Vaastu, which means to live, is based on the concept that the earth is a living organism and from that organism other living organisms emerge. This is called Vaastu Purusha. The Vaastu Shastra is confined to house, buildings, shops and industrial areas. The main aim of Vaastu Shastra is to maintain a balance between the outer atmosphere and inner atmosphere within the premises. Vaastu makes use of the five elements- Earth,Fire,Light,Wind and Ether which is said to be the earth's magnetic fields ie the north and the south pole and the sun's rays.
Feng Shui is also based on the five elements which is based on the concept that we should live in harmony and communion with our environment. It is believed in Feng Shui that if we live in harmony with our environment we can bring in lot of prosperity and fortune.
Feng Shui makes extensive use of wind and water. Wind is said to carry the energy and water is supposed to retain it. Feng Shui also makes uses of the five elements Earth,Fire,Water,Wood and Metal.
The basics of Vaastu and Feng Shui are the same- Living in harmony with nature and seeking equilibrium with nature. But both of them have different methodology probably due to the fact that they have originated in two geographically and culturally different areas, and different times.
History of Vaastu:
Vaastu is said to be began with the lives of Sages who lived around probably in 6,000 and 3,000 BC. The traces can be found in ancient Rig Veda, Atharvaveda, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Mayamatam, Manasa saar, etc. Ancient Indian Architectures believed in Vaastu for building of all palaces and temples. The exact dates of Feng Shui are debatable but it is commonly believed to be originated around 5000 years ago. The song dynasty (960 BC) has traces of Feng Shui.
How Vaastu works
Vaastu is based on 3 main principles.
- Bhogadyam which explains that the designed place must be useful and should be easy to use.
- Sukha Darsham- The designed place should be aesthetically pleasing.
- Ramya - The designed premise should evoke a feeling of well being in the user.
Vaastu is really complicated to understand as it has been formed by seventeen sages. There are certain set of rules to be followed. For eg Vaastu says that a buildings underground should be situated in the north east direction but if the building have a over head tank in the south west direction. More space should be left over the north and the east of the building compound and less on the south and the west. The mandir of the house should be placed in the northeast direction. The heavy items should be placed in the south and in the south west side of the building.
Vaastu Shastra also uses all kinds of plants and tress which they say they are good for family residing.
How Feng Shui works
Feng Shui is based on balancing the energies in a particular space. Traditional Feng Shui gives equal importance to Time, Space and Action. So these things should be in a right mix to keep things right. Traditional Feng Shui is based on two main principles and applications- The Eight Mansions or the Pachai and the Flying Stars or the Xuan Kong meaning time and space.
The eight mansion system is more easy when compared to the Flying Star method. The flying star is a complex system, it is actually making a horoscope of your house and is much more effective than the Eight Mansion. The flying stars however is a very complex system, it is actually making a horoscope of your house, and is much more effective. Since the stars change every two years, so do the cures of Feng Shui. The difference between the two is same as the difference between your weekly horoscope appearing in the newspaper and your janampatri.
Even if Vaastu and Feng Shui both mean to harmonize you with your surroundings, they have totally different philosophies. It is very difficult to say which is better, but the fact is that both are encompassed in the blanket of misconceptions. People believe that Feng Shui means changing everything that they had done around their homes earlier. But it is not true. In fact, the real masters say that if you have been having a satisfactory life in the terms of health, wealth and relationships, your house is utilizing all the energies properly, so do not disturb it. Also, they warn against generalizing of the good and the bad directions, as these directions vary from house to house and person to person.
Therefore following these directions and putting up cures, especially the water ones, can do more harm than good as water is a very strong cure and is quick in showing both good and bad effects. And lastly, laughing Buddhas, fortune bamboos, wind chimes and a few other Feng Shui items are not necessary. A good Feng Shui master will tell you affordable and simple alternatives that are very much Indian and pleasing to the eye. So if you believe that an idol of Goddess Lakshmi represents wealth, you install it in your wealth corner and not the three-legged toad.
Vaastu is also a victim of misunderstanding. It is believed that as Vaastu is done at the time of the construction of the house, what happens latter, good or bad is inevitable and cannot be changed. But Vaastu Shastra believes that just like humans, a building has a life that weakens after some years. Therefore, to rejuvenate it, the resident must do a Vaastu puja every 30 years. Whatever the differences, both these methods have proved that there is a definite science involved and should not be taken lightly. |
