I had never visited any visiting gurus or masters but if they happened to be visiting the temples when I went over I would stand in line and receive their blessings with others. I had never had any high regard for them until Segaran from the office passed me Paramahansa Yogananda's "The Autobiography of A Yogi" as a parting gift together with a wonderful painting of Lord Siva and a wonderful piece of advice. This book blew my mind. I began to collect photos of such saints to adorn the walls of my family puja room. When my nephew surprised me by telling me that he had a message for me and not to question the source, I listened and received the Vasudeva mantra that Saturday afternoon in 2001. I was asked to chant the mantra for it shall pave the way to meet my guru, I was told. True enough the following year I saw myself sitting with a Nadi reader and going through numerous bundles of old dried palm leaves called the Nadi or Olai Suvadi. Agathiyar told me he was my Moola guru or Prime guru and that I would meet my guru in the physical form unexpectedly. My nephew then revealed that the Vasudeva mantra was asked to be forwarded to me through his Paramaguru Gopal Pillai by Agathiyar. True enough when I left for India the following year to carry out the remedies given by Agathiyar in the Nadi, I ended up with my destined guru Supramania Swami on the pretext of charting the horoscope and astrological chart for my daughter, after my wife reminded me just before I left Malaysia for India. Three years on Agathiyar sent me to Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who was visiting Malaysia then. He took me under his wing and Agathiyar had me spend several days in his ashram in 2005. My search stopped there. Though Agathiyar told me to visit other gurus, I never went for I had arrived home I told myself.
Recently when he too told me that I had arrived and that there was nothing further to do, I realized that I never left in the first place. All that transpired happened within this individual known and tagged as Shanmugam Avadaiyappa. What transpired was the dropping of the sheaths or covers that had concealed my soul or Atma and kept me ignorant. The guru came to uncover these thick sheets and exposed me. But their love and compassion and willingness to forgive me sent home a message that I too should learn to forgive myself and others. Then they began to fill me in with their grace and knowledge, giving me practices to adhere to. They nurtured the flame in me to burn brightly. They strengthened the gross body for without it we shall not know God. The Atma was revealed in due time as in Atma Darisanam. I came to know my true Self. Just as I stood stark naked before them ashamed of my past doings that were exposed in my Nadi reading, now I stood naked again before my Atma who knew every inch of me. My Atma led the way thenceforth connecting me to the farthest reaches beyond the physical limitations of the gross body to the Prapanjam. All this happened whilst still in this body. There was no time travel or out-of-body experiences to cry out about.
Their desire or rather test for me asking me to build a temple for Agathiyar in 2002 and for Lord Muruga later in 2018 was shelved for good. This gross body and my home became a temple. The temple was lit as in Jothi Darisanam in Tiruvannamalai, not by oil lamps but by the Chakras which now became solar panels that received and stored the energy. Illumination of the mind or Arivu opened up the door to Gnanam. Words showered from beyond prompting me to write further. This showering is indeed Gnana Darisanam.