Understanding Vastu Shastra

It is amazing to know that the Vastu principles discussed in our ancient books are built upon solid foundations of science, to provide all round prosperity for the dweller. In this article, I will cover the scientific basis behind the core Vastu principles.

The entire life in our Universe is based on the five elements: Fire, Earth, Air, Water and Sky. These five elements are found everywhere and anywhere. Even our bodies are composed of these five elements. When any of these elements happen to be in excess or less in our body, the result will be physical or psychological problems. For example, if Fire element is more, we will get physical problems like high BP, insomnia, ulcers and psychological problems like anger and tensions. When Water element dominates, it leads to laziness, hallucinations, fickle mindedness, obesity and indigestion. Vastu is a science of architecture which is aimed at balancing these five elements. 

Understanding the elements:

In our solar system, the Sun provides life by giving enough light and heat which makes life possible on Earth. This is the reason our Vedas and Upanishads praised the Sun as the supreme soul (God). Sun rays travel through the Sky and reach our Earth. Thus the Sky element is the carrier of life energy. Sky element should be enough to carry abundant life force into our house.

Before constructing a house or building, we should take the measurements of the plot or land. The Sky element is 9% of the length and 9% of the breadth around the plot. For a plot with 60 ft length and 50 ft breadth, we should leave around 5.4ft along the length and 4.5ft along the breadth as Sky element. The Sky element surrounds the entire house something like a box. Remember, the actual construction should be done after deducting space for Sky element. So the actual construction length will be 60-5.4 = 54.6 ft and breadth will be 50-4.5 = 45.5 ft.

We should leave space for the Sky element around the house or building. The Sky element can be kept more by leaving more space around the house or building. In that case, we should leave more space towards East and North directions. It means a house or building should be constructed towards the S-W direction of the plot.

After deducting space for the Sky element, only the remaining area (54.6 X 45.5) should be used for actual construction. This area should be divided into 4 equal parts of each 25%. Part 1 starting from middle of North till middle of East is represented by Water element. Part 2 from the middle of the East side to middle of South represents Fire element. Part 3 from middle of South till middle of West represents Earth element. Part 4 from middle of West to middle of North represents Air element.

After finding the elements in the plot, the next step is to find the Brahma sthana. Brahma sthana represents the place where lord ‘Brahma’ the creator resides. It is a mixture of all the 5 elements (Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Sky) since Brahma is the creator for all the 5 elements. Brahma sthana is a rectangular area with 1/3rd of the length and 1/3rd of the breadth in the center. Take the length and breadth of the actual construction area and divide each with 3. In our example, 54.6/3 = 18.2 ft and 45.5/3 = 15.2 ft. So the Brahma sthana in our building will be in the exact center in a rectangular form with 18.2 ft length and 15.2 ft breadth.

Balancing the five elements:

It is essential to balance these five elements. The Sky element should be 9% of the length and 9% of the breadth. Even if the Sky element is more, there is no problem. But it should not be less than 9%. Water, Fire, Earth and Air elements should occupy exactly 25% of the construction area. Brahma sthana should be a rectangular area with 1/3rd of the length and 1/3rd of the breadth in the center. This is how these elements should be kept balanced. If any of these elements are deficit or excess then there will be problems to the residents of that house:

Element: Result if not balanced 
Water: Losing God’s grace, loss of male children, generation will not continue, draining of all wealth.
Fire: Quarrels between wife and husband, court litigation, problems to females, getting into debts.
Earth: Severe and chronic illhealth, accidents, death of owner, problem to eldest child, loss of money due to bad habits and enemies.
Air: Loss in business, mind related problems, loss of immovable property and cattle.
Sky: The subtle energy flow cannot reach, so there will be loss of God’s grace, unexpected situations, mental problems, possession of spirits or devils.
Brahma sthana: Problems related to stomach, genitals and lower parts of body. Women will face abortions and children will not survive.


1. An element is said to be imbalanced, if the area of the element is extended or reduced. If the South-East corner is extended there is excess Fire element in that plot. In another example, he South-West corner is cut off and hence there is deficit of Earth element. This is the reason behind the Vastu principle that construction should not be done in plots with irregular shapes like triangle or hexagonal.

Case: Year 2000. A house in Hyderabad, India where S-E block is constructed protruding out. Hence S-E is dominating. The owner of this house, a Government official loses his job immediately after the construction of the house. He stays in the house and quarrels with his wife. His wife is soft and noble. Later, I came to know that he applied for divorce from his wife.

2. Since our soul has taken physical form and we live on this material earth, the Earth element can be a little bit raised when compared to other elements. Next to Earth, we can have Fire element a little bit raised and then Air and lastly Water. Since Water naturally flows downwards, Water element can be a bit lowered in the house. It means, when construction is done, the flooring should start at a height of 5 or 6 inches in the N-W and should slowly slope down towards N-E. This applies to flooring as well as to rooms constructed on the terrace. If a room is built on the terrace in the N-W corner, there will not be any problem as the Earth element is raised. But if the room is built in N-E or East side, and the remaining directions are free, then it leads to problems.

In another example, the house has Water and Air elements dominating when compared to the other two elements which results in Vastu problem.


3. When there is no sufficient place around a house or building, it leads to imbalance of Sky element. In another case, the house is in between two gigantic buildings. The Sky elements of the two buildings overlap the Sky element of the house and hence the people live in that house will face problems.

4. Mixing the opposite elements will lead to chaotic environment. For example, a kitchen that is constructed in the Water element - as the kitchen represents Fire, it is being mixed with Water element and this will cause problems to the residents.

Case: Year 2009. A house at Palakol, India. The toilets are constructed in the N-E part of the house. When I visited this house, I predicted that the generation will not continue. The owner of the house has two children. The owner died due to illhealth. Later, their daughter died by committing suicide. Recently their son has developed problem in the kidneys and both of his kidneys stopped functioning. N-E is considered as sacred direction because the pranik energy comes from N-E. So, a toilet should never be constructed in N-E or East or North. It should be in South, S-W or West. Update: The mother has given one of her kidneys to her son. Even though the operation was successful, later complications arose, and the boy died at KIMS hospital at Hyderabad, India in June 2010.

5. Brahma sthana which lies in the center of the house should be left free. This means, a pillar or wall should never be laid in the brahma sthana.

Uniform flow of Pranik lines:

The pranik (life) energy which comes from Sun and other planets comprises of various types of energies like magnetic energy, light, thermal energy, gravitational energy and various types of radiations. These energies reach the people live on this earth and influence the parts of their body. For example, scientists found millions of Ferrous Oxide crystals in human brain which are highly influenced by the magnetic and electrical fields. Such magnetic material is also available in the other parts of human body.


The pranik energy enters the house mainly from East, as Sun is the principal source for it. When the house is constructed in alignment to the four main directions, East, West, North and South, the pranik energy distribution in the house will be uniform. This will ensure good health to the residents. On the other hand, if the house is constructed in deviation from the main directions, then the pranik energy flow will be uneven and zig- zag - in this example, this leads to health problems both physical and mental. This is the reason why Vastu does not like houses facing the corner directions like N-E, S-E, S-W or N-W.

Vastu Shastra Tips

When sitting for worship, keep your face towards the North-West, and sit in that corner to take in air from that direction. 

Cash boxes can be located in the room towards the North (treasury). But if the box is heavy (such as a safe, heavy almirah) then it should be kept in the South west corner and the door of the almirah should open towards the North.

TVs and computers should ideally be placed in the Southeast corner of the living room or study room. They should not be placed in the Northeast corner or Southwest corner.

Telephones can be placed in the Southeast or North west corner but not in the Southwest or Northeast.

An aquarium with 9 gold fish and one black fish, in the north east corner/portion of the house or factory is very good.

If the north-east area is untidy or unshapely, the well being of male children is found to be precarious.

One should sleep with his head pointing towards the South. 
Beds should not be put under a beam. 

Students should be facing east while studying, for Academic Excellence.

If the kitchen is off the proper place, some member of the household is always found to be suffering from severe digestive disorder.

Keep the Gas cooker in the south east corner of the kitchen. 
Persons should face the east while cooking. 
Drinking water should be in the north east of the kitchen. 
While taking meals the plate should be in the South-East. 

The statue of Hanumanji should not be placed in South-East. It may create a fire hazard.

All the doors should open inside so that the energy may remain inside.
The hinges of doors should be noiseless. If so. The hinges may be greased periodically.Doors should open towards the right hand side.
 . 
There should not be five corners in the ceiling of a room. 

Efforts should be made a leave the rooms open on the North-East side. 

While ascending the staircase, the face should be either towards the north or the east. 

The seat of the toilet should face North-South. 

No doors or windows should be provided on South-West side. 

Almirahs and beds should be set very close to the South - West wall and at a distance from the north - east wall.

A house should not have paintings, which depicts depressing scenes, i.e. like an old woman crying, scenes of war or poverty. It should have bright pictures - eg. a sunrise, an ocean, mountains, flowers or laughing children.

Tall trees are not recommended to be close to the main building. For trees the south the west are good. No tree should be grown in the north and the east. The one at the north-east is the worst.

Small decorative plants and shrubs may be grown in the north and the east. The height should not exceed, say, half a meter at the north-east increasing gradually to not more than 1.5 meter as one moves from the north-east to the north-west or to the south-east end. 

Except rose and a few medicinal ones, all thorny plants give rise to tensions in the environment. Plants exuding white sap should also be kept out of the house. Lime and Karonda are okay in an outside orchard, but not in a place of residence or business. 

Amongst the beneficial plants to be kept inside the house, the best is Tulsi. It is commendable to keep at least one Tulsi plant in the north-east area of the premises, but its height should not exceed 1.5 meter. 

Growing creepers/climbers with support on the compound wall or a house wall is best avoided.

Cactus should not be planted or kept in the house.

In the South-West Corner of the house one should sleep pointing his head towards south.

If north of any house is blocked it blocks prosperity.

Water flowing/water fountain from north to east is very good.

The Five Elements & Vastu Shastra

WATER: Water bodies in the North or East are considered good. As far as the flow of domestic water is concerned, it should be borne in mind that such water should be drained out in the North-East. Wells, tubewells, swimming pools should all be placed in the North-East. The water from toilets and bathrooms should also be drained out in the North- East. The North-East direction is always auspicious and suitable for water. There are sewer-systems in the cities. The Septic tanks or the flow of sewer systems should be towards North - West. The flow of rain or fresh water should be towards North-East.

FIRE: The direction of Fire is South-East. The Kitchen, fireplace, hot-water geysers etc. should be placed in this direction. Alternatively they could be placed in the North-West, because it is 180 degree to the South-East. If one can take care of the South-East corners of all the rooms in the home, and aim for happiness in the family, good health, sound finances, and good married life. As the South-East belongs to Agni, he can create much trouble if not looked after. The South-East corner of every room should be taken care of it. One can keep Agni - Vastu Fire Element cheerful by having a spotlight or lantern in the South-East corner with light or burning flame pointing to the roof. One can also keep electrical gadgets such as television, VCR, fridge, computer, fire-place, microwave, radio etc. placed in the South-East corner.

AIR: The air should enter the building from the North-East. All openings for entry of air - doors, windows, ventilators coolers, air-conditioners, verandahs, balconies etc. should be in this direction.

SPACE OR OPEN SKY: The open sky influences greatly. We can get the effect of terrestrial-energies uninterruptedly in this way. But buildings prove to be a barrier to the effects of the open sky. Therefore, the importance of roofs or lawns is emphasized, but the Vastu Shastra has refrained from deliberating in detail over these aspects, because it is related chiefly to building construction and we will only discuss this. Traditionally every house in India used to have an open space (Court Yard) in the center of the house - this provided the dwellers not only the open sky but also sunlight and cross-ventilation of air.

SHAPE OF PLOT: Favourites are regular shaped square or rectangular plots - while irregular shaped plots should be avoided.

OBSTRUCTION: Obstructions - such as large trees, open wells, pillars and posts before an arrow - like roads - are to be avoided.

IDEAL SITE: A building should be constructed preferably in a square plot. The house should be constructed in the centre. In a rectangular plot the building should be nearer to the south, south west and west sides, preferably leaving more open space in the north and east of the plot. L-shaped plots are not considered suitable for houses as the corners will be "U" shaped, which indicated missing corners, and as a result, occupants will be missing opportunities.

Learning Silence

The pupils of the Tendai School used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence.

On the first day all were silent Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but when night came and the oil-lamps were growing dim one of the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant: 'Fix those lamps.' 

The second pupil was surprised to hear the first one talk. 'We are not supposed to say a word,' he remarked.

'You two are stupid. Why did you talk?' asked the third.

‘I am the only one who has not talked,' muttered the fourth pupil.

One Note Zen

After Kakua visited the emperor he disappeared and no one knew what became of him. He was the first Japanese to study Zen in China, but since he showed nothing of it, save one note, he is not remembered for having brought Zen into his country.

Kakua visited China and accepted the true teaching. He did not travel while he was there. 

Meditating constantly, he lived on a remote part of a mountain.Whenever people found him and asked him to preach he would say a few words and then move to another part of the mountain where he could be found less easily. 

The emperor heard about Kakua when he returned to Japan and asked him to preach Zen for his edification and that of his subjects.Kakua stood before the emperor in silence. 

He then produced a flute from the folds of his robe and blew one short note. Bowing politely, he disappeared.

Anger

A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: ‘Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?’

'You have something very strange,' replied Bankei. 'Let me see what you have.'

'Just now I cannot show it to you,' replied the other.

'When can you show it to me?' asked Bankei.

'It arises unexpectedly,' replied the student.

‘Then,' concluded Bankei, 'it must not be your own nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have if and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over.'

True Reform!

Ryokan devoted his life to the study of Zen. One day he heard that his nephew, despite the admonitions of relatives, was spending his money on a courtesan.

In as much as the nephew had taken Ryokan's place in managing the family estate and the property was in danger of being dissipated, the relatives asked Ryokan to do something about it.

Ryokan had to travel a long way to visit his nephew, whom he had not seen for many years. The nephew seemed pleased to meet his uncle again and invited him to remain overnight.

All night Ryokan sat in meditation. As he was departing in the morning he said to the young man: ‘I must be getting old, my hand shakes so. Will you help me tie the string of my straw sandal?'

The nephew helped him willingly. ‘Thank you,' finished Ryokan, 'you see, a man becomes older and feebler day by day. Take good care of yourself.' Then Ryokan left, never mentioning a word about the courtesan or the complaints of the relatives. 

But, from that morning on, the dissipations of the nephew ended.

The Real Miracle

When Bankei was preaching at Ryumon temple, a Shinshu priest, who believed in salvation through the repetition of the name of the Buddha of Love, was jealous of his large audience and wanted to debate with him.

Bankei was in the midst of a talk when the priest appeared but the fellow made such a disturbance that Bankei stopped his discourse and asked about the noise.

‘The founder of our sect,' boasted the priest, ‘had such miraculous powers that he held a brush in his hand on one bank of the river, his attendant held up a paper on the other bank, and the teacher wrote the holy name of Amida through the air. Can you do such a wonderful thing? 

'Bankei replied lightly: 'Perhaps your fox can perform that trick, but that is not the manner of Zen. My miracle is that when I feel hungry I eat, and when I feel thirsty I drink.'

The Incense Burner

A woman of Nagasaki named Kame was one of the few makers of incense burners in Japan. Such a burner is a work of art to be used only in a tea room or before a family shrine.

Kame whose father before her had been such an artist, was fond of drinking. She also smoked and associated with men most of the time. Whatever she made a little money she gave a feast inviting artists, poets, carpenters, workers, men of

many vocations and avocations. In their association she evolved her designs.

Kame was exceedingly slow in creating, but when her work was finished it was always a masterpiece. Her burners were treasured in homes whose womenfolk never drank, smoked, or associated freely with men.

The mayor of Nagasaki once requested Kame to design an incense burner for him. She delayed doing so until almost half a year had passed. At that time the mayor, who had been promoted to office in a distant city, visited her. He urged Kame to begin work on his burner.

At last receiving the inspiration, Kame made the incense burner. After it was completed she placed it upon a table. She looked at it long and carefully. She smoked and drank before it as if it were her own company. All day she observed it. At last, picking up a hammer, Kame smashed it to bits.


She saw it was not the perfect creation her mind demanded.

  

No Work No Food!

Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees.

The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools.

That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. 'He may be angry because we have hidden his tools,' the pupils surmised. 'We had better put than back.'

The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the evening he instructed them: 'No work no food.'

The Taste of Banzo's Sword

Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His father, believing that his son's work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him. So Matajuro went to Mount Fuhra and there found the famous swordsman Banzo.

But Banzo confirmed the father's judgment. ‘You wish to learn swordsmanship under my guidance?' asked Banzo. ‘You cannot fulfill the requirements.' 'But if I work hard, how many years will it take me to be come a master?’ persisted the youth. 

‘The rest of your life,' replied Banzo.‘I cannot wait that long,' explained Matajuro. 'I am willing to pass through any hardship if only you will teach me. If I become your devoted servant, how long might it be?' 'Oh, maybe ten years,' Banzo relented.

'My father is getting old, and soon I must take care of him,' continued Matajuro. 'If I work far more intensively, how long would it take me!''Oh, maybe thirty years.' said Banzo.

'Why is that?' asked Matajuro. 'First you say ten and now thirty years. I will undergo any hardship to master this art in the shortest time!' ‘Well,' said Banzo, 'in that case you will have to remain with me for seventy years.

A man in such a hurry as you are to get results seldom learns quickly.’'Very well.' declared the youth, understanding at last that he was being rebuked for impatience, 'I agree.

'Matajuro was told never to speak of fencing and never to touch a sword. He cooked for his master, washed the dishes, made his bed, and cleaned the yard, cared for the garden, all without a word of swordsmanship.Three years passed. Still Matajuro labored on. Thinking of his future he was sad. He had not even begun to learn the art to which he had devoted his life. 

But one day Banzo crept up behind him and gave him a terrific blow with a wooden sword.The following day, when Matajuro was cooking rice, Banzo, again sprang upon him unexpectedly.

 After that, day and night, Matajuro had to defend himself from unexpected thrusts. Not a moment passed in any day that he did not have to think of the taste of Banzo's sword. 

He learned so rapidly he brought smiles to the face of his master. Matajuro became the greatest swordsman in the land.

A Drop Of Water

A Zen master named Gisan asked a young student to bring him a pail of water to cool his bath. The student brought the water and, after cooling the bath, threw on to the ground the little that was left over.

'You dunce!' the master scolded him. 'Why didn't you give the rest of the water to the plants? What right have you to waste even a drop of water in this temple?'

The young student attained Zen in that instant. He changed his name to Tekisui, which means a drop of water.

A Letter

Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was about to die:

The essence of your mind is not born so it will never die. It is not an existence, which is perishable. It is not an emptiness, which is a mere void. It has neither color nor form. It enjoys no pleasures and suffers no pain.

'I know you are very ill. Like a good Zen student, you are facing that sickness squarely. You may not know exactly who is suffering, but question yourself: What is the essence of this mind? Think only of this. You will need no more. Covet nothing. 

Your end which is endless is as a snowflake dissolving in the pure air.'

The Burden

Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk accross because of a puddle of water. 

The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.

In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"

The elder monk answered "yes, brother".

Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"

The elder monk smiled at him and told him " I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her.

Finding a Piece of the Truth

One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth."

"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his attendant asked.

"No," Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it."

Is that so?

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. “Is that so?” Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

Right & Wrong

When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.

Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.

When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."

A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.

Nothing Exists

Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.

Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received."

Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.

"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"

Karma - Part 8 - Questions About Karma.

Question: Do the Karmas of parents determine or affect the Karmas of their children?

Answer: Physically, the Karma of children is generally determined by the Karma of their parents. Thus, healthy parents usually have healthy offspring, and unhealthy parents have unhealthy children. On the effect or how the Karma of their children is determined: the child’s Karma is a thing apart of itself – it forms the child’s individuality, the sum-total of its merits and demerits accumulated in innumerable past existences. For example, the Karma of the Buddha-to-be, Prince Siddhartha was certainly not influenced by the joint Karma of his parents, King Suddhodana and Queen Maya. The glorious and powerful Karma of our Buddha-to-be transcended the Karma of his parents which jointly were more potent than his own.

Question: If the Karma of parents do not influence those of their children, how would the fact be explained that parents who suffer from certain virulent diseases are apt to transmit these evils to their offsprings?

Answer: Where a child inherits such a disease it is due to the force of the parents’ characteristics because of the force of the latter’s Utu (conditions favourable to germination). Take, for example, two seeds from a sapling; plant one in inferior, dry soil; and the other in rich, moist soil. The result is that the first seed will sprout into a sickly sapling and soon show symptoms of disease and decay; while the other seed will thrive and flourish and grow up to be a tall and healthy tree.

It will be observed that the pair of seeds taken from the same stock grows up differently according to the soil into which they are put. A child’s past Karma may be compared to the seed: the physical disposition of the mother to the soil; and that of the father to the moisture, which fertilised the soil. Roughly speaking, to illustrate our subject, we will say that, representing the sapling’s germination, growth, and existence as a unit, the seed is responsible for one-tenth of them, the soil for six-tenths, and the moisture for the remainder, three-tenths. Thus, although the power of germination exists potentially in the seed (the child), its growth is powerfully determined and quickened by the soil (the mother) and the moisture (the father).

Therefore, even as the conditions of the soil and moisture must be taken as largely responsible factors in the growth and condition of the tree. So must the influences of the parents (or progenitors, as in the case of the animal world) be taken into account in respect to the conception and growth of their offspring.

The parents’ share in the Karma determining the physical factors of their issue is as follows: If they are human beings, then their offspring will be a human being. If they are cattle then their issue must be of their species. If the human being is Chinese, then their offspring must be of their race. Thus, the offspring are invariably of the same genera and species, etc., as those of the progenitors. It will be seen from the above that, although a child’s Karma is very powerful in itself, if cannot remain wholly uninfluenced by those of it parents. It is apt to inherit the physical characteristic of its parents. Yet, it may occur that the child’s Karma, being superlatively powerful, the influence of the parent’s joint Karma cannot overshadow it. Of course, it need hardly be pointed out that the evil influences of parents can also be counteracted by the application of medical science.

All beings born of sexual cohabitation are the resultant effects of three forces:

1. The old Karma of past existence;
2. The seminal fluid of the mother, and
3. The seminal fluid of the father.

The physical dispositions of the parents may, or may not, be equal in force. One may counteract the other to a lesser or greater extent. The child’s Karma and physical characteristics, such as race, colour, etc., will be the produce of the three forces.

Question: On the death of a sentient being, is there a ‘soul’ that wanders about at will?

Answer: When a sentient being leaves one existence, it is reborn either as a human being, a celestial being, (Deva or Brahama), and inferior animal, or a denizen of one of the regions of hell. The sceptics and the ignorant people held that there are intermediate stages – antrabhava – between these; and that there are being who are neither of the human, the celestial, the Deva or the Brahma worlds nor of any one of the stages of exist recognised in the scriptures – but are in an intermediate stage. 

Some assert that these transitional stages are possessed of the Five Khandhas (Five Aggregates: they are Matter (rupa); Feeling (vedana); Perception (sanna); 4. Mental-activities (sankhara); and Consciousness (vinnana).

Some assert that these beings are detached ‘souls’ or spirits with no material encasement, and some again, that they are possessed of the faculty of seeing like Devas, and further, that they have power of changing at will, at short intervals, from one to any of the existence mentioned above. Others again hold the fantastic and erroneous theory that these beings can, and so, fancy themselves to be in other than the existence they are actually in. Thus, to take for example one such of these suppositious beings. He is a poor person – and yet he fancies himself to be rich. He may be in hell – and yet he fancies himself to be in the land of the Devas, and so on. This belief in intermediate stages between existences is false, and is condemned in the Buddhist teachings. A human being in this life who, by his Karma is destined to be a human being in the next, will be reborn as such; one who by his Karma is destined to be a Deva in the next will be appear in the land of the Devas; and one whose future life is to be in Hell, will be found in one of the regions of hell in the next existence.

The idea of an entity or soul or spirit ‘going’, ‘coming’, ‘changing’ or ‘transmigrating’ from one existence to another is an idea entertained by the ignorance and materialistic, and is certainly not justified by the Dhammas that there is no such thing as ‘going’, 'coming’, ‘changing’, etc., as between existences. The conception, which is in accordance with the Dhamma, may perhaps be illustrated by the picture thrown out by a cinema projector, or the sound of emitted by the gramophone, and their relation to the film or the sound-box and records respectively. 

For example, a human being dies and is reborn in the land of Devas. Though these two existences are different, yet the link or continuity between the two at death is unbroken in point of time. The same is true in the case of a man whose further existence is to be in hell. The distance between Hell and the abode of man appears to be great. Yet, in point of time, the continuity of ‘passage’ from the one existence to the other is unbroken, and no intervening matter or space can interrupt the trend of a man’s Karma from the world of human beings to the regions of Hell. The ‘passage’ from one existence to another is instantaneous, and the transition is infinitely quicker than the blink of an eyelid or a lightening-flash.

Karma determines the realm of rebirth and the state of existence in that realm of all transient being (in the cycle of existences, which have to be traversed till the attainment, at last, of Nibbana).

The results of Karma are manifold, and may be effected in many ways. Religious offerings (dana) may obtain for a man the privilege of rebirth as a human being, or as a deva, in one of the six deva worlds according to the degree of the merit of the deeds performed, and so with the observance of religious duties (sila). The jhanas or states of absorption, are found in the Brahma world or Brahmalokas up to the summit, the twentieth Brahma world: And so with bad deeds, the perpetrators of which are to be found , grade by grade, down to the lowest depths of Hell. Thus are Karma, past, present and future were, are, and will ever be the sum total of our deeds, good, indifferent or bad. As was seen from the foregoing, our Karma determines the changes of our existences.

"Evil spirits" are, therefore, not beings in an intermediate or transitional stages of existence, but are really very inferior beings, and they belong to one of the following five realms of existence:

1. World of Men: 2. The Lowest plane of deva-world; 3. The region of hell; 4. Animals below men, and 5. Petas (ghosts).

Number 2 and 5 are very near the world of human beings. As their condition is unhappy, and they are popularly considered evil spirits. It is not true that all who die in this world are reborn as evil spirits; nor is it true that beings who die sudden or violent deaths are apt to be reborn in the lowest plane of the world of devas. 

Karma - Part 7 - Time-wise Effects of Karma

According to time, Karma is effective in four ways:

1. Immediately Effective (ditthadhammavedaniya) Karma.
2. Subsequently Effective (uppapajjavedaniya) Karma.
3. Indefinitely Effective (aparapariyavedaniya) Karma.
4. Defunct or Ineffective (ahosi) Karma.

Immediately Effective Karma is that which is experienced in this present life. According to the Abhidhamma one does both good and evil during the javana process (thought-impulsion), which usually lasts for seven thought-moments. The effect of the first thought-moment, being the weakest, one may reap in this life itself. This is called the Immediately Effective Karma.

If it does not operate in this life, it is called ‘Defunct or Ineffective’ Karma.

The next weakest is the seventh thought-moment. Its effect one may reap in the subsequence birth. This is called ‘Subsequently Effective’ Karma.

This, too, is called Defunct or Ineffective Karma if it does not operate in the second birth. The effect of the intermediate thought-moments may take place at any time until one attains Nibbana. This type of Karma is known as ‘Indefinitely Effective’ Karma.

No one, not even the Buddhas and Arahantas, is exempt from this class of Karma which one may experience in the course of one’s wandering in Samsara. There is no special class of Karma known as Defunct or Ineffective, but when such actions that should produce their effects in this life or in a subsequent life do not operate, they are termed Defunct or Ineffective Karma.

Karma - Part 6 - Classification of Karma

Karma is Classified into four classes

1. WEIGHTY (GARUKA) KARMA.
   
   
   This is either weighty or serious – may be either good or bad. It produces its results in this life or in the next for certain. If good, it is purely mental as in the case of Jhana (ecstasy or absorption). Otherwise it is verbal or bodily. On the Immoral side, there are five immediate effective heinous crimes (pancanantariya karma): Matricide, Patricide, and the murder of an Arahant, the wounding of a Buddha and the creation of a schism in the Sangha. Permanent Scepticism (Niyata Micchaditthi) is also termed one of the Weighty (garuka) Karmas.
   
   
   If, for instance, any person were to develop the jhana (ecstasy or absorption) and later were to commit one of these heinous crimes, his good Karma would be obliterated by the powerful evil Karma. His subsequent birth would be conditioned by the evil Karma in spite of his having gained the jhana earlier. Devadatta lost his psychic power and was born in an evil state, because he wounded the Buddha and caused a schism in the Sangha.
   
   
   King Ajatasattu would have attained the first stage of Sainthood (Sotapanna) if he had not committed patricide. In this case the powerful evil Karma acted as an obstacle to his gaining Sainthood.
   
   
2. PROXIMATE (ASANNA) KARMA OR DEATH-PROXIMATE KARMA
   
   
   This is that which one does or remembers immediately before the moment of dying. Owing to the great part it plays in determining the future birth, much importance is attained to this deathbed (asanna) Karma in almost all Buddhist countries. The customs of reminding the dying man of good deeds and making him do good acts on his deathbed still prevails in Buddhist countries.
   
   
   Sometimes a bad person may die happily and receive a good birth if he remembers or does a good act at the last moment. A story runs that a certain executioner who casually happened to give some alms to the Venerable Sariputta remembered this good act at the dying moment and was born in a state of bliss. This does not mean that although he enjoys a good birth he will be exempt from the effects of the evil deeds which he accumulated during his lifetime. They will have there due effect as occasions arise.
   
   
   At times a good person may die unhappy by suddenly remembering an evil act of his or by harbouring some unpleasant thought, perchance compelled by unfavourable circumstances. In the scriptures, Queen Mallika, the consort of King Kosala, remembering a lie she had uttered, suffered for about seven days in a state of misery when she lied to her husband to cover some misbehaviour.
   
   
   These are exceptional cases. Such reverse changes of birth account for the birth of virtuous children to vicious parents and of vicious children to virtuous parents. As a result of the last thought moment being conditioned by the general conduct of the person.
   
   
3. HABITUAL (ACCINA) KARMA
   
   
   It is that which on habitually performs and recollects and for which one has a great liking. Habits whether good or bad becomes ones second nature, tending to form the character of a person. At unguarded moments one often lapses into one’s habitual mental mindset. In the same way, at the death-moment, unless influenced by other circumstances, one usually recalls to mind one’s habitual deeds.
   
   
   Cunda, a butcher, who was living in the vicinity of the Buddha’s monastery, died yelling like an animal because he was earning his living by slaughtering pigs.
   
   
   King Dutthagamini of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was in the habit of giving alms to the Bhikkhus (monks) before he took his own meals. It was his habitual Karma that gladdened him at the dying moment and gave him birth in the Tusita heaven.
   
   
4. RESERVE OR CUMULATIVE (KATATTA) KARMA
   
   
   This literally means ‘because done’. All actions that are not included in the aforementioned and those actions soon forgotten belong to this category. This is, as it were the reserve fund of a particular being.
   
   
   

Karma - Part 5 - Types Of Karma

With respect to different functions, Karma is classified into four kinds:

 

 

1. REPRODUCTIVE KARMA

Every birth is conditioned by a past good or bad karma, which predominated at the moment of death. Karma that conditions the future birth is called Reproductive Karma. The death of a person is merely ‘a temporary end of a temporary phenomenon’. Though the present form perishes, another form which is neither the same nor absolutely different takes its place, according to the potential thought-vibration generated at the death moment, because the Karmic force which propels the life-flux still survives. It is this last thought, which is technically called Reproductive (janaka) Karma, that determines the state of a person in his subsequent birth. This may be either a good or bad Karma.

According to the Commentary, Reproductive Karma is that which produces mental aggregates and material aggregates at the moment of conception. The initial consciousness, which is termed the patisandhi rebirth consciousness, is conditioned by this Reproductive (janaka) Karma. Simultaneous with the arising of the rebirth-consciousness, there arise the ‘body-decad’, ‘sex-decad’ and ‘base-decad’ (kaya-bhavavatthu dasakas). (decad = 10 factors).

(a) The body-decad is composed of:

1. The element of extension (pathavi).
2. The element of cohesion (apo).
3. The element of heat (tajo).
4. The element of motion (vayo).

(b) The four derivatives (upadana rupa):

1. Colour (vanna).
2. Odour (gandha).
3. Taste (rasa).
4. Nutritive Essence (oja)

These eight (mahabhuta 4 + upadana 4 = 8) are collectively called Avinibhoga Rupa (indivisable form or indivisable matter).

(c) Vitality (jivitindriya) and Body (kaya)

These (avinibhoga 8 + jivitindriya 1 + Kaya 1 = 10) ten are collectively called "Body-decad" = (Kaya dasaka).

Sex-decad and Base-decad also consist of the first nine, sex (bhava) and seat of consciousness (vathu) respectively (i.e. eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body).

From this, it is evident that the sex of a person is determined at the very conception of a being. It is conditioned by Karma and is not a fortuitous combination of sperm and ovum cells. The Pain and Happiness one experiences in the course of one’s lifetime are the inevitable consequence of Reproductive Kamma.

2. SUPPORTIVE KARMA

That which comes near the Reproductive (janaka) Kamma and supports it. It is neither good nor bad and it assists or maintains the action of the Reproductive (janaka) Karma in the course of one’s lifetime. Immediately after conception till the death moment this Karma steps forward to support the Reproductive Karma. A moral supportive (kusala upathambhaka) Karma assists in giving health, wealth, happiness etc. to the being born with a moral Reproductive Karma. An immoral supportive Karma, on the other hand, assists in giving pain, sorrow, etc. to the being born with an immoral reproductive (akusala janaka) Karma, as for instance to a beast of burden.

3. OBSTRUCTIVE KARMA OR COUNTERACTIVE KARMA

Which, unlike the former, tends to weaken, interrupt and retard the fruition of the Reproductive Karma. For instance, a person born with a good Reproductive Karma may be subject to various ailments etc., thus preventing him from enjoying the blissful results of his good actions. An animal, on the other hand, who is born with a bad Reproductive Karma may lead a comfortable life by getting good food, lodging, etc., as a result of his good counteractive or obstructive (upabidaka) Karma preventing the fruition of the evil Reproductive Karma.

4. DESTRUCTIVE (UPAGHATAKA) KARMA

According to the law of Karma the potential energy of the Reproductive Karma could be nullified by a mere powerful opposing Karma of the past, which, seeking an opportunity, may quite unexpectedly operate, just as a powerful counteractive force can obstruct the path of a flying arrow and bring it down to the ground. Such an action is called Destructive (upaghataka) Karma, which is more effective than the previous two in that it is not only obstructive but also destroys the whole force. This Destructive Karma also may be either good or bad.

As an instance of operation of all the four, the case of Devadatta, who attempted to kill the Buddha and who caused a schism in the Sangha (disciples of the Buddha) may be cited. His good Reproductive Karma brought him birth in a royal family. His continued comfort and prosperity were due to the action of the Supportive Karma. The Counteractive or Obstructive Karma came into operation when he was subject to much humiliation as a result of his being excommunicated from the Sangha. Finally the Destructive Karma brought his life to a miserable end.