Science tells us,
"Everything in the Universe is made up of matter and energy and that Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. There are 4 fundamental states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Matter is made up of particles called atoms and molecules. Atoms are particles of elements – substances that cannot be broken down further. There are currently 109 known elements, but obviously, there are more than 109 different substances in the universe. This is because atoms of elements can combine with one another to form compounds." (Source: https://kidskonnect.com/science/matter-energy)
Energy on the other hand
"is the ability to cause change or do work. There are two main types of energy: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is energy that is stored, while kinetic energy is energy in use. In physics, energy is a property of matter. It can be transferred between objects and converted in form. It cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is used in science to describe how much potential a physical system has to change." (Source: https://kidskonnect.com/science/matter-energy)
Ruzbeh mentions the seven cosmic energies residing in the causal body that is continuously charged by the cosmic energies in the atmosphere. Energy animates us. The reservoir of energy when amplified can do wonders. The Siddhas understanding this practiced pranayama for this purpose. This is where Ramalinga Adigal came into the picture to help us tap into these energies, expanding the existing quantum of energy residing within us. Giving certain techniques to exemplify this energy Agathiyar tells us that he is only passing on to us whatever they had put into practice and seen results.
Osho says in his "The Revolution, Discourse #3 that,
The word ’breath’ means life. In Sanskrit the word for breath is prana: prana means life. In Hebrew the word for breath means spirit. In all the languages of the world, breath is thought to be synonymous with life or spirit or soul.
Fritjof Capra in https://ethical.net/ethical/science-spirituality-and-religion/ helps define spirit.
"... the original meaning of spirit in many ancient philosophical and religious traditions, in the west as well as in the east, is ‘breath of life."
In the book "Sidha Vedam" by Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa, published by Sidha Samaj, 1959, a conversation takes place between the teacher and the disciple. Swami Sivananda says "vayu that is the energy of life is the real food that gives heat and sustains the body." He says our aim is "to increase the wealth of this energy."
Tavayogi regards the breath as God. Swami Sivananda calls the breath the karmic tread. "It is this that binds us to the world. This world is projected by it and sustained by it. Liberation lies in resurrecting the karmic energy from the bondage of the world making it flow inward and ascend to its original source brahmarandhra and get merged in it." "This union of the vayu with its brahmarandhra is karma yoga", he says. He adds that "there is a flame burning at one end of our body. This flame lends its heat to every part of the body through the medium of vayu. That is how our body gets a warm temperature." This is the flame that sustains and keeps us alive. Just as the blacksmith blows air into the burning fire with his bellows we are asked to feed the flame by our breath. Ramalinga Adigal came and demonstrated this to us asking us to follow suit and practice.
We learn from Krishnaveni Amma through my friend that,
I read your post on Jyothi. Sometime ago, Amma spoke about Lord Shiva as effulgence itself. That was how He stood at Tiruvannamalai,...A pillar of light. His true nature. But, how could the rest of Creation visualise Him? The light as we know it, is impure. The internal jyothi that the Masters want us to "see", is the same effulgence, and, is pure. Creation comes forth from the Divine Mother, and for any creation to take place, it needs space and time to incubate, mature and be released. Such is the nature of the Divine Mother. She is the heat, of that effulgence. Together, as Lord Arthanareeswara, they incubate and bring forth Creation. All possible forms and sources of light in the cosmos has heat, as an indispensable accompaniment. He,in His pure form , is pure effulgence. Out of His infinite Grace, He brings forth Shakthi, and begins Creation, for our salvation.
It looks like both Siva and Sakthi keep us alive then.
We learn from P.Karthigayan's manual on the "History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", Notion Press, 2016 that the soul bridges the physical body with the spirit. He says the body is animated by 96 principles: 60 formulates the body while the other 36 the soul. A dead man's body is cold. The vayu leaves first, followed by the heat and every other element one by one. P.Karthigayan writes that the soul retains all our attributes and learning, absorbing everything like a sponge would, leaves the dead body, and thrives on after the death of the physical body. Physical death then is for the body and not the soul. The Siddhas knew the means and way to defeat death. They went into the state of samadhi. My friend shares his guru Krishnaveni Amma's teachings,
மனம் சுழுமுனையில் நிலை பெற்று இருக்கும் போது, மூலகனல் தவகனலாக பரிணாமம் பெற்று சித்தாகாஸத்தில் நிற்கும். அப்போது, நீர், நெருப்பு மற்றும் வாயு அந்த தேகத்திற்கு தேவை இல்லை. மனம் சித்தாகாஸத்தில் நிலை பெரும் போது, அகங்காரம் மற்றும் புத்தி செயலிழந்து இருக்கும். சித்தம் தெளிய உள்ளுணர்வு மட்டுமே ப்ரகாசிக்கும். பசி, தூக்கம், கழிவு, உள்மூச்சு மற்றும் வெளிமூச்சு அந்த தேகத்திற்கு தேவை அற்றதாகிவிடும். ப்ராணனின் இயக்கம் அடங்கிய நிலையில் மற்ற வாயுக்களும் செயல் இழந்து விடும். இதுவே சமாதி.
மரணத்தின் போது உள் உணர்வு இல்லை. உயிர்ப்பு இல்லை. மீண்டும் அந்த தேகம் உயிர்ப்பு பெறுவது இல்லை.
சாமாதியின் போது உயிர்ப்பு தற்காலிகமாக வெளி தோற்றத்திற்கு இல்லாமல் இருப்பது போல் இருந்தாலும் உள்ளே இருக்கும். உள் உணர்வு இருக்கும். மீண்டும் அந்த தேகம் ஆன்ம உணர்வு பெரும்.
My friend added that "I guess death is the cessation of animation, and samadhi is a temporary suspension of animation...."" Very true. In death neither is there life or feeling. It cannot be revived back. As opposed to death, in samadhi the person might seem lifeless to us by all medical means of identifying life in a body, but life lives on within and the soul does "resurrect" the body.