When I went to Agathiyar for a Nadi reading the very first time, he looked into my past and revealed the past deeds that were a contributing factor in me taking birth now, in the country and society, family, and faith. He must have looked into the future too for he had asks that I come to the path of the Siddhas. Agathiyar and Tavayogi came into my life and brought me to understand the world from a different perspective: the subtle form that underlies the physical form; the subtle causes of our past actions that have either come to redeem us or penalize us; the subtle causes for one's illness and anguish and pain; the subtle that governs all that we see.
When someone comes to Tavayogi for advice and guidance he listens to them patiently venting their frustrations and problems. He then tells them that the obstacles, delays, and troubles are due to their past actions that become karma. If they are interested in a solution he would point them to the worship of the Siddhas.
And so following after Tavayogi we too used to point those who came with issues to seek the Nadi where the Siddhas would reveal the past flaws, mistakes, deeds - both good and bad, etc. The Siddhas would give proposals to counter, reduce, or offset these karmas in the form of remedies to be carried out with a sense of atonement, turning over a new leaf, never wanting to incur the wrath of one's self-made punishments ever again. This is the good intent of the Siddhas in looking into the past of seekers who wanted to know the cause of their sufferings, illness, and misery and providing a solution. We were comfortable with pointing those in trouble to Agathiyar to get to know the cause and effects of their past actions and to learn of a remedy and solution too. But then came along a girl and her parents. As usual, after listening to their financial troubles and debts I pointed them to the Nadi and advised them to be charitable to the poor and unfortunate. They surprised me by telling me that they had seen the Nadi and had also carried out acts of charity. Nevertheless I sent them to see the Nadi again. But their troubles never went away but in fact, multiplied. I was stupified to hear that acts of charity and remedies for their past karma did not work in their favor. I had to keep quiet for I could not answer their question as to why their lives never changed for the better after having followed all that was told. I asked myself what was the subtle reason behind their unending and continuous sufferings? Another couple had built numerous temples but were plagued by sorrow. Another who took it upon himself to replenish and rebuilt run-down temples lost his life in a tragic accident. Yet another good samaritan who looked after the orphans died a tragic death. How do we explain this?
After several years I have begun to understand that all our good deeds in the present bring on good karma or merits but cannot possibly offset the past karma. One has to live through it. Once he goes through this phase of a bad period, he shall see better times, a result of his good actions. Similarly making donations to charitable organizations and temples bring many merits or punyam adding on to their lists of good actions but cannot possibly offset their past karma. One has to live through it. Once he goes through this phase of a bad period, he shall see better times, a result of his good actions.
Remedies, worship, prayers, acts of charity, etc might lessen the burden of shouldering the karma but would not entirely wipe out the slate. Traces of the past remain as in using a permanent marker on a whiteboard. If they can see through this trying moments and periods of suffering, having faith and strength to face it, they shall see the light down the tunnel, once they begin to reap the fruits of their good actions. The keyword here is to be patient and strong.
Remedies, worship, prayers, acts of charity, etc might lessen the burden of shouldering the karma but would not entirely wipe out the slate. Traces of the past remain as in using a permanent marker on a whiteboard. If they can see through this trying moments and periods of suffering, having faith and strength to face it, they shall see the light down the tunnel, once they begin to reap the fruits of their good actions. The keyword here is to be patient and strong.
The Siddhas asks us to be patient and strong while meantime engaging us in doing remedies, setting us on pilgrimages, getting us to do charity where we come to see and realize that we are not the only ones suffering. They motivate us and keep us going just long enough for our good deeds to reward us. Once we give in to the play of the divine in which we have acted our part in the past and gained its merits and demerits accordingly; once we begin to see that God does not punish us but it is us who punish ourselves through the many divine laws in place, and once we begin to take the necessary steps and action not to fall into the traps again; we have successfully come out of the whirlpool that otherwise would suck us deeper and deeper into the dark state of delusion and disillusion. Agathiyar reminds us that whatever may come never to take our own lives. That is not part of the deal we had with the divine. There is not much we can do about the past karma but we can most certainly determine our future. Taking the right approach and actions we can certainly paint a better future in this life or another.
We are also reminded that one has to take up the remedies meted out by himself and cannot appoint a proxy to do it on his behalf. Agathiyar has taken to task a devotee for going all the way in finding the items required in carrying out the remedies for the affected party. Agathiyar told him that it is they who have to seek, place the effort, and go through the trouble in finding them. Similarly, another devotee was taken to tasks too for accompanying others who had to settle their debts in repayment of their karma. With his vast network, he had facilitated their burden of carrying out the remedies, defeating the purpose of the Siddhas stipulating these remedies. Agathiyar tells us that one has to struggle and place effort in doing these remedies; there is no two way about it. This is the reason temples were built atop the hills so that it will be a struggle to reach them. By the time they reach the temple they would have burned off a portion of their karma. With the darshan and blessing of the deity, another portion is burned off. By giving food and doing charity yet another portion is burned. Going through pain and agony, suffering and misery burn out our karma. In some traditions, devotees and followers inflict pain on themselves voluntarily in the hope of pleasing the higher beings. The only exception where another can represent the concerned party is if they are bedridden or in a coma or are not in a mental or physical state to travel and fulfill these remedies. Children who have not reached puberty are exempted too, where adults could carry out these remedies on their behalf.
So could one ask why the saints suffer too? They too have to go through the law of karma. But their devotion brings them to realize that the suffering is only for the physical body and not for their souls. Mahindren messaged me the following: "Nothing is mine for me to be afraid that I’ll lose it." This observation and understanding of his sums up the ideology of the saints beautifully. Hence they go through hunger and pain without seeking remedies. For they understand that "Nothing is mine to be afraid I will lose it".
We are also reminded that one has to take up the remedies meted out by himself and cannot appoint a proxy to do it on his behalf. Agathiyar has taken to task a devotee for going all the way in finding the items required in carrying out the remedies for the affected party. Agathiyar told him that it is they who have to seek, place the effort, and go through the trouble in finding them. Similarly, another devotee was taken to tasks too for accompanying others who had to settle their debts in repayment of their karma. With his vast network, he had facilitated their burden of carrying out the remedies, defeating the purpose of the Siddhas stipulating these remedies. Agathiyar tells us that one has to struggle and place effort in doing these remedies; there is no two way about it. This is the reason temples were built atop the hills so that it will be a struggle to reach them. By the time they reach the temple they would have burned off a portion of their karma. With the darshan and blessing of the deity, another portion is burned off. By giving food and doing charity yet another portion is burned. Going through pain and agony, suffering and misery burn out our karma. In some traditions, devotees and followers inflict pain on themselves voluntarily in the hope of pleasing the higher beings. The only exception where another can represent the concerned party is if they are bedridden or in a coma or are not in a mental or physical state to travel and fulfill these remedies. Children who have not reached puberty are exempted too, where adults could carry out these remedies on their behalf.
So could one ask why the saints suffer too? They too have to go through the law of karma. But their devotion brings them to realize that the suffering is only for the physical body and not for their souls. Mahindren messaged me the following: "Nothing is mine for me to be afraid that I’ll lose it." This observation and understanding of his sums up the ideology of the saints beautifully. Hence they go through hunger and pain without seeking remedies. For they understand that "Nothing is mine to be afraid I will lose it".