From submissions by various writers - Editor
Sthapatya-ved is the branch of the Vedas dealing with the construction of working and living environments for optimal development towards enlightenment.
Sthupidya-ved is taking these principles to the extent that it is counter-productive and offsets any benefit that might have been gained by following them. Belief in principles without proof or despite contradictory evidence (see. superstition)
Example:
Sthapatya-ved
Building a new building with the entrance facing east to enjoy increased financial success.
Sthupidya-ved
Spending large amounts of one's money to reconstruct a building to face east, offsetting any financial gain.
Sthapatya-ved
Closing the south entrance of the Dome, to help produce more coherence.
Sthupidya-ved
Removing the southern parking lot for over 100 cars, making it harder for Sidhas to attend, lowering the numbers at the Dome from what they otherwise would be, when the very purpose of the Dome is to maximize attendance and create the most coherence. Which section of the 5000 year old Vedas deals with paved parking lots?
It may be only a matter of time until this southern entrance theory expands to include left-handers, or "south paws." Children will be encouraged to use the right hand for everything. Despite the fact that many famous successful people and top athletes were left handed. Didn't we go through all this nonsense a hundred of years ago? Is mediaeval thinking coming back?
Before that we may be seeing job discrimination based on whether a candidate comes from the south. Inexcusable. Holocausts begin with such unscientific thinking.
It is said that south entrances must be closed is due to "rakshasas." It is hard to get any specifics on what these creatures are. Are they invisible little gremlins, waiting to get in and foul things up?
But if rakshasas are intelligent enough to intentionally cause harm, they are probably smart enough to go around and get in from the East, like the rest of us. I hear they are very clever. They are invisible, and no one has yet been able to invent a rakshasa detector.
They probably figured out by now that other entrances are available. The only solution, to be really safe is to close all entrances.
If they come from the south, where it usually has a warm sunny exposure, and we come from cold north, who are the smart ones?
Centuries have gone by and probably by now all the rakshasas are now clustered around the North Pole by now (assuming an average speed of even 1 mile per day). So we should be safe if we just don't go there. It's not very conducive to enlightenment there.
One idea is that we could put our houses on roller swivels, so we can point it in any direction. When the Rakshasas figure out that the southern entrances are closed and go to the East, we can do a switcheroo on them without incurring high costs.
It has been said that a Sthapatya-Vedic home makes one more affluent. But most of the people who have built Sthapatya-Vedic homes were already rich. Very few lower-income people are building Sthapatya-Vedic homes.
But, those who are fortunate enough to own mobile homes can really stay a jump ahead of those Rakshasas.
If Sthapatya-Ved is timeless, how come it was not considered when the first Golden Dome was built at Maharishi University of Management? Presumably there were some Sthapatya-vedic pundits who were aware of the construction. Whey didn't they speak up? A lot of construction costs could have been avoided. The southern door has been in disuse, as students must go the long way around.
Student attendance is still lower than in the 1980's when southern entrances were freely used. In the 1980's nearly every dorm was full. Admissions efforts are now more sophisticated, with a web site and inexpensive long distance calling. Some dorms or pods are completely empty. What do prospective students and their parents think as they are shown the long way to around to get into a class at the MUM Learning Center? Probably the students laugh at this superstition and go elsewhere.
We have heard a lot about the scientific research on the Southern Entrance Theory, but cannot find anyone who can point me to an article. Certainly not one that has been published. Perhaps there is none.
Why is it then that there are testimonials to the benefits of building with an east instead of south entrance. One may be the Placebo Effect, where if people believe it works, then it does.
The other may be the subtle pressure to proclaim the benefits of spending the extra money to build a Sthapatya-vedic home, rather than suffer the embarrassment of telling people you wasted your money.
It is said that East is auspicious because that is where the sun comes up. But after it rises, it is mostly in the southern direction for the northern hemisphere. How and why would it become inauspicious? At what degree does it switch from being auspicious to inauspicious? Why is the north auspicious when the sun does not come from that direction? Where is the internal consistency of this theory?
One business right in town that has a southern entrance and is doing just fine is Walkers Office Supply. In fact, Mr. Walker is one of the most successful businessmen in Fairfield, and in remarkably good health and active, when most his age are retired. It is not true that "whenever we walk into a home or business with a southern entrance we can feel the stress." On the contrary they are friendly and helpful. I guess we see what we look for.
Telegroup, the largest telecommunications company in Fairfield Iowa has spent more than anyone to be in line with Sthapatya-vedic principles. When the company was based out of their East building on Route 34, with a southern entrance, the company enjoyed the status of being the #2 fastest growing business in America and being in the Inc 500 for two years in a row. The company closed the south entrance, and constructed a new North building specifically designed with Sthapatya-vedic principles.
In Spring 1999, Telegroup filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Hundreds of employees were laid off. The stock plummetted to be worthless (1 cents per share if anyone will buy it.) Let the stock market be a measure of the effectiveness of the Southern Entrance Theory. TGRP QuoteNow what do we do with old, established, expression? If people from the South are so nasty, how come there is no expression "Northern hospitality?"
I heard that one supposed example of bad southern influences is the US's problem with Mexican immigrants. Besides being a racist statement, remember that the USA is the Mexico of the Canadians.
The further north you go from the equator, the more south there is. So northern countries are more subject to southern influences than any other. Then, why are the northernmost countries, generally the most prosperous and technologically advanced?
Or if we look at it the other way, if southern countries are so troublesome, why is it that South Korea is the peaceful and prosperous ally, and North Korea is the "rogue nation" threat and has the "basket-case" economy?
What if it was best to have buildings face east, and all the buildings did so. Can you imagine how boring that would look?
He was not offended, but applauded Dr. Robert Keith Wallace in doing his pioneering research on the physiology of consciousness. Dr. Wallace was not doubting Maharishi, or disrespecting the knowledge. On the contrary, Maharishi, as a scientist himself, welcomed the research. He is likely to do so again with the research on Sthapatya-ved.
There will probably be a good market for compasses with people always wanting to know which direction is east and south. I would suggest investing. There is also a need to make it easy for people to tell direction.
