There is so much hype about spiritualism and all other matters related to it. It has been made so profoundly sacred that all other existence including religion has been made to look and sound secondary in nature. A great divide has been created between religion and spiritualism too. It has been made to look apart and difficult to achieve. In essence, it is merely living knowing what the soul wants instead of living for what the ego wants. It is just a shift from the Ego to the True Self or Atma. It is just like entering another room that is lighted by the source, from the present dark room that is lighted by man's findings, knowledge, and creation. Dumping the latter, we come to know the former. We come home.
To learn how something is made we break it down into its components as in manufacturing, and rebuild it in its image or clone it, modify it, or create something entirely different with the knowledge that comes from the learning and discovery. So is it with learning the trade or method of executing something by taking the content as in movie clips analyzing them and adopting the techniques and ways. Similarly, we enter the realm of the spirit, or subtle, comprehending the experiences of the sages and Siddhas and following in their method, way, path, and journey, not as a carbon copy but with many improvements and garnishing. What then would be the best way to emulate something or someone? By living with him. Hence the reason Agathiyar sent me off to live with Tavayogi and learn his ways for a couple of days. Agathiyar in showing us the way, tells us that he was only sharing what they had learned and put into practice. It was authentic, tried and tested means and ways to attain the state that they arrived at. In short, becoming another Siddha. But does that end there? If generally man is born and dies as a man as many do, few attain a state that in others' eyes is regarded as divine. Hence, he is looked upon as a divine man. Moving the yardstick further one can arrive at the states of Munis, Siddhas, and Rishis. All these are merely states, states that can be furthered as Ramalinga Adigal describes them in a detailed listing and charting out of the many levels of the soul's journey and its corresponding spiritual experiences.
Dr.C.Srinivasan in his book "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami" mentions that "Ramalinga Adigal has tasted the bliss of all the sixteen stages contemplated by the Vedas by the permutation and combination of the four paths such as Devotion, Action, Meditation, and Wisdom one after another and attained higher and truer perfection with the aid of the Supreme Grace, besides the ultimate goal of all the six heavenly avenues Suddha Siddhanatham, Suddha Vedantham, Suddha Nadantham, Suddha Kalantham and Suddha Bhodantham leading to Divinity."
The four paths drafted out for us to follow here in the physical, gross, and material simultaneously work on the subtle levels too bringing on the heavenly avenues as listed by Ramalinga Adigal. Just as even the dummies are not left out, anything and everything under the sky is made simple these days, as we see in the many publications by "For Dummies", attaining these avenues has been made easy by Agathiyar in present times for one who talks and walks the four paths. But the first step is to pick up the book. Next, we make sure to read it. Comprehension and understanding then come with divine grace.
It is rather a simple means to achieving the state leading to Divinity, traveling the four paths of Sariyai, Kriyai, and Yogam, and arriving at Gnanam. Faith and belief that brings one to acknowledge its presence in Sariyai, moves him to place the necessary efforts in taking charge towards bringing changes in his outlook and understanding, perception and views, adopting the changes and seeing compassion and love arise in multifold as in Kriyai, working on the vehicle that is a God-given gift to truly experience his presence that was once felt outside now seeing it within as in Yogam, he comes face to face with his Atma that brings on the awakening and dawning of the truth in arriving at Gnanam. The grace of the divine that initially took us into its fold and embraced us in its arms now is seen emerging from within breaking through the ground, erupting, and throwing off not volcanic ash but Sat Chit and Anandam.