Just as there is two sides to a coin, just as there is day and night, life too serves us with several options. Just as there are multiple choices in this material life, the spiritual life too presents us with numerous options.
There are spiritual masters who encourage us to ask for all our needs, ask the divine they say and it shall provide. Knock and the door shall open.
In Matthew 7:7: Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
“Knock, And He'll open the door
Vanish, And He'll make you shine like the sun
Fall, And He'll raise you to the heavens
Become nothing, And He'll turn you into everything.”
― Rumi
“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”
― Rumi
Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar ask us to ask the divine for all our needs. Ramalinga Adigal came knocking on Erai's door, asking him to let him in, into his kingdom, in his song "Mathimandalathu Amudham Vaayaara Unde" from the Thiruarutpa, "Sivayoga Nilai".
சிவயோக நிலை
1. மதிமண்ட லத்தமுதம் வாயார உண்டே
பதிமண்ட லத்தரசு பண்ண - நிதிய
நவநேய மாக்கும் நடராஜ னேயெஞ்
சிவனே கதவைத் திற.
2. இந்தார் அருளமுதம் யானருந்தல் வேண்டுமிங்கே
நந்தா மணிவிளக்கே ஞானசபை - எந்தாயே
கோவே எனது குருவே எனையாண்ட
தேவே கதவைத் திற.
3. சாகா அருளமுதம் தானருந்தி நான்களிக்க
நாகா திபர்சூழ் நடராஜா - ஏகா
பவனே பரனே பராபரனே எங்கள்
சிவனே கதவைத் திற.
4. அருளோங்கு தண்ணமுதம் அன்பால் அருந்தி
மருள்நீங்கி நான்களித்து வாழப் - பொருளாந்
தவநேயர் போற்றும் தயாநிதியே எங்கள்
சிவனே கதவைத் திற.
5. வானோர்க் கரிதெனவே மாமறைகள் சாற்றுகின்ற
ஞானோ தயஅமுதம் நானருந்த - ஆனாத்
திறப்பா வலர்போற்றும் சிற்றம் பலவா
சிறப்பா கதவைத் திற.
6. எல்லாமும் வல்லசித்தென் றெல்லா மறைகளுஞ்சொல்
நல்லார் அமுதமது நானருந்த - நல்லார்க்கு
நல்வாழ் வளிக்கும் நடராயா மன்றோங்கு
செல்வா கதவைத் திற.
7. ஏழ்நிலைக்கும் மேற்பால் இருக்கின்ற தண்ணமுதம்
வாழ்நிலைக்க நானுண்டு மாண்புறவே - கேழ்நிலைக்க
ஆவாஎன் றென்னைஉவந் தாண்டதிரு அம்பலமா
தேவா கதவைத் திற.
8. ஈன உலகத் திடர்நீங்கி இன்புறவே
ஞான அமுதமது நானருந்த - ஞான
உருவே உணர்வே ஒளியே வெளியே
திருவே கதவைத் திற.
9. திரையோ தசத்தே திகழ்கின்ற என்றே
வரையோது தண்ணமுதம் வாய்ப்ப - உரைஓது
வானேஎம் மானேபெம் மானே மணிமன்றில்
தேனே கதவைத் திற.
10. சோதிமலை மேல்வீட்டில் தூய திருவமுதம்
மேதினிமேல் நானுண்ண வேண்டினேன் - ஓதரிய
ஏகா அனேகா எழிற்பொதுவில் வாழ்ஞான
தேகா கதவைத் திற.
Source: http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T270/tm/sivayooka_n-ilai
Then there are others who counter, "Doesn't Erai know our needs?"
Then there are others who counter, "Doesn't Erai know our needs?"
If Pattinathar describes the body as filth and is ever keen to shed it, Thirumular on the other hand says that after once he came to realise that the divine resides in this body he began to take extra and good care of it.
When the sacred texts are all geared to prepare us both physically and mentally, cleaning and clearing respectively all the dirt, clutter and garbage collected over the years, to prepare the body for the divine to enter and reside in it, a master admonishes that there is no need to prepare the self beforehand, using the metaphor that darkness vanishes the very moment we bring in the light, suggesting that the moment the divine steps in all forms of darkness leaves the self on its own accord.
Then there are masters striving for physical immortality and others trying to achieve spiritual immortality. P Karthigayan in his "History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", a Notionpress.com Publication, differentiates these two preferences and ideals, adding that the Siddhas preferred physical immortality to the other. The author tabulates his findings, the gist of it is given below.
While spiritual immortality is attained through means of yoga, physical immortality was possible by consuming karpam or elixirs.
One who attained physical immortality was considered a Siddha and one at par with Erai, while spiritual immortality brings one to the stage of a Deva or Gandarva.
The Siddha who has attained physical immortality remains in the midst of people striving for their betterment while the spiritually immortal disassociate themselves from worldly affairs.
The next comparison is interesting since the author mentions that physical immortality is attained by avoiding the causes of death while spiritual immortality is attained by erasing these same causes.
While spiritual immortality preserves the soul and spirit, physical immortality is gained by preserving the body, soul and spirit hence arising the need to care for the body.
Physical immortality would mean no death while spiritual immortality suggests postponing birth. Interesting.
The next factor in comparison is interesting too. While the one who has attained spiritual immortality abandons the body in Samadhi, the body is reinstated through several transformations in physical immortality.
While the spiritually immortal lives longer with an aged body, the physically immortal lives longer with a youthful body.
I suppose we can safely say that the spiritually immortal is a Gnani and Yogi while the physically immortal is a Siddha.
Interesting. Let us bear in mind that all these shall co-exist as that is the will of Erai. What would the world be if we did not have all these differences and variety. Let us choose our pick and move one, working on it meticulously and diligently. We cannot possibly have the best of both worlds.