When I was in Malaysia recently auditing properties for a client who is looking to purchase one of them, the first thing I do upon arrival for each property was spending time outside each property, observing the surroundings. During those moments, my client seems a little perturbed by my constant observation of the surroundings rather than taking measurements of the property immediately upon arrival and entering the property to assess the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, door etc rightaway.

I believe that is what his impression of a standard Fengshui audit should be, and also, what many Fengshui practitioners are doing too, taking measurements and assessing the interior of the property immediately upon arrival, with the external surroundings merely playing a secondary role or is even negligible.

We know Man is affected by the larger environment, by what and how the environment is. If the environment is not favorable, how well our immunity is becomes the focus. If the environment is favorable, how well our absorption is becomes the focus. And sometimes, whether one should change the environment and whether one is able to change the environment if it is not favorable is also a consideration.

What has this got to do with Fengshui? The basis of Fengshui is 道, the Principles or Ways of Nature. Man is affected largely by the larger environment and that is 道. Likewise for Fengshui. Think of Property, think of Man. Property will also be affected largely by the larger environment.

If we do not know what and how the larger environment is, what should the focus be? Improving immunity or absorption or change the environment? There is a Chinese saying, 治标不治本. Auditing and making changes to the interior of the property without understanding of the larger environment is akin to treating the symptoms but not the root cause, not considering even the possibility of giving wrong remedies. Yet, the right remedy is not necessary the right cure, with possibility of relapses in the future.

After sharing the article regarding tilted doors, I have received enquiries from readers wanting to seek advice on that topic for their property. However, I was unable to give them the answers. Reason being, even if they are able to provide the N-S directions of their property, floorplan and other information, not knowing what and how the environment is one is unable to know if they should change their door facing.

Tilting the door, strictly speaking, is about changing the door facing. The end result may either cause the door to be slightly tilted with respect to the property or it may be well aligned still. As I have said, whether one should change the door facing, one needs to understand the larger environment of the property first. Changing the door facing without understanding the larger environment or using Flying Stars, Da Gua or Eight Mansions as the basis is futile. The purpose and effect from such attempts is negligible, not considering even the possibility of Inauspicious side effects.

Even so, after knowing what and how the environment is in many cases, whether the door facing should be change is not even one of the focal point of a Fengshui audit, and there are also many situations where the door facing need not change to match the larger environment (雌雄、金龙、挨星).

This is the reason why the first thing a Fengshui practitioner should do when assessing a property is to spend time observing the surroundings of the property, to understand Nature's influences on the property, and not immediately taking measurements of the property, entering the property and assessing the interior layout, rooms etc rightaway. Whether the property is Inauspicious or Auspicious is not due to the interior layout or door facing. One should not 知其然而不知其所以然.

Knowing the larger environment's influences, one knows the 根源, and knows if the 根源 needs to be changed and can be changed, and knows how to implement the right solutions or improve the interior of the property with regards to the 根源, that is, 对症下药.

The opening of the Fengshui classic 《青囊经》is “杨公养老看雌雄，天下諸書對不同，先看金龍動不動。。。”。

I believe it is never enough to emphasize the importance of the external surroundings of a property, how it is the very first step in assessing a property. 古代人对择地定居为首要任务也非常的讲究. What do you think is 择地?

不久前，当我在邻国马来西亚分析一些客户想购买的阳宅时，大多的时间我都在宅外，观察宅的外局情况。那时候，客户有感到些纳闷。为何我一到就是观察外局而不是马上拿出罗盘量坐向、马上到宅里面分析宅的内局。

我相信他会感到纳闷是因为他可能认为马上拿出罗盘量坐向、到宅内分析内局，是一个阳宅分析标准的步骤。又，这也是许多地理师在堪宅时所做的。而外局的分析只是一个配角或微不足道。

我们知道人主要被环境的好坏所影响。如环境不佳，我们自身的抵抗力多好成为焦点。如环境佳，我们自身的吸收能力多好成为焦点。又，有些时候，如环境不佳，是否该不该改、能不能改变环境也是一个考虑。

这和风水有什么关系呢？风水的原理是道、自然界的道。人类主要受到环境、大自然的影响，这是道。风水也是。想到宅，就想想人。宅第也是被环境的好坏所影响。

如不清楚环境的好坏，什么才是焦点呢？提高抵抗力还是吸收力还是改变环境？不知道环境的好坏就分析和更改一个宅的内局就好比“治标不治本”。更不要说存在开错药的可能性。又，因治标不治本，复发的可能性还依然存在。

分享关于开斜门的咨询后，我收到一些读者的来信，寻求对于他们的宅是否可以或应该不应该开斜门。不过，我无法回答他们。因为即使能详细的标明他们宅第的东南西北方向、符上平面图和其他资料，这些还是无法知道是否应该改门向。

开斜门，严格说，是改门向。改门向后也许让门看似开了斜的门，也有可能不会造成斜门，还是对齐的。我曾说过，是否应该改门向，首先是要知道环境对宅的影响。不知环境的影响或以飞星、大卦或八宅为主而改门向是徒劳无功的。这样做的影响是微不足道的，更不要说可能带来不利的副作用。

又，了解环境对宅的影响后，很多时候门往往是否该不该改向不是堪宅时的重点之一，也有很多情况下门向是无需去更改以符合环境的（雌雄、金龙、挨星）。

这就是为什么一个地理师在堪宅时，首要做的是花时间观察一个宅的环境，了解环境所带来的影响，而不是马上拿出罗盘量坐向、到宅内分析内局。一个宅是否旺衰不是因为内局或门向的因素。在堪宅时不应该知其然而不知其所以然。

知道了环境对宅的影响，就好比知道了根源。就能知道是否根源需不需要改、能不能改，针对根源的影响而实行和改善宅的内局，也就能对症下药。

《青囊经》云：“杨公养老看雌雄，天下諸書對不同，先看金龍動不動。。。”。

身为堪宅时的首要任务，再三强调外局对宅的重要性是一定要的。古代人对择地定居为首要任务也非常的讲究。那么，您认为什么是择地呢？