Master Lim Eng Cheong demonstrated extraordinary talent in Chinese Metaphysics and Destiny Analysis from an early age. Today he is the Principle Consultant of Chang Consultancy LLP, Editor of the online magazine Prosper Times and lecturer in Qi Men Dun Jia with the Singapore Feng Shui Centre. In his first article with Feng Shui Today he talks about using the IV Pillars of Destiny to guide us towards achieving good health.
I see many clients who consulted me on their fortunes based on Four Pillars (四柱 ) or commonly known as Eight Characters / BaZi (八字 ). When will my good luck come? Will my husband be loving? These are the frequently asked questions. People are often very concerned about their career, wealth, relationship or romance but health matters seem to be of lower priority to many of them. In my opinion, on the contrary, I would place health as the highest priority. Without health, you will not be able to achieve many good things in life. That’s why in all my destiny analysis reports to my clients, I will read their health condition from their BaZi and include a section on health related matters, regardless of whether they requested for it or whether they like it or not. Good health is priceless. This is a valuable piece of information that I am giving my clients.
Health Versus Wealth
I came across an interesting story about two men. Let us just call them Tom and Dick. Tom is a billionaire, a wealthy businessman but suffers from poor health and has only three years left on his lifespan. Dick is the opposite. Dick can barely make ends meet but he is in the pink of his health. Tom and Dick have different desires and wishes. Tom wishes for good health, while Dick hopes for more money. One fine day, a fairy came along to grant them their hopes and wishes. “I can give away my fortune to exchange for good health”, said Tom. “I have been a pauper all my life and I want to be a rich man before I die”, pleaded Dick. The fairy took pity and told them that she would grant them their wishes by exchanging their identities! Nods of agreement and a resounding “Yes” was heard from both men. The fairy cast a magic spell and chanted “Abracadabra”. Whoosh! The identities of both men were swopped accordingly.
Their wishes had come true. Dick was a rich man now but was ill. Tom was healthy but poor. Dick has been a health conscious person and has been poor in managing his finances. He starts to spend lots and lots of money to cure his illness. Eventually, he recovers from his illness and regains his health but he has depleted his entire fortune. How about Tom? Tom finds himself in good health and begins to work hard for his money. Tom is brilliant in managing his business but does not know how to take care of himself and his health declines. In the end, Tom is able to amass huge wealth but is once again plagued by illnesses. What does the story tell us? Without good health, wealth is nothing!
Very often, we do not know how to take care of ourselves. We are always busy with work, career, socialising and pursuing material comfort but we forget to give ourselves some space and time to relax and rest well. Being healthy does not just mean exercising, going to the gym or eating nutritiously. More importantly, it is our mental state. The need to feel relaxed, contented and happy. Are you going too fast and flying too high? Slow down your pace and start to look beyond your work and materialistic pursuits. Taking care of your health is not a future task. Tomorrow’s good health starts TODAY!
Health Matters
Similar to the binary system of zeros and ones, the Chinese use Yin and Yang (阴阳 ) to categorise everything in our universe. The energies in our environment can be represented by the Five Elements (五行 ), which are Metal (金), Water (水), Wood (木), Fire (火) and Earth (土). The Five Elements co-exist and interact with each other in our atmosphere. Only when balance or equilibrium is maintained among the Yin / Yang and the Five Elementscan harmony and order be achieved. If they are out of proportion, chaos and undesirable effects will occur.
Based on our birth data and using the Chinese Xia Calendar (夏历 ), we can erect the BaZi chart of a person easily. The chart is represented by eight characters that symbolise the Yin Yang and Five Elements composition of that person. The eight characters can be likened to our DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) or the genetic information that is unique to us. DNA sequencing reveals our genetic code and also sheds light on our health condition. Analysing the BaZi, without using sophisticated devices, we can examine a person’s well being and the hidden health threats too! If any of the Five Elements do not exist in an amiable manner or exist in unbalanced proportion, then this person is likely to develop illnesses related to that particular element.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also uses the Five Elements concept in its diagnosis. Our organs, senses, body parts and even different tastes can be categorised under the Five Elements. For example, Metal (金) refers to our lungs (肺), Water (水) relates to our kidneys (肾), liver (肝) is represented by Wood (木), Fire (火) governs the heart (心) and Earth (土) symbolises our spleen (脾).
We know that smoking is bad for our lungs. It can also be explained from the concept of the Five Elements. Smoking requires lighting a cigarette, which is a burning process that is related to the Fire element. According to the Cycle of Destruction, Fire melts Metal (火克金 ). Metal represents our lungs, thus smoking is detrimental to our lungs. We are also aware that excessive consumption of alcohol is unhealthy and is especially damaging to our liver. Why is this so? Alcohol, which has a pungent taste, is represented by the Metal element. Metal chops down Wood (金克木 ), thus weakening the liver. Liver helps to neutralise the toxins in our body. If the liver is weakened, the blood, which is represented by the Fire element, will be affected. As Wood is the resource of Fire, a weakened Wood will eventually cause the Fire to diminish in strength. High blood pressure or heartrelated disease is usually a case of the Fire element being out of proportion. To keep the blood pressure in check, a Chinese physician will normally prescribe medication that will help to strengthen the kidneys. This will help to strengthen the Water element, which will in turn keep the strong Fire element in check.
Examining a person’s BaZi helps to identify the root cause of an illness. It is only when we tackle the root cause, will we then be able use the most effective solution and eradicate the problem totally. Using BaZi to tackle illness is especially beneficial when medical doctors are unable to identify root cause despite putting the patient under numerous medical tests and examinations.
Understand BaZi to Slim Down
Slimming down is not just restricted to the realm of pretty ladies or beauty professionals. Obesity has a profound influence on our health. Obesity is often the culprit for heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Getting in shape is everyone’s responsibility. Are we able to see from our BaZi weight gain tendency? The answer is yes. Weight gain is normally due to several factors and nutritional unbalance is one of them. Our digestive system is related to the Earth element. When the Earth element is out of proportion, there is a high tendency that our body shape is out of proportion too. People who are born in the month of January, April, July or October are more likely to lose control of their weight during the year of the Snake, Horse and Goat. The best way is to cut down the intake of sugars and high calorie food. Regular exercise is also a great way to keep your weight in check.
