PASSING ON TO OTHERS

Watching the movie "Jai Bhim" that spoke out for the tribal natives brought me back in time to the few days I spent at Kallar ashram in 2005. That was my first visit to Tavayogi's ashram. I was there taking up a call from him to visit his ashram. When I met him a month earlier in Malaysia he ran through the activities he conducted at his old ashram and showed me photos of it. It included feeding. When I arrived at Kallar Tavayogi invited me on his regular morning walk the next day. As we came down the ashram perched on a hillock and crossed the Methupalaiyam to Ooty railway line and walked through the small hamlet many people were already going by their daily chores. Among them were the tribal natives who stood out. They had stacks of wood on their head. Their children followed behind them. All were barefoot. Tavayogi explained to me that these people lived in makeshift huts and their only source of income was cutting wood from the nearby forest and selling it in town. They lived with and near nature. I was told the government was in the process to build them proper homes on an adjacent plot of land. When I asked if we could do a feeding, Tavayogi was overjoyed and immediately we left for the market in Methupalaiyam. He called for Mrs. Sarojini (Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar) to come by to the ashram. He called and informed the tribal folks to come by and help in preparing the food too. There was a hustle and bustle suddenly on the grounds of an otherwise quiet ashram. Crowding around him they passionately hugged and held on to Tavayogi, calling out "Tata!" My heart melted when I saw the bliss in these children's eyes and a smile on their faces in getting a simple decent meal that day.

Later as I saw some make their way to school minus the shoes I asked if we should buy them shoes. But I was told that their nature is that they are not used to wearing shoes. So we decided to buy them dresses instead. As Tavayogi, Mataji, my brother who joined us and I went from shop to shop to make our purchases, one shop owner who knew that it was for an ashram dumped old faded and dusty clothes before us telling us it was going cheap. Tavayogi's anger spiked and he gave him a good scolding. We walked out of the shop. We bought the new clothes we wanted from other shops and made our way back to the ashram. In our absence, word had got around that Tavayogi was buying them Deepavali clothing. The children had all gathered at his ashram. The whole ashram came alive with these children's laughter. We had brought the joy of Deepavali into their lives much earlier than the actual day. I learned to do charity and bring joy and laughter to other's life that day. This was my first lesson in coming to the path of the Siddhas.

As I sat at breakfast this morning and watched my grandchildren fight over food and simple things like tissue, I realize the "I" was growing in them. They have come to know about one component of life now that of having possession of or possession over a thing. We had to counter-propose and inculcate the habit of giving and sharing with others. Just as how Tavayogi used to inculcate small virtues and habits in us, I am attempting to do that with my grandchildren.

I caught the flu on Friday. It has been 6 years now since I caught one. It has come to remind me how miserable the flu can make you. I used to catch it very often from work back then. Soon I found out from my architect colleague that the building we worked in was defined in architectural terms as "a sick building". Sure enough, after I retired I never caught the flu until this time. Wanting to address the discomfort I had my wife prepare some kitchen spices and drank them. I took over-the-counter medicine too as since my son-in-law and grandchildren caught it too, he made some purchases. But knowing that these drugs would only relieve the pain and discomfort and bring an abrupt halt to the flu, not entirely ridding it when Mahin in a timely manner messaged me that he was going over to meet Siddha physician Ariva Aiya today, I asked for something that would thoroughly clean the house, flush it clean and bring my body back to its normal state. Mahin delivered it to me. 

I remember when I spoke about having the flu frequently, in the past to Tavayogi, he told me that's all right for it comes with the seasonal change. "Make sure that the ailment is not due to your past karma," he said. He was giving us a gentle reminder to only do good then. I understand now that there are some illnesses, diseases, ailments that are karma-based where there is no cure or relief and one has to live with it. Mahin and I had discussed this matter over the phone a couple of days ago. We hope that Agathiyar would clarify our doubts. 

How did I catch the flu then? I and my grandchildren played in the rain. Why did we play in the rain? To get connected with nature. Agathiyar had asked a reputed Nadi reader who went running looking for a shade the moment it began to rain, "How are you going to become a Siddha if you fear the rain?" I guess just as we passed on the good virtues we passed the flu on to each other too.