Vaastu Shastra – The Basic 5 Elements
Vaastu Shastra is a directional science that effectively combines five elements of cosmos and nature. The science then balances the same with human beings and materials. It is believed that the universe is composed of five elementary elements – Air, Water, Fire, Space and Earth. These elements also combine to compose the human body.
Relationship between the elements and human body:
It is said that the five natural elements have a co-relation with the five sensory organs that human beings have, these are:
- Taste
- Smell
- Sight
- Touch
- Hearing
Knowledge of Directions:
In order to achieve correct orientation, one needs to have the knowledge of the eight main directions. It is known to all that the Sun rises from the East. In order to know the other basic directions, the following thumb rule can be followed.
- Stand facing the rising Sun, hence automatically you will be facing East.
- This also means that the direction of your back will be towards the West.
- Extend your hand to the left, it indicates the North direction.
- If you extend out your right hand, it is going to point South.
In Vaastu Shastra, a vital importance has been given to the corners, which serve as meeting points of these directions. This, therefore, points to four other directions, namely Northeast, East South, Southwest, and West North. All directions have their own individual significance and hence call for different constructions. Hence, the directions play a main role in formulating the principles of Vaastu Shastra.
Five Natural Elements:
As mentioned in Vaastu, the nature contains in itself numerous beneficial energies that human beings need to make use of in order to maintain a balance in their lives and also experience a feeling of wellness. These energies mainly evolve from two sources; they are the five natural elements as well as electromagnetic energy that get generated as the Earth rotates. Presence of the five natural elements has been attributed to be the main reason why the Earth is the only planet in the Solar System that has existence of life in it. There is universal availability of air, space and Sun and human beings can mould these three elements according to their needs, through designing according to guidelines of Vaastu. In order to get an idea of the individual role played by these five natural elements, one needs to individually discuss the properties of each of these elements.
Earth:
The Earth is known for its magnetic and gravitational qualities and is the one natural element that connects to the five sensory organs within the human body. Hence, this natural element has the biggest influence on human lives.
Water:
This is also a very important natural element and quantitatively, the largest among the five. It constitutes greater than 80% of the human body and also makes up two-thirds of the surface of the Earth. Vaastu helps in deciding the places where the water sources have to be placed in a construction.
Fire:
The Sun serves as the biggest source of energy and life. True to its own characteristics, it provides us with strength and vitality. However, the sun may also contain harmful rays, which have to block as per recommendations of Vaastu.
Air:
This is the most fundamental natural element as survival of human beings depends on it. Air available on our planet is a combination of a lot of gases including Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen and Helium. These are all essential for humans. Vaastu provides guidelines in building construction so that the maximum benefit from this natural element can be derived.
Space:
This natural element is infinite and is not restricted to any geographical boundaries. It is linked to the central portion of any construction site, which definitely needs to be kept open as per Vaastu guidelines. If the element of Space is disturbed, it can result in hindrance of progress and growth.
