Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui

Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui are both ancient and sacred bodies of knowledge revealing the connection between humans and the dwellings they inhabit. In Vastu Shastra, as well as in Feng Shui, the focus is on human’s well-being, which can only be achieved when we are in harmony with nature and the Universal flow of energy. What we know and understand of both Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui is still quite limited, as ancient wisdom is rarely clearly translated and applied in the modern culture. It is often stated that Vastu Shastra started with the main focus on the sacred architecture of Hindu temples, while one of the oldest applications of Feng Shui is the Yin Feng Shui – or the Feng Shui of graveyards.
There are certainly many similarities between Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra, after all, both systems are based on the knowledge of the flow of Universal Energy called ‘Chi’ in Chinese culture and ‘Prana’ in Hindu culture. Vastu Shastra, meaning science – is part of the Vedas. Vedas, or the Vedic texts, are believed to be four to five thousand years old and include sacred knowledge of spirituality, astrology, yoga, nutrition, etc.The word ‘Vastu’ can be generally translated as meaning ‘dwelling’, and the term ‘Shastra’ can be summed up as ‘teaching’. Vastu Shastra is also based on the harmony of 5 elements, but the elements are different than the elements in Feng Shui.