Tuesday, 3 December 2024

DILEMMA

As Prince Hamlet in Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet" asks "To be, or not to be", we are confronted by numerous questions and doubts that appear as dilemmas to us. 

Seeing us go by life aimlessly the Siddha snatched us off the streets and had us walk the path of the Siddhas. They sent a guru to tutor and teach us, showing us rituals that bridged both worlds. 

They had many come over to my home and participate in these rituals that we soon brought into the corridors of the temples too. Soon this too came to an end as Agathiyar wanted us to lose our attachment to rituals, only picking up this tool as and when required. Eventually, he was to have us lose our hold and attachment, even to him for only then can we step out of Dvaita and step into the final phase of Advaita. 

In watching poverty right before our eyes, the question arises are we to place a dime in their bowl? If so how much shall be sufficient and for how long? Yogi Ramsuratkumar who addressed himself as a beggar, when asked about beggars, replied that India needed beggars. Agathiyar in getting us to start charity had us feed people from all walks of life irrespective of their social status. This was to have compassion arise in our hearts for I like many had walked by a begging man or woman or child not the least having the thought to place a dime in a bowl that shall fill their rice bowl. Later he had us filter the deserving from the undeserving and greedy. Eventually, he had us end it telling us that others shall continue from where we left and had us move on to the next phase, that of Yoga. 

Picking up the tool of Yoga, it did wonders within us and besides all the other benefits commonly associated with it, helped us meet our soul (Atma Darisanam). The soul then charted our destiny anew. Fate was defeated. Our life was now in our own hands. Should we then take on the role of a guru or teacher or master? Before we could jump onto the bandwagon that passed us carrying numerous gurus assigned to their tasks, Agathiyar halted us asking us to hold on for something much better. We await that moment.