What about feng shui?

My dear fellow readers, relax. I know this is a sensitive topic to touch. To begin with, feng shui/"foongsuy"/"fung shuay" is not a religion. May I continue?

Most of the time, when I discuss about feng shui to friends and to others who are not into it, I see anxious faces, defensive reactions and confusion running in their minds.

It is a different story though when I talk to those who have read about it or who have been practising it. An exchange of positive energy is instantly achieved.

Literally, feng shui means Wind and Water. It is the science of selecting and arranging a living environment where the five elements (metal, wood, fire, water and earth) and the energies (positive or negative/ yin or yang) are in harmonious balance.

If you are living in harmony with your environment, it will bring you abundance, good health, wealth and happiness. Not bad, isn’t it? However, I must tell you that feng shui is not a form of magic or a cure to all your problems. It only represents one-third of the trinity luck. You also have to consider your Heavenly Luck or your Fate and your Mankind Luck or your choices in making decisions.

It should be quite clear now that feng shui has nothing to do with religion. In fact, in the September-October 2003 issue of Feng Shui World magazine, when a reader asked for advice on the proper placement of luk sau, the advice was: "Fuk Luk Sau, the three star gods (note the small ‘g’ used), are best placed in the dining room. These deities represent the most important manifestations of health, wealth and happiness, but do not need to be revered as God (note the capital ‘G’) that you pray to. Indeed, it is not necessary to place them on any special altar."

Lack of knowledge about anything can cause confusion, disharmony and division.

For instance, it is ironic that different religions fight over which is real or whose members will be saved. They even mock each other’s practices and beliefs when the only basic teaching God wants us to learn is to love one another, even our enemies.

If different religions have something in common, it is that each aims for love and perfection. Therefore, if we choose to live in harmony with our environment and learn to love one another, we are giving the best gift to ourselves, our fellowmen, our Mother Nature and most of all, to the Supreme Being. When that happens, war becomes peace; division becomes unity and earth becomes heaven.