"The Guru is a being who awakens incredible love in us, and then uses our love to awaken us out of the illusion of duality." - Ram DassWhen I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal for the very first time in Malaysia, before I left I fell at his feet. He immediately took me to task, saying I should only fall at the feet of Agathiyar.
When Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal was in Malaysia again, I invited him over to my home. To my surprise, he accepted my invitation. Prior to meeting him at the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham at Batu Caves, I had only gone up to the numerous saints, gurus and spiritual men who came along once in a while to Malaysia at the invitation of religious organizations and temple committees. Then on my maiden trip to India and on the last leg of my pilgrimage I met my very first guru Supramania Swami quite 'accidentally'.
When Tavayogi came to officiate the above mentioned Peedham, I was 'driven' to see him, if not for any other reason, just to verify if the person mentioned in the leaflet I had received from Nadi Guru Sentilkumar was indeed him. It was him alright. And so began a beautiful relationship between Tavayogi and my family.
After spending a good portion of the day at my home with my family, relatives and friends, it was time for me to send Tavayogi back to the Peedham. I was on cloud nine that day. A saint had just visited me at my home. I was blessed. I was privileged to have him drop in. I had the opportunity to serve him that day. I was elated. My ego was bloating. As my nephew drove us back to the Peedham, I turned to Tavayogi to thank him, telling him that I was very happy that he came over and that I had never had a saint step into my home before that moment.
To my surprise, Tavayogi came down on me, harsh. He said, "You are living in Maya (illusion), my son! You think I have something hidden under my sanyasin garb. I have nothing on me. I am nobody." Tavayogi shot me down even before I could take flight and delight myself in thinking how special I was.
Sivabalan too told me not to be delighted that I was offered an opportunity to build a temple for Agathiyar. In my very first Nadi reading, Agathiyar ask that I contribute towards building temples and build one for him too. Immediately Sivabalan turned to me and told me not to delight myself in thinking I was the selected one to carry out this holy and noble task, since there had been fifty individuals already to whom Agathiyar has mentioned the same thing.
Ram Dass writes in PATHS TO GOD - Living the Bhagavadgita, published by Harmony Books, New York, that as he sat across the courtyard from Maharajji, he was thinking what was he doing there in the presence of Maharajji. "That body sitting over there isn't what its all about," he told himself. Almost immediately Maharajji says something to an old man who comes over and touches Ram Dass's feet. When Ram Dass questioned the old man, he replied that Maharajji told him to do so. The old man conveys what Maharajji had told him, "He and I understand each other perfectly." Ram Dass says, "Just at the moment when I thought, "That guy in the blanket isn't it," Maharajji responded by saying, "Good! You got it." Saying thus his guru chased him from there.
When I asked that we do annadhanam at his ashram, Tavayogi was delighted and we started for the marketplace in Methupalaiyam. After gathering the vegetables, we made our way to the car. I was struggling to keep up with Tavayogi's fast strides, practically dragging the big sack of vegetables that we had just purchased. Tavayogi who turned around to hurry me up, came over and 'snatched' the sack from me, hoisted it over his shoulders and coolly made his way back to the waiting car.
When Tavayogi and I went down to the river flowing through Kallar to take our bath and wash our cloths, we placed our sandals on the bank and stepped into the cold freezing waters of the mineral rich and herbal waters of Kallar river that ran down from the hills of Ooty. After we were done, Tavayogi decided to take another way back to the ashram. As our sandals were on the other bank, he started to wade across to get them. I told him I shall get mine and his too, but he told me to stay put and returned with both our sandals.
When Jnana Jyothiamma came all the way from the USA to spend at least six months at his ashram, Tavayogi chased her back to the USA, only after two weeks, after giving her initiation.
Even today he does not have disciples around him. They only gather during the Pornami day and leave as soon as the Yagam is over. Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyaar is the sole disciple who attends to Tavayogi's needs, and manages the ashram. She is destined to serve Tavayogi having read the Nadi where Agathiyar promises her that she shall attain mukti by the mere act of serving Tavayogi.
I am forever grateful to Tavayogi for having lambasted me the very first time I felt elated. I can only visualize what I would have done if he had not done so that day. I would have returned home after sending him back; would have his photograph blown up and placed it on the wall; would have garlanded him and offered prayers to him. He stopped me from worshiping him that day. He always told me to worshiped the source behind him and also all of us. He called that source Agathiyar!
Sivabalan too told me not to be delighted that I was offered an opportunity to build a temple for Agathiyar. In my very first Nadi reading, Agathiyar ask that I contribute towards building temples and build one for him too. Immediately Sivabalan turned to me and told me not to delight myself in thinking I was the selected one to carry out this holy and noble task, since there had been fifty individuals already to whom Agathiyar has mentioned the same thing.
Ram Dass writes in PATHS TO GOD - Living the Bhagavadgita, published by Harmony Books, New York, that as he sat across the courtyard from Maharajji, he was thinking what was he doing there in the presence of Maharajji. "That body sitting over there isn't what its all about," he told himself. Almost immediately Maharajji says something to an old man who comes over and touches Ram Dass's feet. When Ram Dass questioned the old man, he replied that Maharajji told him to do so. The old man conveys what Maharajji had told him, "He and I understand each other perfectly." Ram Dass says, "Just at the moment when I thought, "That guy in the blanket isn't it," Maharajji responded by saying, "Good! You got it." Saying thus his guru chased him from there.
When I asked that we do annadhanam at his ashram, Tavayogi was delighted and we started for the marketplace in Methupalaiyam. After gathering the vegetables, we made our way to the car. I was struggling to keep up with Tavayogi's fast strides, practically dragging the big sack of vegetables that we had just purchased. Tavayogi who turned around to hurry me up, came over and 'snatched' the sack from me, hoisted it over his shoulders and coolly made his way back to the waiting car.
When Tavayogi and I went down to the river flowing through Kallar to take our bath and wash our cloths, we placed our sandals on the bank and stepped into the cold freezing waters of the mineral rich and herbal waters of Kallar river that ran down from the hills of Ooty. After we were done, Tavayogi decided to take another way back to the ashram. As our sandals were on the other bank, he started to wade across to get them. I told him I shall get mine and his too, but he told me to stay put and returned with both our sandals.
When Jnana Jyothiamma came all the way from the USA to spend at least six months at his ashram, Tavayogi chased her back to the USA, only after two weeks, after giving her initiation.
Even today he does not have disciples around him. They only gather during the Pornami day and leave as soon as the Yagam is over. Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyaar is the sole disciple who attends to Tavayogi's needs, and manages the ashram. She is destined to serve Tavayogi having read the Nadi where Agathiyar promises her that she shall attain mukti by the mere act of serving Tavayogi.
I am forever grateful to Tavayogi for having lambasted me the very first time I felt elated. I can only visualize what I would have done if he had not done so that day. I would have returned home after sending him back; would have his photograph blown up and placed it on the wall; would have garlanded him and offered prayers to him. He stopped me from worshiping him that day. He always told me to worshiped the source behind him and also all of us. He called that source Agathiyar!