When Tavayogi came to Malaysia in 2005, watching us go on with our temple worship, he told us not to remain in Bhakti or the path of devotion but come to that of Gnana. When the Siddhas came and asked us to worship them, that was only the first step to get acquainted with them. We should not stagnate and remain there, worshipping them forever. Neither would they want us to stagnate in that stage. That would be the equivalent of temple worship too, only replacing the common deities with the Siddhas. What do they desire for us? They want us to take up the challenge and become a Siddha too.
Who then is a Siddha? Browsing the net we are astonished at the amount of focus given to the wonders that Siddhas could perform. Every other article is written about the Siddhis that they performed. Videos too portray the present day Siddhas performing Siddhis. Do the Siddha's lives begin and end with performing Siddhis? Is that all there is to it?
From https://sensitiveplanet.com/blogs/news/who-are-the-siddhas, we learn that there is more to it.
From https://sensitiveplanet.com/blogs/news/who-are-the-siddhas, we learn that there is more to it.
Siddhar Sages are the liberated mystical yogis who journey beyond ‘enlightenment’. In most cases the enlightened beings went on to evolve into the final objective of yoga and that was to merge into God in the physical form itself. These sages were called Siddhars. Many of these Siddhars maintained spiritual diaries and writings in the form of poetry from the time they actualized into discovering the divine with deeper meaning and the beginning of their journey into yoga while attaining enlightenment, and to the final state of transforming into light, merging with the Supreme. Yoga of Siddha tradition in South India meant the accomplishment of merging the body into the supreme light of the absolute as attainments of eight different dimensions of perfection. Each dimension of perfection is called a ‘siddhi’ and ‘siddhi’ is the miraculous powers that were acquired while practicing this path of yoga. Siddhars consider attainment of various siddhis as grace which naturally flow into them through their yogic practices and it was held sacred as the mark of the divine presence within themselves.
Let us hear from the horse's mouth now. Agathiyar answers in simple terms through a Nadi revelation when Jnana Jhotiamma sat before him. The Siddhas are a manifestation of Adhi Sivan, who is in all of us as light. He is a father figure to us. There are no differences between these energies that came forth from Adhi Sivan and the 18 Siddhas who came forth from Adhi Sivan too. The Siddhas having merged with Adhi Sivan hold this energy too. The intensity might vary but it is all one. The manifestations of the divine energy that takes various forms for its purposes is from the one source and finally merges into it once it serves its purpose. That source is light or jothi or Sivan.
This explains why we have a pantheon of myriad Gods and Goddesses with so many sub-regional and clan-related variations in the lesser deities. Just as a particular medicine on administering heals a person by itself or in combination with other medicines, the Siddhas and the deities execute their powers either singlehandedly or in association with others. The energies are the same, only the intensity varies. It is the same story for electricity too. Electricity is generated or produced from varied sources of the one primary energy. Transforming other forms of energy to electricity by means of electromechanical generators; or solar photovoltaics that converts sunlight or solar radiation into direct current electricity by use of semiconductors; geothermal power including dry steam power stations, flash steam power stations and binary cycle power; or by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind, it is made available for industrial and domestic use. However, its initial power has to be stepped down by using Step Down Transformer that reduces the voltage to comply with its usage in all the household electrical appliances or as in Step-up transformers used in transmission lines before it is finally made available for specified purposes, tools and machinery.
Ramalinga Adigal who is synonymous with the word compassion cannot possibly bring himself to do something else besides and apart from showing kindness and compassion. As the saying goes that "You have to remove a thorn with a thorn", we have read in our Puranas of how the Gods and Goddesses have taken on new forms and weapons to rid the world of danger from souls bent on destroying others. Beings who gained boons after performing vigorous tapas, and saw themselves as equals to the Gods, eventually saw themselves battle with the divine. As a boon given cannot possibly be taken back, there was a need for a battle to take place to subdue the ego or ahangkaram that raises its hood in these once devoted subjects.
Those who saw the subtle divine dance or Anandha Tandavam at Tiru Chittru Amballam or Tiruchitramballam within are Siddhas, says Agathiyar. Rishis and Devas are always immersed in the dance of the atoms. Watching this state of divine dance the Siddhas remain in a state of bliss and Mukti that is freedom from the endless cycle of transmigration. If it necessitates they come out of this state for our sake. As the age-old adage to Tiruvannamalai from the Arunachala Mahatmyam goes, "By seeing Chidambaram, by being born in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi, or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation."
To lay eyes on Chidambaram gives Mukti,
To be born in Tiruvarur gives Mukti,
To die in Kasi (Varanasi or Benaras) gives Mukti, and
just the thought of Tiruvannamalai gives Mukti.
திருவாரூரில் பிறந்தால்தான் முக்தி கிடைக்கும்,
காசியில் இறந்தால்தான் முக்தி கிடைக்கும்,
சிதம்பரத்தில் தரிசித்தால்தான் முக்தி கிடைக்கும், ஆனால்
நினைத்தாலே முக்தி தரும் தலம் திருவண்ணாமலை ஆகும்,
we understand today that the verse in the above adage that mentions that the very thought of Tiruvannamalaiyaar gives Mukti, stands ground since the thought is the finest of all forms of prana or life force. Being the finest, the mere thought gets us connected to the Stalam and its deity, even as we sit miles away in solitude. But this is only true of those who have had both bodies and minds highly purified and refined.
For Bhagawan Ramana, named Venkataraman Iyer upon taking birth on 30 December 1879 in Madurai, the mere mention of the word Arunachala kindled his mind and inflamed his soul that it drove him to leave his home and board the train for Tiruvannamalai in 1895, where he remained as an ascetic for the rest of his life. What had driven this teen of age 16 to take that drastic decision and make that long unknown journey? It is said that he had a sudden fear of death then. He was struck by "a flash of excitement" or "heat", like some avesam, a "current" or "force" that seemed to possess him, while his body became rigid. He initiated a process of self-inquiry, asking himself, "What it is that dies?" He concluded the body dies, but this "current" or "force" remains alive. Ramana Maharshi wrote, "Inquiring within Who is the seer? I saw the seer disappear leaving "That" alone which stands forever. No thought arose to say I saw. How then could the thought arise to say I did not see." He called his death experience Akrama Mukti, "sudden liberation", as opposed to the Krama Mukti, "gradual liberation." (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramana_Maharshi)
As for us who are lagging far behind in terms of practice and having a diminished soul power or Atma Balam, the Siddhas devised a simple but slow and gradual evolution of the soul. On the onset, the Siddhas bring us to a Nadi reading to make us understand the reason for taking birth. With this knowledge and understanding, that explains the relationship of birth with karma or cause and its effects, we can now determine our lives as to where we want to head thenceforth, and manage it better, knowing the right from the wrong not from the sacred texts or scriptures or through others but through our own experiences, avoiding those acts, deeds, and doings that would bring us further away from our goal in achieving or reaching the one state of Adhi Sivam. We can then take a course that keeps us aloft and avoid falling into the dungeons of the dragons that await to swallow us up, foiling our bid to attain the highest stature of God himself. Towards this, the Siddhas begin to show us the way to salvation - their way, tested and proven to bring the desired results. They want us to engage in home and temple worship and acts of Dharma as in Sariyai. They want us to engage directly in performing and conducting rituals as in Kriyai. They want us to take up asanas and pranayama as in Yogam. Finally, they shall lead us to Gnana a state highly revered by the Siddhas.
Coming to a guru on this path, he gives us an upadesa or deeksa mantra that then connects us to the relevant Siddha. Hence a connection is made 24/7 between the student and the Siddha. The Siddha then comes to take the reins and lead our lives. All we need to do is surrender. If before taking hold of the Siddha we were inundated by options and choices that were thrown towards us at every turn and corner, and as we figured out what was the right course to take and if we would accumulate more karma by doing it, now the Siddhas pave a smooth path for us to travel, reducing the options, thus narrowing the path. There are no more dragons and dangers lurking in the dungeons and dark looking to prey on us for we are alert and aware of the dangers that await. Through wise direction and decision, we avoid the pits. We are in save hands. If at all a danger or obstacle comes along, it is only because of some past action of ours that we had to exhaust and burn. Facing the danger with the strength given by the Siddhas, we eventually come out of it. As for an obstacle, we could wait and start the venture later or find ways to move around or overcome them. The Siddha shall give sound advice in these critical moments. For those weak in mind, they need assurances and encouragement to bring them to take the first step to fly. Here the Siddhas do come as mentors and give us good motivation to live. Our lives change the moment we come to a Siddha guru, if not entirely, at least a teeny-weeny bit in some. No one goes unscathed in a nice and good way by coming to them.
For those who heed his words and follow him, he turns them into another Siddha. The Siddhas scan through the past merits and determines if one is ripe to be picked to be groomed into a Siddha. Although the common saying, "The Guru comes when we are ready", goes well with times, they at times and for certain reasons come with a force to lift the potential student off his feet, and into their arms, even if the child cries and tries to free itself. Of course, for many of us who do not have a strong mind and are easily lured by peer groups, friends, and the pleasures of life, they come to ask, request, and remind politely for they know pretty well that we can never bring ourselves to sever or separate ourselves from the lure of the pleasures in this world. For others, they are caught not in pleasures but the sufferings that they had brought onto themselves by the decisions they made which were in turn driven by the strong influence and impact of karma. Karma drives us to make decisions either favorable or to the contrary. As for those who are in deep trouble clarity of mind and making the right decisions is far from reality. The only option is to surrender to the Holy feet of the Guru to take hold of their fears and bring solace and peace. Having the Siddhas by our side, we will tend to make wise decisions and engage in favorable actions. They come to protect us from stepping overboard, engaging in actions that could be detrimental to our future both in this life and the others to come.
Mind over matter, that is, the use of will power to overcome physical power, works for those who are strong in mind. For others, the use of soul power works. Taking the guidance of the Guru, he works on his soul, slowly gaining sufficient soul power to stay aloft from his troubles, going through them without attachment. He gains the strength to withstand the sufferings; understanding that it is the body and not the soul that is put through the suffering and hard tasks. Taking control of the mind brings positive results. We soon come out of the predicament.