THE GURU'S GRACE

Yuvarani referred to a piece on the Guru's Grace from Paramhansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" and mentioned, "I was reading something in internet and happened to read about Babaji and then Lahiri Mahasaya pa... When I read this part tears on my eyes! Amazed seeing how a guru protects his sishya just like our Agathiyar appa and us pa!"

Lahiri Mahasaya narrates how he was called over to his master's abode through a mysterious turn of events. 

My first meeting with Babaji took place in my thirty-third year. In the autumn of 1861 I was stationed in Danapur as a government accountant in the Military Engineering Department.

One morning the office manager summoned me.

"Lahiri," he said, "a telegram has just come from our main office. You are to be transferred to Ranikhet, where an army post is now being established."

With one servant, I set out on the 500-mile trip. Traveling by horse and buggy, we arrived in thirty days at the Himalayan site of Ranikhet.

My office duties were not onerous; I was able to spend many hours roaming in the magnificent hills. A rumor reached me that great saints blessed the region with their presence; I felt a strong desire to see them.

During a ramble one early afternoon, I was astounded to hear a distant voice calling my name. I continued my vigorous upward climb on Drongiri Mountain. A slight uneasiness beset me at the thought that I might not be able to retrace my steps before darkness had descended over the jungle.

I finally reached a small clearing whose sides were dotted with caves. On one of the rocky ledges stood a smiling young man, extending his hand in welcome. I noticed with astonishment that, except for his copper-colored hair, he bore a remarkable resemblance to myself.

"Lahiri, you have come!", the saint addressed me affectionately in Hindi. "Rest here in this cave. It was I who called you."

I entered a neat little grotto which contained several woolen blankets and a few kamandulus (begging bowls).

"Lahiri, do you remember that seat?" The yogi pointed to a folded blanket in one corner.

"No, sir." Somewhat dazed at the strangeness of my adventure, I added, "I must leave now, before nightfall. I have business in the morning at my office."

The mysterious saint replied in English, "The office was brought for you, and not you for the office."

I was dumbfounded that this forest ascetic should not only speak English but also paraphrase the words of Christ.

"I see my telegram took effect." The yogi’s remark was incomprehensible to me; I inquired his meaning.

"I refer to the telegram that summoned you to these isolated parts. It was I who silently suggested to the mind of your superior officer that you be transferred to Ranikhet. When one feels his unity with mankind, all minds become transmitting stations through which he can work at will." He added gently, "Lahiri, surely this cave seems familiar to you?"

As I maintained a bewildered silence, the saint approached and struck me gently on the forehead. At his magnetic touch, a wondrous current swept through my brain, releasing the sweet seed-memories of my previous life.

"I remember!" My voice was half-choked with joyous sobs. "You are my guru Babaji, who has belonged to me always! Scenes of the past arise vividly in my mind; here in this cave I spent many years of my last incarnation!" As ineffable recollections overwhelmed me, I tearfully embraced my master’s feet.

(Source:  http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/chapter-34/)

Indeed the Guru's grace, once earned, is not for one life time but has been with us in the past births and will protect us in the future lives too. The bond between the guru and disciple is sacred. A true Guru works for the betterment of his disciples, society and humanity. He becomes an apostle of the divine, working its cause through him. He becomes the conduit through which the divine energy flows. He brings his disciple to the door of God's kingdom. If the disciple misses the opportunity in his life time, the Guru comes to redeem him in his next birth. If the Guru leaves before the disciple achieves the desired state, the Guru continues to guides him from his plane. The true guru either in the flesh or in the subtle form continuous the relationship till the disciple achieves the state of the guru himself. As the guru is an extension of Erai, the divine never lets loose its subjects.

Velayudham Karthikeyan Aiya, the administrator of Siththan Arul, related to me an amazing story of one Muniandy Swamy. The story goes,

"முனியாண்டி சுவாமிகள் என்று ஒருவர் இங்கிருந்தார். அவருக்கு ஜென்மம் என்பது 2000 வருடங்களுக்குப் பின் அருளப்பட்டது. ஏன் தெரியுமா? 2000 வருடத்துக்கு முன் உள்ள ஜென்மத்தில், அவருக்கு குருவாக இருந்த ஒருவரின் பேச்சை மதிக்கவில்லை. கடமையை செய்யவில்லை. இதை அறிந்த குரு, அவருக்காக 2000 ஆண்டுகளாக காத்திருந்தார். முனியாண்டி சுவாமிகளுக்கு, கடமை செய்து முடிக்கவேண்டி இருந்தது. குருவுக்கு, தன சிஷ்யனை கரை ஏற்றுகிற வேலை மிச்சம் இருந்தது. அந்த இரண்டு பேரின் கர்மாவும் ஒன்றுள் ஒன்று பிணைத்திருந்ததால் ஒரு வர காத்திருந்தார், ஒருவர் 2000 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பின் வந்து சேர்ந்தார்."

அவர் கருவில் ஊறாமல் வந்தவர். அவர் பிறப்பை பற்றி ஒருவருக்கும் தெரியாது. 32 வயதில் ஜீவசமாதியில் அமர்ந்துவிட்டார். மதுரைக்கு பக்கத்தில், கல்லுப்பட்டி என்கிற இடத்தில் அவர் சமாதி உள்ளது. நிறைய ஆச்சரியமான விஷயங்களை செய்துள்ளார். விஸ்வநாதன் என்கிற ஒரே ஒருவரை மட்டும் தன சிஷ்யனாக வைத்துக் கொண்டார்.

Muniandy Swamy had to take birth again after a long lapse of 2,000 years. The reason? In his past birth that was 2,000 years ago he had failed to listen to his guru. He also failed to carry out his obligations to his guru. But the most compassionate guru waited patiently for his disciple to take rebirth after 2,000 years. Muniandy Swamy had to finish his obligations towards his guru and the guru too had an obligation towards his disciple. He had to save his disciple from this cycle of birth. Since both their karmas were interconnected the guru waited while his disciple came back after 2,000 years to join him. 

Speaking further about Muniandy Swamy, Karthikeyan Aiya mentions that Muniandy Swami had taken a divine birth. Nobody knows much about his origin. He had performed many miracles. He went into Jeeva samadhi at a very young age of 32 at Kallupatti near Madurai. He had only one disciple, Viswanathan with him till the end.

Gordon Matthews in his translation of Meykanda Devar’s "Shivagnana Botham" writes, “By reason of the soul’s virtue in previous births, God, who has been immanent in the soul, making it known, now vouchsafing to take the form of a Guru, initiates the soul in the Saiva mysteries. The primal one himself teaches these souls as a Guru: for in the form of consciousness he is in union (with him). When because of the soul’s meritorious practices the primal one enlightens the soul as a Guru…”

Expanding from Meykandar's differentiation of the various states of disciples according to the impurities in them, Gordon translates further,

To Sakalar, souls immersed in all three impurities, God comes as a Guru of human form; he imparts it concealing himself as a Guru.

To Pralayakalar, souls affected only by Anava and Karma, he comes as a Guru in Shiva’s form; he himself standing before them as Guru, imparts true knowledge.

To Vijnanakalar, souls involved only in Anava, he comes as the inner principle of the soul’s consciousness; he himself appears, as true knowledge.

Pon Govindasamy in his "Vallalaarum Brahma Gnana Sangamum", Bharath Book Bureau, Chennai, similarly explains about these different states.

மக்களை சகலர், பிரளயாகலர், விஞ்ஞானகலர் என முப்பெரும் பிரிவுகளாக வகுக்கப் பெற்றுள்ளன.

ஆணவம், கன்மம், மாயை என்ற மும்மலங்களாலும் கட்டுப்பட்ட சீவன் முக்தர்கள் வரையிலுமான ஆன்மாக்கள் சகலர் எனப்படுவர். சகலருக்கு மகரிஷிகளை அதிட்டித்து நின்று உபதேசிப்பான்.

மாயா மலம் நீங்கி ஆணவம், கன்மம் என்ற இருமலங்களுடன் மட்டும் கூடிய ரிஷிகள் பிரளயாகலர் ஆவர். பிரளயாகலருக்கு இறைவனே குருவடிவம் தாங்கி வந்து உபதேசித்தருள்வான்.

மாயையும், கன்மமும் நீங்கி ஆணவ மலத்தால் மட்டும் கட்டுப்பட்ட மகரிஷிகள் விஞ்ஞானகலராவார். விஞ்ஞானகலருக்கு இறைவன் உள் நின்றே உணர்த்துவன். இது இறைவன் உணர்வும்  விஞ்ஞானகலர் உணர்வும் ஒன்றித்த நிலையாகும்.

Veeraswamy Krishnaraj in his comprehension of Arulnandi Shivachariyar’s "Shivagnana Siddhiyar" writes,

Lord Shiva appears to Sakalar with Anava, Kanma and Mayai malams, in human as a Satguru. To Pralayakalar with Anava and Kanma malams, Lord Shiva appears as divine God. Those souls that are rising, Vijnanakalar - the highest class of souls with only one impurity known as Anava malam, do not need an external Guru to instruct them. Lord Shiva by remaining inside them as the inner guide rids them of the Anava malam, bringing the merits and demerits to a resolution and conferring spiritual knowledge or divine grace known as Saktinipata, the descent of Sakti into the soul. Vijnanakalar receive Gnana from Lord Shiva himself as the incorporeal inner guide.

Pon Govindasamy reveals to us the Divine's plan. In his "Vallalaarum Brahma Gnana Sangamum", he states that it is the mission of the Divine to safe the souls that are riddled, locked and chained by Aanavam, Kanmam, and Mayai and bring them back to his state of purity. 

கட்டுப்பட்ட உயிர்களை தளை நீக்கி (ஆணவம், கன்மம், மாயை), தன்னைப்போல் அகண்டாகார பரிபூரண வஸ்துவாக மாற்றுவதே ஈஸ்வரனின் சங்கல்பம் ஆகும்.

Thus started the journey of evolution of life and form. As Manickavasagar mentions in his Sivapuranam, translated by Rev.G.U.Pope, the evolution "Ranging from grass to grub, the stone and the snake, the bird and the beast, the spooks and the spirits, the asuras and the ascetics, but weary and heavy I have grown..."

இதன்படி தாது பொருட்களில் உறங்கிக் கொண்டிருந்த உயிர்கள், தாவரப் பொருட்களில் கனவு நிலையடைந்து, விலங்கு இனத்தில் விழித்தேழுந்து, மானிடனின் தன்னுணர்வு பெற்று, ஜீவன் முத்தரில் பரிபூரணமடைகின்றன.

We have come a long way. Appreciate this human birth and this life. If life is not favourable to you do not despair. It only needs our concerted effort and faith to change our lives around. Let us take the hand of the divine. Let us bring him into our homes and hearts. Let him in. Let us listen to him. 

Do not waste time in being a rolling stone that does not gather moss but instead be steadfast in whatever form of worship or belief you are currently in. This would save your precious time. Stop knocking on doors. Once you have knocked on one and are permitted to enter stay in and work on your karma and merits, besides building your faith. Stop looking outside for remedies and solutions. Stop the search and spent that time in performing external puja or internal contemplation, whichever comes easy to you. These are tested means to gain the grace and guidance of the divine.

This is what we at Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) adopted. Today the divine through its guidance has given us numerous tasks, has asked us to continue the rituals and only to stop if the divine wills.  Just as Kuthumi and Djwal Kul wrote in "The Human Aura" by Summit University Press 1971, 

Each individual has such an angel representing the purity of the infinite God assigned to his life stream by divine decree from the very foundation of the world. This angel has the ability not only to read the life record of everyone upon the planet but also to commune directly with the heart of god.

Agathiyar has been our Guru and Guardian Angel. Supramania Swami ignited the fire of devotion  in me and opened me up to a whole new world of Guru - Disciple relationship, when I went to him. Tavayogi came along to nurture the flame of devotion in me, building further the concept and my understanding of this Guru - Disciple relationship. Similarly many at AVM, who have had previously engaged with Agathiyar and gurus in their past lives, continue the journey now, still holding the hands of the Siddhas.

The bond between the guru and disciple cannot be broken. Supramania Swamy gave me a miss call after he had gone into samadhi. How is that possible? But it did happen and Agathiyar confirmed the miracle in a Nadi reading later. When Tavayogi took me along on the journey to the sacred hideouts of the Siddhas, he used to bring my attention to the wonderful aroma lingering in the air, pointing out to me that that was an indication of the presence of Siddhas. Similarly just minutes before the miss call, Supramania Swami came to our home as the aroma of tobacco in the air. Then the call came in. Since I did not believe that he was present that day, just after our weekly Thursday prayers, he left another miss call on my phone as I was narrating this unbelievable happening to my nephew some days later.

Just as his disciple performed this miracle, Yogi Ramsuratkumar too came out of samadhi to join both Supramania Swami and me in chanting his name for some twenty minutes or so. Even before this miracle took place, immediately after the Yogi went into samadhi he knocked on the door to Swami's home late one night and passed him his picture before disappearing into the darkness.

Tavayogi had left his heart and soul behind at AVM when he came in 2016. After his recent samadhi he has appeared in our midst to bless us numerous times. The divine has confirmed this on several accounts. The divine has also mentioned of Supramania Swami's presence and blessings prevailing among us. Such is the strong bonds between the guru and his disciple that they look out for us at all times.

As Agathiyar revealed that the one act that excels all other supreme acts of dharmam is to stay faithful and show the path of the Guru to others, our task now would be to continue with the teachings of our gurus, taking heed of their continuous guidance and excelling in this venture of getting back to our father's home. Helping another onto this bandwagon will bring salvation to them in this birth and the births to come.