We are not alone. You can go to the far reaches of the world - there is life around you. You can shut yourself in a monastery - there is life outside its high walls. You can bury yourself in samadhi - there is life in the earth too. It is amazing - the whole world is full of life. There is never a moment of silence or stillness or non motion. If we think that we are alone then we are mistaken. The mistake we make is to equate life with fellow humans. We think alone-ness is the absence of people. Even if there are none with us, there are the plants, tiny creatures and organisms living around us. There are the minute creatures in the air around us. Then there is the spirit of nature and the spirit of goodness. Take in a deep breath and you shall know that you are not alone. Agathiyar is in the breath. Our forefathers are in the air around us. Take a deep breath and you will feel refreshed. Take a walk outdoors and you return energized. The entire world is beaming with life.
We who are earth bound, are told that the earth continues to spin on its axis. The planets keep spinning and moving in their path without our knowledge. The sun and moon give us their darshan each day without failure.
We have read of novels on expeditions to the center of the earth. We have seen movies on it. Agathiyar tells us that there is life within the earth's crust going about with their daily life.
Similarly without us realizing, life goes on within us too. The cells are replenished each moment. The body sheds its old skin and is renewed without our knowledge. The alimentary canal and digestive system all work to keep us fit and alive without a day off, without asking much from us, going about their job without a grumble. The remnants of the food taken several hours ago is being ejected out of our system and body even at this moment, efficiently. The breath moves in and out without our consent.
This is the unseen world around us, within it; above us and within us that is changing every second.
Then there is another world also invisible to us. When Tavayogi brought me on the journey exploring the abodes of the siddhas, he would look towards the sky and turn around to me telling me the siddhas were showering flower petals on us. As we walked the rough terrain he would tell me that they were ushering us. He would pick up certain aromas and smell and mention that they were around. But I never could see, smell nor sense their presence then.
When I was waiting for Nadi Nool Aasan Ramesh to read me my Nadi, I was overcome by emotion and love for Agathiyar who sat at his altar. Ramesh then brings in the Nadi from the adjacent room and begins to read it to me. In his opening words, Agathiyar tells me he saw me shed tears while watching him. During another time I garlanded him at the Sri Sakti Karpaga Vinayagar temple before making my way for the reading. Agathiyar tells me I garlanded him before coming over. After a long lecture on anger management he places me in a couple of rather difficult situations immediately after the reading and waited to see my reaction and how I would respond. Off course I failed the test and blew my top. My family looks up into the sky asking if there were close circuit television cameras fitted in the sky that was linked to the other world. Do we need more proof of the existence of the siddhas and an invisible plane running parallel to us?
Then there is the world of the dead and spirits, again invisible to most of us. We are not alone. We do not die. Although it looks like we have left the physical body after death, we go on living. We go on living in others memories. We go on living in others. We continue to see through others eyes. We speak through others. We live our desires through our children. Dhanvanthri told me that Tavayogi lives in us. Even if he has left his mortal frame there is never a day that we do not talk about him in our home at ATM. He had captured our hearts and souls. He continues to live with us in spirit. He continues to lead us on this journey. If he had taken me physically on a journey of all the siddha abodes when he was around, today he brings me to the subtle world of the siddhas. He went ahead and opened the door to the portal that connects to the other world, bringing many visitations by saints. With him come all the Gods and Goddesses too.
We are limited in vision both physically and mentally. Here is where we need the siddhas to open up our eyes and our minds. Opening our eyes we shall see the unseen, that which is not visible by the naked eyes. Opening our mind we shall acquire the much spoken about arivu that makes us see things from a different perspective, a different angle, a different plane and dimension.
Scientist have made new discoveries with the aid of technology. Technology has helped them bring the unseen world to us. Today we have a better understanding of how things work. Medical science like other sciences has seen a drastic jump in its comprehension and understanding and approach of diseases with the advent and improvement in technology. When my little toddler grand daughter refused to place her right foot on the ground and cried in pain when she took a step forward, we were worried if she had sprained her ankle or worst still had broken her shin bone. But there was no visible signs of a fracture nor a sprain. Her leg looked very normal but as she was in pain each time she moved to take a step, we rushed her to the hospital to have an x-ray taken. Asking to see a child pediatric we were referred to an orthopedic doctor instead. The dear doctor on the onset recognized the problem, asking if she had had a fever recently. That day we learnt that a fever could induce a condition called irritable hip, two weeks after the fever subsides. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/muscle-bone-and-joints/conditions/irritable-hip
With the advent of the internet our work has been simplified too. My work in writing this blog has been made easy too. There is the spell checker that corrects the spelling and even suggest appropriate words. There are the many books made available on the net that help with the references.
But technology in the hands of bad hats has lured victims unknowingly into all kinds of scams losing large amounts of money. My wife once answered an unknown call that cost us a some. It was a call from the Ascension island in the south Atlantic Ocean. The local telephone service provider washed their hands off as she had taken the call, although it was silent on the other end. Today we are extra cautious in answering unknown calls. This is where again we need the help of the siddhas to keep all these dangers at bay. Then we have to be cautious of those who step before us seeking directions or aid and con us or relieve us of our money and jewelry.
Strangers come to ATM for a solution to their problems. Listening to them we realize that their problems is all of their own making. Wrong judgement; wrong investments; wrong moves; falling prey to greed; standing as guarantors to others; these are some of the many reasons that lead to their current situation. Then I have to tell them off that Erai does not settle their debts. They will have too. Some are the only sole bread winner while the rest of the family live on him/her. I need to tell them that each and every member in the family needs to find themselves a job to jointly help settle their debts. Others having gone numerous places and seeing no results they come to be healed and expect a miracle to take place immediately. But the siddhas are not shamans or medicine man, who drive away spirits and heal instantaneously. Neither do the siddhas do mass healing. They study the subject; his behavior and attitude; his faith and belief; his commitment to what is to be said; and most importantly his past karma. The subject might need to engage in certain prayers themselves. Only after this due process of evaluation is done, will they summit to cure or heal. Then they always tell them to be patient. The tangle and the knots that we have created isn't easily untied.
The saints have always included in their prayers to Erai, asking to be save guarded from both seen and unseen dangers. These prayers are recognizable in the numerous songs that serve as protection or a force field known as kavasam. Besides the fear they had of the wild animals in the jungles where they seeked refuge etc, we would have to include more present day dangers of the nature of IT and commercial crimes too. This is where we need to bring the divine into all aspects of our lifes. Seek their protection against dubious people and cheats.
Let us take the hand of the divine as we walk the journey. We need not become a saint. We need not become a legend. We can remain an ordinary person, yet carry out Erai's work. We need not adorn the garb of a mendicant or monk, yet serve Erai's children. We need not take the stage and preach Erai's word but put them into action through all the small and little ways and means as we walk this journey. That is sufficient.
The saints have always included in their prayers to Erai, asking to be save guarded from both seen and unseen dangers. These prayers are recognizable in the numerous songs that serve as protection or a force field known as kavasam. Besides the fear they had of the wild animals in the jungles where they seeked refuge etc, we would have to include more present day dangers of the nature of IT and commercial crimes too. This is where we need to bring the divine into all aspects of our lifes. Seek their protection against dubious people and cheats.
Let us take the hand of the divine as we walk the journey. We need not become a saint. We need not become a legend. We can remain an ordinary person, yet carry out Erai's work. We need not adorn the garb of a mendicant or monk, yet serve Erai's children. We need not take the stage and preach Erai's word but put them into action through all the small and little ways and means as we walk this journey. That is sufficient.