Need advice on Guang Ying Altar position

[myfs_157158]

We are moving to a new house and moving our Guang Yin from old house to our new house.
But we are trying to find a position forthe altar in the new house.These arethe few position we had in mind. Please advice on the best position or do suggest a better position if there is any.
A) By the window but facing the wall, which my dad advice not to face the wall.
B) Near the storeroom and kitchen but facing the window, but that space is small.
C) Custom madecabinet to houseGuang Yingfacing the door, can act as a divider too. But we also like to put a shoe rack at the adjacent corner. Will it affect the fengsui?

[Cecil Lee]

These are some considerations:

1. From a Feng Shui point of view; Options A and B are in THEORY the better of the three choices.

2. OPTION B:

2.1 However, as you have pointed out especially Option B, has a demerit. It would be nice if the stretch of wall is long "enough".

2.1 But since it shares the bomb shelter door and squeezed in between the main door and the bomb shelter door; it depends on what one is placing onto the altar. For example, most likely there is only room for just one deity.

2.2. As it looks impossible; for example to place e.g. say an ancestor tablet + one or more deity.

2.3. Furthermore, it can be further limited if we consider the auspicious dimensions of say: a tailor made altar. One of the smallest ready-made altars could range between 2ft (width) by 2ft (depth) to 35"(width) by 2ft (depth). More likely larger ones may not be able to be placed, there. However, if it is a tailor made altar; the depth could be further reduced with a pull out extension.

2.4. Do make sure that the bomb shelter door does not affect or slam against the altar table (IF ANY).

2.5. So far, between Options A and C; in my opinion, other than the above considerations; this could be a better choice.

3. OPTION A:

3.1. In theory Option A could also be a good choice.

3.2. Do check where the sunlight comes in. If for example, the sun rays comes in at an angle; be it in the morning or afternoon (as I really don't know where is the North-South direction).

3.2.1. If so, and if the deity is often, affected by the rays of the sun; one cannot expect to buy a pair of rayban sunglasses for the deity to wear!).

3.3. From a practical approach; I really HATE placing an altar so close to the passage way leading towards all THREE bedrooms. This is because unlike Options A or C; if one constantly lights up joss-sticks;

3.3.1 Especially if one has family members that are frequently at home e.g. elderly parents or children who spend time at home; and constantly are in their bedrooms with opened doors etc...

3.4. Thus as I had mentioned, in theory, Option A sounds reasonable provided one considers all the above or does not mind family members inhaling secondary smoke or if one does not regulary light up joss-sticks or even use some of those smokeless type?

4. OPTION C WITH THE ALTAR FACING THE MAIN DOOR:

4.1. There is some controversy over the placement of the altar facing the main door.

4.1.1. In general, actually, by right; based on your interior layout, the (irresponsible) architect; should have placed your main entrance door open to the RIGHT side (against the shared wall with your neighbour's unit). If so, even if you were to
place the altar, it directly faces the main door. Instead, now, if one opens the main door partially, the altar deities may not have sufficient "clearance" to have a "full view" of the outside.

4.2. Some neighbours don't like their neighbour, having an altar facing their main door. This is especially if both your main door and neighbour's main door directly face each other.

4.3. Hiring a SECURITY GUARD or "GET ONE FREE". One controversy is that it may not be too "polite" to place an altar facing the main door. One understand, that when we enter a temple, the altar is directly in full view. And often, this is the location facing the main entrance of a temple. This is understandable from a temple's layout.

4.4. But in a home; some felt that you are employing the deity as a "guard" much like the condo guard. When some one approaches the home; this "guard" may ask for vehicle no. etc...

4.5. Another view point is that it is better not to let your neighbour or someone walk past one's home to directly know what one is praying to. Of course, this is a small matter. But, it would be better not to do so.

4.6. As mentioned, earlier, some mimic the position of the altar in relation to the temple with the home. And because of this popular belief, many today, do place their altar facing the main door. This is known as "herd" mentality. If others do it, so can I. Therefore, based on this premise; Option C still CAN, lah!

4.7. Looking at YOUR layout plan, it seems that after placing the altar at OPTION C, it looks like very tight to either bring in items or (install appliances like frige, washing machine) and even walking thru that narrow area.

4.8. Moving the so called partition with altar futher backwards away from the main door, may not be feasible given the small unit. And inadvertenly, the partition could become a "knife" or "poison" arrow aimed towards the dining table and/or dining chair area.

5. Personally, amongst all the three locations; I personally feel that if one has only one deity such as Guan Yin, Option B might be a better location provided the dimension of the altar is also considered; given all the other concerns.

Quote

On 4/6/2013 10:20:09 PM, Anonymous wrote:
We are moving to a new house
and moving our Guang Yin from
old house to our new house.But
we are trying to find a
position forthe altar in
the new house.These
arethe few position we
had in mind. Please advice on
the best position or do
suggest a better position if
there is any.A) By the window
but facing the wall, which my
dad advice not to face the
wall.B) Near the storeroom and
kitchen but facing the window,
but that space is small.C)
Custom madecabinet to
houseGuang
Yingfacing the door, can
act as a divider too. But we
also like to put a shoe rack
at the adjacent corner. Will
it affect the fengsui?

[Cecil Lee]

Before selecting Option A, please take some time to read some of the following search results:-
NEW YORK | Mon Aug 25, 2008 3:18pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Burning incense may create a sweet scent, but regularly inhaling the smoke could put people at risk of cancers of the respiratory tract, researchers reported Monday.

In a study of more than 61,000 ethnic Chinese living in Singapore who were followed for up to 12 years, the investigators found a link between heavy incense use and various respiratory cancers.

The findings are published in the medical journal Cancer.

Incense has been used for millennia in many cultures' religious and spiritual ceremonies. In Asia, people commonly burn incense in their homes -- a practice that is becoming more popular in Western countries as well.

Incense is usually derived from fragrant plant materials, like tree bark, resins, roots, flowers and essential oils. Past research has found that burning these materials can produce potentially cancer-causing substances, including benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

However, no studies until now had linked the practice of burning incense to an increased cancer risk over time, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Jeppe T. Friborg of the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen.

For their study, the researchers followed 61,320 Singapore Chinese men and women between the ages of 45 and 74 from the Hokkien or Cantonese dialect group. All of the subjects were cancer-free at the outset.

Participants reported on their typical incense use, including how often they burned it in their homes and for how long -- only at night, for instance, or all day and night.

Over the next 12 years, 325 men and women developed cancer of the upper respiratory tract, such as nasal, oral or throat cancer. Another 821 developed lung cancer.

The researchers found that incense use was associated with a statistically significant higher risk of cancers of the upper respiratory tract, with the exception of nasopharyngeal cancer. However, they observed no overall effect on lung cancer risk.

Those who used incense heavily also had higher rates of a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which refers to tumors that arise in the cells lining the internal and external surfaces of the body. The risk was seen in smokers and nonsmokers.

Study participants who used incense in their homes all day or throughout the day and night were 80 percent more likely than non-users to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the entire respiratory tract.

The link between incense use and increased cancer risk held when the researchers weighed other factors, including cigarette smoking, diet and drinking habits.

"This association is consistent with a large number of studies identifying carcinogens in incense smoke," Friborg's team writes, "and given the widespread and sometimes involuntary exposure to smoke from burning incense, these findings carry significant public health implications."

They say further studies are needed to see whether different types of incense are associated with different degrees of cancer risk. In Singapore, the researchers note, most people burn long sticks or coils of incense that burn slowly over an extended period.

SOURCE: Cancer, October 1, 2008.
Reference: Burning incense linked to respiratory cancers | Reuterswww.reuters.com/.../us-incense-cancers-idUSPAT56944620080825

More:-
Burning joss sticks 'as deadly as traffic fumes or cigarette smoke ...

www.guardian.co.uk ? World news ? ThailandCached-Similar

You +1'd this publicly.Undo

Jul 30, 2008 ? But Dr Manoon urges worshippers to reduce the risks by extinguishing the scented joss stick immediately after use, rather than leaving it ...

joss stick - definition of joss stick by the Free Online Dictionary ...

www.thefreedictionary.com/joss+stickCached-Similar

You +1'd this publicly.Undo

a thin stick of a dried, fragrant paste, burned as incense before a joss. ... scientists have now found that regularly burning joss sticks increases the risk of certain ...

Burning incense linked to respiratory cancers | Reuters

www.reuters.com/.../us-incense-cancers-idUSPAT56944620080825Cached

You +1'd this publicly.Undo

Aug 25, 2008 ? NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Burning incense may create a sweet scent, ... at risk of cancers of the respiratory tract, researchers reported Monday. ... In Singapore, the researchers note, most people burn long sticks or coils of ...

We should ban burning joss stick in common corridors as well ...

forums.hardwarezone.com.sg ? ... ? Lifestyle ? Eat-Drink-Man-WomanCached

You +1'd this publicly.Undo

15 posts-12 authors

Truth is, most who burn joss sticks burn both indoors and outdoors. .... Incense burning did not affect lung cancer risk among non-smokers, but it significantly ...

Joss-sticks increase cancer risk: Official ? The Register

www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/26/incense_cancer_risk/Cached-Similar

You +1'd this publicly.Undo

Aug 26, 2008 ? Researchers have warned that burning joss-sticks and incense is ... the researchers discovered incense did indeed increase the risk of ...

It's one of the familiar smells of Asia - All About Cancer - Hong Kong ...

www.cancer-fund.org ? ... ? Latest Cancer NewsCached

You +1'd this publicly.Undo

Medical professionals have long suspected that joss sticks and incense ... be aware of such risks although he doesn't link his disease with incense-burning.

[Cecil Lee]

Source: www.scmp.com
Incense fumes could do more harm to your health than tobacco smoke

It's one of the familiar smells of Asia, from the temple to the family altar, but the next time you are surrounded by a cloud of incense smoke you may want to hold your nose.
Research in Taiwan has lent credence to suspicions that the joss sticks and incense that are burned as offerings to the gods may get you to heaven far quicker than you'd like.
Medical professionals have long suspected that joss sticks and incense - usually containing a blend of plant extracts and oils - emit harmful fumes when burned. Now, researchers from Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University in Tainan say joss fumes contain particulate matter, gases and organic compounds that could be more harmful than tobacco smoke.
"On average, incense burning produces particulates greater than 45 milligrams per gram burned, as compared to 10mg/g for cigarettes," says a report by Cheng Kung University's department of engineering.
Researchers studied the make-up and fumes from incense, joss sticks, cones and coils, and analysed smoke from a Taipei temple, which was found to contain high levels of compounds blamed for causing lung cancer.
Emissions levels were higher than at a city road junction. The toxins found are harmful to the lungs and can cause allergic reaction to the skin and eyes.
Lin Ta-chang, a spokesman for the Cheng Kung group, likens incense and joss-stick fumes to second-hand smoke.
"Pollutants emitted from incense burning in an enclosed environment are harmful to human health," he says.
"While it is relatively difficult to directly study the effect of incense smoke pollutants on health, several epidemiological studies have suggested that they do cause health problems."
Incense burning produces volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene and xylenes, as well as aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the study found.
The scientists, who conducted their study research in 2008, noted that during some major ceremonies, hundreds or even more than 1,000 joss sticks are burned at the same time.
Britain's National Health Service, which reviewed the Taiwanese study, said: "Smoke is smoke, and cigarette smoke is not the only type of smoke that is harmful."
A multinational study in 2008 also found that exposure to incense fumes posed significant public health implications. Jeppe Friborg, of the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, and colleagues in Singapore and the US studied associations between exposure to incense and a spectrum of respiratory tract cancers.
They sampled 61,320 Singaporean Chinese who were free of cancer and aged between 45 and 74 from 1993 to 1998, studying respondents' living conditions and dietary and lifestyle factors until 2005.
They found 325 upper-respiratory tract cancers - including nasal/sinus, tongue, mouth, laryngeal and others - and 821 lung cancers during the follow-up period.
The American Cancer Society said at the time that "incense use is associated with a significantly increased risk of upper-respiratory tract cancer" although there was no overall effect on lung cancer.
"It also considerably increased the risk in `never' smokers, which points to an independent effect of incense smoke."
The Taiwanese researchers also cited a 1996 report in the journal Cancer that showed a high incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in male Hong Kong patients who burn incense, compared with other malignant cases.
They found that 74.5 per cent of the nasopharyngeal cancer cases studied and 52 per cent of all other malignant cases were exposed to incense smoke, and concluded that incense smoke could be a factor.
Ko King-tim, an engineering professor at City University now in remission from the cancer, says the public must be aware of such risks although he doesn't link his disease with incense-burning.
"Most people are not aware of the causes of various cancers. Some are genetic, some are [linked to] substances or stress-induced," says Ko, who created a website for people with nasopharyngeal cancer.
"Most people in Hong Kong are unaware of the early symptoms of different cancers. Awareness of these early symptoms could save a lot of lives," he says.
"Air pollutants such as incense smoke or car exhaust fumes are hazardous to health, whether [they cause] cancers or other illnesses."
Although various "herbal" and "natural" incense options are also sold on the internet, the Taiwanese researchers stopped short of calling for an end to the deeply rooted tradition of burning incense, with Lin recommending devotees "keep the room well-ventilated" while they burn it.
"It will effectively dilute indoor air pollutants and hence reduce the risk of exposure."
Incense sticks have a slender bamboo stick onto which the mixture of ingredients is attached, while joss sticks come without the stick. Stick incense is the most popular in temples in Asia.
While the exact content of incense sticks is a commercial secret, most are made from a combination of fragrant gums, resins, wood powders, herbs and spices, the report says.
A typical stick of incense comprises, by weight, 21 per cent herb and wood powder, 35 per cent fragrance material, 11 per cent adhesive powder and 33 per cent bamboo stick.
Source: www.scmp.com

[Cecil Lee]

Personally, I don't think Option C is feasible; especially or in particular because of the narrow passage.
I equally don't like Option A. Else, one shouldplay the song "Smoke gets in your eyes".

Quote

On 4/8/2013 7:48:58 AM, Anonymous wrote:
These are some considerations:
1. From a Feng Shui point of
view; Options A and B are in
THEORY the better of the three
choices.
2. OPTION B:
2.1 However, as you have
pointed out especially Option
B, has a demerit. It would be
nice if the stretch of wall is
long "enough".
2.1 But since it shares the
bomb shelter door and squeezed
in between the main door and
the bomb shelter door; it
depends on what one is placing
onto the altar. For example,
most likely there is only room
for just one deity.
2.2. As it looks impossible;
for example to place e.g. say
an ancestor tablet + one or
more deity.
2.3. Furthermore, it can be
further limited if we consider
the auspicious dimensions of
say: a tailor made altar. One
of the smallest ready-made
altars could range between 2ft
(width) by 2ft (depth)
to 35"(width) by 2ft (depth).
More likely larger ones may
not be able to be placed,
there. However, if it is a
tailor made altar; the depth
could be further reduced with
a pull out extension.
2.4. Do make sure that the
bomb shelter door does not
affect or slam against the
altar table (IF ANY).
2.5. So far, between Options A
and C; in my opinion, other
than the above considerations;
this could be a better choice.
3. OPTION A:
3.1. In theory Option A could
also be a good choice.
3.2. Do check where the
sunlight comes in. If for
example, the sun rays comes in
at an angle; be it in the
morning or afternoon (as I
really don't know where is the
North-South direction).
3.2.1. If so, and if the deity
is often, affected by the rays
of the sun; one cannot expect
to buy a pair of rayban
sunglasses for the deity to
wear!).
3.3. From a practical
approach; I really HATE
placing an altar so close to
the passage way leading
towards all THREE bedrooms.
This is because unlike Options
A or C; if one constantly
lights up joss-sticks;
3.3.1 Especially if one has
family members that are
frequently at home e.g.
elderly parents or children
who spend time at home; and
constantly are in their
bedrooms with opened doors
etc...
3.4. Thus as I had mentioned,
in theory, Option A sounds
reasonable provided one
considers all the above or
does not mind family members
inhaling secondary smoke or if
one does not regulary light up
joss-sticks or even use some
of those smokeless type?
4. OPTION C WITH THE ALTAR
FACING THE MAIN DOOR:
4.1. There is some controversy
over the placement of the
altar facing the main door.
4.1.1. In general, actually,
by right; based on your
interior layout, the
(irresponsible) architect;
should have placed your main
entrance door open to the
RIGHT side (against the shared
wall with your neighbour's
unit). If so, even if you were
toplace the altar, it directly
faces the main door. Instead,
now, if one opens the main
door partially, the altar
deities may not have
sufficient "clearance" to have
a "full view" of the outside.
4.2. Some neighbours don't
like their neighbour, having
an altar facing their main
door. This is especially if
both your main door and
neighbour's main door directly
face each other.
4.3. Hiring a SECURITY GUARD
or "GET ONE FREE". One
controversy is that it may not
be too "polite" to place an
altar facing the main door.
One understand, that when we
enter a temple, the altar is
directly in full view. And
often, this is the location
facing the main entrance of a
temple. This is understandable
from a temple's layout.
4.4. But in a home; some felt
that you are employing the
deity as a "guard" much like
the condo guard. When some one
approaches the home; this
"guard" may ask for vehicle
no. etc...
4.5. Another view point is
that it is better not to let
your neighbour or someone walk
past one's home to directly
know what one is praying to.
Of course, this is a small
matter. But, it would be
better not to do so.
4.6. As mentioned, earlier,
some mimic the position of the
altar in relation to the
temple with the home. And
because of this popular
belief, many today, do place
their altar facing the main
door. This is known as "herd"
mentality. If others do it, so
can I. Therefore, based on
this premise; Option C still
CAN, lah!
4.7. Looking at YOUR layout
plan, it seems that after
placing the altar at OPTION C,
it looks like very tight to
either bring in items or
(install appliances like
frige, washing machine) and
even walking thru that narrow
area.
4.8. Moving the so called
partition with altar futher
backwards away from the main
door, may not be feasible
given the small unit. And
inadvertenly, the partition
could become a "knife" or
"poison" arrow aimed towards
the dining table and/or dining
chair area.
5. Personally, amongst all the three
locations; I personally feel that if one
has only one deity such as Guan Yin,
Option B might be a better location
provided the dimension of the altar is
also considered; given all the other
concerns.On 4/6/2013 10:20:09 PM,
Anonymous wrote:
We are moving to a
new house
and moving our Guang Yin
from
old house to our new house.But
we are trying to find a
position
forthe altar in
the new
house.These
arethe few
position we
had in mind. Please
advice on
the best position or do
suggest a better position if
there is any.A) By the window
but facing the wall, which my
dad advice not to face the
wall.B) Near the storeroom and
kitchen but facing the window,
but that space is small.C)
Custom madecabinet to
houseGuang
Yingfacing the door, can
act as a divider too. But we
also like to put a shoe rack
at
the adjacent corner. Will
it affect
the fengsui?

[Cecil Lee]

 

Get Expert Help from Master Cecil Lee for your Altar Placement