{"id":2428,"date":"2021-01-21T16:01:09","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T15:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fabiopetrella.it\/?p=2428"},"modified":"2024-09-25T14:09:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T12:09:53","slug":"philosophy-and-feng-shui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fabiopetrella.it\/en\/philosophy-and-feng-shui\/","title":{"rendered":"Philosophy and Feng Shui"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Philosophy and Feng Shui: a comparison between the oriental foundations of Feng Shui and the first Greek philosophical schools in order to highlight the effectiveness of the Feng Shui method and its applications.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is always difficult to say if someone had copied another author’s work in ancient times, while in the era of globalization the copy-paste philosophy is the common denominator of a society without many ideas. Let’s go deeper by a parallel between western philosophy and Feng Shui.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an article published in the Proceedings of a conference I had proposed a parallelism between Jewish Kabbalah and Chinese Numerology,<\/a><\/span> based on the Magic Square of order 4, where important analogies between the two systems left open the question about whether in that remote age those so distant cultures could have communicated or could have come to common conclusions, which is highly probable, given that the structure of the Universe is always the same under any sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also the oriental philosophical principles of Taoism which in turn supports the basic concepts of Feng Shui as we know it, could be put in parallel with Western thought, in particular with the first Greek philosophical schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amazing aspect is that while at the dawn of Greek thought (600-500. BC) schools with substantially different principles and presuppositions were formed, Taoism is based on philosophical presuppositions that appear to be the harmonious synthesis of what in the Western thought was seemingly conflicting, with the important exception of Eraclitus, whose philosophy is supported by the principle of the substantial coincidence of the opposites and the global harmony of the Whole, with an amazing likeness with the concepts expressed in the Tao tradition. (Monica Cavall\u00e9 \u2013 La sabiduria recobrada \/ The Regained Wisdom : Filosofia Como Terapia \/ Philosophy as Therapy –  <\/span><\/span><\/a>Grupo Anaya Comercial<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first of the Greek philosophers is unanimously recognized to be Thales. He bases his doctrine on the principle (ark\u00e9) of water.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Philosophy<\/a>
Thales – Depiction of Thales on the facade of the historical building of the University of Athens. By George E. Koronaios – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=118305461<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The water we are talking about here is not physical, but it is related to a metaphysical concept being very close to the semantic domain of the word \u2018Shui\u2019, which also means \u2018water\u2019 and is part of the binomial Feng-Shui, the science we deal with in our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second philosopher in chronological order after Thales is Anaximander who is one of the precursors of the Big Bang theory: for him at the origin of Universe there is Fire and an explosion caused by the excess of vapours which generates the celestial bodies, the Earth and Water.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Philosophy<\/a>
Stellar explosions are most often associated with supernovae, the spectacular deaths of stars. But new ALMA observations of the Orion Nebula complex provide insights into explosions at the other end of the stellar life cycle, star birth. Astronomers captured these dramatic images of the remains of a 500-year-old explosion as they explored the firework-like debris from the birth of a group of massive stars, demonstrating that star formation can be a violent and explosive process too. The background image includes optical and near-infrared imaging from both the Gemini South and ESO Very Large Telescope. The famous Trapezium Cluster of hot young stars appears towards the bottom of this image. The ALMA data do not cover the full image shown here. -By ALMA, CC BY 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=57890031<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the origin of the Universe finds its presupposition in an undifferentiated principle in eternal becoming, the \u201capeiron\u201d<\/em>, from which the multiplicity of life arises. The \u201cark\u00e9<\/em>\u201d of Anaximander is very similar to the supreme Tao from which the myriad of things derives. The third philosopher is Anaximenes whose \u201cark\u00e9\u201d<\/em> is Air, which the Tao calls Feng, the other element that forms the binomial Feng Shui. Not only that, but from the \u201cark\u00e9\u201d<\/em> Air, Water, Earth and Stone are generated by subsequent condensation: We are very close to the Wu Xing of Taoism where five elements are as well generated by condensation: water, wood, fire, earth, metal (stone).<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Philosophy<\/a>
The four classical elements of Empedocles<\/a> and Aristotle<\/a> illustrated with a burning log. The log releases all four elements as it is destroyed. – By Chiswick Chap – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=67635502<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Finally we will mention Pythagoras, a leading figure for the history of thought, and in particular for one of its main \u201cark\u00e9\u201d<\/em>: the \u201ctetraktis\u201d<\/em>.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Initiation scheme according to Tetraktis – The Tetractys<\/a> is a triangular figure consisting of ten points arranged in four rows: one, two, three, and four points in each row. As a mystical symbol devised by Pythagoras<\/a> it was very important to the Pythagoreans<\/a>. – By User:Jossifresco – Hemenway, Priya \u2013 Divine Proportion pp.63, Sterling Publishing, ISBN 1-4027-3522-7, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=1074994<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The succession of the first 10 numbers ordered in a hierarchical way in a triangle, is the main reference of innumerable western initiatory and theosophical schools:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Philosophy<\/a>
Planetary scheme according to the Pythagorean order – By Xinstalker – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=28956364<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

also in the generation of the trigrams of Tao, however, the succession of the first ten numbers has the same meaning of the Pythagorean \u201cTetraktis\u201d<\/em>, as with these first ten numbers show the first generation of energy differentiated in the space from the primeval Tao.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Philosophy and Feng Shui parallel: the example of Tetraktis vs Tao schemes – Albero di Zhouyi – By Philolo – Own work, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=912921<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

However, there are further analogies between West and East which are essentially associated to the representation of the cosmos and its evolution in numerological and geometric terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, it is natural to approach the \u201cTetraktis\u201d by Lo Shu:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Philosophy and Feng Shui parallel: Tetraktis and Lo Shu – By Originally uploaded to en.wikipedia by “Zhou yi777” on 23:12, 29 December 2006 – Own work by en.wikipedia user “Zhou yi777”, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=8887509<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

as we can also see in the brilliant article by Roberto Milazzi of the IUAV University of Venice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both  structures conceal within them the decoding keys of the secrets of the cosmos and life, which is why, getting back to Feng Shui, we always refers to the word “harmonization”: by applying the laws which perfectly rule the macrocosm through seemingly simple mathematical and geometric schemes, it is possible to transfer them even to a small space like our home, with a good chance of obtaining some positive effects.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
The mithological turtle who brings the universal secrets – The Lo Shu square on the back of a small turtle (in the center), surrounded by the signs of the Chinese zodiac<\/a> and the Eight Trigrams<\/a>, are all carried by a large turtle (that presumably stands for the Dragon horse<\/a> that had earlier revealed the trigrams to Fu Xi<\/a>).[citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup> This example drawn by an anonymous Tibetan artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The opportunities of harmonizing our homes according to the so-called sacred geometry are almost endless but Feng Shui helps us to find a specific pattern which summarizes the ultimate reference structure, that is the cosmic one, in a precise but simple sequence based on the numbers from 1 to 9<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Numerological sequence of Lo Shu – By Morn the Gorn – Own work, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=11417436<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Without forgetting that we, as human beings, are also made upon the foundation of similar patterns: the list of parallels and relationships between the cosmos and man could be interminable, from Taoist medicine  to the Jewish cabala with its Macro and Microprosopos, until to Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man – Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=1170932<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

So, when we work with Feng Shui in our homes, we doing nothing but trying to harmonize man and his environment \u2013 which are highly exposed to undesirable karmic effects \u2013 by following that model of perfection and beauty that is cosmos, seat of the Divine center, \u201cthe love that moves the sun and the other stars\u201d, the motionless engine, as Aristotle defines it, which is beyond all spheres and stars.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
“Amor che move il sole….”  (Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, Paradiso, XXXIII, v. 145) – Di Michelangelo Caetani – Caetani, Michelangelo. La materia della Divina commedia di Dante Alighieri dichiarata in VI tavole da Michelangelo Caetani. Montecassino: Monaci benedettini di Montecassino. Plate IVCornell University: Persuasive Cartography: The PJ Mode Collection, Pubblico dominio, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=44575855<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Philosophy and Feng Shui: a comparison between the oriental foundations of Feng Shui and the first Greek philosophical schools in order to highlight the effectiveness of the Feng Shui method and its applications. It is always difficult to say if someone had copied another author’s work in ancient times, while in the era of globalization the copy-paste philosophy is the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[27,26],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nPhilosophy and Feng Shui - fabiopetrella<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Philosophy and Feng Shui: taoist Feng Shui and Greek philosophy to highlight effectiveness of Feng Shui methods and applications.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fabiopetrella.it\/en\/philosophy-and-feng-shui\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Philosophy and Feng Shui - 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