Man who is known to debate endlessly over every single thing retards his progress by doing so. I have seen devotees of Agathiyar in my days of seeking, debate at length as to which is right or wrong, dissecting and analyzing the factors thoroughly even before they embark on the journey. Some others need assurances before starting the journey. Many want to know the results to be expected and the fruits of their action first. They fail to realize that whichever way they choose it will enrich their experience, and they become wiser. They fail to realize that life becomes a teacher, teaching them through experiences.
When people sit back and argue as to which syllable or word to use or recite as in namah, or namaha, or as in namah or swaha while reciting and chanting mantras; as to the right way or intonation in reciting or pronouncing a particular mantra; and as to which variant of the mantra is right, the good student takes hold of whichever tool given and makes quick and fast progress walking ahead of others leaving them to debate. He walks away from the debate leaving it to come to a closure which often it never does. Rather than engaging in fruitless debates and wasting precious time, he covers much ground meantime.
Similarly, I had received an e-mail from someone who wanted to know why the Agathiyar mantra I had received from Tavayogi which I had mentioned in one of my e-books was different from the one he had received from a Siddha elsewhere. Another devotee who like me had received a similar mantra from Agathiyar through the Nadi but with a slight variation was obviously disturbed and had my nephew call me up to inquire why there was a variation in the mantra and which he was to follow.
A story is told of the arrogant young monk who decided to apprehend an old man for reciting a mantra "wrongly".
A young monk after years of tutelage under his master finally was told by his master that he needed to leave the monastery to get to see the rest of the world. He was instructed to preach the teachings he had acquired at the monastery. The monk left the monastery that was his turf for years and came down the mountain. Upon reaching the plains, the young monk came across an old man chanting on a riverbank. The old man was chanting the mantra that the monk had mastered at the monastery. But it seemed different - with a slight variation. So he apprehended the old man telling him that he was going about the wrong way of reciting the mantra and taught the old man how it should be recited. The old man listened attentively. The young monk was proud that he had passed on what he was taught and that he had found his first candidate to whom he had started to preach.
Now the young lad had to hire a boatman to take him across the river to the nearby village where he could continue preaching. About halfway through the journey across the river, the young monk noticed that the boatman had gone all pale and was looking over his (the monk) shoulder with his mouth wide open. The young monk turned around. What he saw shocked him too. The old man whom he had met at the shores was now standing beside the boat - on the surface of the water! The old man whispered to the lad that he had forgotten the mantra he was taught. He requested that the monk repeat it. The young monk who was pretty shaken up, held the old man’s hand and asked for forgiveness for underestimating the power of his practice. He asked that he pardon him for being egoistic and arrogant and begged to be taken in as his disciple and be allowed to follow him back.
Due to individuals feeling of insecurity, man has schemed and manipulated fellow men throughout the ages. Even in religious and spiritual circles, he has been made to depend on others for his spiritual-religious needs. Just as parents wrongfully use the fear factor to discipline their children to keep them under control some individuals, and religious and spiritual institutions instill fear in devotees to gain control and their respect. It is time we took charge of our lives and take another look at our relationship with God.