Hardly any question comes up more often than this one: is Vastu the same
as Feng Shui? The short answer: they are relatives, not twins. Both
teachings order built space, both work with directions and elements, both
aim at the wellbeing of the inhabitants. But they come from different
cultures and think differently.
Vastu comes from India, is rooted in the Vedas, and is
first of all a teaching of building: it takes effect in the design, the floor plan, the
orientation of the house. Its grid — the mandala — is fixed; the assignment
of the directions is stable and applies to every building. Vastu therefore
unfolds its greatest effect in new construction or conversion.
Feng Shui comes from China and is more a teaching of
arrangement and interpretation: it works with flowing qi, with
compass schools and time-dependent influences that change over the years.
Feng Shui is therefore often applied retrospectively — to existing rooms,
furnishing, colours.
For practice this means: those who build or convert will find in Vastu
the stricter, more architectural tool. The two teachings do not exclude
each other — but they should not be mixed as if their concepts were
interchangeable.
