As I was playing with my granddaughter imitating the act of biting, munching, chewing, and eating her, she stopped me saying, "This is meat, you should not be eating me!", pointing and referring to her body as meat. She knows that I only eat vegetables and not meat and eggs. I was taken aback at her intelligence to differentiate between plants and animals, vegetables, and meat. This 3-year-old has realized that we are all meat. Throw us to lions and tigers and they shall eat us because we are meat to them. I knew that instant that what Agathiyar told us about these children teaching us in the future was true.
Since this body is meat our biggest achievement then would be to transform this body that is meat into something else. Is this possible? Here is where we look towards the experiences and the teachings that came forth from Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal and the other Siddhas who through various ways, means, methods, techniques, and practices slowly began a transformation of the very body that they came with. They have proved that it is possible to transform this meat body into a light body. Agathiyar spells out the various stages. The body that is regarded as Asudha Deham, is first turned into a pure or Sudha Deham. Then the process continues where we arrive at the Pranava Deham and finally the Oli Deham or body of Light. All this is only possible with our concerted efforts in following the directives initially and later through the grace of the divine. With commitment together with a concerted effort on our part, the blessings and grace of the divine are bestowed through puja or prayers of the Siddhas, gurus, and masters who have attained the same. With the coming of a guru or upagurus guiding us with yoga asana and pranayama, changes both physical and subtle, begin to take place within us. As Tavayogi says the effort is only needed or required in starting the internal process of purification through several practices to reach the Svadistana chakra. Soon the rest of the chakras that are subtle in nature too are cleared by the very energy that is awakened in us. These initially bring an imbalance to the body and its related systems that appear as pain and discomfort, but by the guru's grace, it soon subsides. He steps in to continue his work of transforming our body. With the descent of Jothi, the Asudha Deham is slowly purged or rid off diseases of the body or உடல் பிணி; discharges from the body or உடல் மாசு; and waste or toxins from the body or உடல் கழிவு. Together with consuming purgatives and Kaya Kalpa herbs, the body or Asudha Deham goes through a thorough purification and is strengthened. A Sudha deham is achieved, void of all physical impurities. Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal then point us to Yoga as a tool to bring us to move forward in this transition and transformation of the Sudha deham to becoming a Pranava deham. Coming to watch the breath now as we go within, the breath that initially traveled far begins to tap the door at the Ajna chakra. Soon it is stilled. With the impurities gone, and the breath stilled, the mind then settles. The door opens, and the veil that hindered and kept us away from the truth is drawn aside. Jothi Darisanam or the Light is seen within. The body is released from the shackles of its own limitations and begins to shine in its luminosity. This whole process that takes place within is shown externally as rituals in our temples.
All this looks too good to be true and seems like a simple accomplishment on paper. But going by the autobiographies or songs of the Siddhas and saints who have achieved the state, it is no ordinary feat. Ramalinga Adigal sings that only the divine knows the suffering he went through during the 12 year period. Jnana Jothiamma who was being transformed into one of them by the Siddhas, went through a difficult period as her body was purged of the "impurities" that she had consumed and taken over the years that had become flesh and blood. The more the impurities the longer the process of purging it. Agathiyar came to my aid telling me that I had remained stagnated for some time, giving me certain techniques to break the dam and release the water/energy to progress further. He gave me one single dose of his Agathiyar Kuzhambu and another concoction that I managed to take for some 51 days before I gave up. As the process seems never-ending, I asked him that the impurities should all be rid of in good time. But he says it was not going to be easy. Yet the most compassionate Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal told me they shall be at my side to see it through. Ramalinga Adigal came to aid us in bringing in the Light or Jothi. What else do we need? Even if we do not succeed we shall move on satisfied that we have come this far with his grace. As Tavayogi says there is always another time and moment, we shall come back to continue from where we left. After all, he is in charge. As a reader messaged me just moments ago, "Breath is always in God's control sir... my boss used to tell humans might forget to breathe so God took breath under his control.." How true. This shows our lives are entirely under his purview. As she says since we might forget to breathe like we forget to do other things, he has taken that task into his hands to keep us alive - not to do our thing but to do his willing. She sent me a wonderful song of Saint Manickavasagar that sums it all up.
வேண்டும் அயன், மால்க்கு அரியோய் நீ
வேண்டி என்னைப் பணிகொண்டாய்!
வேண்டி நீ யாது அருள் செய்தாய்,
யானும் அதுவே வேண்டின் அல்லால்
வேண்டும் பரிசு ஒன்று உண்டு என்னில்,
அதுவும் உன் தன் விருப்பு அன்றே!