CAN WE CALL VAASTU A SCIENCE?

This is a very frequently asked question by believers as well as sceptics. First of all, we need to understand what is science. Science is the study of the nature and behaviour of natural and man made things. It involves a careful and systematic study by observation, experiments and certain measurement at times to arrive at certain conclusions or inferences. Vaastu does exactly this and that is why it is called as an ancient science. It observed the surroundings and nature’s forces acting on us along with the effects of dwellings before making certain ground rules. Some of them are common sense like keeping your house neat, tidy and clean.

You don’t need expert environmentalists to tell you that we should preserve our trees which give us valuable oxygen to survive besides protecting us from the heat of the sun and pollution. Vaastu always advocated plants in our surrounding.

People do exercises, yoga, walking, etc. in the morning to keep themselves fit. Vaastu and yoga go hand in hand and it has strongly advised everyone to do breathing exercises like pranayama and yoga in the morning to get the maximum benefit of the early morning sunrays. Meditation is also part of good Vaastu. By meditating, we generate positive energy which can encounter negative energy. Some meditations like the “SudershanKriya” or “Meditation on the Twin Hearts” are very powerful to combat Vaastu problems if done regularly.

One does not have to be told to clean the house regularly. It gathers dirt and negative elementals over time. So regular cleaning of the house is good Vaastu. Our minds also gather dirt from external as well as internal forces. We accumulate negative energy in our minds through our lower emotions like anger, hatred, greed,lust, jealousy, etc. Same can be influenced by others also. So we need to clean our minds too otherwise they can manifest into several diseases. For example, a prolonged hatred for someone or something can result in kidney problems. Regular tension and worries can affect our heart, blood sugar and blood pressure. Medicines can only cure some physical parts while they may have side effects or cause addictions. Meditations and regular exercise are better as advised by Vaastu.

There are more Ultraviolet rays in the afternoon sun which are harmful to us. Vaastu has observed this and advised thicker walls and bigger trees at west to block these rays. On the other hand, early morning sun rays have beneficial UV rays which are essential for our bodies to produce Vitamin D. So Vaastu has said that the east should be open and tall trees should not be planted at the East or Northeast. When the early morning sun rays fall on water bodies, they get polarized providing further benefit to us. So water bodies are recommended at the East, Northeast and North (due to Northward movement of the sun).

We can get different emotions by looking at images or pictures. A nice picture will make us feel good while a sad or violent image can make us sad too. So pictures of war, violence or violent animals are forbidden in the house. Always display pictures of happiness and togetherness.

During the summer, the sun moves from the Northeast to Northwest. So there is less heat in the southern side in comparison. In the winters, the sun moves from the southeast to southwest and provides more heat to the South/Southeast. So the kitchen should be placed at Southeast as it will remain warm in the winters and cooler in the summers.

SOME MORNING RITUALS:

Vaastu and Yoga have a very close relationship.The very foundation of VaastuShastra lies in Yoga Shastra. Any types of Vaastu defects can be rectified with yogic methods like pranayama, Surya Namaskar, etc. The milder energy stream i.e. Ida(Chandra/Moon) Nadi influences the North and the East. The Chandra Nadibrings peace, prosperity, stability and strength.The Pingala or Surya(Sun) Nadi influences the West and South.This has connection with pain, misfortune,sorrow and hardship and is highly responsible for growth of life.

There are other branches of Yoga, namely Bhakti (devotion) Yoga, Jnana (knowledge & wisdom), Yoga, Karma (deed/relationship) Yoga and Raja Yoga. We will not go into all this in detail now but certain rules will be discussed which should be followed by individuals before preparing for the day to charge the body and the mind.

2.One should make a habit of sleeping for 8/9 hours at a stretch. It is not possible for many but this is what is recommended by Yoga experts to revitalize the body.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Anuj Agarwal, Guwahati

Ans: While it is excellent to have an extension towards the Northeast of the plot, one should never burden it with heavy load. Moreover, the transformer is a fire-related item and the Northeast is the direction of the water element. DO NOT install it at the Northeast. The Southeast is the best direction for installing the transformer.