My life's journey began some 61 years back. I can hardly remember the years when I was an infant and a toddler. I need to be told how I was and what I did then by my mother and siblings. The years as a kid stays in my memory. The teen years too are fresh in my memory. The years as a young adult and later an adult too. Then I took on the role of a husband when my wife came along. I am grateful to her to want to live with me. Then I was elevated to the role of a father with the coming of my daughters. They gave me the position of a father that brought me a new status in society. I am grateful to them. Today my granddaughters have elevated me and my wife even higher to the status of grandparents. I am grateful to them too.
Taking birth, growing up with siblings, making friends in the neighborhood and school, and later in college, we travel the road that takes shape with each step we take. I never had any inkling where I was headed. I never had any ambitions. I never drew a blueprint for life. I never planned. But yet everything happened in due time on its own course. The schooling, the college, the job, the bike, the wife and marriage, the car, children, the home, and the Path all fell into place. I never anticipated that the divine shall visit us and eventually come to stay with us. As a kid my parents used to share stories of how the Gods walked the earth, coming into the homes and dreams of devotees and perform miracles. Seeing it happen even now gives us goosebumps. I was saved by the Gods, I am told. As an infant, I was cured of continuous purging, on the condition I was given to the Chinese deities in adoption. My Godfather shadowed me since then, although I never realized his presence till I was told by a priest in a Chinese temple.
After having performed simple home puja daily at dawn and dusk with devotion and reading and discussing religion for some 8 years between 1980 and 1988, there came a period of hibernation of 14 years forced on me between 1988 and 2002, to save me from becoming a lunatic. Then the Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon came into my dreams every night. I did not know why? Then I suppose it was time for me to know the Siddhas. But before that, I had to clear the path for my guru to arrive. For one who had left all forms of worship and beliefs, I was given a Vasudeva mantra that came quite unexpected in 2001. Armed with the mantra and a painting of Lord Dhakshanamurthy that was given too, I renewed my worship, including to Goddess Ma in all her forms during Navarathri. A year later I was moved to read the Nadi in 2002. Agathiyar addressed me asking me to worship him and the Siddhas besides Lord Ganapathy and Lord Shiva. The following year in 2003, after completing my remedies or parikaaram as suggested in the Nadi, I met Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai just hours before I returned to Malaysia. He was to become my first guru. Three years on in 2005, Agathiyar brought Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of the Agathiyar Gnana Peedham, Kallar, Kovai to Malaysia. I took initiation from him after he listened to my sharing of the Nadi reading where Agathiyar asked me to come to the path of the Siddhas. Thus started a journey into the unknown, at least for me. Tavayogi introduced me to Agathiyar and moved back into the shadows. Tavayogi was akin to the saint in Osho's story "The Holy Shadow". He showed me rituals, much the same that he did at his Kallar Ashram. I performed them in my home with my family. Tavayogi taught us several yoga asanas and pranayama in 2007 that I put into practice and saw its results.
"Good respiratory health depends on whether or not the body effectively removes mucus from the lungs and airways."* Although "The lungs are self-cleaning organs that will begin to heal themselves once their exposure to pollutants stops, for example, when someone quits smoking"*, the pranayama exercises we do serve to enhance our breathing capacity and aid in clearing the lungs. Mucus is got rid of, and the wind is expelled. Coughing that accompanies the exercise is "the body’s way of naturally expelling toxins that it has trapped in mucus."* Further mucus is drained using the traditional Neti pot or other modern means. We tend to breathe better as the passages are cleared.
Soon in 2013, Agathiyar sent devotees of his over to watch and learn the worship of Siddhas. My wish then was for them not to congregate each Thursday at my home but to learn the method and begin doing these rituals in their homes instead. The highlight of my worship to the Siddhas was the day I moved away from the shadows of my guru when Tavayogi gave me and my family the privilege to sing the names and praises of the Siddhas at his ashram during our visit in 2013. Later in 2016, he gave the AVM family the privilege to lead the recitation of the songs again during Agathiyar's Jayanthi and Annual Guru Puja. Although they have left their mortal frames, my gurus have since then been with us in the subtle form, guiding and looking over our shoulders.
The mantra initiation that Tavayogi gave connected us with Agathiyar. The rituals that Tavayogi showed us served to clear our homes for the arrival of the Gods and Goddesses and the Siddhas and saints into our homes. The recitation of the names of the Siddhas paved the way for them to visit us bridging the two realms, heaven, and earth. The Homa opened up a portal, bridging our plane and dimension with the realm of the Siddhas. Internally, the Yoga that Tavayogi taught us served to rid the body of toxins accumulated over the years, bringing a sluggish body into top form. Once the respiratory system is strengthened, the energy channels are activated either from their sleep or rejuvenated if sluggish. The Yoga Tavayogi taught cleared the way for the divine energy dormant in all of us to awaken and travel its way naturally, clearing all blockages along its way, by its own force. The intense heat or Tava Kanal that is generated subtly as a result of regular puja, performing rituals, conducting Homa or lighting the sacred fire, or the touch, look, or presence of the guru, or adopting the practice given during initiation or Yogic exercises or all in combination initiates this movement and sustains it till the second chakra. Henceforth the divine takes charge. During this process, excessive discomfort and extreme and acute pain is experienced as blockages are cleared. The three dosas go haywire. It can be frightening and worrying at times but with the faith in the guru and assurance given by him and knowing well that his ever-watchful eyes are watching us, we come through the ordeal well. The herbs that Agathiyar recommended aided in stabilizing the 3 dosas. All these were only revealed to me after having gone through the ordeal for some three years. Agathiyar asked me to drop all forms of practice in 2011.
He started me back on it after 8 years in 2019. But this time around he left it to me to figure out the parts or portions of the asana and pranayama practice that Tavayogi taught, that would be suitable at this moment in time. I have since started doing some of it. Besides yoga he got me to take his magical portion Agathiyar Kuzhambu, a purgative, that did "wonders" in expelling the three dosas, Kapha, Pitta, and Vata that were in excess. Mucus and phlegm are expelled from the respiratory system through the nose, throat, and mouth. Toxins from the solid organs namely the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, and the hollow organs that make up the GI tract are expelled through vomit. In defecating, all food residues and the excess wind is expelled - all three dosas expelled simultaneously. Later he gave another simple but yet equally effective formula to drink to detoxify. I struggled to take it for 51 days and gave up. The numerous other Kaya Kalpa medicines that he had channeled to us through good samaritans served to strengthen and fortify the body further.
Agathiyar, Ramalinga Adigal, and the Siddhas kept reminding us to kindle the flame that we lit in our homes to burn bigger and brighter to prepare for the arrival of the parent flame Arutperunjothi. When the coast was clear and the body prepared, at least to a certain level of acceptance, it was time for the divine to come within as Light with assistance from Ramalinga Adigal. The divine, its light, and energies, begin working within to make it a perfect vessel and dwelling of his on earth initially and transforming it slowly into a vessel that is suited to travel beyond the worlds. They are still working on us trying to bring a transformation within, telling us that it would not be easy to shed all the impurities that have come to become flesh and blood in us. I am still throwing up and discharging the three dosas Kapha, Pitta, and Vata and the rest of the accumulated waste and toxins, but without the need to take purgatives or other laxatives. It seems to happen on its own and at regular times now.
Curious to know I served the net and came across a table of cycles of times the dosas rule at https://www.ayurvedacollege.com/blog/ayurveda-and-cycles-time-how-doshas-rule-day/ It confirms what I am going through currently. It begins with Kapha forming in the throat towards the evening that is spat out. Kapha I learn is dominant from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm when the water and earth elements accumulate. Pitta comes to the fore and is quite easily expelled too through vomit between the hours of 10:00 pm to 2:00 am when the elements fire and water accumulate. Wind and bodily aches trouble me naturally as the space and air elements accumulate between 2:00 am to 6:00 am when Vata reigns. Yoga helps expel the wind though I have to bear the bodily aches. Meditation has become a challenge for me these days because of this imbalance. Asking for mercy and to expedite the process Agathiyar told me that it was not so easy to bring the change. I have to bear the dislodging, desludging, and expulsions for some time longer I suppose. But all this is happening now at the appropriate moment and in a very timely manner where I am at home the whole day and it does not disrupt my life, career, or family as I have retired and stay with my wife. In warning me that there was more to it, that the body will emit a foul smell and become constipated, Agathiyar brought the shutters down and closed the door to all the regular rites, rituals, and puja and the devotees who frequented AVM and reinstated asana and pranayama and initiated us to go within. He only asked that we do not fail to celebrate his annual Jayanthi puja that falls on Thaipusam day each year. He did allow Malarvathy and Mahindran who took up the initiation he offered, to come by on Thursdays and bathe and dress him up though. Agathiyar has roped in Ramalinga Adigal to help us with meditation, asking us to sit quietly and observe the breath as soon as we are done with the rigorous and active aspect of the pranayama techniques taught.
A reader emailed me in 2010 the very first time, saying, "Sir, I read with interest your search on the path. It is, indeed, a very rewarding and rich experience. I do take this opportunity to wish you more Grace and Fulfillment in the times to come." This friendship bridge survives to this day. He has been enlightening me with many revelations, some that I have shared with readers of this blog. Recently he shared another message from his guru in the silent hours of his meditation.
I was with Amma this evening. I may be a bit disjointed. Please bear with me. She started teaching me about breath. There are three types of breath... Active Breathing, Passive Breathing and No Breathing. Passive breathing is self-explanatory... takes place inspite of and despite our awareness, such as in sleep. Active breathing is among the various methods one does to regulate breath... the science of breathing... pranayama, in other words. Both of these help in better vitality to the body. The siddhars, on pursuing their sadhana, along the lines of Ashtanga Yoga, enter samadhi. In this state, breathing ceases. Yet, vitality remains. Life, as we know it, exists. How does the body get this vitality? She said that vitality pervades throughout Creation, as Prana. Even inanimate objects, like a stone, needs this vitality, and "breathes". She referred me to Siddha Avvaiyar's விநாயகர் அகவல். "கருத்தினில் கபால வாயில் காட்டி". The top of the skull, has a hollow depression in new born children, called the anterior fontanelle. This remains open for a period of a year, and finally, fuses to become solid all around. In sadhana, the anterior fontanelle reopens, melted, as it were, by the psychic heat that is generated. Then, this vitality or prana, does not need the vehicle of breath/air to enter and replenish, regenerate and maintain life. It will enter through this ingress.
"இருத்தி முத்தி இனிது எனக்கு அருளி
என்னை அறிவித்து எனக்கு அருள் செய்து
முன்னை வினையின் முதலை கலைந்தே..."To my limited understanding, it appears that once the alternate channel for ingress of prana opens, vitality remains forever, realization dawns, liberation from the cycle of birth and death occurs, and with Divine Grace, the root cause of birth cycles, karma vinai ends.
I had suggested that he begin blogging and share these wonderful messages but he chooses to stay away from the limelight and attention. I guess I shall continue dispensing the messages he receives and shares with me through this blog posting for the time being. Thank you, dear friend.
*https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324483#is-it-possible-to-cleanse-your-lungs**https://www.ayurveda.com/resources/articles/ayurveda-a-brief-introduction-and-guide