The first time I heard the word karma was when Agathiyar spoke about mine in my first Kaanda Naadi reading followed by my Shanti Parikaara reading. He gave me remedies to carry out. I did as told without questioning him. I began to read about it. I adopted what I read too. As we took up the worship of the Siddhas, Tavayogi told me to conduct the Homam or lighting the sacrificial fire at my home. I did as told without questioning him. Agathiyar came in the Aasi Nadi later to tell me that this ritual will relieve us of karma. The Siddhas brought us to carry out charity to balance our account too. I did as told without questioning him. Tavayogi would advocate carrying out the recitation of the names of the Siddhas as a panacea for all our past karma. Following in the footsteps of Tavayogi we began to administer the cure for one's past karma to others too. We thought we knew the solution to rid one's karma and dispersed that to others who came with problems. It was only when a girl who had to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for her aged parents and sibling stood at our door, told me in response to my "formula" that they had done all that was told in the Nadi and had given their best in charity to the needy and even donated towards the temples, but yet the divine was not kind to them, I was shaken and began to ponder what went wrong with our formula? Many years on another single mother messaged me asking the same question telling me that she was in the worship of the Siddhas but saw no improvement in her life and that of her two teenage daughters. I could not complete the puzzle as there was this missing piece that I was waiting to be given.
In revealing the truth about the Udal or body, Uyir or breath, and Atma or soul, Agathiyar corrected our wrong perception that the Atma carried the baggage of karma with it. He told us that contrary to this common belief, the Atma in fact aided us to rid our karma. The Atma that is a part of the bigger Paramatma and that took on the name Jeevatma when it came to associate itself with the Udal and Uyir, comes out of hiding at a predetermined age or at a moment in time to draw the curtain and knock some sense into us. Those who become aware of it and take heed of its presence shall then lose their "I" in surrender to the Atma. The Atma then shows the means to rid their Sanchita karma further. The Atma brings them to a path that shall bring them to know their true nature and their source and origin, the Paramatma, bringing on Atma Vidutalai or emancipation. This is what we understood thus far from Agathiyar's revelation of the Atma. But there was still this missing piece of the puzzle. Why do those already in the worship of the Siddha continue to suffer?
On Sunday Tavayogi gave us the answer and the missing piece. It is only in those who totally surrender their "I" and fate to the Siddhas, that their Atma takes charge and drives their "I" into hiding. Those in the worship of the Siddhas but are yet unaware of the presence of the Atma shall have to work out their karma too. Neither the Atma nor the Siddhas would want to lift their hand to assist as long as the "I" in them is in charge. Those who carry desires and urges too are kept under wraps by the "I" in them that makes them think that they are the doer. They have to live it out. Tavayogi says that to stop or divert them would result in prolonging their karma. Here we recall Osho telling us to exhaust all our desires first. Indeed a man with desires has to either exhaust it or surrender it in its entirety. When we are taught to suppress these urges and desires it shall raise its hood later in life as the vasana is a dormant seed waiting for the right moment to spring up or germinate given a conducive environment. Here is where holy men too fall at the prime of their teachings becoming victims to their own hidden desires and urge.
Another question that bothered us for some time was why do people avoid coming to this path? Those who arrive find it difficult to stay and continue the worship. There is the occasional tourist who gathers during festivities only. They head for the nearest center to participate or watch the proceedings. The above answer applies to them too. It is only those who totally immerse in the worship of the Siddhas taking up the rituals in their own homes daily that the Siddhas come to reside with them. When the Siddhas reside within their homes and within them, they take charge of our responsibilities towards the family and work within us to clear the path for us to gain emancipation.