THE HUMAN BIRTH & ITS POSSIBILITIES
Agathiyar had explained and bridged the nature of the Udal or physical body, Uyir or the breath, and the Atma or Soul earlier, with the common denominator or factor - karma - that runs across all three and that ascertains the outcome of each. Sanchita karma determines our fate, starting its journey with the planting of the seed the Kutastha, the seed that determines the gender, where, and to whom we are to be born, and the manifestation of all that cannot be changed or altered. A portion of the Sanchita karma known as Prarabdha karma then determines the course of action throughout one's life. These are decided by the individual Atma sitting in discussion with the Paramatma charting the course either for the enhancement and betterment of an individual to evolve speedily or to enrich it with the relevant experiences and learning gained from the desires and pleasures that are in waiting much in advance even before taking birth. The outcome of this meeting determines all the factors that come into play in taking a human birth.
THE BODY
The 5 elements that form the Pindam or solid matter in the womb upon conception are sourced from both the parents in a unique proportion. If karma or the divine hand intervenes at this juncture it could either upset or enhance this division of growth particles respectively and influence the physical state of the growing embryo. If we are told in the past of stories where the divine comes within the womb of the mother and blesses her with a divine child, Agathiyar says the same for a devotee that "Ramalinga Adigal, and Lord Murugan, had blessed him while in the mother's womb".
மண்ணுலகில் வள்ளல் ஆசி குமரன் ஆசி ஆசியும் ஆண்டு பல முன்பே கிட்டி அவர்கள் அருள் கருணையும் நிறைந்து இருக்க ஆசியோடு அருள் கருணை சக்தியும் தான் அன்னையின் கருவில் பெற்றதனால் ......
The divine tells us repeatedly that they have taken birth as our children and grandchildren and keep reminding us to take special care of them. I guess a seed is planted in them while in the womb of their mother that germinates with the coming of the guru later in life who brings an awareness of life, reveals their purpose, or revives the past memories in them at the right moment. For some, as in the many stories we have heard, the parents are granted the boon of a divine child after undertaking and carrying out rituals and austerities and having pleased the divine.
The divine could intervene later in an individual's journey too. Before the coming of the guru, the field is thoroughly rid of weeds as in bad habits, negative practices, false beliefs, etc tilling the soil and plowing it, ready to receive a new seed. The guru plants the seed within them that carries the unmanifested energy of the divine. When the surrounding is conducive and compatible the seed sprouts, under the watchful eyes of the guru, reaching out for the skies. The earlier seed that germinated into our "I" dies a natural death. This is "Dying while Alive". Breaking the ground and sprouting out of the soil, life and the next course of action in this new journey are detailed and undertaken under the watchful eyes of the divine and the guru. Die-hard habits are knocked off. A new blueprint is drawn up for him. A new life form emerges and we take on a new birth. A new star is born. He then grows up to make a name for himself bringing salvation for himself and enlightenment for others.
THE ATMA
The Atma, before coming into this body or Udal that is a composite of karma taking the desired form, accepts to work with the individual "I". The individual "I" comes with its baggage of karma, the size determined by his or her willingness to shoulder in this birth. The Atma stays with the individual until the "I" in him or her surfaces. Then the Atma steps aside and backs off behind the veil, watching the individual live out his or her desires and urges. He lives out his karma. The Atma keeps watching over him without interfering. The Atma either reveals itself again when he has exhausted all his vasanas, desires, urges, and wants or "awakens" when the time-space is right or once he surrenders his "I". If we had thought that the Atma carries the baggage with it, Agathiyar corrected us telling us that the Atma does not carry our past karma but helps bring us out of it. For some, the Atma brings them to the Siddha path. The Siddhas might want to convince some to take the leap. But even the Atma and the Siddhas do not intervene and let fate deal with the individual if he or she does not give heed to their advice and warnings after several attempts, says Tavayogi of some individuals.
சில மனிதர்களின் பிறப்பு அவர் இச்சைகாக, ஆசைக்காக. அவன் ஆசைகாகப் பிறந்தான். ஆசையில் திளைத்து விட்டு மூடித்து விடுவான். அவன் போக்கில் விட்டு விடு. இல்லாவிட்டால் வினை தொடர்ந்து கொண்டே வரும்.
THE BREATH
Karma determines if the breath shall remain or leave that instant. For most, phlegm or kapam becomes the death factor. For instance, even if he is hale and healthy the phlegm or kapam appears during the last moments of his worldly life and blocks his nasal passages shutting him down permanently. It is said that we come with a certain number of breaths that once exhausted or used up, will result in our death. Hence the Siddhas are known to increase this store of prana within to extend their lifespan or dwell in the state of samadhi forever.
KARMA & ITS POSSIBILITIES
Karma if seen in its totality causes fear in us and dashes all our hopes of coming out of it. So is there no way out? Yes, there is. We can work on the Agamaya Karma that is taking place right now in this life with our approval. The decisions we make and the actions we take will alter the future, hence determining it in such a way as to attain the desired birth later or take one to repay bad debts or take another to enjoy the pleasures that come along as a result of the good done in this birth.
The divine gives ways to redo, correct, and come out of the rut we are in because of our past doings. One who despises the life he has to live now can either work against his karma to bring a change, which is often an uphill fight and a battle lost unless he gains the favor and grace of the divine, or accept it and live through this predetermined life with the hope that things shall change for the better in a later birth. In the former, we are given a tool called free will to make a better future for us. In the latter, one takes karma in his or her stride as agreed, and submits to it. Saints either bring on the change and free themselves from the hold of karma and its cycle of birth and death or choose not to alter the divine law and see through its working.
With the Kutastha and Prarabdha karma determined by the individual Atma and Paramatma, the divine gives us an option in the latter to take tiny bites at a time, an amount that we can handle and shoulder and work on, bit by bit. Or if desired we could see through our entire karma and return back to the source in one birth. In the former, the divine breaks down the Sanchita karma, that is the total sum or cumulative karma that we have accumulated throughout all the earlier births, further, and sanctions only a minute portion in each birth for us to endure and exhaust. Although these would mean that it is going to take a longer time for us to completely exhaust it, having the need to take many more births to unload the entire truckload of baggage completely, it would be a relief off our shoulders, having only to face a portion of the Sanchita karma rather than take on the full load at one go. The individual request to administer the rest of the Sanchita karma in smaller doses that he can stomach is granted. In exercising his free will he opts to extend the duration of paying back for the karma that he faces. One who seeks to end the cycle quickly could ask to hasten the process, mindful that he would have to receive the full blow of the effects of our karma. This request to take it in all its entirety shall have all hell to break loose, coming down on us with all its might as it has to be exhausted in its entirety within the next few years of our remaining mortal life.
Another option is to plead for the divine to show mercy and leniency and reduce the misery taking it on in a milder form. It is akin to those who have made traffic offenses and are given a discount when they acknowledge their mistakes and vow to never repeat them. Agathiyar and the saints offer options to reduce the past Sanchita karma, that determines our future births. Intense austerities and meditation are a way. As the vasanas that are buried as seeds in us germinate and arise to drive us into activities that would fulfill the cause, we are told that through the fire of intense tavam or austerities or meditation it can be burnt even before it arises. In the former lighting the sacred fire, the Yagna or its smaller version the Homa, helps in eradicating the karma. As karma is a form of energy too, it cannot be written off but can be transformed into other forms. Hence we understand why the Siddhas suggests that we engage in rituals and charities too besides working on ourselves, upholding high virtues, and bringing ourselves to do the divine’s work, serving him and mankind which are all simple means to shed once karma for those like me, who cannot bring themselves to go perform austerities or go into a meditative state and work on their karma.
In the course of our journey, Agathiyar gave us simple tasks like performing rituals like the fire sacrifice and extending aid to the needy, the poor, the hungry, and the homeless, which he assured would burn our karma to ashes too. In alleviating their sufferings, these acts, he says, will help us sail through trying times besides creating good merits for ourselves that make for a better future and better birth. In giving the AVM family these tasks that served to bring on merits to us besides helping others he prepared us to do his asking, instead of working towards accomplishing our own desires and liking. It is then that we realized in doing his work, he took care of us and our family and our needs too. It is then that we realized that in doing his work, the Agamiya karma that attaches itself to work and action, resulting from our activities and that contributes to the overall Sanchita karma that keeps us moving further and further away from our target of achieving deathless-ness and breaking the cycle of birth and death, is now absorbed by the divine. The remaining portion of the Sanchita karma that stood before us as a huge overpowering mountain ready to engulf us in its totality dissolves into an anthill by the grace of the divine and the guru. Although these karmas and their manifestations would not go away in totality, the Siddhas would stand by us in our hour of need and help lessen the force of karma, thus saving our lives, bringing us out of danger, or lessening the impact of the fall. The blog https://www.ananda.org/clarity/2013/03/yogananda-astrology-god-joy/, says it beautifully,
“The best way, therefore, to improve your lot is deliberately to act in such a way as to counteract the evil effects of past deeds. Especially if this course of action springs from inner attunement with God, or is adopted under the wise guidance of one who knows God, it will serve as an antidote to all baneful actions of the past. Cooperate with His will by offering up to Him all the strength of your human will.”
Then there is yet another way, a supreme one, that is not for us to decide, choose or pick. It is solely the divine's prerogative. Considering whether we deserve it or not, whether we have understood the might and force of karma and its workings and have initiated or began working towards the eradication of it, the divine through his grace or Arul takes the karma away in its entirety, leaving us as clean as a white sheet. That is the day all our efforts drops and the divine comes as a savior. That is the day of deliverance. That is the day of total emancipation.