Feng Shui: The Basics in Taoist Environmentalism that You Need to Understand
What is the real meaning and essence of Feng Shui? What is its role in Taoist Environmentalism?
Taoism, as a religion or tradition, is very environment-friendly. It upholds a kind of world wherein the laws of nature are respected.
Taoism is centered on nature and on the “ideal path.” This path is called “Tao” which is both the Way to be followed and the path which nature itself would follow were it not for human interference.
Taoist Environmentalism
Taoism respects Tao in terms of biodiversity, wildlife, health benefits, and proven sustainability, and uses it as the guiding principle. Taoism teaches that Tao is nature.
Taoists explain that the path of water down a mountainside, following the route of least resistance without being forced, exemplifies ‘ziran,’ Taoist doctrine of spontaneous naturalness. Struggling against the natural world or forcing nature to bend to man’s will is seen as bound to fail.
On the other hand, the Taoist principle “wu wei er wu bu wei” (by doing nothing everything will be done) states that by relaxing and allowing events to take their course, everything will eventually fall into place.
Taoism’s view of nature involves human beings seen as simply a part of nature. Taoist philosophy of the environment imparted Chinese culture with an insightful sense of the natural order:
“Chinese habitats – from peasant village to townships – traditionally produced no, or very little, refuse or garbage. Everything, from discarded clothes, food leftovers to human feces were recycled, as unused remnants were considered to be potentially harmful, because unnatural … [Taoism holds] that everything in the environment was connected.” (“Taoist Environmentalism,” n.d.)
Until today, there are called Taoist Nature Sanctuaries (TNS), no less than one hundred and fifty very outstanding sites in terms of landscape beauty, vegetation, and wildlife.
In those environmental sanctuaries, no hunting, land clearing, plant gathering, mining or pollution has been for almost two thousand years. Many of these sites harbor rare and endangered animals and plants.
Feng Shui Meaning in Taoism
In Taoism, houses, buildings, and temples are carefully chosen and designed according to the principles of feng shui, which literally means ‘wind and water.’
Feng shui seeks to promote prosperity, good health, and general wellbeing by evaluating how energy (called ‘qi’ or ‘chi,’ pronounced ‘chee’) flows through a particular room, house, building, or garden.
Feng shui is still taken seriously by some people in China, and feng shui experts are surely consulted in places like Hong Kong before work starts on a major building or a new business is established.
The pot plants, fish tank, and strategically placed mirrors we see in many Chinese restaurants are assumed to afford a feng shui environment in which everything is believed to go well.
Lessons from Feng Shui and Taoist Environmentalism
Taoism, through its beliefs in concepts like Feng Shui, acknowledges and teaches that the universe already works harmoniously according to its own systems.
Feng Shui is teaching us that if an individual exerts his will against or upon the world, he would disrupt the harmony that already exists, he would go ‘against the flow of life’ (such as the harmonious change of seasons of summer, autumn, winter, and spring).
It is said that “Tao” works well, although through manmade global warming, the harmony is disordered.
To underscore this Taoist point, it is said that, “Damming rivers might result in devastating flooding—unwanted by mankind, though produced by the same. On the other hand, the yearly flooding of the river Nile provides the soil with natural fertilizer. Damming the river would result in less fertilized soil, hence weaker crops, less harvest, less income, more hunger” (“Taoism,” n.d.).
People can perhaps take from Taoism some acts that show love and respect of nature. These include responsible and sustainable use of natural resources, living simpler lifestyles, creating environmental protection programs, using energy-saving technology and materials (like installing solar panels), and educating the public about ecology through social media and other programs.
For other free lectures like this (especially for students), visit Homepage: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
Copyright © by Jens Micah De Guzman
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