Introduction

You better learn what Yang Yun Sun revealed as the cardinal foundation of Xuan Kong Feng Shui! As modern practitioners failed to understand this they have allowed themselves to indulge in deviant approaches.

In another article, it has been shown that the Yin Yang and the 8 trigrams of the Bagua are astonishing markers to trace the seasonal variations of the solar energy throughout the year. It demonstrates how scientifically the ancient Feng Shui and astrology masters understood of the physical energies behind Feng Shui and astrology.

This seasonal variations in the solar energy could be measured through the use of the gnomon or shadow stick, often alluded to in ancient traditions as the "Yu Jade Stick Measuring Heaven". Popular legends have depict the Monkey God as using this sacred staff known as the "Yu Jade Meauring Stick". These alluding terms are emphasising the great importance of the gnomon stick measurment, though readers have never realised how significantly the ancient texts refer to it.

Ancient Feng Shui Masters Emphasised Importance of the Gnomon Stick Method

A number of important ancient Feng Shui texts refer to this important method of the gnomom stick:

• "To clearly demarcate the burial method, must consider the position of the Yin and Yang in the Gua." Qing Nang Aow Yi 3.53-3.54
  (Understand collapsed (dropping) stick, Gua sits on Yin Yang, no need to think.)

  Yang Yun Sun had emphasised this gnomon stick method in connection with the determination of the evolution of the Taji:

  • "Like studying the pattern of the palm, there should be a determination of the varying Tai Ji in the diagram
    Through the transformation of the qi, the production and control will be clearly perceived." Qing Nang Aow Yi 3.55-3.58

• In his book Han Jung Ling, Yang Yun Sun also referred to this important shadow stick measurement:

  • "The star shape all prepared to enter into the city travel, weird and funny entering into the heaven sign.
    The front star as if it was at the top of south, Zhou and Zhao kings reaching here to see the heaven sign.
    Going up to the south hill then looking at the north hill, the sage "po" ("po" = using turtle shell or stick to judge good and bad) house divided into Yin and Yang." Han Lung Jing 642,646-647.

Variations of solar shadow through the seasons form the famous Yin Yang symbol! The 4 dark spots denote the Summer and Winter Solstices and Spring and Autumn Equinoxes positions.

The ancient records described how they measured the solar shadow with the gnomon stick: They even divided the year's cycle into 24 Segments…They used six concentric circles, marked the 24-Segment points, divided the circles into 24 sectors and recorded the length of shadow every day. The shortest shadow is found on the day of Summer Solstice. The longest shadow is found on the day of Winter Solstice. After connecting each lines and dimming Yin Part from Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice, the Sun chart looks like [Figure on left]. (Allen Tsai, 1999)

Mysterious Ceremony of Witnessing the "Heaven Sign"

In the Han Lung Jing (verses 642-647 as quoted above), Yang Yun Sun wrote that even the emperors would visit the place where the measurements of the solar shadow were made. This place was at the Chou Kung Tower near Luoyang.

This measurement of the solar shadow was witnessed by the emperor, not because of just ceremonial purposes, but because the emperor himself wanted to know the status of the solar energies so that he could know what physical climate would likely occur during that year.

The Confucian records indicate that this vital solar shadow ceremony was witnessed by the royal families as far back as 600 BC.

The ancient emperors witnessed the gnomon stick measurement of the solar shadow at the Chou Kung Tower near Luoyang. Variations of solar shadow through the seasons form the famous Yin Yang symbol!

"In 655 BC it is reported that the Duke of Lu went up to the Divine Terrace to observe the Ch'i at the equinoxes, solstices, and the beginning of the four seasons." (Walters 1987 p.238). In its earliest perspective, qi referred to some physically visible atmospheric aura or impression. Duke of Lu's equinoxes, solstices & beginning of 4 seasons are the 8 directions of Bagua.

Generations of royal Feng Shui experts would evaluate this "Heaven Sign". The records indicate that these Feng Shui masters included Confucius himself, and then Duke Chou (who built the Chou Kung Tower)

Thus, Yang Yun Sun wrote down that this gnomon stick measurement of the energies is the foundation of Xuan Kong Feng Shui:

• Recognising the dragon is the way to identify the hsueh. The status of the human welfare will be defined by the Heaven's Heart.
  It will not be difficult to select a hsueh once the Heaven's Heart is defined. Just arrange the water outlet from the facing direction. Qing Nang Aow Yi 3.71-3.74.

"Heaven Sign" as the Foundation of Xuan Kong Feng Shui.

The level of scientific understanding of the ancient masters was very high! The importance of the "Heaven Sign" is that all the Feng Shui and astrology forces originated from the solar energies, not magnetic forces!

Many schools of Feng Shui like to believe that their masters are practising Xuan Kong Feng Shui, especially as handed down from that great patriarch Yang Yun Sun. In reality, Yang Yun Sun would call them "idiot masters": "Only coming to the mountain top to find the Dragon and Tiger, again want the rounded head only can mention that it is auspicious. Not knowing the mountain huge dropping flat and gone, the hsueh in the flat land is noble and has no challenge. Idiot master misled so many people, again mentioned that funeral and burial, fear the low class and wet (watery) ground." Han Lung Jing 701-703.

The solar nature of the Feng Shui and astrology energies means that some methods using the geographical North are more accurate than those which use the magnetic compass to delineate the directions.

A major reason for the great difficulties in understand the ancient Feng Shui texts like those of Han Lung Jing, Qing Nang Aow Yi, Tian Yu Jing is that the statements have to be interpreted in terms of how the solar radiation is regulated. It is not realised that water and wind are important as respectively the carrier and destroyer of the qi in the solar energy. As the levels of the solar radiation are affected by planetary influence, astronomical knowledge is important in the understanding of these ancient texts.

The amazing thing is that back in Yang Yun Sun's time in AD 880 and even Confucius' time in 600 BC, they knew what were the scientific physical nature of the Feng Shui energies! Find out what they knew, here.