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Reality Lies Beyond Vaastu Shastra
by
Shri Ashutosh Ji Maharaj
Peace, happiness and health are the three goals, which all human beings aspire to achieve in their life. The most recent rage to attain these three-fold objectives in both India and in the West is Vaastu Shastra (akin to the Chinese Feng Shui). Can this science of inhabitation really help us in our endeavour? We need to examine it in its entirety. We will also attempt to determine the status of this science vis-a-vis divine knowledge.
Mythology holds that the Vaastu Purusha, the demi-god, was a terrible giant and to subdue him the various deities, guarding the different directions, sat on his back, making it impossible for him to stand upright. The giant beseeched God, who appeared in the north-east corner and blessed him with a boon that he would be worshipped by all who wish to construct sacred or dwelling architecture and he, in turn, would protect the inhabitants who do not hurt him.
Ancient sages believed that the demi-god resides in each and every lot, house, and building with his face downward and his head toward the north-east, as that is where God appeared to him. The image of the demi-god is drawn in the likeness of man with his head in the north-east, legs in the south-west, right hand in the north-west and left hand in the south-east. In brief, it is a male energy that resides in our homes. It is the life force of the edifice.
The word Vaastu implies ‘vasa', i.e. the act of inhabitation or dwelling, and Shastra, a Sanskrit word, means science. Thus, it is a science of inhabitation. To elucidate further, it may be said to be a science that stresses proper building and assembling of structures such as, houses, offices, buildings, temples and the arrangement of a whole range of furniture by ensuring the harmony of natural forces of earth, space, air, fire and water.
All this is done as per the science and scheme of Vaastu Shastra. Why? To attain full benefits that flow in from the magnetic field surrounding the area. Our adorable ancient sages practised the tenets of this science to create and sustain a proper atmosphere for their living.
In recent years, Vaastu Shastra has gained unprecedented momentum and huge acceptance. The reason for such a change in mindset lies in the belief that by adhering to the principles of Vaastu Shastra in constructing the structures and positioning fixtures and furniture, we can ensure peace, happiness and health. This compliance will also bring in success in our endeavours. Yet, we gloss over the sages' utilization of this science.
There is no denying the truth that forces of nature have great impact on our life. If one sits near water, its coolness will affect one by making him calm and tranquil. Likewise, if a person sits close to fire, the heat will have an effect on him by making him hyper-active, as the body temperature and blood circulation become stimulated. Thus, our sages kept in mind the nature of the material elements and their impact on the human body and accordingly, disciplined their living to derive energies of nature in the most optimal way and proportion.
This science is the brain child of the ancient sages who were scientists par excellence; they knew well to control the various energies of nature. But at the top of all this, the seers did not forget the One who is instrumental in bringing forth these forces/energies. They were ever aware of the Divine, the Cosmic Mind, who is the material cause behind the bounties of nature.
Through the pearls of wisdom, poured into the Vedas and the Upanishads for posterity, they elucidated that peace, happiness and success will not accrue by mere correct positioning of perishable objects. Rather, lasting peace and happiness calls for reliance upon and realisation of the Imperishable One, the eternal being, the sole source and cause of everything in the universe.
For instance, the palace of the Pandavas, the five princes from the epic Mahabharata, at Hastinapur was also designed according to the philosophy of Vaastu. It was designed by Vishvakarma- none other than the sage who gave us the Vaastu Shastra. Though the palace was stunning, the five brothers had their share of troubles, culminating on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It was not Vaastu that delivered them from the evil eye of the Kauravas, the adversaries; it was their submission to Lord Krishna that granted them victory.
Though the sages utilised the science of Vaastu, they were fully awakened to the reality that it cannot replace the eternal science of divine knowledge - Brahm Gyan - granted under the tutelage of an enlightened teacher. Hence, the vital difference between the two sciences is that while Vaastu Shastra harnesses the power of nature, supreme science of divine knowledge allows one to harness the power of the Divinity in nature.
The peerless human body is a structure built by God to dwell in. This body is composed of all the five elements of nature. Sages knew it well that their true place of dwelling is within this human body, fully knowing and realising that man's true image is that of God. God resides in all human beings as the Self of man, the Spirit within, the activating agent in all. "The Supreme is ever-shining in the chambers of the hearts of all creatures" (Bhagavad Gita 18:61). And the spirit, by nature, is ever-free. However, it is due to its contact with the material body, it has become bound and contaminated. In birth as a human being, the sole purpose of the spirit is to return to its true nature of freedom and purity.
Divine knowledge teaches us to harness the energies within the body by pulling at the reins of the mind to control the harmful flow and allowing for a creative flow that can bring harmony, peace, happiness, love and success first within and then in the world. To reach this goal, one should associate oneself with the right energies/forces of the material world. In the context of science of inhabitation, it is to know the importance of placing this human body in the right surroundings.
In his epic Ramcharitramanus, Tulsidas Ji says, "God created this world by combining opposite forces. He juxtaposed mobile and immobile objects, virtues and vice. However, he placed us on earth to collect virtues, not vice". It shall become possible by situating ourselves at the feet of the Spiritual Master and absorbing the energies from his divine words. Thereupon, beseech and receive divine knowledge and meditate on the divine light of the soul to prevent the cosmic energies from flowing down and out; one shall then attain peace, harmony and success that are desired in life by all.
While the Vaastu Shastra is an appetizer, divine knowledge is a complete meal. Though the hors d'oeuvres may whet your appetite, your hunger will only be satiated by the whole buffet that is laid out before you.
Shri Ashutosh Ji Maharaj is the spiritual head and founder of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan - The Divine Light Awakening Mission [www.divyajyoti.org]. DJJS is a non-denominational spiritual organization headquartered in New Delhi, India, and is engaged in establishing a world of peace and harmony through the imparting of spirituality as a science of experience. The organization is working worldwide for realizing the goal of a global family through chaplaincy in prisons, universities, schools and professional institutions. Discourse sessions are also held in the Brampton, Ontario area. For more information, please write to djjscanada@hotmail.com
Posted by editor on March 15, 2004 01:31 PM