We have heard several Feng Shui masters talk about San Cai… How is this term translated and what can this information bring to our lives?
Answer:The word San means three, and Cai indicates aspect or observation points, these are the three layers to consider when analyzing a house:
- Heaven Qi – Tian Qi
- Earth Qi – Di Qi
- Man Qi – Ren Qi
In modern life, the established rhythm has taken us away from the vibrations emitted by the environment, making it difficult for us to connect with the frequencies emitted by forms and non-forms, in simple words, we do not appreciate the places, their colors, the distribution of furniture, people, emotions, our own mind, etc. etc. ….
Understanding and integrating San Cai places us in the here and now, it will provide us with the necessary ingredients to become aware as individuals of everything that surrounds us as the people, places or things that are part of our development.
In Chinese writing, the pictogram that represents the “Emperor” or Wang, the most important figure in a dynasty, is traced by three straight lines joined by a vertical line showing us the union between heaven, earth and man, a connection granted exclusively to the figure of the emperor.
We know that this connection is present in all human beings, because the universal principles show us that the universe does not have special concessions in a single individual, therefore, it is present in everyone who becomes aware and resonates with Qi.
In Taoism, a philosophical current, created by Lao Tzu, considers the existence of harmony between nature and man, it is supported by the fact that both belong to the same origin. It raises the human relationship and nature (Heaven-Earth) as a synergistic relationship, where the balance between the two guarantees their existence.
We can see the Heaven-Earth-Man trinity embodied in cosmological Taoism in the Vesica Picis diagram, which places the origin of the universe as a mother and father relationship, who biologically engenders the child, giving rise to human life. Man can feed on the bounties of heaven and earth.
The sky, represented by a deity or superior spirit, gives way to an increase, a proliferation through the Sun, the moon and the stars. The earth is in charge of the transformation in the physical, our natural world and finally man with his free will has the ability to decide how he synthesizes and transmutes.
Now with modernity, could you tell us how we can resonate with the Qi of Heaven?
Answer: The Heaven Qi or Tian Qi is the force that builds the universe, understanding it and becoming aware of its contributions is the best way to respect it. To resonate with the Qi of Heaven I prefer to divide it into:
The Heaven Qi -Cosmic, interacts with the earth in an indirect way, from the external to the internal, its manifestation allows us to be observers of phenomena that will affect the earth, they make up an indirect field of manifestation. In the astronomical aspect they would include the sun and its solar storms, the moon and its phases, intervening in the tides or volcanoes, the stars, the celestial bodies, etc. It is the guide to observe the time allowing to establish the patterns of cycle changes.
The Heaven Qi -Astrological, studying the positions of the planets and celestial bodies at a certain moment in relation to the position of the earth, allows to outline a forecast of future events or guidelines to consider, as we can observe in the Yi Ching Book translated by Richard Wilhelm, which arises as a result of the observation of the patterns established in nature and how these could first, be a guide for agriculture, and later as a guide for moral guidelines, when the philosopher Confucius uses it in a growing society. All cultures aware of the Heaven Qi, under the principle of universal laws, assume the natural connection between Heaven and the information obtained at the moment of a person’s birth, understand that the influences of the stars and planets could indicate a possible path tracing, a potential tracing or ability within your energy diagram, as in the eastern 4 pillar Ba Zi methodology.
The Heaven Qi –Climate interacts directly with the earth, helps us to understand the natural changes of the seasons, the weather, the rain, the Cold-Heat temperature, moments of drought, the temporal cycles, which together with the magnetic field terrestrial makes the earth strive to find its balance. To verify this type of Qi, it is necessary to rely on the study of time, as a unit of measurement, including time as an ordered system that follows repetition patterns until different cycles are formed. These cycles are what allow us to notice the Qi changes.
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“The Cosmic or Celestial Qi would be the natural force that builds the universe.”
The Earth, with all the changes it has undergone, has the function of receiving and transforming to seek balance with the cosmic Qi. Do you think we will continue to receive its benefits?
Answer: The earth is the place where all the external interactions of the universe converge and it is the platform for the Qi of man. Earth Qi is a constant movement that occurs in nature, and we can perceive it mostly by dividing them into:
Earth Qi -Geographic, when the human being stops being nomadic, understood that he should take advantage of the benefits offered by his surroundings. They observed the extensions of mountains, their valleys, the deserts, understanding their impositions on living beings. The constant movement of the oceans and tides, rivers and their various currents were considered a source of life or destruction if it was not observed. The ancient Chinese viewed the Earth’s magnetic field, along with the heat under the earth and underground water veins, as power lines and networks. They considered that, if the terrestrial Qi is balanced, the conditions for living beings to grow and multiply were more feasible. All these components together with terrestrial magnetism intervene in the flow of Qi, contributing to the well-being of the living beings that inhabit this planet.
Earth Qi -Environmental. This force is better used when we choose a good magnetic orientation of the houses supported by the forms of nature, under the study of the different schools of the form of Feng Shui. All the classical Feng Shui schools that use magnetic directions to create the necessary connection for a conscious life with the whole, is well known that when we skip the principles of nature, it is in charge of reminding us. Atmospheric catastrophes, excessive rains, hurricanes or snowstorms represent an imbalance of the Qi of Heaven. The Earth Qi has to be able to respond seeking to reduce the excess of the Heaven Qi, today we have reached a degree of technological superiority from the Human side that blinds the knowledge learned for centuries, although it seems that the Earth reaches a limit point, I think we are in time to reconnect.
Photo courtesy of the newspaper El Pais
The Earth, with all the changes it has undergone, has the function of receiving and transforming to seek balance with the cosmic Qi. Do you think we will continue to receive its benefits?
Answer: The earth is the place where all the external interactions of the universe converge and it is the platform for the Qi of man. Earth Qi is a constant movement that occurs in nature, and we can perceive it mostly by dividing them into:
Earth Qi -Geographic, when the human being stops being nomadic, understood that he should take advantage of the benefits offered by his surroundings. They observed the extensions of mountains, their valleys, the deserts, understanding their impositions on living beings. The constant movement of the oceans and tides, rivers and their various currents were considered a source of life or destruction if it was not observed. The ancient Chinese viewed the Earth’s magnetic field, along with the heat under the earth and underground water veins, as power lines and networks. They considered that, if the terrestrial Qi is balanced, the conditions for living beings to grow and multiply were more feasible. All these components together with terrestrial magnetism intervene in the flow of Qi, contributing to the well-being of the living beings that inhabit this planet.
Earth Qi -Environmental. This force is better used when we choose a good magnetic orientation of the houses supported by the forms of nature, under the study of the different schools of the form of Feng Shui. All the classical Feng Shui schools that use magnetic directions to create the necessary connection for a conscious life with the whole, is well known that when we skip the principles of nature, it is in charge of reminding us. Atmospheric catastrophes, excessive rains, hurricanes or snowstorms represent an imbalance of the Qi of Heaven. The Earth Qi has to be able to respond seeking to reduce the excess of the Heaven Qi, today we have reached a degree of technological superiority from the Human side that blinds the knowledge learned for centuries, although it seems that the Earth reaches a limit point, I think we are in time to reconnect.
Man has a decisive role in the Heaven-Earth-Man triad. Are we prepared to play the right role?
Answer: Understanding the relationship between heaven and earth makes the human value the place where he lives and the effects on our health. Observing the forces of heaven, their influences on the human being reveal that the loss of balance could lead to extinction. Each person, animal and plant have its own Qi under the influence of cosmic and earth Qi.
Qi is the divine essence of life, if you lose it, it is what we call Death. If a person becomes aware of the vital force that surrounds his body, his mind and spirit can usefully handle the dynamics of change. Qi is prior to matter and mind, so if we speak of Human Qi it is not limited to the body itself, but as a radiation field within which the physical body is woven.
Human Qi could be divided into:
The Human Qi -collective: In its process of socialization, the political sense and cultural influences have given rise to groups with common tendencies and patterns in a conscious and unconscious way. As a social entity, the human being establishes supports based on strengthening patterns, such as the family and conjugal circle, they are a source of nutrition. In general, a balanced pattern within the immediate circle will allow the creation of other patterns in the outer circles such as partners and neighbors with a high probability of having the same equilibrium characteristics.
The Human Qi -individual: A person aware of his vital Qi understands what is the meaning of life. His level of sensitivity allows him to recognize his relationship with his environment, and to search for integration with nature, such as the search for the sun to revitalize himself, water to relax or the smell of flowers, etc. Thought is the greatest intangible force that the human being can create, depending on our personality or character we will emit ideas, concepts or memories that can increase or decrease all the force that keeps our body working in perfect balance. The loss of balance affects our body, affected by excess or deficiency of Qi. To regain the lost balance, contact with nature helps us to distinguish which of our thoughts are or are not real, taking us to the starting point.
In summary, if you know how the Qi behaves and relates to the same as its imbalance affects us, it will be easier to manipulate, moderate, mediate and modulate the flow of Qi of everything that surrounds us. Once people live in a well-designed Feng Shui house, where both form and formless Qi combine beautifully, the human element progresses both physically and spiritually.
“I love to think that nature has unlimited broadcast stations, through which God speaks to us every day, every hour and every moment of our lives, if we just tune in.”
George Washington Carver
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