Student Question
Dear Master Chi, greetings! I have a self-built rural home in my hometown. The neighbors to the west raised both their house and their perimeter wall higher than ours many years ago; the neighbors to the east are at the same height as us. Things haven’t gone well for our family over the years — a few unfortunate events have occurred. I’ve heard the saying, “Better to let the Azure Dragon rise ten thousand feet than to let the White Tiger press down upon you,” and I can’t help but wonder if this might be a factor. I would be grateful for your guidance on whether there is a connection, and whether any remedy exists. Thank you sincerely!
Master Chi’s Response
Let me look at this from two angles.
The first angle.
What you’ve described does carry some influence — that much is real. But it’s not simply a case of “the higher the Azure Dragon position, the better.” Everything in this practice comes back to the balance of Yin and Yang (阴阳). The surrounding environment also plays a significant role.
If the house position cannot be changed, one solid remedy is to plant tall, vigorous trees in your courtyard. That approach works well.
The second angle.
You mentioned your fortune (运势). Let’s talk about that.
Life, however busy it becomes, ultimately comes down to managing three relationships: one with Heaven, one with others, and one with yourself.
“Heaven” here doesn’t simply mean the sky above — it means the Heavenly Way, the cosmic order. The Heavenly Way governs destiny. Destiny is what is fixed — what the grand design has already written in advance. These are the things that you, as an individual, cannot change: the external circumstances you were born into. Where you came from, your gender, your birth date and time — all of this is predetermined. You could also call it your innate endowment.
For the individual, these are matters of fate.
People still seek destiny readings (命理). Why? Essentially, to define a boundary they cannot cross — so they stop wasting energy fighting what cannot be changed.
What actually matters for the individual is fortune (运). And fortune arises from your intentions — from the very first stirrings of your mind.
Fortune generates movement. Movement generates momentum. Momentum rises and creates advantage. Momentum further divides into inner momentum and outer momentum.
Force likewise divides into inner force and outer force.
The momentum you generate through your own movement is inner momentum; the force it produces is inner force. What you leverage from the world outside is outer momentum; the force you draw from external circumstances is outer force.
Regardless of which kind — everything begins from yun, from fortune in motion.
All fortune is walked into existence. That is why we say zou yun — “walking your fortune.” If you don’t walk, fortune doesn’t arrive.
Walking must happen on solid ground. To walk with ease and confidence, you need level footing beneath you.
Walk well and walk smoothly — and you will meet noble benefactors (贵人, Gui Ren), borrow outer momentum and outer force, and use them to strengthen your own momentum and amplify your own power. That is what it means to walk in good fortune.
The key to all of this is to begin from stillness within yourself.
Bring yourself to stillness. Settle yourself. When your heart is restless, find a quiet place, sit down, close your eyes, and let your spirit rest. Allow yourself to fully relax. When your spirit settles, your heart quiets — and from that quiet, deep, directed thinking becomes possible.