No pond in front of the house, no window at the back – is it good or bad, as the old saying goes?

In a person’s life, building a house is extremely important. The placement of the house, its orientation, and the layout of the rooms in the house in accordance with feng shui are considered important factors related to the health, daily activities, and even the luck of the people living in the house. Therefore, the ancients paid great attention to the location of the land, the orientation, the position, and the construction of the house.

In particular, in the teachings of the ancients, there is a saying “No ponds in front of the house, no windows behind the house”. How should we understand this saying and how can it be applied in today’s context?

No ponds in front of the house

In feng shui, the ancients believed that mountains govern people, while water governs wealth. This means that water represents money and fortune, while mountains represent people. Having clean flowing water in front of the house, such as a river, is considered good. So why do people avoid having ponds? There is a folk saying that goes “Digging a pond in front of the house, the door of the house collapses”. This means that having a pond in front of the house is very bad in terms of feng shui.

In fact, in feng shui, water is believed to be good when it flows and is clean. Therefore, the ancients avoided turbulent water and chose gentle flowing rivers and clean water. Dirty, stagnant water has negative energy. Therefore, digging a pond in front of the house creates stagnant water that doesn’t flow and is considered bad feng shui. Moreover, stagnant water from the pond can bring moisture into the house, causing dampness. Stagnant, dirty water can also produce negative energy. Additionally, having a pond in front of the house can be dangerous as it can cause children or elderly people to slip and drown, bringing misfortune to the family.

No windows behind the house

In feng shui, windows are usually placed on the sides of the house. In ancient times, people preferred to build houses facing south for warmth. If a window is opened behind the house, which means facing north, then opening a window in the north direction would bring in cold wind and rain. This would make daily activities in the family more difficult, as the house would be cold and the nights would be chilly.

In addition, the houses in the past had simple walls. If a window was built at the back of the house, there would be a higher risk of theft and prying eyes. There is a saying that “the wall has ears,” which refers to the fact that having windows at the back of the house would make outsiders curious and peek into one’s personal life.

Having windows at the back of the house also symbolizes hidden dangers that could occur behind the house. In the past, houses with daughters that had windows at the back usually feared that the daughters would chat with strangers through the windows, or it would be easy to misunderstand that the daughters were not virtuous, making it difficult for parents to manage them. Additionally, having windows at the back of the house could lead to more teasing and create unnecessary troubles and reputation issues for the family.

Should this be applied nowadays?

Having ponds in front of the house predominantly occurred in rural areas with large land. Many years ago, many houses also filled the ponds in front of their houses due to the risks of drowning accidents for children or the need for careful watch to prevent children from drowning.

The saying of the ancients still holds many meanings today. Therefore, now many families apply the concept of water in front of the house by having fish tanks, but they always focus on adding waterfalls or ensuring continuous water circulation for cleanliness through the use of air bubble systems or cleaning the fish tank regularly. This helps create the right water environment in terms of feng shui, rather than stagnant water like a pond.

Having windows at the back of the house has become more flexible now, as houses nowadays have multiple directions. The technology to protect against rain and wind has also advanced compared to the past. Therefore, depending on the house’s structure, windows can be opened, but it is important to avoid having windows directly facing the main door or have two windows directly across from each other to maintain a good flow of energy.

However, having windows at the back of the house is still something that many people pay attention to. They should be kept closed when necessary and only opened when needed to avoid prying eyes, prevent rain and wind from entering, and avoid causing disturbances.

This information is for reference and contemplation purposes