Vastu Sastra is the ancient Indian science of buildings.

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INTRODUCTION
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• Vastu Sastra is the ancient Indian science of
  buildings.

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• Ever since the evolution imparted intelligence to
  life, creatures have been seeking to build homes.
  
• Homes gave protection to the inmates from the
  vagaries of nature. It offered protection during
  weak times like sleep. More so it offered a place
  to store the assets for the sake of harsher times.

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• Mans homes, unlike other creatures has undergone
  a transformation too. Starting from caves five
  thousand years ago it has transited through huts,
  tiled houses and is now in the form of
  skyscrapers piercing the skies.

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• Man initially looked for only safety and comfort
  in the houses that he built. But, gradually it
  was noted that the building affected his health-
  both physical and mental.
• And then astoundingly man noticed that his luck
  was being altered by aspects of the building.
  This was acutely noted when he made alterations
  in the building. Every construction change was
  followed by a spurt of good or bad luck.

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• It was then decided that the houses had a bearing
  on the luck and fortunes of the inmates.
• The house that man shapes has the powers to shape
  his fortune.

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• Unlike other construction sciences, which talk
  mainly about material and architectural aspects,
  Vastu also talks about the social and behavioral
  changes one can expect to happen in their lives
  by living in certain types of houses.

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• It has been noticed that people with similar
  problems live in similar houses.
• Likewise successful people live in houses
  comparable in several aspects.

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• Will you be happy in a house?
• Will you prosper?
• Will your children succeed in their studies and
  careers?

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• Or will your experience in a building be bitter?
• Will it lead to sorrows and sickness?
• Or will it cause in your business, losses and
  lethargy?

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• The house you live in, might give the answers.

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• Some ancient habitation sciences believe you can
  influence events in your life by redesigning the
  home or office.
• For the last two decades thousands of people have
  benefited by utilising these ancient principles
  in their modern lives.

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• The house could be the key to your success.

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Is vastu a true science?
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• Todays world can be divided as roughly two
  sections.
• Those who believe in invisible energies and those
  who dont.
• The rationalist approach that the scientists
  approve of is that what affects you must be
  visible.

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• Scientists feel that perfect explanations are
  needed to back up theories. Todays materialistic
  world would just not take cognizance of what
  cant be seen or analytically measured.
• They disregarded the realm of emotions and
  energies that are not seen by the eye. The
  importance was given to those things that had
  weight. The rapid progress of the newer sciences
  in the last century has caused this.

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• The ancient civilisations however believed that
  Just because it cant be seen, doesnt mean it
  doesnt exist!

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• Modern science has just discovered that gravity,
  radiowave, Electro magnetic fields, ultra Sonics,
  and infra reds rays affect us.
• And all these are invisible.

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• Sciences of the past were not developed in labs
  but were observatory in nature.

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WHAT IS AN OBSERVATORY SCIENCE?
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• If the skies are cloudy, you decide not to wash
  the clothes that day.

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• You do not consult the meteorologist to find out
  the relative humidity, wind speed or whether the
  clouds in the sky are cumulous or nimbus.
• And yet you do not switch on the washing machine.
• This is the observatory science.

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• Based on past experiences and reactions to the
  occurring events people behave.
• This characteristic of humankind is primarily
  responsible for the survival of the species.
• Man would have gone the way of the dinosaur if he
  did not have this keen sense of observation.

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• The caveman knew the lion would eat him but he
  could eat the deer.
• He knew that some berries were poisonous and some
  tasty.
• He knew not to live in the locales of heavy
  rainfall and storms.

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• Once he got into agriculture he observed that
  certain plants came well in certain tracts of
  land. He linked his knowledge of seasons with
  that of agricultural aspects and succeeded in
  growing crops for himself.
• He certainly did not have the qualified scientist
  with post- doctoral research to help him out on
  these matters.

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OBSERVATORY SCIENCES TODAY

• Many of medical treatments are based on
  observation too.
• For a fever you do not take a blood test.
• You pop in a Paracetomol in your mouth the moment
  you feel feverish.

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• Infact even science depends on observation.
• Great things come out of observing mundane
  things. Gravitational laws were discovered by
  observing falling apples.
• Steam engines by watching vessels on stoves

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• When mans keen sense of observation was turned
  towards architecture it was obvious a science
  would emerge.
• Every civilisation that lasted for long had ample
  time to formulate such an observatory
  inhabitation science.

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• Vastu Sastra could be termed an observatory
  science.

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• When hundreds of people having the same type of
  troubles have similarities in their homes too
  does it not give rise to a hypothesis?

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• What if bedrooms of childless couples look alike?
• What if the kitchens of people with ulcers look
  alike?
• What if many sick factories look alike?

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• Vastu Sastra was devised by people who observed
  homes of problem-ridden people.
• The proponents of the science observed common
  architectural aspects of such homes and tabulated
  them.
• As a next step, they started looking out for
  similarly built homes and predicting the social
  problems there.

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• But people have been using this science without
  knowing the basics too.
• even you perhaps.

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VASTU AND INTUITION
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• Even people who dont believe in Vastu Sastra
  have some intuitive leanings towards it.

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• Doesnt everybody have a lucky room or corner?
• Do people not intuitively adjust their desk
  positions according to past experiences?
• Do they not have favourite colours?
• Dont some houses make you happy and some
  irritated. Some homes are calm and welcoming.
  Some will make you want to flee? Does not every
  house emit a sort of energy?

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• And almost everybody asks a realtor showing them
  a property for rent or purchase
• What happened to the guys living here before?
• This is not plain inquisitiveness. This is an
  expression of their sub conscious that warns them
  that what happened to the previous guy was bound
  to repeat to them.

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• It is observed that couples fight more and
  children cry a lot in rooms with a bad Vastu
  arrangement.
• Even pets seem happier when houses are modified
  by these ancient principles. All this happens due
  to an undercurrent of energies.

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• Some houses are uninhabited regardless of
  proximity and comfort and are soon even termed as
  haunted houses.

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• It seems every home has an energy of its own, so
  unique that it is like a signature.

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HABITATION SCIENCES OF THE WORLD

• Vastu is not an isolated science. Several
  cultures all over the world have similar
  sciences.

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• The Chinese have Feng Shui, which is a science of
  inhabitation. Translated as wind and water the
  science deals on different types of energies
  within the house and their influence on the
  inhabitants.

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• The Egyptians pyramids which predates all other
  building sciences. The Egyptians without the aid
  of any major mechanical aid including vehicles
  with wheels accomplished the construction mainly
  for the energy harness system that they thought
  their kings needed after their death.

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• The Far Eastern cultures as in Bali have a
  systematic science called space clearing. They
  use rituals, incense, sound and smoke to clear
  stagnant energies.

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• Even primitive societies had some aspects.
  Through out the world the ancient people feared
  corners of the rooms and houses. It was here that
  they knew energy stagnated just like cobwebs. The
  Eskimos, red Indians and the Mongols built
  circular homes, which had no corners.

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Evolution of the science
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• In the past, Vastu Sastra was incorporated in the
  building by the stone mason himself. The secrets
  of the science were by word of mouth transferred
  from one generation of builders to another.

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• A total transfer was possible because it was
  usually the sons who inherited the business in
  Indias organised system of division of labour by
  castes.

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• The local masons knew how to build the houses by
  simple designs, which were of great utility given
  the local living conditions as well as a good
  energetic balance within. The background was not
  training or education in its principles but pure
  rustic wisdom and intuition.

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• In the past it was common to have people of
  several generations living in the same house,
  even over centuries.
• This formed an excellent case study.
• People living in the same type of houses must
  have similar experiences in life, if the
  principles of habitation sciences worked.

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• The science stood vindicated.
• It was easy to observe their common lifestyles,
  luck in different aspects as well as health and
  wealth.
• . For example some houses might have flourished
  or some might have suffered in poverty. Others
  might have had only male children being born or
  others might have gone childless.

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• Also a small group of artisans and builders
  catered to a large area and their architectural
  styles were predictable and same. Thus when they
  built similar houses, the people who lived them
  were found to have common experiences

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• Gifted people like sages and saints could
  tabulate common social features of construction
  designs. They spent most of their lifetimes
  visiting places and observing homes and forts.
  Then they wrote several volumes of text on their
  interpretations.

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• Vastu Sastra owes its origin and development to
  several sages like Manasara and texts like the
  Brahit Samhita.
• They noted the history of even cities and towns
  in relation to natural features like hills and
  rivers. They observed cities withering away
  because a river changed its course.
• They saw some cities being looted and ransacked
  by invaders while others resisted intrusions
  successfully.

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• Also people observed that the moment major
  structural changes took place in home things went
  haywire.
• Soon, they could predict the future of the
  householders based on the design of their house.
• They did not know why such things happened and
  ascribed the aspects of this science to religion
  and occult features.

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• This science was followed on a daily basis till
  the onset of the 20th century when the structure
  of the buildings changed abruptly.

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• When the shape of the houses changed abruptly the
  local mason who knew this science was baffled. In
  a generation the science was almost lost and for
  a period upto the 70s remained so.

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• And then those who took up this science as a
  hobby superimposed the rules of the past on the
  changing architecture.
• They could position overhead tanks on the roof,
  sumps and septic tanks on the outskirts, toilets
  within the house according to the ancient rules.

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• But what experts feel today is that Vastu is an
  observatory science.
• By observing the lives of people in the same or
  similar houses proponents of the science have
  documented the results one could expect for a
  type of construction or positioning of a room.

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• This ability of people to pair their problems
  with their homes has helped this science to re-
  emerge.

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VASTU TODAY
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• The question that arises in every mind is
• Can a science formulated a few thousand years
  back be effective today?

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• Yes it can if is based on sound principles.

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• But hasnt the structure changed?
• Yes, indeed.
• Materials are different, facilities are different
  and so are shapes and sizes.

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• The one factor that has changed the structure of
  the habitation is electricity.

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• With electric current, water can be pumped from
  very deep bore wells to the top of the house.
  Hence toilets could come inside the building.
• The light and ventilation aspect is taken care of
  by bulbs and fans and that has removed the need
  for courtyards in the middle of the house.
• Such technology has enabled man to reach for the
  sky build multi story homes and flat roofs.
• But still the underlying principles of shapes
  sizes and placements help us to superimpose the
  rules of Vastu in todays buildings.

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• Not that there are not hassles.
• The homes of the earlier days were so similar
  that the science could be formulated. But todays
  houses are so different from each other.
• The houses of history were well apart and the
  energetic influence of one family on its
  neighbours was limited. But today homes are
  crowded.

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• In the past there were rarely double storied
  homes. Now the homes reach into the clouds. Vastu
  was a science based on the lands effect on its
  residents. How would the effects differ when
  people started living high above it? Would the
  effects differ from a ground floor resident and
  those living in the seventeenth floor?

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• The other modern things of the present that could
  affect the energies are
• Power plants and factories. These spew pollution
  and alter the Electro magnetic fields, which will
  surely alter the energy fields that cause Vastu
  effects.

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• Electricity within the house in concealed wiring
  inside the walls would be causing electric and
  magnetic fields, which could upset moods and
  thoughts. Even human nerves send messages by
  micro electricity and the high voltage current in
  wires would certainly affect the thought process.
  
• The same problem is caused by cell phone towers
  and radio waves in the proximity

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• Drainage pipes and sewerage within the floors in
  proximity to life operations would pollute energy
  fields.

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• Newer materials used in paints and construction.
  Chemical usage in construction materials would
  alter the energetic configuration in a home.

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• Vastu is not just a predictive discipline.
• It is an applied science, which enables man to
  live in harmony with his environment.

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• Vastu surely is not a stagnant science. Being an
  observatory science it just tabulates the social
  effects of structural defects. The science has
  undergone a transition parallel to the
  transformation of the buildings.
• The main reason for the durability of Vastu is
  that it is not an occult science. It is based on
  sound scientific principles like weight and
  gravity.

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• Vastu can thus adapt itself to any type of house
  and predict the possible outcomes of living
  there.

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• The house is just like a puzzle to be unraveled.
  It is also a mirror, which reflects the lives of
  the people. So powerful is this science that it
  reveals to its inmates things they dont know
  about themselves.

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• A true science transcends time. It exists even if
  people do not know about it. Before Newton
  discovered gravity people were not floating it
  the air. They were still being attracted to the
  ground by the force of the earth. Likewise just
  because anything is not wholly explained does not
  mean it does not exist. It is just waiting to be
  proved.

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WHAT DOES BAD VASTU CAUSE?

• Illnesses ranging from small to major ones could
  occur if corresponding Vastu errors are present
  in the house.
• Arguments and unpalatable happenings could sour
  the relationships within the home

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• One could get overwhelmed by work and be
  assaulted by inefficiency
• one could also suffer from serious economic
  problems when bad Vastu prevails. Perpetual
  shortfalls of cash could become an everyday
  problem.

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WHAT DOES GOOD VASTU GIVE?

• Good Vastu causes peace and amity at home with
  better relationships.
• Good Vastu features let you relax and enjoy life
  better

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• Positive features allow blooming of hidden
  talents and throws up opportunities for their
  success
• The offices with Vastu allow employees to work at
  best efficiency.

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THEORY
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• Any science should have a set of rules, which
  holds good in any situation.
• The aspects should be universal and should hold
  good under close observation.

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• But science is an evolving experience
• The aspect that the earth was globular was
  totally proven only when man made spacecraft.
  Till then for three hundred years, it was only a
  hypothesis.

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• On the other hand the observatory sciences have a
  different set of rules altogether.
• In observatory sciences, there is just a
  hypothesis.
• For example it will rain if the sky is overcast.
  Or it will rain in a particular season. More
  often than not the result obeys the hypothesis.
• It may not rain all the time the sky is overcast
  and rainy seasons may fail, but then more often
  than not it happens as predicted.
• .

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• Though an observatory science Vastu has a set of
  rules that has to be followed.
• The Law Of Weights is the primary rule in Vastu.
  Most of Vastu principles can be explained with
  this rule.
• There are low weight areas and high weight areas.
  The Vastu effects occur due to the placement of
  weights in different areas.
• Other than that there are a list of rules one has
  to obey for good results. This list is ever
  growing as newer things are being observed

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VASTU AND DIRECTIONS

• Vastu is a science oriented on the directional
  location of a place.
• The direction indicates the relative positioning
  of things.

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How do you determine the direction of a place?

• The simplest way is to look for the sunrise and
  determine the east. When you face the rising sun
  to your left is the north and to your right is
  the south. To your back is the west.
• But how accurate is this mode of determining
  directions accurate.
• Note the sun migrates north and south every year
  and only on two days in a year called equinoxes
  rises exactly in the east.

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• The better method to find the direction is using
  a compass. The compass has a magnetized needle,
  which turns towards north. The other directions
  are then determined.

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• It has to be accepted in all honesty that the
  compass was not used by ancient Vastu Sastris.
  The Chinese had the knowledge of the compass and
  were using it for their needs. The Indians
  however depended on the sun but giving an
  allowance for its migratory habits.

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• It is always believed that cities oriented
  towards the cardinal directions are lucky.
• The fact is most cities with a history of a
  hundred yeas or more without major calamities are
  oriented to the directions. Most roads in these
  towns would run parallel to the compass
  directions.

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• There are some cities, which are not. These have
  incredible ups and unimaginable downs in their
  history. Some cities rocked by riots and
  earthquakes constantly are found cross.
• A little tilt of the directions is okay.

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• One has to find out in which direction the road
  serving the plot exists. Stand inside the
  compound, face the road and take a compass
  reading.

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• If the road is in the east, the plot is
  considered east facing.
• If in the south then it is considered south
  facing.

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• Finding the bearings is essential in a Vastu
  forecast, as the science is highly direction
  specific and direction sensitive.

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While using the compass.

• Stay away from metallic objects, concrete pillars
  and beams
• Do not wear jewelry or watches or hold a cell
  phone on the hand that is holding the compass.
• Readings could be flawed if you make these
  mistakes

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THE LAW OF WEIGHTS
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• The basic principles of Vastu can be explained by
  law of weights.
• Some parts of a space can bear and enjoy heavy
  weights.
• Some parts of a space cannot bear any weights.
• Placing a heavy thing in a low weight area causes
  trouble and likewise keeping a heavy weight area
  light also causes adversity.

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• Weight is always not in the true sense and may be
  symbolic
• Balancing the weights within a space is the
  fundamental of Vastu Sastra.

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• The north east corner of the space ought to be
  the lightest
• The southwest corner of a space ought to be the
  heaviest.
• The other parts of the space should be in between
  depending on their distance from these two
  corners.

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• Generally the eastern and northern sides of a
  space should be kept light
• The western and southern sides of the space
  should be kept heavy.

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WHAT IS HEAVY AND WHAT IS NOT?
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• All sub soil water bodies like the well or water
  sump are considered very light. Similarly
  basements and cellars too are considered light.

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HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS
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• IN MANY CASES THERE IS A RELATION BETWEEN HEIGHT
  AND WEIGHT
• Taller walls, taller trees and taller buildings
  are considered to be heavier.
• Generally higher things are considered to be
  heavier than their shorter counterparts.

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• In case of a sloped roof, the higher end heavier
  than the lower end for more materiel is use to
  build it and hold it up.

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• In a building the higher parts are heavier as
  they possess more matter. The highest point on
  the terrace is the location with maximum weight.
  (Look out for the staircase headroom or over head
  water tank)

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• In a staircase the higher end (what you climb
  towards) is the heaviest.

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SYMBOLIC WEIGHTS

• WEIGHT CANNOT BE CONSIDERED LITERALLY ESPECIALLY
  WHIL ANAKYSING ACTIVITIES

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• The boss of a company or the head of a division
  is symbolically the heaviest person in a unit.
  Hence he should sit to the south or western
  direction of everybody.

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• In a house the marital activities are considered
  symbolically heavier than knowledge gathering
  activities. Hence couples in wedlock should use
  the southern and western rooms.

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• Money making and planning for commercial
  activities should be placed along west and south
  walls, whereas prayer and other activities should
  be placed along north and east walls.

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OTHER ASPECTS

• Other than the principle of weights some other
  factors are taken into consideration.

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• HEAT
• Heat, electric current and fire are energies too.
  They have a capacity to upset the energy flow
  within the house. Electricity is also considered
  a hot energy and machinery using it emit
  electromagnetic energy.

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• The south east of any enclosed space is ideal for
  the hot equipment. Similarly even northwest is
  compatible to heat. Anywhere else this could
  cause hassles.

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• This includes stoves, electric appliances, and
  electricity transmission equipment like
  transformers.

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• CLEANLINESS
• Some areas have to be maintained very clean.

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• Litter, clutter, toilets and drainage should be
  avoided in the northeast. Even brooms and mops
  should not be in the north east corner of a
  space.

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• The northeast is considered almost a holy place
  and it is recommended that the puja and prayer
  rooms be kept there.

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Neighbourhood

• What is in the neighbourhood counts. If the
  neighbour does a job that does not emit good
  energies and vibrations, the house might suffer
  inspite of good internal design.

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Neighbourhood

• Public places have a habit of drawing out
  energy too.
• Fast moving and noisy traffic or polluted
  industrial areas too disrupt the energy of a
  place.

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Symbolism

• Displaying things that remind one of negative
  happenings like weapons, masks, scenes of
  battlefield, stuffed animals are all bad energies.

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ZONES OF THE SPACE
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• Any space enclosed by a demarcation can be
  subdivided as zones.
• Each zone has its own attributes, physical,
  energetic and also affects certain parts of the
  human body and psyche.

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• There are methods of dividing the plot into as
  many as 81 squares, but dividing a plot into 4
  zones is sufficient.
• Each zone will have one corner of the space and
  is believed to exhibit the properties of one
  natural force
• . Rooms and activities have to be allotted
  according to the nature of the area and
  subdivision helps.

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• Four zones are
• NORTH WEST- VAYU
• NORTH EAST- EESANYA
• SOUTH WEST- NAIRU SOUTH EAST-
  AGNI

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THE NORTH EAST ZONE

• Called as the Eesanya and is the entry point of
  energy.
• Needs to be very light and clean.
• Ideal for puja rooms and study as well as
  expansive rooms such as living rooms.
• Ideal for placing east and north facing doors.
• Human nature religion and education.

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THE NORTH EAST ZONE

• Controls prosperity and future of the family as
  it is the entry point for energy. Avoid toilets
  and kitchens here, in buildings. Avoid tall trees
  in the garden.

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THE SOUTH EAST ZONE

• Called as the Agni and is the point of heat
  energy.
• Needs to have hot equipment such as stoves.
• In factories this space could have boilers or
  generators.
• Ideal for kitchens, electrical equipment and
  power connections. Ideal for placing south facing
  doors.
• Human nature family relationship.

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THE SOUTH EAST ZONE

• Controls waste expenditure. Loans, litigation,
  medical expenses.
• Avoid bedrooms and office rooms here, in
  buildings.
• Avoid water bodies in the garden.

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THE NORTH WEST ZONE

• Called as the Vayu. It is the point of wind
  energy, which indicates communication and
  interaction
• Ideal for kitchens, guest rooms and toilets.
• Ideal for placing west facing doors.
• Human nature social interaction and disputes.

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THE NORTH WEST ZONE

• Controls confusions, litigation. Good place for
  toilets and kitchens here, in buildings.
• Avoid adult bedrooms but one may keep children
  bedrooms here.
• Shrubs are good here in the garden.

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THE SOUTH WEST ZONE

• Called as the Nairu. It is the point of
  heaviness, which indicates weightage in society.
• Ideal for bed rooms and cash lockers.
• A very bad spot for placing south or west facing
  doors.
• Human nature wealth, status and respect

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THE SOUTH WEST ZONE

• Controls safety and status. Good place for
  master bedrooms in buildings. Avoid kitchens and
  toilets.
• Avoid water bodies and depressions. Tall trees
  are good here in the garden.

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UCHAM AND NEECHAM

• Perhaps the toughest job in Vastu Sastra is the
  correct placement of doors and gates.
• These openings cannot be placed just anywhere in
  the wall and will have to follow the weight
  principle.
• Ucham areas are good ones to place doors and
  Neecham areas are bad to place them.

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• A piece of wall
• is always considered
• heavier than a door.

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• As we have seen earlier the eastern side and the
  northern sides have to be light.
• Hence the wall in which the door is to be placed
  has to be divided as two parts. Depending on the
  position the wall could be divided as western and
  eastern halves or northern and southern halves.

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• The door should, as the lighter part, be placed
  in northern or eastern halves only.

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• NORTH FACING DOOR
• Divide the north wall as two halves and place
  opening in the eastern half.

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• EAST FACING DOOR
• Divide the eastern wall as two halves and place
  the opening in the northern half.

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• SOUTH FACING DOOR
• Divide the south wall as two halves and place
  opening in the eastern half.

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• WEST FACING DOOR
• Divide the Western Wall as two halves and place
  the opening in the northern half.

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• If you note well, the openings are either in the
  northeast or directly facing it.

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TO SUMMARISE

• The best openings are . .
• In the northern façade the north east
• In the eastern façade the north east
• In the southern façade the south east
• In the western façade the north west
• Openings in the centre are also good