Man is created perfect in every sense. Man is the greatest miracle. I tend to look at the body with awe. Who must have created it? "The human body, the physical substance of the human organism, is composed of living cells and extracellular materials and organized into tissues, organs, and systems. These four basic cell types, together with their extracellular materials, form the fundamental tissues of the human body. Chemically, the human body consists mainly of water and of organic compounds—i.e., lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. (Source:https://www.britannica.com/science/human-body)
Talking to Acharya Gurudasan about chakras, I gather that the Muladhara chakra was solely concerned with survival. This would be the state of the very first man. Next, his concern moved to procreation. He then stood at Svadhisthana. I guess this is how man evolved to become the present human. Can I then say that it is only after his higher chakras were activated that he turned his concern to higher things in life, especially wanting to know his purpose in life; why he had taken birth and where was he before this, and where was he going after this.
For instance, the breath that travels and alternates every two hours between the two nostrils and its associated Ida and Pingala Nadi serves him well and keeps him alive. He never turns his sight on the higher possibilities available to him. But when he turns his sight within and brings his breath to run through the central Nadi Sushumna, all grace and opportunities open up within to an entirely new experience and perspective of the self and the world around us.
"When one’s consciousness or conscious existence is centrally poised in the central axis of the spino-medullar column or rather the cerebrospinal column or at the Sahasrara, the top of the head, both the said dual aspects or currents can be balanced continuously and in all respects-in the physical, vital and mental levels of one’s existence. That is the blissful spiritual or Yogic life when one is said to be equipoised and comes to live and breathe centrally in Sushumna, the central spinal column." (Source: Vallalar's Vision of Nuclear Physics and Nervous System by T.R. Thulasiram)
Man is the greatest miracle yet we disregard this body. It is the greatest treasure and means to evolve to other states and stages of consciousness. It is only man who can evolve to become divine. The means is through worship of those who had reached this state and through the many methods, and practices that are handed over to us by them.
Swami Muktananda explains why one needs a master in his book "Kundalini - The Secret of Life", Siddha Yoga Publication, 1994,
“The Guru has found everything you are seeking; that which you want has become the Guru’s wealth. The difference between you and the Guru is that you are the seed and the Guru is the full-grown tree; you are the beginning, and he is the end. If he tries to discover a path by himself, he will simply go around in circles, walking for a long time but never reaching his goal.”
In "Secret of the Siddhas", a Siddha Yoga Publication, 1980, Swami Muktananda writes, "Forgetfulness of one’s true nature is the moss of ignorance that muddies the experience of the self. The Guru is the means of removing it. The grace of a Siddha simply removes the veil of ignorance so that one realizes that one is already perfect. For this reason, all scriptures and Sadhana are simply means of washing away the filth of ignorance. They have no ability of their own to reveal the wisdom of the self because that principle is self-existent, perfect, and always manifest.”
Paul Zweig in the introduction to Swami Muktananda’s "The Perfect Relationship", Syda Foundation, 1985, writes, “Swami Muktananda explains over and over again that only the Guru can point the way on this subtlest of all paths. He felt that God's 'secret’ was not contained in any Sanskrit formula, ancient ritual, or technique of meditation; that severe austerities and physical deprivation would not reveal it. He felt that the ‘secret’ resided with great beings, with saints; they were themselves the ‘secret’ and he could learn what they were by loving them and sitting at their feet. Swami Muktananda himself traveled all over India seeking a Guru. He became a monk at the ashram of Siddharuda Swami. After almost twenty-five years, he met Bhagawan Nithyananda. “In a flash of self-understanding he knew that he had found his other half; that now he was whole again.” Swami Muktananda realized that the ‘secret’ was with the Guru and so the need for one to learn at the feet of such a Guru.”
Swami Shivananda of Rishikesh too went in search of a Guru and explains how he benefited from the association with the Guru. After serving as a doctor in Malaya Shivananda decided to quit his career and become a mendicant in 1923. He writes,
“I led the life of a wandering monk, just for a short period, in search of my Guru and of a suitable place charged with spiritual vibrations, for spending my life in seclusion and to do rigorous Sadhana. I met many Mahatmas and learned wonderful lessons. I came to Rishikesh in June 1924 and found it my destination. I prayed to the Lord for his grace. From the sacred hands of Paramahansa Viswananda Saraswati, I received holy initiation on the bank of the Ganga on 1 June 1924. My Guru gave me initiation and enough spiritual strength and blessings.”
Yogi Ramsuratkumar too went in search of a Guru. In 1947 with a burning desire to realize his innate divinity, he set off in search of a master. The search for his spiritual father brought Ramsuratkumar first to Sri Aurobindo and later to Ramana Maharishi. After spending three days with Ramana Maharishi he moved on to Swami Ramdas. When Ramana Maharishi followed by Aurobindo, passed away, Ramsuratkumar thought that he should offer himself to the remaining sole savior Ramdas. Ramsuratkumar had at last found his master. Although he had seen Ramdas numerous times before, he came to recognize Ramdas as a truly great Siddha now.
I am blessed to become a student of Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai. Swami was himself a student of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Through his connection with his masters, I guess I have come to receive the blessings of Ramana, Aurobindo, and Ramdas too.
Swami Muktananda stresses,
“Without the Guru’s company, it is difficult to contemplate the self. Without the Guru’s teaching, there is no discipline in one’s life. Without the Guru’s blessing, there is no love. Without the Guru’s knowledge, there is no end to desire, the intellect does not receive the light of wisdom, and the delusion and pain created by duality are not eradicated, nor are doubts dispelled. The Guru is as necessary as Prana, the life force, is necessary to the body.”
I guess loving Agathiyar and sitting at his feet paid off for me and the rest. We are blessed to have Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal come often and bless, touch, hug, stroke, and initiate, activate our within by giant leaps. Otherwise, we would be struggling to climb the stairs. The Guru sends upagurus to coach and guide us further.
Ram Dass in "Paths to God – Living the Bhagavadgita", Harmony Books, 2004, (Das R., 2004) writes, “A Satguru is the one who is the doorway. Along the way, however, there are the Upagurus. They are teachings for us; they are like marker stones along the road – teaching rather than teachers.”
It is beautiful to read that we are surrounded by a web of well-wishers waiting to help us get free, as Ram Dass writes,
“We look around and see that we are being guided, protected. Besides the Satguru and Upagurus on the physical plane, there are astral guides, and beings on all those other planes as well. We are surrounded by a web of well-wishers, all wanting to help us get free.”
Swami Muktananda writes, in "Where Are You Going. A Guide To The Spiritual Journey" published by Syda Foundation, 1989,
“Such guides exist…they enter our lives when we are ready to know the truth about ourselves, when we are ready to discover our own inner reality. Meeting us inwardly and outwardly, on every level, at every stage of our journey, the Guru accompanies us so that we may arrive at the goal. Meeting the Guru, we have an experience of the truth. Meeting the Siddha Guru, we receive the blessings of all the perfected ones.”
I was in joy when Ramalinga Adigal told us "Our Father Agathiyan will come within you to draw the curtain aside. That is the meaning of the song. My Father Agathiyar is in all of you bidding his will. Follow in his path. He shall assist you to drop the veil. Arutjhothi blesses you. Arutjothi Aandavar blesses you. You are on the right track. Agathiyan shall lead you to Arutjhothi" Ramalinga Adigal asks that we continue to take the Holy Feet of "Appan Agathiyan" as he addresses Agathiyar, as Satguru, and that he would help remove the veil of ignorance in us and show us to Arutperunjhoti. "His holy feet shall be salvation for you. He is all. Go deeper. He shall take care. He shall bring you to the light", he added. "Agathiyar shall set aside the veil that hides Arutperunjhoti from you", he promised. "Since you came to Agathiyar and his path, he will be the guiding light", he says. He asks that if we continue on his path, Agathiyar shall lead us to Arutperunjhoti. Agathiyar shall remain a guiding light for you, then, now, and forever." He asked us to kindle the flame within to burn with such intensity that it shall draw aside the veil or curtain that stands between us and God. There is a need to shed the veil or curtain. The means is to light the Jothi or light or flame in us.
திரை விலக உங்களில் இருக்கும் ஜோதி அதனைச் சுடர்விட செய்யுங்கள். என் அப்பன் அகத்தியன் உங்களுக்குள் வந்து அத்திரையை விலக்கிவிடுவார். அதுவே இப்பாடலின் பொருள். என் அப்பன் அகத்தியன் உங்களுக்குள் இருந்து வழி நடத்தி வருகிறார். அவன் வழியிலே நடந்து வாருங்கள். அத்திரை விலக்குவதற்க்கு அவன் அருள் புரிவான். அருட்ஜோதி உங்களை ஆசீர்வதித்தது. அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி ஆண்டவர் உங்களை ஆசீர்வதித்தார். செல்லும் வழி சரி. அகத்தியன் அருட்ஜோதியை நோக்கி அழைத்துச் செல்வான்.
TR Thulasiram wrote in his booklet "தெய்வீக மனித புது இன சிருஷ்டிக்கு அருட்பிரகாசரும் ஸ்ரீ அரவிந்தரும் அன்னையும்" that Ramalinga Adigal very much wanted others to realize his experience and state. He went further to bring the Jothi within these people and have him rule over them. "தம்மை பொறுத்த மட்டில் அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி அனுபவத்தை பூரணமாக தம் ஆதாரத்தின் முழுவதிலும் மேலும் கீழும் உள்ளும் புறமும் சுற்றும் சூழ்வும் மனோபிராண இந்திரியங்கள் உள்பட உடலிலும் நிறைந்து விளங்கும் பேற்றை வள்ளல் பெருமான் பெற்ற இருந்தார். என்றாலும் ஜோதியை உலகிற்கு கொண்டு வரவும் இங்கு நில உலகில் நிலை நிறுத்தவும் கூட்டாக எல்லா மக்களிடை உள்ளும் புறமும் விளங்கி நேரடியான அரசாட்சி செய்யவும் வேண்டி அவர் எல்லா வழிகளிலும் முயன்று ஈடுபட்டு தவங் கிடந்தார்."
This has taken place numerous times and whenever Ramalinga Adigal comes. We saw his joy in seeing us gathered and in hugging us. He truly wants us to achieve his state. How can we let him down?