On another note, I have made several observations while traveling on this path. These are personal observations that I have related to what I was told, seen, and heard from personal encounters and with others that have come to me as lessons to either uphold or avoid as the case may be. For instance, only a Jeevanmukta then can take up the tasks given as in building temples, ashrams, peedhams, etc and leaving them behind for prodigy to come (the calling), serve (Sariyai), participate (Kriyai), practice (Yogam) and derive the fruits of his efforts (attaining Gnanam). Tavayogi was one of them. Coming back to society he saw his task lay in building a temple for Agathiyar and preaching the Siddhas teachings beyond the shores of India. Ramalinga Adigal came to settle and build the numerous buildings in Vadalur after attaining the state where he was one with Erai. So it sort of surprised me when Supramania Swami, a Gnani was stopped from continuing with the construction of a temple. While many still on the path hastily engage in all the above, giving the reason that it is done for the sake of the public, I ask myself how can one who is still traversing the corners, the rapids, the falls, the quicksand, and other dangers on the treacherous path bring others and show them the truth? When Tavayogi during the years of his travels to Malaysia initiated me officially into the Siddha path in 2005, asks me to preach about the Siddhas in 2007, I turned him down telling him that I did not qualify for that tasks as I had no knowledge about them. When in 2016 he told the same I replied to him that it would be akin to the blind leading the blind. It is only those who have been there and chose to return for the sake of others who can engage in enlightening them. Whatever done prior to the attainment of the state of a Jivanmukta is solely done based on one's desires. It brings with it Karma, although in this sense the good part of it. But he has to be rewarded for his good deeds and merits collected as a result, as a result, it necessitates the taking of another birth to pay off the debt as gifts and a good life.
Even if the Siddhas or Erai were to instruct us to build a temple we can always turn them down for a bigger ideal that is waiting to be showered upon us. Why settle for lesser gains that crop up along the path as gifts for our devotion? I was instructed to build one but I turned down the tasks. Although initially excited about being given the humongous task and honor to build the house of God, having seen what was going around at random with everyone who comes to the path of the Siddhas engaging in opening peedhams and building temples, and seeing the amount of hardship and financial constraints that comes with it, I backed off. The experience of others taught me to become wiser. Moreover, I would become stuck with managing these assets, sourcing funds to keep then afloat, begging for their kindness, and having to put up with all kinds of characters who drop by. I have longed and wanted peace and calm. I shall lose that then. I told Agathiyar it was not for me.
When I turned down the directive preferring to be silent over it, Agathiyar finally tells me that they had tested me. It was all their play. When he mentioned the very first time in my very first Nadi reading, Sivabalan who accompanied me throughout the reading told me not to be overly excited, as the directive had appeared to some 50 people before me. Now I understand that Agathiyar was fishing for devotees who would succumb to jump off the wagon to carry out these tasks or chores rather than ignore the asking and staying aboard traveling till the end of the journey where much bigger and precious gifts are there for the taking.
Anyway, why does anyone need to build a temple externally when they should instead make this body his temple and invite him within? This is what has to be told and practices given to initiate this transformation to take place within. Worship him in the heart. Praise him. Infuse him within. Light up the flame within and see that it grows in its intensity and engulf us completely. Bring upon ourselves and within us the transformations spoken about by the Siddhas. Bring this body of impure nature to that of purity and transform it further to that of the Pranava and Oli degam. Teach everyone to embark on this marvelous internal journey rather than replacing the traditional temple with that of a Siddha or adding on to the original number of temples. Are we bound firm and fast in Maya that we cannot foresee what is taking place around us? Now I begin to understand that the many rewards he wanted to shower on me along the way were traps set to entrap us further in the illusion of Maya. It was all his play offering me a Nadi to be read and put to use for myself and others that would have seen many queue up to have their fate known; and the gift of healing that would have had me labeled as a shaman.
Agathiyar only made us drop both Sariyai and Kriyai after having us involved in them directly, having gained full satisfaction in carrying them out, not a second earlier. When he saw the time was right to wean us away from them, he broke the group Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) so that we would not revisit it. As for the acts of charity formerly under our umbrella Amudha Surabhi (AS) he has passed on to others to continue these noble acts. It is hoped that whatever knowledge and practice the members gained while traversing the path of Sariyai and Kriyai, they took it back with them and put them into practice in their own homes, making their homes divine and fit for the divine's visitations too.
Even if the Siddhas or Erai were to instruct us to build a temple we can always turn them down for a bigger ideal that is waiting to be showered upon us. Why settle for lesser gains that crop up along the path as gifts for our devotion? I was instructed to build one but I turned down the tasks. Although initially excited about being given the humongous task and honor to build the house of God, having seen what was going around at random with everyone who comes to the path of the Siddhas engaging in opening peedhams and building temples, and seeing the amount of hardship and financial constraints that comes with it, I backed off. The experience of others taught me to become wiser. Moreover, I would become stuck with managing these assets, sourcing funds to keep then afloat, begging for their kindness, and having to put up with all kinds of characters who drop by. I have longed and wanted peace and calm. I shall lose that then. I told Agathiyar it was not for me.
When I turned down the directive preferring to be silent over it, Agathiyar finally tells me that they had tested me. It was all their play. When he mentioned the very first time in my very first Nadi reading, Sivabalan who accompanied me throughout the reading told me not to be overly excited, as the directive had appeared to some 50 people before me. Now I understand that Agathiyar was fishing for devotees who would succumb to jump off the wagon to carry out these tasks or chores rather than ignore the asking and staying aboard traveling till the end of the journey where much bigger and precious gifts are there for the taking.
Anyway, why does anyone need to build a temple externally when they should instead make this body his temple and invite him within? This is what has to be told and practices given to initiate this transformation to take place within. Worship him in the heart. Praise him. Infuse him within. Light up the flame within and see that it grows in its intensity and engulf us completely. Bring upon ourselves and within us the transformations spoken about by the Siddhas. Bring this body of impure nature to that of purity and transform it further to that of the Pranava and Oli degam. Teach everyone to embark on this marvelous internal journey rather than replacing the traditional temple with that of a Siddha or adding on to the original number of temples. Are we bound firm and fast in Maya that we cannot foresee what is taking place around us? Now I begin to understand that the many rewards he wanted to shower on me along the way were traps set to entrap us further in the illusion of Maya. It was all his play offering me a Nadi to be read and put to use for myself and others that would have seen many queue up to have their fate known; and the gift of healing that would have had me labeled as a shaman.
Agathiyar only made us drop both Sariyai and Kriyai after having us involved in them directly, having gained full satisfaction in carrying them out, not a second earlier. When he saw the time was right to wean us away from them, he broke the group Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) so that we would not revisit it. As for the acts of charity formerly under our umbrella Amudha Surabhi (AS) he has passed on to others to continue these noble acts. It is hoped that whatever knowledge and practice the members gained while traversing the path of Sariyai and Kriyai, they took it back with them and put them into practice in their own homes, making their homes divine and fit for the divine's visitations too.
I have been made to understand the difference between spiritualism and religion is that religion has a huge following, made up of devotees and followers, and the occasional sightseer at the receiving end and a head or committee spearheading the temple or peedham who are revered and looked up upon on the other hand. We do not see any merger of any sort between the two parties over the years. They follow the sacred texts and age-old traditions, never wanting to lift a finger in bringing in new ideas, thoughts, or innovations and not keeping with the time, for fear of going against tradition, the agamas, or the gurus. Eventually, it drops out of the mainstream with less and less frequenting these premises.
Spiritualism on the other hand has very few followers who only follow the spirit. These are a handful of seekers wanting to explore beyond the domain of tradition and beyond the numerous codes, practices, and principles laid out in conventional paths. Tavayogi once said that the spirit cannot be contained or chained. It needs to leave the comfort of religion and their dogmas and explore further. Agathiyar surprised us by saying that the Siddha path cannot be compared with religion and bhakti marga that has thousands of followers. The Siddha path shall gradually shrink in numbers. Siddha practitioner Ariva tells me the masters and gurus of days past led us from the false to the truth hence bringing us to understand Sivavakiyar and his songs better now. As Agathiyar says there is no right and wrong and that it is we who determine them to be right or otherwise from gaining and learning these lessons, these experiences have indeed taught us lessons on right and wrong and it is no reason for us to shun and shame those who are following the many paths just because we have seen through the veil. These bits of understanding that came about from the many experiences and the ensuing lessons served to open our minds to the fact that there is more to this then meets the eye. We were shown the ways of others on this path too that taught us to be aware of the dangers and pitfalls, and not to fall a victim of illusion or fall for the lure of Maya disguised as greed, fame, power, and authority that comes cloth in spiritualism too.