Although I kept myself busy through conducting prayers to deities in the comfort of my home and frequented all the temples beginning 1980 till 1988, all these stopped abruptly. I had so many questions - unanswered. One day Lord Shiva came in a dream and spoke to me, asking me to keep my questions for another moment in time. I dropped everything then.
In the years between late 1988 and 2001 when I stayed away from worship and temples, I also did not have a good opinion of astrology and their practitioners. But I took it upon myself to learn how to chart one's astrological chart. This was in the years where I did not have access to softwares that drew up a chart at the input of the date of birth, time and place. I changed my opinion about these astrologers. It was not an easy task. It was a science by itself. I began to respect them.
Similarly when Agathiyar included temple priests and asked that I donate towards their livelihood by way of visiting temples and having them do archana or prayers on our behalf, I realized the magnanimity and compassion of Agathiyar. I saw these priests as professionals in their own way. One might need to spend a minimum of 5 years to do a MBBS program in Malaysia, beginning as early as 19 or 20 years of age. When I look at these priests, I realize that they too are professionals in their own way, in fact starting very much early, and perform these rituals and deliver the sastras till the end of their life's. That was their only livelihood too. It was a full time and life time profession too. I realized I should give them due respect too.
After doing my rounds of the temples in India, I was most fortunate to be brought to a gentle, divine soul, and my very first Guru, Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai. I was brought to him on the pretext of having my second daughter's astrological chart, charted, only to realize that he would be talking about my path. We parted after some beautiful and momentous 5 hours.
Supramania Swami and I continued communicating through the mail and later on the phone. Suparamania Swami ignited the fire of devotion in me. He was devoted to his Gurus namely his own father Jeyaram Pillai, Kollimalai Swami, Sadhanandha Swami, Poondi Mahan and Yogi Ramsuratkumar or Visiri Swami as he is popularly known.
On my second visit to India in 2005, Supramania Swami brought Visiri Swami to his home after Visiri Swami had gone into samadhi! He started a chant on his Guru's name, YOGI RAMSURATKUMARA, YOGI RAMSURATKUMARA, YOGI RAMSURATKUMARA, JAYA GURURAYA. Within minutes the Yogi was chanting together with us!
My very first Guru turned out to be a fantastic Guru. I am grateful to Agathiyar for he had mentioned in the very first Nadi reading that I would happen upon a Guru in the most unexpected way. Under the tutelage of Supramania Swami, I learned about Bakthi or devotion to the Guru. I realized that I had moved a step further from temple worship to devotion towards a Guru.