Do You Believe In Luck Transfer - Part II

So let's begin from where we left off from part I - "I'm going to share with you an unusual story that was related by a friend of mine, who knew an acupuncturist who lived in a remote village. It's a story about an old man who goes to see this acupuncturist, well known for his vast knowledge of the human body."

This acupuncturist was also a good conversationist, engaging his patients in chatter to distract them from the many needles poking their body.

The old man, who was his patient, meanwhile, answered his questions like a dreamer in a hazy, semi-conscious state. The acupuncturist was in complete control of the entire conversation. Towards the end of the treatment, the acupuncturist declared that because of an act by the old man's father long ago, his family was now suffering a spell of bad luck.

The old man was at once surprised, because his father had actually done what the acupuncturist described - and in so doing, had sealed the fate of his descendants.

The old man's father, who had owned a fleet of lorries, had in the past, ordered his workers to remove a boulder from an abandoned quarry which faced his home. The father ordered that the rock be placed beside a large pillar at the main entrance to his home. By doing this, he hoped to force the lorry-drivers to slow down their vehicles when they entered the compound of his home. In that way, he thought, he would be minimising the danger of a careless or impatient driver damaging his house.

Not long after carrying out this seemingly trivial deed, the old man's father passed away peacefully in his sleep. However, the cause of the death, whether due to his old age or illness, could not be determined.

Now the responsibility of running the entire business fell into the hands of his sons but, somehow, things didn't go as what they had planned. Their business began to suffer and the company's debts escalated.

The son's tried to look for solutions for their many problems but eventually, the majority decided to throw in the towel and winding up the company was their only way out.

The now abandoned quarry across the road, was later reopened when another firm took over its operations under a new management team.

Surprisingly, the business picked up, after a short time for the new firm, and buyers for their rocks seemed to appear out of nowhere. The now-booming business, made the new owner a millionaire not long after that.

In conclusion to this story, we feel that the old man should have left the quarry alone. By him moving the rock to the front of his house, he had brought about a surge of negative energy from that vicinity into his own house. But in reverse, the removal of the rock brought about good fortune to the new quarry owner.

There are so many rags-to-riches stories out there for us to learn from. One such story - Where a poor man who makes good refuses to throw away or let-go with certain of his items, which he had been using for a long time or which had been of some use to him during his lean periods.

We even hear stories of self-made millionaires who hold on to their old cars jealously, although they now even own expensive new cars in their huge garages, simply because all these so-called old cars were at one time their only means of transport.

Of course, it could very well be for some sentimental reason as well, but, then again, many of them believe that the old "junks" may have brought them some good luck and success, thus will not part with them at any given price - for it would mean giving away their precious believe, they all call ... Luck!

So now, "Do you believe in luck transfer?"

Do You Believe In Luck Transfer - Part I

My million dollar question for the weekend - "Can luck be transferred from one object to another?" Scientifically though, it may sound totally absurd and completely illogical. It is no doubt a difficult subject for an individual to grasp and while there is some truth to it, it is often stranger than fiction to many.

But before we dwell further into this, could there be such a thing called Luck? Because I'm pretty sure there are still many who would like to say that there is no such thing as luck.

Strangely though, when you ask many of today's successful people about this subject, in turn they would make it very clear to you that they personally never really expected to achieve the level of success that they have achieved right now. So, in reality, what that goes to say is that it wasn't all due to their big picture intention-filled plan after all.

Take these examples for instance;

• Bill Gates did, at one time, admit that his biggest part of his initial success was due to luck.
  

• In an interview not too long ago, Donald Trump admitted to believing in the thing called luck.
  

• America's first black woman billionaire, Oprah Winfrey, had said that she once figured that if she could make a million dollars in her entire life, she would then consider herself a huge success.

• Keith Richards from the band - Rolling Stones, said that when they first started out, their ultimate ambition was to be the biggest band in ... London!
  

From all these examples available out there in the world, it becomes clear to us that sometimes the most extraordinary successes known overtakes the very individuals experiencing them.

Now back to our initial question at hand. I'm going to share with you an unusual story that was related by a friend of mine, who knew an acupuncturist who lived in a remote village. It's a story about an old man who goes to see this acupuncturist, well known for his vast knowledge of the human body.

So, do remember to check back tomorrow for "Do you Believe in Luck Transfer -Part II"

Meaning Of Chinese New Year

"Happy Chinese New Year!", to all my Chinese friends and readers.

Since I have been on a long, long vacation (I somehow would like to think of it as such...) from my usual blogging behaviour. I figured since today marks the beginning of a new calender for the Chinese - the first lunar month in the Chinese calender, it would be a great day indeed to begin a new chapter towards my personal blog - Nihal's Anything n Everything. So, let's look at what this special celebration is all about and what's the meaning of Chinese New Year.

If we understand the Chinese culture, we would realize that the Spring Festival is the oldest and notebly the most important, if one compares it to other Chinese holidays. It's also a time for families to reunite, feast together and to wish good fortune to everyone. Preparations for the celebrations as I am aware, can take place a month before the actual day of the celebrations. This is done to ensure that it would be a auspicious and smooth transition from the current year to the new. That explains why my Chinese neighbour threw out half his house out to the garbage ... nah, I'm just kidding. But seriously, this is what they do - houses are swept and cleaned, from top-to-bottom to ensure that they do not carry bad luck over to the new year.

And we're quite lucky here in Malaysia as we have a strong influence of their culture present in our country, feasting with family and friends a like, at open houses have become a norm. And to be frank sometimes their meals can be very elaborate at times, not that I'm complaining, but this is definitely something I look forward to, every year!

Traditionally the ancient Chinese believed that the years would be in a cyclical form - Twelve Animal Signs, each representing a specific year in their calender, that would repeat itself over and over again according to a pattern.

A popular Chinese folk methodolgy has it that all these 12 animals had a quarrel one day as they were deciding who would be the leader to head the calender, since they could not find a solution to this, God decided to hold a contest to see who would be the first to reach the opposite bank of the river.

As soon as the signal was given, all the twelve animals jumped in and dashed across. Just as the Ox was reaching the shore, unknowingly the Rat had cleverly jumped on his back and quickly hopped off to come out first in the race. And as usual knowing the Pig, he being a lazy creature, to say the least, ended up being last. So now you know why the Rat is named as the first in the animal cycle, followed by the Ox and lastly the Pig, representing the last year in that cycle. With the start of this years Chinese New Year celebrations, we will be entering the year of the Rat.

Since you already know that I fancy the mystic's behind Feng Shui and all, Chinese New Year is no different. Even meals that are prepared during their family eve dinner has to mean something, take for example - nian gao, a kind of pudding cake made out of sticky rice, eat this and its said to help people advance towards higher positions and better prosperity for that year, step at a time. That's not all - jiao zi dumplings, looks like the gold ingots that were used during the Ming Dynasty as money, so a bite of this, is said to bring you the promise of wealth and prosperity. Noodles, yes, this is a must, the longer the better. The long noodles represents long life for everyone at the table. Not bad for eating a couple of cakes, dumplings and noodles huh ... Eat and you will have everything!

Gong Xi Fa Chai to the entire Chinese community and to the rest, happy holidays!

Unseen Forces

We should not presume that what we cannot see does not exist. It is usually the deeds of our conscious minds that make fools of us all, in failing to realize that some happenings in the physical world can be related to the unforeseen forces which surround us.

Before China opened its doors to the rest of the world, it was seen as a land of myth and mystery. "Secrets" like kung fu, the balancing of yin and yang in maintaining health and the science of acupuncture drew large crowds of westerners to China to seek knowledge of these mysteries.

Of the many who came, one particular group of professionals comprising doctors, dietitians, biologists, chemists and geologists bundled themselves into jeeps and embarked on a low-profile expedition. Their journey took them into uncharted territory, over unfamiliar mountains and across inhospitable desserts, before they finally came to a village where an unusually high number of twins had been born.

After a day of much-needed rest, the team set about its business. The doctors lined up the village to examine them; the chemists tested the wells and river water; the geologists examined the mineral contents of the soil; and the dietitians just queried the villagers on their eating habits.

After two weeks, the team members met to discuss what they had discovered. Each member came forth to disclose his findings, and the group realized there was nothing special about the water, soil, diet or even the people.

The leader, Kent Mcdonald, told the rest of them to pack up for the return trip. While everyone went about the business of pulling stakes, Mcdonald stood atop a high vantage point outside the village contemplating the forces of nature that had given this place its particular distinction.

Eventually, he decided to join his colleagues but as he walked towards them, he heard a shrill voice from behind him. Turning, he saw an old woman gesturing wildly towards him and trying to reach him.

Mountains
He decided to find out what she wanted and was joined by his interpreter. The interpreter spoke to the old woman at length, then turned to Mcdonald and told him the villagers frequently bore twins because of the two identical mountains that stood tall and proud in front of the village. Whether or not Mcdonald believed this, he at least had an unusual tale to relate to his family and colleagues when he got home.

When the ancient Greeks were at the peak of their civilization they too had their own beliefs which closely matched those of the Chinese, especially when it comes to child-bearing.

Bedrooms and other main rooms in a house often had paintings and busts of handsome Greek Gods and beautiful Goddesses at strategic points. By decorating their homes in this way, the Greeks believed that during a woman's pregnancy, the expectant mother would somehow subconsciously "programme" the looks of the Gods and Goddesses into her unborn offspring.

When the baby was born, it would have the profile of a handsome Greek God or, if a girl, the beauty of a Goddesses. How much truth there is in these ancient ways, we certainly do not know.

Among the Chinese, there are also many beliefs surrounding pregnancy. One of them calls for a "ban" on any renovation work in a house where a pregnant woman lives.It is held that the noise and dust will cause the expectant mother much discomfort and consequently, her irritation will have a negative effect on the baby's appearance. Mirrors and glasses are also treated carefully so that they do not shatter and cause scarring of any sort on the child's face.

Whether or not these things are to be believed is not the point; to most Chinese, they would just assume not to take the risk that it might be true after all. Similarly, we should not scoff at things that are said of unseen forces and elements simply because we cannot detect them with our own limited senses.

Find The Right Spot

They call it Chinese earth magic, where finding the right spot or placement of objects enhances the energy flow for the environment. Adding to my list of feng shui articles I thought that this would also be of interest to you. The study of feng shui alone does not confine itself only to certain shapes, terrain, homes or even large buildings for that matter. The intricate art of feng shui goes beyond these and can even some cases touch on islands and whole countries for instance.

This art on such a large scale is not often heard of because many of the geomancers out there are either not knowledgeable enough or they find the task just too big for them. So, they often leave it to someone else or until they feel they have reached a higher level of knowledge or have gained enough experience to handle such areas.

It would only take the very best and elite feng shui master with many years of toil and experience in-hand to deal with this sort of subject due to its delicate nature of job - finding the right spot on the land where the power of yang or life chi lies. Once the geomancer has done this by identifying these sites where the good chi lies, his work becomes very much easier. He is then immediately able to scale down his projections before going into the finer details of things.

You should compare this sort of work with the hi-tech super spy satellites which are in orbit. They are suspended in the dark, with silent void of space, they would serve as an invisible eye for the wealthy nations that are able to afford them. When these satellites are in the right position, over the country or site to be observed, its mechanical eye will take into consideration all the details of what is happening at that spot. If a smaller or a more tighter focus is required, computers can do the job to enhance the satellite's findings.

In this same manner, Feng shui is similar in the sense that it is able to focus on a specific area before the intricate job of analysing is performed by the geomancer.

Let's take an example of when a geomancer makes a general comment saying that a particular shopping complex has good feng shui without elaborating further, you will find many people out there scrambling to own a lot. And when a particular lot becomes vacant, the stakes to secure that place becomes increasingly higher in price value.

It is therefore not unusual, however, to find that 30 to 35 per cent of the businesses operating in a place with good feng shui may actually be on the edge of financial difficulties, despite the crowds that flock to the complex and had been mentioned to be 'highly recommended'. The reason for this is that when a geomancer normally says a place has good feng shui, he is only passing a general comment on the entire building itself. But when shop-lots face 'down' escalators or are located near toilets or facing the long passageways (like the notorious T-junction), things tend to be different.

In general, all buildings said to have good feng shui would also have certain areas that have weak spots in them that should be avoided. If someone came up to you saying that a building has 100 per cent good feng shui, he's the best joker in town!

Not Good Luck

A lot of us know that in feng shui, water is a sign of good flow of wealth, right ? But sometimes it can be the other way round - not good luck.

What am I rambling about, how can one thing be good and then all of a sudden become no good? Let's take these simple examples, so that you don't end up deeper in confusion, as to what are considered to be - not good luck, for your homes.

Water Hydrant - Having a water hydrant placed right in front of your home will not mean that you will become filthy rich as it is symbolized by water, in feng shui terms. The reason for this is because the water hydrant located directly in front of your home is considered to be obstructing the main entrance, so the effects are opposite.

Swing - A home that has a playground in front of their homes will have their wealth cut in half, that's if, there is a swing directly facing your front entrance from that playground. So it's considered not so good for people who are involved in business to live in such a home.

Side Pillar - In feng shui terms, having a side pillar of a neighbours gate face your home acts as an obstacle to good feng shui.

Roman Style Pillar - If you have a house with a Roman-styled pillar directly facing it's own entrance, then it may also be a bad choice in terms of feng shui, as it will block good luck from flowing into your home.

Huge Billboard - Having a huge billboard right in front of your home also blocks good fortune from coming in.

Multi-Storey Building - If your house faces a multi-storey building, it will receive a double dose of bad luck. Firstly, the building in front blocks the house's entrance and second, it will cast a long shadow over the house, and that's not so much of a good luck for the occupants.

Two Highrise Buildings - When this house faces two high rise buildings across the road, with a narrow alley in between them which directly faces the house, it is also considered to be very bad feng shui. They believe that the energy from the sky would travel through the narrow gaps between the two buildings and strike the house which is across the street. In feng shui terms this reference is known as 'Thunder striking from the Heavens'

Meaning of Colours

Imagine, the colours on your clothes that you're wearing, defining the luck you would have for the whole day? Call it superstitious, or simply Feng Shui's term to good vibes. Apparently in Feng Shui, colours hold a significant meaning.

As my friend told me, those who wear brown are often plodders, people who are nervous or highly-strung should not wear red or that violet is the colour of the martyr?? Wow, that's a lot of colours to watch out for. He further elaborates on a string of colours and their meanings to me, such as :

White - A novice martial arts exponent starts off having a white belt to signify his ignorance and innocence. A bride wears white to show her purity. So therefore the colour white is known for it's brightness and represents a 'clean' colour. It is a neutral colour which, when shined into a prism, emerges as all the other colours. It takes no sides in the affairs of men. In metal and precious stones, it represents silver and diamond.

Yellow - A dash of red and orange form the colour yellow. This colour has the power of rising or the morning Sun and was a favourite colour among Sun worshipers. Usage of yellow is believed to allow the cultivation of intuition, ambition and helps in the acquisition of wisdom. Yellow represents gold.

Orange - This colour symbolizes an inclination towards social activities. Those who use this colour often will seek the security of group activities and will often be found working for other people. The colour of the Sun as it finally retreats below the horizon each day also represents a lack of confidence in men to do things independently unless they are led. This group of people are said to 'follow the crowd'.

Red - A fiery, passionate and highly emotional colour, it is the colour of intense heat, divine love and blood. Red is beneficial to those who are lackadaisical and need more 'life' in their system. For those who are hyperactive and sensitive, red should be used less for it is known to arouse the nerves easily, resulting in dire consequences. The precious stone associated with red is ruby.

Black - The colour of the earth, darkness, wickedness, negation and death. It is the colour of magic and is a favourite of the stage magician whose profession is to fool and deceive an audience through trickery or sleight of hand, often with the aid of black backdrops and equipment. But to some it can simply represent a new beginning - life after death.

Brown - A firm colour. The person who surrounds himself with this colour seldom rises to any great heights in life. He prefers to plodding along, making a steady living.

Grey - From the mixing of black and white, grey is created. It is the colour of uncertainty, fear and falsehood. It is also a deceptive colour. People who prefer grey appear to be conformists although they usually bid their time until their own interest can be served - usually at the expense of others.

Green - This is the colour of tranquility. It is also the colour of money, as in the United States dollar. It has a soothing, restful influence, preserving the eyesight and calming nerves. Those who give green prominence in their dressing, like international travels. A side-effect of this colour, when overused is to cause a person to become envious and greedy. That is why people who are jealous are said to be under the influence of the 'green eyed monster'. The precious stone associated with green is Emerald.

Blue - Blue is the colour of the sky. It represents spiritualism, thoughtfulness, consideration and care. Blue expresses faith, truth, constancy and fidelity. The precious stone associated with blue is Sapphire.

Violet - This colour belongs to the hermit who dwells in mystery. The philosopher, the poet, the dreamer, the writer and the visionary all like this colour. Violet often signifies love and truth, or passion and suffering. Therefore, it is a colour often used by martyrs. The precious stone associated with violet is Amethyst.

Not The Right Home

I met a close friend just the other day and we were having a little chat over some coffee. During the conversation that went along, he somehow touched on a subject based on Feng Shui. I immediately drew my attention closer to his finding's on the matter.

These are some of the things I found to be interesting from that conversation, apparently there are some locations considered unsuitable for homes. Such locations can have adverse effects on the people living in them, leading to poor health, loss of money, etc. In some cases, such bad luck can be averted by the use of an eight-sided trigram or Pakua mirror.

T-Junctions : This is not a good site because spirits, travelling in a straight line, tend to inhabit such a building. The building, too, takes the brunt of a negative whiplash created when motor vehicles turn at junctions.

Trees in Front : If there are trees blocking the main entrance to the house, this is symbolic of joss-sticks on the altar and in the same way, the occupants become the "sacrificial lamb"

Hill in Front : A high mound or hill in front of the house represents obstacles for the occupants. The occupants will not prosper in business. The hill will also obstruct or block the flow of chi into the house.

Police Station : It is considered bad luck to live in a house facing a police station because the bad vibes given off by the presence of criminals or wrongdoers being brought into the police station would adversely affect the occupants' well-being.

Temple : Similarly, a house facing a temple is not good because spirits can be found hanging around temples. Furthermore, people go to the temple to pray most often when they are down and out. The bad vibes they give off will affect the occupants of the house.

Prison or Hospital : Similarly, houses facing prisons or hospitals are bad for the occupants.

Cemetery : A house facing a cemetery is not favourable for it's occupants.

Now you know, where not to buy a house.

So let me know, what do you think about all these Feng Shui belief's ?

Feng Shui

For more than 4,000 years, the Chinese practised the art of Geomancy as part of their culture. This ancient art of living in harmony is a branch off from the Tao philosophy; it dictates that Man and his Universe must be balanced in one form or another to avoid unnecessary calamities. Commonly known as Feng Shui, "Feng" carries the meaning the Breath of Life or Wind, while "Shui", on the other hand, is generally known as Water, a prime life-sustaining element.

In the practise, the stress on chi as an invisible force is said to be present in all animate and inanimate objects. For the mere instant such as the configuration of landscape, mountains, serpentine rivers and shapes of land whether they are good or ill are said to bear their own distinct symbols and meanings.

Presently Feng Shui is still widely practised and is favourably accepted by many. But as the practise itself sometimes run into the realm of the unknown, it gives rise to the notion that Feng Shui itself is but a subject of a pseudo-science.

Whatever it is, whether through the arrangement of furniture, location of entrances or having a fountain here or there to strike a proper balance with yin and yang, there are sometimes answers to them that sound logical.

There are also times that proper answers to certain questions we seek now is not available to our questioning mind. Thus to disbelieve is of course, not disaprove, and to believe is not to prove. But in truth if through practising the Art of Feng Shui would evoke mysterious forces in our favour to enhance our well-being, it is all that matters most.

For I am not an expert in this field, I have decided to add a page specially to address the Feng Shui practises, through the collection of many stories from friends/emails received/reading related books, over the years on the matter. With the hope, that we can all understand it better.

You could also e-mail me, if you would like to share your experiences of using Feng Shui.