Being a Virgo, I am known to be critical of things. Then I realized that we cannot go on criticizing, but need to bring these changes rather than hope someone would do it. But how much could one do, and how far can one push others? Then we have a journey to reckon with too. If we are to focus on bringing these changes in all the fields that we come across, we will lose sight of our own journey to realize the soul. But then Lord Muruga in asking me to build him a temple tells me that I shall do it differently. I wonder how can we do it differently when temples are strictly governed by Agamas? I guess watching me bring change in the worship and rituals during puja for the Siddhas at AVM has brought the Lord to ask us to extend these changes to the worship at the temple too, if it had materialized. But since I did not take up the tasks, Agathiyar came later, telling me that he had tested me.
While some saints uphold non-interference as regards to others' Karma, others are known to take them on. Just as Tavayogi refused to use the Jeeva Nadi in his possession for his own purpose but was willing to read for others, Yogi Ramsuratkumar and Bhagawan Ramana who took on pain and suffering telling us that it was God's will, were moved to help their devotees come out of their sufferings. Tavayogi too who never messed with others' Karma but showed them to Agathiyar made an exception in my daughter's case, telling me that we need not carry out the remedies or Parikaram given by Agathiyar in her Nadi. It should not be seen as a disobedience on the part of the disciple but a deal between the guru and the disciple. I guess it is only when we have attained a state where we are beyond the reach of Karma and its tentacles, that we can be involved in ridding the sufferings of others, for then it is not the individual guru doing it but the Prapanjam and the divine working through him.
We, too, have an option here whether to live our Karma by non-interfering or minimal interference or seek ways to come out of it or rectify them. The Siddhas are only willing to help us out in this if we are ready to seek them and follow as they dictate. I guess as a starter, we should seek their guidance in clearing the backlog and settling our dues and past debts. I sought to know my past, and it was revealed. Then we need to worship Lord Ganesha, who is known to remove the obstacles in place. The elephant is known to tear down the jungle and make it anew. In the documentary series, "Secrets of the Enchanted Forest" aired on the channel, "Love Nature", we learn that "The Asian elephants have spent their entire life mapping and memorizing the forest. They are the unofficial custodians of these forests. No one knows more about how the forest works. They shape the entire forest. These forest gardeners of nature's garden create the forest landscape."
I saw the results. My fate was changed. Just like an elephant shapes the entire forest, my destiny was shaped by the divine hand. A new destiny came into sight as I traveled the path of the Siddhas after taking up the calling in the Nadi to worship them. Agathiyar reminded me to be cautious of all my actions and thoughts and to keep in mind that it creates Karma as I journey along. If Tavayogi in asking me to conduct the Homam in my home to appease the wrath of nature, Agathiyar comes along and tells me that it was for the good of the Prapanjam. In the wake of the pandemic, Lord Shiva comes to ask us to assist and aid Prapanjam in battling the common foe. Prapanjam herself comes much later, asking us to do it, foreseeing a revival of the dreaded virus. We carried out all these directives.
In introducing me to charity and feeding, having sampled it at Tavayogi's Kallar Ashram, Agathiyar sends some 30 youths from Thondu Seivom to carry it out on our shores. He opened our eyes and hearts to the sufferings of many unfortunate souls. Through our charity arm Amudha Surabhi, we moved to bring some relief to them. Sensing the arrival of the pandemic Agathiyar had us go within bringing the shutters down on AVM and the many gatherings, Satsang, group puja, and charity. Help a hungry man by feeding him and you have brought relief to him. The donor gains merit and is relieved of his karma. Similarly, the karma of the one fed is exhausted that very moment, too. The score was balanced. Any further gathering of merits on our part would result in taking another birth to reap its fruit and benefits. He had us withdraw from all the above. Now it was time to face our soul and work on empowering it. In having us go within, Agathiyar worked on us silently and subtly. He brought us to terms and to a state of acceptance. Today, we are prepared to accept whatever comes our way, knowing pretty much that he is in charge of our lives. We have given in to his will. It is only when we give in to his will and carry out his tasks that we do not earn and accumulate the Karma of both our good and bad actions.
In coming to this realization and total surrender, one has to be ready to face the full impact of Karma, which before this moment came in installments and was carried over several births. Now we have to settle the score for good. We have to return to the pure nature of our soul, leaving the baggage that tagged along not with the soul but with the gross and that Tattvas that made it.
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami says "Before the experience of realization, karmas were dealt with in individual increments", after realization, "the sum total is seen."
"After the realization of the Self, Parasiva, the forces of dharma and previous karma still exist, but through the force of the realization of God, much of the impending impact of karma has dwindled, and it is faced differently, treated differently. The spiritual destiny is realized."
"One does not have the experience of realizing the Self until all of his karma is in a state of resolve. When this begins to occur in him, he actually sees that man is not man, man is the Self, God, for his karma and the forces of his dharma have begun to become transparent to him. Through the power of his realization, karma is created and simultaneously dissolved. This occurs for the one who lives in the timeless state of consciousness. If one were to realize the Self each day, he would live his life like writing his karma on the surface of water."
"The swamis who renounce the world and do tapas are trying to burn the seeds of the karmas that they did not bring with them in this life." In another sense, they are helping to rid the karma of others. "They set fire to the whole house. They renounce the world and put restrictions upon themselves that others don’t."
Paramahansa Yogananda speaks about astral and causal karma too, something new to us.
"In Nirbikalpa Samadhi the yogi dissolves the last vestiges of his material or earthly karma. Nevertheless, he may still have certain astral and causal karma to work out, and therefore takes astral and then causal embodiment on high vibration spheres."
Paramahansa Yogananda writes,
"When the yogi has reached his infinite goal, all his actions, miraculous or otherwise, are then performed without karmic involvement. The iron filings of karma are attracted only where a magnet of the personal ego still exists. Their incarnations on this planet are not subject to the rigid restrictions of karma. Sri Yukteswar himself was serving on an illumined astral planet called Hiranyaloka as a savior to help men work out their physical karma. He aids advanced beings to rid themselves of astral karma and thus attain liberation from astral births. Even as in his earthly incarnation, he had occasionally assumed the weight of disease to lighten his disciple’s karma, so in the astral world his mission as a savior enabled him to take on certain astral karma of dwellers on Hiranyaloka, and thus hasten their evolution into the higher causal world."
Dhanvantri in the coming days after Tavayogi went into Samadhi, asked us not to be saddened if others regard his leaving as a passing and demise, and assured us that he was still guiding us in the form of Light.
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami adds to this new chapter of the soul's travel.
"You would truly be an artisan, an absolute expert at working out karma in the mental and spiritual spheres, and could begin to help work out karma for other people."
Both Yogi Ramsuratkumar who removed other's Karma by lighting a cigarette and smoking it and Bhagawan Nithyananda, in consoling their devotees before they left their mortal frame, are known to have mentioned that they could do a better job in these realms. They never deserted us.
Annie Besant and Bhagawan Das in SANATANA DHARMA by the Theosophical Publishing House, 2000 write,
"Whose works are all free from the molding of desire, whose karma is burned up in the fire of wisdom, him the wise have called a sage. Then freedom is achieved, and the man may either remain, as the Rishis have remained, to aid in the evolution going on in the Brahmananda or may sink to rest."
Paramahansa Yogananda writes, "Such voluntary returns are called Vyutthana or reversion to earthly life after Maya has ceased to blind."
Coming under the shadows of a guru, we are assured that it is not a lone battle against Karma. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami explains,
"Karma is transferable. One can take on some of the karma of other people, work it out for them, and make their burden a little easier for them. The guru guides and also shares a bit of the heavier burdens, if one is fortunate enough to be dedicated enough to have a guru who will lend his powers in this way. But each aspect of the karma, the outgrowth of the dharma, must be passed through by the disciple, creating as little as possible of similar karma on this tenuous path of the repetition of the cycles of life. The guru may take unto himself, into his nerve system, some of the heavier areas of your karma in the same way your parents performed this function for you, perhaps unknowingly."
Paramahansa Yogananda in AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI, Self Realization Fellowship, 1990, adds that "Only great gurus can assume the karma of disciples." Paramahansa Yogananda struck the shoulder of a chela with a burning brand only to free him from painful death; thus satisfying the karmic law through slight suffering by fire.
Agathiyar who is said to receive all souls who seek to know their past and find ways to change their present and future, once sent a man away without reading further. He asked that the man leave his presence immediately, in his Nadi. I wondered what could be the cause of anger in him to refuse a reading. I realized then that one is blessed if the Siddhas come forward to reveal our Nadi. There is hope for us. That poor man was sent away to live out his Karma.
Annie Besant and Bhagawan Das in SANATANA DHARMA published by the Theosophical Publishing House, 2000 give a hint.
"Only a full and clear knowledge of the causes in the past resulting in the suffering of the present could justify refusal to help on karmic grounds."
We dread to think about what we have done in all the past births that have justified yet another birth. Ramalinga Adigal spells out all the possibilities that could have resulted in his birth in his literary work MANU MURAI KANDA VASAGAM.
“Did I create fear in others? Did I hurt my loved ones? Did I summon and tarnish others, Did I stop others from making donations? Did I smear my friends? Did I sabotage friendships? Did I speak gossip that led to families being destroyed, Did I refuse to help one in need, Did I increase taxes and rob others, Did I make the poor suffer? Did I act unjustly? Did I stop the means of income of others? Did I entice others and cheat them, Did I rip work but refuse to pay accordingly, Did I adulterate rice with pebbles? Did I ignore the hunger? Did I refrain from feeding the poor? Did I expose those that had taken refuge with me, Did I aid those who committed murder? Did I scout and spy on behalf of thieves, Did I snatch properties belonging to others and lie to them? Did I sleep with those who had lost their virginity? Did I abuse virgins whom I had a responsibility to protect? Did I rape those who already had a husband? Did I lock up birds in their cages? Did I not feed the calves? Did I build up this body by consuming meat? Did I poison drinking water? Did I fall trees that gave us shade? Did I destroy others out of revenge? Did I demolish public halls? Did I not listen to my parents? Did I not greet my Guru? Did I not give my Guru his dues, for his sustenance? Did I envy the learned? Did I find mistakes in the writings of the wise? Did I offend devotees of Shiva? Did I offend the yogis? Did I prevent the public from conducting their prayers by shutting the doors to the temples? Did I smear the name of the Lord? What sin did I do, I do not know”, questions the Saint.
When I was disillusioned in my bachelor days by what was happening around me where I saw friends and relatives suffer and perish, and though I became angry at God, I never deserted my puja and temple visits. But he chose to give me a break. 14 years later he spoke about my Karma in my Nadi reading in 2002. I understood the reason for all the suffering we go through. Since I had brought a baggage of Karma with me he sent me on a pilgrimage to deposit them at numerous temples and burn the rest through performing Agamas, rituals, and charity. After my family too came to the fold of the Siddhas and came under the tutorship of Tavayogi, Agathiyar, taking us by surprise, then decided to reveal my wife's Nadi, without her presence, without giving her thumbprint, and without the question and answer session that all those who come for reading including me have to provide and sit through. He spoke about my wife in my Nadi. Since there were no remedies given I knew that she was spotless. When I took my elder daughter for her reading, there was no mention of remedies either. She too was spotless. When I took my second daughter for her reading she like me had a long list of remedies given. Sharing the list with Tavayogi over the phone, he surprised me, telling me there was no need to carry them out. If Tavayogi took on her Karma, Lord Muruga comes in a Nadi reading in 2018 telling me that he has rewritten by fate. I and my family are forever indebted to the Siddhas for playing a pivotal role in our lives, showering their blessings, and turning off many events. They have saved us on many occasions too. It is all in these pages of the blog. So how do we repay them? By leading the life they wanted and breathing the life they lived.