As Agathiyar had spoken briefly on Gnanam emphasizing that it was not gifted but we had to work towards it some time back and Lord Murugan spoke in detail the path to attaining Gnanam and the required criteria for one to journey on the path several days ago, when Mahindren came over to AVM a couple of days ago, I told him that perhaps Tavayogi made a mistake in asking us to come out of Bakti and step into Gnanam on the onset. Most were not ready. Agathiyar told us with a heavy heart that many had dropped off the path after gaining short term benefits coming to their worship. Only a rare few stood the ground all these years.
I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal when he came to officiate a branch and affiliate of his Kallar Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Malaysia in 2005. Soon I was one of the regulars at the local Peedham waiting to hear him speak. Accompanying him to a temple on one of his subsequent visits to Malaysia, he asked me if the locals would accept if he spoke about Gnanam. I told him that we were basically temple going worshippers. I would not know how they would react or receive a call to walk out of Bakti or devotion and take up the path of Gnanam. Both he and Mataji refrained from speaking about it.
As they began to send me copies of the videos on the Annual Jayanthi celebrations for Agathiyar I could not fail but noticed that their speeches were repetitive year in and year out. It sorts of bored me too going through the footages and compiling the videos to be uploaded to my YouTube channel. Receiving a few footages of the recent Guru Puja in January this year from Mataji who was visiting us, I found that the content was the same. Nothing had changed in the absence of Tavayogi. Once I asked him why he spoke the same subject that of Bakti each year and did not move on to the other stages of spiritual development. He turned to me and questioned me if I followed what was said, not implying me but the public who came year in and year out to listen to their talks. He told me that he could only speak about the higher stages if they had followed his earlier discourses and put them into practice. I understood.
So, when Tavayogi who often told us to move up the ladder and not stay put in Bakti was in the process to build a temple complex for Agathiyar, I connered him asking him why he was building one. He replied that it was not for him but the public. I kept quiet and kept my distance from the project, assisting when called for. I guess he saw through the veil and realized that the public were not ready to take on the journey as yet. They still needed temples and places of worship. They still needed to congregate and hear what masters and gurus have seen and gone through. They were not ready to take the plunge.
Mahindren who realized this too said that since I listened to him since day one, he made an exception and guided me well through Sariyai, Kriyai, and Yogam. Indeed, Mahindren made me realize that though Tavayogi failed in bringing the masses to the path of Gnanam, he had found someone who would listen and follow. He officially introduced me to Agathiyar by initiating me into his mantra and the path. He had me follow him into the caves and jungles, had me carry out charity and feeding, had me start lighting the Homam, a fire ritual, that was complemented with libation of Agathiyar who came as a bronze statue to AVM. He officially introduced us to Yoga. Agathiyar and the Siddhas came to teach us on perfecting the breath and witnessing it. Now Lord Murugan has addressed us on the subject of Gnanam. What a perfect end to the cycle that began with our search to know more about the path.
The Siddhas had given us all the tools says Murugan. Indeed, looking back, we realized that they had selectively given us specific tools to use and sail the phases. They had brought us to masters and gurus, and the Siddhas and the deities for a total overhaul for some and specific tuning for others, bringing the vehicle to perform at its optimal performance. The Siddhas and Agathiyar are known to come all the way down to help us and come along all the way if we listen. But on the other hand, if we do not, they back off and let fate deal its blows.
AVM has lived to its names, Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia, Agathiyar TapoVanam, and Gnana Kottam. Though Tavayogi who had instilled and planted the seed in us, is not around physically we are ready to take the plunge into Gnanam holding the holy feet of Vaalai now as Agathiyar has assured us that he would guide us in his absence.