The secret for success of Chinese

The secret for success of Chinese who are in foreign lands is guanxi or the network of communal support and assistance to “brothers”, especially from big brothers who made it big in the community.  A natural survival and racial mechanism to help one another with friendly discounted prices!

Piyaos or pixies are symbolic feng shui protectors to help keep one away from temptations and evil ones! These are adjusted annually by a geomancer to fine tune with the ruling energies of the current and coming Chinese Zodiac year! That is why feng shui maintenance is done yearly about this time of the year ‘til Chinese New Year in order to defend and navigate one’s feng shui luck at home and at work, especially in retaining supportive patrons and eliminating bad eggs.

In business, guanxi is the access to friendly prices, suppliers not only from Chinese compatriots but their network of local and foreign friends.  It is like accessing the Yellow Pages of the desirable kind!  In layman’s terms, it is akin to patronage or “suki.”  Patronage politics has its cultural origins from this networking that is not solely the monopoly of the Chinese fraternal family associations.  You hear of the Mafia in Italy cum the Cosa Nostra; in the Vatican, the rivalry of the Opus Dei and Masons; and down to your campuses, the Greek named fraternities and sororities spanning all walks of life and interests from law school even now to grade schools (talk about bullying!). There is a mistaken notion that, after all the schooling or education one gets nowadays, it’s whom you know not what you know that counts.  In feng shui, however, the reverse is true:  it’s what you know, not whom you know that is the key to prosperous guanxi or networking.  Beyond getting influential personages as godfathers or godmothers in baptisms, weddings and kowtowing or even bribing the political landscape of your business endeavours, here are key pointers to know:

1.  Never be beholden to anybody nor hold anyone beholden to you.  Always be fair and pay your way, legally that is, and always remember the law of karma.

2.  Respect the concept of face and giving face to everyone.  Never put anybody to shame especially in public!

3.  Plant and grow a garden of supportive network of friends, partners and loved ones! 

How to do this using feng shui symbolisms to attract it?

Sculptures or images of military wealth god Kuan Kong protects good guanxi. No one can put one over you or swindle you so to speak.  It also protects one from envy and intrigues.

Always hang a mountain scenery behind your work desk no matter how big or small.  Mountains signify support.  All the way from family to the Palace beyond City Hall as my Chinese clients attest!  This way you are solid and not ambivalent in decision making, knowing full well that you have your family support together with peers, stakeholders, stockholders and regulatory agencies!  No harassment from City Hall municipal or city inspectors, no tax examiners extorting you.

If you want to bring this to the highest level using Asian feng shui traditions borrowed from Thailand and Hinduism, put a Thousand Hand Goddess of Mercy at the Southwest or a Wat (Success) Four-faced Buddha at the north side of your home or office.

And always give away tikoy on Chinese New Year as a gesture of thanksgiving!  

Next Week:  Health Feng Shui!