Saturday, July 18, 2009
My Report
In this series of articles, I will provide some first hand information about the case to clarify something disclosed by the press.
This first article is the introductory paragraph of my report:
1. The profession of Fung Shui is not regulated. Usually we classify Fung Shui consultants under the categories (1) scholarly researchers and (2) professional consultants. The former is also known as the Academic School (Xue Yuan Pai 學院派) while the latter as the Commercial School (Jiang Hu Pai 江湖派). The Chinese term for the latter carries a negative meaning as most of the commercial practitioners only know the how but not necessarily the why regarding to their practices. The scholars, on the other hand, may know the theory quite well but often lack practical experience.
2. I started studying and researching into the theoretical background of Fung Shui while I was studying at the University of Hong Kong. The knowledge of Mathematics and Physics helps me tremendously in understanding and deciphering the ancient Fung Shui classics. Although I became a full-time Fung Shui practitioner after moving to Toronto, Canada, I think it is more appropriate to consider myself belonging to the category of scholarly researchers. Since I have been traveling to teach and practise Fung Shui all around the world, my practical experience covers Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Australia, Israel, Greece, Russia, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The practical experience confirms what I learned from the books.
3. In 1998, I founded Feng Shui Research Center to offer education in Chinese Metaphysics. To date, Feng Shui Research Center has branches in many of the countries I have referred to above.
My CV is included at the end of this report.
Joseph Yu
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The man who is both a Feng Shui genius AND a Feng Shui idiot
Monday, July 27, 2009
The man who is both a Feng Shui genius AND a Feng Shui idiot
Is it possible for someone to be a Feng Shui genius AND Feng Shui idiot at the same time?
A case in point would be Nina Wang's $13 billion estate legal case in Hong Kong.
Tony Chan, Nina Wang's "secret lover", claims that Nina had paid him US$30M in cash and eventually willed her whole estate to him because of "love".
Nina's original heir, Chinachem Charity foundation claims that Nina paid US$30M to Tony for his "Feng Shui services" and NOT out of "love".
Each side of the litigating party has found their own "expert Feng Shui witness" to testify about the "prowness" or "lack of prowness" of Tony Chan's Feng Shui knowledge.
Tony Chan has hired the world famous traditional/ classical Feng Shui master Mr. YYZ. Based on Tony's Feng Shui practices of burning real paper money, digging of "Feng Shui holes", burying of ritualistic objects and Tony's secret Feng Shui manuscript, MR. YYZ concludes that Tony is "a Feng Shui master who does not know Feng Shui".
This conclusion is exactly what Tony's lawyer wants--- that Tony Chan does not know much about Feng Shui and hence, it is his charm or Nina's love that the latter willed her estate to Tony.
Incidentially, Mr. YYZ is also the co-author of "The complete idiot guide to Feng Shui" book.
Chinachem Charity has solicited the service of a Daoist Feng Shui master Mr. Szeto. 80% of the Macau casino Feng Shui jobs were done by him. He also hosts a few occult and supernatural cable TV shows in Hong Kong. So Mr. Szeto has the "home field advantage" and name-recognition here.
Mr. Szeto did not talk low about Tony Chan's Feng Shui practices. Instead, he explains the hidden meanings and rationale of each ritual objects used by Tony. Obviously, Tony does not do traditional but ritualistic Feng Shui.
Mr. Szeto has stopped short of saying Tony is a Feng Shui genius. After all, who in Feng Shui history has made more money than Tony Chan? Even Mr. Szeto has made a lot less than him!
So, did these two Feng Shui expert witnesses tell the truth?
In my opinion, both did tell the truth BASED on their own special perspective or bias. A traditional-trained Feng Shui master will definitely testify that someone who practice ritualistic Feng Shui is NOT real (or traditional) Feng Shui. It is just weird that Tony Chan's lawyers had hired a traditional Feng Shui master instead of a ritualistic one.
This case illustrates the diversity of Feng Shui practices and problems in defining what is "real Feng Shui". I think the business of "expert Feng Shui witness" will be a short-lived one.
Ken Lai
"Practical Date-Selection Methods (incl. XKDG)" w/ 12 hr. video
"Practical Imperial Qi-men-Dun-Jia” w/ 10 hr. video
"Daoist Talismans for Feng Shui & Blessing” v.2 w/ 24 hr video
"Practical Door Feng Shui for Wealth” w/ 3 hr. video
"4-Pillars Forecasting Bootcamp” with 12 hr. video
http://www.kenlaifengshui.com
http://kenlaifengshui.blogspot.com
The man who is both a Feng Shui genius AND a Feng Shui idiot
Is it possible for someone to be a Feng Shui genius AND Feng Shui idiot at the same time?
A case in point would be Nina Wang's $13 billion estate legal case in Hong Kong.
Tony Chan, Nina Wang's "secret lover", claims that Nina had paid him US$30M in cash and eventually willed her whole estate to him because of "love".
Nina's original heir, Chinachem Charity foundation claims that Nina paid US$30M to Tony for his "Feng Shui services" and NOT out of "love".
Each side of the litigating party has found their own "expert Feng Shui witness" to testify about the "prowness" or "lack of prowness" of Tony Chan's Feng Shui knowledge.
Tony Chan has hired the world famous traditional/ classical Feng Shui master Mr. YYZ. Based on Tony's Feng Shui practices of burning real paper money, digging of "Feng Shui holes", burying of ritualistic objects and Tony's secret Feng Shui manuscript, MR. YYZ concludes that Tony is "a Feng Shui master who does not know Feng Shui".
This conclusion is exactly what Tony's lawyer wants--- that Tony Chan does not know much about Feng Shui and hence, it is his charm or Nina's love that the latter willed her estate to Tony.
Incidentially, Mr. YYZ is also the co-author of "The complete idiot guide to Feng Shui" book.
Chinachem Charity has solicited the service of a Daoist Feng Shui master Mr. Szeto. 80% of the Macau casino Feng Shui jobs were done by him. He also hosts a few occult and supernatural cable TV shows in Hong Kong. So Mr. Szeto has the "home field advantage" and name-recognition here.
Mr. Szeto did not talk low about Tony Chan's Feng Shui practices. Instead, he explains the hidden meanings and rationale of each ritual objects used by Tony. Obviously, Tony does not do traditional but ritualistic Feng Shui.
Mr. Szeto has stopped short of saying Tony is a Feng Shui genius. After all, who in Feng Shui history has made more money than Tony Chan? Even Mr. Szeto has made a lot less than him!
So, did these two Feng Shui expert witnesses tell the truth?
In my opinion, both did tell the truth BASED on their own special perspective or bias. A traditional-trained Feng Shui master will definitely testify that someone who practice ritualistic Feng Shui is NOT real (or traditional) Feng Shui. It is just weird that Tony Chan's lawyers had hired a traditional Feng Shui master instead of a ritualistic one.
This case illustrates the diversity of Feng Shui practices and problems in defining what is "real Feng Shui". I think the business of "expert Feng Shui witness" will be a short-lived one.
Ken Lai
"Practical Date-Selection Methods (incl. XKDG)" w/ 12 hr. video
"Practical Imperial Qi-men-Dun-Jia” w/ 10 hr. video
"Daoist Talismans for Feng Shui & Blessing” v.2 w/ 24 hr video
"Practical Door Feng Shui for Wealth” w/ 3 hr. video
"4-Pillars Forecasting Bootcamp” with 12 hr. video
http://www.kenlaifengshui.com
http://kenlaifengshui.blogspot.com
Testimony concludes at Nina Wang trial
Testimony concludes at Nina Wang trial
By Teddy Ng (HK Edition)
Updated: 2009-07-11 06:57
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HONG KONG: Asia's wealthiest woman firmly believed in fung shui while she was alive and the will dated 2006 in which she bequeaths her entire estate to Tony Chan is probably a fung shui will, written in the hope it would extend her life, fung shui expert Szeto Shek-chuen told the Court of First Instance on Friday.
Szeto, commonly known as Szeto Fa-ching, was called to testify by Chinachem Charitable Foundation. He was testifying on the 38th day of the probate trial which will decide who will inherit Wang's estate. He told the court that the settings of the Chinachem office and Wang's living quarters reflected her religious beliefs.
Settings for praying to harmonic deities and the Buddha were found, Szeto said in his report. Wang also kept a pair of chopsticks bearing scriptures in her handbag and used those as eating utensils.
Szeto said in the report that he believed the 2006 will to be a fung shui will because it contains the expression "God Help", which is common in such wills.
His report added a fung shui will reflects the belief one will be re-born after death, a popular belief in Southeast Asia. Wang's health turned grave in 2006. Drafting a fung shui will at such a time would be in adherence to the spirit and procedure of the ritual, he said.
The report said many fung shui masters gain clients' trust through various means, such as helping the clients to locate a missing person. Later they become friends with their clients. This tends to lead clients to follow the instructions given by fung shui practitioners.
Szeto said he has performed some 400 small-scale rituals involving the use of fung shui wills. In addition, he has performed six large-scale and 10 medium-scale rituals involving such wills.
Each ritual normally lasts for 49 days. The requests of the clients for God's help are not necessarily written in the will, but may be chanted or read in heart by the fung shui masters.
Fung shui masters normally ask clients to spare money for charity, but the masters will have no knowledge as to whether their clients follow their instructions. Nor will the practitioner necessarily have knowledge that the client intends to carry out what is stipulated in the will, he told the court.
He also said in his report that he had read Wang's memo concerning the transfer of HK$688 million to Tony Chan on three occasions. The number three, six and eight are lucky numbers in Chinese custom.
Edward Chan, counsel for Tony Chan, questioned the credibility of Szeto's report, saying some of the report's content is plagiarized from websites, including a blog written by Cheng Chi-yin.
A website Szeto referred to used incorrect Chinese characters carrying the same pronunciation but different meanings. Chan suggested Szeto copied them into his report without correction.
Chan asked Szeto about Cheng's standing and Szeto replied Cheng is an academic.
When asked by Chan about the qualification of Cheng, Szeto said "academic" in the fung shui field means those who are constantly learning and that qualification is not his focus.
Joseph Yu, fung shui expert appointed by Tony Chan, told the court that advising clients to burn real money is not the practice of a fung shui master.
The court earlier heard that Wang had burned real money for fun, and former legislator Gilbert Leung had also burned real money under the instruction of Chan.
"It is simply ridiculous," he said. "It is simple the behavior of those who claim themselves fung shui masters without fung shui knowledge."
Evidence at the trial is now concluded. Counsel for both parties will make closing submission on September 21.
(HK Edition 07/11/2009 page4)
By Teddy Ng (HK Edition)
Updated: 2009-07-11 06:57
Comments(0) PrintMail
HONG KONG: Asia's wealthiest woman firmly believed in fung shui while she was alive and the will dated 2006 in which she bequeaths her entire estate to Tony Chan is probably a fung shui will, written in the hope it would extend her life, fung shui expert Szeto Shek-chuen told the Court of First Instance on Friday.
Szeto, commonly known as Szeto Fa-ching, was called to testify by Chinachem Charitable Foundation. He was testifying on the 38th day of the probate trial which will decide who will inherit Wang's estate. He told the court that the settings of the Chinachem office and Wang's living quarters reflected her religious beliefs.
Settings for praying to harmonic deities and the Buddha were found, Szeto said in his report. Wang also kept a pair of chopsticks bearing scriptures in her handbag and used those as eating utensils.
Szeto said in the report that he believed the 2006 will to be a fung shui will because it contains the expression "God Help", which is common in such wills.
His report added a fung shui will reflects the belief one will be re-born after death, a popular belief in Southeast Asia. Wang's health turned grave in 2006. Drafting a fung shui will at such a time would be in adherence to the spirit and procedure of the ritual, he said.
The report said many fung shui masters gain clients' trust through various means, such as helping the clients to locate a missing person. Later they become friends with their clients. This tends to lead clients to follow the instructions given by fung shui practitioners.
Szeto said he has performed some 400 small-scale rituals involving the use of fung shui wills. In addition, he has performed six large-scale and 10 medium-scale rituals involving such wills.
Each ritual normally lasts for 49 days. The requests of the clients for God's help are not necessarily written in the will, but may be chanted or read in heart by the fung shui masters.
Fung shui masters normally ask clients to spare money for charity, but the masters will have no knowledge as to whether their clients follow their instructions. Nor will the practitioner necessarily have knowledge that the client intends to carry out what is stipulated in the will, he told the court.
He also said in his report that he had read Wang's memo concerning the transfer of HK$688 million to Tony Chan on three occasions. The number three, six and eight are lucky numbers in Chinese custom.
Edward Chan, counsel for Tony Chan, questioned the credibility of Szeto's report, saying some of the report's content is plagiarized from websites, including a blog written by Cheng Chi-yin.
A website Szeto referred to used incorrect Chinese characters carrying the same pronunciation but different meanings. Chan suggested Szeto copied them into his report without correction.
Chan asked Szeto about Cheng's standing and Szeto replied Cheng is an academic.
When asked by Chan about the qualification of Cheng, Szeto said "academic" in the fung shui field means those who are constantly learning and that qualification is not his focus.
Joseph Yu, fung shui expert appointed by Tony Chan, told the court that advising clients to burn real money is not the practice of a fung shui master.
The court earlier heard that Wang had burned real money for fun, and former legislator Gilbert Leung had also burned real money under the instruction of Chan.
"It is simply ridiculous," he said. "It is simple the behavior of those who claim themselves fung shui masters without fung shui knowledge."
Evidence at the trial is now concluded. Counsel for both parties will make closing submission on September 21.
(HK Edition 07/11/2009 page4)
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