龍門八大局乾坤國寶 - DRAGON GATE EIGHT FORMATIONS QIANKUN NATIONAL TREASURES WATER METHOD, A DISCOURSE BY HHC

THE DISCOURSE

Master HC Hung has recently concluded his maiden course in Dragon Gate Eight Formations (LMBDJ) 龍門八大局 or QianKun National Treasure (QKGB) 乾坤國寶 that took him only half a day to conclude. Well, according to him, it is rather a simple water method of FengShui compared to the others liked SanHe. However, reviewing what had been said, apparently,  there are plenty of 'potholes'to be filled making such a discourse rather good on theory but useless in application. In other words, it simply can't be applied and at such, one keeps wondering, what is the point of knowing this method, apparently the most popular in Taiwan, yet cannot be used? One student, while listening to the discourse was paled when he found out to his horror that the apartment unit he bought was not in formation to QKGB or LMBDJ caused he failed to find a solution to altered the formation. While the discourse suggested to him to use the technique of blocking or diverting but it is more easy to say then to be done. 

This paper attempt to dig a little further on this technique and hopefully fill up more 'potholes' along the way.

---

HOW IT ALL BEGINS

Apparently, this method was claimed to have been the original  Classics of Jade Envelope 玉函經. Due to the imperial stature of Classics of Jade Envelope 玉函經, it was elevated to the name of National Treasure 國寶. However, the birthplace of this method was in FuJian instead of GanZhou and therefore, it took a SanYuan approach and was renamed Dragon Gate Eight Formations (LMBDJ) 龍門八大局.  The Classics of Jade Envelope 玉函經 was largely attributed to Qiu YanHan 丘延翰 lived around 650CE and both served and insulted the Tang Emperor Yang XuanZhong (712-756CE). 

The FuJian School of FengShui claimed that the Great Grand master Yang JungSong 楊筠松 was never be found in the official historical records of the Historian. There was however, a very small position held by him as a prison warden. Fate has brought him to encounter a prisoner who is a well versed FengShui master known as Qiu YanHan 丘延翰. In an attempt to help this prisoner to escape, he was taught YuHan Jing, the Classics of Jade Envelope 玉函经. The Great Grandmaster Yang JungSong 楊筠松, as the warden, later shown a partly decomposed corpse to the Emperor, convincing his majesty that the deceased is indeed the FengShui master Qiu YanHan 丘延翰 that has been condemned to death. Predicting that his deception may not last forever, he took an incident in the palace to flee to FuJian. Therefore, LMBDJ or QKGB was born in FuJian. However, the Great Grand master Yang JungSong 楊筠松 was born in 843CE and to some account Qiu YanHan 丘延翰 must have lived at least 200 years before he could tutor him. 

This method of LMBDJ or QKGB was made popular in Taiwan by the so claimed direct descendant of YangGong, the grand master Yang CangHua 陽藏華 circa 1860. He wrote the one and only book titled QianKun National Treasure (QKGB) 乾坤國寶 and became and FengShui Idol in the 19 century Taiwan with a large following. Modern schools started to mushroom taking the pages out of his work while some deliberately added other fringe techniques into it to make it even more complicated. Some even conducted FengShui tour taking iconic FengShui places liked the original shop of Ding TaiFung 鼎泰豐 to showcase the real application of LMBDJ or QKGB. 

With regards to the shady history of this technique, this masterpiece by Yang CangHua 陽藏華 apparently it was written taking the pages of YiLong Jing 疑龍經 and HanLong Jing 撼龍 經 to be expended with a whole loads of other jargon to make up the bulk.    

---

MOUNTAIN GOVERNS PEOPLE, WATER GOVERNS WEALTH ​山管人丁水管財

The discourse started with the phrase - Mountain governs people, Water governs wealth. The immediate question is Why? Hung explained from the point of view in Qi flow, where Qi in the mountains runs deep underground and the only way to tap into it is through burial. Consistent with the idea by GuoPu 郭璞 in his Burial Classics ZhangShu 葬書 that state In Bury is to Store; is to ride on ShengQi  葬者，藏也，乘生氣也​. Therefore by burying the dead, the living will be endowed with benevolent blessings, thus the so called people luck or Early Heaven luck.

In the same Qi flow theory, Hung has taken a passage from the same classic that state, Riding Wind Will Disperse, Entering the Boundary of Water It Stops 氣乘風散，界水則止. Therefore when you see water you are readily able to tap to create opportunity to make money or Later Heaven luck.

Problem: Can you see that they never tell you how to tap? Another stray question was when people gathers the population increase demands more high rise buildings resulted in packed living conditions. This is what the SanYuan terms Direct Spirit which is a manifestation of a mountain, Yin nature. In such condition of living, people are less affection with one another 無情. How can that sort of 'mountain' benefits people luck?

---

TAPPING QI 收氣

Hung attempted to explain that QKGB or LMBDJ as a FengShui technique constituted both land form LuanTou 巒頭 and formula LiQi  理氣. Land form must always take precedents over formula  理氣無真，巒頭無假.  So, the method tells you: 
​

1. Find a location that conform to the Eight Formations of LMBDG or QKGB. This is called in formation  合局.  That is where the knowledge of LuanTou 巒頭 becomes extremely useful. Please note that as far as LuanTou 巒頭 is concerned there is only one universal technique that covers both SanHe and SanYuan. 
2. Set up the property to receive the Qi based on LMBDJ or QKGB formation. This is called establish formation 定局.  That is where the knowledge of LiQi  理氣 becomes extremely useful. Please note that as far as LiQi  理氣 is concerned only LMDBJ or QKGB method of Qi management is applicable.

Now, here are the points of contention: -
​

1. In any genuine FengShui methodology, Early Heaven means things that is given and not to your control. In this case, land formation  LuanTou 巒頭.  You may artificially craft streams and make man made hills to artificially create a formation that befit LMBDJ or QKGB. This is called Later Heaven, where you are in control and you impose your will upon mother nature. That takes hell a lot of effort and resources that only an Emperor could afford. It becomes obsolete if the remedy is only available for the Emperor?  
2. Measuring the formation. Hung tried to shy away from explaining how to take measurement with the LuoPan 盤法 to establish the reference Gua  主卦. Failure to establish the reference Gua  主卦 means the failure to establish formation 定局. It will just render the entire exercise useless. By saying take the Yang 陽 as the facing 向 and the opposite as sitting 座 is utterly  misleading. 
3. In FengShui, establishing sitting is always referring to the 24 mountains and not the Gua.  Otherwise, you don't need the 24 mountains earth plate at all. Question, how do you assign the 8 Gua into the 24 mountains? 
4. Establishing sitting is basically to establish the meridian spot. It is where your entire formation can change. This is what is termed the Mid Heaven, things that you cannot control, yet ought to be in control.  This is where you rectify all the defects found in the given land formation without the necessity to move mountains and divert rivers. This is what make FengShui method ticks, the true National Treasure 國寶. What is it? How you do it? Where is the meridian or Xue 穴位?  What is a 天穴?

---

QI FLOW ​氣流

The name Dragon Gate Eight Formations (LMBDJ) 龍門八大局, derived from the fact it is from the SanHe Four Big Water Formations  四大水局 with its YinYang sequence, resulted in the eight formations 八大局, is originally designed for Yin FengShui and to apply it to Yang abode, stock load and barrel is utterly uncalled for. The entire understanding of YinYang in LMBDJ or QKGB has to be correctly understood before even measuring your Qi flow. This was not highlighted in Hung's discourse. Failure to understand the context of YinYang, one would only assumed that you need a big Bright Hall to apply QKGB or LMBDJ. This is never the truth. There is such a thing called  Yin Bright Hall  陰明堂. 

Qi flow establishing formations had been the crux of LMBDJ or QKGB. Where the water mouth definitions and understanding are crucial. It is not just about water flowing in or going out. These water mouth was also 'mistakenly' referred to as Middle Heaven Water 中天水. Is this the same as Heavenly Robbery Position 天劫位? By the way, why a Qi mouth is measure on a 45 deg and not 15 deg? A sitting is establish in a 15 deg and not a 45 deg? There are reasons for these.

​Another more pertinent inconsistency with LMBDJ or QKGB is the Qi mouth, that is supposed to be a universal land form acceptance. When a formation is established, there is no mistake as to which Qi mouth belongs to which formation. In other words, you can't be sleeping with other people's wife, can you? Some of the formation presented absolutely disregard land form principles. Therefore, where is  such principle of Land form must always take precedents over formula  理氣無真，巒頭無假 be seen in this methodology?

---

CONCLUSION

Although Hung's discourse on this subject was considered an intermediate level FengShui programme, in reality it was only an introduction to this method without the concerted effort to apply them in a practical context. Not surprised if there are students who left with a confused after taste.  As usual, Hung always has the ability to make difficult concepts digestible and never fail to entertain his audience to stir the grey matters. For sure our approach will differ significantly if we were to take up this subject as a discourse in a true SanYuan water method, the mother of LMBDJ or QKGB. Truly looking forward if Hung decided to write a book on this subject too. Keep tab.