This article was published under the title “Upward shift in human Consciousness and a corresponding need for holistic architecture” in the 6th National Convention of NAREDCO (National Real Estate Development Council) under the patronage of the Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi in January 2006.
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Humanity has reached a summit from where it is waiting to take a flight in the space of higher consciousness. It is on the threshold of an inward journey to understand who we really are, and not merely to reinforce the sense of an artificially derived social identity. And with it comes a need for a different type of architecture which can create such true environments where this higher intelligence will blossom, the mind will act seated in consciousness and inner strength, man will be free from all selfish and egoistic movements and love will becomes the uniting thread for all humans.
Evolution in nature is no more a blind affair left in the hands of random genetic mutations. After the development of human race, nature gave it the capacity to think and plan, grow intellectually and socially, and now consciously.
As man developed through the spirals of time, there was a simultaneous shift in its level of intellectual and spiritual growth. Interestingly, its dwelling styles also changed. The less developed civilizations adopted less sophisticated building designs, some even primitive, and the more developed societies developed more complex building plans.
The ancient Indians were the most developed intellectual and spiritual society, and their understanding of the laws of nature was profound and deep. They devised a system of architecture which was based upon the cosmic laws of nature and aimed at creating dwellings which are in harmony with the cosmic laws, thus allowing a blossoming of the intellect and free mind.
We are witnessing a great shift in human consciousness, as if a new dimension is opening up. All the prophecies of annihilation of human species and doomsday could not stop the human consciousness from taking the northward route. The age of brutal force is over. Humanity has today reached a peak from where it is about to leap into the spaces of higher consciousness. It is on the threshold of a spiritual awakening, of the beginning of a journey to understand who we really are, and not to reinforce the artificial sense of a derived or adopted social identity. The whole nature is under a cycle of evolution.
With it comes a need for a different type of architecture and planning which creates a true environment where this intellect can blossom, where we can act seated in consciousness and inner strength, where we are free from all selfish and egoistic movements, where we care for each other and love becomes the uniting thread for all humans.
An integrated approach to the planning of Real Estate development and Housing has become imminent. We must come out of our mental shells of resistance towards all that is ancient and sacred, and accept that consciousness has a vital role to play in the planning of the future. With a shift in the level of Consciousness the need for holistic architecture becomes a prime need for housing policy, because the modern architecture is clueless about the subtle forces of nature and the immense benefit which the new Consciousness will gain by harnessing them. However, the technological excellence of the modern architecture is beyond doubt par excellence, and therefore the need of the hour is a synthesis of modern architectural techniques and skills with rules and guidelines of Vastu architecture.
We must hurry! Sri Aurobindo and the Mother believed that the world stage was set for this quantum descent, and that it was quite imminent. The Mother said in 1968 that the Supramental Transformation was a certainty now. Several ancient traditions have also forecasted this imminent change, several ancient calendars and scriptures have prophesized it. There are many calendar systems from ancient civilizations scattered around the world that are all synchronistic-ally winding to a close at around 2012. The calendar of the native American Hopis, the Egyptian Calendar, the extremely complex calendar of Mayas, the Book of Revelation, the timeline in the Great Pyramid and modern researchers working on Time Spiral, all are pointing to a quantum shift in the future of Earth in 2012.
A housing project is usually governed by factors like it location, ease of approach, building aesthetics and landscaping, optimum utilization of space, cost effectively of utilities like plumbing, drainage, stairs and elevators, fire fighting systems, power backup, water treatment plants, security, ease of maintenance.
But with a little imagination and careful planning, we can utilize Vastu principles to plan and execute housing projects which will bring stability and happiness to its occupants, and therefore be sold at a certain premium by the promoters.
In the western countries the scientific community has outlined the guidelines for a healthy house, and has called the system bau-biologie. They have also developed the concept of green buildings, which are structures that are designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant health' improving employee productivity, using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment.
A few years ago the Sustainable Building Task Force in California commissioned a report to assess the costs and financial benefits of constructing green buildings. It was found that it costs nearly 2 percent more on average to construct a green building than one using conventional methods. But that cost premium yields savings of more than 10 times the initial investment during the life of a building, conservatively assumed to be 20 years. In other words, if it cost Rs.1.0 lakh more at the construction stage, it saved Rs.10 lakhs over 20 years. The report concludes that constructing green buildings makes the most financial sense.
If green buildings can be designed and money saved over a period of time, it is also possible to design Vastu buildings and create a healthy society. Vastu buildings are healthy buildings. They create wealth, dispel negativity and disharmony. The time has come when the quantum shift in the Consciousness is happening; we are witnessing a revival of spirituality and self-realization, brotherhood amongst nations, and an overall improvement in the standards of living, communication, awareness, and knowledge is happening. This is the time when we need to create policies for housing for the benefit of our present society, and for the generations to come, policies which are in tune with this shift in Consciousness.
Vastushastra has crossed the boundaries of India and has begun to create a significant impression in the West. Several foreign writers have even authored books on the subject, many teach Vastu in the West, Indian scholars are regularly invited for talks and workshops, and several architects have begun to adopt Vastu principles in building designs. In India several large corporate houses have accepted Vastu principles in their factory and office layouts
The time has come when the government planners and the real estate industry give Vastu its due place in planning and make a conscious effort to genuinely apply it in spirit and word. The social will is established, the political will has to come.
With a shift in the level of Consciousness the need for holistic architecture becomes a prime need for housing policy. India is world’s oldest surviving repository of ancient wisdom, but that is not enough; we must also take the initiative of utilizing this wisdom. If we are to regain the pristine glory of being world’s teacher and a superpower, then, like a true leader, we should take the lead in incorporating Vastu principles in planning townships, housing, and real estate development, thereby proving our faith in our own knowledge and setting an example.
One day the rest of the world will follow us and do the same.
©Arun Vyas. This article may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. Arun Vyas may be contacted at arun@arunvyas.com / arunvyas.com/contact
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