I received a thank you note from a friend some days back, a reader of this blog, and a devotee of Agathiyar. It goes as follows.
" LIFE'S CHALENGES "
Beautiful and excellent post aiya! "......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....." How true! I remember coming across ur blog aiya many times.... many years ago. I was not interested at all. It was not interesting and i was wondering and may be doubt abt nadi or the Siddha too. I never read and just leave it. But once the calling comes, everything change in terms of perspective! Aiya, your blog was shown to me again and i was "glued" to the chair reading each and every post from day 1
I am glad this blog has served at least an individual in a positive way. I pray that it should serve its purpose too, in breaking the negative disposition that is held by certain quarters on the Siddhas and their path. This blog is solely about my experiences walking and discovering the ways of the Siddhas and those of others who choose to walk along with me. This is often substantiated by references to the experiences of those who walked the path ahead and before us. We are here to help each other. If today I have contributed to the betterment of another, someday someone shall help me reach my destination, just as Agathiyar revealed in a Nadi reading for Sri Krishna that he had ferried Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar across the river Kaveri to participate in the inauguration of the Sivalingam at Nattadreeswar temple that Agathiyar made out of its river sand.
Just as we marvel at man and his achievement in either traveling in or sending unmanned-spacecraft beyond the skies and space going beyond the moon and reaching to the planets as he did land NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on Mars on February 18, (https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8873/nasas-perseverance-rover-gives-high-definition-panoramic-view-of-landing-site/) we equally marvel at the advancement made in the medical sciences too. In CNA's "Hidden Layer - Healthcare Trailblazers" we are told that dogs can sniff the organic compounds that change as a result of sickness. One percent of the air that we breathe undergoes changes and is altered while inside our lungs. This change is detected and picked up by dogs. We learn further from https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/
Dogs are most famously known for detecting cancer. They can be trained to sniff out a variety of types including skin cancer, breast cancer and bladder cancer using samples from known cancer patients and people without cancer.
Just as blood and urine samples can tell a lot, and currently samples from nasal swaps and saliva can tell if we are infected with the Coronavirus, scientists have used AI to identify disease using breath, hence enabling early detection. The Siddha physician has his own way of telling if we are ill, mostly without the need for equipment, by feeling our pulse, looking at our stools, or asking us to describe our state.
My mother used to tell me a story. She said that once upon a time all the Gods lived on this earth and mingled with people. The animals could talk too. Once they decided to leave the earth they often came back to the homes of their devotees. Man then could not see them but the animals could and would relate their visits to their owners. The Gods decided that the animals were exposing their presence and removed their ability to speak the language of man.
I believe again that we are placed on the face of this earth to help each other in our own way through our own professions. Each one of us has a purpose in coming. Some might bring on compassion and love in us as we watch them go through their acts. On the other hand, some might be harsh to us so that we learn from it too.
The Coronavirus has left a devastating effect on mankind, unlike the Ebola before this which was quickly contained in the African continent before it made much stride in other parts of the world. It is sad to note that many children have become orphans when both their parents died as a result of these viruses. In National Geographic's "Going Viral from Ebola to Covid-19" the question is posed as to whether will we ever learn, given the fact that once a solution is found to keep a particular virus under wraps or at bay, another emerges shortly after. And it goes on and on. We are reminded that "All the money, medical supplies, etc won't matter if we don't change."
The question here is are we willing to change or follow the old ways. In the documentary "India's Nomad" on DW Channel, a nomadic tribe who were blacksmiths making arms and weapons for the then king in a province of India some 400 years ago, are deprived of a livelihood, decent home, and education. The children although they want education to better themselves, the elders are not willing to adapt to the change hence depriving them of such facilities. As they are nomads the authorities shy away or are reluctant to invest and provide these amenities as they move from place to place. In an episode on Elephants on Aljazeera much effort is taken to come to a compromise in the human-elephant conflict landscape where crop damage is prevalent as a result of wild elephants rampaging through the villagers' fields that are ready for yield and harvest. There are so many factors that come into play in life. If these factors are laid out in table-talk then an amicable solution is arrived at.
The Siddha path is one of learning, experiencing, and moving on to greater heights. From Sariyai that is introduced by our parents, the guru comes to elevate us to Kriyai. If in Sariyai we had middlemen in the form of trained and designated professionals from the priestly class to act on our behalf bringing our offerings and wishes to the deities in the temples, in Kriyai we break the ice and the barrier and venture to speak directly to the divine. The guru through various means connects us with God. The guru shows us the way to directly talk to the divine. Then the process of bringing this physical body to the state of a temple where the divine shall come to reside takes place. Yogam shall pave the way for this transformation to take place. Gnanam shall eventually dawn on us.
It is said that to one who attains Gnanam and is bestowed as a Gnani, 21 generations ahead of him shall have their karma cleansed. We help their souls to evolve. They might have stagnated in certain religious practices before during their time. It does not mean that their understanding was wrong but it was limited given the circumstances. Similarly, our prayers and tavam or tapas reach out to our gurus whether in the physical form or subtle just as our prayers reach out to our ancestors. As man progresses his knowledge and discoveries expand. With progress comes change, provided we are willing to change. As the generations come to accept and make progress in their spiritual outings, its effects transcend borders, space, and time, benefitting the whole ancestry as in people and lineage as in gurus.
As we make progress we are taken to another plane where our span of vision is increased. If we cannot anticipate what is beyond the corner as we drive along the road until we come to it, the drone has a better vision and can show us more. Taking the flight we see a larger mass of land from the skies above the clouds. Of course, the whole world comes into view as we make our way into space. Similarly, as we gain Gnanam or experience using the many methods and tools as vehicles for its accomplishment, we shall have a better understanding of the workings of all the laws in place. Sadly we want to emulate the rich and famous but step back on following the achievements of the liberated souls.
I remember Agathiyar tell me not to wind up and close the shop for there will be seekers coming by. After bringing a stop to all rituals, he also told us that henceforth those who come shall seek the way of meditation. Today I had a surprise visitor drop by at my home after he was shown to AVM by a friend and devotee. I was happy to hear him tell me that he had this sudden urge to meditate in him but was not knowing the means of doing it. Agathiyar knows all too well.