ARE WE THERE YET?

What is the intelligence that shaped the Pindam or embryo, fetus, and body in a mother's womb? When did the Uyir or first breath come in? When did the Atma or soul come within? When did the mind come into existence? What was the first thought? These and many others are all mysteries so close to us yet we do not ponder and ask. Instead, man looks towards the skies for new worlds and existence. How did the Siddhas know these answers when the present-day man is just piecing them together?

Tavayogi says that studying what is close and on hand can answer the origin and mysteries of things beyond. That is the approach he took in defining, calculating, and answering many questions in his books "Andamum Pindamum" and "Atma Gnanam". These books are available at his Kallar ashram. His successor Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar is about to release the biography of Tavayogi in conjunction with the annual Guru Puja and Agathiyar Jayanthi on 23 December 2021. These books can be purchased at +91 98425 50987. For those who prefer to read online or download an ebook, I have made it available here.

Though we have read through his books this mind of us never seems to grasp and understand the nuances of the many subjects he explains. Later Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal came along and asked that we read these books again. Giving us the practical aspect of their teachings, taking us on a pilgrimage of a different kind away from the norm that was temple visits, bringing us to their abodes in the jungles and caves, getting us to commission a statue Agathiyar and do rituals, getting us to do charity, getting us to practice yoga, all of which needed efforts on our part, they brought us to read up the theory behind them too.  They asked that we read up on the tattvas too. Knowing the tattvas one shall know the composition of the physical and material body. Through pranayama, one shall know the breath. Then they turned our attention within asking us to sit still and observe the breath. Then they asked us to know the Atma asking us to refer again to Tavayogi's book. I am still trying to comprehend their works. I shall continue to share my understandings in this blog with readers. Just as a child drops her favorite toy as she grows up and has real friends in life, we too need to phase out or grow out of our hold on previous teachings and understanding for a newer understanding of these subjects. This is evolution. P. Thirugnanasambandhan in his "The Concept of Bhakti" published by the University of Madras, 1971, clearly leads us into these stages.

The soul inspired by the highest goal of communion with God passes gradually from one stage of spiritual enlightenment to another. Starting from the first rung of the ladder, as the servant of God, the soul practices Carya (Sariyai), consisting in external duties such as cleaning and lighting God's temples, adorning the images of God with garlands, praising God and attending to the needs of devotees. For these deeds the soul is rewarded with Saloka or dwelling in the region of God.

From being a servant, the soul in the Kriya stage becomes a son of God, and renders more intimate service than before, such as invoking God's presence, serving him with love and praise and other acts of service like Sivapuja, besides attending to the burning of incense, collecting flowers etc. The reward for service of this type is Samipya or dwelling near God.

In the next stage of Yoga, the Sakha Marga, the soul becomes the friend of God and thus is nearer God. Withdrawing its senses from the material objects, it concentrates on the contemplation of Siva. This is rewarded by Sarupya, which is to have the same form as Siva but not the essence.

The soul has to progress further in the Jnana Marga to reach the final goal of Sayujya from where there is no return. Sayujya is a state of union of God and soul, a mysterious union of either, so that God and soul exist with their respective attributes, the former as the source of bliss and the latter as the recipient of the same.

The various paths and stages of spiritual development as explained to us by P. Thirugnanasambandhan are an echo of the "Shiva Gnana Siddhiyar". G. Vanmikanathan details it further and gives the respective stages of Mukti attainable in his "Pathway to God Trod by Saint Ramalingar".

• Sariyai or Taatamaargam, the path of a servant, "Were I to define Taatamaargam, is sweeping the floor of Sankaran’s temple, scrubbing it with cow-dung water, plucking flowers and preparing many garlands and chaplets for the Lord, singing his praises, lighting lamps in the temple, maintaining a flower garden (for supplying flowers for the Lord's worship), and when coming across a person in the holy garb of a devotee of Civan, enquiring of him, “What is the service I can do for you, please command me”, and doing such services." The type of Mukthi gained is "Salokyam which means gaining a Darshan of God, having a vision of him for a certain period, or being in the same world as God, just as a servant lives in a king's palace."

• Kriyai or Sarputramaargam is the path of the good son. "New fragrant flowers, incense, lamp, materials for the bath, offerings, with these in hand go to a suitable place, clean the place by the five processes, place a seat (for the God), install the image of God thereon, meditate on the form of God and the light that is God, invoke him to descend and occupy the image, worship him with great devotion with flower offerings and songs and obeisance, perform with ardor the religious acts associated with the sacrificial fire. Those who do these acts daily will abide by the side of the Lord." The type of Mukthi gained is "Saameepam which means that the devotee gains the privilege of being close to God in his audience chamber for a period."

• Yogam or Sagamaargam is the path of companionship. "Being engaged in the contemplation of the whole effulgence by the process of controlling the (five) senses, obstructing the flow of the two breaths and bringing it to a state of non-motion, gaining knowledge of the six centers (plexus) (in the body) and understanding their deep significance, passing through them to the top, partaking of the ambrosia from the region of the moon (within the human body) and storing it up to the fullest extent in the body, and other acts; in short, going through all the eight phases of Yoga." The type of Mukthi gained is "Saarupam, which means a pada-mukthi, or a graded Mukthi where the devotee gains for a period a similarity of form with God."

• And finally, Jnanam or Sanmaargam. "Learning all the arts, the Puranas, the Vedas, the Sastras, the philosophies, creeds, etcetera, learning the contents of several religions from top to bottom, knowing what is God, what are creatures, what the Malams, seeking the good path which discloses the transcendent Shivam, and gaining the privilege of becoming one with Civan without any trace of the sense of separateness of gnosis (knowledge), the thing to be known (i.e. The Godhead) and the knower." The type of Mukthi gained is Saayutcham, (the merger or union or betrothal). 

Agathiyar brought us through these stages in a systematic way, with Tavayogi showing us the means. Having realized the results we were able to put it into words when we penned the songs for our joint album "Agathiyar Geetham" with Raagawave Productions in 2018.

Ramalinga Adigal identifies the many milestones one has to encounter to move on, continuing the journey that brings one face to face with his creator. (Source: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami" by Dr. C Srinivasan, published by Ilakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968 (Srinivasan).

1. Human beings leading a mundane life without even a thought of its transient nature who are in the stage of Jeeva Sakiram or normal wakefulness initially, 
2. move on to the 2nd stage of Jeeva Sorpanam or normal dreaming and finally, 
3. the 3rd stage of Jeeva Suluthi or Normal ignorance. What follows are the states of the Soul.
4. When he is aware of the momentary nature of life; but is conscious of the world and external objects; and enjoys gross things, he moves into Sutha Sakiram or Perfect Wakefulness the 1st state of the Soul. He steps onto the path of Sariyai. I guess stepping into Sariyai that is a great leap forward having transcended the previous 3 states of the Jeeva.
5. When he seeks to see the Lord and feels inseparable; takes on an untiring search for God; and enjoys subtle things, he moves into Sutha Sorpanam or Perfect Dream or the 2nd state of the Soul. He engages in Kriyai.
6. Now he only wants God; neither dreams nor desires; his soul is temporarily one with Brahman and enjoys bliss. This is Sudha Suluthi or Perfect ignorance, the 3rd state of the Soul. He practices Yogam.
7. When lust and the veil covering the soul for generations are shed one after the other; the soul is cleansed by Arutperunjhoti; he has the spontaneous impulse of love for God; he is in absolute union with Brahman, this is the 4th state of the Soul, Sudha Turiyam or Perfect experience. He is uplifted to the state of Shiva Jnana Nilai. There seem to be only 4 states of the Soul mentioned. Henceforth all efforts drop. I guess from now on the divine works on our Soul. 
8. He gains Para Sakiram or Higher wakefulness, followed by 
9. Para Sorpanam or Higher dream where he enjoys the grace of the Lord and is in ecstasy. What follows are 6 divine paths. 
10. Sithantham and, Sudha Sithantham that is a state of Para Suluthi or Higher ignorance where the shackles are removed by Arutperunjhoti; he gains heavenly experiences. Above this stage, God is un-manifested. 
11. Next are Vethantham and, Sutha Vethantham that confers Bliss or Ananda Nilai. He tastes God; the glory of Arutperunjhoti; realizes self-realization on the soul as an atom brilliant as the sun; the soul is charged with divine grace; he realizes the greatness of God grace and his smallness; he gains self-realization or Atma Tarisanam. 
12. The third divine path is Sutha Nathantham, Guru Sakiram, or Shiva Sakiram. He perceives God in the form of light; the soul is saturated with compassion & love; gains experience of divine life (Uyir Anubhavam); attains purified body or golden body (Sudha Degam); the extent of achievement is dependent on the grace of Arutperunjhoti; sees divinity in all creatures; sees God in the form he is ready to receive; enjoys supreme grace (Arul Anubhavam). The higher stages are heavenly stages and beyond human perception where the mind fails to conceive and all senses cease to function; Uyir Anubavam in Sudha Degam; transformation to the pure body; love incarnate; the universality of love in all fellow beings; oneness in life; he sees the divine in all life forms; he sees smallness of one and greatness of God and has the spontaneous flow of God in him. 
13. The 4th divine path, is Sutha Kalantham, Guru Sorpanam, or Shiva Sorpanam where the divinity descents into the individual. 
14. The 5th divine path, Sutha Bothantham, Guru Suluthi, or Shiva Suzhuthi brings on the Supreme grace and prepares him for the next stage. 
15. The 6th divine path, Samarasa Sutha Sanmaarga that is Guru Turiyam or ShivaTuriyam brings on Periya Shiva Anubhavam where the body transforms into Pranava Deham, or the body of grace and merges with Arutperunjhoti leading to deathlessness or the conquest of death. 
16. There are still higher stages beyond these Sudha Shiva Sakiram namely Absolute supreme consciousness, Sudha Shiva Sorpanam, Sudha Shiva Suluthi, Sudha Shiva Turiyam, and Sudha Shiva Turiyateetam that Ramalinga Adigal hesitates to go into in detail. 

Phew! It is indeed mind-boggling! Can you make some sense out of all these? My feeble mind is struggling to digest them. And where do I stand in these numerous states? If I saw myself right there towards the bottom of the rung at stage 5 back then in 2017, due to his grace we have made some progress in this time. Are we at the 4th state of the Soul, and the 7th of 16 states of spiritual experience? Then again we have a long way to go to achieve the goal or rather as our efforts have stopped we await the grace of the divine to pull us up to the greater heights mentioned.