GOING BEYOND EXTERNAL WORSHIP

The Siddhas' intent in bringing us to their path was not to make worshippers of us. Instead, they wanted each and every one of us to become a Siddha. We ended remaining in the worship of them building external monuments and temples for them. This is fine for the beginners as an aid and tool to bring out and express the devotion, compassion and love within. Once established in these virtues we need to move towards making this body itself an alayam or temple. Erai who was been brought to reside in the temples in his many manifestations, name, and forms, through the extensive puja and rituals has to be brought within too, or rather the Erai who was all along with us has to be brought to our notice and attention. As Ramalinga Adigal promised that Agathiyar shall draw the curtain that veils us from knowing the Erai who resides in us, this then is the job of the guru. Then tell me if, for one who has gone beyond form and methods, idol and temple worship is required; if one needs to adhere to the regimes and discipline accorded in religious and spiritual institutions etc, for a Siddha is beyond all these distinctions, restrictions and man-made laws. The divinity lives in him. He creates, sustains, destroys, veils, and showers his grace. Nature listens to him. He is all of prapanjam and all of prapanjam is in him. Hence we understand why the sages and saints in the past did not give relevance to man's institutions and practices and in some instances condemned their beliefs and practices. It is only when you reach there that you can safely say these are not required, not earlier. But as only a selected number make it to that state of becoming one with Erai, the need is there for them to guide the others. Hence the tools are left behind for others to pick, use, and gain from it, becoming themselves elevated. But we end up depending on the tool forever, not passing the baton to another or worse not wanting to share or loan the tool to another.

I had always wondered if it is true that the Siddhas had disciples and families, had ashrams and homes, where were they now, although a document sighted by me titled SIDDHA AGASTHYA – FOREMOST OF THE SIDDHAS, (an amazing account and revelation about Agathiyar, the Siddhas and their contributions towards society and humanity, that Dr. Mandayam Kumar of the Siddha Medical Research Institute, Bangalore says he came across during the course of literary research on the Siddha medical sciences in a Tamil manuscript written on Nadi or palm leaves. The text is titled PRAPANCHA KAANDAM and runs into several volumes according to the Dr. The text is attributed to Lord Murugan. Agathiyar dictated the contents of the Nadi while his student Pulastyar recorded it.) records the following:

The Siddhas went on to establish numerous institutions. An institution known as Siddhar Gnana Koodam was inaugurated by Lord Murugan and was headed by Agathiyar. Pulastyar and Kapilar headed the literary section while Pulipani in research. Thaeraiyar who was into surgery headed a medical research centre established at Thorana Malai. Yugimuni who was into herbal medicines headed an ayurvedic hospital at Paradesi Kundai. Bhogar who was in charge of all scientific researches established an alchemy research centre at Tiruparankundram. Pambatti was heading a team researching venom at Marudamalai. After having established these institutions Agathiyar again started on an extensive mission of propagating the wealth of knowledge gained by these Siddhas in Tibet, Manchuria, Egypt, Palestine, Rome, America, Africa, Malaya and the Arab world.

Could Karai be the former site of such an institution in present-day Malaysia?  Agathiyar going over to Karai was not in the plan. Asokhan had wanted me to bring Agathiyar over to his home in Kuala Lumpur for prayers after learning that I had brought him over to the homes of several devotees earlier. Later he tells me his home would not be conducive as it was a military-quarters. He decides to have the prayer at his home in his hometown of Karai, some 241 km or 2 1/2 hours drive from AVM. I agreed. As we reached the small secluded town of Karai some distance away from the trunk route serving Sungai Siput and Kuala Kangsar, he calls me asking me to bring Agathiyar straight to a small makeshift temple some walking distance from his maternal home. That is how and where the puja was held that day.

We do not see these institutions and ashrams initiated by them as revealed above and followings with heads from the lineage taking charge and dispersing the teachings. Have they submerged and disappeared too like Kumari Kandam or Lemuria? The priest at the Lord Supramaniar cave temple in Sungai Siput showed us evidence of what looked like sea-shells, corals, and fossils of marine life inside the cave that is now within a small hill. Was this place submerged in the past? Pardon me if I am wrong and if there indeed are such ashrams that I am not aware of, please enlighten me if so. I believe they were more like nomads then, moving from place to place, roaming the earth. They dissipated their knowledge to whoever they came across, who was interested in knowing about their way of life and the sciences as Dr. Mandayam Kumar continues:

As his thirst for knowledge in particular on philosophy, yoga, medicine, and astronomy was immense, Agathiyar traveled all over Kashmir, Tibet, China, Nepal, and Kailas in Manchuria. (Mount Kailas was deemed to be in Manchuria those days). He became a disciple of Nandi and Dhanvantri. He then traveled towards the south to Cambodia and Malaya (present day Malaysia).

In Cambodia, he established the very first of his many educational institutions for the propagation of philosophy and science. After establishing a similar institution and hospital in Malaya, he crossed the sea to the continent of Kumari Kandam (during Agathiyar’s time, Kumari Kandam occupied a vast area extending from the present day Sri Lanka to the Antarctic. Ravana, a great devotee of Lord Shiva, ruled this continent). King Ravana gave away a portion of his kingdom to Agathiyar to establish more institutions. The foremost of these institutions in this region was known as Arunodaya Giri or Meozone. Here Agathiyar practiced yoga and taught it to his large following of disciples. Agathiyar then went back north to Malaya.

He returned to Kumari Kandam where he met Lord Murugan in the form of Supramaniar at Trikona Malai (present day Trincomali). At the hill station called Kadari Kama or Kadhirgama, Lord Murugan imparted spiritual knowledge to Agathiyar.

Dr. Mandayam Kumar says Agathiyar could see impending calamities take place in the future during his meditation. As a result, he moved to the North Pole considering it to be a save place. This period of his move to the arctic was said to coincide with the end of the Dwapara Yuga placed at about 6580 BC. Just as he had seen of an impending calamity and had decided to move north, a tremendous explosion in the planet mars sends a piece of debris towards earth. This impact caused a great deluge on the earth. Significant portions of Kumari Kandam submerged into the Indian Ocean. Continental drift then resulted in the present day arrangement of this region. After the great flood Kailas was no more but instead the Himalayan mountain range had emerged in north India. Amidst all this geographical changes, says the Dr, Agathiyar went seeking for a place that would not be affected by future calamities. He located a mountain range in south India. This is the present day Courtalam. This spot is said to be the safest place and free from any future catastrophes. Here Agathiyar met Lord Shiva and Uma in the form of Dhakshinamurthi and Shenbaga Devi. The spot where the meeting took place between Dhakshinamurthi, Shenbaga Devi, Lord Murugan, and Agathiyar was Mahadeva Giri. This meeting also signified the commencement of Kali Yuga. Other Siddhas then started coming to Mahadeva Giri. Lord Dhakshinamurthi revived the knowledge of the Vedas and instructed these Siddhas to propagate this knowledge at the appropriate manner and time for the benefit of humanity. The imparting of this knowledge was said to have taken place on the 21 day of the Tamil month of Kartigai, during the eleventh year, Eswara Samvatsara, of Kali Yuga. Agathiyar gave much importance to this day. All his dating was reckoned from this day.

Bhogar from China (Agathiyar in the Jeeva Nadi revelation to the late Jeeva Nadi Guru of Chennai says Bhogar was from Mongolia), Thaeraiyar from Malaya, Yugimuni from Kerala, Pulipani from Kantha Malai, Pulastyar, and Kapiyar all served Agathiyar.

Going by the evidence from the above document of Dr. Mandayam Kumar that cites a 3,000-year-old Nadi, it would be safe to decipher that the Siddhas never headed these institutions, but left it to others to manage them as they moved on to spread the word. They never remained behind and got attached to their establishments. To our knowledge, the Siddha teachings have always been followed by a handful of individuals practicing their teachings silently and in secrecy, away from the public eye, without any form of publicity in the past. Only recently we have seen establishments associated with their teachings mushrooming and given widespread acknowledgment and exposure through the conventional media and social media.

AVM excelled in being different in all ways. Now I understand Lord Muruga when he said that we would do it differently and show him in a different light when I questioned the need for yet another temple for him when we have countless temples built for him. Reading the feedback and messages from fellow travelers in AVM I am happy that they too understood the divines wishes for us and why it is all happening. From external worship, the Siddhas have brought us to internal worship. If externally we had installed statues and have pictures of Gods and Goddesses, going within we are told to connect with prana or life force and worship it. If earlier we had connected with the name of a particular aspect of Erai, his or her form, the mantra for them, and learned the myths and legends and puranas or history behind them, now as we start on pranayama we begin to connect with the air that we breathe in, taking notice of it for the very first time, something that has been with us all this while but went unnoticed as our sights were on all things external. Taking notice of the air and its subtle prana we begin to cherish each breath. As we turn our attention to it, it becomes the focus of our practice and concentration comes about. When concentration deepens a sense of peace and calm avails and prevails. Soon we touch the spot of silence within and learn to remain there for as long as we desire.

These days I spare my time with Agathiyar telling him, "Look I do not know the techniques of going within that you and Ramalinga Adigal have been insisting that we do each time you appear. Even if I tried I cannot bring myself to go deeper as your command. What I shall do is spend my time with you. I shall sit for as long as my body can sit without aches and pain or discomfort. I shall not visualize nor chant anything. Instead, I shall just sit. Yes Just sit doing nothing. You come within me and do whatever is necessary to bring me deeper. That's all I ask of you. That's all I shall do too." This is my prayer for now. Let's see if I get some results. This reminds me of Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar telling his followers that the Siddhas shall guide our breath. He hardly gives them any practice to follow. He brings all those new to this path to do charity and recite the names of the Siddhas. That's all. He asks us to leave everything else to the Siddhas who shall bring us to it in due time when we are ready and the time-space is right.

I bought the following talk of his as a VCD in 2002. When I started looking for anything or anyone who could guide me further in the worship of the Siddhas, the first place I turned to was the local chapter of Rengarajs Desigar's mission in Dengkil. This was the first talk I listened too as I was captivated by the title "Tavam". But then I could not understand much of his talk. Today I understand the need to venture and perform worship of the Siddhas personally first that shall then bring enlightenment on the subject. It makes sense that only now does Agathiyar set us on doing retention of the breath. We understand better with having the experience. The Siddhas drive us to do things that bring such experiences. They orchestrate the show so that we shall learn something from these experiences. Their divine play is for the purpose of putting on a show on a stage where we as actors would work out our role reacting according to the situation ad hoc. Few follow the script given that is the scriptures and sacred texts and act and live accordingly. Very few come with no script that is the come empty and do not react at all. These are the enlightened ones.

We revisit Rengaraja's talk.

பள்ள முதுநீர் பழகிய மீனினம்

வெள்ளம் புதியவை காண விருப்புறும்

கள்ளவர் கோதையர் காமனோ டாடினும்

உள்ளம் பிரியா ஒருவனைக் காணுமே

As Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar quotes from Tirumular's Tirumanthiram the nature of fish is to go with the flow of the water that gushes and rushes in each time it floods, leaving behind its former pool or pond of stagnated water to newer frontiers. This is exactly what Agathiyar did with us too, coming in waves and blowing us off the feet, lifting and bringing us to newer frontiers to explore rather than remain a stalemate. He saw us linger too long in Kriya and gave us a push-start to the next level. We are grateful to him to bring us to know the 96 tattvas and the self or Atma. Another phase of the journey has begun. There was never a boring moment for he made sure we relocated to another field as the nomads do, even before they went out of land to graze their animals or in our case even before we could get bored with the practice.

Read more about Tavam from Tiruvalluvar at https://www.valaitamil.com/penance-169.html