One of the most interesting topics to talk about is the future. In fact, the moment you plan a task, at the same time you are actually thinking ahead, visualising what is not yet accomplished, honing your imagination, and predicting the future according to your expertise.
In the topic of prediction, let me quote two of the greatest minds in the world, the first being John Naisbitt, a renowned futurologist who had served as advisor to several US presidents. He once said in his book Mind Set, “He who sees the future controls the game.” The book also details the author’s 11 Mindsets, a set of tools that allows the readers to see the opportunities of tomorrow. In the first of these 11 Mindsets, the author discusses the topic of ‘change.’
This is interesting because the topic is in line with the study of feng shui, which applies the basic theory of ‘Yi Jing,’ or more commonly known as the Theory of Change.
The second figure I would like to quote from is Ho Peng Yoke, a professor in several universities, who once remarked, “The ability to predict has always been, and remains, an important aim of science.”
The ability of feng shui to predict the future is of course widely known today, unlike several years ago when most people still thought of feng shui as a supernatural, mystical subject. With the rapid development of information technology, more and more people are becoming aware of the true nature of feng shui as a logical field of study, which has eventually led to them digging deeper about feng shui and trying to apply the right principles of feng shui.
For feng shui to make a prediction—here, making prediction is obviously very different from a fortune teller forecasting about the future by looking at a crystal ball—it needs several data as inputs, including birthdays (time factor), details from the project location such as the contour of the landscape, direction of the water flow, the direction a site faces, and the likes (spatial information).
After all the data is obtained, several appropriate formulas are applied to harmonise the user with his property. All of the feng shui formulas are stemmed from the Theory of Change (Yi Jing). Therefore, a feng shui consultant does not have to have a supernatural power to complete his prediction. Instead, he has to have the ability to manage the available data and analyse them according to the existing formulas.
The Theory of Change contains several variables that should be considered, but from all of the variables, the most important thing to master for a feng shui consultant is how we find a pattern. Only by reading the correct set of patterns and trends can a good prediction be made. After finding out the likely trends, a fengshui consultant can design a suitable building for his client in such a way to ensure its suitability for its occupants, and not the other way around, forcing the occupants to befit the building. A good analogy for this is the process of trying on an outfit. The right piece of clothes is one that fits your body and posture—you can’t compel your body to fit the clothes.
Because the study of feng shui talks about the four dimensions: three spatial dimensions and one time dimension, obviously a feng shui-compatible design speaks about the future at a time when the building is finished and ready to occupy. It should consider the effects that occupants will get from the building—will their life become more prosperous, wholesome and harmonious, or on the contrary become troublesome and difficult. This reminds me of a quote from Sir Winston Churchill, “At first we shape our building, thereafter the building shapes us.”
In a sense, a feng shui consultant is truly concerned with how ‘the building shapes us.’ Because a feng shui consultant is already aware of the forthcoming patterns and trends that will affect the occupants of the property, this is what we call the Future Design in the study of feng shui. I hope this article will give you some useful insights.
Be equilibrium.