CHASING THE BREATH

Although initially the physical body is required to house and carry the soul, with one's yearning, effort, and the divine's grace, the soul grows and begins to bring change in the very body that it dwells in. While we prepare the ground the soul prepares the body for divine's entry. "A human body is capable of divinizing its owner if properly employed in spiritual endeavors," says Swami Rajarshi Muni in his "Yoga, the Ultimate Attainment", Jaico Publishing House, 1995. He adds, "Therefore a human can be said to be potentially divine, provided the individual strives intelligently and sincerely for the final goal of life, God-realization."

While the Brahman is the source of the atman, the atman when embodied in the cosmos comes to be known as jivatma, so too the breath that was a part of the cosmos became compartmentalized when it entered a body. It leaves the body momentarily to touch its home ground and return again to leave again once more. Upon death, it goes out of the body and enters its true home or merges back into its source. Ramalinga Adigal intentionally left the world to enter the source avoiding death that results in rebirth. Just as he "disappeared" to reappear several times before finally stepping into the source never to return, our breath momentarily merges with its source as it leaves and comes to be identified with the body and self as it enters it again, repeatedly.

When we seek reasons for our sufferings the Siddhas look into our past lives and reveal to us the cause and reasons for it. Similarly, for one who seeks to know the reason to take birth, having lived a life as many do only to realize that that is not his true purpose and that there ought to be something greater in life, he comes to those who have had a glimpse of this purpose. Swami Rajarshi Muni explains our purpose clearly. He explains that,

Through the limiting powers of Brahman's illusion, the bound soul succumbs to Nescience. It then loses awareness of its oneness with Brahman and becomes entangled in the material trappings of Prakriti. Its encasement in the three layers of microcosm creates within it a desire to live and cling to its enveloping bodies. Then because of its ego principle and a lack of discriminative knowledge, it takes the unreal to be real. Thus due to its conditioned consciousness, an embodied soul helplessly comes into being again and again trapped within the cycle of births and death. 

Nobody could have explained it better. Having known our purpose in coming here which is also the first tenet of Agathiyar's revelation on human existence, we can then dive straight into what we came for instead of browsing and surfing around aimlessly for aeons. We were blessed to come to Agathiyar who immediately rolled out the masterplan and showed us his mission and our tasks. He mapped out the route, kept us on track and warned us of the possible dangers, often leaving a gift or treasure along the route as a token and to boost our spirits.

He threw the dice while we walked the distance. When we landed at the bottom of a ladder, we moved up to the top of the ladder speedily. But there were times too where we landed on the head of a snake and had to go down to the bottom of the snake. Ramalinga Adigal too warns of such times as an aspirant ascends the spiritual ladder he would occasionally slip down to having to start again from where he landed. For instance, reaching "Parasorpanam, supra-mental dream, places the aspirant in the dream of enjoying the Grace of the Lord.  This feeling of ecstasy leads him to the next stage of Parasuzhuti, supramental unknowing where the majority of the shackles are removed by the Grace of the Lord. This stage may either lead him to the next higher stage of Parathuriyam, supra-mental perfection where he visualizes the sparks of the Divine Grace or as in certain cases may revert him back to Parasakram where he will be searching for something which he has tentatively lost."

I suppose too that this is where we have slacked and fell umpteen times. For we are told that even standing at the doorway to the abode of the divine if one is not careful he might fall through the trapdoor or slip and fall. We are told that walking this path is akin to walking the razor's edge. Then we start the cycle again.

I think we have had enough of going through this cycle, don't you? But as Supramania Swami says we shall keep shining the lamp and as Tavayogi says we shall keep coming back to perfect it, Agathiyar has promised that he would be there for us in all our births. We feel reassured. When Agathiyar reveals to my children that my younger daughter desired to live out another life and asked that both I and my wife accompany her and both my children wanted to be born again having us as parents, we felt elated. Then it is true that Agathiyar told me it was only because of my daughter that I came to his path. The story of the soul and its travels is pretty amazing as expounded by Agathiyar in the many revelations through the Nadi. 

It is said that a guru comes along when we are ready. But at times he comes ahead of his time if there is a need. A story is told by Dharmalinga Swamigal of Kollimalai who moved to Tiruvannamalai later, in an audio of his, of a potential, soon-to-be disciple, identified and approached by a Siddha asking if he was ready to leave all behind and follow him. But the young man was so engrossed in the worldly things that attracted him much and he could not bring himself to sever his attachment to it. The Siddha left to come again later. If earlier he had given the reason that his mother wished to see him married, now the married man told the Siddha that his mother wanted to see her grandchild. The Siddha left. The Siddha came again to the man in his mid-life. The man told the Siddha that he had a responsibility to get his child married off. The Siddha left to return many years later. This time before the man could give more reasons not to follow him, the Siddha asked for some fresh coconut to quench his thirst. When the man was up the tree the Siddha shouted out "Stop!", and asked him whether he was holding on to the branch or the branch was holding on to him? Immediately the man realized the truth of the statement and how foolishly he had held on to the material world. He left with the Siddha that instant.

Just as the Siddha comes by to remind us of our responsibility to their cause too, and lead us on various practices, techniques, mantras, meditation etc, the Siddhas could come along in many forms to stop, halt or divert us to another platform as they see deemed fit for our soul to progress. Supramania Swami who had just begun on the groundwork to start a temple was stopped by a stranger questioning him why he took a step back into Bhakti? If Tavayogi started me on a wonderful practice based on a beautiful combination of asanas and pranayama, praised by Agathiyar as a treasure and equating it to a treasure-house, Agathiyar came later to stop me from furthering the practice. When it was seen and deemed to have served its purpose, in opening the chakras and energizing them he made known that further practice would only accentuate the results bringing discomfort and pain. The masters come along to break our dependence on things. They come along to break a routine for spiritual evolvement means moving on to new frontiers. Hence the need to move away from tried methods and procedures that were initiated in the very first place, even by the Siddhas.

A story is told in "I Am That", Syda Foundation, 1978 by Swami Muktananda of how Ashtavakra helped King Janaka drop a practice. Janaka who was initiated into the mantra Japa or repetition of a mantra used to practice it on a nearby riverbank daily. As Ashtavakra came along one day, he could not help but notice the king chant the mantra at the top of his voice. Ashtavakra was asking himself the reason for King Janaka to carry on the practice as he was known as "a Videhi Janaka, the one who had gone beyond body consciousness. Although he ruled his kingdom he did so from the state beyond identification with the body. So Ashtavakra wondered why Janaka was repeating the mantra in this manner. Ashtavakra watched Janaka for a while, wondering how he should instruct him."

He sat beside the king with his water bowl and yoga danda and began to chant loudly, "This is my water bowl, this is my yoga danda", repeating it loudly to the annoyance of the king. The king chanted his mantra even louder. Now Ashtavakra raised his voice further. After a while, the king opened his eyes and looked towards Ashtavakra asking him angrily what he was doing? Ashtavakra asked him in return, "What are you doing?" The king replied that he was repeating a mantra. Ashtavakra said he was repeating a mantra too. The king apprehended him asking, "Are you mad. Who told you the bowl and yoga danda were not yours? Why do you need to keep shouting that it belongs to you? Ashtavakra replied to the king, "It seems to me that you are the one who lacks understanding. Who told you that you are not That? Why do you have to go on shouting that you are That?

When Agathiyar says that we have been initiated at birth we understand it to be the breath and prana that supports the whole universe, comes within us for the very first time carrying his seed, his mantra. Later a physical guru ignites it in us, followed by other gurus and upagurus who nurture it. As we begin to move into watching the breath, the following advice from Patanjali might clarify our intention and method in going within.

Meditation does not mean holding a certain object in the mind. Meditation should happen very naturally. It should be completely spontaneous. This space that you attain when the prana goes out and dissolves and when the apana comes in and dissolves, this space where there is no thought, no object, is true meditation. It is natural meditation, the higest meditation.

We now understand pretty well that everything else is an attempt at meditating.

Jnaneshwar Maharaj says of this space, "Once a person is established there, meditation goes on continually, whatever he is doing."

As a kid, I used to go to the theatres early to catch a glimpse of the trailers of the upcoming movies, those coming soon and next change. So let us take a peek at what is instore next if we manage to excel this stage.

Reading "I Am That", we come to understand the nature of the dormant power or energy within us. We are told that the dormant inner kundalini, once activated it begins to unfold its beauty. Until it awakens it is all purely our effort, putting in hours of sadhana. Upon awakening "naturally", yoga takes place according to the inspiration of God. It goes on spontaneously, rising, traveling, traversing and moving within the body, akin to pent up energy that has been unleashed. But its effects are not standard. Neither are they uniform. They need not apply to all. It varies from person to person depending on their temperament and nature, fitness and readiness in their existing state of body and mind. It does create havoc in many.

Once harnessed and subdued, by the divine hands working in liaison with it, it does many wonders we are told. It purifies the fluids in the body; It strengthens the body; Meditation occurs naturally; Knowledge arises on its own; The inner world is revealed as seeing pictures within, seeing the entire universe within; Traveling to different inner worlds; Clairaudience happens; New colors from the spectrum are seen; Scintillating inner lights are seen; Divine sound and music is heard; the senses are enhanced; subtle flavors not of this world are tasted; celestial fragrances abound and yoga postures and pranayama take place spontaneously.

Pandit Gopi Krishna who had the first-hand experience in this energy having activated spontaneously without his knowing, in his book "Kundalini - Path to Higher Consciousness", Orient Paperbacks, 1976,  reminds us that raising the Kundalini is not for the faint-hearted.

Considering the colossal nature of the physical and mental metamorphosis that has to be effected as a prelude to spiritual unfoldment, I do not wonder at the accompanying trials and tribulations since the mystic state represents the last and most arduous lap of the journey which began with man's ascent from dust, it terminates with his tasting, after suffering and travail the incomparable bliss of unembodied existence, not after death but within his span of life on earth.

Studying the yoga systems he says,

Living bodies owe their existence to prana, an extremely subtle immaterial substance pervading the universe which is the cause of all organic phenomena controlling the organisms by means of the nervous system and the brain, manifesting itself as the vital energy.

The existence of a subtle life element prana, the cosmic life energy and its subtle biological conductor in the body which pervades each cell of every tissue and fluid, that sustains the activity of the brain and nervous system. The prana has a biological component in the brain, an extremely fine biochemical essence of a highly delicate and volatile nature extracted by the nerves, generating subtle radiation.

He adds,

Normally the work of extraction of prana to feed the brain is done by a limited group of nerves, but with the awakening of Kundalini, other and more extensive groups of nerves are stirred to activity, leading to the transmission of an enormous and enhanced supply of a more concentrated form of pranic radiation into the brain drawn, from a vastly increased area of the body.

The Pandit clarifies that oxygen is not prana but rather a vehicle for prana to travel and transverse throughout the body. The air we breathe is permeated with prana and this vital current flows through us along with the air we breath. Breath and prana are not identical. Prana utilizes oxygen as the main vehicle for its activity.

Prana is an inseparable part of the cosmic energy or Shakti. Shakti, when applied to inorganic matter, is a force and when to the organic plane is life. In yoga parlance, prana is life and life is prana. Life and vitality in the sense used here do not mean soul or the spark of the divine in man. Prana is merely the life energy by which divinity brings into existence the organic kingdom and acts on the organic structure as it creates and acts on the universe by means of physical energy.

He says the earth has its own supply of prana, pervading every atom and molecule. Similarly, the sun constantly sends out "an enormous supply of pranic radiation on earth." The moon too is a big supplier of prana for the earth, and so are all the other planets and stars, all inexhaustible stores of prana.

Walking barefoot and grounding oneself with Mother Earth, gives abundance prana. Moving into the sunshine provides additional prana. Taking long dips in rivers, lakes, seas and other sources of water, even in our bathtubs and during showers, increases prana. Rapidly inhaling and exhaling brings more prana within that can be felt expanding to the verge of the body bursting and rupturing. Sitting in front of an open fire provides more prana. A walk in the open through the woods or green meadows energizes us thanks to the prana.

Pandit Gopi Krishna who "had aroused this physic energy in his life" speaks about the result of that sudden outburst one day after putting in years of meditation, his first encounter with the serpent energy where "he had his first glimpse into the superconscious state and saw fabulous Kundalini in action."

He felt himself slipping out of the body.

I felt the point of consciousness that was myself growing wider and wider, spreading outward while the body, appeared to have receded into the distance. I became all consciousness. I was no longer myself or to be more accurate no longer as I knew myself to be a small point of awareness confined in a body, but instead was a vast circle of consciousness in which the body was but a point.

He explains,

There had been an expansion of my own self, my own consciousness and the transformation had been brought about by the vital current that had started from below the spine and found access to my brain through the backbone.

He states that the ancients considered Kundalini as "the queen of the nervous system, controlling all the thousand of nadis or nerves in the body and for the same reason have designated her as Adhara Shakti on which depends the existence of the body and the universe, microcosm, and macrocosm."

The journey and travel of this energy culminate in "Divine Effulgence."

But it all has to start somewhere. Since the breath helps unite us with the self from which we have become separated, now we understand the reason why we are continuously reminded to go within for we are told that there is much bliss within compared to what the world and mankind have to offer. If earlier we seeked darshan of the Lord externally, as we move up on the spiritual ladder, the focus is turned within and tuned in on the breath. With darshan of the breath comes darshan of the Lord and the Light. 

RENDERING THINGS PLIABLE

When our thoughts are disturbed nothing we do will turn out right. When we are disturbed and confused even a Nadi reading will not turn right. This goes for the reader too. Similarly, when we are disturbed or distracted, no initiation from the guru will serve its purpose said the divine. The solution is for us to sort out all our problems on hand and come back with an attitude of total surrender. The solution is not in the Nadi, not with the guru and not another person be it a best friend or colleague. The solution only dawns when we sit in quietude and reflect on the problem. The divine within us will come to our aid then. In these moments of solitude, everything will be made crystal clear. Its time we quit blamming others for our shortcomings and failures and start looking withing for the resons and answers.

Using the power of the Infinity Stones, Thanos believes he can ultimately save the universe by wiping out half of its population, thinking it would solve probems. 

Why might halving a population make the world a better place? Here on Earth, human overpopulation has been blamed for many of our biggest problems. For mankind, that includes pandemics, starvation and access to clean, fresh water. For the planet, that means pollution, climate change and the collapse of biodiversity.

In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos explains that his home world of Titan faced similar problems, leading to a global catastrophe, which is why he feels compelled to 'save' the cosmos from the same fate -- by reducing its population. If we imagine overpopulation as a disease, rather than fighting symptoms such as climate change, why not treat the underlying cause: people?

(Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2018/04/30/avengers-infinity-war-overpopulation)

Similarly many take it upon themselves to correct the wrong. Some think by exposing and unveiling the fake holy man, they are doing others a favor. But the divine has other plans. It created and set everything in motion numerous laws to carry out the many functions and keep tab on them and took a back seat and took delight in watching his creation spin, expand and evolve.  

Many a time we realized that our judgment of people and events were wrong in the eyes of Agathiyar. He seemed to approve what we thought was wrong. We shut up after that not daring to speak about other's matters and how they managed them. Today we have come to accept things knowing that it all happens for a reason only known to him.

Does that mean that we let it take place? No. Just as when he reveals the reasons for our sufferings he takes us to our past and goes through the catalog of our past records and files to identify the source and cause of it; so is it with treatment where he goes within and identifies the root cause of the disease or illness, what Agathiyar says is not to have a direct confrontation but to work on the cause. 

Hence penance, atonements, and remedies came to be done. In cases where there is no avenue for us to directly engage ourselves we seek the aid of the divine, through prayers. From https://en.wikipedia.org/ we learn that:

The Dharmasastras list many types of Prāyaścitta or penance. These include:

• Abhiśasta (public confession): a person visits homes as a beggar, seeks forgiveness, confesses his crime and asks for food.

• Anutāpa (repentance): a person loathes the evil he did, reminds and repeats to himself "I shall not do that again".

• Prāṇāyāma (restraint of breath): a person does breath control exercises similar to yoga.

• Tapas: a person performs austerity such as celibacy, wearing wet clothes till they dry on his body, sleeping on ground or fasting.

• Homa: a fire sacrifice accompanied with kusmanda mantras.

• Japa: muttering Vedic prayers, either audibly, inaudibly or mentally.

• Dāna: giving away gifts such as cow, horse, land, butter, sesame seeds and food to the needy.

• Upavāsa or Vratas: restricting one's diet, such as by eating bland foods or small quantity as a self reminder of penance, sometimes with vows. These are the most common form of penance prescribed in Dharma texts of Hinduism.

• Tirtha (pilgrimages): going on foot to distant pilgrimage sites, or to bathe in holy rivers.

These will help soften and make the problems pliable and easy to handle rather than go face on and meet the tough mountain. The way of the Tao speaks of this too.

Today we understand why there are so many ways, means, approaches and doctrines and teachings of the one subject we all adore - God. The reason is each is based on a revelation or experience of an individual where those around him/ her seeing the wisdom in him/ her parade his ideas and ideology. Along the way, there is bound to be adulteration and add ons to his/ her sermons, alterations in the texts etc. But at the core of it all lies love for God. Agathiyar's stand in this has been "Let it be."

Ramalinga Adigal on charting out the many levels on the soul's journey finally admits that there are many more stages that cannot be described. He hesitates to talk about it. We understand why. When we cannot figure out and envision the many stages he has described before hitting that point that cannot be described, if we are struggling and attempting to conceive the inconceivable as of this stages, how can we understand these higher levels. When Tavayogi repeats the same thing over and over again in all his sermons, he tells me that we are not listening, hence the need to keep repeating. When Agathiyar tells us that we have been taking numerous births, again and again, listing out some of this to us, he is telling us subtly that we did not listen before.

We can gauge ourself as to where we stand on this ladder as defined and explained by Ramalinga Adigal in his collection of writings in the Arutpa, further simplified and brought to us by Dr.C.Srinivasan in his "The Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami", Ilakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi (1968).

For the proper understanding of Uiranubavam, the achievement of the soul in the human body, one has to know the various stages of spiritual experiences.  

• Human beings leading a mundane life, without even a thought of its transient nature, are said to be in the normal wakefulness Jeevasakram.  They are alert only for trivial things; they are cautious for the acquisition of wealth, gold or land, of women and wine and of name and fame by all means indiscriminate.  There are two more stages in this kind of imperfect indulgences such as Jeevasorpanam, normal dreaming, and Jeevasuzhuthi, normal ignorance at sleep.  

• The domain of the spiritualist is Suddhasakram perfect wakefulness.  He is conscious of the real and the unreal and the transitory nature of the world. The worldly things, are nothing to him.  He is really aware of the momentary nature of life and of the ever-existing supreme deity.  When this perfect wakefulness is saturated in him he is able to visualize the existence of the Lord Supreme.  

• The next stage in the perfected line of ascent is Suddhasorpanam, perfect dream.  The aspirant of this experience will be in his dreamland of God and Godly things.  He will be dreaming to see the lotus feet of the Lord and feeling an inseparable union with His feet in his untiring search for him.  

• Gradually he enters into the stage of Suddhasuzhithi, perfect and conscious ignorance.  At this stage, the aspirant is not aware of anything except God.  

• The next stage is Suddhathuriam, perfect experience of the dawn of sparks.  The lust and the veil which have been covering the soul hitherto for generations by the influence of the impure devil power, Asuddhamaya are shed one after another and the soul is gradually cleansed by the sparks emanating from the Supreme Light of Grace.  The soul is bound by the shackles of Purusha.  However, the melting mood and the spontaneous impulse of love for God, overwhelm the aspirant.  

• The next stage of higher wakefulness, Parasakram is supposed to pave the way for the sphere of heavenly experiences in the ladder of ascent in the pursuit of the Divine.  The mind and its four different aspects at this stage of supra-mental awareness are alert and conscious of only the Supreme God and His Grace.  At this moment the aspirant does now know whether he is conscious of anything other than his Divine pursuit.  

• The next stage Parasorpanam, supra-mental dream, places the aspirant in the dream of enjoying the Grace of the Lord.  This feeling of ecstasy leads him to the next stage of ..

• Parasuzhuti, supramental unknowing where the majority of the shackles are removed by the Grace of the Lord. This stage may either lead him to the next higher stage of ..

• Parathuriyam, supra-mental perfection where he visualizes the sparks of the Divine Grace. The experience of Parathuriyam is by itself the tasting of God albeit it is not ultimate. The entelechy of the soul at this stage depends not only upon the extent of penance, devotion, and incessant love for the Lord but also upon the level of compassion, sacrifice and scrupulous service to all the living organisms indiscriminately, human or non-human. The soul is charged with Divine Grace and it is conscious of nothing but the glory of the Supreme Grace.  God is so merciful as to remove the shackles of the aspirant in order to exhibit the real nature of His Sublime Grace.  When the aspirant is able to visualize the inestimable magnitude of His Grace, he is naturally able to realize his smallness.  The Swami explains that whenever he is able to perceive of, he is conscious of the Divine and whenever he is unable to perceive of, he becomes one with the Divine extricating the egoistic self. Since the veil of the diabolic power which has so far concealed the virtual greatness of the soul, has begun to disintegrate, the soul is able to see for itself its own true color and luster.  This is spoken of as self-realization.  Now the soul besides being immersed in an unprecedented ecstatic delight realizes its own true nature.  In the words of the Swami, the soul is in the form of an atomic particle several million times as brilliant as the Sun. 

• The next higher stage of Sivasakram or Gurusakram and subsequent stages are governed by the Grace of the Lord Supreme.  The possibility of enjoying these divine stages depends upon the extent of the descent of Grace in the soul.  There are thousands of verses yearning for the Grace to pervade in him.  The sanction is not so simple as it appears.   It was perhaps miraculously easy for the Swami to be blessed with all these experiences.  Many souls of this world have attained this stage and only a few could ascend further.  Most of them were either overpowered by the extra-ordinary brilliance of the soul and mistook it for the brilliance of the Supreme Grace or were disappointed by their inability to proceed further.  At this stage, the aspirant is able to perceive the Supreme Grace in the form of light.  This is the secret of this philosophy.  The descent of divinity in the individual is gradually profuse.  There are three forms of Supreme Light which will beneficially act upon the human body of the purified soul for the infusion of Grace.  The tremendous power of the Sun is offered to fill in through the eyes of the enabling aspirant to do all wonders at will.  The Supreme Light of Grace dawns in the sanctified intellect of the aspirant empowering him to disseminate the soothing principles of Grace.  The illumination of a higher power called Parai is disbursed in the mind of the aspirant enriching him to gain supremacy in the domain of the Supreme Grace. These three different kinds of rays supply the necessary energy for divine photosynthesis in alchemizing the fundamental elements of the human frame in which the perfected soul is enshrined.  The soul is saturated with compassion and the body appears to be an incarnation of immeasurable love for the living - not to speak of human beings.  This transcendent body of the aspirant is supposed to experience real divine life Uiranubavam and it is called Suddhadeham purified body or golden body or body of love.  It may be clearly understood that the experience of divine life in the purified body is known as Uiranubavam.  This experience is realized in the highly elevated sphere of the soul at this esteemed stage, in the supernatural purified body.  The achievements of the soul at this stage are many.  The foremost is the transformation of the impure body, into a pure body.  The experience of the soul in this body makes the aspirant love incarnate.  In other words, the aspirant visualizes the universality of love in all fellow beings.  He realizes the oneness of life in all living organisms; he is able to see a fraction of Divinity in all live creatures in the form of a spark of light, that is life in them. A little harm done to any living organism of the universe wounds him very much.  He is pained to see even the withering of a plant for want of water.  As by now, all his senses are capable of perceiving everything regardless of space and time he is worried all the more.  Since he is realizing his own self, he becomes eligible to visualize his smallness and the greatness of the Lord Supreme.  Unless one sees within himself his true nature, he cannot - nay - will not understand the reality and greatness of the omnipotent and omnipresent God.  As he has by now conquered all the elements and their influences, his own mind, space, time and the like, he is above all the thatvas and sees the reality of his soul. The more he realizes his smallness the more he sees the greatness of God in him as a result of which he is delighted.  The aspirant is able to feel the inestimable love of God, the spontaneous flow of Grace for him, if only he prepares the ground for Him to descend.  The love of the individual for God and the manifestation of God in all living things is automatically reciprocated and sublimated as Supreme Grace of Mercy, as God Himself is absolute love. In fact, the Swami goes a step further to point out that it is only the love of God that has alchemized his body and brought him all bliss and eternal happiness.  Love of God is not only the means for the realization of God but is an end in itself as God is love.  Above all, at this stage, the aspirant is able to see with his own eyes the Lord Supreme in such a form for which he has become eligible to receive and bear.  The brilliance of the Lord is so inexplicably intense and powerful that the aspirant should have made his body and senses so perfect as to receive Him.  Unless there is such a divine perfection of the individual there cannot be the seeing or descent of God in him.  The argument is very simple for those who wish to see God.  Unless one has seen one’s self one can never see God and unless one has become perfect in everything one is ineligible even to bear the presence of God.  What will happen to the sensual body and the vicious eye even before an incandescent arc lamp of several million watts power?  To move in such a tremendous speed in a sputnik, man has to put on protective armor lest he should be blown to pieces.  In the words of Swami, the brightness of God Supreme is measured in terms of several million times and more the brilliance of the sun, the moon and the universal fire put together. We are concerned with the experiences of the Swami at this level and he says that he was tempted to embrace the Supreme God. The external embrace is possible only at this stage.  It is only here that the aspirant is enjoying Supreme Grace. At this and ..

• subsequent higher stages we transcend and enter into ecstatic delight.  These stages are beyond human perception as we are attempting to conceive the inconceivable, to realize the unrealizable and apprehend the inapprehensible.  The aspirant is already endowed with such a purified mind and body that the Grace of the Lord Supreme is incessantly filling in his mortal frame.  He, therefore, with infusing power and cosmic strength is able not only to visualize but pierce through his onward march to and into the Supreme God and Godhood. 

"Now I am afraid, that I am exceeding my limits and daring the tread on the Divine path which can by no means be imagined. The sacred book of the divine song of Grace, Tiruarutpa and the very strong conviction that I am led by the Will of the God Supreme, strengthen my nerves to proceed in this endeavor. The stages of spiritual experiences enlisted so far are of one kind. Still higher stages are heavenly. Here the mind fails to conceive and all the senses cease to function. Austerity and penance of the highest order are needed for the ascent of the soul not only to get at the descent of the Divine Grace but for its accumulation further and further in the gnostic pursuit.", writes Sreenivasan of the journey ahead. 

• At the next stage of Sivasorpanam or Gurusorpanam, Supreme dream - the aspirant dreams of the divine embrace if at all he poses to sleep. 

• The next is Sivasuluthi, supreme tranquillity where the soul is neither conscious of its own self nor ignorant of it.  Here the Supreme Grace flows into the body of the aspirant more and more and the enlightened body prepares itself for the next higher sublime stage of ..

• Sivathuriam or Guruthuriam. The plane of experiences becomes transcendent.  The Swami discloses that his body has by then been transformed into Pranavadeham or body of Grace. The stages of experiences are divine.  At this stage, he could visualize the God Supreme fully and merge with the Supreme-Grace-Light.  The enjoyment of the Supreme Light is the experiences of this stage. This effulgent stage is again very high.  It is beyond the reach of most of the so-called great saints and seers.  The Swami himself points out that this stage was attained by a few great souls like Muthuthandavar, Thathuvarayar and the like.  The irresistible bliss of this stage had engulfed the seers and they were perhaps, satisfied with the excessive happiness of this stage and even felt it to be the consummation of their goal. He feels diffident to express his feelings of ecstatic delight of this and still higher stages.  But their consecration was exceedingly high and they were permitted to enjoy the ultimate and eternal happiness of all the six divine paths such as Suddha Siddhanatham, Suddha Vedantham, Suddha Nadantham, Suddha Kalantham and Suddha Bhodantham.  It is only at this level the divine aspirant gets Samarasa Suddha Sanmargam, the divine objective of the Swami.  The realization of this gnostic stage permits the aspirant into the threshold of Sanmargam where alone the conquest of death is possible.  The Swami has set forth the truth of experiencing the exuberant bliss at this stage of Sivathuriam as  Sanmargam. He has been benevolent enough to explain the splendor and glory of the extremely effulgent stages as ..

• Suddhasivasakram and so on.  These extra-ordinarily supreme stages have been explained for the first time only by the Swami.  He has emphatically narrated the Supreme Bliss of his being in the kingdom of God Supreme. 

In https://www.world-religions-professor.com/tao.html we get to understand the reason Ramalinga stops at that without further elaboration.

The first line of the most important text in Taoism expresses the difficulty in describing or defining the supreme ultimate. "The Tao that is said to be the Tao is not the Tao; the Name that is said to be the Name is not the Name." In other words, we cannot describe it in language. It cannot be reduced to words or concepts - it is infinite, mysterious, and exceeds all words no matter how poetic.  

Dr Srivasan continues on the further stages with hesitation too.

At the happy realization of this resplendent stage of Sivathuriam in which the aspirant has been transformed into a Godly being with concentrated Divine Grace, his body is known as Pranavadeham, body of Grace - a stage in which the God Supreme has found a perfect place to dance or rather a body wherein the Supreme Grace has flowed.  At this stage, a complete union of the aspirant with the Supreme God in and out is fructified.  The Swami feels diffident to express the tremendous feeling of the ecstatic delight of this state.   But he has given expression to this stage that it is the Supreme bliss throughout and the Supreme Lord harmoniously integrates with the aspirant.  Only the chosen gifted souls enter into this realm of this really eternal bliss.  Many could not reach this stage and hence have become stagnant then and there at different levels of attainments.  Many are lost in the Bliss.  However, a few being overpowered by the Bliss imbibing the Grace remain here itself.  Fewer still enjoying the Bliss more and more and being charged with saturated Supreme Grace evolve further and further.  The next higher stage of this Godhood is spoken of as Suddhasivasakram - Absolute Supreme Consciousness.   The most celestial subsequent stages are Suddha Siva Sorpanam, Suddha Siva Suzhuthi, Suddha Siva Thuriam and Suddha Siva Thuriadeetham.  

Ramalinga Adigal "says that he has tasted the bliss of all the sixteen stages contemplated by the Vedas by the permutation and combination of the four paths such as Devotion, Action, Meditation, and Wisdom one after another and attained higher and truer perfection with the aid of the Supreme Grace, besides the ultimate goal of all the six heavenly avenues such as Vedantham, Siddhantham and so on, (Suddha Siddhanatham, Suddha Vedantham, Suddha Nadantham, Suddha Kalantham and Suddha Bhodantham) leading to Divinity.  He has further given an exposition of his admittance into Sanmargam by the bounteous and boundless descent of the auspicious Supreme Being in him which has resulted in his immortality. He has specifically defined and repeatedly sworn that his path is Sanmargam in which the aspirant becomes immortal."

The outwitting accomplishment of this supramental and transcendent stage, a stage which cannot be conceived of by human intellect and endeavour unless with a tinge of Divine Grace, a stage which is beyond the reach of many seekers due to either subjective or objective shortcomings, a stage which has to be attained by the devout aspirant but with the sublime sanction of the Supreme Grace, is the Divine embrace of the Lord Supreme. This holy embrace is characterised by the Swami as external merger of the Divine.

All these absolutely supreme stages are explained by the Swami for the first time as enjoyed by him. In all of them the merging of the Supreme Godhead is explicitly declared. The highest stage in this Sanmarga philosophy is the most sublime and most supreme where the Swami unites with the Supreme Godhead. The most superior Divinity merges in him fully and completely. The ecstatic bliss overwhelms him perpetually.  

There are several verses explaining the eternal union and communion of the Supreme God.  

"The Lord Supreme who has established a fondling abode in me got Himself not only merged in me but got me merged in Him.  He became one with me.  He became Himself realized in me.  The supremely sweet Lord dancing in the arena of pure knowledge and wisdom is in me in a state of blissful ambrosia."

Hence we understand why Agathiyar told us to Let it be. Do not argue. Do not enter a confrontation. But yet we tend to hold on to words, concepts, doctrine, text, scriptures, etc, willing to give our lives to protect it, defending these ideologies and words.

So, when we describe or define it, we are merely approximating it - not encapsulating it in its essence or totality. Thus, we cannot become rigid or dogmatic about it, its qualities, nature or workings. We cannot know it intellectually or analytically; however, we can discern or intuit its presence and workings by developing certain virtues within us and following certain practices in our lives. (Source: https://www.world-religions-professor.com/tao.html )

When we progress we tend to drop our earlier understanding of things and matters, we tend to drop our love and attachment for certain things moving on to grab new ones. This is all part of evolvement. But it doesn't mean that all those in the past were wrong. We needed those to experience certain values that we seeked to learn in life. Knowing this we need not carry the feeling of guilt that we have wronged. For both individuals had agreed upon to come to work out this play and the divine has sanctioned it.

We understand now that there are many souls waiting to enter a physical body of their choice, through the process of taking human birth. Although initially the physical body is required to house and carry the soul, with one's yearning, effort and the divine's grace, the soul grows and begins to bring change in the very body that it dwells in akin to one moving into a new home and with the passing of time and accumulation of material wealth takes to renovate the home to accommodate the needs of its occupants. The soul prepares the body for Erai's entry. As the prime minister stands alongside, but slightly to the back of the king, who occasionally turns slightly to whisper to him, and as Agathiyar stood beside Lord Muruga, and slightly to the back of him at Carey Island, so too the soul stands alongside but slightly at the back of the divine that comes to reside momentarily initially and then for good, in one's body.

TUMULTS IN THE SPIRITUAL PATH

I am a very critical person, critical of all things. Knowing my nature I was led to two wonderful gurus who have since left their physical body. I am now under the direct care of Agathiyar, for I chose not to seek another mortal as my guru after their demise. I sat at their feet and studied under them. They did not go into lengthy discourses or carry out classes that enlightened us immediately. Neither did they enlighten me with the touch or their glance - initially. Nor did they give talisman or magic portions to expediate the process. They took me by my hand and started me on a practical way rather than dish out hours of lecture and pass lecture notes. I learned from example. I saw how humble Supramania Swami was. I saw how humble Tavayogi was. I saw how humble Agathiyar was. They were down to earth in nature, and easily accessible. Although they are no more in the physical form their presence is deeply felt. 

A guru can disappoint you. Yes, be prepared for it. Even if God was to take an Avatar he will carry some flaws. For the flaws are required to take human birth. Man equates the divine even then as another and judges him similarly. So did my gurus disappoint me? Yes on occasions. I begged to differ in the handling and approach to matters on hand. I thought I would have handled the situation differently. But today I have come to learn that what we see, analyze and understand is quite different from how they see and understand things. We only can see this much. We cannot even see whats beyond the corner without the road safety convex mirrors. We cannot even see the traffic several kilometers ahead of us without the GPS navigation software apps like Waze to tell/ show us. We cannot see beyond the mountain without drones that bring us these amazing images of the new frontiers beyond our sight and knowledge. We cannot see the nature and culture of others without physically taking a plane ride across the seas to these countries. We cannot fathom the skies and the frontiers beyond the atmosphere without the artificial intelligence employed in space crafts, space stations, and space telescopes like the Hubble. We are all so limited in our vision. But the saints travel without physically vacating their place. They travel through time zones, into the past and future without the aid of gadgets or equipment. And so when they make known the reasons for either their non-interference or their acceptance, I wish I could go into hiding for having made wrong judgments on others. 

Today I understand that it is not easy being a guru or a mentor. You are being watched and followed. Many shall come to you seeking all kinds of advice. People shall come to you with their problems: financial, health, domestic, career, etc seeking instant remedy and a solution, a magic formula. Many come just to drop their baggage of discontentment, anger, worries, fear, etc and leave. Some come to question, debate and argue. Others come full and vomit all that they have learned from the books, gurus and other resources. Few come to just sit and listen. A handful comes without any expectations, never making their presence known. The divine too comes and leaves without anyone noticing. 

I for one did not go in search of a spiritual guru. I was quite complacent to do some reading and putting into practice what I read. I was a bachelor and had just taken on a new job my first. I was only twenty then I had all the time on my hands. So I took up devotion and prayers learning from books, to occupy my time after office hours. I read a lot munching hungrily into the pages of these books looking for something that I could not put my finger on. What was I looking for? I guess I just wanted to equip myself with knowledge, mostly depending on the books that I bought. Although the basics of the computer systems were already in use in the early 1900's, the PC and the internet were only discovered and were not available to the masses than in 1980. Networking and the Web were in its infant stage and had yet to take the world by storm then. The website https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/networking-the-web/ takes us back to the history of this wonderful discovery that grabs and holds the attention even of toddlers these days. 

Like the Volkswagen Beetle and modern freeway systems, the Telex messaging network comes out of the early period of Germany’s Third Reich. Telex starts as a way to distribute military messages, but soon becomes a world-wide network of both official and commercial text messaging.. Telex uses teleprinters, which date back to the 1910s for use in telegraphy. 

Belgian Paul Otlet has a modest goal: collect, organize, and share all the world’s knowledge. Otlet had co-created a massive “search engine” starting in the early 1900s. His Mundaneum now combines enhanced card catalogs with sixteen million entries, photos, documents, microfilm, and more. He is working on integrating telegraphy and multiple media, from sound recordings to television.

In the 1930s British writer H.G. Wells and American scientist Vannevar Bush are advancing similar goals—Wells with his “World Brain” writings and Bush with the Memex, a sort of microfilm-based Web browser. These approaches to organizing information differ. But all share key features of today’s Web, including automated cross-references – which we call hyperlinks.

In the 1950s several visionaries including Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart independently suggest computerizing the concept of cross-references, creating the clickable link we use on the Web. Nelson calls it a “hyperlink,” and the computerized text “hypertext.” Along with graphics pioneer Andries van Dam they develop many core computing functions such as word processing, online collaboration, and hypertext links. 

Designed to detect Russian nuclear bombers, the IBM-built SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) pioneers many technologies including a special-purpose form of networking. There are 23 computer centers across North America, communicating with radar stations, counter-attack aircraft, and each other — all in real-time, as potentially threatening events are happening.

By the early 1960s many people can share a single computer, using terminals (often repurposed teleprinters) to log in over phone lines. These timesharing computers are like central hubs with spokes radiating to individual users. Although the computers generally can't connect to each other, these are the first common multi-user systems, with dozens of people online at the same time. As a result, timesharing pioneers many features of later networks, from file sharing to e-mail and chat. Typical 1960s users are a mix of business people, bank employees, students and researchers, and military personnel.

Online transaction processing makes its debut in IBM´s SABRE reservation system, set up for American Airlines. 

Switched on in late October 1969, the ARPAnet is the first large-scale, general-purpose computer network to connect different kinds of computers together.

Until the late 1970s the momentum in computing has been all about togetherness – users first sharing computers, then linking over networks and soon networks of networks. But the rise of the personal computer from the mid 1970s makes something once unthinkable an everyday reality: a standalone computer for just one person. While the new machines can be connected to networks and to each other, a lot of users both at home and work don't bother. They run their own programs off of floppy disks. The “personal computer revolution” begins to push back against the centralized control of network system administrators, a trend that won't fully reverse until the 2000s and the emergence of “the cloud.”

In 1980 Tim Berners-Lee at the CERN physics laboratory creates Enquire, a networked hypertext system used for project management but with far greater ambitions. It seeks to categorize hyperlinks in a way that can be read by computers as well as people. Berners-Lee will go on to invent the World Wide Web, partly based on Enquire.

I used to discuss what I read on religion and spiritualism with several elderly colleagues and friends. I had so many questions then. I had so many dreams about Gods and Goddess. People would appear in the dreams, whom I came to know later, were saints. It was so regular that I would go to bed with a pen or pencil and a notepad. I would immediately jot down the dream upon waking up. No one could explain these dreams. I frequented the temples daily besides worshiping at dawn and dusk.

Then I began to question myself when I saw things that disappointed me. The very Gods and Goddesses who were worshipped did not protect but instead harmed their devotees as in the case of my friends and their family members. Then men chosen to serve and carry out their duties at the temples and places of worship disappointed me with their attitude, bickering, and infighting. These drove me away from the temples and I began to engage in home puja more intently. But the confusion I had with regards to the happenings around me never went away. I was angry with people and the divine for I could not get answers. I became more confused day by day. That is when Lord Siva came in my dream and told me to lay off for a while. I did what I was told. I stopped all form of worship both at home and in the temples. I stopped reading. Coincidently or was it, it so happened that I was removed from the existing circle of friends and the community in this seaside town of Lumut and transferred to the megacity of Kuala Lumpur. 

I went into hibernation as I did not have the avenue and space to conduct worship and prayers in privacy, sharing a room with a colleague in downtown Kuala Lumpur. 14 years went by as I took to and alternated between my work and my new family. Today when I reflect upon these times I realize and come to an understanding that it was a period where I had to discharge or shed off the skin, as they say, all the reading and bookish knowledge that I had picked up over the years. The vessel was being emptied. 

When I was ready to be filled by the divine with his direct knowledge he came in a mysterious manner. It was a Saturday afternoon in 2001. My nephew who knocked on my door came with a mantra to deliver. As he called me over to my altar he asked that I sit opposite him. His body quivered as if something or someone had entered him. He asks to repeat a mantra. He asked me to get a rosary to help keep count. I started doing what I was told without question. He asked that I do not question its source. He told me it was in preparation to meet my guru soon. 

After a few days, he came back with a painting of Lord Dhakshanamurthy to be kept and worshiped at my altar. 

The first time I received the Vasudeva Mantra in the confines of my prayer room where the divine itself came into my home to deliver me and to deliver his mantra through my nephew, I was told not to question what was to take place. I did as asked. Many years on my nephew reveals what took place that evening and how he was instructed to be a tool to deliver the message and initiation into the Vasudeva mantra by agents of Agathiyar himself.

When I went for my very first Nadi reading the following year in 2002, I set in awe speechless listening to Agathiyar reveal about things that I did not know about myself. I did not interrupt asking questions or clearing my doubts. I did not infer nor try to comprehend and understand. Neither did I doubt a word being said. I received all that I was told without a second thought. When I met my first guru Supramania Swami as foretold, he revealed about things that Agathiyar had spoken of in the Nadi, although I had not breath a word about it to him. I sat shedding tears profusely during the whole time of that remarkable and memorable 5 hours in his presence.

When I was told to carry our remedies I set off happily doing it, not questioning or doubting even for a moment the authenticity of the words in the Nadi. I accepted that I was to blame and I had to fully take responsibility for my past actions and not ask for crooked ways to escape from the "punishment" waiting to be meted out to me. I had to untangle the knot that I had spun or the mess I had made. Agathiyar was not only showing me the mess that had got myself into but very gracefully was pointing to the means to clean it up. The Nadi revelation reminded me to clean up my act or face the consequences again and again. I would never come out of it stepping into bigger and more fulfilling things if I were to spend all my life and future births coming back just to clean the mess I made in the previous and earlier births. Agathiyar stood as a beacon at sea and a lighthouse on the cliff. He was there when danger sprang; he was there to guide this ship from danger. From being an Aircraft Marshall, who issues and guides through visual signals, a plane to take off the aircraft carrier, from the tarmac of the runway or helipad, he soon came to take control of the steering itself, piloting us while we laid back and watched, taking in the sights and sounds. He is steering us through the calm waters of the canals and waterways of Paris and Kerala. He is taking us for a ride, not in the negative sense. 

Today he showed me a glimpse of the light. I used to see a dim light in the dark space before me as I close my eyes to sit in silence trying to concentrate, contemplate and meditate. It wasn't something to cry about. It would go away fading away within several minutes. But today at 3am it came on its own accord brighter exactly like the flame that appears once we light an oil lamp. No bigger in intensity or brightness, just a plain flame that arises from burning a wick in an earthen oil lamp. There was no agal, just the flame wavering in mid-air. It was there for several minutes and faded away. The irony is that I did not even try to see or envision it. As I am fond of cleaning, both the home and my gadgets, I was formatting my notebook and smartphone for the umpteen time. I had just shut down my notebook after staying awake for Windows to reset my OS. As I drew the blanket up and lay my head on the pillow, the flame shone on its own accord in my forehead.

Now I understand why our saints and elders always asked us to light a lamp. 

• When Ramalinga Adigal stepped into his room at Sidhi Valagam for the very last time he had brought the lamp he had worshiped outside and told his followers to worship the flame, regarding it as the divine itself; 
• When the divine recently came on through a devotee asking us to worship the flame that always was kept burning at ATM, he had us bring it to the center stage and contemplate on it as the divine; 
• When Supramaniam Swami asked me to light a lamp when I returned to Malaysia telling me that he would come and go through the flame and observe us; 
• When a cousin of my colleague picked up an uninvited guest while he went to ease himself during a booze session, the deity asked to head for a temple giving the directions too and merged with the light, leaving the cousin to recover;
• When Tavayogi told me Agathiyar comes as light, I did not know how it would be, whether as a spotlight shining, a car headlight beaming, or as the sun shining in our face.

Today when I was shown the light, I could identify it immediately, for I have learned to see the flame that was lit externally. Today I understand that all external means and ways are for the sole reason that is to bring us to go within and see them within - internally. Its a move within from the external to the internal. 

I realize today it was not much of our effort but the magic touch of the masters or should I say the glance and grace of the masters that did wonders and brought wonders. Supramania Swami who told me he saw the light also said that we should try to prolong it. When I engaged in doing the asanas and pranayama exercises that Tavayogi taught me I experienced the prana expand within on the verge of bursting this body apart as in an expanding balloon. When I sit for worship I come out of it with a sense of calm,  peace and bliss. There were many a time I wished that I could share it with others with just a touch. Today we hold hands and sit around the flame in prayers and we channel the cosmic energy within and pass it on to those who are less receptive giving them an opportunity to touch the state of Bliss too. 

Today I understand pretty well why Rengaraja Desigar did not bless me when I asked of him in private on my very first visit to Ongarakudil. He told me then that "Coming here is itself a blessing." We are so hooked up on everything physical that we want a physical darshan of Erai, we want a guru to touch and initiate us, we want them to say out openly or announce in words that they bless us. Today I understand that being in a place, being in the presence of a guru in itself is the greatest blessing. It happens subtly, at times even without our knowledge, even without seeking, desiring or asking for it. 

Going by the questions I take from others either face to face or the comments left on my blog or video uploads on YouTube, people what to know the benefit of a mantra or a technique before even deciding to follow or adopting it. Sadly they are so result-orientated. I never asked to know the results when I received a teecha or initiation or techniques. 

Once we open our doors to the divine he works miracles in our lives. This blog is all about the mysterious and mystical workings of the Siddhas. On many occasions, they come through others. They create miracles. They speak at times. And they do appear to some too. Taking the hands and holding the feet of these gurus is the best option. And so Tavayogi showed me to Agathiyan. I cannot possibly judge him. Our laws do not apply to him. We cannot possibly know the final days and the end of a guru in the physical form. But we surely know where Agathiyar stands. As is mentioned in https://breathmeditation.org/the-hindu-tradition-of-breath-meditation

One of the most renowned yogis of twentieth century India was Paramhansa Nityananda. Some of his teachings were recorded, compiled and made into a book called The Chidakasha Gita. The following are his words on breath.

“It is the breath that man brings here at birth and it is the breath that man takes with him when he leaves this world.”

He is in our every breath, moving us and moving in us. Let us take hold of him. Let us take hold of the breath.

MAKING SPEEDY PROGRESS 2

It is truly beautiful how Agathiyar has chartered the path for us at ATM, leaving signboards, signposts, milestones, and markers for us on this treasure hunt that we have come to participate. All we did was take up the calling, leaving the rest to him. We never questioned him but he answered in good time. We were ignorant of the practices and techniques he mentioned but he either sent someone to teach or tutored us from within. Till today we do not know what treasure is in store for us, waiting to be found. But we are not concerned about it either. We are more intent on carrying out the tasks on hand in this Amazing Race. We at ATM are very excited about this whole expedition. We are amazed at the discoveries we make. We are continually stunned by the impact of these discoveries. We are seeing right before our eyes an evolution take place among us. 

Once a long time ago I was initiated into a path, the Siddha path after having lived a life that revolved around the worship of the gods and goddesses, the family and career with moments of pleasure and entertainment thrown in to spice up an otherwise boring and routine life. 

Upon being asked to come to their path, a new chapter began in my life. I began to search for what was the Siddha path and who were the Siddhas. I began to explore new territories. I began to explore new horizons. I came to know that even in this specific path there were numerous understandings and contradictions that arose as a result. I began to take heed of only that which was specifically told, meant and directed for me to prevent further confusion. Like a horse that has peripheral vision, which means they can end up running off course unless they are made to remain focused with the aid of blinders, Agathiyar kept me focused too on my task on hand. 

Everywhere I turned to for information on the Siddhas, and every movement or society I went to, to learn the means to their worship, I came across a very important component that was also the starting point of their worship - the recitation of the names of the Siddhas. Similarly, I too took up my very first lesson in reciting the names of the Siddhas. The names of the Siddhas became our mantra. 

Then I was blessed to meet gurus and upagurus who fine-tuned the process. After my very first guru in the physical form, Supramania Swami and Agathiyar lit the fire of devotion in me, Agathiyar sent Tavayogi to nurture the flame. Tavayogi set me to light the sacrificial fire or homa or yagna accompanied by a moola mantra of his that Agathiyar gave, as an act of dharma that sustains the world and all its creation. I saw it as an honor given to me. 

Tavayogi and Agathiyar set me to spread their word. I started to write about them. I saw it as an honor given to me. Agathiyar came in the form of a bronze statue that replaced his earlier paintings. I was asked to do libation or abhisegam. I saw it as an honor given to me. 

Soon he sent others to my home to witness and participate in the many rituals we conducted. Many stayed. Similarly many left for greener pastures. All those who stayed grouped together to become the ATM family, formerly AVM. We began to see the transition take place very rapidly as our energy and resources were focussed on the job at hand. Agathiyar and Tavayogi moved us to the next stage. We are told to do charity and feed the hungry as an act of dharma that is lauded as the highest service one could give of himself to man and beast. The ATM family engaged in this wholesome and noble activity. We were exposed to the many facets of human life and beasts. Our hearts cried. Compassion grew. We wanted to do more for them. 

We were told that showing the way of the guru and standing by it supersedes all other dharma. We actively spread the teachings of the guru and the Siddhas. Agathiyar then brought us to the worship of the Light moving the flame that was lit in the agal lamp to center stage. Our focus now turned from the form to the formless (Rupam to Arupam). With it, he introduced us to watch the breath silently, finally touching the greatest dharma of all, the act of offering or sacrificing one's outgoing breath to Erai. Today we sit in silence, observing the breath, and mentally thank him for the breath that comes in of its own accord or rather due to his grace, and mentally sacrifice the same to his Holy feet as it leaves. This is our mantra today. Nandri and Samarpanam. 

Just as Sivavakiyar, mentions the four paths or neri and its relative state of Moksha vis:

Upon entering Sariyai, Salokyam shall one receive,

Through Kriyai, Sameepam shall he reach,

In Yoga, Sarupam shall be attained,

Jnanam, these four, Sayujyam shall one attain, and

Sugabramar in the "Gnana Suthiram" mentions these four neri too and the time of its entry vis:

When the Parama Guru arrives,

The path of Sariyai shall arise,

Slowly when the path of Sariyai is trod,

Kriyai path shall arise shortly,

Upon walking the path of Kriyai,

Son, the Yogam path will clearly arise,

Walking the path of Yogam,

The Jnanam path shall appear,

Tavayogi who had the darshan of Agathiyar in the form of Light or Oli in the hills of Kallar, gave us a glimpse of how Erai would appear to us as we progress on this path. In the beginning, for starters, we were told that Agathiyar was God via a phrase that we were taught to recite: Arul Gnana Jothiye Agathin Jothi, Tani Perung Kadavule Agatheesar Aavaar, on my first day at Kallar.

Then as we progressed he told us Agathiyar was Siva and Siva was Agathiyar, upon stepping out of the Nattadreeswarar temple; further to that he told us that Nature was God as we traveled through the jungles, forest and camped in the caves. Later he told us the Light was God pointing us to the 7 tiered granite structure that had a lighted lamp on its summit, the Aru Aathaara Peedham he installed at his ashram. Finally, he brought us to the Final Summation - Breath is God after initiating me into a pranayama technique at Kallar.

Just as life started with the first breath, life's journey ends when one's breath leaves the body for good never to return. The gurus prepare themselves for death and sacrifice the very breath to God, each day. Eventually, they drop the body too, but willingly.

MAKING SPEEDY PROGRESS 1

First, he asked to come into the path. Then he brings me to India with an urgency to know about him. He dishes out numerous miracles while I am there, I guess only then would I believe in his existence. Next sending Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal over to Malaysia, I am accepted by him to receive initiation. I am told the reason for all of mankind's sufferings was karma or vinai and was shown the way to overcome it. I was told to recite the names of the Siddhas for they would help us deal with it and that they would be a force field that kept us from harm's way. After a brief mantra initiation, Tavayogi invites me to his ashram in India.

When I told him over the phone that I shall be there in good time, with a sense of urgency he gets me to go over to India the following month after his departure. Agathiyar brings me to the abodes and caves of the Siddhas with Tavayogi leading the way. While it was a trip down memory lane for Tavayogi, revisiting the places where he had spent years in tavam, I came to see a whole new world out there, in the hills and jungles and interiors of India, a path less traveled, a tour not unlike what the tourist undertook, and bringing me to places of interest to the Siddhas, that was shrouded in mystery, awe, and amazement. 

Returning home I am given various tasks to perform, both through the Nadi and by Agathiyar and Tavayogi. I indulge in rituals with directions and guidance from my gurus. They tell me that although the ritual of performing the homa contributes towards personal or individual gain that aids in pacifying, reducing or removing our past karma, but a bigger and greater intent is revealed - that of healing the universe or prapanjam. I am told that this act of dharma will help sustain the world and all its creation. It brings joy to us to be of service to mankind and nature.

Bringing me to do charity and having fed the hungry at Kallar ashram, I begin to look for opportunities to do a similar task on a smaller scale, according to my means, individually, once back home. I am told that this act of dharma is lauded as the highest service one could give of himself to man and beast.

As the years pass by Agathiyar has a message for us through Suren's Nadi reading in 2018, that says that there is indeed a higher act of dharma beyond the rests. He says besides the above acts of dharma, singing the praise of the divine, eyeing his Holy feet, that we had engaged in till this moment, showing the way of the guru and standing by it is the highest dharma. 

இது காலம் மாந்தர்களின் சிரம் பொருட்டு எடுத்துரைப்போம் பல தர்மம் நீதிக்கு ஒப்பாம் மங்கல துதிகளும் கதி உணர்ந்து மகிழ்வுடன் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டோம். உத்தமமாய் தர்மங்களில் சிறந்தது உயர்வான குரு வழியைக் காட்டி நிற்பது.

He sets us to bring the greatness of the Siddhas to others, something I never intentionally started. Although Tavayogi had asked me while in Malaysia in the early years of his tour, to talk about Agathiyar and the Siddhas, I had turned it down citing that I was not equipped and knowledgeable enough to undertake a task of such magnitude. When he came out with his first book Andamum Pindamum, he asked me to translate it. I turned it down too for fear of not doing justice to his words and the Siddhas. But I did venture to write eventually. What started as a personal web site indianheartbeat in the nineties, to showcase my artwork later came to include the journal of my maiden journey to India that was followed by an account of my second pilgrimage three years later. I began to promote the miracles of the Siddhas and my gurus that captivated me, sharing with others too on various platforms.

http://indianheartbeat.wix.com/tavayogi

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agathiyar/

http://www.angelfire.com/art/indianheartbeat/

Along the way, a friend posted a photo of my guru Supramania Swami taken from my websites on fb that did not warrant an ill comment from his friend. I decided that I was not going to put my gurus at the mercy of these perverts. I deactivated all the social media and closed all my websites. Later when I informed Tavayogi of this, he said, "Why son? Let it be. Many will read (the postings)." I started to develop the websites again from scratch. I had lost much material as a result of my action as I did not back up or save the postings then. The now-defunct websites include:

http://indianheartbeat.fws1.com/agathiyar.htm

http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/ and several others.

I began to publish online numerous books and made them available for free download. 

https://www.slideshare.net/shanmugamavadaiyappa/

https://www.scribd.com/user/164903150/agathiyanproductions

Soon I switched over to blogging for ease of including media to brighten up an otherwise boring piece of writing. But I did not know I had a following until the readers began to write to me. Along the way whenever I thought of winding up and that is the day I will receive a message from a reader appreciating the blog and its content. A teen from Pune surprised me when she wrote to me in 2015 that Agathiyar had asked her to read this blog and gain clarity regarding her questions and confusion that arises out of it. I was amazed to hear it. 

• Hi sir. Thanks for a very enlightening post from none other than the great sage agasthiar. I really prayed to him to tell me about the working of karma and he replied through your post! I am thankful to both of you.

• Hi. I commented a few days earlier about karma questions. They are kind of solved now. I really love your blog and it is my only hope! Actually I want to share with you my story! I think you are the only one who will understand. I actually read a lot of false spirituality stuff that made me believe that god is a maniac who has already fixed our destiny and we cannot do anything about it. It also told that the atman is a prisoner inside its own body and the body behaves of on own and we have to endure the effects of the karma that we didnt create in the first place. Through your blog I understood that the atman acts through the body! For past 3 months I was in severe depression as I thought that we have no control over our body and I was hopeless. I had stopped eating and I was so sad that I vomited the moment I ate something. I lost 6 kgs! I cried continuously because the false spiritual writer also said that we can NEVER be happy and even moksha lasts for a limited time and then again we are subjected to tremendous misery. what does agathiar say about moksha? Is it everlasting? Can I be happy ever? I know that I am troubling you a lot and I am VERY SORRY! BUT PLEASE REPLY.

• i went fr another nadi reading. again agasthiar told me that u r the solution to all my problems. he told me that u r my guru. he said that he will inform u about the same through some means or the other. he advised me to read your blog regularly and pray regularly. he said u r the one to answer all my questions. he did not even reveal about my past life.

• when i asked the doubts in my mind he said that i should ask them to u as told in earlier reading. can u help me?

• i went for another nadi reading. agasthiar told me that i should not come to him again and again because u r the answer for all my problems. he told me to accept u as a guru and told that u can answer all my doubts. again i smell the strong smell of incense and rose water as i write this mail! he will communicate with u on the same matter later on....he said that to me. will u b my guru?

Having come out of her troubles stronger, due to Agathiyar's guidance in the Nadi and worship on her part, she impresses me with the following message.

• hi dad...i m grt. joined my college's service group. we help underprivileged children with books, free tuition, toys. also helping the struggle for animal rights. u can check out World Peace Centre Alandi Youth Mission on google. donated blood in a blood donation drive when i heard that blood components when separated can save 3 lives. saw ur blog when i searched "siddha heartbeat charity". i perform PRAYERS DAILY for hanuman, shiva (THE GOD I LOVE THE MOST), krishna, yellamma (our ancestral goddess from karnataka state), parashuram and goddess ambabai from Maharashtra. it has helped me a lot.

She shared certain experiences that she came to gain on a pilgrimage too.

• from ur recent posts i remember that my family never planned pilgrimages. but whatever city we go to we make it a point to visit old temples there. i have been to all temples on purnima (full moon) days only! somehow without planning anything we reach all temples on that day and at the prayer time. so we receive the prasad (food) that was offered to the gods or goddesses! also when we went to jabalpur our local driver took us to a 700 year old temple of navagrahas (guess what day it was) which was not a part of the itinerary. i could not climb even a few steps. i requested my parents to wait for me after every 5 or 6 steps. i thought that i was exhausted but after having darshan we climbed down and realised that i had forgot my cap at the temple. then i climbed the steps effortlessly.....somehow i was re energized by the visit to the temple. my father also said that when he went to Vani, a goddess temple in Maharashtra he had to hold his legs and pull them up by his hands when he was climbing the steps. then he received the prasad and climbed the rest of the steps quite easily. i wonder what happened on both occasions!

Having introduced her to Tavayogi and Jnana Jhotiamma, she shared what she learned from them too.

• i emailed tavayogi ji and asked him some doubts. he clarified and i think there should be an article on siddha heartbeat on these topics. he explained that god is nothing but nature. god is not a person at all but just nature. and hence we are also part of him. thus none of shiva brahma or vishnu are god but all three are parts of god. this is what he told me...and this knowledge should be available for all. it wud b grt if u could write a article on this. he also said that when agathiar says that we all are one it means that we all are of the same type...aathmas. it does not mean that we are one soul...but it means that we r all souls...same in all aspects.

• thank you...it was lovely conversing with tavayogi ji by email and also on phone. u have been forever supporting...cant thank u enough. thanks agasthiar also. wherever he is i know he is listening to me. i started with confusion and ended in bliss. it was a tough journey but the end couldn't be more perfect. thanks for writing ur wonderful blog and for replying to my every mail and comment. my best wishes with u n anyone and everyone related to kallar ashram AVM and siddhas. i will pray for everyone always. thanks for the 24 min short potri. it worked! ...immediately. i listen to the moola mantra everyday on youtube. it is pacifying and beautiful. u may not reply to this mail....as i know u r forever by my side. and i have agathiar standing behind me to catch me if i fall..thank u again.

• dad u wont believe! its miraculous agasthiar helped me like i m his own child! i love him so much. he solved all my doubts in the best way ever possible! he also took care that this doubt solving wont affect me negatively! i am sooo happy n blissful! he gave me the mantra for life ...... in a way which even my skeptical parents approve completely.....he made a special package for me.......one that suits me perfectly.....one that merges the mystical land of siddhas and my parents scientific outlook!......i dont know how to thank him enough! and u dad have been with me on every step of this arduous journey! love u always dad! cant find words to thank u enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• read a really inspiring article regarding jyothiamma and how the divine light always follows her. i m blessed that i could hear her voice on phone! i wish to hear those nadi readings that u post...but i cant understand tamil. could you translate the importance of swamimalai n kaveri river and also agathiar's and lobha ma's wishes in english? many would benefit from this. isn't lobha ma supposed to b a river as revealed in origins of agathiar? i wonder how a river can have wishes? another mystical experience with d siddhas i suppose!!

I did not answer her last query for I did not have the answers then. I think this answer should satisfy her now.

If god can come in the human form that is made of the 5 elements earth, water, fire, air and ether and walk the earth as an avatar, why can't he come in the granite or the snake den, or a tree that is rooted deep into the earth, or internally as the tissues and bones; why can't he come as externally as water as in River Ganga or Kaveri, or internally as the water content in our bodies; why can't he come as fire externally or internally as the warmth of the body; why can't he come as the wind that brushes across our faces and the air that surrounds us and that we breath in, or as the ether or space or internally as the space within the core of all that we are made of? I remember how Tavayogi would point out to the aroma and scent that was prevalent in the places we stepped foot; he would point to the sky and tell me the Siddhas were showering flower petals; and he would bring to my attention that the Siddhas were ushering us to their abodes, confirming what he told the teenager.

Agathiyar has on numerous occasions asked me to continue writing too telling me he would be in my thoughts and pen the words. True enough these days I too used to be amazed and wonder how these posts have taken shape so lovely. As I sit in silence at his feet, an understanding dawns about a subject and I immediately note it lest it should go away as fast as it comes, which does happen though. Later I develop the subject referring to the books I have read and the internet, as Tavayogi had told me whatever we say must have solid references. After each post I stand before him and praise him for his work, a remarkable piece I would say to him. I would get back to the post and read and reread it for it is knowledge and information for me too.

But along the way, I decided to go private for various reasons. This blog entries are becoming more personal for one. As we share the experiences that we had with the divine, I thought it would not be advisable to go public anymore. With the social media gaining popularity, we see how some have taken to these wonderful media to abuse it, in the manner to provoke, challenge, and argue, and to spread hate speeches and hatred against individuals and groups, and even cause damage to individual's reputations and that of organizations. Some have begun to advertise and promote on the pretext of leaving a comment too. So one fine day after contemplating for a long time, I made the move to make this blog private. 

Many have taken the trouble to message me when I decided to go private, some seeking to know why they could not access the blog from Google. A reader alerted me on this, "While, wanting to open the blog in chrome, I came across this. Probably your ardent fans."

By Agathiyar's grace, Charanjeev got in touch with me through Dean and Ashwani messaged me on fb.

Here is Dean's note.

Dear Shanmugam, I have been following your blog and it seems to not be accessible publicly any more. Have I got that correct? May I request your email address in order to request that I may be added for subscription of your blog Siddha-Heartbeat? Also, I have a friend who was following your blog but he doesn't have access to Facebook/Messenger and he can't write to you to ask to be included in your group. Is it possible for him to contact you on an email address, or can I present his email address to you? Thank you sincerely, Dean Sky-Lucas, Melbourne, Australia.

I receive a note from Charanjeev.

Respected Sir, Salutations and greetings for the day. I had been an ardent follower of your Blog SIDDHA HEARTBEAT since 2015. As you have gone private, I cannot follow it now. Since I had deactivated my Facebook account and was unable to contact you. So, I had asked my friend to send you a request to send me a link to enable me to re-join your Blog. I received a link on 11th August, but sadly when I clicked on the invitation, I got the message “Blog Invitation Error”. I tried everything as suggested in the Bloggers help center but nothing worked. 

Following your Blog means a lot to me. I have learnt very valuable soul searching and life improving information from it. Ever since I am not able to follow it any more, I feel something lost in me and I that I am devoid of meaning of living without reading to your valuable writings. 

I have had ‘Nadi Readings’ for myself for three times in India and have visited Vaitheeswaran Koil and Holy Temples in Tamil Nadu a couple of times. Finding your Blog, I felt that I was very close to the Holy Feet of Mahamuni Agastya and got a lot of inspiration by reading it regularly.

I humbly request you to resend me the link to your Blog SIDDHA HEARTBEAT so that I can follow it regularly and get the inspiration from your writings and the blessings of being in the Holy Feet of Mahamuni Agastya. I am sure that Mahamuni Agastya will also grant my wish to be in his Holy Feet by joining your Blog. I will be highly indebted if you could include me in the group by sending me an invitation. Namaskar. Charanjeev Singh.

Respected Sir, Salutations and greetings for the day. My sincere thanks to you for re-sending the invitation to your esteemed Blog. I am highly indebted to you for your kindness, patience and understanding. Re-linking me with your Blog, you have given me a hope that I under the protective sheath of Mahamuni Agastya’s blessings. Once again, my sincere thanks and warm regards to you and all the followers of SIDDHA HEARTBEAT. Charanjeev Singh.

Thank you Charanjeev ji. Ashwani Chauhan who lives in Greater Noida too managed to get in touch with me through fb.

Hello sir , Om Agatheesaya Namah , i was reading your blog "Siddha heartbeat " since 2013 , and after that only i came to know about the siddha and there way of working . your blog was immense help for me know the siddha path , after reading your blog i came in contact with the kellar ashram and guruji tavayogi ji and mataji , i went to kellar twice as well and got the blessings of my beloved guruji Agastya ji through jeeva naadi reading . but suddenly your blog become private and i cant able to access it now . i was eagerly searching for the author of the blog and in search of it i came down to your facebook page .kindly provide access to me to read the blog , thanks for the support , BR ashwani.

Thanks a lot sir, this is agastiyar grace. Your blog is tremendous help in attaining siddha path. You are doing Great service to sadhguru agastiyar.

Paghan Sonofseagar wrote, "Hello aiya, Im a frequent reader of your blog, There seems to be some prob, Is the blog still running?"

I am equally surprised how Agathiyar linked all these ardent fans of the blog. One can never underestimate the capability of Agathiyar and his use of modern technology to propagate his teachings. He is equally IT-Savvy as seen below.

I had a lot of encouragement from Jnana Jhothiamma. She would ask me to sing Aksharamanamalai and join me on her side in the USA while watching the puja live from my home. She was the only sole person watching the puja till we decided to stream it through Ustream and later on YouTube. Agathiyar approved of it as he spoke about the puja being watched by others across the globe. When Jnana Jhothiamma was around and when she was active on social media, and before she went into solitude and passed on, we used to speak over Skype for hours. Once she stopped speaking midway and there was silence on her part for a long while. When she came back she told me Agathiyar had cut our conversation and spoke to her instead. Our Daddy took over the social media for some minutes to communicate and pass his message to his greatest devotee. 

Jnana Jhothiamma wrote to me:

For every question I asked for USA.....got an answer for MALAYSIA..through Electronic media...Gud progress.I thought only ammae and karuppetta were electronic/net savvy...BUT OUR FATHER too seems to rather wants to LEAD even this

But till this day I cannot figure out why she was taken away so suddenly? Neither has Agathiyar spoken about it.

Once when my wife and I were traveling back home from a wedding in Teluk Intan, a town some 170 kms from Kuala Lumpur, as we were cruising through the countryside my wife was desperately trying to hold a conversation with an ATM family member regarding our upcoming puja. She managed to get her message across although the line was extremely bad. Then we spoke about whether we wanted to place lime around the homa kundam or vessel as Tavayogi had initiated. We left it at that without making a decision. On the day of the puja the divine instructed us to place the lime! In a region where there was hardly a decent coverage of the network, how did Agathiyar tap into our conversation, asked my wife? Did Agathiyar travel with us listening on in our conversation? 

Today we have many potential writers in our midst in the ATM family who I am sure will continue the tradition of passing on the good word of the Lord. This is obvious from the many messages they share.

Mahin who follows the blog avidly translates his understanding of the soul's journey, that of picking up many lessons and experiences along the way to enhance and strengthen its Atma Balam. He classifies the aspirants arriving at the four stages of spiritual developments namely Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam and Jnana that is part of the evolution from Bakti to Jnana, in simple layman terms as a listener first, then a practitioner, then evolving further through meditation, and finally letting go of all that has been learnt and accumulated.

If u go very deep into what is spiritual path is all about. It’s about u & only u and the soul. That’s it. For u to reach that level we need all this. The soul having own task to do it for that need a human body, or any other source like animal plant n so on. But Human is the highest when compare to others. To make the soul to realize the task. As a human we need temple valipaadu, Kaaval teivam, kula teivam, n etc...(At this stage we’re listener)

The next step will be Siddhargal valipaadu. In this we involved ourselves to do what we saw in temples. Like homam, abishegam, Annathanam, chanting mantras. (At this stage we’re practitioners)

Further we’re going into meditation stage. Where we trying to connect with soul n Guru to communicate. For us to reach this stage we need the above 2 steps. (At this stage we’re evolving)

Next if the souls is blessed by Guru, Guru will bring to next stage which is pranayamam (breathing techniques) and raise the chakras. (At this stage we’re ready to let go anything)

And than after all practices n cleansing your body will be ready to merge with 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) And the soul becomes Jothi (endless)

Summarizing the journey Mahin writes,

So many messages. And all that he said we’re currently practicing.

• Thondu Sei (Serve or Seva)

• Love the world and respect the people around us.

• Ulaga vaalkai will led to Gnana vaalkai - Agathiyar or Murugan always saying this Ulaga vaalkai is a learning process to come this path. What ever we doing currently it’s helping a lot for us to reach Erai. Means we’re on the right track. Every time Appa endorsing on our action Anna. 

• Surrendering to Appa - He keep repeating to the same thing “Saranagadhi” and ask to open the heart for him to led us further.

• Going deeper inside - Now Appa wan us to go into practical stage Anna. He doing the clean up from inside without our effort. I can feel it. He jus wan us to sit silently.

Another devotee who has regularly carried out her service towards Agathiyar at ATM writes of her current understanding and of how she has been brought to evolve.

We are conducting puja with Appa's guidance. Each and every time when we perform puja, Appa is modifying our methods of worship as per his wish. Thru this our self getting evolved.  The thoughts or perceptions of 1st time idol worship is not same as now. We are keep learning new things everyday. Appa keep moulding us and prepare our souls to communicate wit him thru meditation.  So, soon our souls will merge wit him. Hence, it is necessary to do idol worship and perform pujas.

Another staunch devotee and ATM family member from the African Continent gauges Agathiyar's guidance superbly.

Your recent teachings have been awakening us to the 5 tenants aiya. I have been checking myself so carefully. Then the breathing and the meditation and the silence etc...
Where could we possibly be going? Where would appa Agasthiya be taking us...to perhaps a priceless, ticketless destination called Within.

I love how excited everyone is about this trip aiya. Everyone have worked so hard. This path is one of the most difficult to scale. Everyone  is looking forward to a wonderful trip which they deserve. There is so much mystery and intrigue. How wonderful it would be if everyone gets to go within and they realise the surprise later. That would be an amazing flight  for everyone aiya.

Yet another stirring message from another ATM family member from abroad.

What to say Shan Sir, You leave me speechless. Recently I have observed that after reading your articles many times I go in a state where someone has to pinch me to come back from where I am. Thanx for sharing these lovely thoughts and experiences.

More messages.

Agatheesa.... Arumai Anna... The journey Anna travelled with Agathiyar Appa and 2 Wonderful Gurus. All their teaching is bcm lesson to us thru your writing Anna.

Im enjoying my journey wit Appa's guidance and your writttings Anna.

Excellent writing! Aiya, your wonderful journey in Siddha path & ur writing has become our ultimate guide for us 

To all the good souls out there who look forward to these posts, I can only say this. Thank you very much for your love and gratitude. I am only a tool. I am being used as a tool by our beloved Father. All your gratitude shall go to him for guiding us from day one. Without him coming to us in numerous ways to correct, direct, guide, instruct, and lift us we would not have come this far in our pursuit. Thank you. Please keep giving your love and gratitude to him.

Coming back on track to how Agathiyar slowly brought us through the various ways of doing dharma, sacrifice, and offering, finally we are told the greatest offering is to offer one's outgoing breath to Erai.

சித்த வித்யார்த்திகள், தானம் செய்வது, தங்கள், மூச்சை. அது பார்க்கக் கிடைப்பது அரிது. அனைத்தையும் இறைவனுக்கு சமர்ப்பிப்பதாக வரித்துக் கொண்டு, இரு கையையும் சேர்த்து, இரு கட்டை விரலும் மூக்கின் இரு பக்கமும் வைத்து, இரு ஆள்காட்டி விரலும் ஒன்றாக சேர்த்து, சுழுமுனையில் இருக்க, மற்ற விரல்கள் மூக்கை மறைத்து நிற்க, பிறர் காணா வண்ணம், இடது மூக்கை அழுத்தி மூடி, வலது மூக்கு வழியாக காற்றை உள்ளிழுக்கும் பொழுது "ஓம் நமச்சிவாய" என்று மனதுள் தியானித்து, கும்பமானதும், "சிவாய நமஹ" என தியானித்து, அந்த நேரத்தில், இடது மூக்கின் வழி மூச்சை, மூடிய விரல்களை திறந்து, இறைவன் பாதத்தில் சமர்ப்பிப்பார்கள். 

(Source: https://siththanarul.blogspot.com/)

Just as we are told that the act of lighting the sacrificial fire or homa or yagna is an act of dharma that sustains the world and all its creation; Just as we are told that the act of feeding the hungry is an act of dharma that is lauded as the highest service one could give of himself to man and beast; Just as we are told that showing the way of the guru and standing by it supersedes all other dharma; And finally just as we are told the greatest dharma of all is the act of offering or sacrificing one's outgoing breath to Erai, Tavayogi too told us in the beginning that Agathiyar was God; then as we progressed he told us Agathiyar was Siva; further to that he told us that nature was God; later he told us the Light was God and finally he brought us to the Final Summation - Breath is God.

Just as life started with the first breath, the journey ends by giving one's breath back to the universe. Preparing to die and sacrificing the very breath to God is the way of the Guru.