DOING ERAI'S WORK

We are all placed on the face of the earth to do Erai's work. But sadly we are so engrossed with taking care of the individual self and its needs, fulfilling and satisfying our desires and wants that we do not come to realize the reason for taking birth. 

I too did not realize my role in this beautiful play of Erai or Lila until Agathiyar started revealing it to me. He tells me we have taken birth in a wonderful country that he terms as paradise. Because we had served him in our prior births, he chose to reward us now. While partaking the pleasures of the world around us and satisfying our senses, he comes to remind me of my purpose in taking rebirth. It all fell into place. I understood that I had all this while mistakenly lived for myself and my family. He made me realize that it was only when you deliver and fulfill your dharma towards yourself, your family, your society and mankind, only then can you safely say that you had lived a fulfilling life, satisfying and complete life. It is only when you extend your limited sight to include the others around you and take steps in helping them too, you realize true satisfaction and joy. He brings us to this state where he gets us involved with the less unfortunate and needy, opening our eyes to their sorrow and misery, and directly reminding us of the blessed life we live compared to them. The desire to help another then arises as compassion and love builds in us. By extending help joy arises in our hearts. We then feel grateful for all the blessings showered on us.

When Tavayogi's daughter was saddened that her father was to become a monk, Agathiyar consoles her saying that he wanted Tavayogi for a bigger and higher purpose, that of serving humanity. If he was in the way of the householder he would only remain her father. True to Agathiyar's words today Tavayogi is father to all of us. 

The results in feeding others is akin and comparable to the many chakras we are told that exists alongside this physical body of ours and their state. The veil prevents us from seeing these realities, we are oblivious to the sights and sounds of the poor and ill. I walked by them without lifting even an eyelid. They did not matter to me. Neither did their condition. The thought to donate or help another never was there.  It was as though they did not exist. I was contended with what I had. I was at the baser and lower chakras then. Arriving at Muladhara the veil was lifted. I saw the suffering that people went through all around me. At Svadishthana I began to take notice of their co-existence. I saw that they were my kind too, Erai's creation. At  Manipura I began to share my food and buy them, feeding them. At Anahata my heart opened up and tears of joy streamed down the cheeks having appeased their hunger pangs and seeing the glimmer of hope in the eyes of those I fed. Their life had been extended by another day. At Vishuddhi we began to talk about the need to feed the hungry to others. At Ajna we devised constructive ways to bring help to the unfortunate. At Sahasrara the divine came to us easily.

In this age of numerous challenges and addictions the Siddhas have devised this simple way to receive Erai's blessing and love. Yogi Ramsuratkumar tells us that it is difficult to achieve a meditative state in this era due to the numerous waves around us these days that interfere with the process.  Just as when someone asked Neem Karoli Baba, “How can I get enlightened?” and he replied, “Feed people.”, Agathiyar has shown us the same approach too. Agathiyar tells us that we had done enough tapas in the past (lives), it is sufficient to just feed others now. 

Whenever someone drops by at AVM or calls to share their problems, I could relate to their sadness and sufferings. If its a financial situation I help out to my ability. If its a direction I show them to Siddha prayers, in the footsteps of Tavayogi. In the beginning I would share my thoughts too and start advising them. Then this complicated matters and I was faulted for the undesired turnout or result. When I referred to Tavayogi he asked me why I involved directly. Rather he told me to point them to Agathiyar. Let them pray and ask him for their needs. Henceforth I stopped advising and directed them to Agathiyar. 

But many thought that my prayers were answered hence asked me to put in a prayer on behalf of them. There were times these prayers were for their family members or close ones. Some might not even know who was Agathiyar. But I still prayed for them. I used to convey exactly what they wanted to Agathiyar. Then my mode of prayer change when I was told of an episode where the soul gave up the fight and wanted to leave the body but the family did parikaram and remedies and offerings so that he would survive the ordeal. Just as one might want rain and the other might pray that it doesn't rain then, Agathiyar had a dilemma at hand. He had to give in to the request of the soul. He died.

Agathiyar said he extended Tavayogi's life going to the extend of gathering the Siddhas and performing a Yagam so that he should live longer. It is reasonable to extend his lifespan in liew of the divine work he does. Many devotees wanted him around to guide him further. His demise would be a loss to many who see him as their Guru and mentor. Although Bhagawan Nithyananda and Yogi Ramsuratkumar at their deathbed have mentioned to their followers not to mourn their death as they would continue their work in the subtle form and plane, and in fact attests that they can do more in that plane, the followers still could not bring themselves to accept the departure of their beloved Guru. 

Then there are those who survived their ordeal with death due to the collective prayers held. To those who have had an extension or given a new lease, surviving death's hold, it is only proper that they devout the rest of their lives to do Erai's work. Otherwise why would Erai want to extend his/her lifespan if only to continue and carry on the mundane tasks they were doing prior to falling ill or before the near death experience. 

It is said that we are sent to this world with a specific number of breaths and we spend them as we engage in carry out our daily activities. The man who preserves the breath lives longer. Hence the reason the Siddhas engage in activities that do not deplete the given store rather increasing and storing up prana energy and more breaths for their divine work by doing Pranayama and control of the breath.  Agathiyar has on several occasions mentioned to devotees who came back alive after drifting off into coma, that he had given them his breath so that they should survive. Make good use of this second chance. Engage in doing divine work and his work. That is the least form of repayment we could possibly do in return for his kindness and compassion.