The formation of Feng Shui can be traced back to ancient times. Human beings in primitive societies did not have a rational understanding of various natural laws, but in order to survive, they had to live in a place where the climate, water and soil were more suitable for survival and development. This was an adaptive choice. By the Yin and Zhou dynasties, written records of land-related activities had begun. For example, in the oracle bone inscriptions unearthed from the Yin Ruins, there are a large number of inscriptions on architecture, such as making towns, making cases, making ancestral temples, making palaces, and making ponds. etc.
The requirements of the ancestors for their residence were the terrain, which should be a certain slope and terrace, the terrain should be chosen next to the river bed, the soil should be dry, the foundation should be solid, the water source should be sufficient, the water quality should be pure, the transportation should be convenient, and there should be trees around. The environment should be elegant. These conditions can only be achieved through the phase and ground, and later generations of Feng Shui masters highly praised this method.
"Mozi Ci Guo" said: The ancient people, when they did not know the palace, lived in mausoleums and caves. The so-called Lingfu refers to the step area of the river. Many archaeological sites are found on soil slopes near the water's edge. Our ancestors lived in such areas where it was easy to get water and fish and would not be flooded. This is exactly the principle of living near water advocated by later generations of Feng Shui masters.
In the pre-Qin Dynasty, the Prime Minister’s House was on the one hand a residence for the living and on the other hand, a cemetery for the dead. "Shangshu Preface to the Zhaozhao" says: King Cheng was in Feng and wanted to live in Luoyi, so he asked Duke Zhao to live there first. This is Xiangyang House. "The Book of Filial Piety·Bereavement" records: Divination of his house's signs will lead to a peaceful home. This is Xiangyin House. The location is determined by divination here.
The sage kings of the pre-Qin Pan Geng, Gong Liu, Zhou Gong and others have all made contributions in the practice of Xiangdi. Zhou Dynasty period When King Wu of Zhou built Luoyi, he asked Duke Zhou to use a form of divination to explain many issues in Feng Shui. The half-brother of King Hui of Qin, Xinglizi, is highly respected in Feng Shui. Legend has it that he once predicted that there would be palaces of heavenly kings on both sides of his tomb, and it all came true.
The rise of various academics during the Warring States Period, coupled with the development of Zhouyi and the Yin-Yang and Five Elements academics, and the academic thoughts established based on looking up at astronomy and surveying geography, made people often compare the geographical positions and shapes with the sky The stars correspond to each other, and we have a preliminary understanding and research on the earth's magnetic field . and were invented during this period.
The emergence of the compass provides an accurate indicator for determining the direction. Judging from the oracle bone inscriptions and the "Book of Songs", the Shang and Zhou dynasties had already clearly divided topography and hydrology. The land is divided into mountains, Fu, Qiu, Yuan, Ling, and Gang; the riverbed areas are divided into Zhao, Chang, Zhu, Hu, and Dan; the water types include Chuan, spring, river, stream, marsh, swamp, river, Bo, Tuo, etc.
" Shangshu·Yugong" is China's first regional geography monograph. It uses natural mountains, rivers, and coasts as boundaries to divide the territory into nine major natural regions. This area, called Kyushu, also records more than 20 mountains between the three major river basins of the Yellow River, Huaihe River, and Yangtze River in accordance with the characteristics of China's topography, providing information for later generations of Feng Shui masters on the theory of dragon veins. in accordance with.
" Classic of Mountains and Seas" is China's first document that can be called an encyclopedia of ancient geography. It consists of three parts: " Classic of Mountains and Seas", "Book of Seas" and " Classic of Great Wilderness ". "Shan Jing", also known as "Wuzang Mountain Jing", describes 447 mountains in the directions of southeast, northwest and central. It is the earliest mountain geography monograph in China.
In the pre-Qin period, there were many books that became the basis for the Feng Shui theory of later generations. Chapters such as "Earth Members", "District", and "Place Numbers" in the book " Guanzi " are outstanding geoscience papers. "Geoman Pian" discusses the topography, topography, soil, and hydrology, and uses five soils with five tones, which later developed into the Feng Shui concept of five tones and five elements. "The Number of Lands" records the corresponding relationship between the surface layer and the inner layer of the land, pointing out: If there is ocher on the mountain, there is iron below; if there is lead on the top, there is silver below; if there is sand on the top, there is yellow below; The loving stone has copper and gold underneath it.The relationship between the surface and the interior of the land is what later generations of Feng Shui masters wanted to explore.
The book "Zhou Li" records the earth-appropriate methods closely related to Feng Shui. The "Situ" chapter says that the names and objects of the ten and two kinds of soil are distinguished by the method of soil appropriateness, the benefits and disadvantages of the people are known by looking at the houses, and the people of Fu are used, the birds and beasts are used, and the grass and trees are used to manage the soil affairs. This means that various types of land are suitable for various types of people. The laws of birds, animals, and vegetation identify the names of things in the 12 land areas in order to choose where people live. Knowing that seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages makes people prosperous, makes birds and animals multiply, and plants and trees grow.
Tu Yi was a common term and method in the pre-Qin Dynasty. Later generations of Feng Shui masters highly praised the Tu Yi method and promoted the concept of correspondence between heaven and earth. They attached the sky and the ground areas and divided them into 12 areas as the basis for judging good and bad luck. It can be seen that the pre-Qin knowledge of phase and land provided the prerequisite for the emergence of Feng Shui.
Source: Documentary "Chinese Feng Shui Culture"
