Umbrella of Energy

Yogic tradition declares  that the essence of the Brahmanda (universe) can be seen in the Pindanda (man). This possibility is explored in architecture. This approach is a  modern antidote to stress, and presents simple but powerful processes to purify the system and increase health, well being and makes the journey towards a higher state of consciousness easier.

 

If homes are built and maintained keeping these in mind, human beings would blossom with a completely different sense of wholeness, homogeneity and organic way of looking at life.

 

All the ideas presented here are inspired from temple architecture, Yoga, Meditation and the rituals followed in traditional India and from our great myths and epics which always conceal eternal principal behind those beautiful thrilling stories.

 

 

The cosmic man

 

As the story goes the “Cosmic man” or Vastu Purusha  is created by Brahma himself. He was just experimenting with his creative skills that he happened to create a humanoid form so monstrous that he was ever expanding  and a source of terror because he was always hungry. Brahma suddenly realized the havoc it could create he assembled a task force of “ashtadikpalakas”,the guardians of eight cardinal direction. Together they snuck up behind the monster ,in an unchivalrous  move ,hurled themselves onto him in a cosmic tackle, squashing him flat to the earth. Brahma added his considerable weight to the center, and literally around the monster down into the soil. Eventually forty five gods were employed to sit on the monster. You can see their position in the vastu grid.

 

 

Each God either represent an element or is created for a specific power. Hence in the position of Agni” the fire god” the ideal room to be placed is kitchen and never a bathroom. The story on a deeper level holds the secret of creating energized living spaces. It is believed that prosperity and calmness of mind would be inevitably result `as a consequence of following these instructions.

 

A well designed home is a representation of the cosmic man. If A is a representation of B then B is also a representation of A .What works for the human body also works for the cosmic man. Whatever  works for the well being of the human body can also be used to increase the energy levels of dwelling places. This is one of the most potential concepts involved in creating energised homes.

 

The Five great elements

 

The Sankhya Philosophy is the theoretical basis of Ayurveda and as per the basics , yourself and the cosmos is made of just 5 elements. These great elements are not elements in the chemical sense that hydrogen and helium are elements. They are rather states of matter. The earth element predominates in everything that is solid in universe, the water element in that which is liquid and the air element in the gases. The ether element is the space in which things occur and the fire element is the force which changes solid to liquid to gas and vice versa.

 

Now let us speak just about how the calculations are done for the sky element and ether since they play the most important role in all the five elements.

 

Before construction the measurement of plot is taken, say for example we have a plot of 60ft length and 50 ft breadth. We should leave 5.4 ft along length and 4.5 ft along the breadth as sky element. In effect the sky element surrounds the house like a box.

 

 

The actual space you get for construction will be only be 60-5.4 ft= 54.6 ft and breadth will be 50-4.5= 45.5 ft.

 

Only after deducting space for the sky element the area can be divided into 4  equal parts of 25% each as shown in the figure.

 

 

Brahma sthana  and Brahma Sutra is the place of utmost importance. Brahma Sutra is the  sushmna nadi of the cosmic man. For optimum well being of the human body ,mind and soul,prana should flow without any blockages in the Sushmna Nadi and  so does for the home .Brahmastana should be left void or a scared plant can be grown. It would be ideal if it could be open to the sky. In modern times at least through a skylight feature.

 

 

Duality

 

The human body has 72,000 nadi’s and they act as conduits of prana. The word “nadi” does not mean nerve. Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the system. These 72,000 nadis don’t have a physical manifestation. Out of these  thousands of nadi’s three are most important.Ida Nadi,Pingala Nadi and Sushumana Nadi. The Surya Nadi or Ida Nadi which is related to right nostril and chandra  Nadi related to left nsotril. They represent the masculine and feminine side of life in terms of certain qualities in nature.

 

This balance of the Ida and Pingla or the male and female energy  or yin and yang can be bought about  in the cosmic man or the home through the use of colours, textures and patterns with tantric lineage. In tantric art there are different Yantra’s which invoke certain types of images through visual representation even though one may not know what exactly it may mean. The basic structure usually follows the square or rectangle shape which indicates stability and then the feminine nature is brought in through soft furnishing which may include all movable items like furniture, wall papers ,paintings and  colours in energised homes.

 

 

 

 

 

Symmetry

 

 

There is a certain beauty in symmetry. How much of it you can bring about in the space that you are in is going to have a direct influence in your physiological function.

 

 

Why is architectural symmetry so satisfying? As Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing demonstrated, it reflects the human body, which has a right side and a left, a back and a front, the navel in the very center. Du Sautoy writes that the human mind seems constantly drawn to anything that embodies some aspect of symmetry. When there is no symmetry, it creates confusion.

 

 

Temple Architecture

 

Today, more than ever before, the Vedic intelligence that gave rise to the concept of temples can be appreciated for its ancient yet modern technology based on thousands of years of research and development. The powerful positive vibrations present in a temple can flush out negative energies. Without even being aware of it, deep cleansing, re-charging and ultimately purifying of the being can happen effortlessly in a temple, resulting in physical and mental healing.

 

 

The five elements representing the macrocosm are seen in all aspects of temples, in the construction, the worship and the rituals. In the temple itself, the foundation of the temple represents the Earth (prithvi); the walls of the sanctum the water (apaha); and the tower over it the fire (tejas). The final tier of the Vimana is air (vayu) and above it is the formless space (akasha).The sanctum is thus a constellation of five elements that are basic building blocks of all existence.

 

Another symbolism is that the human body is a temple in which the antaryamin (the abode of God in the heart) resides. The analogy is extended to explain the various parts of the body as being representations of the aspects of a temple. In this process, the forehead is said to represent the sanctum, the top of the head, the tower.

 

The space between the eyebrows is the ajna chakra, the seat of the divinity. The finial of the tower is unseen, the sahasrara located above the head.

 

Through the visualization or through meditation, the energy is brought to the Akasha shakti or the space. From there through verbalization or chanting of mantras, it is brought to the air. From there through the fire rituals, through the homas it is brought to the fire. From there it is brought to the kumbha, the water. From there it is brought to the bimba and installed in the idol. When the energy is installed inside the vigraha, you can’t call it a statue, it becomes a deity.

 

 

 

Mental Silence

 

For most people mind is never quiet. We have anywhere from dozens to hundreds of thoughts per minute, few of them useful and many of them unconstructive. How many of us can switch off this”self talk” , at will , to give your mind a rest. When your mental noise distracts you from the task at hand, keeps you awake at night, you are a victim of your own monkey mind. Mental Silence is not the exclusive realm of secluded monks, Zen masters or gurus.

 

 

Each wave in this drawing represents a thought, and the series of waves represents a stream of thoughts-the constant mental chatter that bubbles away  every second. As one thought –wave passes through ,another follows  right behind it. Often the waves are so close together that we don’t perceive a gap between them.

Energised homes are designed specifically to slow down the thought stream. When thought patterns slow down we feel more relaxed, which produces a sense of wellbeing.

 

 

As each thought subsides we might perceive a small gap.It is precisely this gap that ancient meditative tradition aims at widening and we do through our energised spaces. This gap is not loss of thinking , activity or control.It is enhanced clarity of perception ,thought and awareness which reflects in our intelligence, creativity ,and health and overall the choices we make in life.

 

 

The Book of Consciousness and life explains to us that intellect enlightened by higher consciousness is characterised not by complex and active thought but in fact by mental silence.

 

Absence of thought is Bodhi.

 

 

Clutter versus clarity

 

If you want to write on a blackboard, first you have to wipe it clean. Only then will you be able to write clearly. If a million things have already been written on it and you write something else on that, no one can figure out what you have written. Clutter, dirt creates the same problems for the cosmic man.

If people have cleared the mental space and then have a thought, this thought really matters because this has come out of a conscious process. Once this thought is on like this and it is held in that clarity,  it will manifest itself naturally .It will always find its way in the world.

 

 

 

All of this vedantic mumbo jumbo , science and architecture is solely focused in energising  home to create happy peaceful living space. As you spend years of your life is such a place who knows; you  might  stumble upon  the Buddha in you. Sometimes I feel this write up should be named as “Finding the Buddha  In  You” than “Energised home” , but it doesn’t matter because both are  the same…as is the microcosm so is the macrocosm.

 

Just as I finished writing this feature someone switched on the TV and happen to hear this from the movie X men and couldn’t help wondering how much it resonates with the concept I am presenting here.And here it goes…

 

“A new and uncertain world. A world of endless possibilities and infinite outcomes. Countless choices define our fate: each choice, each moment, a moment in the ripple of time. Enough ripple, and you change the tide… for the future is never truly set.”