Below is a translation of Velayutham Karthikeyan Aiya's posting in his blog SITHTHAN ARUL at http://siththanarul.blogspot.com that captured my attention and brought me an understanding on the workings of Karma, the Siddhas and their Nadi. I happened to drop on at this site while searching for another site SITTARGAL RAJIYAM at http://www.siththarkal.com/ that came highly recommended by Nadi Guru Selvam several years back.
The Nadi has been written by Siddhas for us to know about our past, the present and the future. Many have corrected their lifestyle after listening to the explanations, heeding the instructions and carrying out atonement. Many more had regained their health and peace of mind.
The Siddhas are those who knew the past, present and the future. They were gnosis. The Siddhas were similar to a company’s secretary. The Siddhas were God’s messengers. When those who had prayed to God and had yet to receive God’s blessings, approached the Siddhas instead, they immediately received God’s blessings.
Karthiyen Aiya’s blog entry brings us back to time immemorial where the Siddhas, being compassionate and kind, put forward to the Almighty who they prefer to call Erai their wishes for humanity. The Siddhas put forth their wishes that whoever seeks them out and surrenders to them, they shall be pardoned for their past deeds, however bad and evil they may be, and shall be saved from the trials and tribulations and the consequences of their actions. Erai granted the Siddhas their wish. The next instant the Siddhas wrote down; the reasons for each individual’s sufferings; listed out the solutions and remedies; and showed ways and means to overcome or end their problems, sins, diseases, illnesses, and sufferings. They wrote them in Tamil prose on dried palm leaves. These writings came to be known as the Nadi. Reading Karthikeyan Aiya’s blog that carried stories of individuals who had seeked out the late Jeeva Nadi Guru of Chennai and the Jeeva Nadi in his possession for answers to their problems, dilemma, and sufferings, opened up a new area and of understanding that revealed the workings of their mystical and mysterious world, enlightening and bringing acceptance to all that life has to deliver.
The key component here is surrender. One cannot claim that he has surrendered and yet dictate how something or an event should move or the result should be. That is partial surrender or no surrender at all. It is only with total surrender and total acceptance of the results that the Siddhas come forward to lend a hand in times of our need. Just as a friend at the office several years back, called me over to his desk to assist with a problem with his computer, it is only when he vacates his seat and hands over the control of the mouse to me that I can start figuring out what was wrong and troubleshoot and advise accordingly. Many claim that they have surrendered but still hold on to the lifeline.
Agathiyar explains about the nature of surrender in times of stress and at peace, as follows at http://siththanarul.blogspot.com/2014/05/172.html).
When one surrenders his or her body, soul and spirit to his guru, in desperate times, the guru comes forward to take the rein. Agathiyar has done so in numerous occasions.
உடல், பொருள், ஆவியில், எப்பொழுது சரணாகதி தத்துவத்தில் ஒருவன் விழுந்துவிட்டானோ, அவன் பார்த்துக் கொள்வான். "பொறுப்பை உன்னிடம் ஒப்படைத்துவிட்டேன். நீ தைரியமாக பொறுப்பை ஏற்று செய்" என்று அர்த்தம். குருவை ஒருவன் அடைந்துவிட்டாலோ, குருவே அந்த பொறுப்பை ஏற்றுக் கொள்வார் என்று அர்த்தம். "அகத்தியனே பலருக்கு குருவாக இருந்து பல நன்மைகளையும் செய்து காட்டி கொடுத்திருக்கிறேன்.Similarly in heightened and deep meditation one screams for the Lord, emotions flow, all 7417 Nadis with all that is said to be the body, comes together in spontaneous involuntary movements and emotional outbursts and finally settles down, coming to a state of total surrender too.
த்யானத்தில் உச்சநிலை ஆகும் பொழுது, அவரவர்கள், தன்னை மறந்து, முருகா என்றோ, அம்மா என்றோ, வேங்கடவா என்றோ அடி வயற்றிலிருந்து எழுப்புவது வழக்கம். உணர்ச்சிப் பெருக்கில், 7417 நரம்புகளும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து, உணர்ச்சிகளும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து, ரத்தமும், நரம்புகளும், எலும்புகளும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து ஒடுங்கிப்போய், உச்சநிலையை அடைவதைத்தான் த்யானத்தின் உச்சகட்டம் என்று பெயர். ஒருவன் எப்பொழுது த்யானத்தின் உச்சகட்டத்தை அடைந்துவிட்டானோ, அப்பொழுதே. முற்றுமே இறைவனிடம் தன்னை ஒப்படைத்து விடுவான்.
The most compassionate Agathiyar reveals how he brings each individual's prayers personally to the Lord's attention. Agathiyar narrates how he brought his devotee's wishes to Guru Bhagawan personally. At that hour his devotee shed some tears for something that took place in the subtle body.
இன்றைய தினம் குரு வரத்துக்காக இவன் போட்ட பிரார்த்தனைகள் அத்தனையையும், கூட்டாமல், குறையாமல், அலுங்காமல், சிதறாமல், அப்படியே கையினில் ஏந்தி, குருபகவான் சன்னதியில் வைத்துவிட்டேன். அப்படி வைத்துவிட்ட நேரத்தில்தான் இவன் தன்னையும் அறியாமல், அகத்தியனை நோக்கி கண்கலங்கி பேசினான். ஆக எதற்கு சொல்லுகிறேன் என்றால், அகத்தியன் இவன் கொடுத்த வேண்டுகோளை, கையாலே தாங்கி, அந்த பொற்தாமரை மலரடி பாதத்திலே வைத்த பொழுதுதான் கண் கலங்கி இருக்கிறான். சூட்ச்சும சரீரத்திலே ஒரு நாடகமே நடந்திருக்கிறது.
Bala Chandran had posted the following piece on total surrender on fb some time ago.
ஆவென்று மழை கொட்ட, வசிக்கும் வீடு இடிந்து விழ, வீட்டில் மனைவி உடல் வலியால் துடிக்க, அடிமை என்னும் மாடு சாக, விதை மட்டுமே வீட்டில் இருந்ததால் அதை விற்க ஓட, வழியில் கடன் கொடுத்தவன் வழி மறித்து நிற்க, அந்த நேரம் பார்த்து நெருங்கியவர் மரண செய்தி வர, இந்நிலையில் காலில் பாம்பு தீண்ட, முக்கியமான விருந்து வர, அரசன் நிலத்தை உழுது உண்டதுற்கு வரி கிஸ்தி கேட்க, குருவும் எதிரே தோன்றி தட்சணை தாவேன்றாரே.
இப்படி பட்ட துயரமான நிலையில் குரு வசிஷ்டர் தட்சணை கேட்க, அந்த குடியானவன் கையிலிருந்த விதையை வேறு எதுவும் செய்யாது குருவின் கையில் குடுத்து, "அய்யனே, குருவே நீ தான் என்று சரணாகதி அடைந்தான்".
அவ்வாறு செய்தவுடன் அவன் எல்லா துன்பமும் உடனே காணமல் போனது என்று கிராம வழி கதை உள்ளது.
எத்தனை துன்பம் வந்தாலும் குருவின் வழி நிற்கவேண்டும். ஞான வழி காட்டும் குரு நம்மிடம் எதிர்பார்ப்பது காசு பணம் இல்லை. அவர்கள் நம்மிடம் எதிர்பார்ப்பது வைராகியம், ஒழுக்கம் மற்றும் அசையாத நம்பிக்கை தான்.
இந்த மார்கத்திற்கு தடையாய் உள்ள நம் பழக்கங்களை விடுவதே அவர்களுக்கு செலுத்தும் சிறந்த குரு காணிக்கையாகும்.
The translation goes:
The rain pours, the house comes down, the wife is in pain, the cow dies, the only remaining thing was the seed. Rushing to sell it in return for cash, he is faced with the creditor stepping onto the path demanding immediate payment. The news of the death of a close one he receives. A snake chooses this moment to bite him. An important event awaits. The king comes for his taxes, and at this moment of extreme trial and tribulation, Guru Vasishta seeks Dakshina from his disciple. What can he do but surrender the seed to his Guru? And giving away the only possession he had, he surrendered to Guru Vasishta. The moment he surrendered to the Guru, all his miseries and sorrows vanished immediately!
The message conveyed in this story is "Be what may befall us, be steadfast on the path shown by the Guru. The Guru does not expect money from us, instead expect determination, steadfastness, good morals, and unwavering faith and belief. The best offering to the Guru would be giving up all negativity."
We have been asked to surrender by Lord Muruga before he was ready to part his gift with us. As we lined up to face him, he kept asking each one of us if we had surrendered in total. To some he initiated them. To others, he sent then away to settle their thoughts that were muddied that day. As for me, he sent me away too - to Agathiyar.
Seeking the Siddhas for relief and solutions, they who fully understand our situation, out of compassion for us render a way out of our intense situation, although they very rarely would want to involve. They would rather have us live through the experience for then the karma is lived out and exhausted. But being compassionate they step before us to figure out how to save us from the mess that we have brought onto ourselves. They come up with the solution and ask us to perform remedies. As the one who suffers the stomachache has to take the medicine, here too stand-ins or proxies won't do. It is only when the party concerned is an infant or child or an adult who is laid immobile, unconscious or in a coma that another can seek out either the Nadi, or carry out their stipulated remedies on behalf of them. But one should understand that it is not an easy task to alter another's fate. It is akin to a butterfly or domino effect where several other moves have to be made to accommodate a new change. Then the karma, that can never be exhausted unless burnt in the sacred fire of austerities or deep meditation or by the grace of the guru, has to be continued and substituted in another form and will come to haunt him or her some other time. There are so many concerns on hand for the Siddha just as a surgeon has so many things to consider as he cuts up his patient. What is portrayed in a cross-section diagram of the anatomy is clear and easily identified. But in reality, it is otherwise.
If there is a need to caution us of the consequences the Siddha will do so. It is only with our approval and asking that they venture to change things. We have still to be responsible for our actions - in this case, our asking. Therefore be careful what we ask for. There is no way to undo them.
Many call me up and ask to light a lamp or put in a prayer for another soul. I tell them to get the person concerned to do it too. It is pointless if they do not believe in God and his miracles while we place the effort and prayer for them. From the point of the soul as in infants and children and adults gone senile or mentally challenged or in coma, or on the verge of dying, we would not want to bring about the desired change, one to our liking, for we would not know what the soul desires. If it desires to leave, we would not want to hold that back. If it has surrendered and wants to return, we would not want to stop it. At times like these, our efforts will not pay, for God only sees the soul and its wants.
Ruzbeh N Bharucha in his blog at https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/the-master-s-grace wrote,
Yes, the laws of karma are rigid and the cards are dealt without emotion. What one has sowed, one shall reap. The experience shall be gone through. There is no escaping this fact. And yet throughout the ages, through time, Sages, mystics, Sufis, the Holy Scriptures, all proclaim that The Master is Merciful. On one hand we have the unyielding laws of cause and effect. On the other hand we have the mercy and tenderness of The Master.Ruzbeh says that "They are so merciful that our Masters seek no credit for the innumerable times when They have protected us from our own karma, our own stupidities and that of the world." And so it was that the master came for his students, disciples, and devotees. We have seen and heard of many instances of these miracles take place. As Ruzbeh says, ".. the Perfect Master, like our Baba Sai, who can stand between us and our own karma and work things out in the best way S(H)e feels is right and appropriate for the wellbeing of the disciple and devotee", the master might not grant or deliver what we ask for at times if it would hurt us further. He would rather see us suffer in pain a few days rather than have us suffer life long. But our greatest setback is our hold on relationship with the world and the bond it creates.
Balakumaran in his "Guru Vazhi", Visa Publications, 2005, narrates a story. Seeing a man and woman holding a child, standing in the long queue in the hot afternoon sun, Balakumaran whispered to Yogi Ramsuratkumar, asking him to see them first. The Yogi ignored him and went on talking with his devotees. After Balakumaran asked repeatedly that the Yogi see them first, finally Yogi consented. He said, "If it is disturbing you ask them to come in." The couple came up to the Yogi and sat before him. They asked for something to which the Yogi replied "My father will grant" and went on talking to others. After 15 minutes, Balakumaran motioned them to leave so that others could meet the Yogi too. But the couple refused, telling him off arrogantly, "Let the Yogi say." After a while, Balakumaran again requested then to leave but they told him to mind his business. Sensing the tense situation the Yogi demanded that they leave. They left abruptly, without giving due respect to the Yogi. Yogi Ramsuratkumar reprimanded Balakumaran telling him, "This is my place and I know who to let in." The divine knows best. Our judgment often fails us.
The story is told of one Kisa Gautami from a wealthy family who went to the Buddha asking to revive and save the life of her only son, barely a year old. He had fallen ill and died suddenly.
Kisa Gautami was struck with grief, she could not bare the death of her only child. Weeping and groaning, she took her dead baby in her arms and went from house to house begging all the people in the town for a way to bring her son back to life. Of course, nobody could help her but Kisa Gautami would not give up. Finally she came across a Buddhist who advised her to go and see the Buddha himself.
When she carried the dead child to the Buddha and told Him her sad story, He listened with patience and compassion, and then said to her, "Kisa Gautami, there is only one way to solve your problem. Go and find me four or five mustard seeds from any family in which there has never been a death."
Kisa Gautami was filled with hope, and set off straight away to find such a household. But very soon she discovered that every family she visited had experienced the death of one person or another.
At last, she understood what the Buddha had wanted her to find out for herself — that suffering is a part of life, and death comes to us all. Once Kisa Guatami accepted the fact that death is inevitable, she could stop her grieving. She took the child's body away and later returned to the Buddha to become one of His followers. (Source: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/bs-s03a.htm)Ram Dass tells of another story. A woman whose son was bitten by a cobra begged Shirdi Sai to give some sacred ash to save him. Sai did not. When a devotee begged him on her behalf he replied "Don't get involved in this. Her son's soul has already entered another body in which he can do especially good work, work that he could not do in this one. If I draw him back into this body, the new one he has entered will have to die in order for this one to live. I might do it for your sake but have you considered the consequences. Have you any idea of the responsibility and are you prepared to assume it." The devotee was only seeing the mother's grief. Sai saw a bigger picture. A guru exercises his powers with caution. We too were reminded of the consequences of our choices, our demands, our asking, our desires, and wishes.
Ram Dass writes in "Paths to God", Harmony Books, 2004, "I had to realize how unfathomable it was for my rational mind to comprehend what the guru was doing to whom or why", telling us we cannot comprehend the thoughts and moves of the gurus too. Indeed we can never comprehend the ways of the divine and the guru. At times they would ignore and shun some while paying attention to others. Ram Dass says of his guru Maharaji, "Somehow he had sensed in that person a moment of ripeness a readiness for that little tap", giving a person something to work on while sending another back empty-handed. Ram Dass says, "The guru performs a siddhi when we are ripe for a certain change to take place. Siddhi stories feed our faith by reminding us that there is more going on than meets the eye." He says you need to perform siddhis for people to sit up and notice. "You get people shaken up a bit and they are open to new possibilities. That roughly is the way siddhis are generally used."
Before we can even gain the grace of the divine, we need to prove our worth. This is where the guru comes into the picture to mold and form us. He places many tools that we can use to train and practice, understand and comprehend and use for our spiritual development and advancement. He then begins to work on our soul, after having us go through all the external means to salvation. Ruzbeh explains at length about the benefit of meditation and going into silence in cleaning our slate, as told to him by Baba Sai. Meditation is a way to,
... bathe the mind, heart, body and aura in the cool river of Oneness. Meditation or going within is the most subtle and sublime form of karmic cleansing. It is one of the fastest ways through which the Master helps in clearing the karmic backlog. We have karmic cleansing done via prayers and the dream state, but through meditation, we can actually have the power of cleaning our own slate and realizing our true self. Apart from healing the body, calming the heart thereby clearing the fog from the mind, through meditation one can attune oneself to the grid of Ancient Knowledge and realize our true identity and Oneness with The Great Spirit and while on this silent journey, most important of all, we clear all our karmic sludge.
Ruzbeh adds,
Sages brought down the Ancient Wisdom only through meditation. All the divine and mystical powers attained were via this silent method of going within. The greatest of discoveries, the most inspirational art and all the beauty that has been created by mankind, has come about, through this silent communication with The Creator.