ISSUE #61: JUNE, 2020

A Vision Whose Time has Come

In 1989 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founded MAHEDCO, Heaven on Earth Development Corporation, to popularize the restoration of Vedic architecture and assist developers who wanted to build communities using this knowledge.

A booklet from the corporation’s inauguration contained a comprehensive vision by Maharishi of cities of the future, which he called “Cities of the Immortals”.

Not surprisingly, in many areas, his vision closely matches what is being envisioned and desired now by city and town planners, alert, concerned citizens, and forward thinking leaders in all areas of life.

Here are a few of the elements Maharishi attributed to this ideal community:

1. These developments will feature beautiful homes set in parks and gardens in a noise-free, pollution-free, stress-free, and secure environment.
2. Built on the outskirts of existing cities, they will inspire people living in the congested cities to move there and enjoy an ideal quality of life.

3. Low-Density Housing: identifying the toxic effect of high-density living, Maharishi proposed the development of Vedic garden cities where every family will have sufficient land for flower and vegetable gardens. This reduction in density is still, today, an avant-garde vision.
4. Non-Toxic Construction: Maharishi Vedic architecture places emphasis on natural building materials and energy-efficient construction, which has since become a universal standard.
5. Generous Green Space: Rather than being a secondary consideration in the planning process, the green space, often including a belt of medicinal trees and shrubs, is prescribed by Vedic architecture and strategically considered from the outset.
6. Adequate Fresh Air: Each home design allows for adequate cross ventilation so that the air is always fresh. The community design includes broad avenues and bands of green space, which allow for continuous air circulation throughout the entire community. Only in this year of pandemics has the essential need for enough fresh air become universally acknowledged.
7. Careful and Purposeful Site Planning: Vedic city planning uses multiple Tests and formulas to properly orient the homes and green spaces with respect to the geologic, geographic, topographic, demo- graphic, and climatic conditions. The resulting community and home design is perfectly in tune with the natural surroundings.
8. Non-polluting Vehicles: Especially electric vehicles, which were only a distant vision at the time, and widespread today.
9. Community Farm: from which residents will have ready access to fresh, healthy, pesticide-free and non-poisonous food.

10. In-Home Telecommunications: In 1989 five million people in the U.S.A. were telecommuting full-time and another seven million part-time. Few people were contemplating universal high-speed data transfer in 1989. Maharishi was, and saw its benefits.
11. Wellness Homes: using the technology of Maharishi Vastu architecture which methodically promotes good health, happiness, success, and growth to enlightenment. Today, the role of our homes in promoting wellness has become perhaps the most important buzz word in developing, but to learn how to really deliver this goal, developers are today looking to Maharishi’s Vedic technology more and more.
12. Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centers: to nourish ideal health in community members. Today, planned communities commonly contain programs for meditation, hatha yoga, and massage, which give a small glimpse of what the ancient Vedic modalities of Ayurveda offer.

As we can see, Maharishi’s vision touched on many of the most relevant needs in the current transition going on in our world today: availability of fresh, non-toxic food, working from home in comfort, non-polluting transportation, generous fresh air, and non-toxic homes in a soothing, stress-free environment.

According to many recent articles in the press, the major direction for home buyers and renters is away from major cities where the elements described above are in shortest supply.

On both the individual and community level the need for coherence and harmony are greater than ever. Clarity of thinking and harmony among family members arise naturally, spontaneously in a home built according to the principles of Vedic architecture in harmony with natural law and become many, many times more powerful in an entire community planned and built in this way.

Now is the time for all of us to make known our desires to live and work in this most nourishing of environments. Maharishi Vastu architecture will be the next asset that developers and builders can apply to their projects to add value and marketability. Ultimately they need to recognize and acknowledge the demand for these improvements to life, and that can happen only when potential clients express their needs.

And for those who have been contemplating building their own Maharishi Vastu home for some time, now is the time to move forward, to start looking for land, and to consider plans. We are here to help and guide you in any way we can.