It is pretty clear now how Agathiyar played his cards well. It is clear why he had called me to the path in 2002. It is clear why he had me meet Tavayogi in 2005 in Malaysia. It is clear why he had the youths come by to AVM beginning in 2013. It is clear why he brought down the shutters on AVM in 2019. It is clear why he is assembling them together again in 2024.
He is going for the soul or Atma. These souls have a purpose that they came for but have forgotten them. It is time to reveal their purposes here. It is time to awaken their souls that went into self-exile.
Animals live a mere existence. Are we destined the same too? Only man can know his soul and reach out to it. Agathiyar spoke about how rare this human birth was. We can never be assured that we shall take another human birth said Agathiyar sternly. We were not given this birth to live a mundane human life. Hence having taken one we are asked to fulfill its purpose and eventually seek Atma Vidutalai or release. மனித பிறவி என்பது அபூர்வமானது. அது கிடைத்தது உங்களின் மனித வாழ்க்கையை வாழ்வதற்கு அல்ல. இப்பிறவியில் மனிதானாய் பிறந்தவன் மற்றொரு பிறவியில் மனிதனாய் பிறப்பான் என்பது ஊர்ஜிதமல்ல. எடுத்தபோதே அதனை நிறைவேற்றிக் கொள்ளுங்கள். ஆன்ம விடுதலை நோக்கிச் செல்லுங்கள்.
Agathiyar asked us how many times should he stuff this soul into a body. The soul has to be freed after gathering the learnings and experiences. When we are caught in the grips of Maya or illusion in this world we never realize the existence of the soul. We are so identified with the name and form, thought and desire, preferences as in likes and dislikes, and emotions. We only see the external covering, the label, price tags and not the soul that is in us. We do not abide by the wishes of the soul but carry out what we think is right and wrong in our eyes. The soul that is supposed to take hold of the body or Udal and breath or Uyir, and driving it, sadly is driven to the shadows as the "I" in us decides to take the upper hand. It is only when we surrender the "I" at the feet of the divine, that the soul returns to reign. This is what is depicted as demons that are slayed and are stepped upon in the sculptures and paintings of the deities. But the "I" would resist every move to subdue it. Superficial bhakti or devotion on the surface cannot help. It needs a guru's gaze or touch to free us from the clutches of the "I". Only in surrendering to his will, will the soul arise from within us to subdue and defeat the "I" and erase it completely. When the veil or the "I" drops what remains is the Atma. That is Atma Darisanam.
The (Jeeva)Atma that went into self-exile when the ego took over at a certain period in our lives, has to be awakened from its deep slumber, sleep, and hibernation. The (Jeeva)Atma has to gain the strength to make a comeback and tear down the veils of ignorance. It has to gain Atma Balam. The guru gives it the strength to fight adversities. Agathiyar speaks about the invincible strength of man. That strength Agathiyar says is the intellect or Arivu. The ability to think clearly can bring down walls. ஈசனால் படைக்கப் பட்ட மனிதனுக்கு ஆற்றலாய் அறிவு இருக்கிறது. யாம் அதை எப்போதுமே ஆற்றல் என்று கூறுவோம். மனிதனின் ஆற்றலைக் கொண்டு எதையும் சாதிக்கலாம்.
When Agathiyar in his short memo to us explained about the Udal, Uyir, and Atma, we did not quite grasp the essence of the 5 tattvas he mentioned. ஆன்மாவாகியது 5 கூறு தத்துவங்களைக் கொண்டது. It now dawns on us that the soul is the God himself that does the 5 functions of creation, or emanation (srishti), preservation (sthiti), destruction (samhara), dissolution or absorption, veiling or obscuring grace (tirodhana), and revealing grace (anugraha). (https://www.himalayanacademy.com/) The soul was the catalyst to assemble the components needed to take a form, substance, and body from the very moment of our existence. It sustains us throughout our lifespan as the breath or Uyir. It looks into the dissolution or absorption of components. As part of its play our Lila, it veils us too only to draw the curtain later. That is its divine play. Its reign then of course would be in line with the divine. When the soul comes back to regain control of the body and the breath it brings us to know our true purpose here and know its end. That is attaining enlightenment or becoming enlightened and attaining Gnanam. We begin to realize the importance of the body then and begin to treasure it for the breath is known through the body and vice versa.
The (Jeeva)Atma in us that is a part of the (Param)Atma then regains its throne and takes its place once again as the inner guru. Henceforth the external guru merges with the inner guru. The journey ends only to start another new chapter in the life of the seeker, turned aspirant, and sadhaka who himself now takes on the role of a guru to lead others to know their souls. He becomes a Jeevanmukta, having gained Mukti while still living. His purpose then becomes to enlighten others solely on the ways and the means. It is the responsibility and effort on the part of the sadhaka to ensure that he meets the demands and patience needed to reach the goal.
There is only one Atma. It resides in all of creation. It is not that the Atma that is in the Jeeva or entity is different from the Atma that is in the Param or source. Rather once the veil drops the Atma in the Jeeva comes to know itself to be the Atma in the Param. It is not even an evolution. Atma does not change in any manner. It is about Godliness, that of divinity. We are all divine Atma. Divine in nature. We see that at the end of the journey. We see the divinity in us at the end of the journey and not upon merging. We were divine in the beginning. We shall be divine at the end of the journey too. It is not about achieving or reaching that state. We realize that we were divine all the while. We are IT all the while.