1 Dương Trạch Tam Yếu 陽宅三要 陽宅三要 : the Three Most Important Elements
"Dương Trạch Tam Yếu" (門 – 主 – 灶) = THE DOOR, THE MASTER BEDROOM and THE STOVE.
These three settle 80% of a house's feng shui.
| Element | Chinese characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| MÔN (門) | The main door | Receives the Qi, takes in the energy |
| CHỦ (主) | The master or sleeping room | Restores, rests |
| TÁO (灶) | The stove | Nourishes the fate, sustains life |
The rule: the three must GENERATE one another or be in ACCORD.
If the three conflict, the household falls into discord and wealth declines.
2 The Main Door 大門 : Where the Qi Enters
1. Why it matters
- Its role: the main door is the MOUTH of the house, where the living Qi comes in.
- The saying: "First the door, second the bedroom, third the stove" → the door comes first.
- A good door: takes in living Qi, and the household is at peace.
- A bad door: takes in Sha Qi, and brings illness and failure.
2. Rules for placing the main door
- Facing: the main door should open onto an AUSPICIOUS direction for the householder's trigram.
- Light: it should be bright and open, with nothing blocking it.
- Avoid: do not face the stairs, a lavatory, a large mirror or the back door.
3. Door dimensions by the Lỗ Ban 魯班 rule 魯班尺
- The Lỗ Ban rule 魯班尺: it divides into 8 sections: Tài 財, Bệnh 病, Ly 離, Nghĩa 義, Quan 官, Kiếp 劫, Hại 害 and Bản 本.
- The GOOD sections: Tài (財), Nghĩa (義), Quan (官), Bản (本).
- The BAD sections: Bệnh (病), Ly (離), Kiếp (劫), Hại (害).
- Common good dimensions: 81cm, 88cm, 106cm, 126cm, 168cm and so on
3 The stove 廚房 : Where the Fate Is Nourished
1. Why it matters
- Its role: The stove is Fire: it sustains life, wealth and the family's health.
- A good stove: good food, a harmonious family, prospering wealth.
- A bad stove: digestive illness, money lost, discord in the household.
2. Rules for placing the stove
- Position: the stove should stand in an AUSPICIOUS direction for the householder's trigram.
- Avoid: Do not place the stove facing a lavatory or the main door, or under a beam.
3. The facing of the stove
- How to establish it: the "facing of the stove" is the direction the cook FACES, not the direction the back of the stove points.
- Another school: some schools take the "facing of the stove" as the direction of the burner control, where the fire faces out.
- The rule: the facing of the stove should lie in an auspicious direction for the householder's trigram.
4 The Bedroom 臥室 : Where Energy Is Restored
1. Why it matters
- Its role: A person spends a third of a lifetime in bed, so the bedroom weighs heavily on health and fortune.
2. Rules for the bedroom
- Position: The bedroom should lie in an AUSPICIOUS direction: Sinh Khí 生氣, Thiên Y 天醫, Diên Niên 延年 or Phục Vị 伏位.
- Quiet: the bedroom needs quiet, away from noise and strong light.
3. Placing the bed
- Against a wall: the head of the bed must rest against a solid wall.
- No mirror: do not let a mirror face the bed.
- No beam: do not put the bed under a beam or a concrete girder.
- Facing: The head of the bed should point to an AUSPICIOUS direction for the trigram.
5 The Living Room 客廳
- It should be spacious, bright and open: this is where the Qi chiefly gathers.
- The sofa should rest AGAINST A SOLID WALL, facing the main door, so the door is in view.
- A round or oval coffee table (Metal form) or a square one (Earth form) is GOOD.
- A round-leaved plant in the corner raises the living Qi.
- The television or entertainment opposite the sofa makes sense.
- Do not let clutter build up, as it blocks the flow of Qi.
- Avoid too many large mirrors, as the reflections unsettle.
6 The Altar 神位 : The Sacred Place
1. Rules for placing the altar
- Position: Place it somewhere dignified, high and clean.
- Facing: Face it towards the main door or an AUSPICIOUS direction.
- Avoid: Do not place it facing or beside a lavatory, the stove or the stairs.
2. The altar of Thần Tài 財神 and Ông Địa 土地公 財神土地
- Position: Place it on a LOW TABLE at ground level.
- Facing: Face it towards the main door, to welcome wealth in.
- Arrangement: Thần Tài 財神 on the left, Ông Địa 土地公 on the right.
- Offerings: always a cup of water, fresh flowers and fruit.
7 The Lavatory 廁所/浴室 : Where the Qi Drains
1. The rules
- Its nature: the lavatory is heavy with YIN QI, where bad Qi gathers.
- Position: It should sit in an INAUSPICIOUS direction: Ngũ Quỷ 五鬼, Họa Hại 禍害, Lục Sát 六煞 or Tuyệt Mệnh 絕命, to suppress it.
- Cleanliness: ALWAYS keep the lavatory door shut and the lid down.
- Ventilation: keep it clean, dry and well ventilated.
2. What to avoid with a lavatory
- Trung Cung 中宮: a lavatory in the CENTRAL PALACE is ★ THE WORST, as it fouls the centre.
- Facing the main door: a lavatory FACING the main door loses wealth and looks bad.
- Facing the stove: a lavatory FACING the stove sets Water against Fire.
- Facing or beside the shrine room: a lavatory FACING or BESIDE the shrine room is disrespectful.
- Above the master bedroom: a lavatory ABOVE the master bedroom presses down on the householder.
- Above the stove: a lavatory ABOVE the stove sets Water pressing on Fire.
8 The Stairs 樓梯
- The stairs are the QI CHANNEL carrying Qi up and down between floors.
- They should curve and turn gently, like a Dragon Vein 龍脈, which is GOOD.
- Avoid stairs running STRAIGHT up from the main door, as the Qi runs straight through and wealth scatters.
- Avoid stairs in the Central Palace 中宮, which disturbs the centre.
- The number of steps should be odd, that is Yang, at the last step, so the final footfall is Yang.
- Avoid a spiral staircase that is too narrow, as the Qi is drawn into a vortex.
9 Trung Cung 中宮, the Central Palace 中宮 : The Centre of the House
- The Central Palace 中宮 is the HEART of the house, and matters more than anywhere else.
- IT SHOULD BE: open, clean and bright, either left empty or given to the living room.
- AVOID: a lavatory, the stove, the stairs, a storeroom or anything heavy in the Central Palace.
- A fouled Central Palace affects every member of the household.
10 Colour by the Five Phases
| Phase | Colour | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Metal 金 | White, silver, metallic | Bedroom, office: clean and tidy |
| Wood 木 | Green | Living room, study |
| Water 水 | Black, blue, deep blue | Lavatory, wet areas; use sparingly in a bedroom |
| Fire 火 | Red, orange, pink, purple | Kitchen, dining room, living room, as an accent and not too much |
| Earth 土 | Yellow, brown, beige | Anywhere: neutral and steady |
🎨 Choosing colour by the householder's destiny
- A Metal destiny uses Earth (yellow or brown, which generates Metal) or Metal (white, in accord).
- A Wood destiny uses Water (blue, which generates Wood) or Wood (green).
- A Water destiny uses Metal (white, which generates Water) or Water (black or deep blue).
- A Fire destiny uses Wood (green, which generates Fire) or Fire (red).
- An Earth destiny uses Fire (red, which generates Earth) or Earth (yellow or brown).
11 Plants in Feng Shui
1. Good plants indoors
- Kim Tiền, Zamioculcas: wealth, and easy to keep.
- Lưỡi Hổ, Sansevieria: dissolves Sha, cleans the air.
- Vạn Niên Thanh, Dieffenbachia: long life, green all year.
- Lan Ý, the peace lily: purifies, brings harmony.
- Phát Tài, Pachira: wealth and good fortune.
2. Plants to avoid indoors
- Thorny plants: cacti and roses create Sha Qi.
- Plants that shed heavily: a symbol of decline.
- Wilted or dead plants: replace them at once; do not keep them.
- Artificial flowers and plants: they carry no real living Qi.
12 A Quick Summary: A Feng Shui Checklist for the House
| Area | Check |
|---|---|
| The main door | Bright? No Lộ Xung 路沖? No Xuyên Đường 穿堂? |
| The stove | Not facing a lavatory? Not facing the main door? |
| Bedroom | Bed against a wall? No mirror facing it? Quiet? |
| The altar | Dignified? Not under or facing a lavatory? |
| The lavatory | In an inauspicious direction? Door always shut? Clean? |
| Living room | Spacious and bright? Sofa against a wall? Airy? |
| Staircase | Not in line with the main door? Not in the Central Palace 中宮? |
| The Central Palace 中宮 | Open? No lavatory, stove or store? |
| The surroundings | No Thiên Trảm 天斬? No Phản Cung 反弓? |
🧭 PART 2 · 宅命配合
1 Establishing the Facing of the House
1. How to establish it
- The facing of the house: the direction the MAIN DOOR opens onto. Some schools use the largest frontage or the main balcony.
- Tọa 坐, the sitting: the direction OPPOSITE the facing.
- An example: a house facing SOUTH sits in the NORTH, which is called "sitting Khảm 坎, facing Ly 離".
2. The Sitting and Facing table
| Facing, the front | Sitting, the back |
|---|---|
| North (Khảm 坎) | South (Ly 離) |
| Northeast (Cấn 艮) | Southwest (Khôn 坤) |
| East (Chấn 震) | West (Đoài 兌) |
| Southeast (Tốn 巽) | Northwest (Càn 乾) |
| South (Ly 離) | North (Khảm 坎) |
| Southwest (Khôn 坤) | Northeast (Cấn 艮) |
| West (Đoài 兌) | East (Chấn 震) |
| Northwest (Càn 乾) | Southeast (Tốn 巽) |
2 The Ming Gua 命卦 (Eight Mansions 八宅)
The Ming Gua rests on the YEAR OF BIRTH and the SEX, and falls into two groups:
| THE EAST FOUR GROUP 東四命 東四命 | THE WEST FOUR GROUP 西四命 西四命 |
|---|---|
| • Khảm 坎 (1) – North | • Càn 乾 (6) – Northwest |
| • Chấn 震 (3) – East | • Đoài 兌 (7) – West |
| • Tốn 巽 (4) – Southeast | • Cấn 艮 (8) – Northeast |
| • Ly 離 (9) – South | • Khôn 坤 (2) – Southwest |
| Good directions: N, E, SE, S | Good directions: NW, W, NE, SW |
📋 The East and West Four rule
- An East Four person belongs in an East Four house 東四宅, one facing east.
- A West Four person belongs in a West Four house 西四宅, one facing west.
3 The Eight Directions, Auspicious and Inauspicious
Every Ming Gua has 4 AUSPICIOUS and 4 INAUSPICIOUS directions:
The 4 auspicious directions:
| Sinh Khí 生氣 生氣 | THE BEST: wealth, benefactors, growth |
|---|---|
| Thiên Y 天醫 天醫 | Health, healing, help from doctors |
| Diên Niên 延年 延年 | Marriage, affection, long life |
| Phục Vị 伏位 伏位 | Stability, peace, harmony |
The 4 inauspicious directions:
| Họa Hại 禍害 禍害 | Minor illness, gossip, trouble |
|---|---|
| Lục Sát 六煞 六殺 | Wandering affections, deception, tangled feelings |
| Ngũ Quỷ 五鬼 五鬼 | Fire, theft, hauntings |
| Tuyệt Mệnh 絕命 絕命 | THE WORST: serious illness, ruin, no heirs |
In practice:
- THE MAIN DOOR, THE BEDROOM and THE STOVE go in AUSPICIOUS directions.
- THE LAVATORY and STORAGE go in INAUSPICIOUS directions.
4 Applying This by Type of Building
1. A town house
- Facing: The main door, on the street.
- What marks it: a narrow depth, so the Bright Hall 明堂 is limited.
- Arrangement: Living room at the front, kitchen in the middle or at the back, bedrooms upstairs.
- Note: a light well stands in for the Bright Hall 明堂 and provides ventilation.
2. A villa
- Facing: The main gate, or the largest frontage.
- The advantage: a garden makes a good Bright Hall 明堂.
- Arrangement: Flexible: you can add an aquarium, a pond or an artificial Sa 砂.
3. An apartment
- Facing: The main door OF THE APARTMENT, not the lobby door of the block.
- Another school: The facing is the largest balcony, where the Qi chiefly enters.
- The Four Guardians 四靈: the Dragon is the corridor and the lift. The Sa 砂 is the neighbouring blocks.
4. An office or a shop
- The main door: facing a main road, to welcome customers.
- The cash desk: place it in the Sinh Khí 生氣 or Thiên Y 天醫 direction.
- The manager's desk: sitting in an AUSPICIOUS direction, back to the wall, facing the door.
- Please note: Avoid a seat with its back to the door, which unsettles.
5 In Summary
📋 Yang Dwelling feng shui in summary: house facing & Ming Gua
The Three Essentials of the Yang Dwelling 陽宅三要 are the door, the master bedroom and the stove, and they must generate one another. Establish the facing of the house by the main door or the frontage. Compare it with the householder's East Four or West Four Ming Gua 命卦 to choose a suitable facing. The AUSPICIOUS directions, Sinh Khí 生氣, Thiên Y 天醫, Diên Niên 延年 and Phục Vị 伏位, take the door, the bedroom and the stove. The INAUSPICIOUS directions take the lavatory and storage. This applies to town houses, villas, apartments and offices alike.