Feng Shui After September 11th

"Tribute In Light" Photograph by Clifton A. Bazar

^{On September 11th 2001 our world changed forever}

^{In November 2001, I attended a Tibetan Buddhist healing ceremony performed by Grandmaster Lin Yun at the United Nations Church for the victims of September 11th. Afterwards, Lin Yun held a conference where he answered questions. There, one participant asked him about the re-building of the World Trade Center. He felt that a structure as tall, if not taller, should be built to replace the fallen Towers. He said, it was important that the chi of the land be replaced and elevated at that site. When he was told that city planners intended to only construct five shorter-storied buildings then Lin Yun suggested that, in addition, two laser-beamed lights should be aimed into the sky to emanate the chi of the Twin Towers.}

^{As the sun was setting on March 11th 2002, the switch was thrown to illuminate the darkness of Ground Zero with two pillars of blue light. This Tribute in Light, reaching 7 miles into the night sky, represents a nocturnal memorial to the World Trade Center victims. The commemorative beams of blue now connect Ground Zero to the Heavens.}

^{The Tribute in Light is credited to two architects, John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi, who are responsible for this project and came up with this idea as far back as September 2001. The Municipal Art Society became the project’s chief sponsor after securing the approval by various community groups, government agencies and victims’ family members. I don’t know whether or not Lin Yun was asked for his input from a Feng Shui perspective but the word around town is that he was consulted.}

^{In Feng Shui, we feel the chi effecting us according to our proximity of the site. Whether it is a bed, a room, a house, a neighborhood, a city, a country or the World. What is closest to us will influence us the most. Every site has a Mouth of Chi, which is the portal where the “life energy” enters and flows through the environment. How the chi enters and flows through a site will define the fortune of its occupants.}

^{When we take the bagua and lay it over the United States we see that New York City is positioned in the Schun trigram and that Washington DC is positioned in the Li trigram (this is according to BTB tradition). The Schun trigram represents wealth (Wall Street) and the Li trigram is reputation and recognition (The Capitol). Then where is the Mouth of Chi of the United States? I say, it is New York City. This is the port that has seen the arrival of immigrants and visitors to our country and where it has the heaviest air and water traffic. The Statue of Liberty stands majestically in the New York Harbor beckoning to our new arrivals “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…” It is here in her open arms that the energy enters and flows through the city and then spreads out across the country.}

^{The truest form of Feng Shui is linked to the land. And all land can be described as mountain and water. The mountain is still and it is yin, and the water is moving and it is yang. The mountains are referred to as the Dragon and indicate the power of the land. When we view a site we study the energy paths that emanate from the Dragon’s breath. These paths are called dragon veins because they appear to etch into the landscape lines of concentrated earth energy. How the mountains and waterways collect and disperse the life energy of the land will dictate the riches of a country.}

^{Although the above refers to the rural regions it can be applied to cities and towns. The streets become our waterways and the mountains become our buildings and skyscrapers. Where the Twin Towers stood they were as two gigantic acupuncture needles imbedded in the City’s “Communication with Heaven” points. This represents a channeling of all the City’s yang energy that meet together to exchange information before passing through the Dragon’s Gate.}

^{But, on Sept 11th, New York City lost their eminent Dragon. The dragon is connected to the way the chi can rise from Earth to Heaven. And, by destroying our principle dragon is in fact destroying the feng shui of New York City. In Chinese mythology the Dragon is deaf but the eyes are sharp. And the Twin Towers were the eyes of the Dragon. By destroying our “eyes” perhaps our “ears” will open.}

^{I have written this article for Sept 11th because I wanted to emphasize the importance of rebuilding the World Trade Center to its original urban splendor. The Tribute of Light will dim on April 12th, but there has been talk that Mayor Mike Bloomberg may incorporate the blue lights into a permanent memorial. All around the City people meet to discuss what shall be done with the 16-acre space of Ground Zero. Celebrities, such as, Yoko Ono, voice their opinion in Public Service Announcements and regular New Yorkers make heartfelt suggestions.}

^{As the months past, the healing has begun. Let us look into the distance and find great peace and know that the chi of the earth will rebuild our cities, our communities and our hearts.}

Photographs by Sgt. Lino Mennitto, NYPD

^{Recommended Reading:}
          
Above Hallowed Ground

Among the Heroes-United Flight 93