Farewell to my Dearest Shi Fu 師父再見

Early this morning received news that Grandmaster Lau had passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

It was quite sudden to take it all in, however in our many conversations, master did told me that his time would come any day, because he have lived surpassed his departure time and any extras he would just enjoy it as it happens. That conversation was like 10 years ago. As I write this article, so many memories of him flashes inside my mind.

I still remember clearly the first time I met him more than 13 years ago. After initial communication with him through fax and telephone, I went to Hong Kong to learn from him. I was surprised because he insisted on picking me up from the airport. Upon arriving, I met not only him and Mrs Lau 師母, but also few of his disciples that he brought along to welcome me.

He told me he was glad to have seen me finally and also to saw my face and he was relieved. Because Master Lau is very good in face reading. Relieved in a sense he can impart me the Feng Shui lineage knowledge in seeing that my face does not some indication of traitor or heartless person.

Learning from him went on for the following 8 years. Initially I would sometime spent 2-3 weeks twice a year or more in Hong Kong. Almost all the time, it would be 1 on 1 learning from him. Still remember the usual schedule of me taking a light train then a bus early in the morning from hotel, to arrive at his house. Learning until lunch time, then we go for lunch. After that usually he would have 1 or 2 appointments for the day and he would brought me along. After which he would brief me on why he advised the client those remedies.

師母 would accompany master in all his work and also teachings. We walked all the Hong Kong famous dragons spots and veins. They also took me to all those famous burial sites around Yuen Long area, showed me step by step on how it is done and what are the things to look out for.

His knowledge on Feng Shui is almost encyclopedic not to mention his vast amount of experiences. He always tell us (his disciples) he does not have time to specialize or focus on so many things, so he chose to only specialize in Feng Shui. Amid his knowledge in all Chinese metaphysics including Chinese TCM is astounding.

Not only did he taught me what REAL Feng Shui is all about, he also taught me compassion when we saw that he work tirelessly for those that cannot afford his service or even those that took advantage of his compassion. Yet he can still go on and helped them.

I also learn a lot of Feng Shui work ethics by simply observing how he handles his client, cases that he has done and also all his written works for the Feng Shui community.

He taught me 'each cases that you take up, treat it as your own home or office, then your recommendation will always be the best in mind for your client'. I have taken this advice and continue to put it to practice for the past decade of my own practice

Photo with GrandMaster Lau and Mrs Lau

Even my 2 sons name is selected by my master.

師父 Shi Fu， I would not have the type of the life I am living, if it is not because of your generosity to impart your knowledge of the Han Wu Lineage to me and all other disciples. I am forever in gratitude. Without the knowledge, I would also not be able to go on and affect so many lives for the better.

Each time I turned the Lou Pan I will remember all you have taught me. I would not be sad, because knowing that you are an accomplished cultivator you would have left peacefully and go onwards to your next journey confidently.

As a disciple, I can only hope to walk in the shadows of your footsteps. Your Feng Shui legacy would continue on and if we do have the affinity, may we meet again! As you always said, 'Those in Feng Shui and Destiny, we don't do long good byes as we know affinity decides everything. May you have a speedy journey ahead.

IPO also depends on your destiny....

After more than 10 years in the industry and clients from all types of industries, there's bound to be some stories or incidents worth sharing. I'm going to start the week with a case that relates to IPO.

About more than 6 years back, one of my client asked me whether the company he is working for will be able to go for public listing. I took a look at the partners involved and told him, either they make the move within these 2 years or the window will be lost forever.

About close to 2 years after he asked me, he told me he relayed my analysis to the group of consultants that were helping them for the listing exercise. The group told him, if such outcome can be determine by BaZi alone, then all of them don't have to spend many years in their specialized finance field.

And my client further told me they plan to list their company maybe a year or 2 later.

After another 2 years they totally drop the listing idea. A key director passed away, while others have since resigned.

The moral of the story is not about the accuracy of my analysis, but timing - The Macro Timing and also the relation to a person's destiny. History have taught us that many individuals with incredible skills and wits but somehow did not amount to much due to lack of chance. What is chance? Timing with the prepared skills. Do you know when to cash in? When to cash out? When to stay still and when to go all out?

Feng Shui Setup or Spiritual Help which is the Priority?

Received a call from a long time client about 3 weeks ago. He told me that he is now experiencing hard times. He have just moved the 4th times to an office. His first and 2nd office was audited by me. Currently his business also cannot make enough to pay for his staff salary. He has no where to turn to except trying his luck to ask for my help.

When I audited his business office, he made decent profit and business was growing. That was the condition he was in when I last met him. He did not engage me on his 3rd time moving, and to me that was normal because maybe he finds that luck was on his side and my services was not needed anymore.

I have decided to helped him out due to his past standing as good client. He told me he cannot afford to pay my fees however he will be willing to pay me once he is stable again.
Cleared my appointment on the nearest availability and decided to audit his place as fast as possible.

When I arrived on to audit his current office, the first thing I noticed was there was quite a number of Taoist spiritual implements inside his office. I checked the site with my Loupan and discovered that the front door location and direction is actually not bad for his type of business.

However once inside, all the Feng Shui setup was wrong. From his sitting location, his staff sitting location, enhancing the qi for the type of business plus even the water exits within is all not conducive for his business.

No wonder he is in such a mess.  His personal space within the office has a lot of Taoist spiritual implements from sword to flags to even ancient chinese coins below the desk and a whole lot more.

I advised him to relocate those spiritual items, consolidate some of it while others that cannot be use to be place in storage. He looked at me with a puzzling look. I am not surprised, because in all those years of him knowing me and conducted 2 audits for his office, never once did I mentioned to him about using spiritual implements nor about my Taoist background.

Seeing his puzzling look, I knew if I did not elaborate on my Taoist background he was not going to remove those items. I continue to explained to him that one of the talisman which he painstakingly went to a South Thailand Taoist Temple to obtain is actually one of my Taoist lineage. I further briefly informed him on 2 more Taoist lineage that I am holding, and the reason spiritually why he should relocate those items and consolidate them.

I always believe, if a Feng Shui Master is good at what he is doing, he does not need to use other fields of knowledge to solve the Feng Shui problem. Example, adding spiritual context into solving a Feng Shui problem. On the other hand, if a Taoist Master is good at what he is doing, he does not need to add Feng Shui into solving spiritual matters. Using spiritual method alone will be able to solve the spiritual problems.

Furthermore, I do not like to confuse my client on who are they actually hiring, The Feng Shui Master or the Taoist Master? If in doubt, usually I assure them that you are hiring a practical logical Feng Shui Master who have strong Taoist religious belief. This rarely happen because 90% of my client knows me as a Feng Shui master or practitioner only.

After advicing on the recommendations, finally I gave him some talisman to solve his existing pressing business problem. Because to wait for the Feng Shui setup to run its course requires at least 10 days in which the time he does not have at the moment. Told him the spiritual help is pro-bono but make sure he pays my Feng Shui due fees when he is ok again.

Moral of the story -
1. Remember your Feng Shui Master when you are having a good run.
2. Spiritual methods will work once your environment setup is done correctly. Or else the spiritual help will be like trying to push a heavy cart uphill, you cannot continuously use spiritual method to solve a basic Feng Shui environmental mistake.
3. Remember your Feng Shui Master when you are having a good run. (its not a typo repeat)