The Pakua

It is recommended you read the topic on the Eight Trigrams first.

1.  The Pakua is commonly known as `Bagua' or `The Eight Trigram'. It is an octagon shaped amulet divided into eight sections. It is an octagon shaped amulet divided into eight sections. The Pakua `represents' the entire family e.g. Father, Mother, Elder son, Elder daughter etc.. Perhaps this is why with the `family component' the Pakua is `so powerful! The reflective pakua is  placed on gates and above the main door is said to drive away evil spirts and avert misfortunes.

2.  Below; shows a picture of a typical Pakua with a reflective mirror in the middle of it.

In some Chinese homes you see the pakua hanged above the main door:-

As we have seen above, the pakua is based on "The First Heaven Sequence".  The "First Heaven Sequence" of trigram arrangement is usually used for such purposes or as talisman.

This trigram arrangement is `picture perfect' in that the opposite trigram shows a relationship to each other. So you have: Heaven to Earth; Wind to Thunder; Water to Fire; Mountain to Lake.

Unfortuantely, in real life, it is not used other than as a Pakua mirror or in a talisman/charm because it does not consider the relationship of time or seasons.

On the other hand, "The Later Heaven Sequence" is being used for Feng Shui assessment as it reflects the real life and also on the compass of Chinese seafarers. For example:

Originally, this "Later Heaven Sequence" Trigram was considered a symbolic representation of the Family nucleus e.g. made up of the Father, Mother, Elder Son, Middle Son, Younger Son, Elder Daughter, Middle Daughter and Younger daughter. This is still true. In fact, the Trigram is more than this. The Trigram also represents the time and seasons. For example: K'an represents Winter, Ken = Late Winter, Chen = Spring etc. and this moves in a `circle'.

Do note that the positions of each of the trigrams e.g. , , etc. in the "First Heaven Sequence" are at different positions from those of the "Later Heaven Sequence".

Students of Feng Shui, do take note of this as it is a common mistake to use the wrong trigram i.e. "The First Heaven Sequence"!. This is I repeat, incorrect!

Remember that for Feng Shui, the "Later Heaven Sequence" and the direction of each trigram are used NOT the "First Heaven Sequence".

3. The Chinese Ancient Alamanc or Tung Shu says that "bad Feng Shui can be created by others who did not plan propery around you. However, this can be rectified by the use of the Eight Trigram mirrors similar to the pakua shown above. The mirror will reflect back the adverse properties of bad planning.

4. There are two schools of thought regarding the use of the Pakua:-

- Some Feng Shui Masters `swear' by it and recommend the `reflective pakua' as a cure for adverse `sha' or `pointed arrows' facing the entrance of the house.

- On the other hand, some Feng Shui Master's say it is a waste of time using the Pakua like the one you see above to ward off adverse `sha' or `pointed arrows'.

5. It is made of wood with or without the mirror in the centre. It is commonly obtainable in many Chinese religious objects departmental stores. Do not hang the pakua at any location especially inside the house as it may instead attact bad luck.

6. Consult a Feng Shui expert for a lucky date or time to put up the pakua and how to position it. Some Feng Shui experts suggest that you should take the pakua to a reputable Chinese temple for a priest to bless it or `opening the eye' before using it for your home.

7. Check on the pakua regulary and keep it clean. If the glass or wood is damaged, it is best to change it to a new one. 

8. Some Feng Shui experts believe that if the `shar' or `pointed arrows' is over whelming e.g. an entire building with dark mirror glass reflecting into your house, you could place a cannon (e.g. artillery gun or a ship's cannon with wheels) on a table facing the `shar' to counter this `bad force.' The cannon is said to be `more' powerful than the pakua.

9. Other Chinese Feng Shui practises include use of Double Door Gods or Double `Dragons'.

10. Let's hear your views on the pakua in the Feng Shui Bulletin Board.