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Page 30
Rituals
All this also helps to explain why the ancient practice of vastufrom the choice of the site to the completion of the buildinginvolved the observance of numerous rituals. There were rituals to entreat former spirits to leave a site before it was disturbed and there were numerous rituals to bless the gods. All these rituals, with their mantras, or incantations, set in motion the proper vibrations that were necessary in all creation.
Blessings to the gods were usually complex offerings of various matter found on earth, from different kinds of soil to the most precious of precious jewels. These offerings were a form of acknowledgment of the spiritual and scientific laws of the universe that prevailed over a man-made vastu creation. By making an offering and through careful adherence to the guidelines, the architect was showing his respect for the forces and elements that exist in this perfect universe created by Lord Brahma, which was the model for the architect's own creation.
Enhancing Spiritual Growth
Vastu never loses sight of Vedic philosophy, never forgets that man-made environments must be created that ultimately help, not hinder, an individual living the principles of Hinduism: Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Faith. The built space must have an environment that allows the occupants to carry out their dharma and move toward the difficult attainment of enlightenment and the liberation of the soul. This explains why the vastu sastras even offered guidelines for the creation of religious icons. Every icon was to be perfect, without any defect, and to reach this level of perfection, vastu architects devised their own measuring system that used the tala (the size of a typical human palm or face) as the appropriate measurement to create the perfect rhythm and proportion of the manifestation of the deity.

 
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