TAKING HIS HAND

I came to read the Nadi in 2002. In this Kaanda Nadi he asks me to come to his path. Since then Agathiyar has been blessing me with further readings through the Aasi Kaandam. There was a period when he used to call me over every weekend for a reading where many Siddhas addressed me. Then it all came to a halt. I was worried if I had erred or done something that contributed to their anger or refusal to talk to me through the Nadi. Then Agathiyar calls me up and asks, "Why do you need the Nadi when I am with you?" He continued with further readings though when there was a need to address certain issues on hand. Although I could not comprehend his message then but he made me realized later that if we have surrendered to him everything that takes place, be it good or bad, the obstacles, the delays, the gifts, the appreciation, the scorning, that comes our way or is thrown at us is all his doing too to make us a stronger person or rather to gain Atma Balam or strengthen the soul. 

The Nadi is a medium for the divine to connect with us initially. Once the bridge is laid we gain access to him in numerous ways. Then we can safely drop our dependency on the Nadi. I had many friends seek the Nadi to get advice on their career, or business engagements. Many sought solutions for their problems and illness. Others sought Agathiyar for means to clear their debts. They all came with a specific purpose expecting an answer that they had already drafted. Expecting Agathiyar to endorse the move or reply as they had envisioned. Very few came to hear the Mahamuni speak. 

Agathiyar complies with their wishes not wanting to hurt them although he knows that their desires would only bring further sufferings. For one who drops all his personal desires but seeks him out waiting to carry out his orders, the Divine Will, he will give him the strength, both physical and mental, to see through their desires and wishes fulfilled.

Ramalinga Adigal in the beginning verse of his திருப்பள்ளி எழுச்சி sings

பொழுது விடிந்ததென் உள்ளமென் கமலம்

பூத்தது பொன்னொளி பொங்கிய தெங்கும்

தொழுதுநிற் கின்றனன் செய்பணி எல்லாம்

சொல்லுதல் வேண்டும்என் வல்லசற் குருவே

while standing before the Almighty, hands grasped in prayer, as dawn breaks, seeking the divine  to instruct him what needs to be done for the day.

Bharathi laments that when he set out to do his thing he went through much suffering but the moment he took up the Divine's willing he saw progress. 

தன்செய லெண்ணித் தவிப்பது தீர்ந்திங்கு

நின்செயல் செய்து நிறைவுபெறும் வண்ணம்

நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன் — கண்ணம்மா!

நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன்!

Bharathi like other saints considered all things menial in nature. He was so into the thought of the divine that he could see through the veil of Maya and recognized them as trivial matters. When he knew he had a higher purpose in life he began to shun and cry that he was being dragged into the matters of the kitchen so to say, as his wife would inform him that they had run out of kitchen supplies etc.

We are asked to face life boldly as the experiences that come our way through good and bad tidings help build the soul making it stronger, preparing it for a higher purpose in life. When one gains Atma Balam, he can then begin helping and aiding others transferring his strength and sharing his experience with them, fulfilling the tenets of Agathiyar.

These days the divine comes to speak to us through devotees, dropping the need for tools. They enlighten us on what needs to be done further. They endorse our work. They take us to task when we deviate or lose our focus. It is wonderful to know that the divine stands guard over every action of us. All our action then is not tainted by the thought that we are doing it, hence relieving us of its karma, both good and bad.

THE MAGIC OF WORSHIP

For many, they are rather satisfied with occasional temple worship. Many others go in search of temples when in dire straits and are directed as in the Nadi or by others who have seen some benefit. Only a handful pray at home, willing to spend time invoking the deities and making offerings. Then there are others who never give a thought for the divine. But it is all right. Everything has its time.

When we have taken the very first step that of taking notice of God, our creator, we have come a mile. We begin to acknowledge the greater power that creates, sustains and destroys all of creation. Coming to worship him, we have traveled another mile. By offering prayers at a temple we escape from the turmoils of daily life at least for some hours. Our burden is dropped at the feet of the divine.  Next for those who come onto the path of the Siddhas and start living the life of a Siddha, it brings us yet to another significant milestone. He begins to undertake many rituals himself. Engaging in lighting the homa, for instance, is significant as it brings us to a meditative pose hours before we even sit to conduct the ritual. All the preparations go towards bringing your thoughts towards an agenda, his agenda rather than yours. It prepares you for the next stage of contemplation on a mantra or a set of mantras that accompanies the homa. In a subtle manner, lighting a homa has far-reaching benefits as in giving back to prapanjam or the matrix. Moving into the yoga poses and taking control of the breath, quietens the mind and replenishes the energies lost in conducting our daily chores and activities. Read more as explained by Acharya Gurudasan at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2015/09/introduction-to-traditional.html

As we travel from being ignorant of the existence of the divine to come to know of his existence, then as we frequent our visits to see him at his abodes, as we take up worship in our own homes, devotion builds within us and its expression takes many forms. For instance, caring for the idol as a child, bathing and dressing, feeding and singing lullabies, brings forth a deep attachment towards our chosen aspect of God. Worshipping an idol of our favorite deity or Ista Devata brings us closer to the divine.

There is a childlike innocence and purity of approach when a person stands reverently in front of an idol or an image and bows to it in total submission. It is possible only when a person has strong faith and no egoism. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)

There is no doubt that in the beginning the idol, be it granite, marble, stone, bronze, wood or metal is merely a figurine that is shaped and represents our favorite deity. But even these materials are known to have certain properties that can be harnessed to turn it into a powerful source of energy. For instance, granite will cause the vibrations of the mantras to resonate at a higher level, something I felt and heard in the inner chambers of Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli and Dhaksanamurthy at Tanjore Temple.

From https://invisibletemple.com/stone-in-sacred-sites.html, we learn that,

"Since the primary purpose of temples was for the alteration and transmutation of the human energy field – and hence its heightened state of consciousness – the choice of stone was carefully considered." 

"In ancient times, when our predecessors were far closer to the tune of nature, the temple builders were keenly aware that every rock possessed its own energy, each imbued with a spirit or force which, in turn, could be harnessed to amplify the purpose for which a temple was intended."

"Applying the correct stone in the construction of the temple was of great importance, since the properties of the stone, correctly applied, served to enhance not just the underlying subtle energies of a given location, but would amplify the purpose to which the temple served."

"Stones used for sacred sites were also chosen for their high content of quartz, a material that not only can be programmed but also generates energy when put under pressure. The type of quartz found in the bluestones of Stonehenge, for example, was used in early radio receivers."

"But the one stone that was particularly revered above all others in the ancient world was red granite. This very powerful rock is composed of high amounts of quartz and iron. Its power, in a sense, lies in the way it mirrors the human body, because the body contains quartz (silica) in its bones and iron dissolved in its blood. To work with red granite is to work in correspondence with the human body."

Anandakrishnan in an interview to The Star (https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2012/12/01/invoking-divine-blessings-for-building-of-granite-temple) mentions,

“Temple builders were aware that certain areas and rocks possessed their own energies, each imbued with a force which in turn could be harnessed to amplify the purpose for which the temple was intended."

Madhusudhan Selvarajan in https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2012/12/01/invoking-divine-blessings-for-building-of-granite-temple, too acclaims to this.

"Granite was revered as it had high amounts of quartz, a material that made a great transmitter. It mirrors the human body because we believe quartz is represented by our bones. So, the basic purpose of temples is to alter the human energy field and heightened the link with the spirit world.”

From https://invisibletemple.com/stone-in-sacred-sites.html we understand further that,

"Stones were typically organized by masculine or feminine polarity. The determining factor was decided by the way in which the stone had come into being. If a stone was forged from the convulsive force of volcanic activity its properties were considered masculine, for it embodied all the fiery, bold qualities typically associated with male energy. Masculine or positive-charged stones used in temples are typically granites: red granite, dolorite, greenstone."

"On the other hand, if the stone had been borne of the gentler, sedimentary action of water, it was considered to be feminine. Feminine or negative-charged stones are limestone, sandstone, marble." 

Anandakrishnan too says the same,

"Granite and other stones have masculine or feminine properties. Masculine or positively-charged stones are typically granite while the feminine is negative-charged stones such as limestone or marble.”  (https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2012/12/01/invoking-divine-blessings-for-building-of-granite-temple)

Historical pieces were often made of brasses (copper and zinc) and bronzes with different compositions too.

So was I asked by Agathiyar in the Nadi to have a bronze statue of him commissioned and made in Swamimalai, a puja conducted at the Adhi Kumbeswar temple in Kumbakonam and brought over to Malaysia to be worshipped. Agathiyar told us to give life and spirit to this statue by chanting the name of Agathiyar 100,000 times. Gathering a handful of family members and friends we could only manage 45,000 but the most compassionate father accepted our effort.

According to the scriptures, worlds and beings came into existence when Purusha (Divine Will and consciousness) enters Prakriti (Nature, Energy or Matter) and becomes established in it. Their association or union results in the formation of diversity. The world is a projection of God in the field of Nature. The forms and ideas are already present in the consciousness of the Cosmic Being (Isvara or Purusha). He brings them to life by pouring into them His creative energy. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp) 

Our world is jagat, the one which is awakened and illumined by the light of God or that which shines with the brilliance of the Sun. Before creation, the material universe (Viraj) exists as an idea in the cosmic consciousness of Isvara. When the creation begins, he breathes life into it with his creative energy and brings it to life. When an idol is worshipped with intense love and devotion, almost a similar process takes place in the mind of the worshipper. The idol is no doubt inert and inactive. At the physical level, it is just a piece of stone, clay, wood or some other material. However, in the mind of the devotee, it comes to life as he pours his love and devotion into it and makes offerings to it. It happens repeatedly whenever a devotee worships it. Hence, it is believed that not all idols are alike. Those who are ​more frequently worshipped by more people accumulate higher power in proportion to the offerings they receive. Thus in worship, devotees step into the role of God. They put life into the materiality of the idols and make them alive. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)

Before a devotee worships an idol in the most reverential manner, he has to ritually install it and breathe life (prana) into it. The same is done when he worships a symbol or tantric diagram (yantra). It is called establishing life breathe into the idol (prana pratishta). When you do it, the prana that you pour into the idol comes from you. It is your life energy which you symbolically put into it. When the deity in the idol finally departs at the end of the ritual, the prana which you poured into it returns to you, purified and elevated. Inside your body, it purifies you further. Thus, in idol worship one not only worships the concrete form of God (murtam) but also the subtle, invisible and formless Self (amurtam) in the body. https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp

God who is omnipresent then is also in a piece of granite or the metal. But it needs to be worked on and rituals performed to bring it to the state where its divinity, His energy, and presence, could be seen and sensed by us, whose vision is obscured by maya.

Today Agathiyar sits majestically at my home, becoming more weightier after libation to him. What was once a mere metal is full of divine energy with the constant and continuous libation, chanting and prayers offered to his statue. Agathiyar having perform many miracles previously opened his eyes in this bronze statue and later confirmed this via a Nadi reading.

History proves that on the path of devotion, many people achieved liberation through image worship. They proved that with faith and devotion one could awaken the deities that are hidden in the idols and make them respond and reciprocate to their prayers and personal requests. Their experience shows that idol worship is powerful technique to connect to God. If there is enough devotion in the heart of a devotee, God would directly respond to those who worship his forms as it happened in case of great devotees such as Mirabai, Sant Tukaram, Shri Ramakrishna and Yogananda. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)

Idols and concrete images are extremely useful and convenient to express their simple devotion and connect to the idea of God at the mental and emotional levels and on the most personal terms. An image can directly appeal to a devotee and instantly draw him into a reverential and devotional state.

Agathiyar is known to bring together the form of a Shivalinga from river sand, stone etc or inscribe on metals and worship them in the places where he stops in his travels all over the world. These places became places of worship for the commoners and took the shape of temples.

Like Lord Krishna, Agathiyar too tells us that he would take the form and shape of whoever we desire to see in these images and statues.

He also gives the assurance that in whatever form and manner people approach him, he will accordingly reciprocate. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)

If Agathiyar asks us to give both life and spirit to a metal turning it into something divine, today we learn that the same applies when others take ill. For those whose souls are weak or Atma Balam is weak or deteriorating in strength, devotees who have worked on their souls, forever having the divine in their thoughts, are asks to come together to transfer power and strength to the weak either through physical mediums like prasad or food, vibhuti or sacred ash, etc or through a look, thought or touch. An ordinary man is made a healer too if the divine chooses to do so. By performing puja daily one can enrich his soul. Once his soul gains strength he can then transfer this strength to family members and others in need. It is quite akin to one visiting the temple and gaining strength and confidence besides peace and tranquility after surrendering all worries to the deity in residence at the temple.

Hence it is of utmost importance that one builds divine strength in him by engaging in rituals, religious ceremonies, initially, and then move on to personally conduct and perform them. Invoking the divine to grace these events, taking a seat in either the pictures or statues that adorn the altar, he later brings the divine to take permanent residence in his home. He then comes under the watchful eye of his chosen deity. If in event of danger or he needs help, help is only a cry away.

When the idols of the gods are installed in the house or in a puja mandir (place of worship in a house), the very house becomes an abode of gods, a sacred place or a temple by itself. (https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp)

The divine has now moved from his heavenly abode to the home of his devotee and soon takes up residence in the deep cave of his heart, making him divine too. Anything that comes into contact with divinity becomes divine in nature too. The magic of worship and the magical touch of the divine does wonders. One only needs to engage with the divine to experience them.

Finally, like all things even the divine idols are consumed in the end. Many great temples have been swallowed by the seas and sands. Many idols lie submerged underwater. Many others lay abandoned.

Like our gross bodies, the idols are also impermanent and destructible. Worshipping the destructible forms of God remind us of our own impermanence, the impermanence of the world and the need to work for our liberation. 

IN THE FACE OF DANGER

Man has neglected the very basic thing in life. His health. When his heath fails he seeks medical attention. When it comes to rituals man once again becomes dependent of others to perform them. In the face of other dangers or when tormented by woes and worries and troubles, he seeks another for a solution. I too had seeked helped in many instances from others in times of trouble. But all that has changed now. The day I took hold of Agathiyar, I only go to him for all my needs. I confront him, I argue with him, I cry to him, I beg him, I appeal - only to him for no one can possibly give more than he does. All the world's greatest saints survived because of him too. We ought to be grateful that the divine works through the medical profession and practitioners of alternative medicine in saving us. We ought to be grateful that we still have some genuine gurus to teach us a thing or too. We ought t be grateful that the divine comes as a stranger and a friend in times of our needs.

When I was called to the path I came empty. In the midst of my seeking to know more about the Siddhas I stood at the doorstep of several organizations. But I could not stay long enough to even be considered a follower. Agathiyar came to my aid. He blessed me with regular Aasi Nadi readings and showed me to two wonderful gurus, Supramania Swami and Tavayogi. They filled me up. I followed all of Agathiyar's dictates through the Nadi, and adhered to directives from both my gurus in physical form. Agathiyar taught me to perform libation or abhisegam on him while Tavayogi showed me lighting the sacred fire pit or Homa. My gurus taught me worship to the divine in many forms, always reminding me that they were all one. Tavayogi taught me pertinent Yoga Asanas and Pranayama. Both my masters and Agathiyar shared mantras to chant. They delivered many miracles to captivate my attention and revealed many secrets. They then sent seekers to my home to listen, watch and join in the puja sessions.

When I came to the path seeking for information on the Siddhas, I was saddened to hear many uphold the notion and opinion that coming to the worship of Siddhas destroys relationships and families. I refused to believe that such a wonderful Neri or path and its Siddhas would do damage to their offsprings and children. I rose to prove them wrong. Tavayogi told me to bring the family into the worship and not to ignore them. Agathiyar told me to take it up, together with looking after our responsibilities towards the family and society. He had in fact matchmade many couples bringing them together in matrimony. He had blessed couples with children too. We too made sure that the devotees spend their time with their families and take up the worship of Siddhas in the comfort of their homes. We proved the skeptics wrong.

When many seeked Tavayogi to officiate Peedhams in their homes and venues gathering small groups of seekers on the path of the Siddhas, I never intended to start one nor did I approach Tavayogi to officiate one at my home. When other organizations had a weekly routine where devotees would gather together on Thursdays to sing the praise of the Siddhas, although initially, I allowed the gathering soon I sent them off to worship the Siddhas in their own homes. I brought Agathiyar's bronze statue from my home to their homes and had them perform the homa and abhisegam with their family members participating together. The puja that initially took between two to three hours to complete soon shrunk to just minutes while the act of charity grew. Along the way, many came over to light a ghee lamp seeking that their wishes be granted by the divine. Many came with prayers asking to heal or save their family members. Many came to join in in the homa and abhisega, seeking solutions to their pressing needs of the day.

Today we conduct the homa and abhisegam only if the need arises and we ask that the devotee who has a prayer to offer, to do charity first before coming over to participate in the puja. We expect them to sit together with their families at their altar in their homes first before coming over to participate. They are asked to purchase all that is required for the puja. We have them come early and prepare and conduct the puja and rituals by themselves with a little bit of guidance from us. If the devotees have been singing the praise of the Siddhas in their own homes, they would be comfortable singing them during the puja. For those who have taken up doing homa, of course, we encourage them to conduct it in their home. We would like them and are trying to educate them to take their lives into their own hands and begin to talk to the divine, seek all that they wanted from him directly rather than engage another to be a medium. It is a known fact that mediums and middlemen are known to have manipulated people and the situation, cheating these desperate souls in times of trouble. 

Besides puja we encourage them to feed the hungry. With puja and charity going hand in hand and with the grace and mercy of the divine and a little bit of assistance from the guru and the Siddhas, one's wishes are granted. Many take up the task of doing charity or feeding only to satisfy the asking or directive in their Nadi as a means to appease their karma and stop at that not taking it up as a life long practice. When we started charity on a wider scale, of course, there was then a need to officially register a movement PTS as we handled members and donor's contributions.

Then there are many other tools to keep man save. But these should be put to good use while one is hale and healthy and not when faced with danger. It is always better to prevent something from occurring rather than to treat it later. We have numerous Kavasams or songs that tend to protect one from harm's way. Adopting a life devoted to the daily worship of the divine will keep the dark forces and harm away. Treating the problem once it crops up will take time and energy and of course money.

Let us prepare for the rainy day rather than get caught in the rain or be surprised. Agathiyar himself sings the praise of Lord Narayana while all his senses are in a top form reminding himself and us too that we might not be in the state to even think about the divine much less pray or sing his praises in our illness or at our deathbed.

நாராயணா ஸ்ரீமத் நாராயணா
பத்ரி நாராயணா ஹரி நாராயணா
நாராயணா ஸத்ய நாராயணா
சூர்ய நாராயணா லக்ஷ்மி நாராயணா

நொந்துடலும் கிழமாகித் தளர்ந்தபின்
நோயில் நடுங்கிடும் போது – ஜீவ
நாடிகள் நைந்திடும் போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – இன்று
கசிந்துன்னைக் கூவுகின்றேன் அருள் செய்திடுவாய் ஹரி நாராயணா

நீடு கபம் கோழை ஈழை நெருக்கி – என்
நெஞ்சை அடைத்திடும் போது
நாவும் குழறியபோது – மனம்உன்னை
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – நான்
அன்றுனைக் கூவிட இன்றழைத்தேன் எனை
ஆண்டருள்வாய் ஹரி நாராயணா

ஐம்பொறியும் கரணங்களும் வாயுவும்
ஆடி அடங்கிடும் போது – எந்தன்
ஆவி பிரிந்திடும்போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – இன்று
நம்பி உனைத் தொழுதே அழைத்தேன்
ஜகன் நாயகனே ஹரி நாராயணா

உற்றவர் பெற்றவர் மற்றவர் சுற்றமும்
ஒவென்று நின்றழும்போது – உயிர்
ஓசைகள் ஓய்ந்திடும்போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – இன்று
பற்றி உனைப் பணிந்தே அழைத்தேன் – ஆபத்
பாந்தவனே ஹரி நாராயணா

என்பொருள் என்மனை என்றதெல்லாம் இனி
இல்லை என்றாகிடும் போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – நீ
அன்று வரும் பொருட்டின்றழைத்தேன் அருள்
அச்சுதனே ஹரி நாராயணா

வந்தமெதூர் வளைத்து பிரித்தெனை
வாவென்றிழுத்திடும் போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – அந்த
அந்தியம் நீ வர இன்றழைத்தேன்
ஸச்சிதானந்தனே ஹரி நாராயணா

Agathiyar places himself in our shoes and sees himself face old age and death. At that moment of inability, immobility, and gone senile, or with acute illness, he says he might not be able to utter the name of Lord Narayana, hence he reminds us to take the opportunity to sing the praise of the Lord right now at this very moment while we are hale and healthy, quite akin to saving for a raining day.

At that hour when death approaches me I am not sure if I will remember you, hence I am remembering you now Narayana, please take heed of my calling,

When kapam or phlegm arises and my tongue quivers, I am not sure if I will remember you, hence I am calling you now so that you would appear then to save me, Lord Narayana,

When vayu or the vital air comes to a halt, and all senses seize to function, and my soul begins to leave, I am not sure if I would be thinking of you, hence I call out to you now so that you come to my aid then,

When all that I thought was mine suddenly is of no significance and importance at the time of death, I am not sure if I will remember you my Lord, but nevertheless, I pray that you would come then Lord Narayana, hence I am calling you out now,

When Yama's servants appear to bind and take me away, I cannot promise that I would think of you, hence I call you now my Lord,

When my next of kin surround my death bed and wail and cry out, I don't know if your thought will arise in me, hence I cry out for you my Lord this very moment, so that you would appear to save me during my final moments! and so the song goes on.

This is what we should be doing daily for we might not be even able to say his name, let alone call out to him to save us in our hour of need. It is time to leave the classroom and get our hands dirty doing the practical and real thing. Of course, we understand if you are ill or your mobility is restricted or you are not in a financial position to help. But there are other ways to compensate.

FINDING ONE'S IDENTITY

There comes a time in one's life where he or she starts to question various happenings taking place in their lives. It could be a result of or after a series of tragedies. It could be a sudden urge to know one's purpose in life and in taking birth. It could be a thirst for knowledge of the world beyond us. It could be an interest in the mystical sciences. It could be the golden question "Who Am I?" 

He then begins to knock on the doors of establishments, monasteries or homes of Gurus for an answer to life's questions hoping to gain an answer. He seeks to know his identity elsewhere, wishing that the gurus or establishments would reflect or portray his Self. But sadly he does not see his true Self here but instead is shown the faces of others. He gets involved with the Guru and the establishment forgetting his true purpose in coming there that is to know "Thy Self." We are so engrossed with what goes on around us that we fail to watch within, listen to the Self speak, gain Self-Realization. After seeking the answers in these places or seeking his identity hoping to see himself in the mirror, he comes to realize that the answers are not out there but hidden well within him. The paths of Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam were drafted to lead us from external to within. Once we go within, the path of Jnana dawns. All is answered. One comes to know the Self. 

Neale Donald Walsch in his "Conversations with God, Book One", Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, pens down God's conversation with him beginning with an answer to a question of his and many others: How does God talk and to whom?

God answers: "I talk to everyone. All the time. The question is not to who do I talk, but who listens?" God tells Walsch he is not talking but rather communicating with him. "I do not communicate with words alone. My most common form of communication is through feeling. Feeling is the language of the soul. I also communicate with thought. I also use the vehicle of experience as a grand communicator."

God tells him that when feelings, thoughts, and experience fail, finally God uses words - and belief me his words can be quite stern and harsh. We have gone through that because we ignored all the signs he gave through feelings, thoughts and our experiences.

God tells Walsch: "Words may help you understand something. Experience allows you to know. Yet there are some things you cannot experience. So I have given you other tools of knowing. And these are called feelings. And so too thoughts."

"Now the supreme irony here is that you have all placed so much importance on the word of God, and so little on the experience."

God chides us for placing little value on experience. He gets through an important message to us.

"Many words have been uttered by others in my name. Many thoughts and many feelings have been sponsored by causes, not of my direct creation. Many experiences result from these."

Hence we learn that we should not blame God for everything.

"The challenge is one of discernment. The difficulty is knowing the differences between messages from God and data from other sources."

God questions whether his messages are heeded?  "Most of my messages are not. Some because they seem too good to be true. Others because they seem difficult to follow. Many because they are simply misunderstood. Most because they are not received. My most powerful messenger is experience and even this you ignore. Especially this you ignore."

God seems to be quite sore with us, "Your world would not be in its present condition were you to have simply listened to your experience."

God asks us to listen to our experience. "The result of you not listening to your experience is that you keep reliving it over and over again."

He says he will neither force nor coerce us for we have been given a free will - the power to do as we choose - and he assures us that he will never take that away from us.

But the reminder here for us is to use it wisely or be prepared to come back again and again to correct the wrongs.

God gives Walsch a surety. "My messages will come in a hundred forms at thousand moments across a million years. You cannot miss them if you truly listen. You cannot ignore them once truly heard. Thus will our communication begin in earnest. For in the past you have only talked to me, praying to me, interceding with me, beseeching me. Yet now I talk back to you, even as I am doing here."

The soul is here to gain experiences that come about from hidden desires and vasanas. In "The Little Soul and the Sun", a children's parable adapted from "Conversations with God", Hampton Roads Publishing Company Ins, 1998, Neale walks us through another conversation between a Little Soul and God.

"The Little Soul knew itself to be the Light but it wanted to experience itself as Light. And God said that if it wanted to know the Light it must also know the Darkness. For how else can one know Up without Down, Hot without Cold, Fast without Slow? Then the Little Soul understood that in getting to know Who It Really Is, it would have to know the opposite. And so the Little Soul embarked upon an adventure very much like that we all share on Earth."

Knowing who it was was not enough. The Little Soul wanted to be who it was. God ask him, "You mean you want to be Who You Already Are?" The Little Soul replies that it wanted to feel what it is like to be the Light.

God goes on to explain. "Well, there is nothing else but the Light." But as the Little Soul wanted to know itself as the Light amidst the Light, God tells him, "Since you cannot see yourself as the Light when you are in the Light, we will surround you with darkness which is that which you are not." God explains that in order to experience anything at all, the exact opposite of it will appear, reminding the soul for instance, not to shake his fist and raise his voice and curse the darkness when he is surrounded with it. "Rather be a Light unto the darkness and do not be mad about it. Let your Light so shine that everyone will know how special you are."

The story goes on to narrate how the young soul who knew he was Light but wanted to experience it, chose to pick a desired act that he would like to do, from a list of many, once he is on earth. He chooses the act of forgiving. Another soul immediately steps up to join the soul in fulfilling its wish by being the perpetrator so that the young soul can then forgive him. They both come down to earth to live out their desires. This desire triggers a chain of events, a learning process takes place and several experiences are recorded, whereby the soul becomes enriched through these experiences. We, being Light in essence, for want of experiencing it, had darkness and all opposites created for us. As all the souls are perfect, many wanted and volunteered to come down to help us gain the experience. Thus we had all known each other earlier. We had planned to be together here. Those who needed a particular experience chose to come early while others remained behind to join later. We have worked out all things at the level of the soul and wait for it to take shape and happen or act it out on the physical plane - earth. We create the situation and the scenario allowing all our wishes to take shape. What we are going through is what we had asked for. We had asked for this experience and hence are enacting the role and taking on the experiences. Hence when we begin to understand that everything comes to take its respective form and place according to the wishes of the souls and the divine law of nature (God), we can settle down and accept all that is seen.

Similarly, Annie Besant in "Avatara-s", The Theosophical Publishing House, 2002, wrote,

How would you learn right if you knew not wrong? How would you choose good if you knew not evil? How would you recognize the Light if there were no Darkness? How would you move if there were no resistance? The forces that are dark, the forces of the rakshasas, of the asuras, of all that seems to be working against Isvara, these are the forces that call out the inner strength of the self in man, by struggling with which the forces of Atma within the man are developed and without which he would remain in Pralaya forevermore. Isvara must draw out men's forces by pulling against their strength making them struggle in order to attain and so vivifying into outer manifestation the life that otherwise would remain enfolded in itself.

In this universe there is no evil; all is good that comes to us from Isvara but it sometimes comes in the guise of evil that by opposing it we may draw out our strength. Then we begin to understand that these forces are necessary and that they are within the plan of Isvara. There is only one will in the universe the will of Isvara and all must conform itself to that will, all is conditioned by that will, all must move according to that will.  

Annie Besant and Bhagavan Das in their "Sanatana Dharma" wrote,

The Upadhis are only brought into existence to serve the purpose of the Jivatman moved by desire to taste these worlds. The wish to experience is said to lead the Atman to form organs for receiving and transmitting to himself the experience. His wish lies at the root of each and matter obeys his impulse and obediently molds itself into a form suitable for the exercise of the life function. The jivatman is a conscious being and that consciousness seeking external experience fashions sense and sense organs for contact with the outer worlds. 

Today I understand why Agathiyar said in the Nadi that there were many wrongs I had done but it was also his will that it should take place and that I needed the experience too. Ma and Aiya too have mentioned that one's experience gain from the lessons in life that comes as learning to us will indefinitely become wisdom or jnana for others. Later Agathiyar tells us that our experiences will answer the questions we hold, asking us not to question.

Betty J Eadie in her book "Embraced by the Light" understood the earth to be a place where we schooled, adds that whatever we become of here is meaningless unless it has brought benefit to others. In serving others we grow spiritually. If Betty says that we are here to school, Neale says that we are already well equipped with sufficient knowledge and have only to apply it here, giving life a purpose and making it holy. And so Agathiyar gave us the five tenets to uphold and live for a purposeful and enlightening life.

Why is having experiences so important? Bringing oneself to spiritual practices, the Tava Kanal or as Agathiyar says, "The radiant heat [tejas tapah] of these spiritual experiences, also greatly expand the holding sack of causal body [karanam sharira], making it possible for a quick release [mukti] of the bound soul [bandhit atama]."

COMBATING THE ENEMY

Annie Besant in "Avatara-s", The Theosophical Publishing House, 2002, wrote,

Never does the spiritual teacher withhold knowledge because he grudges the giving. He is hampered in the giving by the want of receptivity in those to whom his message is addressed. It is not the withholding of the teacher but the closing of the heart of the hearer; not the hesitation of the teacher but the want of the ear that hears; not the dearth of teachers but the dearth of pupils who are willing and ready to be taught.

They are waiting, waiting, waiting with tireless patience in order to find someone willing to be taught, and when one human heart opens itself out and says, "O Lord teach me", then the teaching comes down in a stream of divine energy and floods the heart. Unlock the heart and throw away the key and you will find yourselves flooded with a wisdom which is ever waiting to come in.

It might seem that we are faced with numerous problems and obstacles and unending woes and troubles. We might ask why me too? If you notice well all these troubles come in a package one after another. If we consult an astrologer he would take a peek into our stars and tell us the reason that the planets are not favorable to us. All our past karma and its fruit and results are stacked in a domino fashion waiting accordingly for us to reap them. To facilitate the stormy weather and downpour of troubles at certain points in our lives and particular periods of our lifespan, they are well placed in place and distributed for the show to begin once we arrive then and there. The planets assist in this placement and in meting out justice. It is not that the planets are malefic but that they are tasks to mete out specified punishments or lessons for how else can our karma be dealt with in a systematic and organized way? The late Dr. Krishnan was the only astrologer who asks us to invite Saturn for he comes to pave the way for all our karma to be wiped clean as a slate giving us numerous hardship and misery during his tenure. We are asked to appease the planets then. By setting us off on a pilgrimage, pay respects to deities, asking to give out handouts and gifts, serve people, serve food and give clothing, etc we are forcefully brought to do puja and charity, which otherwise might not be our spoon of medicine. Burning us in the fire and heat of sufferings he leaves us more strong, polished and shining.

Annie Besant explains the reasons and brings us to accept duality in all things. 

How would you learn right if you knew not wrong? How would you choose good if you knew not evil? How would you recognize the light if there were no darkness? How would you move if there were no resistance? The forces that are dark, the forces of the rakshasas, of the asuras, of all that seems to be working against Isvara, these are the forces that call out the inner strength of the self in man, by struggling with which the forces of Atma within the man are developed and without which he would remain in Pralaya forevermore. Isvara must draw out men's forces by pulling against their strength making them struggle in order to attain and so vivifying into outer manifestation the life that otherwise would remain enfolded in itself.

Annie Besant says that "if everything around us was smooth and easy, we would remain supine, lethargic and indifferent." Just as Tavayogi tells us that we will never come to a realization if we did not receive blows from the whip, she too says that "it is the whip of pain, of the suffering, of disappointment that drives us onward and brings out the forces of our internal life which otherwise would remain undeveloped."

In this universe there is no evil; all is good that comes to us from Isvara but it sometimes comes in the guise of evil that by opposing it we may draw out our strength. Then we begin to understand that these forces are necessary and that they are within the plan of Isvara. There is only one will in the universe the will of Isvara and all must conform itself to that will, all is conditioned by that will, all must move according to that will. 

He has given his very self to be our self and our life. Ask him to accompany us in these troubled times. He will come.

THE GURU'S LOVE

In response to the last post on Guru Kripa, Acharya Gurudasan wrote a beautiful observation.

Prey that has fallen in the tigers mouth has no escape. In the same way, the one who has gotten the grace of the Guru shall never be forsaken. Even if we forget the Guru, the Guru never leaves us. All those who might feel a little left out especially after dissolving the group, they have nothing to fear. They're all firmly on the path and Agathiyar will take care of them and bring them what's needed at various points in their lives for their spiritual evolution. 

These are true words for the guru does not forsake or desert the child. A momentary absence shall strengthen the bond further. Time and space might separate the guru but his essence lives in us forever. A guru's love is without condition, boundary, and change writes Sister Preeti at http://yogananda.com.au/c/Preeti_love.html. A guru "will say or do something that causes a certain flip to happen which leads that person to the next stage. The guru is just there doing whatever the dharma of the moment demands", Ram Dass writes in his "Paths to God - Living the Bhagavad Gita". There is no ploy or deceit. Neither a plan. Just plain living in the moment.

"Most of the time gurus use Siddhis to break a person loose at the point where he or she is ripe for a certain change to happen" adds Ram Dass. When a devotee is a freshie, the guru uses his Siddhis to impress him and bring him into the path, as what Supramania Swami, Tavayogi and Agathiyar did. When we are ready and all ripe to be picked, all that is needed is a tap and we fall into their hands. Siddhis are generally used to shake up people and to bring them out of their dream state into Reality. The guru showers his grace on one and all. It's just whether we are receptive to it. The guru comes to activate these receptors in us. Once the receptors are cleansed of the years of dirt that has plugged it, the cosmic energies flow freely. This is possible through the look, thought or touch from the guru. 

To be touched by a Master’s hand only requires inner attunement, not a physical touch. We want to become attuned so we can be receptive to the Guru’s touch. Read more: http://yogananda.com.au/c/Preeti_love.html

Erai's grace and blessings are then received in leaps and bounds.

Ram Dass in his "Paths to God - Living the Bhagavad Gita", describes this path further, one that he adopts and follows too.

Guru Kripa or the method of the guru is one form of bakti practice. It is the specific form of bhakti that focuses on the guru, and on the guru's grace or the guru's blessings." The relationship with the guru is totally an internal matter with its essence being love. The guru is a being who awakens incredible love in us and then uses our love to awaken us out of the illusion of duality.

Quoting Ramana, Ram Dass explains further.

The glance of grace from the master is enough to awaken the devotee from the sleep of ignorance to the knowledge of the real. The guru as a separate entity exists only within the illusion of separateness ... the minute the method of the guru has worked it's awakened you, and it ceases to be anything at all. It has an automatic built-in self destruct mechanism you use it until it opens you in a certain way and then you see through it and let go of it. The guru becomes irrelevant.

Tavayogi showed me Agathiyar and stepped aside exactly as to how Ram Dass describes a guru becoming irrelevant. A true guru will know when he should step back and let his student grow. He will never have his student under his shadows forever; rather he would release him having given him all the tools for his survival while traversing the unknown territory that he has taken a step into. Along the way he meets upagurus, Ram Dass adds, "who are like marker stones along the road that say go this way, go that way." "They are teachings rather then teaches," he says, "We can take a teaching here and a teaching there and then go our way, instead of getting hung up on them," he adds. Besides these gurus on the physical plane, "Then there are the astral guides too, beings on all those other planes as well... helping us along in various ways... all wanting to help us get free."

Ram Dass says "The very essence of the relationship between a guru and a devotee is a sense of complete utter trust", something Lord Muruga is insisting now from us. "We trust that whatever the guru does will be for our own good." "The love for a guru is a process of surrendering," says Ram Dass of his love towards Maharajji. "I learned to let go into whatever he thinks best for me. I surrender to his version of my storyline in place of my own." Instead of writing our own script for life let him write out the script of our life. It would definitely be a good read.

As Sister Preeti gives us insights into the heart of a guru and writes, "We have come so far already. We have a practical tool for affirmation. It takes the will and willingness to change", Agathiyar himself came as the Moola Guru and as Sister Preeti wrote, Agathiyar too prescribed two tools namely "dutiful actions and absorbed meditation on God' for a balanced life, that has brought us closer to him. It is in our hands now to reciprocate his love.

The guru does not see himself separate from his disciple. Once the awakening begins you can't help but feel a profound love for all the beings who have helped you along the way. This is what the Satguru does. Ram Dass shares an episode that elaborates on his relationship with his guru that became less and less rooted in dualism as time went on.

Sometime after I had first met Maharajji (Neem Karoli Baba) I was sitting across the courtyard from him, and I thought to myself, what am I doing here? That body sitting over there isn't what its all about. At that moment, Maharajji called an old man over, and said something to him, and the man came running over to me and touched my feet. I asked him why did you do that? He told me Maharajji told me, go touch Ram Dass feet. He and I understand each other perfectly. I used to sit in front of Maharajji... I felt like he had created me out of his mind in order to play with me."

Ram Dass guides us into Guru Kripa:  "Coming to the guru, invite him into our hearts, install him in the altar within the heart, offer yourself to him, sing, chant, pray, love him as you love yourself, open up to him, watch and slowly become - Him."

"He is the one who is the doorway," says Ram Dass. Today many have taken Agathiyar has their guru and follow his path at ATM. They too are seeing miracles and changes taking place in them and their surroundings. We are grateful to the lineage of gurus who look over our shoulders 24/7. As Yogananda Paramahansa wrote as the last line in his "Autobiography of a Yogi", “Lord,” I thought gratefully, “Thou hast given this monk a large family!”, I am blessed with a large family of Agathiyar devotees too. I only closed a Whatsapp group but have never shut my heart out to all nor have I shut the door of my home on others. You are always welcome to visit Agathiyar at AVM. I shall be waiting at the door to invite you in.

THE MAGIC IS IN YOU

A good friend and staunch devotee of Agathiyar on reading my ending piece in the post 'Being Alert While on the Path' responded via a Whatsapp message. Understanding the difficulty and obstacles that come in the way of doing charity and good deeds, he who leads a small group in bringing charity and service to the needy in the suburbs of New Delhi, came to comfort me, sharing his experience. But he is determined to move on irrespective of the challenges.

Being alert while on the path..... yes its painstakingly true that many do not contribute.... time or money for the cause of creation. I have tried it in my group...contributing to the cause is a distant dream. But nothing can be bigger than the cause. There will be demons in the way who mistle the voice of angelic forces. But the resolve must go on.....more ppl will c reason in the cause and join.

Our vedas and shastras talk about service and charity as a path to higher dimensions and to avoid the experience of patal lok. Agastya also talks about all lokas. His message must b spread. Service and charity must continue.... even one member is an addition....if the cause is understood....rest will leave as per their journey.

Those handful of devotees whether in any part of the world must get to share, hear experiences...the blog is one way...maybe a live youtube once a month or so....will bring energy ...

Another dear friend who does a similar service in Johannesburg wrote to comfort me too.

Dear Shan aiya. I read your last 2 posts as well as your friend's response with acknowledgement of the same experience...it may be easier to draw water out of stone than to cultivate a mindset of charity and serving "others".  I too often feel like a lone ranger in my neck of the woods. You did not fail Shan aiya, you melted many hearts. We may not be able to save the whole world  in our limited capacity but we may be able to save "some one's" world. 

I was pleased to receive such comforting words and words of appreciation from fellow devotees of Agathiyar. Many others from the AVM family wrote to express their appreciation too. I am glad that they understood the reason for me closing the Whatsapp groups as detailed in my previous post at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2019/10/creation-destruction.html.

Acharya Gurudasan wrote, "Beautifully written uncle. And nice analogy to the Tibetan mandala practice" and sent me the following video clip.

Another young aspirant wrote,

"I was so confused why uncle removed all of us from the group but now all the answers had been answered in the text above..I'm not sure if I'm ready for the next level uncle but for sure I can promise I will.never leave Agathiyar Airlines..that is everything for me and ..more than our life.. As uncle say reducing karma, reducing negativity, from imperfections to perfection is our goal now ... Thank you so much uncle for everything ..very much blessed indeed."

Another note from another friend in New Delhi,

"Once surrendered fully...in the flight I  believe everything his our fathers play..helping and guiding each one of us in unique ways..Always our gratitudes with you."

A message from a senior devotee of Agathiyar reads as follows,

"Appa has used you and our AVM to ignite the fire in all of us in our quest towards spiritual knowledge and enlightenment. With Appa's guidance and blessings, all his children are on the right path. Thanks ayya for showing us the right path. You writing's was the inspiration."

From an ardent devotee comes the following understanding,

"Wonderfully penned Anna. Agathiyar Appa currently urges to clean all our karma/ serpents and that’s where we can see so many vasanas raising it within the group members... And the same time Appa teaching us this is an individual journey when it comes at 1 point of time, that’s where detachment happening and it’s shrinking and make us contact with only those with the same level in this journey. And that also need to leave when the times come. People might think it’s too early when they considering their age but for Agathiyar Appa, he only looking at the soul where the age not counted. So those accepted able to continue the journey in Agathiyar Airlines and those can’t will depart earlier before reaching the Kingdom. In the end people fail to lose their desire in this material life (which is impermanence). Only a few able to achieve it and to protect them they use KAAVI as a tool to separate them from this world/people.

Another young maiden wrote, 

"True Anna. Now cleansing process going on. I really can feel that. Appa is preparing us for the detachment process. Thank you, Anna. Without You, we won't be able to experiences all this. We thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are ready to clear off our karma, Anna."

Another friend from Pune wrote about how the post mysteriously explained many issues on hand.

Sir I was little lost and was extremely worked up due to settling in new place and facing new challenges. Thanks to your post which described my situation perfectly and a way out too is provided. Appa must be reminding me about it through you.

Another friend wrote, "Its a beautiful meaning & such a wonderful msg Uncle. Thank You So much for the Sharing."

Another senior devotee wrote, 

"Very well said Aiya, by coincidence, just now was reading a reply by Prakash Swamy to a question, why do we cry in spite of knowing that all born in this world got to depart. I shall share his answer which in line with your post."

She shared the following.

'இவர் இன்னார்' என்று பெயர், கல்வி, செல்வம், பதவி, புகழ், சாதி, மதம், இனம், மொழி, ஊர், தேசம் என்று எத்தனையோ விதமான அடையாளங்களால் அறியப்பட்ட, போற்றப்பட்ட, கொண்டாடப்பட்ட, கொஞ்சப்பட்ட, தூற்றப்பட்ட, வியக்கப்பட்ட, வெறுக்கப்பட்ட, ஆதரிக்கப்பட்ட, ஒதுக்கப்பட்ட, குறுகிய வாழ்நாளின் பல கணங்களை நேரடியாகவோ மறைமுகமாகவோ பகிர்ந்துகொண்ட அவ்வுயிர் வெறும் உடலாக, பிணமாக, புதைக்கவோ எரிக்கவோ படக் காத்திருக்கையில், இறுதிச் சடங்குகளைத் தவிர நாம் செய்யக் கூடியது ஏதுமில்லை. 

இந்நிலையானது 'என்னால் முடியாதது எதுவுமில்லை' என்ற நமது இறுமாப்பிற்குக் கிடைக்கும் மரண அடி. நமக்குப் புரியாத, நம்மால் கட்டுப்படுத்த முடியாத, நம்மை மீறிய பிரபஞ்ச நிகழ்வுகள் எத்தனையோ உள்ளன என்பதை நமக்குத் தெளிவாக உணர்த்தும் அரிய கணங்கள் இவை. 

மனிதராகப் பிறவியெடுத்ததன் உண்மையான பயனை நாம் அறிய இவை உதவிகரமாக இருக்கும். 'எனக்குத் தெரியவில்லை' என்று தன்னடக்கத்துடன் வாழ்வை 'உள்ளது உள்ளபடி' அறிந்துணர நாம் தயாராக, திறந்த நிலையில் இருந்தால்! 

அவ்வாறு இல்லாது, காரண அறிவின் குறுகிய வளையத்தைக் கடந்து வெளியே வரத் தயாராக இல்லாதோர், அடுத்த மரணத்தின்போதும் வெறுமனே கதறி அழத் தயாராக இருக்க வேண்டியதுதான்.

Sanjiv Malhotra, a dear friend, and comrade on the path of the Siddhas sent me the following Guru Stotram or Guru Gita from the Uttarakhandam of Skanda Purana,

Dhyan moolam Guru murti

Puja moolam Guru padam

Mantra moolam Guru vakyam

Moksh moolam Guru Kripa.

Meaning:

The root of meditation is the form of the Guru

The root of worship is the feet of the Guru.

The source of mantra is the words of the Guru

The source of Liberation is the Guru's grace.

Another verse from the above goes,

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu

Guru Devo Maheshwara

Guru Sakshat Param Brahma

Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah

Vivek Ravindranath, at https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Vedas-say-Dhyana-Moolam-Guru-Roopam-asking-one-to-meditate-on-Guru, explains the meaning and relevance of these verses.

The Skanda Purana mentions the grace of a Guru in Guru Strotram, known as Guru Gita, in the form of a dialogue between Shiva and Uma (Shakti):

"Dhyana Moolam Guru Murti.

Puja Moolam Gurur Padam,

Mantra Moolam Gurur Vakyam,

Moksha Moolam Guru Kripa"

He says in the Bhakti marga, Kripa is key to salvation and names the kinds of Kripa.

Ishwara kripa - Grace of God

Shastra kripa - Grace of the Scriptures

Guru kripa - Grace of the Guru

Atma kripa - Grace of the Self

One Kripa will beget all others….

Advaita focuses on Atma kripa, Samkhya and Yoga focus on Guru Kripa, Purva Mimamsa on Shastra Kripa, and Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita focusses on Ishwara Kripa. But irrespective of the paths and darshanas, the role of the guru is pivotal in achiving self knowledge. 

So there can be many ways to achieve the ultimate Goal of Hinduism… the answer to “Who am I?” Vivek goes on to narrate a wonderful story to explain the importance of the Guru.

The Stone Soup

A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows. The stranger smiled and asked, why are you all so frightened. I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal.

"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on."

"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water.

By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear. "Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot.

"Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."

The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . And so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.

The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road. He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group, It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic."

"So just like that, we all have the recipe for the soup of the soul…within us… The guru just Gives us the stone of meditation… But the magic is not in meditation, it is in realizing the Magic of the self that was always right in us", ends Vivek Ravindranath. 

SHARING DIVINE EXPERIENCES

The path of Jnana is to experience both the ordinary and the extraordinary and to share it with those keen to pursue the same path. It is an accumulation of all the earlier paths namely Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam that one has tread upon, gaining insights and knowledge, and gaining experiences and reaping its benefits, finally standing at the threshold of Jnana. He becomes wiser and more settled, having lived out his ambitions, desires, likings, etc and dropping the grabbing, the exploitation, the miserliness, etc, now standing void and empty to receive what the divine desires to gift him. The scores of experiences have molded him into a better person, more compassionate and kind, losing selfishness and replacing it with thoughts about the welfare of others. He now pleads with the divine for the welfare of others rather than seeking that his individual desires materialize.

He is a Jeevan Mukta, one who has accomplished all that he desired and has devoted his life henceforth to do the work of Erai. He has built a rapport with the divine, that of a companion now.  If earlier he had to rap hard and loud on the door to be heard, now he gives a gentle tap and it opens up for him to enter anytime. Soon the door will forever be ajar to facilitate his movement between both worlds. He does not need to visibly engage in activities of the world but only needs to place a prayer for the well being of one and all. His prayer is heard by the divine and the divine responds accordingly. Many a saint have engaged with the divine and shared their divine miracles not at large assemblies but in the midst of devotees as and when required. Through their writings that took the form of hymns and songs, they appealed to the divine for the benefit of others and shared their experiences.

These experiences stand as proof of divine existence. If these songs were merely sweet to the ears initially, these days it brings a deeper understanding and does something within the self bringing unexplained tears of joy and bliss to the soul that resides within. Occasionally sudden outbursts of cries accompany bodily movements that are beyond the control of one. That is how it is with songs of Ramalinga Adigal too. His Arutpa brings his experience to us and we can associate with his mystical experiences to a certain extent. We understand him better after having a glimpse of these experiences too. In the chapter, "Arunachala Honoured by Thirumurais", from "Ramana's Arunachala - Ocean of Grace Divine", by Sri Bhagavan's devotees, Sri Ramanasramam, 2000, it is written, "There are faith, love, and surrender, and whoever sings his songs is affected with the same feeling", on Jnanasambandar's composition and rendition of songs in praise of Arunachala. We continue,

In Appars hymns we see his deep love and piety for Arunachala; in these hymns he professes again and again his unswerving love and his unceasing meditation on Arunachala. With great gratitude he discloses the immense bliss and grace that Arunachala has bestowed upon him. In "Thiruthandagam" Appar describes Arunachala as the fiery bodied supreme.

Supramania Swami told me that all he saw towards his last days, was a fiery hill. Hence he closed up the only window that opened up to a full view of Arunachala. As he sat at his bed place next to the door of his kudil, he saw siddhas, munis and rishis going about their daily chores and rituals on the slopes of the hill, all of which might sound absurd and unbelievable to us common people. He even saw into the future and named several others who in present times were elsewhere living a normal life, live and walk amongst the divine sages on the Holy hill.

In "Thirukkurunthokai", Appar with melting gratitude praises Arunachala as the lord who absolved him of all his karmas. In the next "Kurunthokai", Appar invites the whole world to participate in his good fortunes.

Sundarar regarded the divine as his friend singing praises on him too.

Bhagavan Ramana would listen with rapt attention to selections from Manikavachakar's "Tiruvachakam" recited by devotees. His whole frame would melt with tears gushing down his cheeks, standing as the very embodiment of devotion and surprising those who only saw him as a jnani immersed in deep samadhi.

Though the four poet saints have sung about the lord residing at various shrines yet when they praise Arunachala they reach the summit of devotion and take the reader along with them.

"Bhakti begins in wonder a sense of awe in the presence of God's beauteous creation", writes P.Thirugnanasambandhan in his "The Concept of Bhakti", University of Madras, 1971. He beautifully charts the awesome journey.

The sense of awe and wonder gradually develops into emotions of admiration, gratitude, and reverence. Gripped with a sense of wonder, the devout man views with inexpressible delight the handywork of God in Nature and is filled with adoring reverence for its mighty author on whose commands the heaven and the earth stand poised in their respective orbits.

"The concept of bhakti is as ancient as the Rg Veda", we are told, "with passages indicative of devotional feelings in it." "Religion is concerned very much with the personality of God", writes P.Thirugnanasambandhan, "whereas pure mysticism is concerned with the inward enjoyment of God in essence."

The religious mysticism of the Alvars and Nayanmars is deeply devotional. The saints are soaked in love with the personality of God and his superhuman deeds. Wonder, awe, love, and faith mingle with one another to work up an alembic of the purest intensity of self-giving and seeking God for its own sake.

How does this take place?

P.Thirugnanasambandhan quotes Madhusudanasarasvati from his "Bhakti Rasayana", "As a result of various religious observances, the mind becomes supple and flows like a stream into God. Bhakti gradually rises from a state of sadhana or means on to sentiment and love."

The author refers to Sri Rupagosvami while tracing the development of Bhakti in aspirants.

First arises faith; then follows attraction and after that adoration. Adoration leads to suppression of worldly desires, and the result is singlemindedness and satisfaction. The grows attachment which results in an ebullition of sentiments. After this love comes to play.

Narada shows us a way out of Maya that is the source of an endless cycle of birth and death says P.Thirugnanasambandhan. Avoid unholy association, seek the company of men of large hearts and become selfless. Develop an uninterrupted flow of love towards God. Being invoked thus he at once reveals himself and fills his devotees with his grace. When there arises Sraddha or belief that there is a moral governor of the world who regulates the destinies of souls according to the immutable laws of karma, gradually he ceases to perform prohibited acts and begins to perform more and more acts prescribed. Even the acts that he performs, Karmayoga, he learns to do without attachment to the fruit which they may produce but in a spirit of dedication.  He then adopts certain sadhanas. The companionship of pious men produces a transformation in one's attitude to things of the world. Next follows occasional contemplation alternated with worship. Constancy in worship leads to Ruci or a feeling of enjoyment of the life of devotion. Guna mahatmaya asakti and rupa asakti is then followed by puja asakti, various forms of attachments, to his majesty; grace and beauty and worship respectively. In these forms of attachment the devotee is possessed with the sentiment of awe and wonder and stands as it were at some distance from the lord giving expression to his insignificance and sinfulness on the one hand and the majesty and holiness of the lord on the other. This is followed by smarana asakti or attachment to the memories of the lord. By listening to the glories of God or Sravanam; praising and chanting his glories or Kirtanam; constant reflection on his glory or smaranam; resorting to and paying obeisance to his feet or padasevanam;  worship or arcanam; offer obeisance or vandanam;

What follows is dasya asakti or  dedicated and deep sense of service at the feet of the lord; sakhya asakti or invoking the lord as a friend; vatsalya asakti or yearning of a child for the moon, and kanta asakti or that of a lover as displayed by Appar, Sundarar, Jnanasambandar and Manikkavacakar respectively. Complete consecration of the self in service or self-surrender or Atmanivedanasakti results then. When the devotee completely identifies with the will of his lord, he loses his separate existence in the wider existence oof his lord. He attains the state of tanmaya asakti. This is the sprouting stage of divine love growing into the state of parama viraha asakti, as in lovers separated. This culminates in the devotees' realization of divine presence in himself as well as outside him and verily lives, moves, and has his being in Him. This state cannot be described but only experienced. 

BEING ALERT WHILE ON THE PATH

"Every saint has a past; 

Every sinner has a future."

Richard Schiffman in his "Sri Ramakrishna – A Prophet for the New Age", Paragon House, 1989, writes about how Ramakrishna handled his disciples. He loved them, and was patient with them as they were all young, and forgiving. He saw in them youthful dedication and energy, earnestness, and sincerity, the very qualities that had fueled his own journey to god.

Writes Schiffman,

"He wished to nurture and bring to fruition these divine qualities within them. Ramakrishna through the purity of his vision saw through the thin veneer of personality and perceived directly the divine spark yearning for expression deep within these spiritual aspirants."

"Once he had seen that spark nothing that happened could convince him that it wasn't there. Once he had welcomed someone, he could never let them go, whatever came to pass. The contradictions, the shortcomings, the stumblings along the way, the thousand weaknesses that flesh is heir to, didn't matter. Only god mattered - god struggling fitfully within, yearning to be free of the bonds of the flesh."

Schiffman continues further.

Each soul was an open book for him, and he knew all of its dark secrets and all of its bright possibilities. Ramakrishna did not measure a man by the same yardstick that the world uses. He saw how the best of men are rifled through with hidden failings, and how even the worst have the bright seed of redemption within them. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ramakrishna had peered behind the curtain of the puppet theatre and observed the mother at work pulling all the strings that man in his ignorance imagines he holds himself. It was a vision that burnt to ashes any temptation to lay blame to judge or to condemn. The very act of seeing all was the act of forgiving all. Even to speak of forgiveness is too harsh; for in a world where god alone acts, what is there to forgive, and who is there to be forgiven?

But the cosmic vision did not make Ramakrishna indiscriminate in his dealings. The heady transcendence of good and evil, which the seer experiences when he perceives that god himself has manifested as both, did not in any way blunt the masters abilty to distinguish between the two when he returned again to the realm of duality in which his devotees functioned. Indeed he always insisted that of all men the spiritual aspirant has to be the most discriminating in his choice of environment and companions. The good inspire one to pure deeds and exalted thoughts while the bad drag one into the depths of illusion and have to be avoided at all costs. God is in the tiger no doubt. But the man who embraces the tiger on that account will surely come to regret doing so, the master would tell his young devotees. 

Here are a few words of caution from Ramakrishna. Schiffman writes,

The master taught that those who live without spiritual light completely enslaved to the beast within are to be avoided at all costs by the person who aspires for a higher life. Yes god is in all beings but some had turned their backs so totally on that inner divinity and lived in such a suffocating and loveless darkness of spirit that they were at least for the moment effectively beyond all hope or healing. Ramakrishna would have nothing to do with them. 

But if you showed the smallest glimmer of compassion or truthfulness, gentleness or reverence, sincerity or remorse, then a cartload of sins would be forgiven and you are welcomed with open arms. Only the stony coldness of indifference could not be forgiven. 

Reading Richard Schiffman's account of Ramakrishna, we understand what Agathiyar is doing to us too. Schiffman describes exactly what is happening in our circles too. We have come to learn that Agathiyar sees only our souls and not our character, habit, and faults. He is here to save our soul from returning to the vicious cycle of birth and death again and again. He is here to bring an end to it. Hence he has roped us all in, making the call to all those who might be interested to listen to what he has to say. Many left, some stayed on. Those who left were curious onlookers who became disinterested in working for merits and gains that would go a long way to offset the baggage of karma that we each brought along, but instead came for instant remedies, lucky draws, surprise gifts or gift vouchers. Those who stayed behind were put through numerous tests. Many dropped out. Those who remained behind now came face to face with the toughest question - whether they would want to surrender completely to the will of God. Some said they did, superficially or without understanding the depth of the surrender asked for. Some were still tied down to their responsibilities or entwined in the net of troubles. To them he asks to come another day, giving them time to complete their worldly responsibilities or work on their existing problems. Those who were ready were elevated and tasks with more divine work. Many who heeded and took up Agathiyar's call and faithfully hanged on to him, today stand out as icons and role models for those fresh on the path. 

I started the journey with the calling from Agathiyar to come to the path of the worship of the Siddhas in 2002. But it was no different or alien to what I had been following all this while. If prior to this I had frequented the temples and worshipped the whole pantheon of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, both at the temple and in our homes, after coming to the path, my worship did not change drastically; neither did I abandon all the Gods for the Siddhas. Agathiyar asked that I include the Siddhas too in our prayers. I was given a painting of Agathiyar to start worshipping by Sivabalan who brought in the Nadi reader, after Agathiyar told me to worship him too in my very first Nadi reading. The Nadi guru Sentilkumar on his part, gave me a small booklet that carried a compilation of the names of the Siddhas and he started me off with puja to the Siddhas as I returned another day to conduct a puja for the Nadi or Nadikku Dhanam, paying homage to the Siddhas and their Nadi that was instrumental in revealing my past, present, and future. Following that initiation into Siddhar Puja, I continued reciting these names at home.

With the coming of Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal into my life in 2005, I was asked to conduct the homa which I did with guidance from him. When Agathiyar came as a bronze statue I was asked to perform libation to him or Abhisegam too. If prior to this we were mere spectators at temples and our homes, watching or engaging the priests to conduct and perform these and other rites on our behalf, now we took to devotion and prayers and performing and conducting these rites for our betterment by ourselves. The divine took notice as we took heed of the numerous instructions given by both Agathiyar and our gurus. We began to bridge the gap between the divine and us. From a servant or follower of the Hindu faith as in Sariyai, we moved to perform the rituals entering the next stage of Kriyai. Together with prayers and puja we were instructed to carry out charity too covering Karma Yoga too. Then he brought us to understand and perform Yoga asanas and Pranayama bringing us within the reach of the path of Yoga, sending masters, gurus and exponents of these arts at the right time or when we were ready for it. Today as we stand at the threshold of Jnana, the divine and the Siddhas have asked us to minimize our time and resources in worship and in carrying out the rituals and drop all that we learned, emptying our self to receive Jnana that is bestowed by the divine once we surrender our body, mind, and soul to the divine spirit that lives in us as a tiny spark. With the coming of Jnana this spark shall glow and shine and burn with the luminosity similar to that of Erai. We await with open hands for Agathiyar and the Siddhas to bring us to the state of a Jnani and cut the cycle of birth and death.

Along the way, we learned many valuable lessons that cannot be found in books on what to do and what not to do too.

Agathiyar and the worship of the Siddhas encompass all forms of worship and include the myriad of deities, gods and goddesses. We are told not to alienate other faiths, beliefs or worship and rituals. If some norm or practice by others does not conform to the Siddha teachings, Agathiyar has told us to let it be. He never corrects nor does he meddle in others business. Stating several instances of nonconformity or falsehood, he goes on to let it be. So does he expect us too. He has asked us to stay focused on the job on hand given and tasked by him periodically. He came on sternly and with a strong-worded reminder to some devotees to mind their work on hand and not engage in debate, or be disillusioned by what was going on elsewhere.

He has asked us not to question further telling us that during our course of life and the experience it has to offer, we shall learn and receive the answers to all our queries in good time through these experiences.

Prior to this Ma, knowing that we were faithful to the Siddha path, came and told us that the path of the Siddha or Siddha Neri was one of learning or padippinai. Our individual experiences will become another's Jnana. We are told in the scriptures that we are souls seeking experiences in this world. Carrying desires, we take birth at the right time and venue conducive to the germination of these vasanas or seeds of desire that we carry. We take the DNA, body and gender and find ourselves being born in a family, race, and nation that man has labeled and identified. We go through life and its pleasures and its disappointments, trying to figure it out. When the thought arises as to what our purpose is in coming to take this birth, we then venture to know its secrets. These secrets were revealed to us by the grace of Agathiyar and the Siddhas and that of our gurus in physical form and the divine.

Agathiyar reveals to us that the Siddha path is not akin to that of devotion or bakthi where crowds amass in hundreds and thousands. His path will shrink in numbers leaving only those who can take the heat to carry on his noble teachings.

He initiates many things and finally comes to break all forms of attachments towards it. For instance he brought me to worship him, the Siddhas, Ganapathy and Lord Siva. Later his guru Lord Muruga budged in into our lives quite unexpectedly. Agathiyar led us to worship Ma as Vaallai too. Even before he came through the Nadi reading to start us on his path and journey, he had directed me to chant the nama japa of Lord Vishnu and worship Lord Dhakshanamurthy. He shared his moola mantra "Aum Shrim Aum Sadguru Pathame...." to chant and share it with others too. He brought us to chant the Arutperunjhoti mantra too. He brought us to perform libation for him, carry out the homa at our homes and in selected temples. Then he asked that it be reduced in scale or given a rest. From all external forms of worship, we began to move inward and within. But he allowed us to go back to doing rituals if it necessitated as the Siddhas themselves went back to the drawing board performing a Yagna in response to our plea that Tavayogi should survive his ordeal. They saved his life then.

If in the past he went to the homes of devotees where they were given the privilege to carry out libation and light the homa with their family and friends, he soon directed us to stop that too.

He brought us to team up and serve the poor and unfortunate too. This noble deed is being carried on to this day, with his encouragement, surveillance, and supervision.

I think we have broken the code to the formula as to how the Siddhas go about bringing us out of the turmoil of planetary life to move into their realm of peace and quiet and bliss. With a calling, they awake us from our deep slumber. They put us on rigid regimes and practices to discipline us. They ask us to replace our personal likes and desires for the yearning and desire to know God. We take on the worship of Siva for instance. Then having traveled the journey with Siva, we are reminded that we need to drop even our love and hold on him to go further. They get us to drop our attachment to forms and names that were the very tools we needed initially at the start of the journey.

The aim of life is to attain a divine life and state. But to achieve that one has to cross numerous hurdles. This is where we need the hand of the Siddhas and the divine himself to guide, and lead us back home. To travel this road desire or yearning for the divine comes as a sandal to protect our sole (and soul too) from harm's way, from being hurt while trending the path of thorns and sharp stones that is ignorance, arrogance, and ego. Upon arriving at the destination the sandals is discarded and burnt to ashes for we then stand on firm solid and safe ground where petals are showered all the way to God's chamber. The desire for God too is dropped or is lost as we merge into him to become one with him and become him.

Pambatti sings,

அசையென்னும் செருப்பின் மேல் அடியை வைத்தே
ஆங்கார முட்காட்டை அறவே மிதித்தே
ஆசையெனும் துர்க்குணத்தில் கனல் கொள்ளுதிக்
காலாகாலம் கடந்தோமென்று ஆடாய் பாம்பே

while Tirumular sings the following,

வாசியு மூசியும் பேசி வகையினால்
பேசி யிருந்து பிதற்றிப் பயனில்லை
ஆசையும் அன்பும் அறுமின் அறுத்தபின்
ஈசன் இருந்த இடம் எளி தாமே

ஆசை யாருமின்கள் ஆசை யாருமின்கள்
ஈசனோ டாயினும் ஆசை யாருமின்கள்
ஆசைப் படப்பட ஆய்வருந் துன்பங்கள்
ஆசை விடவிட ஆனந்த மாகுமே

Following in their footsteps, I decided to close the Whatsapp groups that were initiated and started many years back. It is akin to that of the Buddhist monks painstakingly creating the divine mandala, only to destroy it after they worship it.

It is also akin to that of the Japanese Pufferfish, using its fin draws beautiful ornate circles, on the sea bed to attract, court and engage passing females. Once the female accepts the courtship, it moves in (into the design) to inspect the masterpiece, lays its eggs, and the male fertilizes it. The female leaves, leaving the male to guard the eggs. The male then destroys his lovely creation.

My farewell message in the Amudha Surabhi group has come to reflect these too.

Agathiyar took time to spelled out the ways and means of saving our souls. Agathiyar surprises us with the message and assurance that all of us shall eventually reach the state of Jeevan Mukti. But we need to come out of Maya first. If all this while we have been working on the body that is only a sheath or covering, adorning it with cosmetics, clothing and ornaments, bathing it, feeding it, and praising the self and each other and inflating the ego, now he wants us to work on the soul. He wants us to take responsibility for our actions, and change accordingly, only then the soul comes out of Maya. The soul needs to grief over the sufferings of others. Then compassion begins to well in us. It's only when the soul feels the pain of another that it shall come to and remain on the path of the Siddhas. We need to work on this. 

Bringing us to understand our role and true purpose in taking this birth, Agathiyar slowly brought us to understand the soul within and work on it too. We understood the soul to be the bridge that connected the body with the spirit. He brought us to strengthen the soul or gain Atma Balam by using the body as a tool. If initially we were told to gather merits or points by carrying out acts of dharma and service, leading to an accumulation of good karma that can be used to offset and balance those wrongs done intentionally or otherwise, slowly he brought us to realize that beyond and above collecting Bonus Link points that can be exchanged for gifts later on, these acts of charity serve the very purpose of dissolving the stone-hearted who never gave a second glance or look at the plight of the poor and hungry. If through worship the soul cried for the grace of the divine, his blessings, or arul and darshan or vision, now by doing charity, his soul now griefs for the pain and sufferings of the a small section of society who are exposed to continuous suffering and misery. Then his glance falls on the sufferings and pain of animals too. Ramalinga Adigal went a step ahead and it pained him to see the plants and crops wither. Compassion arises in the hearts. Only when the soul griefs for the sufferings of others shall one come out of Maya says Agathiyar. The day we win over Maya and its grip and hold on us, is the day we could possibly come to the fold of the Siddhas. The day compassion arises in us is the day we gain access to the Siddhas.

Hence the Siddha Margam is not for the masses as seen in Bakti and the temples, says Agathiyar strongly. It is definitely not for window shoppers and spectators. It is not for people who come to fulfill their material desires. I pointed out the need to serve through my blog writings revealing the reasons as told by Agathiyar. I have begged, pleaded and came out harsh on those who chose to watch rather then help. Yet I could not melt those hearts. I could not trigger the compassion in them. My charm did not work on them. I dropped many from the group for their indifference to the plight of the poor and to my requests. 

I have failed in trying to bring more people to do service to our fellow mankind. My next course of action would be that of Ramalinga Adigal's too, "Vanthen Kadai Virithen. Vanguvaar Illai. Selgindren. I came with my wares. Sadly there was no buyer. I shall leave." As Ramalinga Adigal locked the doors to Satya Nyana Sabai, I shall bring the shutters down on Amudha Surabhi. We are moving to Siddhivalagam.