Eye on the Divine
In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Dzi Kingdom, founder Dato’ Sri Martin Lui reflects on his career in Chinese metaphysics and the journey to build an empire from a spark of passion
When Dato’ Sri Martin Lui first encountered dzi beads, he was an established civil engineer with property developer SP Setia. Never could he have imagined that a single instance with a mystical gem would change his fate. “I bought my first dzi in Ipoh from a crystal dealer. When I held it, I felt an electric shock, and my curiosity grew,” the 57-year-old feng shui master recalls fondly. Unlike crystals, dzi refers to tubular beads with motifs indicative of various blessings, from wealth, luck and protection to longevity and familial happiness. These mysterious relics first appeared in ancient Tibet between 2000 and 1000 BC, often starting as earth-formed agate, with patterns intentionally crafted or unveiled through human intervention. “Dzi beads pass down between generations, and they are more valuable than gold and diamonds to Tibetans. The highest quality ones comprise white jade,” Master Lui explains.
As the exact origins of these beads are shrouded in mystery, the Tibetans regard authentic dzi as being of supernatural origin. Some dzi beads have circular motifs called eyes, with as few as one eye to enhance the wearer’s wisdom, to large altar beads with 365 eyes, for protection and blessings upon a household. The first gem that inspired Lui was a nine-eyed dzi, which he clarifies denotes “power, authority and stability, ideal for business leaders.” Today, the nine-eyed dzi makes up a part of the Dzi Kingdom logo.
“Once I wore one, I felt like I didn’t have enough. It’s like buying a luxury watch: once you get a taste, you want to try different brands and eventually get addicted to collecting,” Lui admits. As his interest grew, Lui travelled to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and eventually Tibet, investing in and expanding his collection. He gradually learned to identify superior antiques, judging beads by their colour, surface patterns, sheen, diaphaneity, weathering marks, degree of
perfection and the rare presence of reddish-hued cinnabar dots.
“Twenty years ago, dzi beads were not a well-known item to the public. Some knew about its origins in Tibet, but many were far more familiar with crystals for personal feng shui,” Lui says, having seen a prime opportunity to spread awareness about the benefits of authentic dzi antiques, which he claims have significant magnetic power over common crystals.
Before Lui trained with numerous feng shui masters and engaged in independent research to become an expert on dzi beads, he learned from friends who shared his enthusiasm, collecting and comparing finds within their tight-knit community. “After getting married, I left Johor and returned to Kuala Lumpur, quitting my job when I was 38. I had decided to turn my hobby into a business,” Lui reflects, despite having only collected dzi beads for around two years.
His decision to leave a steady and lucrative job in property development drew raised eyebrows from extended family, who could not fathom Lui’s decision to discard years of study and a promising career. But for Lui, the transition felt natural as numbers continued to surround him. “Civil engineers are skilled in mathematics, and feng shui is also about numbers. You can’t risk miscalculations!”
Lui’s previous role prepared him well, with the feng shui master openly expressing gratitude to his former boss at SP Setia, who encouraged him to step away from architecture plans to cut his teeth in sales. “I was doing quite well in selling houses, and because I had designed them, it was easy to explain the perks and rationale to potential clients,” Lui shares, believing the opportunity gave him grounding in persuasive communication.
Armed with a small table and an impressive selection from his collection up for sale, Lui and his wife launched their business in the Mont Kiara night markets and The Curve. “The starting point in any business is always difficult,” he says, adding, “The biggest challenge was trying to overcome my way of thinking. Crossing from being a working-class man to a business owner, one fears leaving steady work.”
Over time, Lui pioneered combining Tibetan dzi blessings with personalised Bazi feng shui. His method involves using Tibetan dzi beads to reintroduce elemental balance, helping individuals find stability and equilibrium in personal luck, health and relationships. “You want a steady life,” Lui explains, cautioning against undesirable fluctuations in elemental energies.
As Dzi Kingdom grew, the business continued to gain recognition, receiving awards from Superbrands Malaysia, the International Feng Shui Association, and many more. Dato’ Sri Martin Lui was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Chinese Metaphysics at The Brandlaureate Entrepreneur Awards 2023. “After 20 years of trial and error, I would say the theory works, and that’s how our business has branched out to 28 outlets throughout the country.”
For more information, visit dzikingdomgroup.com, facebook. com/dzikingdomgroup or contact +6018 388 9333 / +6016 328 8739