A stranger walked into my home yesterday as I was sprucing up my home after a month's absence asking if it was Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM). Like many others before him, he was surprised and taken aback seeing a home instead of something bigger that they had envisioned. Several strangers have turned up at my doorstep over the years after seeing AVM on Google, reading this blog, or watching my YouTube videos. They come to check out the place. Usually, they tell me that they expected to see an ashram or temple or at least some form of signage carrying the name or indicating AVM. Many have stepped in and left without contacting further. Many more have kept coming renewing their relationship with the place.
And so did this pensioner drop by asking if it was AVM. He too came with the above expectation. I invited him in and we had a pretty good conversation. As it was lunchtime and lunch had arrived courtesy of my neighbor, I invited him to share my food. Surprisingly a single portion that was shared by two was filling for both of us. In the past, at times we would worry if the food prepared or catered for was enough when unexpected devotees turn up at our events besides the regular who always inform us ahead. But we never were let down. Mysteriously the food would be sufficient to feed the last man who arrives and the last man or lady to leave.
These seekers are interested in knowing how I came to the path. Prior to blogging, I would run my long tale or story A to Z. These days I ask them to read the blog. Several having read the blog would highlight certain miracles or events and venture to know more. Slowly they would break the ice and start mentioning the hardship they go through. I would dish out the formula that was given to all of us too by Tavayogi: that their sufferings were because of past karma; and that they should pray that it ends; and that they should begin worship to the Siddhas asking for guidance. This was the standard advice then and now. When they come to know that karma deals the card, they would mention that they had not harmed anyone and add that they were generous too. When it is made known that past karma determines the quality of this life, they then begin to question if it was fair to "punish" them in this birth for something done in the past?
This is the divine law. This is how it works. You reap as you sow. Doing good deeds and gaining merits from these actions break the chain. Then he posed the question if doing good acts brings good merits that counter/repay past karma and if one has settled the score why is he born again? He is not the first one to ask these questions. Many before him have asked too. These are the frequently asked questions. I should not talk about karma for I too am carrying a huge load. The Siddhas surely can speak about it. It is only those who stand aloft and apart from the clutches of karma and fate can possibly talk about such a deep and unfathomable mystery. Hence, the reason the Siddhas always reveal our past when we go for a Nadi reading. I have asked myself too what was the very first wrong that I did that deserved a birth in the very first place that has become a chain that is pretty difficult to be broken. We have since that first birth been adding on to this baggage of karma leading to more births.
Karma is too complicated to be understood. We have gone at length trying to understand and fathom this mystery that holds such a strong grip on us, that initiates birth and brings death endlessly. https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-workings-of-karma-and-free-will.html
Speaking about his wish to see the Nadi he also began to voice out his doubt if a Nadi reader was genuine or otherwise, voiced out other's bad experiences in seeing the Nadi, and in having been cheated, conned, etc. I told him that you cannot possibly form an opinion based on others and that you can only establish the truth once you have personally gone through the regime. Hence many like him carry doubt and suspicions about the Nadi but yet they want to see and find out once and for all the reason for their untold sufferings.
The Siddhas are here to help us scale the mountain of life and its rough terrain. Unlike the guide or sherpa who help us cross the ridges and rough terrain to reach the mountain peak and back, leading the way and at times maybe shouldering and carrying a part of our load for a short distance, the Siddhas shall only guide, but they shall never remove the obstacles or untie the knot that we have created in the very first place. Even if they have the ability and capability they would never do it. So the next question would be why do we pray to them or consult the Siddhas if they are powerless to do something? Yes of course they do not need us to pray to them. Neither do they need us to pay homage to them. They do not need our riches and praises. God divine owns everything right down to the heartbeat that keeps time and the breath that keeps it in check. The Siddhas have been around since time immemorial and shall be around for many eons to come immaterial whether we pray to them or not. Having said that, in taking the walk through the given life, we gather experiences that were intended for us and the soul within to learn. The Siddhas come to our aid to guide and give us the inner strength to deal with the obstacle or send others along at the right moment to give us a helping hand or advice. Besides, that prayer does wonder in us and to us and our surroundings. It is not a matter of worshipping them but in worship we tend to mellow, our hearts build up with compassion and love, we become gentle folks etc. The recipient is us entirely. The benefit is to us rather than the Siddhas. Suffice to say that we shall become the object of our worship someday. We too become divine in nature.
Just as in times of crisis we turn to family and friends for help and advice, similarly, the Siddhas are unseen and invisible "family and friends" who can lend a hand when every other being fails us. They are the last resort to turn too for many. Hence the reason after searching for a cure or solution they turn up seeking the Siddhas and their Nadi. As Siddhas rarely come before us the Nadi is a medium to communicate with them. Reading my numerous posts on the Nadi, many mistake me to be a Nadi reader or to have a Nadi in my possession which I do not. Although I cannot speak about karma I can give a few pointers and tips on seeing the Nadi as I have had my fair share of reading them some fifty-odd times. Sadly many only want to hear what they desire to hear. If it does not satisfy their yearning or expectation they begin to defame, badmouth and blame the Nadi. If you already have doubts about the Nadi please don't see it. Do not place whatever little peace, quiet, and contentment that you have left as a bet. You shall lose it altogether. Go only if you believe, without knowing and you shall be surprised. Do not hold any prejudice against it. Neither should you take other's opinions or reviews along with you. Go with a positive thought that the Siddha and their Nadi shall show you a way out and you shall get a positive reading too.
We should learn to attend to the purpose of our visit to a reader. Know that it is to get messages and guidance from the Siddhas. Get the message and move on. Period. Please do not investigate the messenger. What is important is the message. I have had many ask how the messages come about and entirely forget the message itself. Three devotees of Agathiyar who were buddies too were taken to task for investigating a Nadi reader for his authenticity by going overboard in going abroad to his village and enquiring about his conduct, personality, character, etc. Although they carried doubts, yet they went back for a reading. Agathiyar in the reading told them sternly that it was foolish of them to go to that extent to verify the Nadi reader and the reading. If you are cheated know that that your karma was so strong that it led you to a crook or a cheat. If you feel disappointed or the reading was not at par to your expectations know that your karma stood in the way and changed the course of the reading. Try to take up the Siddhas advice. Know that when someone resists a good thing or a piece of advice and when no amount of persuasion will bring him to take heed, his karma is acting full force. One desperate to come out of a situation should also be willing to listen. In times of trouble, having done everything possible and having taken every move available that we could possibly imagine or figure out, having exhausted all means of finding a solution we have no other option in life but to accept what is given without probing, investigating, and delving into it further. Come as a blind man. Leave the baggage behind, all the earlier references, the learnings, the findings, the opinions, the forums that we have searched, scrolled through, and read. Come empty and they shall fill us in. Take the message and if you prefer to get acquainted with them further take their hand and follow them. Pray to them. Comply to their teachings. Start building a life-long relationship that shall go beyond this life and many more to come. For that to take place one has to establish a relationship with them. Hence the need for prayer. Hence the need to invite them to our homes and our hearts.
Come blindfolded and take their hands. We shall see much progress within a short while. If we hold their hands and begin to tug on them to slow down or ask to wait a while, while we stop to look around, we shall be distracted and the journey delayed further. I recall how Tavayogi led me through the woods on our way to explore the Siddha abodes, caves, and temples without even turning to look back and checking on me if I was following or keeping up the pace. He was way ahead rushing as though to meet a dateline or as if on a gold rush. The onus was on me to hurry up and catch up with him.
We should learn to surrender to a higher authority or power when every possible attempt and effort of ours only comes to a standstill and ends in dismay and disappointment. Having wrung our brains to the maximum and having sought advice from others and having equally placed concerted efforts towards the direction shown, yet if we do not see the expected results or changes, we do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, or we do not see a silver lining, it calls for the moment of total surrender, not in the attempt and backoff and call it a day, but surrender to a higher force. Admit that we are lost and that we cannot figure out what to do further. Admission on our path deals a blow on our ego. With the ego subdued the divine that was kept captive in the cave of our hearts, all this while takes hold of our lives. Only then shall they assert their presence. The guiding light comes forth to take the lead. The divine shall send forth its angels or our guardian angel who have been with us all this while and whom we had ignored all life long.
Surrender only should come when we have exhausted all available avenues in wanting to see the desired results. We should not lie around waiting for wonders or miracles to take place. Similarly, faith in the divine, the angels, and the guru, although it needs to be blind, should not be at the expense of being careless, or lose our guards or bring us to act stupidly. Do not go and expose yourself to the virus expecting the divine, angel, or guru to save us. We should heed the advice, respect the rule of the day and the laws laid out. Do not leave your car, home, etc unlock believing that the divine, angel, or guru shall stand guard over our properties. It is not his job to worry about us and our possessions. These are basic things that we should carry out to ensure and remain safe and keep our property safe too. Do not indulge in and do things that you know very well will bring harm and danger claiming that the divine, angel, or guru shall protect us. Similarly, in the face of danger as in an approaching oncoming car that loses control and is about to crash into ours, are we going to head towards the danger, or are we going to attempt to avoid it by turning the steering away and safe ourselves? When in the face of danger know that it is time for us to send out the SOS call. Believe me the divine, the angel, and guru shall create a force field and keep the danger at bay.
In times of danger take hold of the aid that comes your way without hesitation. It could be God sent. A most popular story is told of a flood victim stranded atop the roof of his home. The villagers come along on a boat to save him. He refuses to board saying God shall save him. Then the rescue team sends a helicopter and drops down a line, yet he is adamant that God shall rescue him. Eventually, he dies a watery dead as the floodwaters rise. We need some sense of intelligence in identifying the moments and the ways in which God manifests and comes to our aid. Grab on to him or whatever is handed out or comes our way. It can only be God-sent. It is an entirely different thing when the danger strikes from behind or above unaware to us. When we are not aware of the impending danger, we cannot possibly act on it or escape. We fall victim to these circumstances. But what if we had a guardian angel who alerts us of the danger or drives us off course?
Speaking about the many paths that lead us to God, I would rather infer that there is only one track but several coaches. The engine tugs a number of cabins behind it. Each cabin or coach can be said to be laden with devotees of a certain faith. People of different faiths are traveling in separate coaches as the train speeds away. The irony is those in a particular coach or compartment do not know the existence of the other coaches and their occupants. Neither do they have access to the next compartment. Eventually, upon reaching the common destination and upon disembarking from the coaches we realize only then of the presence of the others and exclaim, "Hey, you are here too!" seeing our neighbor, friend, and another disembarking too at the final destination.
Finally, if the above worry and fear are related to those who want to come out of a situation, there are a handful who are willing to see through their troubles knowing that it shall have to end someday. These are the strong-willed ones.