Thank you for traveling with me on this journey of mine posted in this blog. In the days of my search, it was so difficult to find out the things you wanted to know especially in an age where information technology and the internet, online bookstores and courier were all absent.
Although ARPA was formed in 1958, in the USA to win the space race that Russia's Sputnik had started, with the emergence of NASA, ARPA diverted from space travel to computing. The 1960s saw computers owned by universities, the government or large companies. Seeing the potential of these machines not only being able to calculate they could be made to communicate too, Bob Taylor of ARPA requested for funds and hired people to build a network ARPAnet. By this time other networks began to appear. Stephen Bryant in his book "The Story of the Internet", Barg Bookshop, wrote, "The late 1970s and 1980s saw an explosion in the use of computers and networks. The fuel for this explosion was the arrival of the personal computer."
On the other hand, Cadabra, Inc. that later was renamed Amazon.com, Inc. came into being in 1994. Although Wells Fargo was founded in 1852 and rapidly became the preeminent package delivery company of that time, we still depended on ordinary mail services then for any purchases of books. Otherwise, the only means of getting to known things beyond the academic subjects was to walk up the flight of steps and step into bookshops hoping pathetically and praying that they should carry some interesting titles on spiritualism.
I had the opportunity to learn to use personal computers in my office in the late '80s. I began to read books on making media for the net which fascinated me. An officer who resigned to join the Yogoda Satsanga Sakha Math, in Ranchi gave me a useful piece of advice then. He said, "Here you will find people give you all kinds of work even those that are not related to your job scope. If you have the know-how and the time then take it up." I took his advice. Soon seeing my interest and keenness to contribute I was asked to do presentations and publications for the department which I did with total commitment. If I was to invest in this costly hardware and software I would have had to wait for ages. But as the department had the funds to purchase these costly machines and its brains, I had the advantage of learning to use them. Books came in very handy those days. There was a boom in IT books that helped me along. Another treasured gift he gave me before he left for India, was Yogananda Paramahansa's "Autobiography of a Yogi." This book filled the vacuum in my search for Godmen and their teachings. In this book were personal experiences of the author engaging with saints and gurus. With Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati having asked sadhakas to keep a spiritual diary, I began to take notes too. Soon after my return from my maiden pilgrimage and my second adventure in India I began to share my experiences on the websites. Soon it blossomed into this blog.
In these pages, I have shared whatever little experiences I have had not with the intention to boost my ego but to bring them to the attention of seekers, those who are frantically searching for any little bits of news on Agathiyar, as I did in my days of seeking. From what I gathered on Agathiyar in all the books and talks the authors and speakers only see him as having lived in the past, pushing him back into history. I wanted to tell his story not his history. I wanted to tell the story of Agathiyar in these pages, that Agathiyar is still living among us. He comes to our calling. He heeds our askings. He listens on to our conversations. He hijacks them at times, as experience has shown us. He has tapped into our thoughts, our telephone conversations, and even Skype.
Today we had a beautiful online Satsang with Acharya Gurudasan of Bangalore on Zoom. As most parts of the world are under lockdown, it was refreshing and energizing to finally come together in a discussion on spiritual matters. Today's subject was on Yoga and the individual experiences of each participant. As Acharya Gurudasan pointed out to us that a group meeting with multiple participants is capped at 40 minutes in length, and that we might be disconnected midway through the Satsang and will need to connect again, it came as a surprise to us when a message was relayed on the monitor that the app had been updated and that it was not limited in usage hours. As we would like to see miracles in all things, I guess Agathiyar had a hand and a part in it and saw us through a solid 3 hours of chat without interruption.
These days "Grammarly" corrects my posts, suggesting the correct words, "Google" helps me type in Tamil, Search Google for a word and it brings you to an online dictionary where you have other options suggested. It's all at the tip of our finger. So too is information on spiritualism. Reading all the stuff brings you to a sense of a spiritually elevated state. It's satisfying to know things. But there is danger lurking in the shadows. All learning brings a false sense of pride and ego. George Bernard Shaw had warned us "Beware of false knowledge, it is more dangerous than ignorance." From https://quotationcelebration.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/beware-of-false-knowledge-it-is-more-dangerous-than-ignorance-george-bernard-shaw/ we read the following elaboration on George Bernard Shaw's quote.
From "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami" by Dr. C Srinivasan, published by Ilakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968 we are given an idea of the many milestones one encounters on his journey of discovery in the path of the Siddhas and beyond.
Although ARPA was formed in 1958, in the USA to win the space race that Russia's Sputnik had started, with the emergence of NASA, ARPA diverted from space travel to computing. The 1960s saw computers owned by universities, the government or large companies. Seeing the potential of these machines not only being able to calculate they could be made to communicate too, Bob Taylor of ARPA requested for funds and hired people to build a network ARPAnet. By this time other networks began to appear. Stephen Bryant in his book "The Story of the Internet", Barg Bookshop, wrote, "The late 1970s and 1980s saw an explosion in the use of computers and networks. The fuel for this explosion was the arrival of the personal computer."
On the other hand, Cadabra, Inc. that later was renamed Amazon.com, Inc. came into being in 1994. Although Wells Fargo was founded in 1852 and rapidly became the preeminent package delivery company of that time, we still depended on ordinary mail services then for any purchases of books. Otherwise, the only means of getting to known things beyond the academic subjects was to walk up the flight of steps and step into bookshops hoping pathetically and praying that they should carry some interesting titles on spiritualism.
I had the opportunity to learn to use personal computers in my office in the late '80s. I began to read books on making media for the net which fascinated me. An officer who resigned to join the Yogoda Satsanga Sakha Math, in Ranchi gave me a useful piece of advice then. He said, "Here you will find people give you all kinds of work even those that are not related to your job scope. If you have the know-how and the time then take it up." I took his advice. Soon seeing my interest and keenness to contribute I was asked to do presentations and publications for the department which I did with total commitment. If I was to invest in this costly hardware and software I would have had to wait for ages. But as the department had the funds to purchase these costly machines and its brains, I had the advantage of learning to use them. Books came in very handy those days. There was a boom in IT books that helped me along. Another treasured gift he gave me before he left for India, was Yogananda Paramahansa's "Autobiography of a Yogi." This book filled the vacuum in my search for Godmen and their teachings. In this book were personal experiences of the author engaging with saints and gurus. With Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati having asked sadhakas to keep a spiritual diary, I began to take notes too. Soon after my return from my maiden pilgrimage and my second adventure in India I began to share my experiences on the websites. Soon it blossomed into this blog.
In these pages, I have shared whatever little experiences I have had not with the intention to boost my ego but to bring them to the attention of seekers, those who are frantically searching for any little bits of news on Agathiyar, as I did in my days of seeking. From what I gathered on Agathiyar in all the books and talks the authors and speakers only see him as having lived in the past, pushing him back into history. I wanted to tell his story not his history. I wanted to tell the story of Agathiyar in these pages, that Agathiyar is still living among us. He comes to our calling. He heeds our askings. He listens on to our conversations. He hijacks them at times, as experience has shown us. He has tapped into our thoughts, our telephone conversations, and even Skype.
Today we had a beautiful online Satsang with Acharya Gurudasan of Bangalore on Zoom. As most parts of the world are under lockdown, it was refreshing and energizing to finally come together in a discussion on spiritual matters. Today's subject was on Yoga and the individual experiences of each participant. As Acharya Gurudasan pointed out to us that a group meeting with multiple participants is capped at 40 minutes in length, and that we might be disconnected midway through the Satsang and will need to connect again, it came as a surprise to us when a message was relayed on the monitor that the app had been updated and that it was not limited in usage hours. As we would like to see miracles in all things, I guess Agathiyar had a hand and a part in it and saw us through a solid 3 hours of chat without interruption.
These days "Grammarly" corrects my posts, suggesting the correct words, "Google" helps me type in Tamil, Search Google for a word and it brings you to an online dictionary where you have other options suggested. It's all at the tip of our finger. So too is information on spiritualism. Reading all the stuff brings you to a sense of a spiritually elevated state. It's satisfying to know things. But there is danger lurking in the shadows. All learning brings a false sense of pride and ego. George Bernard Shaw had warned us "Beware of false knowledge, it is more dangerous than ignorance." From https://quotationcelebration.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/beware-of-false-knowledge-it-is-more-dangerous-than-ignorance-george-bernard-shaw/ we read the following elaboration on George Bernard Shaw's quote.
Some things we don’t actually know - but we think we know. This is what Shaw was referring to in his quotation. What he called false knowledge."Many still believe that cold weather causes colds", which many nations assumed and took for granted, has today altered our knowledge as the COVID-19 too is known to bring about a bout of flu and cold.
But why would Shaw claim that ‘false knowledge’ is more dangerous than just plain old ignorance? Let me take a stab at 3 reasons.
- When we’re ignorant and we know it, there’s usually an openness to attaining the knowledge we know we don’t have.
- False knowledge causes us to ACT AS IF what is NOT TRUE actually IS TRUE.
Tavayogi always tells us that we should substantiate all our writings or speeches with references to either our own experiences or that of others. It is through one's personal experience that all that is learned can be verified as true or otherwise. But one does not have the time and energy to invest in all these learnings. We opt to take the advice, opinion, experience of others who have come that way and continue our journey. But as one man's meat is another's poison, there will be some confusion and disparity when we compare notes with others. No two experiences will be the same. Even if two people were to see the same object, the vision and opinion might defer based on their upbringing, knowledge of the subject on hand and understanding. Perspectives differ. So Agathiyar tells us that there is no right or wrong. Our experiences and the lessons we learn from them shall show us either its right or wrong.
- False knowledge is often accompanied by arrogance and pride.
From "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami" by Dr. C Srinivasan, published by Ilakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968 we are given an idea of the many milestones one encounters on his journey of discovery in the path of the Siddhas and beyond.
A normal human who leads a mundane life without even a thought of its transient nature might pass by a place of worship but will never think of entering. He would not have the urge to even explore what is behind the high walls. He is self-centered, happy with his life neither having the thought of the divine, the world around him and the many mysteries it holds. This is one of Irul deham.
His journey only begins when he becomes aware of the momentary nature of life. The first curtain is drawn aside. He becomes conscious of the world and its external objects. He believes in a creator and seeks his abode. He sees the sufferings of others and extends a hand. He takes his first step, coming into Sariyai. He comes out of Irul to Marul deham or Asudha deham or the delusive body, that is still covered by many veils of illusion.
When the yearning to see the Lord arises, the seeking then starts. A guru comes by. He feels inseparable from the divine. He steps into Kriyai. He prepares to attain a Sudha deham.
Coming to Yogam, he wants only God. A spontaneous love for God is felt at all times. Once this desire is set aflame and burning in him the various veils covering the soul for generations are shed one after the other. The body transforms into the Pranava deham or body of Grace. He moves to "taste" prana, the energy prevalent and that drives all of God's creation and laws. Then the descent of divinity into the individual takes place. It is not over yet for the Supreme Grace flows and prepares the aspirant for the next stage. Once the Grace of the Lord befalls on him, he enters a state of ecstasy. If earlier he saw God with forms and had gained earthly experiences, beyond this stage, God is un-manifested and he begins to have heavenly experiences. His Soul is charged with Divine Grace. He attains self-realization or Atma Darisanam. He gains the Arul deham. He moves to "taste" God. This is the journey inwards where the experiences bring him to a state of Gnana acquiring the Gnana deham. His experiences are multifold. He perceives God in the form of light. The Soul becomes saturated with compassion and love. He experiences the divinity within moving into a blissful state and enjoying the sublime achievement and experience of the soul (Uyir Anubavam). Henceforth the extent of achievement is dependent on the grace of Arutperunjhoti. The soul enjoys in full the real and natural happiness it is entitled to without any restraint. The soul becomes divine and dwells in the Grace of the Supreme God. Dwelling under His shadow he enjoys His Supreme Grace (Arul Anubhavam). This transcendent plane of experience of the Grace is achieved by divine pursuit. The soul is to enjoy the Supreme Grace. The divine soul is entertained bodily as a part and parcel of the Supreme Grace and is permeated through and through. The body of the divine aspirant transforms itself into an incarnation of Grace. Words fail to explain the different aspects of this blissful stage. The higher stages are heavenly stages and beyond human perception where the mind fails to conceive and all senses cease to function.
The ultimate state of the aspirant is the complete realization of the God Supreme (Siva Anubavam) reaching the sublime and highest plane of the most auspicious Godhead (Sudha Sivam) that is all-pervading, all-knowing, all-embracing Super-Being. It is only at this plane that complete realization and complete merging with God is accomplished. Here and here alone the great realization “He thou art, thou art He, Ye enjoy in Him” is achieved. The Supreme combustion results in the inseparable monism of the highest order, the doctrine that only one supreme being existed. This plane of transcendence soars higher and higher into the most superior Godhead. It is inconceivable, uninferable and unimaginable even by the heavenly powers and divine beings and deities of a high order. This sublime achievement of the aspirant culminates in the complete union with the Lord Supreme that brings eternal enjoyment of Supreme Bliss forever and ever after.
As Agathiyar says the journey within that arrives at the doorstep of Gnanam will defer from person to person, this too might defer in each person's experience. But it serves as a guide on a strange terrain that might be hostile too. Rather than journey without any knowledge as our peers did then we could use these useful maps as basic guides and add on to it our experiences as in enhancing, improving or modifying open-source programs. Similarly whatever little I learn and share might help enhance, improve or bring change to another's perspective, outlook or understanding and serve to motivate, encourage and remove doubts and fear. The Satsang today had enlightened us and given new knowledge and understanding, bringing new perspectives and sharing among us. We look forward to more. We are here to gain salvation and at the same time help another. Even the tiniest contribution can go a long way in creating ripples in the cosmos, going beyond time and space.
As Agathiyar says the journey within that arrives at the doorstep of Gnanam will defer from person to person, this too might defer in each person's experience. But it serves as a guide on a strange terrain that might be hostile too. Rather than journey without any knowledge as our peers did then we could use these useful maps as basic guides and add on to it our experiences as in enhancing, improving or modifying open-source programs. Similarly whatever little I learn and share might help enhance, improve or bring change to another's perspective, outlook or understanding and serve to motivate, encourage and remove doubts and fear. The Satsang today had enlightened us and given new knowledge and understanding, bringing new perspectives and sharing among us. We look forward to more. We are here to gain salvation and at the same time help another. Even the tiniest contribution can go a long way in creating ripples in the cosmos, going beyond time and space.