The Self is the teacher. Agathiyar sends gurus in the physical form to start off our journey to know the Self. If I was brought to Supramania Swami by Agathiyar, he brought Tavayogi to me later. After their demise, he came personally through others and finally arrived as the Self to teach from within. He says it shall dawn from within. All knowledge is in the Self for it has been in existence since time immemorial. He tells me that our relationship spans crores of years though we have no memory of it. He came to jolt our memory. He has known me all this while he says. As I complete a cycle of 60 years with the 60th marriage marking it, the next phase of the journey, he tells me will be that of recognizing him as the Self. The next phase of 60 years if I live to see it through shall hold mysteries that are not spoken of. Only the saints have been there and returned to give a glimpse and insight. It is only for those who can and have broken their hold on everything material, shredded their thoughts, perspectives, and opinions, and dropped previous learnings for the actual experiences that are placed on the path or blossoms from underneath each step we take as we walk the path.
Most of us are stuck with the external guru and never progress further. The reason is that the guru does not help us shed our hold on him and have us move along venturing to know our true selves. They trap their students and the students are held captives. Once the guru passes away they are lost sheep without a herder.
Supramania Swami did not hold on to me or have me hold on to him. When on my second visit I shared what Agathiyar had revealed in my Nadi about Tavayogi being my guru and that I was directed to spend a couple of days at Tavayogi's ashram, he obliged me and sent me off to Kallar ashram packing some blankets for my stay in the Nilagiri hills. Upon returning to him after my stay and travels with Tavayogi he enquired about the health of my guru. Which guru would do that in an age where gurus too have become possessive and cannot let go of material wants and followers?
Tavayogi too broke my hold on him even before it could flower stopping me from coming to "worship" him rather than Agathiyar. When I showed my appreciation and joy in having him over at my house for the very first time, he shot it down telling me that I was living in Maya a state of illusion and delusion. He was not God he reinstated and asked that I hold on to Agathiyar.
Later at his ashram, he had me drop any attachment to the Rudraksha bead even before it arose. He had me drop the attachment to the Navarathna ring and the Rasamani bead I wore on me too telling me "we" do not need them. I am surprised he took me in as one of his even before my journey began.
I am grateful to these two gurus who made it easy for me to let go for instance when Agathiyar had me dissolve the AVM group in 2019, which he had worked hard to initiate and sustain over the years since 2013. He had me let go of my previous readings, learnings, and understanding for updated versions that kept with time and progress, shedding the age-old traditions and customs that keep us trapped forever. He revolutionized the methods for younger generations and current times. He freed the soul that was trapped in society. He made a leader of us rather than a follower after giving us the tools and the skills to create a new path for ourselves, after traveling the well-beaten path. He allowed us to improvise, change, and modify all things to suit the temperament and nature of his devotees. Nothing was cast in stone. Even if it was he did the unexpected as he opened his eyes in the granite statue of his at Agasthiyampalli and Papanasam in 2005 and later in 2013 in his bronze statue at AVM.
It is pretty obvious then that there are only two kinds of people: those who follow and those who lead. Which group are you in?