Strange enough with the shifting of the JiaZi, many events had taken placed. The marketing of Chinese Metaphysics had been silent. The marketers were unheard. New courses had been put on hold indefinitely. Otherwise the revival of stale courses were a temporary hype that the forum remains so dead thereafter. This is the effect of the 2 Bing (Sun) trying too hard to outshine one another. Arrogant masters now willing to hear from their students and humble masters now building up walls to be arrogant and double standards. Academy changes name with better corporate look then ever. It is no longer welfare but BUSINESS! Yet the question remains, are the Chinese Metaphysics going back to its first principles that I really do not know.
Another FengShui Architect, Howard Choy, had just reminded me saying, “in another post on your blog, you mentioned how the Feng Shui "monsters" are trying to tell the architects what to do, the only way for us to beat them at their game is to know more about the subject than they do. There are quite a few Feng Shui architects now that can tell these "monsters" to pack their bags and go home! Don't get bitter, get better!... (http://fourpillars.ning.com/profiles/blogs/to-classic-or-not-to-classic#comments)”. At least, I knew I am not alone. However, can we equate these FengShui masters as professionals liked Architect, Engineers and Doctors? At this juncture, fat hopes and I shall explain.
The first principles state that a professional man is judge by his own conduct (self regulatory), obtained the minimum qualifications deemed to have gained the required efficiency and experiences to practice the art and discharge his/her responsibility as would have been expected by his/her peers in the profession. These are the 3 basic so called first principles. Do the industry of Chinese Metaphysics practices such and I seriously doubt so? There are more FengShui monsters then FengShui masters out there.
There is no accountability and therefore no self regulatory in the FengShui industry. One will not find things liked a performance bond, Retention Sum, fit for purpose warranty or simply the need for professional indemnity insurance required out of the FengShui master. There is no such a thing as fee paid in partial and when the result materialized the payment would be made in full or otherwise a warranty agreement be made to guarantee results. These are unheard of matters which are simply the run of the mills things for other bona fide professionals liked lawyers, Architects, Engineers and others. Any other self imposed ethics would only be of lip services especially when the act of God is simply made out of the equation as hocus-pocus. May I ask why as even when an affidavit is made in court it was made with the palm placed on the Holy books be it the Bible, Torah or the Quran be placed above the head in our civilized modern society? Is this another form of hocus-pocus? I really do not know.
There is no embodiment of an agreed standard as to the arts and science of Chinese Metaphysics itself. Without such knowledge and accreditations, these arts are subject to abuse and be abused by groups or individuals who called themselves by different names and lineages, some gone as far as getting Doctorate Degrees and Professorships from doubtful universities of higher learning just to be adorned with fanciful titles and robes that does not reflect the rigour of the academia when their book is published. Worst, a lineage holder is simply someone who inherited a hand written classics without any other proof necessitated to make the lineage holder fit for the pedestal. Is this yet another form of hocus-pocus?
Last, there is no peer review. Most practitioners cannot see eye to eye even if they come from the same school. Second opinion is usually viewed as rubbish as how could a second opinion be given when the fundamental method applied is varied and inconsistent from one lineage to another? There is no yardstick for measuring the art. As I always say to my client, if you believe in the master then only engage him. One master is confusing enough, two is a no-no. What happened if the former is a SanHe and the later is a SanYuan? Is this again hocus-pocus?
A new approach is always welcoming and refreshing when the bottom line is always results. Are we not talking about results from the other academies in towns? Unless, one dares to go a mile further and to adopt the rigour of a bona fide professional integrity with its own charter, its own principles, its own ethic, its own self regulatory principles, its own legal locus standi with its own curriculum, the industry will be remained fragmented and anything associated with it will always be hocus-pocus.
Maybe I am wrong…