趋避篇

Chapter on Approach and Avoidance (Qū Bì)

📖 Holistic Paraphrase

The Chapter on Approach and Avoidance discusses the art of decision-making in geographical selection.

The operating principles of all things under heaven have but two poles: good fortune and misfortune, good and evil always arise together. It is impossible to have all good fortune without misfortune, or all good without evil. Therefore, the circumstances people encounter differ from one another. Since circumstances differ, there must be methods of response—this is what is meant by approaching auspiciousness, avoiding inauspiciousness, distancing oneself from evil, and drawing near to goodness.

🌄 The same holds true for Feng Shui geography. The vital breath (qì) condensed in great mountains and rivers cannot be entirely pure refinement; it must inevitably be mixed with heterogeneous and impure elements. Since impurity cannot be avoided, it is only natural that beauty and ugliness, goodness and badness present themselves on every side.

However, the forms of mountains and rivers are ever-changing, and with a shift of merely a few inches, the scene becomes entirely different. Perhaps viewed from below it appears ugly, yet from above it reveals its beauty; or observed from the left it appears lovely, while from the right it shows its homeliness; or the refined energy gathers below, while the heights display nothing remarkable; or the vital essence leans toward the right, while the left side remains deficient.

Author's note: The four characters "approach good fortune, avoid misfortune" (趋吉避凶) are known to everyone. But what constitutes "heterogeneous impurity"? What defines "beauty and ugliness, loveliness and homeliness"? How does one concretely "approach"? How does one "avoid"? There ought to be practical and actionable methods of approach and avoidance—not mere empty talk.

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🧠 Deep Understanding

Core Concept 💡

The central idea of this chapter is to reveal a fundamental truth: there is no absolutely perfect Feng Shui configuration in the world.

"Approach and avoidance" is not passive evasion but rather active discernment and selection—identifying usable vital energy amidst the complex forms of mountains and rivers, while evading harmful noxious influences.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

Stripping away the esoteric veneer, this chapter actually reveals a systematic mode of decision-making:

🔄 From "Seeking Completeness" to "Selecting Optimality"

The ancients already recognized that demanding perfect conditions is unrealistic. Modern site-selection decisions—whether purchasing a home, establishing a business, or choosing office locations—equally involve weighing multiple factors: places with convenient transportation tend to be noisy, while scenic locations often lack amenities. The philosophy of approach-and-avoid teaches us: make optimal choices under constraints, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.

👁 The Value of Perspective-Shifting

"Viewed from above it is beautiful, from below it is ugly" reveals a profound cognitive method: multi-angle examination of the same object. Mapped to modern decision-making, this encourages evaluating a plan from the perspectives of different stakeholders—what appears "good" to investors, users, and maintenance personnel may be entirely different.

⚖️ Fault Tolerance and Adjustment

The notion that "heterogeneity is the norm" is essentially a pragmatic attitude of accepting imperfection and seeking improvement. This resonates remarkably with the concept of "tolerance design" in modern engineering: systems cannot achieve absolute optimality, but overall efficiency can be maximized through local adjustments.

Practical Value ⚡

Reference Framework for Site-Selection Decisions

1. Multi-directional site investigation: Observe the environment at different times and from different angles to avoid judgment errors caused by a "single perspective"
2. Identify core advantages: Clarify the most important positive factor of a location and confirm whether it sufficiently supports the primary use
3. Assess the nature of disadvantages: Distinguish between "resolvable" drawbacks (such as orientation deviations) and "irresolvable" fundamental defects (such as geological hazards)
4. Weighted trade-off matrix: List all advantages and disadvantages, conduct weighted comparisons, rather than pursuing perfection in every respect

Applications in Modern Scenarios

• 🏠 Residential selection: When abundant sunlight (good from above) coexists with ground-floor dampness (ugly from below), prioritize natural lighting and ventilation
• 🏢 Office site selection: Transportation convenience and rental costs often conflict—make "approach-auspicious" choices based on core business needs
• 🌿 Landscape planning: Utilize terrain contours to transform disadvantageous "heterogeneous" areas into landscape features

Philosophical Reflections 🤔

The Cosmology Behind "Approach-Avoidance"

This chapter reveals a worldview of dual coexistence: good fortune and misfortune, good and evil, beauty and ugliness do not exist in isolation—they are interdependent and mutually defining. This aligns with the concept of yin-yang mutual rooting in the I Ching (Book of Changes)—there is no absolute good fortune, nor absolute misfortune; everything exists in the dynamic relationship of relativity and transformation.

The Epistemological Significance of "Decision-Making"

"Approach and avoidance speaks to one's power of decision"—this definition pulls geomancy back from mysticism to the level of practical rationality. It suggests that the essence of Kānyú is not revealing some fixed "heavenly mandate," but rather providing knowledge-based grounds for human free choice. This resonates with Kant's Enlightenment spirit of "dare to know" (Sapere aude).

A Harbinger of Perspectivism

"Viewed from below it appears ugly, from above beautiful; observed from the left it seems lovely, from the right homely"—this observation can be philosophically regarded as a form of naive perspectivism: judgments about things cannot be divorced from the position occupied by the observer. Modern perspectivism holds that all cognition bears a particular perspective, and there is no purely objective observation. Of course, ancient thinkers remained at the practical level, not yet rising to systematic epistemological reflection.

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📚 Related Knowledge

Associated Concepts

Further Reading

• The Book of Burial (Zàng Shū) — by Guo Pu; the foundational work of Feng Shui theory, elaborating on the concept of "vital energy" (shēngqì)
• Qīng Náng Ào Yǔ — a classic of the Form School, belonging to the same dialectical system of geography as this chapter
• Geographical Knowledge Required for All (Dìlǐ Rénzǐ Xūzhī) — by Xu Shanji and Xu Shanshu of the Ming Dynasty; offers more concrete discussion of approach-and-avoid methods
• Ten Books on Yang Dwellings (Yángzhái Shíshū) — a special treatise on site selection and approach-and-avoidance for living spaces
• Guǎn's Geographical Guide to Concealment (Guǎnshì Dìlǐ Zhǐméng) — attributed to Guan Lu; provides systematic analysis of mountain-river heterogeneity and approach-avoidance

Modern Research

• Landscape Architectural Perspective: Contemporary scholars have conducted comparative studies between traditional "approach-avoidance" concepts and "site analysis" in modern landscape ecology, finding structural similarities in their assessment processes
• Environmental Psychology Correlations: The attentiveness in Feng Shui "approach-avoidance" to perspective, elevation, and yin-yang aspects aligns with findings from modern environmental psychology research on "environmental preference"—humans exhibit cross-cultural preferences for environments with open vistas and protected rear support
• Geographic Information Systems Applications: Some researchers have attempted to digitize traditional approach-avoidance principles, using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for terrain analysis to assist modern site-selection decisions—a "technical translation" of traditional wisdom
• Critical Studies: Some scholars note that the "perspective-determinism" of traditional approach-avoidance theory over-simplifies the complexity of environmental evaluation. While the observant nature of the work is keen, its explanatory mechanisms lack scientific foundation. A rational approach would value its methodological insights while dispensing with its mysticism