Lighting the Eye of the Dragon: Inner Secrets of Taoist Feng Shui

by Jessica Eckstein, Baolin Wu

Overview

Today the art of Feng Shui, once shrouded in secrecy and superstition, is taking on new life as a powerful, practical method for enhancing one's career, health and personal growth. Unfortunately, these techniques, as taught in the U.S.A., tend to be filled with incomplete, incorrect and unnecessarily complex information.
Now Dr. Baolin Wu, renown Feng Shui practitioner and living master of the complete cannon of Taoist arts, presents publicly, for the first time, the inner teachings of the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing, as passed to him from a l,000 year old oral tradition.
Unlike other books on Feng Shui, this volume explains the inner reasons behind many common placement techniques, as well as detailing the exceptional meditation and Qi Gong exercises that have until now been held as hereditary secrets of the White Cloud monastery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466855588
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/29/2013
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	765,323
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Dr. Baolin Wu did the pre-construction Feng Shui analysis of I.M.Pei's New Bank of China in Hong Kong, as well as the reading of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing ordered by Deng Xiao Ping. He is currently Acting Feng Shui Consultant for the new Beijing International Airport.
Jessica Eckstein is a longtime student and personal assistant to Dr. Wu.

JESSICA ECKSTEIN is a longtime student of Dr. Baolin Wu.
DR. BAOLIN WU did the pre-construction Feng Shui analysis of I.M.Pei's New Bank of China in Hong Kong, as well as the reading of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing ordered by Deng Xiao Ping. He is currently Acting Feng Shui Consultant for the new Beijing International Airport.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Taoist Feng Shui

Our journey begins forty years ago, one still Indian summer afternoon in Beijing. In an inner room of the White Cloud Monastery, a lively and rather bored seven-year-old boy is trying to come up with a new game to play. He's tempted, as he has been many times before, to climb up on the thousand-year-old chair said to have belonged to the legendary founder of the Dragon Gate Sect, Wang Chung Yang. Why not? The ancient chair is small. It's just about the right size for him and no one's looking. So little Wu Waize jumps up, settles himself in, and starts to rock to and fro, tilting the chair farther and farther back until — snap — a leg breaks and he tumbles to the ground.

Being a resourceful child, he figures he can try patching up the mess he's made before anyone discovers it. No such luck. In walks the majestic figure of his teacher, the Ancestral Grand Master of the Dragon Gate Sect, venerable Master Du.

"Up to your tricks again, boy? Instead of trying to stick that piece of wood back on with your hands, why don't you take a closer look at it?" The little boy's fright turns to amazement as he peers at the ancient calligraphy lining the hollow of the broken leg.

Traced in delicate characters, it is written, "In the fifth month of the Northern Song Shao Xing year, I, Wang Chung Yang, sit in this chair. Nine hundred and thirty seven years from today, on the fourteenth day of the eighth month, Wu Waize will break this chair in the afternoon, around five o'clock." The young boy gapes in awe. Today is September 14, 1957, and the temple bells are just striking five.

* * *

The chair now sits on display in the Museum of Chinese History, opposite the Great Hall of the People (the Chinese Parliament), in Tiananmen Square. And Wu Waize, having had his first encounter with the mystical mind of the Tao at age seven, today lives and teaches in Los Angeles, where he is a leading doctor of Chinese medicine and Qi Gong healing. Though he feels his primary responsibility to the community lies in his medical practice, Dr. Wu is a living Master of the Taoist arts and an initiate of the Orthodox School of Taoist Feng Shui (Mi Zong Feng Shui), with over forty years of study and experience. It is under his careful direction that the information in this book is being presented for the first time.

What can you call a force so far reaching that it can create a bond between a wise man from the Song Dynasty and a boy from Maoist China? What name can convey the harnessing of such power? It is Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is commonly understood as the practice of arranging one's living and working environments to maximize good luck, health, and success. Unfortunately, the practice is not as simple as hanging up a wind chime or moving a plant, and knowing what to put where only scratches the surface of Feng Shui — a complete worldview far different from modern ways of seeing. Originating in the shamanic traditions of ancient China and carefully preserved in secret by the Taoist masters, these secret teachings can now be revealed to the public. This book is the product of five thousand years of Chinese history.

To understand Taoist Feng Shui, the first requirement is a shift in the way one looks at the world. It must be approached with a mind-set that holds little connection to mundane, everyday thinking. Its basic concepts, though not complicated, are often difficult for the rational mind to accept. There are forces that exist in our daily lives that can be of tremendous benefit to us if we can just tune them in. Using imagination and intuition, the study of Taoist Feng Shui becomes not only a set of techniques but also an exciting exploration of our own inner potential.

Feng Shui, as commonly understood by Westerners, is the Chinese practice of positioning oneself and one's belongings within one's living and working environment in order to bring in good luck, health, and well-being. However, this technique as ordinarily taught and applied in the United States, as well as in China, tends to be filled with incomplete, incorrect, and unnecessarily intricate information. With the growing popularity of Feng Shui and the general merging of Eastern and Western cultures, Baolin Wu, Ph.D., L.A.C., renowned doctor, Feng Shui practitioner, and living master of the complete cannon of Taoist knowledge, has decided that now is the time to reveal the original teachings of Taoist Feng Shui that have been passed on to him from a 1,700-year-old oral tradition. This book will reveal an ancient system of Feng Shui that is exceptionally powerful yet profoundly simple; it stems from physical training techniques (Qi Gong) developed to produce a consciously heightened perception of oneself within the environment. The study of Taoist Feng Shui is highly recommended for anyone who seeks to unlock the mysterious connection between the body and the universe.

Before we begin our journey, let us introduce our teacher and guide, Dr. Baolin Wu. He was raised from childhood as a ward of the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing, which is considered the Ancestral Court of Taoism. As China's oldest and most central repository of the wide body of Taoist knowledge, the White Cloud Monastery is an institution comparable in scope and religious significance to the Vatican. From age four, Dr. Wu was taught and trained in Orthodox Taoism, studying in the Complete Reality and Celestial Master Schools, as well as in the Mi Zong tradition of Feng Shui. Under the direct supervision of his teacher, the Ancestral Master of the Dragon Gate Sect, Du Xinlin, Dr. Wu received a complete monastic education. He studied and excelled in Chinese medicine, Qi Gong, T'ai Chi Chuan, the martial arts, Feng Shui, and I Ching divination.

In the monastery, his Feng Shui studies included in-depth analyses of the major monuments of the Forbidden City, the standard features of the traditional home, as well as the layout of the city of Beijing. As a young man, he traveled extensively throughout China, Tibet, and Central Asia with his master as guide. On their pilgrimage, they traveled the route of the Great Wall, the Silk Road, finally reaching the Himalayas and the Potala Palace, stopping to analyze the many shrines and spiritual power places along the way. They observed the changing terrains, cloud formations, and wind currents, both scientifically and esoterically. Dr. Wu came away from this "Long, Long Road" with a deeply felt, firsthand encounter with Chinese history, geography, meteorology, mathematics, and astronomy — in short, with the essence of Chinese culture. Culminating the many years of theory and travel, Dr. Wu was singled out to receive the inner teachings of Feng Shui; that is, the original oral training of Qi Gong — the physical practice of opening one's body and mind to the subtle shiftings of Qi (life energy). With his forty years of continuous training and practice, Dr. Baolin Wu has become a rare figure — one who has received the complete original Taoist teachings and combined them with extensive personal experience — a true Chinese Taoist Ancestral Feng Shui Grand Master.

How can we define the function of Feng Shui? In the Chinese language, Feng, literally "wind", means Qi, the currents of life energy that flow around and within all things. Shui, meaning "water," refers to money. In other words, a place's Feng Shui is a nutrient that nourishes the people who live there. People come from many different environments, which in turn create differences in appearance, personality, and culture. Feng Shui contains them all — the entire material realm. In turn, Feng Shui pervades the most minor events of our daily lives. Our careers, health, and future are affected by the environment. From the largest to the smallest facet of existence, Feng Shui is a living story, one that is constantly unfolding.

The ancient masters of Feng Shui studied the terrain and the movements of the heavens to determine the nation's fate. One of the earliest recorded texts concerning Feng Shui is Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Considered by the Chinese as one of the great early masters of Feng Shui, Sun Tzu's military strategies were in fact based on Feng Shui principles, and they still hold much relevance today when used for adjusting the positionings of home and office. Feng Shui lays out the campaign strategies of your own troops. When riding out to battle, you must have an understanding of the relationship of the mountains to the water and how their interaction varies as the landscape changes. If you enter a forest, you need to take precautions to prevent your enemy from cutting you off with fire. The same holds true if your house is located in an area known for brushfires. A thorough Feng Shui analysis includes a careful examination of your potential routes of escape in the case of an emergency. You can use this art of war to fight a battle or find a house. In either case, you must have an intimate understanding of your environment.

Feng Shui is far from being merely a strategic observation of the conditions of the earth; to practice Feng Shui, one must hold a mystical awareness of the workings of the universe and their manifestations here on this plane. This is the true nature of Taoist Feng Shui. Though it has its beginnings in the shamanic heritage of ancient China, Taoism as a formal movement dates back to the second century A.D., to the exalted mystic and seer, Zheng Dao Ling. As the first in a succession of Celestial Masters, he was called upon to present before the emperor the yearly forecast for the state. War, natural disasters, foreign events, and the fate of the people were all determined in rites performed at the Central Altar (Han Zhong Shi). Until the Ming Dynasty, and the arrival of the next key figure in the Taoist mysteries, Liu Bowen, the Celestial Masters continued their predictions, held apart from the influx of Buddhist thought. Their teachings, combined with those of the disciples of Liu Bowen, have been recorded in the texts of the Zheng Yi cannon. It is from these writings that the Mi Zong tradition of Feng Shui derives.

The teachings of Taoist Feng Shui have long been held secret. Very few discussions of the Mi Zong techniques exist in print. The Taoist masters felt that there were too many difficult issues involved to publish this material openly. For instance, finding disciples with the proper ethical bearing, natural ability, and discipline necessary for Feng Shui study would be no easy feat. Moreover, if the material was misunderstood or incorrectly applied, much harm could result. Another concern was the very nature of the teachings themselves. The inner awareness developed by the physical trainings could only be transmitted to the student by oral teachings given in direct demonstration and meditation by a qualified teacher. Before his passing, Dr. Wu's teacher admonished him to at last reveal this information to the public. Dr. Wu has waited nearly twenty years to bring it forth. Today's world is an open field in which the cultures of the planet meet and intermingle with a new sense of freedom and curiosity. With the teachings of Taoism being fundamentally based on freedom and inquiry, the time is right for this book.

The topics presented here are the basic principles of the practice of Taoist Feng Shui. This book is meant to be read as much from a philosophical perspective as a practical one, which is in keeping with the basic nature of Taoist thought. The methods and techniques discussed here will not turn you into an overnight master of Feng Shui. Rather, this book seeks to provide you with the resources you will need to begin your journey into this singular world as well as to help yourself, your family, and your friends. If you decide to pursue this path professionally, Dr. Wu recommends intensive study under a true teacher as the only responsible way to achieve this goal. No matter the direction of study you choose, this book will provide a fascinating window into a new way of understanding and interacting with the world around you.

Qi

From our birth to our death, we are accompanied by Qi. Qi is the living essence of the universe and the central core of the Tao. In the I Ching, the Chinese Book of Changes, the ebb and flow of Qi plays the pivotal role. The teachings of the I Ching reveal the interplay of the forces of nature. It is the mother of Feng Shui. To understand the meaning of Feng Shui, one must devote oneself to the study of the I Ching and, especially, of Qi. Feng (wind) means Qi. A leaf gently waving in the breeze is Qi. The breath in your lungs is Qi. Falling in love is Qi. If something has no Qi, then it does not exist.

How does one study Qi? Through the practice of Qi Gong, one trains one's body to become aware of its energy. Daily practice results in a heightened sensitivity to the environment and the workings of the body. With continued practice, the ability to communicate directly with the forces of nature is developed. At this point, similarities between traditional martial arts, such as T'ai Chi Chuan, and Qi Gong begin to diverge. Both can be practiced to achieve greater health and a sense of well-being. They can also result in an increased awareness of nature. Without Qi Gong, though, one is unable to enter the next stage of development, which is the return to the original, unclouded understanding of one's true nature. With this consciousness, one can take one's rightful role as a working member of the universe.

All this may sound impossible to achieve, but it's actually a very simple and natural part of human development. We all have these abilities within us. We have just lost touch with them. Qi Gong helps bring you back to yourself. This is done through sitting and standing meditations, visualizations, and breathing. There are two basic forms of Qi Gong, solar and lunar, as taught in Orthodox Taoism. The first is called the Nine Palaces, in reference to the nine openings of the body. This practice, which is done with the energy of the sun, helps increase one's bioelectric energy, and can promote a stronger immune system, as well as detoxify the body of environmental pollutants. The other principle form of Qi Gong is called the Five Centers, practiced with the moon. This practice focuses on balancing the two vertical planes of the body, regulating the internal fluids, and opening one's psychic senses. Besides these two practices, there is a wide range of other Qi Gong forms geared toward more specific results. The Qi Gong techniques presented in this book provide powerful ways of pursuing personal development with a specific emphasis on the practice of Feng Shui. They have never been introduced before to the public, and form one of the crown jewels of Qi Gong accomplishment.

Some basic information is required to understand Qi Gong procedure. First, the body has three main energy storage and transformation centers, the three inner Dan (fig. 1). The lower Dan Tian can be located by forming your hands in the shape of a triangle with the thumbs and forefingers touching. Place your hands over your lower abdomen, with the tips of the thumbs at the navel. The space inside the triangle is the exact position of your lower Dan Tian. Flip your hands up, so the triangle is pointing up. Position it with its center at the space between the nipples. This is the middle Dan. Strictly speaking, only the lower Dan is referred to as the Dan Tian. (Tian means "field" in Chinese, in the sense of a farmer planting seeds in a field.) Only at this point can the process of cultivation result in the conception or creation of new energy; hence, the usage of "Inner Field." The upper Dan is found by placing the triangle, still pointing up, on your forehead, with the thumbs over the eyebrows and the top of the triangle touching the hairline. This position is commonly assumed to be the third eye. This is not entirely accurate. For a Taoist, the entire area above the eyebrows circling the skull is considered the body's connecting point to the messages of Heaven. Though the upper Dan plays a role in its development, the third, or Heavenly, eye uses the whole surface of the brow.

The other energy sectors to be aware of are the three central columns of energy that run vertically, the main one in the center, and the other two on each side (fig. 2). In addition, there is a field of energy that rotates around the body, encircling it from head to toe like an envelope (fig. 3). When practicing, you don't think about these centers. In fact, you don't think about anything. Instead, you let your body relax and your mind run free. This is the Taoist principle of going with the flow.

Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are the two polarities of energy in the universe. Together, they blend to form everything in existence. Developing an understanding of the combinations of Yin and Yang and of what results from them is reached through the study of the I Ching. Developing a physical awareness of the substance of Yin and Yang is attained through the practice of Qi Gong. Combining this knowledge and awareness into a practical expression is the art of Taoist Feng Shui. People often ask Dr. Wu which form of Qi Gong, solar or lunar, they should do. He tells them they can accomplish anything and everything with either form. Everything has two sides, front and back, Yin and Yang.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Lighting The Eye of the Dragon"
by .
Copyright © 2000 Dr. Baolin Wu.
Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
Dedication,
1: Taoist Feng Shui,
2: Doing the Numbers,
3: Sensing the Qi,
4: Human and Universe Unite,
5: The Secret of the Unbreakable Body,
6: Animal-Vegetable-Mineral,
7: The Ideal Environment,
8: Inside the Space,
9: The Ethics of a Feng Shui Master,
Index,
Copyright,