Q&A 7. Hanging landscape paintings

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Q&A 7. Hanging landscape paintings

Q: Dear Master Lu, we would like to ask for your advice regarding landscape paintings of water and mountains. What are the guidelines for placing these paintings at home? Do we need to place these pictures behind the statues or images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas? Can we place these paintings in other rooms of the house?
Is there anything about the landscape paintings that we should take note of, especially pertaining to the features about water? According to feng shui, it is not recommended to hang a painting featuring waterfalls. Also, what about the direction of the water flow? Is it true that the water should flow inwards instead of outwards? Ocean waves and huge tides are also not very good according to feng shui. Could you please let us know if there are other guidelines? Thank you very much.

A:

• There are many places that you can place landscape paintings of water and mountains (also known as the “blue” landscape paintings.)

• However, the one to use behind statues or images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, or behind the Buddhist altar should be the “yellow” landscape paintings.

• You can place the blue landscape paintings above the toilet door on the outside (not on the toilet door. If the space between the door and the ceiling is too small, you can place it on the wall on either side of the toilet door) to prevent the negative energy from coming out (it is as if there is a mountain above the toilet door and there is water flowing underneath; your toilet door is just a small hole underneath the mountain, so the negative energy cannot escape);

• Above the bedroom door to prevent negative energy from entering the bedroom;

• If the doors of two rooms face each other, you can also place the paintings above the doors;

• Certain locations are unsuitable for large paintings, such as above the head of the bed, since it would be as if a mountain is pressing down on your head. Generally speaking, small paintings are alright.

• The best landscape paintings would feature a large mountain sitting above still water, with valleys and hills in the far background, but the mountains should not have sharp peaks. As for the water, it naturally flows; even if it is still water. A waterfall in the landscape painting is fine as well, as long as the waterfall is not overly aggressive.

• Landscape paintings must be blessed to activate the water and mountains for the paintings to take effect.

• The painting can be an oil painting, a water/ink painting, a printed image, etc. as long as it does not appear artificial or unnatural.

• It is best not to use paintings by deceased artists, as these paintings tend to attract their spirits. Nor should the paintings contain large human or animal figures, as these figures also tend to attract foreign spirits.

• In fact, there is a lot to say about the composition of the painting. For example, the proportion of water and cloud, or the specific traces of stamp, seal or calligraphy, can give rise to different energy fields. In addition, the landscape paintings are required to be blessed to be effective. Therefore, the blessed blue landscape paintings are recommended.