Basic Feng Shui dictates that the concept of a Ming Tan or a bright hall is essentially the presence of a large, open space around the main entry point of a property. This concept can be stretched farther as the presence of a large open pool of water in front of a building and can be narrowed down to the occurrence of a small open, uncluttered and clear space in front of your main door.
The idea is that the energy that enters your main door should not be “contaminated” or disturbed while it enters your home.
In an ideal world, one would love to look outside the main door and see an open expanse of garden or water outside their house. But let’s get real, in the real world you might open your door and end up looking directly at your neighbor’s door, separated by a narrow passage of 4 feet, so what does one do?
External Ming Tan v/s Internal Ming Tan
Whatever space constraints you may have, the space directly in front of your door can at least be controlled by you! This is your external Ming Tan.
Keep it clean: This space should be kept clean, free of clutter, devoid of a dirt collecting doormat and if the tiles are chipped or broken, then at least this area should be re-tiled.
Keep it bright: Make sure that the area is well lit.
Watch the shoes: Indian homes don’t allow shoes inside their premises. So, if you must keep your shoes outside, make sure they are not piled up in an untidy heap but are kept on a rack, neatly.
Watch the congestion: Some people love to decorate the area outside their home with decorative objects, statues etc. Make sure that these don’t have any sharp elements like swords, arrows or broken glass that is oh-so-fashionable these days. Also, make sure they don’t obstruct the smooth flow of good qi into your house.
Watch the water: While it is considered “good Feng Shui” to place a “Feng Shui fountain” outside your house, there are places where water can be a bad sign. So check with a reliable source if placing water in that sector is a good idea or not.
Now look at your internal Ming Tan and see if these factors comply inside as well.
While you cannot control what is outside your property, you can at least fix what is inside.
A good Ming Tan can dissipate bad qi and convert it to a good one, irrespective of the “facing” of the house. So this is one thing you can DIY (Do-It-Yourself) without the fear of messing things up!
