AFTERWORD

When I came to learn, investigate and adopt the part of the Siddhas upon receiving the calling from Agathiyar in the Nadi, I came to discover that there where many splinter movements in the name of Agathiyar and the Siddhas. Each managed his movement with a handful of followers. They hardly came together in moving the Dharma to greater heights, preferring to organize their own events. I wondered why they could not come together in unison under an umbrella. Over the years I realized that my wish would not materialize because man's ego stood in his way. Man always thought his ideas were greater than the other. Man always thought his devotion or bhakti was greater than the others. Man always thought his way was the true way and the rest were lost. Man always thought he was speaking the truth and all the rest was false.

I went knocking on several of these movements but realized that there ought to be more to it than what was being upheld, practiced and carried out in these places. Agathiyar understood my yearning and sent me to my very first guru Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai, quite unexpected, the following year. Three years on he sents me to Tavayogi of Kallar Ashram who was visiting Malaysia. Supramania Swami lit the fire of devotion in me while Tavayogi nurtured it. Tavayogi who saw through my yearning showed me to the local chapter of his affiliation in Batu Caves that he had come to officiate for further guidance and references. But Agathiyar showed me to Tavayogi instead, asking me to get another initiation from him, this time in private, immediately after another Nadi reading. I received the initiation, to both Tavayogi and my surprise and, as in the words of Tavayogi, my real journey began, following him back to India after a month of his departure. He takes me along to introduce me to the Siddhas and their abodes in the temples, jungles, and caves. 

Returning home after having seen numerous miracles, where the Siddhas showed me their presence and existence, in a world parallel to that of ours, I began my solo journey, not leaning to any existing movements but only heeding the words of Tavayogi and Agathiyar. 

Agathiyar sent some wonderful souls to learn his worship and we at AVM traveled the path of Sariyai and Kriyai together. Then Agathiyar sent others who were involved in Karma yoga and we picked up from them and ventured to carry out charity and do service too. With Tavayogi and other Upagurus showing us the way of Yoga, we picked up the nuances of these practices too. Finally, Lord Muruga came along to open the heart chakras of devotees who were prepared and ready for total surrender. 

Along the way, we saw, heard and came to know of upheavals that took place in various movements, staging the fear that history was repeating itself. We feared that its splatter would drench us too. We saw splinter groups form and move away. Individuals teamed up with certain quarters to bring damage to these movements and their gurus taking to the social media. We stood witness to all these sad happenings. 

I began to understand then that in doing God's work the evil forces come together to dishearten the good souls, tarnish their image, and prevent the good work being done. I recall my moments of surprise when Agathiyar told me back then in 2010, a few days before his arrival on our shores as a bronze statue, that he had broken down all the obstacles that were placed in his path to prevent his safe arrival at my home. He never elaborated or explained what these obstacles were or who placed them there. It remains a puzzle to me till this day. Then Tavayogi who saw his fair share of troubles told me that one has to traverse the path willing to be stoned (literally and verbally), intimidated, scorned, torched, roasted and grilled. Going by the books we see many a good saint having to go through tortured and abuse since the days of the past just because their beliefs contradicted with those of the majority of others.

Seeing so many instances and occurrences of damage done to the good name of the Siddhas and their Nadi, the gurus and their teachings etc, we took up damage control measures. Heeding to Agathiyar's advice on never to fight back or argue, and when we took to adhere to the way of ahimsa and shut all the access doors and began weeding the grounds, we began to flourish and grow. As for Thanos and his army, they had no content to ridicule or make fun of and began to look for greener pastures elsewhere.  

Today it does not surprise us that these attacks from the evil forces, on those who take up willingly the job of Agathiyar's secretaries and spread the good word of the Lord, and the splinter groups that crop up all too often in any movement, has been going on since days from the past. Seeing a great split among his followers, into two factions that were caught up in a bitter struggle, after Nirgrantha Jnaniputra died, Ananda asked Buddha "how dissension between factions could be avoided at the time of Buddha's death?"

Ananda tells Buddha "When you are gone, there might be many disagreements among those who now meekly follow."

Buddha replies "Disagreement on trivial matters on the mode of livelihood for monks are insignificant but should there be disagreements on matters of doctrine or practice that would indeed be a misfortune."

Buddha explains further how to face the impending challenges by citing his advice to King Prasenajit who became weary of seeing internal feuds and clambering for power amongst the kings and their kingdoms.  "In addition to that the king had to come to grips with the challenges within his own kingdom."

Buddha poses a question to King Prasenajit. "What if, great king, one of your trusted men came to you and told you a huge mountain of earth immense and unstoppable was advancing toward you rapidly from the east, crushing everything on its path? Then suppose that other trusted men came from each of the other three directions and reported to you that there was such a huge mountain of earth coming from each of those directions too, crushing everything before it. What would you do?"

"What else would there be to do at such a moment but follow the Dharma, cultivate what is wholesome and accumulate merit?' replied the old king who was the same age as the Buddha. 

"In just the same way as those mountains of earth, old age and death is closing in on us right now", the Buddha continued, "so what else can we do but follow the Dharma, cultivate what is wholesome and accumulate merit?'

Similarly, we too adopted the way of the Buddha, opting to follow the Dharma, cultivate what is wholesome and accumulate merit. Agathiyar came to diffuse the situation telling us to be focused on what we came to do, even if the world was to be wiped out overnight, rather than exhaust our energy in the troubles and concerns of others or in what goes on around us and beyond our walls. 

Agathiyar's confirmation on the good deeds we were carrying out from day one under his watchful eyes, as pertaining to and fulfilling the 5 tenets that the Divine had laid out for every man born on the face of the earth came to our knowledge recently through a blog post of Vashisht Vaid at https://holysageagathiyar.com/. Mrs. Srividhya Rakesh of Thedal Ulla Thenikalai (TUT) provides the Tamil version in the following video.

We are committed to carrying out these lovely edicts laid by the Divine for mankind that was revealed by Agathiyar at the Tamil Sangam.

Having loved ourselves, our career, our families and friends, he has brought us to love nature, animals, plants and our planet besides the host of other humans, through his grace, without which we would have never come this far. We yearn for his love these days. We have given up our individual desires and taken on collective desires that match his desire. We had given up individual prayers and asking, rather we are doing collective prayers for the well being of all of the Prapancham. We chose to see the good ignoring the bad. We tend to be happy then.

Buddha says, "And when a man is loved by the Gods, he always sees auspicious things."

When Tavayogi went in for an ailment but was diagnosed as having something else, we prayed that he should return save to his ashram. Agathiyar listened to our collective prayers and brought the other Siddhas together to carry out a Yagam so that he could live. He returned to his ashram to settle all his affairs and relinquish his role to Mataji. Just as Buddha too "thinking that he had not yet taken leave of his close attendants and of the community as a whole he made a strong effort of will and succeeded in suppressing his illness", Tavayogi fought the first time and with the prayers and the timely intervention of the Siddhas he survived to return to his ashram to sort the remaining affairs.

When he was re-admitted again for the same reasons, he told me over the phone that if he did not make it to return to his ashram Mataji would take over the running and management of the premises. I was silenced for several moments then, never expecting him to say that, implying very subtly that he was not going to survive this time around. He was willing to leave this time having taken care of all the loose ends. He returned to his ashram and after two hours left his mortal frame. 

Subsequently, he appeared in a dream of a devotee, sailing with several others in a boat that was rowed by Lord Siva himself, across the calm waters, heading for a mountain where there was a hype of activities with Siddhas, Rishis, Munis and saints going about their daily chores. Later Dhanvantari told us that Tavayogi was with us in the form of Jhoti or Light ever guiding us in the subtle form. We look forward to the day a Malaysian Tavayogi emerges.

I had asked for direction from Tavayogi when he was visiting us with Mataji in 2016, but he turned me to Agathiyar then, telling me that Agathiyar shall direct us, just as the very first time he stepped into my home and I began to glorify him, he shot me down telling me to glorify the Jhoti in him and all of us, the Light and Source that he chose to identify as Agathiyar.

Ananda told the Buddha that he was so used to see him well and at ease that he became confused and afraid when Buddha took ill. "I was only able to console myself because I knew you would not leave us without giving us some instructions for the guidance of the Sangha."

To this, the Buddha replied "But Ananda I have spent 45 years giving instructions, for the guidance of the Sangha. I am not one of those who jealously keep their important teachings in a closed fist. The Dharma has been fully revealed. What more can you expect of me now?"

Those are my words too. I have explained what little I knew and professed in my life, sharing it through these 2108 pages. The Dharma that to us was the 5 tenets, have been fully revealed. What more can you expect now? I have served my purpose here adhering to these tenets and sharing my experiences and that of others on this blog.

The Buddha told Ananda further, "How can the Sangha depend on me? I am old and decrepit like a broken-down old cart that has to be held together with thongs. I only experience ease in my body by withdrawing my attention from outward sensations and letting it rest in the heart. So the Sangha cannot depend on me. Rather than depending on another, taking refuge in another, each of you should be an island. Let your refuge be the Dharma. And how does one make the Dharma his refuge? By practicing the four foundations of mindfulness that is the way. Now or after I am gone whoever makes himself an island or the Dharma his island will be the foremost among the Sangha.

What a timely advice for us too. Similarly rather than depending on another, taking refuge in another, each of you should be an island. Let your refuge be the Dharma. And how does one make the Dharma his refuge? By practicing the four foundations of mindfulness (here the 5 Tenets that was conveyed by Agathiyar) that is the way laid out for us. Whoever makes himself an island or the Dharma his island will be the foremost among the Sangha (the path). Just like Buddha, Tavayogi stepped behind to promote the path and not him. The Siddha path will flourish and remain forever if we do not attach to the guru but the path.

As Mahindren messaged to me after reading my last post https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2019/10/let-us-take-break-for-now.html,

"I believe this will never be a goodbye Anna. Jus an end for Phase 2. Waiting for Phase 3 to be started with the experience of inner travel Anna",

till I gain new experiences I shall rest in the shade of the great tree of knowledge.

Malar too messaged me.

"Morning Annaa, ur writings and your experience changed mg whole life Anna. I believe you itself can see the changes in me. I'm holding your hands and Appa's hands tightly in this journey. Even how speed u travel also i will come along with you. Its my pleasure and im blessed to come along with you Anna. I'm following all the footsteps of yours and trying my best to fullfill it wit my family members. You might halt your siddhaheart beat postings. I wil come directly to ATM to learn something new lessons from you and thru your experiences. There is no halt for my journey with you Annaa..... Thank you for everything. Its enlightment me from internal to external."

Your wish to see more experiences shared Mahindren and Malar shall come true if Agathiyar permits.

The passages on Buddha have been adapted from Sherab Chodzin Kohn's book "The Awakened One - A Life of the Buddha", Phoenix Paperback, 1994.