Chapter 10-2 A Brief Exploration of "Burial Classic"
It is traditionally believed that Feng Shui was founded by the mythical Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady（九天玄女）.More systematic study of Feng Shui originated during the Warring States period(战国). Early Feng Shui primarily focused on the principles and methods for selecting and orienting sites for both yang residences (homes of the living) and yin residences (tombs), with its core philosophy centered on the harmonious unity between men and nature.
In the history of Chinese Feng Shui, the first systematic discourse on Feng Shui principles was the "Burial Classic"（《葬经》）by Guo Pu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty(东晋), who first proposed the theory of Feng Shui riding on "Qi of life". The book not only discussed Feng Shui and its importance, but also introduced specific methods for locating auspicious sites, making it the cornerstone of Chinese Feng Shui culture. Although parts of the book have been lost throughout history, it has been preserved and passed down through various commentaries by different scholars.
Overall, the book is concise and enlightening, making it an excellent introduction for beginners to understand the basics of Feng Shui. Since the original text is written in classical Chinese, a summary of its main ideas is provided here.
The so-called burial means concealment. The burial of a deceased person refers to the placement of their remains, also known as the yin dwelling. To achieve a beneficial burial, where the placement is suitable, one must harness the "Qi of life". The essence of burial lies in "concealing" the "Qi of life" within the universe, and thus, during burial, one must rely on this energy to select an appropriate location.
The interaction Qi of yin and yang in heaven and earth disperses to become wind, rises to become clouds, and descends to become rain. Everything that determines the orientation of heaven and earth and nurtures all things in the universe arises from this Qi. Proper burial methods create prosperous Qi, while improper methods create harmful Qi.
Before anything in the world takes shape, this Qi has already begun to circulate within the universe. The movement and transformation of this energy give rise to all things in the world. It ascends into the sky to become wind, capable of circulating between the yin and yang of heaven and earth; it descends to the ground to become rain, promoting the proliferation and flourishing of all living beings. The "Qi of life" is often nurtured underground, making it generally invisible to people, who must instead observe the conditions above ground to determine its location. During burial, if the "Qi of life" can be located, the remains and the departed soul will have something to cling to.
All things in the world are born from "Qi of life", and humans are no exception. A child is conceived from the Qi of their parents, meaning that the Qi of the parents and the child is of the same kind, much like radio waves of the same frequency that resonate with each other in the universe. Parents and descendants share the same "Qi of life". Parents' bones form the foundation for their descendants, and the bodies of descendants are like branches of their parents, sharing a common Qi, extending from the foundation to the branches.
Life and death are completely different paths, but their interactions fundamentally rely on the resonance of "Qi of life". Naturally, they communicate silently. When energies resonate in this way, it is evident that the dead receive shade and living people receive blessings. Therefore, descendants entrust their hearts here, as their hearts resonate, leading to future blessings. Thus, it is known that the human heart communicates through Qi, and Qi communicates with heaven and earth.
When the human heart merges with the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers, it can generate "Qi of life", which serves as the source of continuous life for future generations. Moreover, things like wealth and poverty, longevity and short life, wisdom and ignorance, beauty and ugliness are all closely related to this. Even the appearance of later generations corresponds with the beauty or ugliness of the landscape. For instance, Shen Zi was born in Song Mountain, and Confucius was born in Ni Mountain — these are not mere coincidences.
The father's vital essence and the mother's vital blood, through the interaction and union of the yin and yang energies, transform the "Qi of life" into human bones and the vital blood into flesh. This process is then nourished by the Qi from heaven and earth, which fills the gaps between flesh and blood, eventually creating the human body. After a person passes away, the "Qi of life" departs from the body, and the blood and flesh decompose, leaving only the bones intact. However, if after burial, one's Qi can return to nourish the bones, it corresponds to the situation at birth, beneficially concealing vitality, aiding the living descendants.
Those with great wisdom aspire to be buried in an auspicious site, using their remains to receive "Qi of life". Through the respect and remembrance of future generations, aligning with his Qi, the original spirit can be restored, and the dispersed Qi of ancestors can gather once more. The direction in which ancestors' spirits develop corresponds to the changes in descendants' vitality, aligning virtually with reality, presenting auspicious terrain where talents thrive.
The principles of Feng Shui prioritize water and value wind concealment. Flatlands and hills are two forms of earth, and "Qi of life" must flow within the earth. Therefore, it is auspicious to choose a location where water can be retained to prevent the Qi from dissipating. In hilly areas, even if there are no nearby rivers or streams, there should still be small ponds or flowing water to contain the internal Qi. If the flowing water is at a distance, there should at least be some indication of a stream encircling the burial site. If there is no such boundary to contain Qi, it will lead to an imbalance of yin and yang, though concealing wind, it is unusable. On flatlands, although there may be no natural barriers, as long as a river runs through the area, there is no need to worry about the land being too expansive.
Because water is generated by Qi, its presence indicates that Qi is abundant, while the absence of water suggests Qi is weak. "Concealing wind" refers to preventing the dispersal of Qi in all directions. Flowing water outside the land is referred to as external Qi, while Qi contained within the land is known as internal energy. External Qi should present itself in a horizontal form, creating a trend where water encircles the burial site, thus stabilizing the internal Qi and preventing it from easily dispersing.
"A thousand feet for momentum, a hundred feet for form." The term "thousand feet" refers to the distant position of the mountain range, indicating the overall trend of the mountain; "hundred feet" refers to the closer distance, indicating the form of the burial site. The place where the mountain's momentum comes to a stop and its shape halts is where Qi converges. Since Qi is gathered there, the burial site should be chosen at this point of convergence. When selecting a burial site, if the surrounding environment is not properly chosen, even if it is in an auspicious location, it will be in vain. Incorrect elevation and depth of the burial site can turn blessings into disasters.
A place of complete "Qi of life" exhibits such integration. It's like a distinguished person sitting upright, with all objects arranged as if waiting for something, or like someone of high status sitting calmly, with belongings well placed, even if everything is gathered around, there is still plenty to spare.
In places where auspicious Qi rises, the terrain rises accordingly. Where Qi gathers, the form resembles a chicken nest, showing an inward and outward swirling shape. This occurs where the dragon vein stops at a break in the mountain form, intersecting with flowing water (or "comparable water" below the earth's surface). Circular forms are like bubbles on the water's surface. Square forms resemble stamps. Elongated forms resemble jade rulers. Curved forms resemble ribbons. Areas where square and circular forms intermingle resemble shapes of turtles, fish, or frogs. At places where Qi gathers, there generally exists a small, spacious area, where water flows intersect, and ideal for the placement of burial sites. Behind it, there should be a solid mountain for support, and in front of it, there should be converging waters to allow Qi to flourish.
The "four orientations" refer to the surroundings of the burial site as the central point. In the burial site, the left side represents the Azure Dragon, the right side the White Tiger, the front the Vermilion Bird, and the back the Black Warrior. In a favorable Feng Shui environment, the Black Warrior mountain behind should slope gently downward from high to low. The burial site should not lack a mountain backing it nor have towering mountains pressing down from behind. In front of the burial site, there should be openness without obstruction, but in the distance, small mountains should be visible. When there are mountains beyond mountains, seen from afar, it resembles the dance of small birds. The Azure Dragon mountain on the left should curve inward towards the burial site, winding gracefully. The White Tiger mountain on the right should also curve inward, lying inclined with its head facing outward. Such orientations can be called auspicious terrain. (Figure 10.1)
Figure 10.1: Burial site Feng Shui illustration
The "Burial Classic" is truly mysterious! These unseen "Qi of life" we talk about are actually the magnetic fields between heaven and earth, the natural energies of mountains, rivers, or the yin aspect of all things. This also confirms what we mentioned earlier: everything has its own spirit. If the Qi of ancestors can resonate at the same frequency as the soul Qi of descendants, it will inevitably have a certain impact on future generations.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to find theoretical support for this in classical science. However, many facts point to the real existence of Feng Shui. The Feng Shui of ancestral tombs affects the overall fate of descendants, while the Feng Shui of dwellings affects physical and mental health, as well as fortune. Among successful entrepreneurs, there are very few who do not believe in Feng Shui. After reading the above, although one may not be able to "read" Feng Shui, they will have a rough understanding of what it is. The Feng Shui of ancestral tombs and dwellings are inherently connected, helping us to understand the deeper meaning behind the geographical selection of city sites, the construction of moats, and the architectural designs of royal palaces and traditional courtyard houses of common people throughout history.
We now have a general understanding that the best geographical formations (including cities, villages, palaces, buildings, office spaces, cemeteries, etc.) are akin to an emperor summoning his ministers: the emperor sits high on the throne, attended by his courtiers on both sides, with a majestic screen behind him, a table in front of him, and ministers paying respects from afar.
In terms of topography, this is represented by having a soft, layered mountain as a backing, with the Azure Dragon and White Tiger on either side, a table mountain in front, and a pilgrim's mountain in the distance. This esteemed Feng Shui layout is matched in both the three realms and the underworld.
This text merely attempts to offer a glimpse, hoping to inspire further exploration for interested readers.
