Morgan Freeman says it beautifully in the opening of the documentary "Our Universe - Chasing Starlight",
"In the lives of every creature on earth are echoes of events that occurred a long, long time ago. Events of unimaginable scale and violent beauty that connect all living things, their every action and decision, their every heartbeat to the grandest story ever told. This is a tale 13.8 billion years in the making that has seen billions of stars and billions of worlds live and die to create the only planet we know of that is home to life. From the stardust that builds us to the cosmic ingredients that sustain us and the starlight that powers it all, this is the story of our universe."
If we are indeed a part of the creation, we share the same materials that make us up. We are fueled by the same energy. The same energy gives rise to us, sustains us, and destroys us too. But man is considered superior just because he has the capacity to reason and know right from wrong. Others live on instinct or act spontaneously. They are programmed and do not have the freedom to make any changes. Man can bring about change.
So why are we here? Is it to live our dreams? Is it solely to pay off an earlier debt? What is man's purpose here? The saints would say it is to evolve spiritually? What is to be spiritual then? Is it to carry out rituals for him the whole day long? Or is it to have the thought of God in our mind 24/7? But have we seen God? How can we hold a thought if we haven't seen it? That would be akin to holding a vision or asked to visualize. But whose vision do we hold? The many forms given to our Gods are visions of someone else. Why are we holding on to someone else's vision? In asking me to build a temple for him Lord Murugan told me that he was not depicted correctly and that I shall show him differently, in a different light, does that mean he has another form that has not been expressed? Who gave the gods the form we see them in? At Kallar Ashram we see Agathiyar standing tall and majestic as opposed to the dwarf image that we have been used to seeing. Tavayogi and Mataji told us that this depiction of him was made after referring to ancient texts.
As we move on with life aimlessly something triggers in us posing a question as to who we are and why are we here? What is our purpose? Is this all there is to life, waking up each day and going to work or caring for others and retiring at the end of the day pretty exhausted only to start the regime again the next day? When these questions crop up within us our search begins. Bringing me on a unique journey, Tavayogi said "This is the beginning of a new journey, my son" as he led me beyond the walls of his ashram to seek the abodes and caves of the Siddhas as if the answers were out there. As he pointed out to me saying that the Siddhas were ushering us, showering flower petals, rejoicing at our arrival and opening their eyes in granite statues and seated with us, and dining with us it was as if I had stepped into a whole new world. This is what the wise say as "Sutti Kaathuvathu" where the guru brings our attention to things that we miss out in life. He brings us to see them anew. He brings appreciation to the moment. He brings us to live in that moment. But I was oblivious to that then and even now. Even when Agathiyar comes to us these days and points out that the Siddhas and saints are seated among us we fail to see or sense their presence. We're blind to so many things. All we see is the world around us that we take to be real. In reality, they tell us that all this is false and that what is beyond our normal vision is truly real. For instance, when he comes he says he addresses our soul and not us. As such our appearance is immaterial and not of any significance or importance.
Pondering over the above questions we set our eyes on a goal or destination that someone else had laid for us. We do not investigate for ourselves or chart a new path for fear of entering new unknown terrain. We are comfortable traveling the road well-trodden. Now hitting the dirt track we look for signs and after some time lose our patience and begin to ask as the Donkey does in the movie "Shrek", "Are we there yet?" We tire out and give up the venture.
In the "Samadhi" series of documentaries, we are told that ultimately the path is the destination. We fail to see this truth as we walk the path, any path for that matter. If we are viewing ourselves from a greater height or altitude we would see how close we are to reaching the destination or rather to put it correctly we see how we have already arrived for is the destination a particular spot to be stood on? If so is it an acre, a foot square, or a spot that even might be smaller than the sole of a child's feet?
Ramalinga Adigal wrote songs that revolve around popular games played by children in Indian villages. By composing several songs in the traditional folk metre, Adigal took his songs to the rural folks in the villages, thus bringing his highly esoteric songs to the masses. Ramalinga Adigal ends his Thiru Unthiyar with the refrain from a game played by girls in ancient times. Robert Butler in his "Unthiyar", writes, "The shout unthii para, sung originally as a refrain in a children's game, has been taken as a metaphor for the soaring of the human spirit in its quest for a spiritual knowledge which transcends the limitation of the time and space bound body, mind and senses." Another song that merges well with a game is "Panthaadal". The children swirling around in fun is something the Tibetans do and regard as Yoga. It is the first and one among the sequence called 5 Tibetans. My granddaughters would always ask me to swing them high asking to fly "Paraka Paraka". I did not realize what they we asking me to do until this moment when I am penning these words. Those who think they are here to teach and educate the children should observe them and begin to learn a thing or two.
Everyone born has already started his spiritual journey. He is already a seeker for otherwise we would not be here. This is where we play our role in God's Lila of Hide and Seek. Just as the kids get together and decide that they shall play hide and seek and someone will start the countdown while the others rush to hide themselves similarly leaving God's kingdom we have come to hide ourselves waiting for God to find us. The day he finds us we rejoice and dance and hug him. That is a day to remember for life.