Properties from a feng shui perspective: Part 135
By David Koh and Joe Choo | Apr 9, 2010
RIVER SIDE LORE
Our tour of Old Klang Road leaves Taman Desa and moves southward to Jalan Kuchai Lama. If you are familiar with this area, you will notice that most, if not all, housing estates here are located on the east side of this major thoroughfare. (For Google map reference, please log on to http://maps.google.co.uk/ and search for “Kuala Lumpur”.)
Development on the west side was limited due to a lack of space. The Klang River runs along this side and leaves only small pockets of land between the road and river. During the British Administration, construction of buildings along riverbanks was not allowed within 10m or 33 feet of either side.
This was a sensible by-law as rivers tended to overflow their banks during the monsoon season. Flash floods were especially common along Old Klang Road back in those days.
However, that did not stop many people from constructing homes there. There were many squatter houses built next to the river. The authorities typically turned a blind eye as cheap labour was needed and squatter houses helped alleviate their burden of providing low-cost housing.
These days, the 10m set-back is largely ignored, often with the blessings of the authorities. This is due to advances in technology – rivers can be deepened, walls can be erected along embankments – which can apparently prevent floods from happening.
MAN VS. NATURE
While that may be true, flash floods still occur, after especially heavy downpours. Mankind may think it has conquered nature but nature always proves us wrong. It is better to adapt to our environment than bend it to our will.
The wooden houses between Old Klang Road and the Klang River are actually not squatter houses. They were houses that were built by early settlers who moved into the area. There are a road network and several temples serving the populace here.
Some of these houses may have started off as “illegal”, that is they did not receive the relevant building approvals. However, they have been “legalised” over time: they have valid addresses and connected to water and electricity supplies.
In recent years, several of these houses have made way for the construction of larger retail and office complexes and condominiums.
Several sections along this stretch are embraced by the concave curve of the river, which is considered good. Properties within this long sliver of land are likely to do reasonably well, provided they have the right orientation, such as west or south.
FACE THE RIVER
A house facing west faces the river directly. This orientation enables the house to tap into gentle homogenous earth energy that is deflected from the riverbank. A south-facing direction is parallel to the Klang River’s flow.
If the entrances of these houses suit the personal Gua of the occupants, then the occupants are likely to fare better than their neighbours. Thus, the orientation of the property and the position of the main door play an important role in creating a conducive atmosphere for the occupants’ success.
Properties here that face east are not considered conducive for success. These include shops and shop-offices facing Old Klang Road. Furthermore, their backs are lower and face the river. Their fronts are high, as there are several hills ahead of them.
Earth energy naturally flows from high land to low. This energy is powerful, especially when the gradient of the land is steep. If a building is oriented to face this energy head-on, then it will receive the full force of this energy. Over time, it will overwhelm the occupants.
That means the occupants will find life more than a little tough going. Their relationships at home can be in disarray – husband and wife constantly bickering, rebellious children; their careers can be stagnating or be in jeopardy; they could be beset by health problems. Success, if any, will be hard won and difficult to sustain. The unstable family relations may also lead to loss of money and business.
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During the British Administration era, construction of buildings along riverbanks was not allowed within 10m of either side, as rivers tended to overflow. But that did not stop many from doing so. -Filepic
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FACE DOWNHILL
Properties that face a downhill slope are shielded from this oncoming energy. Instead, they get to tap into a gentler and homogenous version: normally, a downhill slope leads to a river or pond, which deflects and reflects the earth energy, taking away its “sting”.
This phenomenon can be clearly seen in Old Klang Road, even within the short stretch from Kuala Lumpur up to Jalan Kuchai Lama. Properties and businesses on the east side (the hilly side) of the road tend to do better than their counterparts across the road (the river side).
The side near the river has many used car dealers, the perennial victims of economic downturns and credit crunches. There are several petrol stations, some seafood restaurants and also Wisma Buddhist here.
The seafood restaurants have been around for a long time, and they are likely doing fine because of two factors. The proprietors may have a good Gua and life character reading, which mitigates the effects of their shops’ orientation. Also, the more successful ones are located at the end of a T-junction.
Many people try to avoid buying houses at the end of T-junctions and rightly so. On a common sense level, such a location is considered “bad” because at night, headlight beams from oncoming cars can be very annoying, forcing the occupants to constantly keep their windows closed with thick curtains. They are also more likely to feel stressed by fears that brake failures or driver errors may cause cars to come crashing in through the wall.
T-JUNCTIONS
From an environology perspective, such a location is generally not good for dwelling places because moving traffic at the T-junction creates an oncoming stream of energy leading straight to the house. This is similar to facing a hill or mountain.
However, this is actually good for the food and beverage industry. The concentration of energy makes it attractive to life and people. It also encourages a constant flux of people – patrons coming in and out of the premises. Besides, this is a location with great visibility!
Despite these good points in their favour, these restaurants are likely to be hampered somewhat by having their backs to the river. However, if you observe carefully, the more successful ones do not actually have their backs directly to the river. They are oriented in a south-east angle, making it somewhat parallel to the river’s flow!
Wisma Buddhist is an interesting case. It is not actually a place of worship, but rather an office complex with a prayer hall incorporated into it. Despite being positioned as the centre for Buddhism, it has not achieved its lofty ideals – the Buddhist Maha Vihara is a more recognisable icon and centre for Buddhism in Malaysia, thanks in no small part to the works of the late Dr K. Sri Dhammananda, who was the foremost Theravada Buddhist monk in Malaysia.
The orientation of Wisma Buddhist could have played a part in its current state.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Places of worship do not require earth energy because they are not human dwellings. God the creator does not need it.
Interestingly according to the late Rev Dhammananda, Buddhism is a way of life, not a religion of idol or statue worship. It has nothing to do with worshipping deities, burning joss sticks, candles or offerings. In fact, even Taoism does not advocate statues.
Yet, we find it common for the Chinese to have a whole pantheon of deities to pray to. Humans are such peculiar beings – if they do not make some symbolic offerings, they feel as though they have not done enough to fulfil their religious piety!
The Chinese pantheon of gods comes from various sources, and sometimes they also put together deities who are by nature incompatible with each other! For example, the Kuan Kung, respected for his brotherhood principle, is a fearsome general who is not known for his social nature, has his statue placed alongside other deities with whom he does not get along.
The Monkey God originated as a character in the classical story, Journey to the West. It was a fictionalised account of the Buddhist monk, Xuanzhang’s pilgrimage to India to obtain religious sutras. The story included many characters from Chinese folk religion, mythology and personalities from Taoism and Buddhism.
Perhaps its association with these deities led to the Monkey God’s elevation to deity-hood. The irony is, according to the story, the Monkey God fought against all the deities in the pantheon and yet his status is placed alongside his antagonists!
We should not laugh, though. Somewhere out there, out of the success and popularity of the Star Wars movies, a new religion called Jediism has emerged with its adherents practising the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the Jedi. May the Force be with you!
*This series on feng shui and real estate properties appear courtesy of the Malaysia Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS). David Koh is the founder of MINGS and has been a feng shui master and teacher for the past 36 years.
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