Can We Change Our Karma?

I always maintained that Karma is the most important factor in the 一命，二运，三风水，四积功德，五读书 formula. Then you may ask, so how can Feng Shui help? 

I believe that good Feng Shui will come naturally to those who have accumulated good Karma. For those who had accumulated bad Karma previously, but have been accumulating good Karma ever since, they will meet with some one who can bring good Feng Shui to them. 

The article below has enlightened me, and I hope it will enlighten you too. 

Ken

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The teachings of the Buddha are fast gaining popularity all over the world, mainly because the Buddha has shown that the only way to gain peace and happiness is through controlling the mind. Unfortunately, since very few people know how to control the mind, they go to unscrupulous meditation “masters” and other purveyors of the religions of “the mysterious East”, and spend much money and effort to learn meditation techniques. In this article Mr. Alec Robertson shows that Buddhist meditation can be practiced on a simple level, that mind control is something which can be done even by the uninitiated. The Buddha’s Dhamma can be understood by people with varying intellectual and spiritual attainments, beginning with the elementary precepts and developing to the highest levels of mental purification culminating in Arahantaship. Mr. Robertson, a well-known Sri Lankan writer on Buddhism, explains that according to the Buddha, the individual can change the Karmic effect of his destiny by developing his mind through meditation.

-Ed.-

The subject of Karma is of utmost importance to Buddhists. We Buddhists do not believe that Karma is fatalistic or deterministic. We have the power and the free choice of either changing our lives for good or bad. We should have an idea of what Karma is and then we will be in a position to understand how we can transform and elevate our lives. Now according to Buddhism, Karma is not something static. Even at this moment, when you are reading this article you are doing some Karma. Karma is mostly mental and when we read something that improves our minds we change our lives for the better. Now, as you go on reading this article you will find that your character and personality have become better. Just before you start reading this article your minds might have been restless, in a state of agitation or turmoil. But after you started reading this article, your minds settled down and gradually, (depending on the individual concerned) became more calm, composed, serene and tranquil.

Now, this is due to the fact that your are reading the Dhamma and reading and listening to the Dhamma is also a type of meditation. Unlike Dana, (Generosity) or observing the five Precepts, Karma is only for the time being, it is more transient than meditation because meditation lasts for a longer period of time. When you focus your mind on a subject or on the Dhamma your mind constantly thinks of noble and sublime thoughts – it is a type of meditation. Karma is not fatalistic. During the Buddha’s time, there were people who were under the impression that everything is due to one’s Karma… There were in fact three heretical views in the Buddha’s time with regard to man and his destiny. One was that everything we do is due to one’s past Karma and that we have no capacity or inclination to change, mould or shape one’s life or personality, or in other words, bring about a total transformation. That was one wrong view and the Buddha refuted that wrong view. The second wrong view was that everything was due to a powerful omniscient God; that he was responsible for man’s destiny, that whatever we do is governed and directly by that all-powerful, Omniscient being and we don’t have the free will or the choice to change our future. And the third wrong view arises due to mere fortuitous circumstances, that there is no Karma or moral law that governs one’s life.

The Buddha refutes these three views by saying that if everything is due to a past, to an omniscient Being or due to pure chance, then if a person is a liar, he will continue to be a liar. If he is a person who has a tendency to do wrong things, he will continue in that way. He won’t have the free-will to change his future. In place of the three views regarding man and his destiny, the Buddha presented the “Law of Moral Causation”. We always think of Karma with regard to the past. If a person meets with an accident we tend to say, “that is his Karma”.

It is not correct to say everything is due to one’s Karma. Karma Vipaka is the result of some past Evil. Karma is what we do at the present moment. I say that it is Karma when any action, whether moral or immoral is done physically, verbally or mentally. Now at this present moment by reading this article, you are performing a very powerful Karma. Kusala – skilful action, or meritorious deed and any meritorious action that you are doing now has the capacity to shape and modify your Karma which could weaken or attenuate some of your evil actions and thereby annihilate to some extent the effect of your evil actions and also consolidate and reinforce your good actions. This fact should be clearly understood. I will give you an illustration to clarify the point. Take two buckets of water. In one bucket of water, there is muddy water and in the other clear water.

Now the muddy water could be compared to Akusala karma or to unskillful actions or demeritorious actions. Kusala Karma could be compared to the pure water. If we take some water from the bucket containing pure water and pour it into the bucket containing impure or muddy water, and if you go on pouring it continuously there will come a time when the muddy water will become less impure. This is a crude example but all examples have their limitations. It is for the purpose of driving home a point that the force of our bad Karma (Akusala Karma) can be reduced in intensity. We have that capacity and it is purely through meditation. No doubt also through Dana and Sila we can do it to some degree because the Buddha’s training path to deliverance consists of virtue, concentration and wisdom. To refrain from all evil is the restraint of one’s verbal and bodily actions or virtue, which in other words is Sila. The performance of all meritorious deeds involves the focusing of your mind on a wholesome subject of meditation. Now at this present moment while reading this article you are focusing your mind on the Dhamma. It is just like focusing the rays of the sun on a convex lens. If you have a piece of paper on the other side, what would happen? It will get burnt. But if you normally hold a piece of paper in the sunlight in broad daylight, the paper will not burn. Our mind, when concentrated, is just like focusing the rays of the sun on a convex lens. This is beautiful illustration. The whole idea of samatha meditation is succinctly explained by this analogy on tranquility or composure of the mind. Our minds normally are just like the monkey which keeps swinging from one tree to another in the forest.

But when you focus your mind on any particular object it becomes very powerful. So the above illustration conveys the concept of concentration very well in a striking and forceful manner. So at this moment you are focusing your mind on something higher than verbal and physical discipline. It is mental discipline or discipline of the Mind.

Buddhist training is not merely concerned with virtue only; it is higher training which is the training of the mind. Tranquility of the mind or purification of the mind is in fact brought about through wisdom and wisdom in turn purifies the mind and this is the teaching of all Buddhas. This is the sum and substance of Buddhist ethics. The path which leads us to the eradication of the defilements of the mind also enables us to realize the apex of perfection – that of wisdom and love. It is by eradicating all the defilements of the mind by developing virtue, concentration and wisdom that one reaches the glorious heights of enlightenment. When you speak of the personality of the Arahat, it means that he is the embodiment and personification of virtue. He is completely virtuous. There is not a stain or blemish in his character. He is also the embodiment of composure and tranquility and serenity of the mind and last of all, he is the embodiment of insight or wisdom. So we that the Arahat is not just a negative, ineffective personality. ON the other hand, he is a dynamic personality and is a person who has attained the pinnacle of perfection, virtue, wisdom and tranquility. Thus meditation forms two-thirds of the Buddha sasana and it’s only through meditation that one is able to transform, shape and mould one’s character and bring about a total transformation of one’s personality and when one brings about a total transformation of one’s personality, one reaches Arahatship. The arahat is a perfected man, perfected in wisdom and in holiness. Unlike in the case of other religious teachers, who speak of holy and saintly people whose saintliness is mostly confined to only purity, here according to Buddhism, a person is a saint or an arahat when he has reaches not only perfection in purity but also perfection in wisdom. He is a wise and holy man… The Buddha says that one of the salient experience and understand the deathless through wisdom and through wisdom one is able to eradicate all defilements of the mind.

Now let us see how this meditation can change one’s Karma. Meditation is not only focusing one’s mind on a subject of meditation. That is only the ABC of meditation. The etymological meaning of Buddhist Meditation is the cultivation of one’s mind e.g in horticulture we remove the weeds and plant seeds. In the garden of the human mind there are weeds and poisonous snakes. The ugly breaded monster of terrorism originates in the mind. Anger, hatred, resentment, animosity, jealousy, pride, vanity, delusion, restlessness, worry and greed germinate in our minds and gather strength and power and eventually give expression through our bodily and verbal actions which inevitably have devastating and malefic effects on society as well. Defilements are in our minds. It is a constant struggle and a persistent battle with the formidable enemies. To wage battle with these inveterate foes we must have powerful weapons. The three weapons we possess are dana, sila, and bhavana. In the Anguttara Nikaya, the Buddha says that we are indeed spiritual warriors. With these three weapons we are warriors and our war with the defilements is a constant and relentless battle which goes on till we attain arahatship. The three powerful enemies we have to conquer are greed, hatred and ignorance. The weapons we possess as stated earlier are Dana, Sila, Bhavana and they are indeed powerful weapons. With the powerful weapons of Dana, we eliminate greed. With Sila, we get rid of hatred. With the powerful weapon of vipassana meditation we eliminate ignorance and emerge victorious and triumphant. The war we wage with the terrorists is nothing compared with the war we have to wage with these defilements. The Buddha fought it for an incalculable period of time. When you listen to the Dhamma, your personality changes. Your mind becomes serene, composed and tranquil. Buddhism is pragmatic; it is also empirical. You can test it in your own mind, just like a scientist tests something in a crucible. The question is often posed as to how it is possible to change your character by meditation. Many harbour the misconception that Karma is something fixed and inflexible. Even in science we are told that everything keeps changing with inconceivable rapidity. But the external world and its phenomena would appear to the ordinary mind to be something solid and substantial. Our minds are also changing with tremendous rapidity e.g. when you take a flash of lightning, you see it as a streak, not as individual sparks, though it is in fact made up like that. When it s raining heavily, we see it as one streak of water but it consists of millions of drops of water. In like manner, human personality is also made up of Rupa, vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, Vinnana – Feeling, Perception, Mental formation and consciousness. These mental factors are changing with inconceivable rapidity. According to William James, the eminent psychologist, the mind is compared to a river, a river of consciousness, a stream of consciousness and it moves rapidly. Then you are listening to Dhamma your minds are dominated by predominant streams of thoughts of wisdom and love. Therefore you see that meditation is the development and cultivation of the mind. Karma is also part and parcel of your character. It is not something fixed. You can change it. e.g.:

• Angulimala was a notorious criminal. He had a formidable past of both good and bad Karma. He had killed 999 beings. Such a being became an Arahat. That shows that he was able to change his personality to bring about a transformation of life.
• Alawaka was a carnivorous being. He attained the First Stage of Sainthood.
• Dhammasoka was known as Chandasoka (cruel Asoka) and he become a Saintly Emperor. H. G. Wells says – “Amidst the thousands of Monarchs, His Majesties and Highnesses that crowd the columns of History the name of Asoka Shines like a lonely star. It is the Dhamma which transformed him.”
• King Devanampiyatissa listened to the sermon preached by Arahant Mahinda and that powerful sermon had a chastening and benign influence on his personality and converted him to Buddhism.

With all these examples it is quite clear and evident that you can change your Karma. Buddhism is ethical, pragmatic, empirical and psychological. Karma works in different ways. There are four types of Karma which determine our lives and destinies.

Garuka Karma – Weighty Karma. The bad akusala karmas are the five heinous crimes which are: killing of father, mother, shedding blood form the Buddha’s personality, killing of an Arahat and creating schism in the Sangha. These cannot be altered. On the good sides are the Jhana or Mental states that you attain through meditation. When you go on meditating there comes a stage where the mind is very powerful, concentrated and relaxed. The defilements get burnt just like the convex lens burns the pieces of paper when focused to sunlight. With the concentrated mind you get certain supernormal powers and you attain various stages of the Brahmaloka. For example, when you hurl a weapon into space, it will be there so long as the energy you exerted into it is there. After the energy is exhausted, it will come down to earth. These powerful karmas are beyond our reach. The karmas that we can perform are called a acinne karmas or bahula karma or habitual karmas. Habitual means the repetitive actions you do over and over again, whether it is the good side or on the bad side. These habitual karmas that we do echo and re-echo in the corridors of our minds. When you see a charming personality, you tend to think of it over and over again. In the same way when you go on thinking of something you could achieve tranquility by counting your blessings or the ten contemplative reflections centered on the recollections of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, on Sila, (virtues) or the qualities of Nirvana, or death, or of the impurities of the body. The first five are important for laymen. Their meditation consolidates and re-inforces one’s good karma. There was a French psychologist and psycho-therapist who used to cure people of various ailments by making them use a phrase – “Every day in every way, I am getting better and better.” The Buddhist doctrine fails if one cannot change one’s personality and become an Arahat. This celebrated psychologist was able to cure people even sufferieng from organic diseases. When you go on thinking of the qualities of the Buddha and you keep repeating them, you prevent extraneous thoughts from invading your mind and your personality will acquire incomparable and peerless qualities. The Buddha never flamed forth in anger because he had completely eradicated all the defilements of the mind and there was no stain in his personality. When you mediate in this manner or the sublime and noble qualities in your personality and weave them into the fabric of your lives, the mind becomes supreme. Just like we re-live the golden memories, you re-live the spiritual memories. When you are in the doldrums and are despondent we must re-live these golden memories. A certain author once said: a man is never lonely when he has good thoughts.

When you re-live the good deeds that you have done towards others that is a kind of meditation. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in his authobiography said that he had a picture of a Samadhi Buddha which was his constant companion as it gave him solace and inspiration while he was languishing in prison. He was able to get over his state of anxiety and depression by merely concentrating on the strong, calm picture of the Buddha statue. We run to the mediums or the astrologer or have a drink or attend a party in moments of dire distress and despondency because we don’t have the strength of mind, moral stamina and spiritual fortitude to withstand frustrations. We have to cultivate such strength gradually step by step. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. You have to acquire it by sheer practice. A certain person wanted to become a good pianist. So he went up to a well-known and accomplished pianist and asked him what he should do. The celebrated pianist said he would give three practical suggestions. The first suggestion was to practice and this person practiced for about a month and went to him again and asked what he was to do next. His reply was to practice again. He went again for the third time and he was given the same reply. We know the theory but practice and realization will also have to be there. The Buddha said “so long as my disciples practice the dhamma and vinaya, the world will not be devoid of Arahats.” The poet Longfellow aptly says:

“The heights of great men were not attained by sudden flights. They, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

In any walk of life, if you want to do well, it is only through diligent perservance that one can achieve greatness.

The two pillars of Buddhism are Karuna and Panna. When we mediate on the Buddha, we try to instill those great noble qualities into our personality. It becomes part and parcel of our lives, as they are woven into the texture of our lives. We make our own hells and we make our own heavens as well. When you think of the qualities of the Sangha we picture the sublime qualities of the heart and mind of those great and mighty beings. The great qualities of love and detachment become part and parcel of you as well when you constantly mediate or reflect on them. Meditation is something more than just concentrate of the mind. We change our mind and personality by contemplating on loving-kindness, compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity. There are called Brahma Vihare or Divine Abidings. When we contemplate on them, they become part of our lives. This is the purpose of meditation. When you practice Metta or loving kindness, you get rid of anger or ill-will. When you practice Karuna or compassion, you get rid of hatred. In today’s society, people place little value on human life. Muditha is rejoicing in the joys of others. We find it difficult to spontaneously rejoice in the happiness of others because we are jealous of others. Lastly there is Upekkha, equanimity, which the opposite of restlessness and anxiety. When you think of loving kindness over and over again you become the embodiment of love.

When you practice compassion consistently, you become that quality. In like manner, when you rejoice in the joy of others, the mind tends towards joy and happiness. Oscar Wilde, a shrewd observer of man’s nature, says “it is easy to sympathize with the sorrows of another but it requires a very fine nature to rejoice in the joys of others.” Bertrand Russell says that jealousy is predominant among equals. Meditation must necessarily bring about a change in your personality, equanimity or Upekkha is the opposite of restlessness it brings about balance or peace of mind. These qualities are of vital importance for contemporary society.

There are indeed powerful qualities which could contribute to harmony, amity, concord and stability and peace among the various communities, races and religious groups.

In a world raging with the fires of greed, hate, resentment, the sublime qualities of love, compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity will undoubtedly have a chastening, mellowing and sobering influence and impact on the hearts and minds of mankind. Indeed there will be a Heaven on Earth rather than a veritable Hell on Earth as we witness today. As such it is quite clear and evident that not only the lives of individuals could be transformed but society itself could be converted into a paradise. This clearly and unequivocally demonstrates the fact that Karma is not predestination or fatalistic but is a dynamic and active force which is guided and motivated by the thoughts, words and deeds of men.

The social and economic structure of society today accurately reflects man’s muddled illogical and selfish nature. It will be changed only when the ignoble nature is completely transformed by the above sublime qualities.

All improvement must come from within, for mind creates all phenomena out of the raw material of the Universe. The world stuff is neither good nor bad, it is man’s thinking which makes heaven or hell out of it.

The Buddha with his penetrating insight says –“In this body equipped with sense organs and faculties, O monks I declare to you is the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world and the path leading to the cessation thereof.”
Philosophically speaking, these words are the most profound, most comprehensive and most illuminating ever uttered. We create the world literally. The world in turn conditions us, but it does not create us. This is the great difference, since we, each of us individually, are the creators of our world. Even the conditioning it imposes is ultimately traceable to ourselves. Indeed in the world there is nothing great but Man, and in man there is nothing great but mind.

by Alex Robertson, Sri Lanka.

(Extract from “Voice of Buddhism” Magazine, Vol. 25 no. 1 December 1987, ISSN 0042-2094, Printed by P.K.S. Sdn. Bhd., Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.)

Feng Shui and the Universe

I've read in great admiration Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda's article on the relationship between Buddhism and Astrology. This aligns well with my theories on the relationships between the Universe, its celestial bodies and its cosmic energy, our observed system of Feng Shui, and their influence on us. Hence, I've decided to pen down my thoughts on the subject. 

Many Feng Shui enthusiasts are skilled in understanding and executing the Feng Shui theories passed down from our ancestors. Upon deeper examinations, however, the theories are really procedures in themselves. The more skilled the practitioner, the better he is in execution of these procedures. This is the "how" part of things. But who really has the answers to the "what" and the "why". Not many in the modern age. That is why we still have very limited understanding on the subject. 

I'm not convinced when ignorant people tries to brush off Feng Shui as mere superstitions. Science is a result of experimentation and observation. So is Feng Shui and the study of the influence of the celestial bodies in the Universe. In fact, the latter has been studied for so much longer. So why has Feng Shui not received the credibility that it deserves - its because we have not succeeded in explaining our observations like Science had. 

My humble and personal definition of Feng Shui is the study of the relationships between the universal celestial bodies and our environment on the various aspects of our lives at different points in time. How and when we get there (in terms of time and space) is then a function of unknown forces that we have been trying to decode through our respective beliefs. 

Simply put, as an extension to the theories brought forward by Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda's article on the relationship between the celestial bodies and man, I'm introducing the third factor here, which is our environment, and prompting thoughts from our readers with two questions:

1. Do we receive the same type and intensity of cosmic energy everywhere?

2. Do we receive the same type and intensity of cosmic energy everytime?

Its likely that in the mind of the wise readers like yourself, the answer is no to both of the questions. 

Earth is a tiny and invisible speck in the grand universe. It is influenced by the external celestial bodies surrounding it through the cosmic energies that each of them bring. The cosmic energies is what we collectively interpret as Qi. Some call it ions, some call it energy. I shall call it Qi, for the simple reason that I don't know for sure what this is. 

In Earth where we dwell, we each live on and operate within different space. Feng Shui theories state that we are affected by our environments, e.g. where we spend the most time, the position of our beds, doors, windows, stove and so on. Thus affecting the cosmic energy that we receive. 

Remember Guo Pu's definition that lead to the term Feng Shui? Qi is brought by Feng and stopped by Shui (boundary of water). 

External landforms are important, as they influence how much of the cosmic energy from the various directions we receive. Now go think why does good soil for a burial ground matter. Or the landforms that determine the back, front, sides, and water points. 

From the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we are also aware that Qi flows in our bodies too. Ancient Chinese have derived the various meridians and points, invisible to the human eyes, but proven effective beyond doubt to have great influence over the body. 

This Qi changes, depending on our interaction with the external environment, either through food and water intake or even the air that we breathe. The inner Qi interacts with the external Qi, resulting in different physiological and psychological outcomes. Some would argue that it influences our every thoughts and actions, that translates into our destinies.

Feng Shui ancestors have decoded, through observations and thoughts, on the:

1. Effects of being in the right place and direction relative to your dwellings

2. Effects of initiating certain actions at a particular time

3. Effects of having natural landforms in your surroundings

This combines the theories of location, direction, time, and external landforms of Feng Shui, with the destiny of man as determined by influences of celestial bodies, and the celestial bodies themselves. 

As long as we are not able to understand the celestial bodies and the true nature of their cosmic energy, we will never truly understand the concept of Feng Shui. But it does convince me, and hopefully you at some point in time, that Feng Shui does exist and affects us in ways that we can imagine (to a certain extent). 

Now try to think about the Feng Shui ornaments that you might have bought - are they making less sense to you now?

Dhamma Article - Buddhism and Astrology

This article is courtesy of Ven. Kanugolle Rathanasara Thero of the Sri Lankaramaya temple of Singapore. Visit www.dhammanusari.org for more info. Posting this as I wholeheartedly agree with the perspective, and this goes beyond any religious boundaries. 

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Ever since man began to observe the world and its surroundings, he has suspected that there is a link between himself and the stars. He has felt that their movements influence his life and as a result thinkers from every culture have tried to explain this relationship and find some meaning in it. Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda explores the Buddhist point of view regarding this fascination of man with the Universe. Buddhism rejects the cold scientific attitude of materialism towards phenomena. It also warns the ignorant against total enslavement to the workings of external powers. It advocates an intelligent attitude towards our relationship between ourselves and the stars.

Ed.

From the very beginning of time man has been fascinated by the stars and he has always tried to find some links between them and his own destiny. His observation of the stars and their movements gave rise to two very important areas of study, namely Astronomy and Astrology. Astronomy can be considered a pure science which is concerned with the measurement of distances, the evolution and destruction of stars, their movements and so on. Of course all these calculations are always made in relation to planet earth and how these interplanetary movements affect mankind on a physical level. Modern astronomy seeks to find answers to the still unanswered questions regarding the origin of man and the final, possible end of his existence as a member of the human race. It is a fascinating area of study and our new knowledge of the universe and the galaxies has put much pressure on many religions to evaluate their age-old postulations regarding a creator and the creation of life.

Buddhism does not face any such dilemma, simply because the Buddha did not encourage his followers to speculate on things which were beyond their comprehension. However he has made many allusions which in the light of our new knowledge gained through science, shows us that the Buddha was very much aware of the true nature of the Universe, that it was never created in one glorious moment, that the earth is merely a tiny, even relatively unimportant speck in all of space, that there is constant creation and destruction and that everything is in constant motion.

Astrology, however is a completely different area of study altogether. Ever since early man began to think, he was deeply concerned about his relationship with the universe. When man developed from hunting to agriculture, he began to notice a link between the movement of the sun through the year and his own activities of planting, harvesting, and similar projects. As he became more sophisticated he was able to predict the movement of the sun and he invented time, dividing it into years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds.

He associated this knowledge with his existence whereby he felt that there was a relationship between his own life cycle and the movement of the planets. This gave rise to the Zodiac - the apparent path of the sun. I contain twelve constellations. A study of these movements in relation to a human beings’ personal life is called a horoscope.

The study of astrology involves a great understanding of human nature, an ability to assess planetary movement precisely, together with an insight into the seemingly unexplainable phenomena in the universe. There have been many brilliant astrologers in the past and some exist even today. Unfortunately there are an even larger number of charlatans who give astrology a bad name. They hood-wink people by predicting seemingly true events about their future. They make large sums of money by exploiting the ignorance and fear of the gullible. As a result scientists scoffed at astrology and did not depend on it. However, their hostile attitude is not really justifiable. The main purpose of reading a horoscope should be to give one an insight into one’s own character, in the same way that an x-ray photograph can show the physical make-up of a man.

Statistics have shown that the influence of the sun in the signs of the Zodiac accounts for the birth of unusual people during certain months. Certain crimes have been found to correspond with Zodiac signs in which the sun is moving during certain months of the year.

Thus an understanding of this relationship will help a man to plot his life more meaningfully in harmony with his innate tendencies, so that there is less friction as he goes through life.

A new born baby is like a seed. It contains within itself all the ingredients which will make him a similar, yet completely different individual from all his fellow human beings. How his potential is developed depends, like the seed, on the kind of training he receives. The nature of a man is born within him, but his own freewill determines whether he will make really good use of his talents and abilities. Whether he will overcome his potential for vice or weakness depends on how he is trained in this youth. If recognize our nature – our tendency towards laziness, irritability, worries, frustrations, wickedness, cunningness, jealousy – we can take positive steps to overcome them. The first step in solving problems is to recognize them for what they are.

Astrological interpretations indicate our inclinations and tendencies. Once pointed out we must take the necessary steps to chart our lives in a manner that will make us useful citizens of the world. Even a person with criminal tendencies can become a saint, if he recognize his nature and take steps to lead a good life.

A horoscope is a map drawn to show the karmic force a man carries, calculated form the time of his birth. The force determines the time of birth and knowing this time, a skilful astrologer can accurately chart a man’s destiny within a given life-span.

Everybody knows that the earth takes approximately one year to move around the sun. This movement, viewed from the earth, places the sun in various zodiacal areas during the year. A person is born (not accidentally but as a result of karmic influence) when the sun is in transit in one of the twelve Zodiacal signs.

Through the horoscope, the map of your life, you can determine certain times in your life when you have to slow down, certain times when you can push yourself to great levels of creativity, and certain period when you have to watch your health and related activities.

The question most people ask is whether Buddhism accepts or rejects astrology. Strictly speaking, the Buddha did not make any direct pronouncement on this subject because in many other cases, he stated that discussion on matters such as these do not pertain to spiritual developments. Buddhism, unlike some other religions, does not condemn astrology and people are free to use the knowledge they can get form it to make their lives more meaningful. However, if we study the Buddha’s teaching carefully we will come to accept that a proper and intelligent understanding of astrology can be a useful tool. Modern science is in accordance with the teaching of Buddhism. This means that there is a direct link between the life of an individual human being and the vast workings of the cosmos. We know for example that there is a close link between the movement of the moon and our own behaviour. This is seen especially among mentally disturbed and abnormally violet people. It is also true that certain sicknesses like asthma and bronchitis are aggravated when the moon waxes. There is therefore no reason for us not to believe that other planets can also influence our lives.

Buddhists accept that there is an immense cosmic energy which pulsates through every living thing, including planets. This energy interacts with the karmic energy which an individual generates and determines the course that a life will take. The birth of an individual is not the first creation of a life but the continuation of one that always existed and will continue to exist so long as the karmic energy is not quelled through final liberation in the unconditioned state. Now, for a life to manifest itself in a new existence, certain factors, namely seasons, germinal order and nature must be fulfilled. Theses are supported by mental energy and karmic energy and all these elements are in constant interaction and interdependent with each other resulting in constant changes to a human being’s life.

According to astrologers the time at which a person is born is predetermined by the cosmic energy and the karmic energy. Hence, it can be concluded that life is not merely accidental; it is the result of the interaction between an individual’s karma and the universal energy force. The course of a human life is predetermined, caused partly by a being’s own action in the past and the energies that activated the cosmos. Once started, a life is controlled by the interaction between these two forces even to the moment at which a birth takes place. A skilful astrologer then, as one who understands cosmic as well as karmic influence, can chart the course of one’s life, based on the moment of the person’s birth.

While we are in one sense at the mercy of these forces, the Buddha has pointed out a way through which we can escape its influence. All karmic energies are stored in the subconscious mind-normally described as mental purities and impurities. Since karmic forces influence one’s destiny, a person can develop his mind and negate certain evil influences caused by previous bad kamma. A person can also ‘purify’ his mind and rid himself of all karmic energies and thus prevent rebirth. When there is no rebirth, there is no potential life and there will consequently be no’future’ existence which can be predicted and charted. At such a stage of spiritual and mental development, one will have transcended the need to know about his life because most imperfections and unsatisfactoriness would have been removed. A highly developed human being will have no need of a horoscope.

Since the beginning of 20th century, psychologists and psychiatrists have come to recognize that there is much more to the human mind than the hard core materialists have been ready to accept. There is more to the world than can be seen and touched. The famous Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, used to cast the horoscopes of his patients. On one occasion when he made an astrological analysis of about 500 marriages, he discovered that the findings of Ptolemy, on which modern western astrology is based, were still valid, that favourable aspects between the sun and the moon of the different partners did produce happy marriages.

The well-known French psychologist, Michel Gauguelin, who originally held a negative view of astrology, made a survey of about 20,000 horoscopical analyses and found to his surprise that the characteristics of the persons studied coincided with characterization produced by modern psychological methods.

The planting of certain flowers, trees, vegetables and fruits at different times of a year will produce differences in strength or appearance of the plants. So there is no reason to doubt that people born in certain times of the year will have different characteristics from people born at other times. By knowing his weaknesses, failures and short-comings, a man can do his best to overcome them and make himself a better and more useful person to the society. It will also help himself a great deal to get rid of unhappiness and disappointments. Going away from the country where a person is born, can help one avoid the influences of the stars.

Shakespeare says: “The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings”. A well known astrologer had said: “The stars impel; they do not compel”. St. Thomas Aquinas says: “The planets influence the more elemental part of man than passions”, but through his intellect man can arrange his life in harmony with the planets, and also cultivate his inherent talents and manipulate them for his betterment.

But astrology cannot automatically solve all your problems. You must do that yourself. Just like a doctor who can discover the nature of disease, an astrologer can only show certain aspects of your life and character. After that it is left to you to adjust your way of life. Of course, the task will be made easier, knowing what it is you are up against. Some people are too dependent on astrology. They run to the astrologer every time something happens or even if they have a dream. Remember, even today astrology intelligently, just as you would use any tool which would make your life more comfortable and more enjoyable. Above all beware of fake astrologers who are out to cheat you by telling you not the truth, but what you want to hear.

Do not expect good luck to come to you or be handed to you easily without any effort on your part. If you want to reap the harvest, you must sow the seed and it must be the right seed. Remember, “Opportunity knocks at the door, but never break the lock to gain entrance”.

BY VEN. DR. K. Sri Dhammananda

(Extract from “Voice of Buddhism” Magazine, Vol. 24 no. 2 December 1986, ISSN 0042-2094, Published by Buddhist Missionary Society, 123 Jalan Berhala, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.)

The 12 Chinese Hours and Traditional Chinese Medicine

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the 12 Earthly Branches. This is commonly used to represent the "Chinese hour" or 時辰。So what has this got to do with our body in relation to Traditional Chinese Medicine?

There are recommended time periods for our activities, in accordance to TCM theories. This corresponds to the Chinese hours represented by the Earthly Branches. Qi is present, not just in our environment, but also within us. The Yin-Yang theory applies here too. Qi has its peaks and its troughs for each of the 12 organ meridians.

The big picture here is to have a way of life that is in sync with the universe and nature - performing the right activities at the right time ensure that the Qi flows properly and hence leads to optimal outcomes. Sounds familiar? :)

子 Zi  (11pm to 1am) - Gall Bladder 膽 － Best time for deep sleep

丑 Chou (1am to 3am) - Liver 肝 － Best time for deep sleep

寅 Yin (3am to 5am) - Lung 肺 － Best time for deep sleep

卯 Mao (5am to 7am) - Colon 大腸 －  Best time to wake up, exercise, moving bowels

辰 Chen (7am to 9am) - Stomach 胃 － Best time to have a sumptuous breakfast

巳 Si (9am to 11am) - Spleen 脾 － Best to have had breakfast earlier; avoid cold drinks

午 Wu (11am to 1pm) - Heart 心 － Best time for lunch and interaction; folks with heart diseases beware

未 Wei (1pm to 3pm) - Small Intestine 小腸 － Best to have had lunch; good for problem solving

申 Shen (3pm to 5pm) - Bladder 膀胱－ Best to drink tea and lots of water; good for efficient work

酉 You (5pm to 7pm) - Kidney 腎 － Best time for (light) dinner and avoid sex after dinner

戌 Xu (7pm to 9pm) - Pericardium 心包 － Best to soak feet in warm water; some reading; sexual activity

亥 Hai (9pm to 11pm) - Triple Heater 三焦 － Best time to start going to bed

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese Metaphysics never fail to amaze me. When we talk about Chinese Metaphysics, we are mostly talking about the Five Arts. What are these Five Arts? They are :山 醫 命 卜 相

Loosely translated, they mean: Mountain, Healing, Destiny, Prediction, Appearance. These literal translations don't help much. Perhaps you can relate to the following examples (not exhaustive):

Mountain - Kung Fu
Medicine - Traditional Chinese Medicine
Destiny - Ba Zi,
Prediction - QMDJ
Appearance - Feng Shui

While I continue my pursuit of knowledge in Mountain, Destiny, Prediction and Appearance, I have lately come to realize my interests in Traditional Chinese Medicine. All of these take significant amount of time to master, and I'm definitely risking over-diversifying and not paying enough attention to each of the arts. But then again, all these are interrelated and are based on the same fundamental ancient knowledge, and should find synergy in learning, right? I don't know for now.

There are many who are skeptical of TCM. And yet none of the doctors that I have spoken to have rejected TCM; their full acknowledgement of its effectiveness is only hampered by the absence of empirical evidence as in Western medicine.

Yin-Yang theory. Five Elements. Sound familiar. TCM takes these to a new level, from a different perspective, but the fundamental core knowledge remains the same. Think you'll be able to relate to them? I sure hope so for myself, as I start this long journey of getting to know this ancient knowledge.

I have started to visit a TCM practitioner regularly. She completely enjoys her work. Charges differs according to the patient's earning power. Same philosophy as me. She helps out on a charitable basis one day out of six in her work week, and this makes her really happy. She told me that learning TCM is something that is beneficial to oneself and others. I couldn't agree with her more.

Inspired by her, I will try to write on the topic as I find out more about TCM. Definitely not a qualified Chinese physician yet, so I'll not write on remedies and deductions. Will share more about the fundamental knowledge along the way.


Have a great weekend!

Reflections

It gives me great pleasure to see that I have close to 10,000 views on my humble blog.

Some viewers have asked - "Why do you not contribute on a regular basis? We have been looking forward to your posts, but sometimes you go missing for 2-3 months before the next post."To all those who are following my posts, my deepest appreciation to you for first of all trusting in what I write, and finding them useful in your pursuit towards wellness and harmony.

To be completely frank, I don't wish to write for the sake of writing, as some do. I'm blessed with a good full-time job, though I'm pursuing my interests in Chinese Metaphysics as a hobby, but with a profession-level of standard and approach, minus the necessity to make a living out of it. Some extra bucks in my pocket is definitely nice, but as my existing clients and friend can tell you, the remuneration (which is definitely much lower than market for the level of services and expertise) is never ever my key concern.

I started out the blog with introducing some of the most basic fundamental concepts of Chinese metaphysics, and had since received great feedback for their originality and clarity. Subsequently I've also helped to promote (for free) some of the courses offered by my teacher GM Francis Leyau, for they have helped to benefit me tremendously and I hope that they will help my viewers too. In them, I have tried to embed some 'secrets' for the advance practitioners while ensuring that new learners gets to benefit from the simplicity and clarity. Most recently, I've started to provide some useful information on the blog for my viewers.

Crossing 10,000 views is a great milestone to me and my humble blog. Thank you for all of your support and interests. Some might laugh at me for posting such a message for just 10,000 views (some popular sites get that in just a day). But then again, it far exceeded what I had thought was possible with the limited contents that I had. So once again, thank you!

Please feel free to email me to provide me with ideas on the next topic you would like to see on the blog. In a busy and hectic lifestyle like mine, inspirations come knocking rarely, so your suggestions will be really helpful. Can't promise I can write about everything that you suggested - it could be that I'm not familiar or not able to write them due to the sensitivity of the topics, but will definitely try to satisfy your requests as much as I can.


With best regards,
Ken

Zi Wei Dou Shu - My Learning Insights

Many whom have had the chance to learn Zi Wei Dou Shu astrology commented that it is far easier to pick up than Ba Zi, and definitely easier to conduct analysis. Twelve palaces showing the different aspects of life, one can easily zoom in and decipher events and outcomes with a fair degree of accuracy. It is true to a certain extent; I would say it's 易学难精 - indeed it is easy to learn but definitely very hard to be good at it.

Today I wish to share some of my learning insights. Yes - I'm still learning, and I continue to be fascinated by this highly accurate and complex system. I have lost count of the instances that I pause in the middle of reading and analysis to express my admiration for the great masters before me who devised and perfected the system. Indeed, this is a system that we Chinese can be extremely proud of!

1. Learn and analyze Zi Wei Dou Shu relative to the environment and current circumstances.
2. Nothing is absolute in this world. Take note of the scientific and medical advances of the modern era.
3. Be orderly and process-oriented in your analysis - this goes a long way.
4. Learning just the characteristics of the star makes you a one-trick pony, perhaps good for a few attempts.
5. Take a middle path in your reliance on auto-generated charts; do learn how to plot charts manually.
6. Don't get caught by the school branding, clans, lineage. Go verify and use what works best.
7. Use your (controlled) imagination and logical deduction in chart analysis.
8. Practice, practice, practice! Never be afraid to make mistakes. True masters make the most mistakes!


Wish to stress that these are my learning insights, and I'm a great distance from calling myself accomplished in this field, hence I'm virtually certain that I have missed out many great points in order to be good in the skills. I had the good fortune to have learnt from two great masters whom I'm grateful to for imparting their knowledge to me. The learning journey goes on..........

The Formula to Success

一 命
二 运
三 风水
四 积功德
五 读书
六 名
七 相
八 敬神
九 交贵人
十 养身

Translated as:
Destiny of a person takes precedence in the equation, followed by the luck (cycle) they are in, their environment / Feng Shui, their karma (past and present) and education. Next, a person's name is important as well, followed by their appearance / features, respect to deities (parents can be considered our deities or gods too!), friends and acquaintances who provide assistance, and lastly maintaining good health.

I respectfully disagree with the order / priority. For one, the definition of success differs from person to person. Some measure it by wealth. Some measured it by the car they drive or location of their homes. And some measure it simply by the level of happiness they feel in their heart.

Mnemonic for the Eight Trigrams 八卦口诀

乾三连
坤六断
震仰盂
艮覆碗
离中虚
坎中满
兑上缺
巽下断

Qian = 3 full lines
Kun = 3 broken lines
Zhen = upright bowl image
Gen = inverted bowl image
Li = middle in centre
Kan = filled in the middle
Dui = opening at the top
Xun = opening at the bottom

San Yuan Qi Men Dun Jia 三元奇门遁甲

The San Yuan method of Qi Men Dun Jia is a hidden secret and the ‘key’ to the practice of San Yuan Xuan Kong Feng Shui, This secret is only passed down through a direct lineage from previous Masters. The San Yuan Method is based on the 64 Hexagrams. There are 1080 Qi Men Dun Jia Charts. Each chart is divided into 64 Hexagrams of Xuan Kong Da Gua. There is a predefined phenomenon for each of these 64 Hexagrams.

A San Yuan Luo Pan containing the 64 Hexagrams of Xuan Kong Da Gua is required in order to practice San Yuan Qi Men Dun Jia. The Xuan Kong Da Gua method of selecting an auspicious time to commence an action only allows us to identify the appropriate ‘Chinese Hour’. One Chinese Hour is equivalent to two Western Hours. It allows us to identify within this Chinese Hour the exact ‘moment’ when the action must commence in order to obtain a guaranteed result. This ‘moment’ is when a predefined phenomenon is observed to occur.

The effectiveness of applying Qi Men Dun Jia in actual practice lies in our ability to observe the occurrence of the predefined phenomena. Sometimes the phenomena take a slightly different form compared to what have been described in the old text and it takes an experienced practitioner to spot it.

The History of Feng Shui

With its origins in China, and developing over 2,000 years as a system on how to survive, excel and live in harmony with nature, the Chinese has practiced Feng Shui for thousands of years. 

It started during the Han Dynasty (206BC – 220AD) as a form of Chinese philosophy on the relationship between humans and their environment, and about how everything is connected and affects our well-being. Based on the Laws of Nature, its theories offer us a way of understanding why certain things occur and how to create a comfortable environment that lets us live and work efficiently and progressively.

The word ‘Feng Shui’ derived during the reign of Jin Dynasty (265 – 420AD) when Guo Pu, the author of the book Zhang Jing (Study of Burial Ground) first used it. In the book he says, “The travel of Qi is conducted by air and water. When the air is dispersed, the Qi too is dispersed; when the water is stagnant, the Qi too is stagnant.”

Feng Shui is based on Taoist philosophies of nature; these include the Yin-Yang Theory, Five-Elements Theory and The Trigrams based on Yi Jing. Feng Shui literally means (the flow of) ‘wind’ and ‘water.’ It takes into account many different elements affecting your environment. Good Feng Shui is where the balance of Yin and Yang achieves harmony and the Chinese believe that everything has Qi or cosmic energy and all that has Qi has Yin and Yang qualities. 

Qi is divided into three categories: The Tian Qi (Heaven’s Qi), Di Qi (Earth’s Qi) and Ren Qi (Human’s Qi). Yin and Yang are both opposites and complimentary. When we practice good Feng Shui, we attract and cultivate positive energy called ‘Sheng Qi’ and dispel or eliminate negative Qi called ‘Sha Qi.’

Today, Feng Shui is a multidisciplinary study encompassing architecture, urban planning, geography, astrology, electromagnetism, landscaping, environmental psychology and many others. In the wake of these realities, it is gaining more and more popularity in the West. Like most martial arts disciplines, Feng Shui consists of various systems, some good, some not-so-good and some a mixture of both. It is only through years of studies and practical experiences that one can be accredited a Feng Shui master. Even then, there are very few genuine Feng Shui experts around. Traditionally, Feng Shui was passed down from one master to another and never through a classroom setting.

Feng Shui can be classified into the Theory School, which has three different aspects: The San He, The San Yuan and The Nine Star and The Form School with its emphasis on the study of landscaping. The Theory School was practiced more in the North and Central China while The Form School in the South. After the Ming Dynasty they were merged as one to give a wholesome picture and study of Feng Shui, which was until then sort of incomplete.

Reproduced with the kind permission of Master Dennis Lai of Classic Feng Shui Mastery.

Palmistry - The Art of Palm Reading 掌相学

Art of Palm Reading

There is no guessing in Palmistry. It is precise and revealing. Period.

Too many people fail to live in the present, as they are busy with anticipating tomorrow. What if you have a clear idea of what's going to happen? Will you then enjoy today more?

Some of the common questions include:

- Will I find love? When will that be? Is it true love?

- Will I be rich? When will that be? How can I get the money?

- Will I stay healthy? When might I fall sick? And can I overcome it?

- Am I compatible with my partner? What could happen in the future?

What is Palmistry?

Palmistry originated from India over 3,000 years ago as a method of counseling. It is a part of a vast field of study, referred to as Samudrik Shastra, which literally means the ocean of knowledge. Palmistry is a sub-section of Samudrik Shastra and deals specifically with the study of the hands.

Palmistry is the science of analyzing the hands of human beings. This incorporates the external features of the hands such as the shape, colour, texture, suppleness, fingers formation, nails, as well as the lines within the palms. An ascertained and competent palmist would be able to draw a clear picture of your destiny from your palm prints and would be able to give you a reliable guide to life when reading your palms.

The original intent of palmistry was for personality assessment and counseling. One's emotional tendencies, social attitudes, conscious awareness and subconscious fears, blockages and strengths can be understood in great detail through this in-depth system.

Everyone knows that “the face can wear a mask,” that a person may be a good actor and put on a certain expression that may deceive even the best judgment.

But hands cannot change as the result of a mere effort to please; the character they express is the real nature of the individual-the true character that has been formed by heredity or that has grown up with the person by long years of habit.

Remember that the hands are the immediate servants or instruments of the brain. There are more motive and sensory nerves from the brain to the hand than to any other portion of the body and, whether sleeping or waking, they continually and unconsciously reflect the thought and character of the mind or soul of the individual.

 

It will, then, be seen from these observations that without looking at the lines of the hand, one may be able to obtain certain details of character that are more trustworthy than those given by the face, and that these rules, if followed, should be of the greatest assistance and value to people in all walks of life.

Palmistry is the science of analyzing the hands of human beings. This incorporates the external features of the hands such as the shape, colour, texture, suppleness, fingers formation, nails, as well as the lines within the palms. An ascertained and competent palmist would be able to draw a clear picture of your destiny from your palm prints and would be able to give you a reliable guide to life when reading your palms.

The value of Hand Analysis and Palmistry

Hand analysis is an invaluable way to understand others and yourself better. It can help you to discover your best skills, gifts, talents and strengths so that you can put them all to work more effectively. Focusing on your natural strengths will allow you to feel better about yourself and enjoy more success in life. With this new self-understanding, you will have more confidant and power to live the life you’ve always wanted to live.

When we analyze other people’s palms, we help them to understand their unique personal qualities. This will provide them with guidance in their life and draw out the best in them.

Is palm reading accurate?

You should be asking – what makes it so accurate?

Reproduced with the kind permission of Master Dennis Lai of Classic Feng Shui Mastery.

San Yuan Xuan Kong Da Gua Feng Shui 三元玄空大卦风水

Is this what is the most advanced form of Feng Shui?

Or just the primer to San Yuan Xuan Kong Yin Feng Shui (Feng Shui for the deceased)?

How does this complement the San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star system?

How do I use the San Yuan Xuan Kong Da Gua Feng Shui in the first place?

Can I place water where it is not allowed under the Flying Star system?




Does 1 degree of difference in the door facing matter, or no? How about 0.875 degrees?

Will I have the ability to predict when and what events will happen in a household and to who?


Do you know how to decode this:
天尊地卑，陽奇陰偶。 
一六共宗，二七同道，三八為朋，四九為友，五十同途。

Or this?
天地定位，山 澤通氣，雷風相薄，水火不相射。 

中五立極，臨制四方，背一面九，三七居旁，二八四六，縱橫紀綱。

What do the numbers in a hexagram mean, and how can we use them to our benefit?

What is the Heaven, Man and Earth relationship in San Yuan Xuan Kong System of Feng Shui?

Xuan Kong Da Gua refers to the 64 Hexagrams which is the same as the Yi Jing Hexagrams. Within these 64 Hexagrams, there are hidden secrets and for centuries the Chinese has been using these secrets for various applications.

The study of this Chinese text is very profound as there are many layers of information within the same text. Unless and until someone who knows reveals the hidden secrets to you; you may not be able to access the coded information. This is how profound the written Chinese text is.

In Xuan Kong Da Gua, each of the 64 Hexagrams has an 'element number' and 'period number'. You will find them on the rings of a San Yuan Luo Pan. These rings are very important and the 'key' in San Yuan Xuan Kong Feng Shui applications. The 'key' will unlock the secrets to release the 'treasure'.

The application of the Xuan Kong Da Gua rings is the 'key' to make one an outstanding Feng Shui master and a class above others. The Xuan Kong Da Gua rings on the Luo Pan are proven knowledge of authentic Feng Shui applications; by knowing how to apply this information, one's skills will be ascertained.