所谓的印度风水术(Vastu)真能如宣扬的那样能带来健康、财富以及家庭幸福吗？
Vastu就是新版的风水——或者说就是过去的风水，原因在于有人说是前者(即Vastu)催生了后者。置疑者若觉得这只是东方另一建筑设计哲学，并对其嗤之以鼻时，请务必记住：全世界约有40%的高档住宅买家是亚洲客户，他们认为房屋的"能量"至关重要——而且印度风水已经开始深深影响到非亚洲人的房屋设计理念。
房屋设计讲究五种元素（即土、气、火、水、太空五行）对应风水理念，而水的作用尤为重要，vastu是古代印度房屋建筑与设计体系。据笃信印度风水的信徒来说，讲究了就能高枕无忧、财运亨通、家庭幸福。
1508 London建筑咨询公司设计总监克里斯•杰弗列(Chris Godfrey)谈及最近承接的一个项目，他在房子门厅处设计了一座大水池（主要起反射作用），住户与客人则需踩着通往东北方向的垫脚石进屋。"这个设计最适合大户型房屋，因为它能营造出通幽的感觉，"他说。"对于有些客户，我们在房屋角落处设计了流水装置，或是在温室里设计水墙。"
房屋东北向的水流寓意健康、财运与幸福，杰弗列说。根据印度传统，寓意财富的女神拉克希米(Lakshmi)的形象就是端坐于含苞欲放的莲花宝座上。印度乡下习俗一直是在地基东北方向挖一口深井，并用这口井中的水来建房。
"池水越深，水面越宽则预示着财富越多，家庭越发和睦兴旺，"杰弗列说。"即便不信风水者，长久以来，水也一直与详和与闲适紧密关联在一起。"
水面越宽越好。"把巨石与涓涓细流搭配没有意义，这样的水境毫无效果；若把它当作土的元素放在东南方向，作用则要好得多，"英国风水设计公司Vastu Design咨询师卡那•波特科维奇(Kana Butkovic)说。
他为某客户位于萨里(Surrey)的豪宅是这样设计的：在房子东北方向设了一座泳池，而为另一位客户位于伦敦摄政公园(Regent's Park)的豪宅，他的设计是在门厅处建瀑布水墙。
对于在居所设计喷泉，即便是笃信风水之士也会望而却步，更容易接受的方案是放一个鱼缸。"在特定位放鱼缸预示财运亨通、家业兴旺、个人飞黄腾达，"来自纽约装修公司Nirmada Interior Design的卡蒂•柯蒂斯(Kati Curtis)如是说。她说在居所或办公室东北角设计一座小喷泉或放一座鱼缸能让人心静如水。关键是要确保有流水，因为死水带来的是晦气。
全球地产商与房地产咨询师也开始认识到风水的重要作用。"许多印度购房者很讲究风水，所以必须懂相关风水知识，为他们挑房出谋划策，"伦敦房屋中介Black Brick Property Solutions业务股东卡米拉•戴尔(Camilla Dell)说。"最关键的问题是确定前门的方位，"她说。"如果门朝向南，那么再向他们推销房子就毫无意义了。朝南方向是能量所在区；印度人深信，门向朝南的话，所有的能量就会随之遁走。"
Vastu无疑与中国人所说的风水异曲同工，中国风水成了某些圈子的讥讽对象。如床不能对门，花瓶不能放哪扇窗等等。当然最好是挪窗户，乃至改动房子本身。甭管信不信中国人建房时空间搭配（字面意思就是"风水"）的功效，这几年让好多室内设计师挣得盆满钵满却是不争的事实。这就是为何那些曾经对印度人讲究风水（vastu shastra是它的正式称谓）说三道四的人反过头对风水颇为上心的原因。
当然收益也颇为可观：风水师给房屋看风水，每平方英尺的费用是400英镑，但它能让房主人从此高枕无忧。风水在印度司空见惯，而全世界身心憔悴的奋斗者也对风水的那一套说辞兴趣日浓。
来自Glentree Estates公司的特雷弗•亚伯拉罕松(Trevor Abrahamsohn)说：如今伦敦市中心黄金地段的房子，印度买家占了10%，房屋入住前，自己常请风水师来"作法"清理一番，以确保安全入住。
波特科维奇认为风水在美国与英国的印度裔与非印度裔买家中越来越盛行，原因就在于大家越来越讲究精神层面的东西，风水成为继瑜伽与印度草医学(ayurvedic medicine)之后的"第三个发展阶段"，"草医治病，瑜伽医心，风水则是对家居与环境进行总体考量的科学，"他说。
讲究风水源于半人半神Vastu Purusha的传说，信众相信他存在于每一块地中，头枕在东北方向，腿脚交叉席地于西南方向。每一种元素都有对应的方位——土司东南方向，水司东北方向，气司西北方向，火司西南方向，太空则司中心位置。水、门以及家具的放置都会带来鸿运或晦气。
印度风水的典范之作当属泰姬陵(Taj Mahal)，它是对应指南针方位的标准正方形建筑，北边是自西向东流的河流，南边是高大的入口，北边是低矮很多的入口，所有的建筑呈对称分布。
高端地产公司Octagon Developers在其诸多设计中引入了风水理念。在萨里圣乔治山(St George's Hill)某豪宅，它的设计是让所有建筑以门厅内的大型喷泉为中心而建。"我们销售了很多房子给中国与印度的买家，所以我们如今认识到住房设计中水放置方位的重要性，"Octagon设计总监托尼•泰勒(Tony Taylor)说。
其他地产商也把水的方位理念融入了房屋设计中。New York Residence公司总裁托马斯•格斯(Thomas Guss)谈到了位于纽约市的19层豪宅Centurion，认为它是融合古代设计原则于现代建筑的巅峰之作。该大楼形似瀑布，有一座水花园。
是不是地产商就应该迎合某些人所说的迷信呢？来自纽约Hamptons International房产公司的乔纳森•戈弗雷(Jonathan Godfrey)说，打动买家与把对方拒之门外纯属一念之间，需要拿捏到位才行。太过讲究风水的房子并不适合所有人，可能意味着在房地产市场上"几年无人问津"。
那么，如何看待那些重新设计自己房屋、希望将来日子愈发红火的房主？"对于有些房主来说至关重要，而仅凭风水并不就能确保生活蒸蒸日上，"波特科维奇说。"风水不是奇迹降临，而是能量调配，有点象调试钢琴，咨询师们可以调得让音色更美，但他们无法越俎代庖为你演奏。"
借鉴风水理念的建筑有：
●美国华盛顿州科克兰德(Kirkland)微软一号大楼
●马里兰州洛克维尔(Lockville) Tower Oaks Boulevard大道 2000号是全球最大的吠陀办公大楼
●加拿大多伦多Annex Quest House是北美首座引入风水设计理念的酒店
●孟买巨商穆凯什•安巴尼(Mukesh Ambani) 的27层豪宅Antilia，被誉为"21世纪的泰姬陵"
●美国衣阿华州玛赫西维德城(Maharishi Vedic City)
"并不仅仅是建筑需要契合风水，整个国家都能应用其理念，"来自Nirmada Interior Design装修公司的卡蒂•柯蒂斯说。"越往美国东北部走，越富裕；日本东北部水域面积最大，这就是它为何属于全球最富裕国家行列的原因。"
家和万事兴之风水注意事项有：绝不能把浴室建在房屋东面方向，也不能在壁炉正上方楼层建卫生间，因为如此一来就会水火相克，从而使得房屋阴阳失调。
"楼梯方位非常重要，为的就是能量能畅行于整座房子，"1508 London总监克里斯•杰弗列说。如果朝向门口的楼梯坏了，有些买家就觉得这会背运不断。
他还说书房是所有房间的重中之重，刷成枯黄色，就会有源源不竭的动力，作用效果最棒，"这种动感十足的颜色能够启智"。卧室则一般倾向于使用灰色与紫红色这样的冷色调。
译者：常和
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001041124
Can vastu bring health, wealth and domestic bliss as its adherents claim?
Vastu is the new feng shui – or, rather, the old one, given that some say the former inspired the latter. Before sceptics throw themselves into their latest water feature at the thought of another eastern design philosophy, however, they should bear this in mind: around 40 per cent of the world's most expensive real estate is bought by Asian buyers for whom the "energy" of a house can be important – and vastu is already impacting on non-Asian design.
Water is a particularly important element of the five (earth, air, fire, water and space) that must be aligned in a home designed to fit with the principles of vastu, an ancient Hindu system of architecture and design. In return, according to vastu followers, the homeowner sleeps better, gets richer and enjoys domestic bliss.
Chris Godfrey, head of design at 1508 London consultancy, describes a recent project in which he created a large reflective pool in the entrance hall of a house, with residents and guests traversing stepping stones towards the north-east. "This design works best in bigger houses where we can create the feeling of a calm journey," he says. "For other clients we have built running water installations in the corner of the room and water walls in wet rooms."
Water in the north-east of the house bestows health, wealth and happiness, he says. Traditionally, the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, the symbol of wealth, is portrayed sitting on a lotus sprouting from water. In rural India the custom has been to dig an open well in the north-east corner of a plot and use water from the well in the construction of the house.
"The deeper and wider the pool the greater the income, and also the more profound the peace and tranquillity of the family," says Godfrey. "Even for people who don't follow vastu, water has long been associated with calm and relaxation."
The body of water should be as large as possible. "There is no point combining a large stone piece with a trickle of water. That doesn't work as a water feature; it would work better in the south-east as an earth element," says Kana Butkovic, a consultant for the UK's Vastu Design.
For one client he placed a swimming pool in the north-east corner of a mansion in Surrey. For another, in a property near Regent's Park in London, he put a cascading water wall in the entrance hall.
Even dedicated disciples of vastu may be daunted by the thought of a fountain inside their home, in which case a tamer alternative is an aquarium. "Placing a fish tank in a specific location can increase wealth, prosperity and success," says Kati Curtis, vastu consultant for Nirmada Interior Design in New York. She says people can introduce calm by placing a small fountain or fish bowl in the north-east corner of their home or office. The key is to ensure that it has flowing water, because stagnant water promotes negative energy.
Global developers and property consultants are also beginning to recognise vastu. "Many of our Indian clients are into vastu and so we have had to learn the principles behind it to help them with property searches," says Camilla Dell, managing partner at Black Brick Property Solutions in London. "The critical question for us is the positioning of the front door," she says. "If it faces south there is no point in us even showing the property to a client. South is the energy point; the belief is that if the door faces south then all the energy will flow out of the house."
Vastu certainly has echoes of feng shui, which has become the butt of mockery in some circles. Direct the bed away from the door. Shift that vase from that window. Better still, move the window. Or perhaps even the house. Whatever anyone believes about the efficacy of the Chinese art of space, literally meaning "wind and water", it has made many an interior designer rather rich and happy over the years. Which is why India's answer to feng shui – vastu shastra is its official name – is being taken seriously by many who may once have been tempted to lampoon it.
The cost is certainly serious: a vastu consultant can earn from £400 per sq foot to "fix" your home and give you a better night's sleep. While it is still more commonly found in India, stressed and busy people around the globe are getting more interested in vastu's claims.
Trevor Abrahamsohn of Glentree Estates says Indians now make up 10 per cent of buyers in prime central London and that he often calls in the services of a vastu expert to come to make sure a property is "cleansed" before the buyer moves in.
Butkovic believes the philosophy is gaining popularity in the US and Britain among both Indian and non-Indian clients because people are more spiritual, with vastu as the "third phase" after yoga and Ayurveda medicine. "Ayurveda treats the body, yoga the soul and vastu is the holistic science of home and environment," he says.
The thinking behind it is based on the story of the demi-god Vastu Purusha, whose followers believe he exists in every plot of land, with his head resting on the north-east side and his legs folded in the south-west. Each of the elements is assigned a direction – earth the south-east, water the north-east, air the north-west, and space in the centre. The placement of water, doors and furniture can all create positive or negative energies.
The building that most obviously embodies vastu is the Taj Mahal, which is a perfect square aligned to the compass points, with a river in the north that flows east, a high entrance to the south, a lower one to the north and all structures symmetrical.
High-end Octagon Developers include many elements of vastu in many of their designs. One property on St George's Hill in Surrey centres on a large water fountain in the hallway. "Because we have sold a lot of properties to Chinese and Indian buyers we now recognise the significance placed on water in the home," says Tony Taylor, head of design at Octagon.
Other developers have incorporated water into the shape of the building. Thomas Guss, president of New York Residence, describes the Centurion, a 19-storey luxury condominium in New York City, as the perfect example of how to incorporate ancient principles into modern construction. The building is shaped like a waterfall and has a water garden.
Should developers pander to what some may call superstition? Jonathan Godfrey of Hamptons International says there is a fine balance between attracting buyers and putting people off. A development based too obviously on vastu would not suit everyone, and could mean it would "languish on the market for years without a sale".
And what about the homeowners who redesign their homes in the hope of a better life? "While it is vital for some homeowners, vastu will not fix your life alone," says Butkovic. "It is not a miracle but a tuning of energies, a bit like tuning a piano. Consultants can make it sound better but they can't play it for you."
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How it works: the vastu vision of harmony
Buildings that have been vastu'd include:
● The first Microsoft building in Kirkland, Washington
● 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard in Rockville, Maryland, is the world's largest Vedic office building
● The Annex Quest House in Toronto, Canada – the first vastu inn in North America
● Antilia, the 27-floor home of Mumbai businessman Mukesh Ambani, has been described as the "Taj Mahal of 21st-century India"
● Maharishi Vedic City, in Iowa, US
"It's not just buildings that fit with vastu, whole countries can take on its principles," says Kati Curtis of Nirmada Interior Design. "As one progresses towards the north-east of the US the land becomes richer. Japan has the largest water body in the north-east which could be why it is one of the most prosperous countries."
Vastu tips for a happy home include never putting the bathroom in the east or the toilet on a floor directly above a fireplace: water will fight fire and create unbalance in the house.
"The orientation of the staircase is important so that the energy can flow through the house," says Chris Godfrey at 1508 London. If the steps leading to the entrance are damaged, some clients believe this is unlucky.
He says the study is a "raja" room. Raja generates action and works best painted orange, "a dynamic colour that stimulates the mind". Bedrooms call for passive "tamasic" colours such as grey and mauve.
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