< previous page page_119 next page >

Page 119
Orientation of the Site and Home
If the entrance to your property is in the north or the east of the northeast corner, this creates an open space in the northeast quadrant, which we call the gateway to the gods. An east-facing house receives the benefit of the morning sun and its association with Surya, the lord of the sun, who brings us inspiration and enlightenment. This makes the eastern direction ideal for individuals with a propensity or preference for contemplative or scholarly activities. A north-facing home receives the blessings of Soma and Kuber, the lords of health and wealth, respectively, who reside in the north. The north also receives the benefit of the pre-dawn hour and the earliest moments of the rising sun as it casts its delicate rays across the northeast of the house. According to yogis, the pre-dawn hour is the best time for meditation. The west, which belongs to the realm of Varuna, the lord or darkness and the unknown, is relatively peaceful. It does you no harm.
Some current vastu experts believe that you should not live in a home that faces south, since south is the realm of Yama, the god of death, but others insist that since Yama also represents dharma (duty and responsibility), even a south-facing home is acceptable. Mayamata, the ancient vastu treatise, says: "In a house with one single main building, this may be to the east, south, west or north, and is appropriate for all classes."22 So, don't get overly concerned about the orientation of your site or home; concentrate on the other aspects of vastu living that are more important to put into practice.
Shape of the Site and Home
The "ideal" shape of piece of land and a house is a square or rectangle. The square, as we've seen, is the Vedic shape that symbolizes the cosmos. It is perceived as the perfect form. If the site is irregular in shape, just mark out
56ff4a8ebfc49baf4d37298b46d97f8f.gif 56ff4a8ebfc49baf4d37298b46d97f8f.gif
22 Kapila Vatsyayan, general ed. and Bruno Dagens, trans., Mayamata Vol. 1 (Delhi: lndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in association with Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 1994).

 
< previous page page_119 next page >