Why are we here? Are we here to live out our desires, or are we here to correct our past mistakes, or are we here for a specific purpose, or to do God's work? Why are others here? Why do we meet only some? In sailing the sea of life, we disembark at jetties and ports along the way. The secret here is to move on after seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, feeling, and experiencing the sights and sounds. But sadly, we tend to create bonds and cement them further, hence finding it even more difficult to escape later in life.
Contrary to common belief, that realization is a process, it only takes a split second to become realized. It can happen anywhere and anytime. Realization just happens. But Maya brings on an illusion of time and space, trapping us, even the self-proclaimed gurus, in many ways.
Just before we all went to bed a couple of days ago, my grandchildren and I put on an act. When I asked them, "Who will be God? " my second granddaughter, age 5, immediately said she will. I told my first granddaughter to ask for something from God. She spontaneously asked that she should study well. It makes sense as she was 8 and in standard 2. "God" granted her wish, saying, "So be it". Turning to me, I replied that I want to be happy always. She granted my wish, too. Now turning to her younger brother, age 4, he replied that he wanted juice. We all laughed out loud as we figured that he was thirsty and had asked to fulfill his immediate need, which was to quench his thirst. Finally, just before "God" left, she turned to us and told us to call for "Him" if we had any problems. This comes to show that children truly live in the present moment never having an inkling or worry about the future. It is us adults stuff into them fear, worry and apprehension.
Speaking to a friend and reader last night on WhatsApp, we agreed that one who was saved by God cannot possibly keep quiet or keep under wraps his or her encounter with God. Christy Beam wrote in her memoir, "Miracles from Heaven", "Standing in the light of all he's given us, in the light of all that's happened, I can't not tell you our story". Neale Donald Walsch writes about his conversation with God that "I could have kept this latest dialogue private, but everything within me shouted, don't you dare." He felt that he should share, keeping a promise to God. When God works through man, man then has access to all the wisdom, information, tools, and methods.
But though the limelight is on us after that, and some can cope with the changes that come along with this exposure and great responsibility, it can be bothersome to others. Watching a video of a husband and wife team where the Chinese gods come through the former, both regret having accommodated their desire to be of help to others. What started as a magical journey turned sour when the relationship with a former temple in which the husband went into a trance and the Gods came within, turned equally sour. The wife then wished for money to start their own temple. The Gods granted it. She won the Jackpot and built the temple as promised. But they had had to pay a price. Now, seeing their children grow up, they found no time for them as she was involved in the running of the temple and her husband was a vehicle for the Gods. He asked what he was to say if his children were asked what their father's profession was. Were they to state that he was a healer, medicineman, shaman, bomoh, or medium? The wife, too, sheds tears, coming to terms with the fact that they had fallen for the trap. Many who are known to summon or channel the Hindu deities to provide solutions to others' problems and fulfill individual desires are trapped too.
Many others, too, like the heads of missions, are caught and trapped alike in the very establishment that they desired in the very first place. One such head, who told me that I had escaped from falling into the trap, told me that she was finding it difficult to run the establishment that her guru left behind. It had become a burden for her. She had to source money for its upkeep. Another head speaking on social media justifies that the huge sums collected from classes held to teach techniques went towards paying the wages of administrators and the running of the establishment and its numerous events. Tavayogi, who was asked by Agathiyar to set up an Ashram, towards his end, told a devotee who was visiting him that if his health permitted, he would like to leave everything behind and go on a long walk. He soon passed away.
Agathiyar never trapped us as these deities do. I am glad that Agathiyar, in coming through me in the initial years, listened to our objection and pulled the brake on counselling and healing strangers, although it was only temporary. He pretty soon had me realize the need for him to see them and solve their problems. He asked me, where would I go and to whom I would turn, if he were to shut his ears! He wanted my wife and me to listen to others' problems, for we were merely channels he said. He assured that in no way would these visitations by him and the strangers he sent over to my home harm me and my family, nor disrupt our lives. These too eventually stopped, as he stopped bringing strangers over. I am glad that Agathiyar stopped seeing strangers and healing them. These days, he does come only to heal his devotees and their families.
I'm glad that Agathiyar, after having me open the doors to my homes to the public to carry out Puja, soon shut it down. I'm glad that after roping and bringing in several youths, and having us start on doing charity, had us stopped it before the problems of others could get hold of us and entrap us. As initially, we just dropped off cooked food and groceries but as we frequented their homes, servicing them regularly, they began to open up on other issues. I'm glad we were not caught up in trying to solve their personal issues. Agathiyar removed us from there.
I am glad I turned down the request to build a temple that came in my very first Nadi reading in 2002, and resurfaced again in 2018. I am glad that I turned down his offer to hand me a Nadi for my personal use and that of others. If I had accepted, I would have berthed at this port and never moved on.
After showing the carrot before me, seeing if I will take a bite first, Agathiyar then tells me it was all his test then finally he says its all Maya something that Tavayogi had expound the very first day he stepped into my home in 2005.
I am glad that Agathiyar retracted his wish to see me become a guru the very next moment I chose to accept it as a way of showing my gratitude to him and since I had turned down all his previous offers.
As Neale says, "As we are one with God, we do have the ability to create alternate endings to any story", mankind working in unison with the divine forces can bring forth a favorable outcome.
We read the following quote by John Dewey in the movie "Rough Book": "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." Now it is time we stepped out of the past and found our way into the new future.