I was with my elder granddaughter last evening and we were exchanging made-up stories. I told her of a modernized version of the story from the Puranas where Lord Ganapathy and Lord Muruga wanted the same mango. My story ended with how Lord Ganaphy chose to stay with his parents and watch the documentaries on TV rather than follow Lord Muruga on his peacock into the skies and Lord Krishna riding a whale into the depths of the ocean. I was surprised when she answered, "But it won't be "fresh", meaning Lord Ganapathy would not have the direct experience as opposed to Lord Muruga and Lord Krishna. And here a 6-year-old was pointing to the need to gain direct experiences by going to the ground. This is what Tavayogi did when I took up his invitation to visit his ashram and Agathiyar instructed me to spend a couple of days there in the Nadi reading. He brought me to the jungles and the caves, places where he was in his days of wandering and searching. He passed on his experiences to me directly having me stand on the grounds he had stood before. He pointed out to the scents in the air, telling me the Siddhas were ushering us and showering flower petals on us. It was the first time I saw a Siddhi or Miracle take place too. As we were sat in the caves of Uthiyur where it is said that Konganar had spent much of his time, and as Tavayogi was meditating I closed my eyes and tried to meditate too. Upon opening my eyes I was surprised to see a small pile of sacred ash before us. He picked some and applied it on his forehead, mine, and an elderly man, a visitor to the ashram too, who accompanied us too. When I asked if he had brought it with him, he was equally surprised. Where did it come from?
We learn of the Rishis of having direct experiences. "Srutis have been variously described as a revelation through Anubhava (direct experience), or of primordial origins realized by ancient Rishis." (https://en.wikipedia.org/). From once having direct access to these scriptures, man's ability to perceive, hear, and tap into these scriptures was lost over time. What remained later was that "which is remembered" or Smṛti.
Yogi Ramsuratkumar says that the airways are congested hence preventing us from tuning in to the messages of the divine.
"In the old days, the scriptures were in the air and all you had to do was be silent and you could tune in to the scriptures and hear them. He could feel it, he could live it. But now there is electromagnetic interference from the TVs, from the radios, from the short waves, the cell phones, from all the static we’re putting in the air electronically, and it’s interfering with the scriptures – it’s a big impediment. Your satellites are interfering with this beggar’s work.” He was so sensitive that he could feel what the influence of the satellites was and what they were up to. He says that’s why the dharma is falling because people can no longer hear the scriptures when they are quiet." (Source: "Meetings With Yogi Ramsuratkumar" by Will Zulkowsky.)
Though the days of directly experiencing the scriptures might be a thing of the past we are told that this is the Era of Siddhas where a direct experience of another kind is a possibility in present times, similar to the good old days. The divine Siddhas have made themselves accessible to us directly. They have kept their promise to elevate mankind from sinking deeper into Maya.
Hence the reason the Yogi has mentioned that "Kaliyuga has gone. Now it is God Yuga. This beggar is able to see God everywhere and not Kali anywhere.”
"All Yogis’ devotees will recall Bhagavan sitting with us or walking among us, and all of a sudden looking up, and after a few seconds bursting into laughter. He laughed heartily. We had the feeling that he saw something none of the devotees was able to perceive." (Source: "Yogi Ramsuratkumar - The Mystery of Becoming God" by Olga Ammann, published by Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan Mauritius, 2008)
As only the direct experience or Anubhava can possibly be retained in the self and lead one to achieve greater heights in spirituality the Siddhas had us go to the ground and work ourselves up the spiritual ladder rung by rung. Continuing from Sariyai that was introduced by our parents they brought us to Kriyai with the arrival of the guru in physical form. He had us come together in puja and charity bringing both these to the masses. From our homes, he brought us into the limelight and the public having us expand our Homam that was done on a small scale to doing large-scale Yagam at temples. The guru gave us the confidence to march ahead doing rituals and charity. Having had these experiences gained from external activities he then brought us to observe our body and mind through Yoga. Thus the experiences came from within now. These direct experiences gained over time have etched and left their mark on us and can never be forgotten easily. So too does Agathiyar wants it not to be forgotten and hence to be documented in the pages of this blog.