In walking a common path although the path is one each will gather and bring back a unique experience. What he sees on the way would be different from what the others see. How he relates to a thing might be different based on his former experiences too. Just as Zahra Al-Mahdi says in her talk on the "Infinite Alchemy of Story Telling" on TED Fellows that we are a multiplicity of stories and that history can be told and retold, with a change of context, a change of perspective, watching Kung-Fu Panda again after so many years I could relate to the movie and the subtle messages it carried, that I never realized was there back then. The reason is that we have had similar experiences and could now connect.
We learn from the movie that there is no single way to train a disciple. Hence we cannot expect all to conform to a rigid discipline or way or method but rather the discipline, way, and method has to be customized for each individual just as we do tweaks to the many daily tasks. Now we understand why the Siddhas and Tavayogi gave us full freedom and allowed us to experiment with their teachings and techniques.
Shifu tells Po, "I cannot train you the way I have trained the Five. I now see that the way to get through to you is with this!" We are shown a bowl of food. As Po was fond of food Shifu used food to lure him into learning Kung-Fu.
In another instance, Shifu stops the ever eager Tigress from going after Tai Lung to battle him. That is not your destiny It is his to defeat Tai Lung.
Tigress: "Master, please. Let us stop Tai Lung. This is what you've trained us for."
Shifu: "No! It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung. It is his.", pointing to Po.
And so we understand why although Agathiyar had mentioned his wish to see his temple built in 50 Nadi readings for individuals before me, who chose not to carry it out when I sat before the Nadi and Agathiyar, Sivabalan told me to carry it out if everything falls into place. Although I have not built any proper structure that can be classified as a temple, Agathiyar opted to settle for my home. He is pleased and so am I.
Once Shifu identifies that Po was to be the Dragon Warrior, he passes him the sacred scroll, "Read it, Po, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become... the Dragon Warrior!", Po starts to unroll the scroll, - It's blank!
Later when Tai Lung gets hold of the scroll after battling Po he too is surprised to see it was blank.
Tai Lung grabs for the scroll and opens it. His face falls.Another story is told too that I had re-posted some time back. Vivek Ravindranath posted this story at https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Vedas-say-Dhyana-Moolam-Guru-Roopam-asking-one-to-meditate-on-Guru,
"The Stone Soup - It Is What You Bring To The Pot"
A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows. The stranger smiled and asked, why are you all so frightened. I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal.
"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on."
"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water.
By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows.
As the stranger sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear.
"Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."
Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."
The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . And so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.
The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day.
As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road. He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group, "It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic."
"So just like that, we all have the recipe for the soup of the soul…within us… The guru just Gives us the stone of meditation… But the magic is not in meditation, it is in realizing the Magic of the self that was always right in us", ends Vivek Ravindranath.
When Harilal ask Abashiktananda to enter the cave of his heart, Abashiktananda replies,
I indeed try to remain there as much as I can. And to be living in a cave on this mountain is for me a most valuable help in that attempt. In this cave where where I am living and still more in the further cave where there is no light at all, where I withdraw for meditation I have been given an indescribable peace and joy.
Harilal then replies,
"Your rock cave is a dead thing. It has nothing to do with the joy which you say that you feel when you withdraw into it. Rather it is you, in your own depths, who are the supreme peace and joy. It is you who fill your cave with that peace and joy which you yourself essentially are in the cave of your heart. The bliss Ananda of which you experience a kind of echo, are you really so simple-minded as to think that it is this rock that bestows it so generously upon you? You neither give nor receive anything whatever least of all this peace (Shanti) and this joy (Ananda). You are Ananda, and this Ananda cannot even be called Ananda any longer for it cannot be seen or conceived or named it simply is."
Another wonderful story is told at Dare to do. Motivation. A father worried over his lazy son while his time in sleeping and with his friends, sends him out on a journey of learning and gaining some experience telling him to look for a buried treasure. All he is given on this journey is 4 pairs of clothes one for each season, some raw food grains lentils little money, and a map sending him out on a treasure hunt. The map carried the location of the hidden treasure. Finally arriving at the spot he dug the ground. There was no treasure. Disappointed with his father he returned home, taking the same path. If on his journey to find the treasure he was in a hurry to reach the treasure spot and determined to reach the destination, but this time on his return journey along the same path he slowed down and took time to observe the things around him. He enjoyed nature, he learned new skills, and he repaid all those who helped him make the journey. On reaching home he was not angry with his father but instead told him he had a fascinating journey. The journey and the experience changed him and his outlook on life. Just as there was no magic in the cave, no magic in the stone, no special ingredient in the soup, as in the earlier stories, here too there was no hidden treasure. But what he discovered was the treasure hidden within him, his talents. He added to that new experiences, learnings, and most importantly the art of survival.
Now we know why Agathiyar said he shall have a field day with us. It is all Agathiyar's play as he always says. End of the day we are not angry but have a good laugh at being tricked. We have become wiser. If in business we saw losses what is important is the experience we gained. Next time we shall be smarter in investing. So too experiences teach us to be cautious, careful, thorough, systematic, organized, meticulous, methodical, etc as listed in the Macmillan dictionary.
In finally ridding Tai Lung, Po uses a technique that he figured out from the teachings of his master.
Tai Lung: "The Wuxi Finger Hold!"
I guess it's another Varma point just as Tai Lung had administered on the Five earlier. As Crane brings his fallen friends in after the battle he tells Shifu, "No match for his nerve attack."
Po: "Oh, you know this hold?"
Tai Lung: "You're bluffing. You're bluffing! Shifu didn't teach you that."
Po: "Nope. I figured it out."
Similarly, when Agathiyar told us that he shall not gift us Gnanam, he actually wants us to figure it out too.
When Agathiyar after five years tells me in 2008, "Now you go to Thavathiru Rengarajar Desigar and he shall bless you", I understand now that he wanted me to learn and experience many things meantime. But I did not take up the calling. I had sought his blessing then but it was not important anymore for I had come to know Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal and held on to him and Agathiyar.
காலை நீ சித்தர் வாழ் தடங்கள் சென்று கணக்காக வழிபட யோகம் தான். பயணமதில் அரங்கனையும் நீயும் கண்டு வர வேண்டும். தடை முன்னே தனக்குமே வந்திருக்கு தான். தடை அதுவும் செய்ததும் நாங்கள் அப்பா. அதையும் பொருட்படுத்தா நீயும் சென்று பார். அரங்கனுள் அகிலம் உண்டே. அரங்கனின் உள்ளே நங்கள் எல்லாம் புதைந்து உள்ளோம். அரங்கனை நீ கண்டால் ஆண்டவனை காண்பாய். அன்னவனே ஞானிமார்கள் பலரையும் தான், அன்னவனும் தொழுது தொழுது தான், அரங்கனும் பல நிலையைக் கடந்துள்ளான். அதனாலே அவனையும் தரிசித்தால் ஆண்டவனை தரிசித்தற்கு சமம் என்றோம். அன்னவன் இன்ப சுற்றலா அற்று அகில சுகம் அவனுக்கு அற்று போயும் மகா சக்தியை அடைந்தவன் அரங்கன். சுத்த உணவுகளில் தவ உணவு, பேரின்பத்தை அடைந்து, சுகம் அறுத்துச் சுகத்தை கண்டவன் அரங்கன். அவன் ஆசி பெற்றுவிட்டால் அகிலமதில் பெரும் யோகம் பெறுவாய் அப்பா. அரங்கனின் ஆசியும் பெற்று விட்டால் அகிலமே உனக்குப் புரிந்து விடும்.
Ramalinga Adigal in asking me to stomach all the inconveniences that I faced as soon as Agathiyar asked me to go within tells me that they were hindrances placed by them. The experience gained will bring about Gnanam.
அவைகளை உமக்கு இன்னல்கள். அவைகளை உமக்கு ஞானம்.
Agathiyar explains about Gnanam, telling us that Gnanam is not gifted but has to be earned and experienced. When one goes within, as the journey brings upon these subtle experiences, these shall translate into and become Gnanam. As it defers from person to person, as such it cannot possibly be defined.
நீ என்னிடம் கேட்டது ஞானம். ஞானம் என்பது நான் தருவதல்ல. நீ கற்பது. ஒருவன் தனக்குள் உள்வாங்கி அவனுள் பயணம் துவங்கும் நேரம் அப்பயணம் தரும் பாதிப்பே ஞானம். அவை ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் மாற்றம் பெரும். ஆகையால் அவை நான் இதுதான் என்று சொல்ல இயலாது.
(Kung-Fu Panda Movie script excerpts from https://imsdb.com/scripts/Kung-Fu-Panda.html)