I will end my working career in December of this year. Although I could go another 4 years, I thought it was enough having put in 36 years. When I mentioned sometime back about my intent to retire to my mother, she asked me to continue working. Then my family doctor Dr Jaswant questioned me as to why I wanted to retire as I was fit and healthy. But one day I decided to go ahead and submitted my papers for optional retirement. I told my wife. She did not have any reservations. My application was approved. I called up my guru Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal and informed him that I have opted to retire early. Tavayogi was excited and asked me to come over, "Engu vanthirunge magane".
When Nadi Guru Aasan Ramesh called me over for a reading recently, and has I sat in his room while he went over to the adjacent room to get my Nadi, I wondered whether Agathiyar would endorse my decision to retire early. To my surprise, Agathiyar blessed me and gave me the green light to do so. Yes although it was my 53rd Nadi reading, Agathiyar never fails to surprise me!
With both my Guru and Sathguru's blessing behind me I feel reassured that I had done the right thing. I realized at one stage, life is not all about work. Life is not only about going to school, getting an education, joining the workforce, getting married, raising children, and working till the end. There must be more to life.
Tavayogi left his family when he was 50 years of age to become a monk. When my family and I were with him at his Ashram in October of 2013, after Tavayogi gave us the privilege to sing the praises of the Siddhas during puja for two consecutive days, he blessed us and mentioned that he had a worry and that that worry was gone. He had seen the fruits of his labor, having sowed the seed of faith and belief in Agathiyar and the Siddhas in Malaysia since 2005. Today he tells me his life long wish to leave something behind for mankind had materialized. He is in the midst of building a temple complex for Agathiyar and the Siddhas. Tavayogi was the one who initiated the Guru Puja, a celebration and festival at his Kallar Ashram to commemorate Agathiyar's Jayanthi as an annual event. Tavayogi too started the Sarva Dosa Nivaarana Maha Yagam that is the highlight of the two day celebration at Kallar.
My first guru Supramania Swami too had a lifelong wish to build a temple for Lord Murugan. Some time back I read about a person in India who had taken upon himself to plant a tree a day, hence leaving behind something for prodigy. His selfless service in creating a forest that has now become home to numerous animals. "The forest, which came to be known as Molai forest, now houses Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros, over 100 deer and rabbits besides apes and several varieties of birds, including a large number of vultures. A herd of around 100 elephants regularly visits the forest every year and generally stay for around six months" - Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadav_Payeng. Ramalinga Adigal envisioned and built the Sathya Gnana Sabai at Vadalur before attaining jhothi at 51. All great men leave something behind, whether physical or in the form of a teaching.
Tavayogi left his family when he was 50 years of age to become a monk. When my family and I were with him at his Ashram in October of 2013, after Tavayogi gave us the privilege to sing the praises of the Siddhas during puja for two consecutive days, he blessed us and mentioned that he had a worry and that that worry was gone. He had seen the fruits of his labor, having sowed the seed of faith and belief in Agathiyar and the Siddhas in Malaysia since 2005. Today he tells me his life long wish to leave something behind for mankind had materialized. He is in the midst of building a temple complex for Agathiyar and the Siddhas. Tavayogi was the one who initiated the Guru Puja, a celebration and festival at his Kallar Ashram to commemorate Agathiyar's Jayanthi as an annual event. Tavayogi too started the Sarva Dosa Nivaarana Maha Yagam that is the highlight of the two day celebration at Kallar.
My first guru Supramania Swami too had a lifelong wish to build a temple for Lord Murugan. Some time back I read about a person in India who had taken upon himself to plant a tree a day, hence leaving behind something for prodigy. His selfless service in creating a forest that has now become home to numerous animals. "The forest, which came to be known as Molai forest, now houses Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros, over 100 deer and rabbits besides apes and several varieties of birds, including a large number of vultures. A herd of around 100 elephants regularly visits the forest every year and generally stay for around six months" - Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadav_Payeng. Ramalinga Adigal envisioned and built the Sathya Gnana Sabai at Vadalur before attaining jhothi at 51. All great men leave something behind, whether physical or in the form of a teaching.
Dharmalinga Swami of Kollimalai, who now resides in Thiruvannamalai, mentions in a story. Once a Siddha came along to claim his disciple who was very much attached to the worldly affairs. The disciple told him that his mother wanted to see him married. The Siddha left. Some time later, he came back again. The lad told him that his mother wanted to see her grandchildren. The Siddha left. Again he returned after some years. The lad said his mother wanted to see her grandchildren married. The Siddha thought that enough was enough. He asked his disciple to get him a tender coconut to quench his thirst. As his disciple climbed the coconut tree and held on to its leaves, the Siddha gave out a shout from the ground, "Stop! Are you holding to the leave or is the leave holding on to you?', he asked. As if hit by a lighting bolt, the student came to a realization that he was indeed holding on to life and followed his master without another word.