to unkink our mind, body and spirit. For relaxation, stress-free health and wholesome well-being, as well as promoting integration both with our environment and within our own selves, the deep harmony and ancient wisdom of Early Heaven is unrivalled.
The Early and the Later Heaven systems can be used to complement each other. After all, it is easy to get fuelled-up and go haring off on a spur-of-the-moment adventure, but unless you remember to pack a map, you'll probably be lost and possibly in trouble before you know it.
Likewise, we should be well-advised to learn inner balance and gain self-confidence from the Early Heaven system before we start wielding the raw power of the Later Heaven system. Otherwise it's like putting a learner driver at the wheel of a sports car and saying "Go on, just enjoy yourself!" It's an invitation to disaster.
Some casual commentators have assumed that Yang Feng Shui is for the living, and Yin Feng Shui is for the dead, but this is a mistake. The true difference between them is more subtle and profound: whereas Later Heaven could provide the mental leverage to help you bend a situation to your will, Early Heaven can bring you into a state of true harmony with nature - your nature - in both its spiritual and physical manifestations.
Only by operating from a stable platform of inner calm can we hope to be free from those errors of judgement that blight so many ventures, dooming them to costly failure. Before we try to weild the power of Later Heaven, we should learn the techniques of Early Heaven.
What is shocking is that Early Heaven wisdom had been so thoroughly suppressed that Yang Feng Shui was the only variety to become known in the West. Thankfully, Yin Feng Shui is now beginning to be taken seriously again, and can once more be openly appreciated for the wonders it contains.
A reappraisal of the Early Heaven system is long overdue - 3,000 years overdue - and I believe that along with the rediscovery of this ancient yet timeless wisdom from the East, a new era might dawn in the West; one where, having achieved self-knowledge and learned how to act in harmony with nature, we can use our tremendous personal and technological powers responsibly.
© Ken Taylor 2002 - 2006