Monday, February 2, 2015

Living Beside A Graveyard? (坟场面面观)


Mr. Sato asked:

 

“Is it alright to live beside a graveyard? In Japan, many houses are built just beside one.”

 

Answer:

 

It really depends on one’s culture and local practices really.

 

Many Japanese believe that when the graves of their love ones are located adjacent their houses, the souls of the departed loved ones shall provide protection to them. So the Japanese do not treat staying beside a graveyard a taboo. As I heard, some Japanese even keeps the cremation ashes of their love ones in their altar.

 

In the west, graveyards are managed clean and tidy. It is often visited to remember the departed love ones, perhaps there is also no taboo with living beside a graveyard too.

 

To many Chinese however, due to the belief of Feng Shui; the dead and the living should be separated. This is also due to the belief of Yin-Yang (阴阳). It is believed that if the living and the death is live together, then the Yang energy of the living shall be absorbed by the Yin; and this is not good for the living: in luck and in luck wise.

 

The other factor is that Feng Shui requires the remains of a deceased be buried in a good mountain range formation known as ‘dragon’ () where the earth energy is pure. It would be very difficult to get good earth energy (地气) in human dwellings.

 

Of course, we have so far talked about the dwelling place for decent folks like you and me. However, if one engages in special kind of business: gambling, prostitution, strip show operator etc; then a premise beside a graveyard would probably be most welcome.

 

I once knew a Japanese strip show operator who was located just beside a graveyard, and that he burnt some joss paper prior to the strip shows and his business was very good. That was before his premise burnt down about 10 years ago.
 

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