How to Outsmart Heaven, the Daoist Way
When I would get an astrological reading it felt like I was receiving a sentencing. I was told who I was and what was in store with no chance for negotiation. It wasn’t until I began studying Daoism as part of my Chinese medical training, that I was able to embrace it. Ancient Chinese culture also had its rich history of astrology, but being a culture accustomed to adversity, they figured out how to outsmart heaven down to the percentage point.
Daoist master Mantak Chia, well known in the West for his work on Daoist sexual practices, laid out how to mitigate any undesirable shenanigans of the stars during the introduction during his course on Chinese Astrology. He wanted us to understand what our options were before we could feel confined. There are 3 types of luck: Heaven luck, Human luck, and Earth luck.
Heaven luck pertains to the movement of the stars and planets, all of which are beyond our control but constantly exert influence over our lives. The time we are born sets a certain course for our lives, and it is helpful to time our activities to work with the movements of heaven. But, this is only 33% of what happens to us.
Earth luck our physical environment; things like our geography, the quality of our water, etc. Feng shui is the Daoist system to assess and create the most supportive environment for our who we are and what we want to accomplish. Feng shui takes into account your astrology, the astrology of the home, the climate, the flow of the neighborhood, the materials the home is built out of, etc. and offers ways to play up the good and mitigate the bad. This is the second 33% of what happens to you and it is within your free will.
Finally Human luck is your personal development. It is entirely your choice. This is where nutrition, lifestyle choices and self-care choices come into play. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage…all of these build body’s strength. Chinese facial Diagnosis (Mien Shiang) allows us to see our innate gifts and challenges as they evolve in real time. Qigong and tai chi were developed to maximize our Human luck potential. This comprises the final 33%.
So your free will outnumbers your destiny 2 to 1. This is a good thing or a bad thing depending on how proactive you are and how the heavens choose to shine on you.
