Master Kenny Hoo believes that technology and feng shui share many similarities. For this coming Ox Year, he says changes loom big in the tech industry
MENTION feng shui and many people will associate it with a Chinese traditional practice where the natural elements in our world are made to align with our living space.
However, for Master Kenny Hoo, the art of feng shui, or Chinese geomancy, is a very scientific one
The 55-year-old feng shui practitioner, who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, explained that feng shui is closely related to the binary system, that is, 101010.
"In Chinese culture, the concept of yin and yang is very important. It is about how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected and interdependent. Where yin is negative, yang is positive, so in that sense, it is a binary system," he added.
THE EARLY DAYS
Hoo didn't start off as a feng shui practitioner but as a software and hardware engineer, working for companies such as Robert Kok Group, Sapura and RedTone.
The Computer Science degree holder from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia spent seven years of his career in the technology industry before deciding to focus on feng shui.
His interest in the art of geomancy started when he was a teenager.
"I live in a remote area of Kuala Krau near Jerantut in Pahang. Even as a child, I loved to observe people. I was always curious how some people were successful while others would not do well despite working very hard," said Hoo, whose parents were rubber tappers in the village.
So he read a lot of books about life and feng shui, picking up pointers from local exponents of the art.
Initially, Hoo wanted to take up medicine but ended up doing computer science. It was during the early semesters of his university life that he was inspired to make feng shui his lifelong vocation.
"In the course of my computer studies, I realised that the way computers use data to process information is similar to feng shui, especially its close relationship with yin and yang as well as the binary theory that utilises just 1 and 0," he said.
The more he learned about technology and computers, the more he was convinced about the similarities and connection between technology and feng shui.
"In a computer language like Basic or Pascal, a component of it can have multiple features. This is very similar to Chinese characters where a word can have multiple meanings," said Hoo.
TECH AND FENG SHUI
Being knowledgeable about technology complemented Hoo's interest in feng shui and he realised geomancy applications can be computerised.
He came out with his own feng shui software to analyse and apply the principles of geomancy in our everyday surroundings.
"Some people may have the misconception that feng shui revolves around superstition or religion. It's actually all about science," said Hoo.
For instance, the Chinese compass, which is used in feng shui, is the oldest computer in the world, he pointed out.
Hoo's company is called Good Feng Shui, Geomantic Research.
"'Geo' means land while 'mantic' refers to the research carried out using scientific tools.
"All my advice is based on scientific calculations," he emphasised.
Initially, Hoo dispensed his feng shui knowledge to just his family members but as word got around, friends, relatives and their acquaintances came to seek his help. Gradually it became a career choice.
"Upon graduation, advising others on feng shui was just a part-time job for me. At that time, a lot of people were buying property and I was invited to give talks on feng shui.
"As I gained more knowledge on feng shui especially from masters in Taiwan and China, I combined all the different school of thoughts — a convergence of all the techniques — with my life path analysis using software," he added.
HOO'S 2021 OUTLOOK
From the Ox Year perspective, Hoo expects the technology outlook for the new lunar year to be "active".
"I see 2021 as a Golden Bull year with enormous opportunities for the tech companies," he said.
Hoo also dubbed this new year as the "Turnaround Year" with most industries starting to revive and recover from the pandemic.
"More innovative products and services will be launched and there will be more cross-domain or interdisciplinary business partnerships as well as technology cross-overs.
"Competition will naturally be more intense with more new players," he added.
Hoo explained that in feng shui, we are currently in the Earth cycle, with the next 20-year cycle, the Fire cycle, beginning in 2024.
However, the influence from the Fire cycle is already being felt this year, he said. As fire is related to technology, continued Hoo, "that's why we are seeing the rapid introduction of new tech products and services as well as AI innovations, big data and Internet of Things."
"Expect technological services and products to play a more important role in our day-to-day life. Whoever commands the technology space or the core technology will be big in the years to come," he added.
Original Article: https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/bots/2021/02/664040/tech-bytes-feng-shui
