Talks on Feng Shui with Dr. Hsu
17: Understanding the Four Features
Feng Shui study is the study of the quality, quantity, and the coordination, of the Four Features: Mountains, Water, Flat Land (Energy Spot), and Guardian Hills. Let’s discuss the quality and quantity of these features.
What do we mean by the quantity and quality of these features? Quantity is easy to understand. It is based on scale, proportion, number, and size of the features. Quality is measure by the inherent energy of the feature.
Mountains
Quantity for a mountain is based on size. For example, a mountain range has a larger quantity than an isolated small mountain. For good quality, a good mountain should have lively form, lush vegetation, and an abundance of animal and bird life.
On the other hand, a rocky, rigid mountain with little plant or animal life is not as good. Thus, such a mountain is less desirable. As previously mentioned, Chinese often refer to a mountain as a “Dragon”. A good mountain will resemble a “lively Dragon”, and not a dead, depressed, or lazy one.
Water
The quantity of water is also a matter of size, ranging from big to small –ocean, sea, lake, and big river, to a small stream. For good quality, a good water should be a tranquil and peaceful body of water, such as a lake, a calm river, or a protected inlet of the sea. In contrast, a raging river, a thundering waterfall, or violent oceans that embody an intensification of energy are less ideal.
The Feng Shui classics say, “Where rivers are shifting and raging, the people and land are generally poor, and where rivers are slow and become peaceful, the people and land become richer.”
Flat Land – Energy Spot
The quantity or size of flat land is proportional to the amount of Chi-Energy it can hold. This energy, in turn, corresponds with the ideal potential growth of settlements. The larger the flat Land, the larger the Energy Spot. The larger the Energy Spot the larger the city can be developed.
The quality of land is evaluated by the shape, flatness, and soil quality. If the land is very flat, the shape wholesome, and the soil fertile, the quality of the land is good. On the other hand, if the surface of land is uneven, the shape is fragmented, very narrow and linear, or the ground is rocky or soggy, then the Energy Spot is not desirable.
Hills – Guardian Hills
Small hills adjacent to and surrounding the Energy Spot not only define but also provide protection. This is why they are also called Guardian Hills. Again, the quantity and quality of these small hills also affect the quantity and quality of the Energy Spot.
Quantity and quality of the hills are assessed in the same way as mountains. However, hills also function as transformers of energy. They pull the Chi-Energy from the mountain down to usable levels for the Energy Spot. The relationship between different hills and their relationship with the Energy Spot affect the abundance of Chi-Energy.
The quantity and quality of these Four Features are used to assess the feng shui of a site.
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