Does religion have a role in Feng Shui?
This is a frequently asked question.
The answer is: No. Feng shui is not a religion nor has it ever followed any religious tradition or practice.
However, most religious groups do apply feng shui principles in building their temples and monasteries. Most Taoist and Buddhist temples in China are built on a site that nourishes spiritual energy.
Last November, I was invited by the headmaster of Yunjui Shan (雲居山Cloud Residing Mountain) ,in Jinagxi, China, to locate a proper site to build a new meditation and training center for the monastery. This Ch’an (zen) monastery, was established during the Tang dynasty and has over 1200 years of history. The headmaster was very much into feng shui and I found him also sensitive to the energy of the land. Since my suggestion was very much in accord with what he had in mind, he was very happy with my visit.
This past March, he once again asked me to help with the proper positioning of the gate for a new temple. High up in the mountain, in the rain and cold, the master walked so briskly through the woods and muddy ground, that I had to pay attention to keep up. Overall, it was a most interesting and rewarding experience.
From all the Buddhist and Taoist temples I have visited, I hardly find a temple without good feng shui. Although in general, the energy at such sites is more supportive of spiritual cultivation and may not necessarily support business or commerce.
Good feng shui for business requires a more mundane energy, which in general means sites are on low ground, such as cities close to bodies of water. Temples, on the other hand, are for spiritual cultivation, thus are mostly located on mountains or higher ground in a city.
Balance with the intended purpose is one of the key considerations of feng shui design.
