The teaching of feng shui, once unknown to Russians, has now firmly entered the lives of many residents of Russia. Feng shui centers and courses operate in numerous cities across the country. In everyday life, traces of this teaching can also be observed. In stores and public institutions, various feng shui attributes can be seen in interior designs: “wind chimes,” “money toads,” “money trees,” the Indian “Ganesha,” “dragon turtles,” statuettes of “Hotei,” and many other items that catch the eye of visitors. All of these are modern feng shui symbols. What do these Eastern symbols mean, and what does this mysterious Eastern teaching represent? How does it affect the life of a modern person?
The name speaks for itself, indicating that this teaching has Eastern origins with Chinese roots. Literally, feng shui translates to “winds and waters” (from “feng” – winds and “shui” – waters). It is essential to know the key moments in the history of feng shui in China.
The Russian scholar I.A. Alimov notes that “the ideas of feng shui date back to ancient times and were initially associated primarily with burial rituals.” Since ancient China had a developed cult of ancestor worship, which gradually evolved into their deification, the custom arose to place the deceased in a “posthumous dwelling” that met the requirements of comfort and peace. The choice of burial site was closely linked to certain external factors such as terrain, celestial sphere, and the orientation of cardinal directions.
As reported by Alimov, “the term feng shui itself first appears in the written works in the treatise ‘Zang shu’ (‘Book of Burial’), attributed to Guo Pu (276–324), who is considered one of the highest authorities of ancient Chinese feng shui. The years of his life, according to Alimov, are regarded as the ‘golden age’ of feng shui.
As a systematic teaching, feng shui formed during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). It is also important to mention the work of Wang Wei (420–479), “Huang-di zhai jing” (“The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Dwelling”), which is considered the oldest document of its kind.
Subsequently, the practice of feng shui gained great popularity in China, even in the state, to the extent that in the 7th century, by the emperor's order, a council was established consisting of over a hundred scholars tasked with thoroughly reviewing the existing literature on feng shui and selecting the best samples. This was an attempt at the highest governmental level to limit the widespread dissemination of distortions of the early feng shui system and cleanse it of superstitions, false theories, and speculation.
During the Tang dynasty, feng shui split into two main schools: the school of forms (the Ganchzhou school) and the Min school (the Fujian school). These two schools significantly differed in practice, as the “school of forms” paid great attention to the terrain, while the Min school, formed in the 13th century under the influence of Neo-Confucianism, placed greater importance on astrology. These two schools exist in various forms even today.
Despite the fact that today one of the most popular feng shui gurus in Russia and the world is the Chinese Lillian Too, the history of feng shui's appearance in Russia is not directly related to China.
In his article "Feng Shui: A Trap for the Simpleton," Boris Rudenko states, "The first information about feng shui in Europe was brought by Ernst Eitel, a renowned sinologist who worked in China for many years in a Christian mission. His book, published in 1873, is titled ‘Feng Shui, or the Rudiments of Natural Sciences in China.’ Later, Eitel’s colleagues, distinguished sinologists like the Dutch Johann de Groot and the Englishman Joseph Needham, published works on feng shui."
Rudenko notes that feng shui, along with other Eastern practices, entered Russia in the early 1990s from Europe. The widespread interest in Eastern mysticism in Europe, and subsequently in Russia, became a catalyst for the adoption of feng shui ideas by many citizens, many of whom lacked spiritual immunity amid a growing hunger for religion. The fall of the Iron Curtain and the general search for spirituality and meaning in the former Soviet Union were defining factors in this issue.
Oksana Runova, the head of a feng shui center in St. Petersburg, is one of the leading promoters of feng shui in Russia. This center is known for teaching the basics of feng shui in Russia and organizing meetings with foreign feng shui masters from both Europe and Asia.
Feng shui practitioners claim that "skillful application of feng shui laws allows us to always remain within the framework of our Russian tradition." However, any educated person knows that Russian culture and traditions are closely linked to the Orthodox faith. If we are precise, Russian national culture and statehood derive from Orthodoxy. But what commonality exists between Orthodoxy and feng shui? It is necessary to understand what modern feng shui practices entail.
At its core, feng shui is based on a certain energy called "qi," which permeates everything. This teaching stems from Daoism, China's national religion. Daoism is a pantheistic religion, and thus, "qi" is an impersonal energy spread throughout the universe. In contrast, Orthodoxy teaches about God the Creator—a Personal Being with Three Hypostases: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Daoism calls for the merging of humans with qi, ultimately leading to the depersonalization of individuals. Orthodoxy speaks of restoring the original communion between humanity and God, lost due to the spiritual catastrophe of the fall.
In Daoism, meditation is a practice aimed at dispersing human attention, whereas Orthodoxy emphasizes attentive prayer as a means of communication between humans and their Creator. This distinction alone is sufficient to acknowledge the profound differences between Christianity and Daoism.
Orthodox apologist Vitaly Pitanov quotes Lillian Too, who states in one of her books, "Feng shui is indeed akin to magic; it often seems that some mystical force comes into play." However, magic is a kind of binding agent for paganism and various occult practices that seek to dominate the material and spiritual worlds. The goal of magic is power over people and the world. So, what "mystical force" is Lillian Too referring to? Is this not an attempt to once again "taste the forbidden fruit from the occult tree"?
The magical nature of feng shui is easily illustrated through a simple example related to furniture rearrangement as a means of controlling qi energy. Feng shui advocates believe that by moving or replacing furniture, certain successes or failures are linked to how they arranged their furniture in their home. This, however, is unrelated to interior design. In such a case, there is no room for human errors and imperfections, where personal growth and self-improvement are usually necessary. In feng shui, everything is straightforward: place the bed in a specific "spatial zone" and await success. In this sense, all reasonable and rational actions are sacrificed to ideas of furniture rearrangement, rubbing "money toads," and similar activities.
Happiness, success, and wealth are perceived as synonymous by feng shui proponents. But in the history of the past and in modern life, do we see only the wealthy as happy? We have long understood that "the rich also cry," and here, the clear substitution of core values occurs in feng shui due to human greed. It's no surprise that people say, "Happiness is not in money." The Bible states, "For the love of money is the root of all evil."
Moreover, the scientific validity of feng shui is highly questionable, as science engages in the empirical study of material phenomena, while feng shui is merely a collection of elements of Eastern mysticism that has brought no benefits to academic science. Science is foreign to superstition.
Finally, as Pitanov rightly points out, "The logic used by Lillian Too is purely sectarian. The system is always right." This means that if a person, following the "canons" of feng shui, does not achieve positive results, the problem lies within the person, not feng shui. Truly, "with such an approach, one can prove the validity of any system."
First, it is essential to acknowledge that there was an ancient teaching in China called feng shui, or what one might call classical feng shui today, associated with specific traditions and culture of ancient China, primarily linked to the cult of the dead's burial. However, modern popular feng shui has almost nothing in common with that ancient practice. The classical feng shui system is quite complex; special schools existed in China where masters taught feng shui, and the learning process lasted up to 35 years. Most of the "popular" literature abundantly available in bookstores has a questionable relation to genuine feng shui. The study of classical feng shui remains the realm of specialists.
Second, modern feng shui practitioners claim that it is a science. In reality, China has its original ancient science. In this science, numerology and its classification systems replace logic. The oldest and canonical forms of classical Chinese philosophy were realized in numerology. The foundation of Chinese numerology consists of three types of concepts, reflecting all three main kinds of graphic symbols used in traditional Chinese culture: symbols, numbers, and characters.
So-called modern feng shui masters attempt to use elements of Chinese natural philosophy in their practices without a genuine understanding of their meaning and origins, without seriously studying the language, history, and culture of China. For something to be called a science, it must be studied comprehensively, comparing one with another.
Third, the religious component of modern feng shui exists, but only as a form of religious syncretism. One can find various elements in modern feng shui practice: Daoist teachings, Buddhism, Confucian doctrines, ancient Chinese mythology, Hindu religious practices, Chinese astrology, magic, etc.
It is also important to note that Daoism is the most original religious teaching of China and deserves separate careful study. For instance, where the term Logos stands in the Gospel of John, the Chinese translation uses the term Dao, meaning "The Way." Our contemporary sinologist, hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), compared Laozi's teaching with that of Greek philosophers and found much in common. We know that philosophy was "a tutor to Christ" for the Hellenic world.
By utilizing elements of Eastern mythology, religion, mysticism, and philosophy—things modern consumers are so eager for—feng shui promoters declare that the primary life goals are money, wealth, and success. It should also be noted that feng shui courses are fee-based, and with each new level, the payment increases. In the absence of a unified religious cult in feng shui practice, the commercial aspect is evident, characterizing it as a corporate cult.
In their spiritual search, individuals must honestly weigh the values offered by different cultures, verify the information received, and simply follow principles of common sense. Thus, it is crucial to learn to think critically, not to seek "cheap" answers to complex questions, but to evaluate and compare information against the data of science and history to draw correct conclusions and avoid falling prey to pseudo-ideas and religious sects.