As we walk the path of the Siddhas, they begin to reveal more and more about life's mysteries. Their doctrine is very simple indeed. It is practical. Something we can put into practice. It becomes part and parcel of our everyday life. It becomes a way of living. It is simply marvelous.
I realized now why Nadi Guru Ramesh once asked me why the present day gurus do not talk about karma. Ramesh should know better for he has had a very long standing relationship with Agathiyar and the Siddhas, having read the Nadi's of thousands of individuals.
The Siddhas always start their task of molding an individual by first stating his past karma. Once he is briefed about karma, its effects and consequences, and how he had created sufficient past karma to justify his present birth, he can take the necessary steps not to repeat them thus not prolonging his stay here and also having no reason to come back again. Agathiyar has said that the world will end only when all of the Almighty's creation have exhausted its karma. Until and unless the last human, animal or Devas still carries the baggage of karma, the world will be the frontier for the karma to be worked out.
As we walk hand in hand with the Siddhas, they start educating us about life and creation. With this knowledge available to us, we can mend our ways and tread carefully in the future. The Siddhas bring us back to the basics, to start by moving up from being one having cravings and characteristics of animals to a man; and move on to be a great man; and on to being an even greater man and then become a Gandharva, Deva, and eventually a Mahaan. Towards this ideal, the Siddhas have written and documented their experiences and findings in the form of literature, hymns and epics.
Tiruvalluvar gave us the TIRUKURAL. Avvai gave us the AVVAI PADAL, AATTHI CHUDI and KONRAI VENTHAN, all in the Tamil language. Pathanjali gave us the YOGA SUTRAS. Svatmarama gave us the HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA and Agathiyar gave us his AGASTIYAR GNANAM. Ramalinga Adigal documented his entire life's experiences in more than 6,000 hymns compiled later as the THIRUARUTPA.
They start with the very basic – characteristics of a good person. They speak about good morals and attributes.
Tiruvalluvar in the TIRUKURAL, reminds us of the following: be righteous; be kind in speech; be grateful; maintain self-control; do not desire another man‘s wife; be forgiving; do not envy; do not covet; do not slander; perform charity; be truthful; abstain from anger; and be courteous.
Avvai in her work entitled ATHI CHUDI has 109 advises for us, among them: do good; control anger; do not hinder aid to others; feed the hungry; help the needy; keep reading; do not be jealous of other‘s achievement; help your relatives and friends grow with you; look after your parents; do not forget those who have come to your aid; do not secure what does not belong to you; do not venture into things that are degrading by nature; abstain from using harsh language; refrain from thinking degrading thoughts; do not harm others; give your best in every venture that you undertake; lead an honest life; respect others.
Similarly Avvai in KONRAI VENTHAN, has 91 advises for us. Through MUTHURAI, she has 30 advices and another 40 in NALVAZHI.
Pathanjali has laid out eight stages in his yoga sutras: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.
Agathiyar through his AGASTIYAR GNANAM spells out the attributes that one should seek and become. Listen to a portion of Agathiyar‘s work at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAj1FSfO3Qo
Ramalinga Adigal one of the greatest Siddhas to appear only 191 years ago in 1823 expounds this concept about there being seven veils and demonstrates them in the Sathya Gnana Sabai that he had envisioned and built in Vadalur for all to see. Adigal placed seven veils depicting various stages of Maya or illusion and when all the curtains are pulled aside reveals the ultimate truth, that he mentions as Arutperunjhoti, the true self devoid of Malas. Ramalinga Adigal defines these seven veils of spiritual ignorance as lust (kamam), anger (krodham), greed (lobham), infatuation (moham), pride (ynadha), malice (matsaryam) and killings (kolai). Ramalinga Adigal says we have to drop these seven veils that cover us preventing us from seeing the truth and reaching it. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal demonstrates this concept too through the seven-tier granite structure that he was instructed to install at his ashram in Kallar by Agathiyar. After dropping or overcoming these seven veils of ignorance or Maya one reaches the summit or peak symbolically represented by light as in Vadalur and Kallar.
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| Jyothi Darisanam at Sathya Gnana Sabai. Photo courtesy of https://www.auro-ma-ramalingam.org |
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| Jyothi at Kallar |
The very first lesson that the Siddhas teach us is to bring change in our behavior, speech and beliefs. The Siddhas emphasize on character building, good behavior, right conduct, right knowledge, and yogic practices. They ask us to restrain our anger, lust and ego. Once we take care of these, then perception and understanding will changed accordingly. The world will still be the same, nevertheless we shall see the world differently. We shall see it in a different perspective then. We shall accept everything as the Almighty's doing. We shall go with the flow. Moving further on there comes a stage where nothing is understood, instead everything is known.
Agathiyar in my Nadi readings has mentioned the importance of overcoming the adverse feelings in order to rise to the level of a Siddha. These are the very basic requirements that one has to have in order to transcend further to the state of compassion that is required for a Siddha. Ramalinga Adigal and Siddhartha were very compassionate towards other beings. These features in them lead them on towards attaining the effulgence and nirvana respectively.
Through the Siddhas' teachings and guidance, we build up the body and soul to make it a suitable dwelling for the Lord. The Siddhas tell us to care for the body for it is only with this body that we can achieve God realization. Thirumoolar mentions in his TIRUMANTHIRAM that he had regarded his body as dirt only to realize later that it is the abode and temple of the Lord. Since then he had taken extra care of it.
Siddhas through research into the mysteries of the body and soul, evolved themselves into the ultimate. The Siddhas strive to achieve Godhead by means of performing austerities together with living a life of discipline. The Sidhas had searched the nooks and corners of this universe for God and finally realized God in them. Towards this, they perfected the means to enable the body to remain alive for generations and eons and to this date are believed to be living among us. They then taught their disciples this path. Together they then laid them out in writings for the future generations to cherish and follow. It is wonderful indeed that the Siddhas had documented every finding and discovery and till this day guide humans through their writings and the Nadi. Having achieved deathlessness, they render their knowledge to humanity encouraging them to follow suit.
However, not everybody can realize God in them immediately. The Siddhas realized that each person is an individual in his known right having gained experiences through several births and advancing spiritually at his own pace. Realizing that for one to attain spiritual illumination on the onset is a difficult task, the Siddhas devised, drafted and take us through four stages on the path of the soul's evolution, from the elementary level to the attainment of gnosis (Jnanam) so that every individual would have and opportunity and could get on the bandwagon to Godhead, making sure no one was left out. The Siddhas paved the path where one would have to go through the four divisions of yoga towards God realization in a systematic way. They are namely: Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam and Gnanam. Man confirms to any one of this stage according to his temperament and nature; beliefs and thoughts; and upbringing and faith and his karma.
The Siddhas are ever eager to share their experiences. They are waiting for potential aspirants to come by. At other times, they go in search of the aspirant himself and confront him. All that is required of one is to be receptive enough and submit to them and they shall show him the path. When one has faith and belief in them, they point out signposts, and lead them to mortal gurus. When he adheres to the teachings of the guru and the Siddhas, they start to provide him with guidelines to follow, either through gurus, the Nadi or they come personally. After some time into the worship of the Siddhas, they then show signs of their presence by giving darshans. One needs to be alert though to recognize these signs.
Making appearances and creating miracles can help strengthen one's belief and faith in the Siddhas as Suresh Srinivasan commented on this blog, "Whenever our faith weakens and doubts creep in, we can refer to these photos (of miracles), to get back on track again."
Taking hold of his hands, the day then comes when the Siddhas shall carry him on their shoulders as a father carries his child or a mother in her arms. Then there is no more paths for him to walk on for his path is their path too. There will only be one set of footprints then - that of the Almighty. At that stage, he lives his life for God, not for himself. God moves in him. He only becomes a tool to carry out God's massive tasks of getting humans to realize their full potential and beget self-realization.
Siddhas have walked the path to Godhead. By holding on to them, we too can see and experience all that was seen and experienced by them. We need to get their attention, sincerely adhere to their instructions and guidance, and pray that they show solace, compassion and shower their grace onto us.
It is a long journey though, where one need's to care for this body to receive God in him and eventually merged with God. One needs to prepare this body, which then evolves into a temple so that God is received into this body. One needs to take steps to prepare it to unite with him while still alive in this very body. God then resides in his body, in every cell and atom and brings changes to his body. The changes take place internally, which slowly influences his outer appearances, thoughts, and the way he sees things. Through their teachings and guidance, we build up the body and soul to make it a suitable dwelling for the Lord.
The Siddha Margam is the simplest path to Godhead. When we call out the names of these Siddhas, their attention falls on us. Once God and the Siddhas shower their grace we are assured of their blessing and we then shall have the strength to undertake our mission with an assurance of success. The results are seen immediately. Devotees of the Siddhas can attest to this truth.
The Siddha Margam is the simplest path to Godhead. When we call out the names of these Siddhas, their attention falls on us. Once God and the Siddhas shower their grace we are assured of their blessing and we then shall have the strength to undertake our mission with an assurance of success. The results are seen immediately. Devotees of the Siddhas can attest to this truth.