GAINING MORE INSIGHT 6

What drove me to take things into my own hands and indulge in worship back in those days of my bachelorhood was an incident that made me ponder as to why we should rely on others to bridge God and us? I had happened to step into a temple as an argument was going on between the priest and his wife outside their living quarters. Seeing me enter the priest rushed to me inquiring if I wanted to do an offering or Archanai? I was a regular at this temple but this time around I chose to turn it down. I was questioning his state of mind then and ask myself if an offering done by him on my behalf would have good vibes? I took up doing puja immediately doing them at dawn and dusk daily, learning from whatever books I could lay my hands on. That was the start of my inward journey and of losing my dependency on others to bridge the way to God and me. I took control of my religious life and decided what I wanted to do with it. After some 8 years of worship, although I was blessed with a good life, I became rather disorientated as to why God seemed to "torture" and "punish"" people and have especially his devotees or bhaktas take on the pain and suffering? God who was described as the most compassionate worked otherwise in their lives.  I had no answers. Seeing my sorry state, I was asked to take a break by Lord Shiva in my dream. It took me 13 years to get back on track and begin my worship again in 2001. The following year I was told about karma and how it affects all including me in my Nadi reading. I began to understand the reasons for others' sufferings and never questioned it again. I engaged in Siddha worship henceforth after the Nadi reading.

I have come to understand that man could not possibly get total relief from their sufferings by merely visiting temples. Who can we approach at the temples for a solution to our problems? The priest? the chairman? the committee? or the deity? when some are embroiled in battles of their own makings. We are often shown to a general ritual that encompasses the warding off of all ill effects and that brings on good times, for a fee of course. We must understand that we are suffering because of our past deeds. Hence to cleanse or rid their bad effects we have to lose something else, in this case, cash and money. Only time shall tell if the ritual did work out in our favor and did help us to beget the grace of the divine. 

Of course, we can feel our burden lessened by "talking" to God in these temples and gain an assurance that he shall take care of our problems and troubles by performing simple rituals before him. We are told that God who resides in the statues also comes into us as vibration provided we have prepared this body and mind to receive it. We bring back the good vibes generated in these temples through the continuous performing of rituals that energize the deity, temple, and its grounds. But there is no magic that can undo the wrongs we have done in our lives. No deity, Godman, or guru can relieve us of them. We have to live with them. The only consolation is that with devotion comes the grace of God. With his grace comes a discount voucher. We can use this voucher to get a discount on the karma that lingers over our heads. That is all. Only on rare occasions do we see the divine work its miracles and completely wipe the slate clean, leaving no imprint. 

Hence we tend to notice that there is a spike in the Siddhas coming in numerous ways to aid man in these trying times. The Siddhas have come to speak to devotees in meditation, in dreams, through another, and of course through the Nadi. Even if we wish to have a Nadi reading, one also has to have a calling to have a Nadi reading, we were told by Agathiyar in the past. Both the seeker and the reader too have to be in tune with the divine and be in a state of mind conducive for the message to come across accurately. Those who come with faith and sincerity shall have most of their questions answered and shall be given solutions. Those who come with hidden agendas either to discriminate, judge, find faults, cause harm, negate, or tarnish the good name of the Siddhas and their vehicle of communication, the Nadi, or the readers, shall be identified and recognized and made known to the reader. The Siddha shall go along with their game, taking them for a ride too. Henceforth they shall have no mercy shown. Those who have had previous readings done are reminded to take heed of the Siddhas advice. We hear that many a time Agathiyar had stopped communicating through the Nadi when man refused to change and amend his ways. 

Agathiyar in a recent post on Sitthan Arul at https://siththanarul.blogspot.com/2020/12/969.html gives us a message and a reminder in the context of those approaching him for a Nadi reading that comes as a warning and also clears the air on what the Siddhas expect from us. We are told not to take for granted, neither see it as a right to have a reading by the Siddhas. We are told that it is a privilege that we have to earn first. 

Agathiyar with a tinge of sadness says, "Even after many years, there is no reduction in their karma (the seekers), neither is there any change in them, as they continue to ignore all my advice and lead a disastrous life gathering more karma. It is important to understand that every life is here to settle its score of karma. Hence it is best that one does not harm the other. "Only with honesty and sincerity and devotion shall one step before me for a (Nadi) reading. I shall only address those who have followed all previous advice and have had their fate give way to them. Get your house in order first before approaching me for a reading", states the Maha Muni sternly. He also had a stern reminder for those who use his name and indulge in wrongdoings, or commercialize his good name, reminding them that he knows who they are and that he will come after them. We have been asked to keep this in mind till the end of life.

"அப்பனே! எமது ஆசியை, அருள் வாக்கை கேட்க முன் வந்திருக்கிற சேய்களின் கர்மா, அவர்களின் மனஎண்ணம், இவைகளில் இத்தனை வருடங்களாகியும், முன்னேற்றமே இல்லை. எத்தனையோ அறிவுரைகள் கூறிய பின்னும் தவறாய் வாழ்க்கையில் வாழ்வது, அதன் வழி கெட்ட கர்மாவை சேர்த்துக் கொள்வதில் திறமையானவர்கள் ஆகிவிட்டார்கள். பிற உயிர்களும் நம்மைப்போல் கர்மாவை கழிப்பதற்காக இந்த பூமியில் வந்தவர்கள்/வந்தவைகள்தான்  என, எந்த கெடுதலும் செய்யாமல் வாழ்வது மிக முக்கியம். ஆகவே, அருள்வாக்கு கேட்க விழைபவர், வாழ்க்கையை தவமாக நேர் முறையில் வாழட்டும். அதன் பின்னர் அவர்கள் விதி விலகி வழிவிட, அப்படிப்பட்டவர்களுக்கு யாம் வாக்குரைப்போம். அதுவரை எம்மை நாடும் சேய்களின் கர்மாவை அவர்களே சரி செய்துகொள்ளட்டும். எமது நாமத்தை கூறிக்கொண்டே தவறு செய்கிறவர்கள், எமது நாமத்தை கூறி, வியாபார பொருள் போல் உபயோகிப்பதையும் யாம் அறிவோம். அவர்களுக்கான பலனை, யாமே முன் நின்று கொடுப்போம்.

நிழல் ஒளியுள்ளவரை
உயிர் மூச்சுள்ளவரை
ஆசை அறுந்து போகும்வரை
குரு கடைசிவரை
இறை உள்ளொளி வரை
இதை உணர்ந்திடு மானிடா!"

To a question by a devotee on what could these seekers have done to gain the wrath of Agathiyar, I reminded him that it was not our concern and asked him to instead concern on our purpose in coming here. We should focus on his message for humanity that came across. We are supposed to lead an honest life and besides attempting to come out of the web spun by us in the past that has come to haunt us as our individual and collective karma, we are to help others, man, animal, and all under God's creation to raise their level and standing in evolution. To a devotee who was saddened by the dissolution of the AVM and AS Whatsapp group I reminded him too to focus on what he came for and his purpose. Agathiyar knows best. Regarding the question of whether others are continuing puja etc, I told him it was not for us to worry for it was between them and Agathiyar. We are not to judge another. A devotee had questioned Agathiyar why he had let those who stooped low to accumulate wealth through thieving means especially siphoning money from temple trust and endowment boards, Agathiyar replied that it was not for her to question nor judge. Agathiyar replied that he had done his share of service to him as his devotee in a past life and that he was rewarding him with a good and prosperous life now. But if he chooses to do harm in this life he shall answer for it in his next.

Again we get his message through from the following excerpt posted on Sitthan Arul.

பாவத்தை செய்தவன் சந்தோஷமாக இருக்கிறான் என்று எண்ணாதே. அவனுக்கு பகவான் எந்தசமயத்தில் எப்படி தண்டனை தருவார் என்பது யாருக்கும் தெரியாது. சித்தர்களும் முனிவர்களும் தான் இதனை முன் கூட்டியே அறிவார்கள்.

Although Agathiyar answers our questions from his perspective, we are asked not to rejoice in seeing another get hurt or punished. We should instead pray and ask that the divine make them realize their greed, mistakes, arrogance, and turn a new leaf. 

On another note, Agathiyar asked us to accept any losses that might come our way for the following reasons. In the event one is cheated or conned by another, it only means that the victim has gained the thief's good merits or karma and the thief on the other hand has taken on the bad karma of his victim. 

ஒரு நல்லவனை ஒரு தீயவன் ஏமாற்றுகிறான் என்றால் நல்லவனின் பாபத்தை எடுத்து கொண்டு தீயது செய்கிறவன் தன்னிடம் இருக்கின்ற சிறிதளவு 

புண்ணியத்தை அந்த நல்லவனிடம் ஒப்படைகின்றான் என்று பொருள்.

This came as a revelation and an answer to the disturbing question in all our minds for days after we had offered worship to Agathiyar. It was the exciting days after the arrival of Agathiyar in the form of a bronze statue at my home and we were busy conducting homam or lighting the sacred fire, libation or abhisegam, and Siddhar Puja or worship of the Siddhas. Soon several devotees invited me to bring his statue over to their homes and to conduct similar rituals. I happily complied with their wishes. But an unexpected event took place several days after we had performed and conducted the puja in the home of one devotee. Thieves had broken into their home and ran off with cash, jewelry, and their car. It was devastating to them seeing the extent of loss that they succumbed to. As usual, family, relatives, and friends started to question him how is it that this untoward incident could have happened immediately after Agathiyar's arrival in their home and after a puja was conducted for him. Furthermore, as they were staunch followers of Agathiyar, the question arose how did he allow it to happen under his watchful eyes? I too did not have an answer till I read the above explanation. 

Similarly, a man passed away after 5 years of struggle. Although his closest relative, a couple who were staunch followers of Agathiyar did their best in consulting the Nadi and carrying out all the remedies given on behalf of the dying man, he did leave them. Family and friends came down hard on the couple asking what happened? Why did not Agathiyar save him even after all the remedies and prayers were done? There is never a Nadi for a dead man but Agathiyar made an exception calling in the couple for a reading. In the reading, Agathiyar asks what did he tell them to convey to the man? He had asked that man to be strong and not to give up while Agathiyar moved the chess pieces manipulating his fate and while the couple took measures to appease and modify the part about his karma. Sadly Agathiyar revealed that the man had given up. His soul pleaded to be taken away. "So what am I to do?" asked the Maha Muni. "Should I appease you, asking that he stay alive or give in to the soul that had tired out?" Hence the spirit left his body relieving him of his soul.

எல்லவற்றுக்கும் காரணம் உண்டு அதைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளும் சக்தி உனக்கேதடா? 

As Agathiyar says, we shall never understand the underlying truth in all our life's happenings. The Siddhas know but only chose to reveal if one goes on his knees and pleads. Most of the time they prefer not to interfere with the divine laws in place. We need to come to terms with our karma, accept them and bear with them while in the meantime promising that we shall change for the better, and increase the positive karma by doing charity and prayers.

Although it might seem that we are highlighting the flaws of others it is not our intention to do so but to learn not to do what others have done that might get us into the bad books of Agathiyar.