I was born and raised to worship the pantheon of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, often listening to my mother tell me stories from the Puranas. I was privileged to attend the chapel at my missionary school. I attended a class in Tevaram with my Ceylonese childhood friends, conducted by an elderly teacher from Ceylon. I would attend class at the Buddhist Vihara or temple in my neighborhood, listening to the stories revolving around the life of Gautama Buddha. I took up a postal correspondence course, reading the Bible with course materials arriving by post from a church in Singapore. All these were done when I was growing up and studying. Taking on a job in 1980, I would sit in on the prayers conducted by my Muslim colleagues at the office. I was open to all religious faiths. I did not make any distinction between them. I loved listening to stories.
When an officer in the department resigned in 1994 to join Paramahansa Yogananda's Ranchi ashram in India, he passed me Paramahansa's book "Autobiography of a Yogi". I began to read about men who became gods that day. I came to know about gurus.
Agathiyar then decided to have me drop in on my very first guru in the physical form, Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai, in 2003. In 2005, he sent Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal to our shores and had me drop in on him. These were the turning points in my life. I felt I had them take care of me. When Agathiyar coming as a bronze statue, came to stay for good in our home and our lives, we felt his presence and care in all matters that governed us. I took up every task he had for me, doing them diligently. Eventually, I let go of them, too, as and when he dictated. I was given total freedom to do my thing. Besides writing this blog, watching some videos and movies, listening to some songs, and going on my daily morning and evening walks, I end up "Doing Nothing" most of the time. This is how time flies for me these days. Just as the calling came, to come to his path through my very first Nadi reading in 2002, I await the day the calling comes to leave and follow Agathiyar to his realm, just as he took both Supramania Swami and Tavayogi with him. In having me do his work, I had stepped on others' toes. I told him to clear my name before he takes me with him.
Watching the short film, "Always a Joy," we revel in the message and the truth that gets across that every delay is a blessing, and if only we understand that big hurdles lead us to where we need to be, always.
"Made me reflect on a few things. You see, you will get these little speed bumps along the way, but um, everything evens itself out eventually. Listen, you have to trust the process of these things. Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that sometimes these big hurdles in life lead us to where we're meant to be."
Joy finally says to James, "I've made my peace with that. I just sit and watch television all day. There's nothing else to be done now, but I suppose to wait out the clock."