Why is it difficult for people to accept things? Acceptance will simplify life. When I finished upper secondary, I did not know what I was to do. My brother-in-law suggested I apply to the Polytechnic. I took up his advice. I applied for Civil Engineering following his trade. I got a placement. Upon completion being a JPA scholar my friends were receiving appointment letters. I used to wait for the postman eagerly each day in my hometown of Taiping for the appointment letter. He was the most important person in my life then. But there was no news in the mail. I made a trip to Kuala Lumpur and enquired. The officer told me that my name was listed with the Public Works Department. She too was surprised that I did not receive an offer from the department. But she immediately took the initiative to offer me a job with the Ministry of Defence. She asked me if I wanted to go there. I willingly took up the offer. And so my career began with this ministry in 1980 at the age of 20, having been posted to their Development wing. Reporting at the HQ, I was asked if I wanted to begin work at the Naval Base in Lumut that was being built. I took up the offer. I saw myself travel to the seashore town the next day where I served for 8 wonderful years.
When I was transferred back to the HQ in 1988, I was asked to serve at the Airforce base in Subang. That saw me through the next 5 years. Then I was back at the HQ till I retired. Reporting back at the HQ I came just in time to meet Segaran, then 34 years of age, who had put in his paper to leave the service to join the Yogananda Ashram in Ranchi as a monk. He had contemplated long having made 5 visits to the ashram and finally decided to call it a day to civilian life. Before he left he passed me a beautiful painting of Lord Shiva, a copy of Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" and a word of advice. Heeding his advice, I took up all kinds of tasks immaterial if it was my line of duty or otherwise. I became an asset to the Department and began to rub shoulders with the top guns. I learned to improve myself through self tutorship most of it from the books. All the reading helped me later as I put up my very first and own webpage to showcase my artworks initially and later my very first experience on my very first Nadi reading and my maiden journey to India.
Of course, my life was not challengeful but it was satisfying. I wasn't bored neither for I kept myself occupied. When you ask for challenges you will have to face the difficulties too.
When Agathiyar told me to come to his path in my first Nadi reading, I took up the invitation going to establishments run in his name to explore the path. I was not satisfied with what I saw and with what they had to offer. I took up worship in my home with whatever little I learned. When Agathiyar told me I would meet my guru, I presumed it would take place in India on my maiden travel. But coming one circle I had not yet met him. I then thought it might be another time or maybe when I step on my own soil. On the last leg of my travel, having completed circumambulation of the holy hill of Arunachala, I traveled 8 kilometers to a village to have my daughter's horoscope charted. Supramania Swami, the astrologer I met, charted my life instead and initiated me. Yet I did not know that he was my master. Neither did he claim himself to be a guru. Only as I traveled back to my hotel did it dawn on me that I had just met the guru Agathiyar spoke about in the Nadi. I took him as my guru. Agathiyar then brought Tavayogi to Malaysia in 2005 and have me meet him too. Tavayogi was into the Siddha path. He initiated me and my wife. I had two gurus then till Supramania Swami departed in 2006.
My home sort of fell onto my lap too. A friend at the office made an appointment to meet at the Developers office telling me that he had scouted around and liked the housing scheme. But he did not turn up at the appointed time. With a little bit of coaxing from my wife, we signed up to purchase the house. Prior to that I had no intention to buy one.
When I accepted the very first choice that came my way, in my life, all went well for me. Life is simple if we have fewer choices. I took the first that came my way. I wonder if I had pondered and considered all the choices I had then, lingering and delaying my decisions, how my life would have turned out.
When Agathiyar addressed us he spoke about his devotees who will stray away for a while before coming back to his fold. We saw it too. Even after coming to Agathiyar they seem to be searching, God only knows what! Someone rushed to meet a visiting holy man elsewhere while we were celebrating Agathiyar's Jayanthi. Another left to rush to the temple at the same time. Even after coming to worship him many seek him elsewhere. Some still stand at the doors of gurus and establishments, I wonder why. As usual, my wife always comes out with a sensible point to calm me down. She asks me why I was upset. "It's just that they haven't come to the end of their search. (Avange thedal innum mudiyavillai)", she said knocking some sense into me.
What is it that they can give that Agathiyan cannot give? Learn to spend some years with Agathiyan. Learn to spent some time with Agathiyan. You haven't even begun to know him but you leave for greener pastures. When I came to Tavayogi he told me a disciple will have to wait 12 years in order to receive anything worthy from his guru. Mataji and I waited. When he left his mortal frame he handed over the ashram and its management to Mataji and taught her to decipher Agathiyar's words in the Jeeva Nadi. As for me he lives in me. What else does a student want from his master?
What is it that they can give that Agathiyan cannot give? Learn to spend some years with Agathiyan. Learn to spent some time with Agathiyan. You haven't even begun to know him but you leave for greener pastures. When I came to Tavayogi he told me a disciple will have to wait 12 years in order to receive anything worthy from his guru. Mataji and I waited. When he left his mortal frame he handed over the ashram and its management to Mataji and taught her to decipher Agathiyar's words in the Jeeva Nadi. As for me he lives in me. What else does a student want from his master?
Both Agathiyar and Tavayogi got us on the wagon to do prayers, rituals and charity. Soon Agathiyar reveals the 5 tenets that encompass all tasks that we were entrusted with. When we thought that our purpose in taking birth was fulfilled Agathiyar drops another line. He asks us to prepare ourselves to attain the state of a Jeevan Mukta.
A Jivanmukti is said to be actionless in that there is no residual effect from actions, for actions are not performed due to desire-seeking, for a Jivanmukti cannot have a desire when everything that may have been wanted has already been fulfilled, thus leaving all acts performed for the purpose of example setting or maintenance of the body. Jivanmukti is possible because after the onset of knowledge the body still persists. The persistence of the physical body after the release of the soul is for the purpose of being given the opportunity to teach those who have yet to experience Brahman. (Shah-Kazemi 110).
Next, he spoke about Siva Jhoti too. It can be summed as Blissful Effulgence. We are trully blessed to have him guide us systematically never allowing us to falter, although he tells us some have. But he adds that they will come back later after the sightseeing is over.