Excellent question. This is one of the most common points of confusion for those new to Feng Shui, and the answer is nuanced because both statements can be true, but they apply to different contexts.
The confusion arises because "best direction" can refer to two different types of calculations in Feng Shui:
Your Sheng Qi (生气) "Life Force" Direction from the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) system.
The Facing Direction of your house or apartment from the Classical Compass School.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. For a PERSON: The "Best Direction" Should Be Behind You (The "Mountain" or "Seat") This advice comes from the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) system, which calculates your personal Kua Number based on your birth year and gender. This number determines your four auspicious and four inauspicious directions.
Your very best direction is called Sheng Qi (生气), which translates to "Life Force" or "Vital Breath." It is associated with success, prosperity, and vibrant energy.
In this personal context, your strongest, most supportive energy (Sheng Qi) should be at your back. This is known as your "seat" or "mountain."
Why? Think of a king on his throne or a general in a command tent. Their back is protected by a solid mountain or wall, allowing them to face forward and command the world ahead of them with confidence and stability. You want your personal source of strength supporting you.
Application: When sitting at your desk, your Sheng Qi direction should be behind you. When sleeping, your head should point towards your Sheng Qi direction (so it's behind you as you lie down).
Conclusion for a Person: Your personal best direction (Sheng Qi) is strongest when it is supporting your back.
2. For a BUILDING: The "Best Direction" Should Be What the Building Faces This advice comes from the more complex Classical Compass (Flying Star or San Yuan) Feng Shui, which analyzes the energy map of a building based on its period of construction and its facing direction.
Here, the analysis is not about you but about the property itself. Every building has a "seat" (the direction its back faces) and a "facing" (the direction its front faces).
The goal is to find a house or apartment whose Facing Direction (what the main door, view, and activity face) aligns with positive energy patterns for that specific time period. A skilled practitioner will determine if the mountain (back) and water (front) orientations are harmonious.
In this case, you absolutely want the building to face its most auspicious direction to gather positive "water" energy (which represents wealth and activity) through the front door and windows.
Conclusion for a Building: The building itself should face its most auspicious direction to attract prosperity.
Then, within that building, position yourself (especially at your desk and in your bed) so that your personal best direction (Sheng Qi) is at your back.
Final Answer: The seeming contradiction is resolved by understanding the subject:
Face your best direction? Yes, if we are talking about the front door and orientation of your house.
Have your best direction at your back? Yes, if we are talking about your personal orientation while sitting or sleeping inside that house.
For an individual's most important personal spaces (desk, bed), the rule is: Your back should be supported by your best personal direction (Sheng Qi), allowing you to face forward and engage with the world from a position of strength.
The confusion arises because "best direction" can refer to two different types of calculations in Feng Shui:
Your Sheng Qi (生气) "Life Force" Direction from the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) system.
The Facing Direction of your house or apartment from the Classical Compass School.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. For a PERSON: The "Best Direction" Should Be Behind You (The "Mountain" or "Seat")
This advice comes from the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) system, which calculates your personal Kua Number based on your birth year and gender. This number determines your four auspicious and four inauspicious directions.
Your very best direction is called Sheng Qi (生气), which translates to "Life Force" or "Vital Breath." It is associated with success, prosperity, and vibrant energy.
In this personal context, your strongest, most supportive energy (Sheng Qi) should be at your back. This is known as your "seat" or "mountain."
Why? Think of a king on his throne or a general in a command tent. Their back is protected by a solid mountain or wall, allowing them to face forward and command the world ahead of them with confidence and stability. You want your personal source of strength supporting you.
Application: When sitting at your desk, your Sheng Qi direction should be behind you. When sleeping, your head should point towards your Sheng Qi direction (so it's behind you as you lie down).
Conclusion for a Person: Your personal best direction (Sheng Qi) is strongest when it is supporting your back.
2. For a BUILDING: The "Best Direction" Should Be What the Building Faces
This advice comes from the more complex Classical Compass (Flying Star or San Yuan) Feng Shui, which analyzes the energy map of a building based on its period of construction and its facing direction.
Here, the analysis is not about you but about the property itself. Every building has a "seat" (the direction its back faces) and a "facing" (the direction its front faces).
The goal is to find a house or apartment whose Facing Direction (what the main door, view, and activity face) aligns with positive energy patterns for that specific time period. A skilled practitioner will determine if the mountain (back) and water (front) orientations are harmonious.
In this case, you absolutely want the building to face its most auspicious direction to gather positive "water" energy (which represents wealth and activity) through the front door and windows.
Conclusion for a Building: The building itself should face its most auspicious direction to attract prosperity.
Then, within that building, position yourself (especially at your desk and in your bed) so that your personal best direction (Sheng Qi) is at your back.
Final Answer: The seeming contradiction is resolved by understanding the subject:
Face your best direction? Yes, if we are talking about the front door and orientation of your house.
Have your best direction at your back? Yes, if we are talking about your personal orientation while sitting or sleeping inside that house.
For an individual's most important personal spaces (desk, bed), the rule is: Your back should be supported by your best personal direction (Sheng Qi), allowing you to face forward and engage with the world from a position of strength.