(171) Is there an auspicious site?

By Janet Shin

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People all dream of instant wealth. For many, it would be hitting the jackpot in the stock market or winning a huge cash prize in a lottery. While we still have various wishes, such as true love or good health and longevity, money fortunes seem to be everybody's desire, even for those who are already loaded.

People play the lottery hoping for a big win. In poor economic times, more and more people indulge. Despite a slim chance of winning, they still have dreams of going on a spending spree and quitting their unstable and low-salaried jobs. As a means to improve the odds of winning, people search for lottery outlets with many first prize tickets sold.

It is said that there are almost 18,000 lottery outlets in South Korea. And many of them put up advertising banners saying that they are the lucky stores and have yielded many prize winners. We never know whether their claims are true.

There are some stores known as Lotto "myeongdang", or an auspicious site for Lotto. People form long queues to buy Lotto tickets at these lucky stores. Some are located far away but people are not dissuaded by travel times.

There was news that a man got five first prizes by purchasing the same numbered lotto tickets at a convenience store in western Seoul. As a result, the store was overrun with people eager to buy lotto tickets, hoping they may have the same luck.

Some feng shui masters have researched those places and restaurants that are packed with people.

There are certain conditions to be an auspicious site, according to feng shui. The fundamental one is how to protect from negative energy and preserve positive vitality.

Among others, we must be aware of the influence of roads and buildings in a modern environment.

Literally speaking, "feng" stands for wind, and "shui" for water. So it is a study of how to stay away from harmful wind and change it to favorable energy, while water is considered to bring wealth. It is not a surprising theory considering the world's major civilizations all developed near rivers. In present time, traffic has contributed a great deal to the social, cultural and industrial developments. Therefore, it is imperative to see the flow of roads around your residence as well as your places of business.

Then, what conditions will bring you good luck?

First of all, roads must embrace your location. If you are placed on the outside edge of curving roads, you will be hit by poisonous energy. On top of that you should avoid living near a high-level road. An overpass brings precarious traffic to hit your place with killer energy.

If you are to run a store, many of you would look for a junction, expecting it has a large floating population. However it can be oa deadly environment. You have to especially avoid T-junctions. The traffic is moving fast towards the building and it creates a killer arrow. The same applies to a dead-end street. The energy cannot circulate anymore when your house is located at a dead-end.

Last but not least, it is better not to live in a house located on a downhill road. It is a place where money is leaking.

Once you select an auspicious site, you need to think about the shape of the building. A long narrow entrance will bring you better and longer-lasting fortune than a wide entrance with a shallow inside.

Other than the condition of roads, the physical environment around your building also brings you either harmful or vital energy. Poisonous energy can be created by sharp or pointed structures of large buildings. Since it is not easy to completely avoid this intimidating environment, you need to think carefully how to manage it. The larger it is, the worse it is.

According to the feng shui masters who evaluated lucky Lotto stores, they confirmed that the stores met these criteria for auspicious sites. They also said that some stores were built on a location that one had a well. The water implies wealth. Tall trees growing in the front or back yards may cause misfortune. So after cutting down tall trees, certain stores were able to have good luck of myeongdang.

Some Chinese characters signifying "...ing" and "difficult", symbolize trees inside fences or gates.

However, on second thoughts, you should be able to realize, if the stores are auspicious, it will bring fortune to the owner of the stores not to those who buy lotto tickets. It could be just wishful thinking waiting in line to purchase lotto tickets there.

Information: Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the "Four Pillars of Destiny?" For further information, visit Janet's website at www.fourpillarskorea.com, contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com.

The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea, and the author of "Learning Four Pillars".