feng shui information :: chinese almanac

The Ancient Chinese Almanac and Contemporary Update

The original Chinese Almanac, called the “Tong Sung”, is a book of wisdom dating back to 2250 B.C. It has been continuously published since then, the wisdom of one generation building on that of the last. The “Tong Sung” covers the basics Chinese culture and history, as well as a wide variety of other subjects – ancient wisdom, trends, predictions, forecasts of weather, business and health, to name just a few. Spiritual components, such as information about Taoism and Feng Shui, are also included. The idea behind this book, basically, is that it includes ‘everything’ – all that one needs to know to live a healthy, knowledgeable and profitable life.

Of course, this ancient almanac is not very accessible to us today, especially in the west. Much of the information is interesting, but not immediately applicable to our own lives. However, there have been several updated, translated versions of this almanac that are appropriate for western readers. These almanacs contain all of the information in the original, but in a shortened, simplified form, with awareness that the almanac will be read by people without prior knowledge of the Chinese culture. Furthermore, new, more personal information is added – for example, the reader could learn how to employ feng shui principles in the home, or how to interpret the Chinese zodiac system. In a way, these updated almanacs are a perfect introduction to Chinese culture of the westerner with little prior knowledge. Reading one of he almanacs is preferable to reading other reference material about China, because the Chinese psyche and body of traditions are also being presented in close to their natural state. The practical advice in the almanacs will be useful and applicable to everyone, and the learning about another culture will then be all the stronger because it is based in practicality and coming from a translation or summary of an original source.

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