I was pleased to assist with the planning of the Feng Shui design of the Song He Yuan. The Song He Yuan is the only cemetery with a Chinese classical style in Victoria. Promotion of the Song He Yuan has just been launched in the Asian Community. Springvale Botanical Cemetery has specially invited me to write an article to introduce the Feng Shui of the Song He Yuan. I am delighted to accept the invitation and write this article.
BEFORE DISCUSSING MELBOURNE’S FENG SHUI PATTERN,
An article from GuopugubenzhangjingTo talke about the Feng Shui of the Song He Yuan, one must start from the general Feng Shui pattern in Victoria. The big dragon vein, the Great Dividing Ranges at the east of Australia, is the source of Victoria’s Feng Shui. It starts from north of Queensland galloping several thousand kilometres, passing New South Wales, winding its way northeast of Victoria, facing Port Phillip Bay and forming a dragon head. This is one of Australia’s largest main dragons. It passes by (active qi) cities such as Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne etc; and forms Australia’s major economic, commercial, political development centres; and gathers the country’s major population. The first branch of the dragon vein at the north of Victoria happens to be at the Dandenong Mountains extending to Springvale and hence the state of pingyang dragon is formed. The cemeteries here are mainly at the settlement vein. When I was first invited to survey Springvale Botanical Cemetery, one of Victoria’s largest cemeteries, I found unexpectedly a large block of land at duewest of the cemetery to be exactly at the settlement of Dandenong Mountain. Down the settlement is a natural steam stopping the qi of the land and hence pingyang dragon channel is formed. The soil is fine but solid, moist but not flooded. It is rare and one of the best pieces of qi gathering land. I thereby formed an indissoluble bond with this land.
It is considered in Feng Shui that qi moves underground following the terrain. It gathers as well when the terrain stops. If it gathers at a particular place and does not disperse or move, this place has good Feng Shui. One of the principles of Feng Shui is to use water to restrict the movement of the qi of land. This is called deshui. Next is cangfeng, which refers to the phenomenon where outside qi runs wild and forms stopping water. The qi in the land stops naturally and gathers there.
The land is backed by Dandenong mountain and faces a winding stream sitting with mao mountain facing you. According to the calculations of sanyuanjiuyn of hetuluoshu, good luck will start at the beginning of spring in 2004. It is a pattern of being prosperous in wealth and generations, a rare land of Feng Shui treasure.
The best of Feng Shui is cangfeng and qi gathering. Hence, I suggested Springvale Botanical Cemetery widen a bit and repair the steam in front of the site; build a dragon head at the southeast dragon position to the left of the site and make it that the dragon head spits water; then the water flows by the south, southwest to due West and forms a pattern of winding water surrounding and embracing to stop the land qi. The pattern of water stopping dragon in Feng Shui is established. Another suggestion was to build two little bridges over the stream in the south, taking on the image of “tingxi, tongyou, dongtian, fudi”. The water gathering area in due west in enlarged and makes an oval life-freeing pond for the devout to free captive animals. All living creatures will come around and help gather qi further. Water winds out of the little exit at southwest. Such is formed the pattern of backing mountain and facing water.
A water dripping Guan Yin statue is at the centre in the west of the life-freeing pond. Water constantly drips out of the vase held in the hands of Guan Yin, taking the meaning of shegshengbuxi )being prosperous non stop). It is a pattern of wealth gathering in front of the grave. A variety of lotus are kept in the life-freeing pond. Every year the lotuses are in full blossom, implying “lianshegguizi” (lotuses giving birth to precious baby boys), an act of prosperous family. A table is placed in front of the life-freeing pond as the first front Anshan for warshipping the God of Land.
Now that the q of land gathered, a Chinese styled temple is planned to be at the highest point of the dragon head for worshipping Di Zang Wang to control the dragon qi. Such is established the scene of “zhuque water visible in the front accompanied by Guan Yin , xuanwu temple visible at the back, and guarded by Di Zang Wang”; dragon spitting water and forming surrounding winding water on the left; the white tiger position on the right having also the natural pine trees of the cemetery as a screen; the front and the back corresponding to eash other, and the left corresponding to the right. The distribution is symmetric and balanced in the overall Feng Shui design to acieve harmony of yin and yang; the special atmosphere of being halanced, stable, serious, solemn and respectful. In addition, the heights and shapes of different buildings and statues go well, corresponding with each other and meed the Feng Shui principle of balancing left and right, heing harmonious with yin and yang, stillness in motion and motion in stillness.
The principle of pingyang Dragon cemetery is to gather surface qi of the land. It is suitable for shallow burials. When planning the graves distribution, the most treasured area is close to the dragon head. Family graves, premium graves and super deluxe graves are set along this line. All graves are within the front view of Guan Yin, and the back view of Di Zang Want.
The cemetery is named as Song He Yuan, meaning forever green and long life. I wish those predestined to meet lay the basis for a future good relationship.
I wish everybody good luck.
James Yao Wen Zheng/Fengshui Master/(Written in Chinese Goat year before The MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL. Buddhist calendar is year of the 2457)
