YOGA 4

BKS Iyengar in introducing Patanjali's work explains that the first five of the total eight aspects or limbs or Anga of Yoga are known as a forward journey from the body towards the soul. They are:

1. Yama - restraints or ethics of behavior,
2. Niyama - observances,
3. Āsana - physical postures,
4. Prāṇāyāma - control of the prana (breath),
5. Pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses.

Then Patanjali takes us on a reverse path, or a return journey now moving inwards, from the body towards the soul: 6. Dhāraṇa - concentration; 7. Dhyāna - meditation; 8. Samādhi - absorption. This is termed as the true renunciation, contrary to the common belief and understanding that of renouncing the world, says Iyengar. Patanjali shows the way to reach the abode of the soul forever so that all the actions one performs in the world, will not reflect any reaction, hence severing the fine thread of birth and rebirth.

Just as Patanjali listed ways to attain Yoga or union, beginning with the control and mastery of external issues and finally brings one within, so did Agathiyar asks us to go within, after bringing us through Sariyai, Kriyai and now Yogam. Inviting us to his path, he asks us to worship him and the other Siddhas besides the other deities whom our ancestors worshiped. He never switched us for another or made us drop their worship but came as an add-on to the list of deities we worshiped. Soon he sent a guru who was already on the path to bring us to the rituals, do charity, and practice yoga asanas and pranayama. After Tavayogi left his mortal frame, both Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal came to guide us into going within to get a glimpse of Gnana. They both tell us that both Supramania Swami and Tavayogi shall guide us from the subtle realm too.

1. The journey started with reading the Nadi and coming out amazed at the Siddhas for documenting each man's life history over several births and his future and the myriad of probabilities and possibilities in store for him. 
2. We were introduced to the subject of karma and came to understand the reason we are here. We learned that by carefully living our lives from moment to moment we could determine our next birth if there was one. We had an opportunity to play a role in determining our future. We became co-partners with the divine in shaping it. 
3. We were shown the way to defuse the hold of karma through the worship of the Siddhas and doing charity.
4. To bring us closer in knowing him, Agathiyar set us on a pilgrimage of another kind with the guru leading the way. We were shown the abodes and caves of the Siddhas in the jungle instead of the temples where tourists converge.  We understood how close they were with nature. Nature abided to their will. They took the form of nature. Agathiyar performed numerous miracles that astonished me. He showed me the potential of my guru and his ability in doing Siddhis which surprised me. These were rare and done away from the public eye. Hence we covered Sariyai.
5. The guru brought us to take up rituals, having us conduct, and perform them personally in our homes. We learned that the rituals we did brought subtle benefits in healing nature and all of prapanjam. We connected with the other realm or dimension, building a bridge that made it possible for them to reach us. We created a portal. Hence we covered Kriyai. We then stood at the doorway to Yoga.
6. When the guru led us on Yoga asanas and pranayama, we began to connect with the consciousness and prana or the life force. 
7. For those who were daring and ready for an unusual journey within, Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal showed the way. Bringing the mind that was previously engaged and actively involved in all forms of activities to settle; to break the chain of thoughts and to sit still in silence is a challenge indeed. It is difficult to cut all ties; practically impossible to achieve says Agathiyar but he asks that we continue our effort. Ramalinga Adigal too reminds us to put in the effort assuring us that one fine day the veil shall be drawn aside by Agathiyar and we shall learn the truth. Rather than have us drop the effort, telling ourselves that it is going to be futile and that the fruit is sour as in Aesop's Fable the story of the fox and the sour grapes, and move away, Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal wanted us to pursue our attempt in going within. Help is on the way they assure to those who have the patience to wait and those who place the efforts. It is pretty obvious now that the result is in their hands. The time to reap the fruit of efforts too is determined by them. Our efforts stop here. Our initial involvement in Sariyai and Kriyai brings them to take notice of us. With concerted efforts in Yogam and an attempt at reaching Gnanam, it brings upon us their grace or arul. The veil is drawn aside only by their grace. 

To those who are not ready as yet, who are still pre-occupied with their responsibilities towards the family and career or the tasks given by their masters or Agathiyar; who are still attracted to the pleasures of the world; who remain doing what comes easily to them and what makes them happy and comfortable, Agathiyar respects their decision and encourages them to pursue their wants, knowing that they too shall return to him in due time. The turning point shall take place one fine day and bring them to move within. Be it material or spiritual, its hold is difficult to let go. Once we begin to cherish and enjoy having tasted its pleasures, it is rather difficult to come out of it. The plain truth is that nothing is holding us back; it is we who hold on to it; it is we who hold on to the branch; it is we who hold on to the things that we cherish most be it sensory pleasure and enjoyment, power, position, money, or respect in the eyes of fellow humans, etc. 

The Siddhas are an amusing lot. First, they come knocking on our doors in the silence of the night, awakening the soul within that has been fast asleep for ages. Upon waking up then they set us seeking and searching the ideal path that satisfies our newfound yearning or rather that which we have carried for ages, to know Erai. We arrive at other's doorsteps, naive and empty, hoping for someone to fill us up; looking at things either objectively or subjectively; or taking it at face value and adopt and follow; or trying to fit things into perspective and see and analyze or figure out using our analytical and logical mind. We meet many interesting personalities; learn from them; gain experiences, and gain the perspective of a beginner. We are told there is a goal to attain and are asked to work towards it. We are made to look outside for God; go places on pilgrimages; attend rituals and religious events; with a promise of reaching the promised land of Erai. The irony is that after all the journeying and traveling in the physical and material world, grueling and difficult for many and made easy for some, then we are brought to retrograde and reverse going within. If initially, we were trained to see God in the statues, later we are asked to see God in all, from the lowest mineral form to the highest divinity. We engage in the play or lila of God as an active participant cooperating with him and his show that is an illusion or Maya. Fueled by our desires and wants the play is extended as we bring on and add on more acts that please us, only showcasing and bringing out our ignorance further. It is only when we begin to lose interest in the outside world and all forms of activities associated with it that the real journey within begins. Nothing to attach too, or rather hide, the veil drops. The key is with the guru.  

There is a pra and a post-period in coming to the path of the Siddhas. If before getting to know the existence of such a way of life, we were caught up with customs and traditions, faith and belief and practices, that were all determined and channeled to us from our ancestors and the prevailing society, following them rigidly for fear of disrupting the social order or upsetting our elders or gaining the wrath of the ancestors in spirits form, we end up caged and restricted. Throughout the ages, society dictated what was good and bad for us not giving us an opportunity to explore for ourselves and find out. As Tavayogi says that the soul cannot be caged, neither can the Siddha be shackled, coming to the Siddhas we see much leeway and freedom given to explore for ourselves the validity of such practices. So we cannot blame Sivavakiyar, Ramalinga Adigal, and Bharathi among many others if they had opposed society and their practices.

Experience shall teach us that God is not always loving. He does go to battle too. He can be stern at times as he ordered me to consume his Agathiyar Kuzhambu and kept reminding me to go within. They very well understand us. Give a man the freedom and he misuses it. Hence the need for them to constantly keep watch over us. We learned to drop the blame game. Do not blame the planets. It is just that it has been programmed that a particular event shall take place during that particular time where the planet or group of planets come together making it favorable for the event to take place or put into effect the disaster or pandemic. Till we are adopted by the Siddhas we are at the mercy and scrutiny of our society. Till we are adopted by the Siddhas we are at the mercy of nature and the tattwas and gunas. Living in the world it seems we are apart from prapanjam. When we go within we realize prapanjam is within. Once the Siddhas begin to educate us, providing opportunities to experience and learn the secrets of the body and that of the subtle or other realm, we can safely drop all such practices that hinder and obstructs the soul from growing.