March 2001

Heavenly Homes in Canada
By Katie Grose

Don Arney recently shared with Enlightenment magazine his view of heaven. His new Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design house nears completion at the center of Salt Spring Island in British Columbia

Don and Karen Arney’s home, sitting 1,000 feet above sea level and the nearby town of Ganges, has views on three sides. From the kitchen they see Mount Baker to the southeast, while the San Juan Islands parade off to the south. But what people often comment on most is the distinctive feeling of comfort inside their house. "I just love working on this home," one of the stone masons confesses.

"I like to meditate before coming to work so I have the best energy to put into the house." He isn’t the only one who feels this way. The stair framer from Montreal has been meditating for 25 years, and says he feels very peaceful working there.

"The experience of building this house has been wonderful," Don says. "It was an act of faith to begin, but we are blessed to be privy to the knowledge that has allowed us to do this

" Don says his favorite feature of the house is that Karen is always happy there. Inside the home there is "an openness where one doesn’t feel excluded from the exterior," he adds. "There are lots of windows and views everywhere. I never take it for granted, and feel a sense of gratitude to have found this place. It soothes the soul

" By building in tune with Natural Law, Don and Karen have created a connection between their lives and the underlying intelligence of the universe. Don tells how just last week, as clouds covered the sea below their house like a billowy blanket, with the San Juans rising above the ocean of clouds, they watched the moon rise and a million emerald stars cover the heavens above.

" I feel very happy in the house," says Carol Haika of Calgary, Alberta. "It’s so light and cheerful." The Haika’s Brahmasthan, or central core of the home, features a lotus fountain. This motif is repeated in the carpeting and exterior corner stones, an appropriate metaphor for enlightenment in a home that nurtures this quality in its inhabitants.

" This house enhances my enlightenment!" says Rhonda Day. "This is a regular experience, and it started when we began construction." Richard and Rhonda Day, in Edmonton, Alberta, have experienced many positive transformations since moving into their new home. "My favorite feature is that people don’t leave," says Rhonda. "Our entire home is so pleasant, every room is the best spot."