HindustanTimes.com
South is bad vaastu for both Bush, Blair
S. Rajagopalan
Washington, August 21, 2005
Just close the White House's south entrance and see the difference. That is the advice for US President George W. Bush from John Hagelin, quantum physicist from Harvard and a Vedic architecture buff.
For making "wiser and more intelligent decisions", Bush should start using the north entrance, says Hagelin. He has a similar prescription for Bush's comrade-in-arms, Tony Blair: Shut down the south entrance to 10 Downing Street.
This could mean the end of their troubles in Iraq. Nothing seems to be working yet. Vaastu may well bring the two leaders some respite.
Vedic architecture, incorporating Vaastu principles, is just about catching on in the US — a $ 72-million tower, touted as the world's largest Vedic green office building, is now coming up on Washington's outskirts.
Much of the Vaastu propagation is being carried out by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's band of followers like Hagelin, who heads an organisation called the "US Peace Government".
"Nothing good will ever come from the government as long as the leaders are living and working in the disorderly influence of improperly designed and oriented buildings. The leaders should flee these old buildings as they were hit by an earthquake," says Hagelin.
His counsel is not confined to Bush and Blair. At a press conference here, Hagelin also wanted the Indian government to "abandon the Parliament buildings because of their skewed entrances". Has this come up before?
Closing the south-facing entrances is only a stop-gap measure "until properly designed and oriented offices and residences can be built for Mr Bush, Mr Blair and all government leaders".
"The positive effects of a proper eastern orientation on the brain and behaviour are now being documented by modern science," says Hagelin. He speaks of recent EEG research that points to greater efficiency of neuronal functioning when the head is oriented towards the east, compared to the south.
Says Jonathan Lipman, the chief Vedic architect from the Maharishi stable: "Beyond beauty and engineering, architecture should be able to create influences."