The

Power
of
Vastu
Creati ng
the Energy
of Prosperi ty
1
6 7
As a result of a series of foreign invasions the knowledge of Vastu was
lost. For thousands of years, portions of this valuable knowledge were retained
for the exclusive use of the upper echelon of Indias society. Recently, as
Westerners have begun seeking out new ways to improve the quality of life,
the enormous benets of Vastu have once again become available through
Vedic translations to people worldwide.
The far-reaching inuence of Vastu can be seen in great architectural
monuments that have withstood the ravages of time and the elements: the
Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, the Roman Coliseum, the Greek Parthenon,
and the Taj Mahal. In every respect these monuments were built according
to the principles of Vastu: in shape, proportion, measurements, and align-
ment to the cardinal directions.
About three thousand years ago monks crossed over the mountains
from India, through Tibet and into China, carrying with them this ancient
Vedic knowledge. In China the science of Vastu Shastra was adapted to local
climatic and cultural conditions. In this way, Vastu gradually evolved into
the various schools of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement and
design that results in improving the ow of energy in an environment.
In 1922, archeologists
under the direction of
R.D. Banarjee, began
excavating Mohenjo-
Daro, an ancient city
in the Indus Valley. It
was determined that
the city was at least 5,500 years old and that
it had been built using the principles of Vastu.
Mohenjo-Daro had been an advanced and pros-
perous civilization featuring elaborate architec-
ture and sophisticated works of art. Streets were
set up in a grid system running north-south,
east-west, at right angles to each other, with
open space and a temple at the very center of
the city. The homes were built according to a
rectangular design with a cooking area in the
southeast and an open central courtyard.
Within the Vedas, there
is a sacred science of
building called Vastu
Shastra (vastu means
building; shastra means
science). It explains how
to create an environment
in accordance with the
laws of nature, so that one
experiences support and
prosperity in life. It is the
science that reveals why
we feel uneasy in some
environments and why in
others we are uplifted.
As Westerners
have begun
seeking out new
ways to improve
the quality of life,
the enormous
benets of Vastu
have once
again become
available
through Vedic
translations
to people
worldwide.
Greek Parthenon
6 7
CHAPTER 1: THE POWER OF VASTU
8 9
how vastu shastra works
The seers and sages of ancient India carefully observed the effects of the
ve elements (earth, water, re, air, and space) on the human organism and
environment. In a natural environment all ve elements are in balance. As
soon as the environment is altered by the introduction of a structure, how-
ever, this balance is disturbed. Any such disturbance then affects the health,
wealth, and happiness of those who live and work inside the building. Over
thousands of years the sages collected such observations of natural balance
and imbalance within environments. The resulting body of knowledge is the
science of Vastu Shastra.
In a sense, Vastu is yoga for the home or ofce. Yoga balances the ve
elements in the body through postures and breathing exercises that elimi-
nate stress. Vastu extends this principle by balancing the ve elements to
eliminate stress in a physical environment. Using the principles of Vastu, you
can bring any building into balance, attract benecial energy, and enhance
prosperity and abundance. In this way, your home or ofce will become a
haven, a sanctuary where you feel productive, healthy, and at peace.
In any structure the ve elements must be in balance to gain the sup-
port of nature. Each of these elements is associated with a particular direc-
tion (earth, southwest; water, northeast; re, southeast; air, northwest; space,
the central area). The interplay between these elements and the directions
affects you on every level of existence. Each of the ve elements, together
with the directions north, south, east, and west, has a specic planetary
inuence as well, making a subtle but profound impact on your daily life.
People seldom think of their homes as living entities, but the ben-
ets of understanding this premise are truly life-changing. Vastu Purusha is
affected by energies that come from different geographic directions. These
energies are of two kinds. The magnetic energies of the north and the
solar energies of the east (ultraviolet rays) exert positive, supportive inu-
ences, while the south (infrared rays) and the west (gamma rays) exert
inuences that are not life-supporting. For this reason in ancient India,
buildings were designed to receive the abundant, life-enhancing energies
from the north and east, while shielding their inhabitants from the gamma
and infrared rays of the west and south. The positive energies from north
and east owed around the structure without obstruction and collected in
the southwest area of the building, where they supported the health and
well-being of the people inside.
Over time, people lost touch with the importance of living in harmony
with the natural environment. Our homes and places of work have gradually
become lled with unnecessary stress and strife. Very simple adjustments,
using tools that return the ve elements to balance, will often alleviate this
stress. Such adjustments can be made economically, without disturbing your
environment, and it is the purpose of this book to show you how. When you
honor and enliven Vastu Purusha, the spirit of your building, the result is
greater health, prosperity, and happiness for all who enter.
The four directions and the Vastu Purusha
Man inuenced by the forces of nature
The ancient seers
observed that every
building is a living
organism having its own
energy eld. They called
the spirit of the building
Vastu Purusha.
NW
air
NE
water
CENTER
space
SW
earth
SE
re
THE WAY OF VASTU CHAPTER 1: THE POWER OF VASTU
10 11
seeing everything as energy
The Way of Vastu speaks of the laws
of balance and harmony, which can
be felt through the natural ow of
universal forces. Most cultures recog-
nize these unseen forcesforces that
shape the world of the seen and the
unseenunderstanding that life is an
intricately woven pattern of energy and
form. Life-force energy permeates the
cosmos, our earth, and nature (includ-
ing our bodies) with its essence. The
Japanese call this life-force energy Ki
and the Chinese call it Chi. In India it
is called Prana. The Romans called it Spiritus and the Greeks knew it as
Pneuma. It is known in Hebrew as Ruah and in Arabic as Rhor. This energy,
known throughout the world by many names in many cultures, can become
blocked or stagnant within an environment. When blocked it causes stress,
leading to disease and limitation in the body, mind, and emotions. Such life-
energy blockage wreaks havoc with our ability to manifest prosperity and
prevents us from feeling productive in the world.
as above, so below
From the level of the tiny atom to the vastness of the cosmos, the same laws
of nature are reected. They form intricate connections between our human
body, the environments in which we live and work, our greater world, and
the universe at large. In its natural state, every inch of the earth is in perfect
harmony with cosmic order. The elements of earth, air, water, re, and space
exist in pure balance, pristine and undisturbed. If you have ever walked in a
forest or lush meadow, along a stream or rushing river, or on the shores of an
ocean or lake, you may have felt a sense of peace and serenity, an expansive
sense that all is right with the world. When you are in harmony with the
world, this is your natural state.
the rst law of nature:
EVERY ACT I ON BEGET S ANOTHER
This is also known as the Law of
Karma: you get back whatever you
put in. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
What goes around comes around.
From any action, another arises. We
can see this universal principle at
work in every aspect of the world,
including its creation. Western
science has revealed that rst there
was sound (the Big Bang), and from
sound came ether or space (which
is alive with possibility and consciousness). From ether/space came air (the
life force). From friction in the air came re (the spark of intention) in the
form of lightning. From excessive heat, water (the creator) was generated.
From water came earth (the sustainer). Thus, each of the ve elements was
created in sequence.
The science of Vastu links the body (the
microcosm) and the universe (the macrocosm) together
with the ve elements. The body occupies space; it
comes from the same subtle level of possibility and
consciousness that created the universe. The lungs ll
with air, life-force energy. Fire, in the form of heat,
brings warmth and stimulation to all systems of the
body. The body is composed of 80 percent water.
This water, in the form of bodily uids, creates vitality
and harmony through the blood and bodily secretions.
Earth gives the body shape through bones, tissues,
muscles, skin, and hair. According to Vastu, then, we
are each a blueprint of the universe as seen through
the ve elements.
When we enter the world, we are alive with
possibility and potential. Through our actions and
The Japanese
call this life-
force energy
Ki and the
Chinese call it
Chi. In India it
is called Prana.
The Romans
called it
Spiritus and the
Greeks knew
it as Pneuma.
It is known in
Hebrew as Ruah
and in Arabic
as Rhor.
10 11
north
south
east west
AIR WATER
EARTH FIRE
SPACE
THE WAY OF VASTU CHAPTER 1: THE POWER OF VASTU
12 13
reactions in the world, we create karma, which manifests in our lives physi-
cally, emotionally, and spiritually. Through the Way of Vastu, you will learn
how to support the ve elements within your body as well as in your living and
working environments. Doing so, you will experience a dramatic change in
your perception of yourself and in the world you create. The intense lessons
and effects of karma will be replaced by a healthy, happier you. In perfect
balance with nature, your world will become lled with imagination, vitality,
and abundant opportunity.
the second law of nature:
ALL THI NGS I N THE UNI VERSE
ARE I NTERCONNECTED
At its basic level, everything is energy and vibration. Everything is
interconnected in a constantly shifting balancing act whose goal is ideal
harmony. There is harmony between earth and water, between the sun
(re) and the moon (air), between the stars and planets. The energies of
all things are connected and moving in a precise universal dance. Even
natural calamities such as earthquakes, excessive rains and ooding, hur-
ricanes and tornados are simply natures attempt to make an adjustment,
to restore universal harmony.
When a home or ofce is built, this universal balance gets disrupted.
In many parts of the West, especially, the importance of living in harmony
with the natural forces is an alien concept. We have moved ever farther away
from understanding how the elements affect us, as throughout history we
have attempted various means of controlling our environment and the forces
of nature. As the human race transitioned from natural environments to man-
made structures, our connection to the natural world was lost. Over time we
created congested, articial environments lled with synthetics, which were
designed to add ease and comfort. Vastu was the rst science to encourage
green building and the use of natural materials.
Unfortunately, despite new and expanding methods of construc-
tion and widespread technological advances, we have only recently begun
to consider the impact that these physical structures might have on the
body, mind, and emotions. Many people have allergic reactions to build-
ing materials and articial lighting, which severely limit their productivity
and emotional well-being. A building can be friendly to its inhabitants or
unfriendly, depending on how it is constructed and maintained. Just as a
chiropractor helps people by aligning their physical anatomy, the Way of
Vastu heals your environment by aligning its energetic anatomy.
We now understand the dramatic destructive effects that technologi-
cal advancements have had on our world. Global warming and deterioration
of the ozone are creating high levels of skin cancer and severely affecting
plant and animal life all over the planet. When we disregard our connection
to the natural laws of our world and universe, we create stress and dis-ease,
both in our bodies and in Mother Earth. In contrast, the Way of Vastu honors
the interconnectedness of all things: healing stress and dis-ease in the micro-
cosm of our bodies and homes also heals Mother Earth, the macrocosm.
The Way of Vastu will balance the ve elements within your living
and working environment so that you experience maximum levels of success
and productivity. By better understanding how the ve elements inuence
your life, you can restore your connection to the abundant universal support
of the cosmos. Remember that everything is interconnected! You are made
of the same energy as everything else that exists in the universe. What you
do to your world, you do to yourself.
the energy and
power of money
Money is energy. It is the result of your actionsyour karma and free will
and the environment where you live and work. A harmonious environment
aligned with the forces of nature easily supports your nancial growth. As you
evolve in life and become more connected with the universal ow, you will
nd fulllment in being in alignment with your true nature. Such fulllment
may come in the form of money, or it may manifest as other opportunities
that allow you to grow and to feel more abundant. Money is not the only form
Over time we created congested, articial
environments lled with synthetics, which were
designed to add ease and comfort. Vastu was the
rst science to encourage green building and the
use of natural materials.
12 13
THE WAY OF VASTU CHAPTER 1: THE POWER OF VASTU
14 15
whole, the entire ow of life is disrupted. Working together with nature brings
success. Attempting to conquer or control it is an invitation to failure.
When we investigate the invisible mechanics
of nature, we nd that everything in the
universe is directly connected to everything
else. Everything is constantly being inuenced
by everything else. No wave in the ocean is
independent of any other.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
14
of abundance the universe offers, but for many people it is an important
symbol of success and worth in the world.
Money is magnetic; its inuence comes from the positive, magnetic
north. This direction attracts prosperity and abundance. For this attraction to
occur, energy needs to ow and circulate in an environment so that it is open
in the northern direction. In the same way, money must also ow and circulate
in your life, in an ethical way, to continue to stimulate your prosperity and to
bring opportunities to others as well. Abundance is not plucked out of thin air;
it is created by tapping into this magnetic, circular ow that already exists. Since
everything is interconnected, when you create wealth you are not taking it from
someone else. Rather, you simply become part of the natural ow of giving and
receiving that is in constant circulation throughout the universe.
When the ow of money is disrupted, many areas of your life begin to
break down. This can create stress, but it is also a fertile time for self-inquiry and
reection. Any challenge can create growth when it is seen as an opportunity.
If you experience obstacles to creating stability and continued growth around
money in your life: take time for meditation, for contemplation. Assess your
focus in the world. Are you aligned with your true nature? Are you aware of your
hearts deepest desires? Is your environment supportive of growth, abundance,
and fulllment? If not, then your thoughts will not be aligned with the source of
universal abundance, and you will experience dis-harmony.
the mystic and the king
Once a great Su mystic was visited by a king bearing a gift. The gift
was a beautifully made pair of golden scissors, quite valuable and rare.
The mystic took the scissors, but he immediately returned them to the
king, saying, Sir, many thanks for the present you have brought me. It
is lovely indeed, but utterly useless to me. It would be better if you had
given me a needle.
This confused the well-meaning king. I dont understand, he said.
The mystic replied, Scissors cut things apart and needles bring
things together. I teach people to live in harmony with nature, to be one with
the Divine. Whenever you attempt to do a thing alone, separate from the
THE WAY OF VASTU CHAPTER 1: THE POWER OF VASTU