Wind and Water(PART 2 OF 3)
Heian-kyō (平安京, "tranquility and peace capital"), a scaled replica of the then Tang(唐) capital Chang'an(長安), became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794, beginning the Heian period of Japanese history. Although military rulers established their governments either in Kyoto (Muromachi shogunate) or in other cities such as Kamakura (Kamakura shogunate) and Edo (Tokugawa shogunate), Kyoto(京都) remained Japan's capital until the transfer of the imperial court to Edo in 1868 at the time of the Imperial Restoration.
The Form School(形法), or Hsing Fa, of feng shui studies the relationship between forms. Originally, the discipline studied the placement of homes, villages, public buildings, and graves in relation to geographical factors such as mountains, water, soil, and ground coverage. The Form School teaches that the most divine earthly site has a dragon (low, long mountains) to the east, a tiger (tall peaks) to the west, a turtle (tall mountain) to the north and a phoenix (flat land or water) to the south.
In ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon, tiger, turtle, and phoenix were celestial animals, each associated with a specific landform. The ultimate goal of early feng shui masters was to find a valley protected by these four celestial animals, for that land was said to be a place of heaven on earth.
In feng shui, the dragon---also known as the green or blue dragon(青龍)---refers to a long, undulating mountain chain or human-made structure. The dragon represents east, spring, green, and yang.
The tiger, or white tiger(白虎), is a chain of mountains or a human-made structure that is taller than the dragon mountains, yet not as long. The tiger was at one time common in Western China, which is why it represents the west. It also symbolizes autumn, white, and yin. Interestingly, a small number of feng shui practitioners believe that the dragon mountains should be taller than the white tiger mountains.
The black or dark turtle(玄武)---a symbol of steady power in China---represents north, winter, black, and yin. While some feng shui masters claim that the height of a turtle mountain or building does not matter, other feng shui masters say the turtle's peaks must be higher than the tiger's.
What is now called the phoenix(朱雀) was known in ancient China as the crimson or red bird, an animal originally modeled after the common sparrow. Because of the larger amount of birds toward China's tropical south, the phoenix represents south, as well as summer, red, and yang. This is the flattest of the landforms and need not be elevated at all. In fact, the most common phoenix forms in ancient China were a body of water such as a stream or large pond. In modern times, the phoenix can be represented by a road or lane.
So, Kyoto is surrounded by the blue dragon, the white tiger, the dark turtle, and the phoenix, isn't it?
Yes, it is. I'll show it in the following diagram:
Quite interesting! But I'd rather study the basic feng shui for any living space to lead a happy life, not to locate an auspicious capital city.
That's understandable. BUt I wonder why you're so attracted to feng shui in the first place.
A good question...Well...I'd say...love.
Love?
Oh, yes...you know, Kato, feng shui improves love.
Really?...I've never heard of that. Tell me, Diane, how it improves love.
Well..., feng shui interior design improve the ‘qi’ or energy of my debroom.
Really?
Oh, yes. Obviously, my bedroom serves a specific purpose.
Specific purpose?
Most definitely!
What is it?
Love between me and my better half!
Tell me, Diane, how feng shui improves love between you and your partner.
The aim of the bedroom is usually to be the room inside the house that promotes rest, relaxation and romance.
I see.
This is meant for being an area that brings out calmness and tranquility. As a way to do that, colors play a necessary role. Loud colors are the very last thing we wish to use, because they are too much of a distraction and actually promotes restlessness. Furniture placement is also a key factor. The bed should be the main feature of a room and has to be displayed at a commanding position, which is diagonal with the door.
(To be continued)