The most basic and most important principle of Maharishi Vastu architecture is proper orientation. The ancient Vastu shastras describe the effects of different orientation of buildings. The most auspicious orientations of a building is with its entrance facing towards due east (when looking out of the door). Then the building receives the nourishing influence of the rising sun.
We are not generally aware that the orientation of a building has a dramatic and easily-measured impact upon the quality of life of its occupants.
Maharishi Vastu homes are always precisely aligned with the cardinal directions to bring about auspicious influences such as good health, affluence, and happiness. East facing homes bring the greatest benefits to the health and success of their occupants.
Improperly oriented houses that are rotated with reference to the cardinal directions (based on true north, not magnetic north), as well as buildings facing inauspicious directions bring influences of fear, poverty, problems, lack of success, and chronic diseases.
From eight possible directions, only two directions — east and north — produce wholly auspicious influences.
In city planning it is important to already consider the orientation of roads, to avoid the creation of the sick planning syndrome. Many ancient city layouts are found to display this basic principle of Maharishi Vastu — architecture in accord with Natural Law: right orientation.
