The Paramatma when it takes a form and life is known as Jeevatma. Coming within and working its way to the state of a Jeevanmukta, the Paramatma sees the world through the Jeevanmukta. These are the saints who watch life go by. They need not move in this world of man but if the need arises they move things so very subtly that we are not aware until we see the results in our favor. Neem Karoli Baba, Ramana Maharishi, Ramalinga Adigal, and Tavayogi like many other saints were said to be seen in several places while their devotees stood firm and vouched that they never moved a limb.
A man who sheds his "I" leaves his home empty for the divine to occupy. The divine then walks in and walks in him. It speaks through him. The divine that deals blow through others and breaks our hearts, comes to mend our hearts later too through these saints and their sayings.
Then they do come momentarily into others too, insignificant people like me. Agathiyar in coming for the very first time through his bronze statue at AVM in 2010, had told me that he would momentarily place my Atma in his statue while he walked the ground blessing his devotees.
In all this play where do we exist then? We are just the form and life that is given a name, that has come to fulfill the role given to us in his play. But the "I" in us raises its hood and thinks it's in charge and changes the script and the divine play. We mess things up. The "I" drives the divine into hiding. The "I" that is in a gaseous state lights up by just a stroke of the match and a drastic change takes place in the person. The "I" that is akin to charcoal needs to be lit and fanned to burn. The "I" that is the peat cannot be helped. It just refuses to be lit. It is frustrating to have this kind of people around who neither are aware nor listen or want to change. I guess we cannot work on them. Only lives experiences resulting from repetitive blows might awaken them from their deep slumber. Indeed Agathiyar told us to move on less we fall out too waiting for them to turn up or catch up. But there come times when we feel it is our responsibility to bring others to the path that has given us much.
People at large have a hard time coming to accept change. They are so used to the norm that when laid off, when they reach the age of pension, or when death approaches them they cannot come to terms with it. I used to see a man riding a bike on the road as I leave my office each day. Then I was told that that man turns up at the office though he was retired. An aged uncle of my colleague was telling his kin who stood around his death bed someone was taking his money even as he breathed his last. Immediately after the lockdown was lifted people went back to the norm and habit. They thronged the malls' window shopping. Many just as they go to bed with anger and never live another day to bring themselves to forgive others.
In the movie, Vinodhya Sitham, the lead character makes all the decisions in his company and exerts the same on his family too to the extent he even decides for his grown-up children. When Kala comes to claim him he cannot release his hold on things. He questions how the company and his family are going to survive without him. Kala extends his lifespan for 3 months after giving an ear to his pleading. Kala follows him into his home and office. He begins knocking some sense in him telling him that he is neither indisposable nor indispensable.
One who drops the "I" can easily adapt himself to all situations. Lao Tzu says to go with the flow. That means just watch. If there is a need to participate do so but ensure minimal impact on what is happening around us. When we can surrender our lives to the driver of the vehicles as in a cab, bus, and train, and surrender to the captain of the boat, ferry, or ship, or surrender to the pilot of the plane, why cannot we surrender to the all-knowing divine? Having made plans we board the vehicles to our destination. So too should we plan our lives and leave them in the hands of the divine. He knows better. If we make ourselves adaptable to change we can fit into these changes quite easily. If we accept the changes that come our way, a new adventure shall begin. When Suren planned on an itinerary with Jnana Jothiamma some years back, Agathiyar intercepted them and made Suren go to his Pothigai peak instead.
On another note, the trend these days is to raise a child reading the internet. So have many spiritual guides mushroomed on the net teaching various paths. To ascertain that I did not make the same mistake I asked Suren about it. He assured me that what I posted on this blog was merely my experiences. There was only teaching by example and not teaching of doctrines. When Acharya Gurudasan asked me why I did not teach others the yoga and pranayama techniques I learned from Tavayogi I replied that what was taught was for me to learn and practice. Tavayogi did not ask me to teach another. Only recently did Agathiyar ask me to teach Mahin and have Mahin teach his buddies. While Mahin was ready to teach others only a handful stayed back to learn. The lure towards other pleasures and the weight of their daily responsibilities I supposed are greater than the lure of bhakti and giving back to the divine. The latter is put on hold in favor of the former. When traveling with Tavayogi to officiate a peedham in Banting he told me to speak about the Siddhas. I had just taken a few steps on the path then. How could I talk about them? What was I to say about them? But he went ahead and tricked me into delivering a speech. I stammered to speak, taken by surprise. As all I knew then was Tavayagi, I spoke a few words about him and his ashram and quickly switched to reciting the Arutperunjothi mantra. The rest too began to follow and I was saved not by the bell but by this maha-mantra that day.
I was searching for God in the books in the good old days. These days many do the same too searching the net for God. Very few walk the path under the tutelage of a physical guru. We are blessed that Tavayogi came along, sent by Agathiyar to our shores. Rather than hold on to Tavayogi and miss his teachings, we took hold of his teachings and held tight to Agathiyar, thanks to the bashing I received from Tavayogi. Tavayogi had snubbed me the very day I invited him into my home. I was elated and overjoyed had had him over at my house but he killed that joy immediately after I expressed my joy in words. He told me I was living in Maya, believing every saffron-clad or Kavi-clad man to be a saint who can do wonders. He said he was no Samy or Holy man but an Asamy or cheat. He told me he had nothing hidden beneath his Kavi and not to be deceived. He told me to place my faith in Agathiyar.
When I asked Tavayogi why I only came to know of the Siddha path at 43 I thought he would give a long discourse like how Lord Krishna gave Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. But he snubbed me telling me that I should be grateful that at least I had come then. This is how the Siddhas snub us or put another question before us rather than delight us with lengthy answers. I thank him today for being harsh to me that day. He knocked some sense in me that saved me later from falling for Godmen. As a result, we saw much progress. These experience has brought us to share them with others on this blog and the many books published online. The learning is going on so does the experience.
The Siddhas are deemed misfits in society. Society sees them as weird. It is only when people want a favor that they seek the Siddhas, as in wanting to know their future or why they were going through problems in the Nadi or seeking a Siddha physician hoping for a magical cure or something. Never does one want to come to the fold of the Siddha just for its sake. This was both Agathiyar's and Tavayogi's lamentation. People prefer to be in this world of pleasure falling back on the Siddhas or deities when the need arises. On the other hand, a Siddha would be immersed in "his" world coming into our world when he hears the cries of people. That is the compassion of the Siddhas.