We are feeling the heat literally speaking. What the worlds scientist had warned about has come to our shores too. The scorching heat at times has become unbearable. This is due to global warming and the melting of the ice elsewhere we are told. Dust too is everywhere and to think that we are inhaling it brings us shivers. Trash is thrown around indiscreetly that ends up in our rivers. When there are souls combating and addressing these issues giving a whole lifetime of theirs in saving this world others are blind to the outcome of their undesirable actions. Television networks and production companies have spent much time and money researching and filming and producing documentaries to educate us on where we are heading. But I wonder how many watch these wonderful films that bring awareness to us of the dangers that we have brought onto ourselves. I wonder if our politicians and lawmakers watch them too? At least they will learn a thing or two. Rather than saving this world, we have ventured to scout for other worlds that support life. A devotee told me that her movement was preparing to move to Mars. I asked myself "What for? To bring our bad habits along and pollute those worlds too?" The movie Avatar and its sequel depicts man's greed to mine and turn minerals into cash and his seek to venture to other worlds. In doing so he destroys the habitats and people living there. History tells us that the past empires too traveled to faraway lands and crossed the seas in search of treasures. Though many adopted the ways of the indigenous, many others brought destruction and wiped out the cultures and traditions, beliefs, and faith of the people of these lands that they conquered and ruled. But I guess at one point in time in their lives they did realize their mistakes and changed their ways and redressed the situation. If they did not their generations did heal the wound. So did Agathiyar reveal one of the many pasts births in my Nadi that of being a Namboothri priest in Kerala. I had hurt and tormented many but towards the end of my life, I regretted my actions and repented. Hence I took another birth. In addressing my deeds and actions in this life Agathiyar pardoned me saying that it was all his doing and that he wanted me to have those experiences too. When Goddess Ma came through a devotee at AVM the first time she surprised us by telling us that the Siddha path was one of learning from experience. I guess it is all a part of learning. Hence man finds himself learning throughout his life. The idea is to correct himself and move up further on the ladder of evolution. But sadly some neither change nor move up the ladder. Many live a mundane life hardly wondering what their purpose in life was. Is it only to fill our bellies and enjoy the pleasures of life? Is it only to care for the self and turn blind to the plight of others?
I too would like to lead a purposeful life. But even at 63 years of age, I am wondering what that is. Looking back I have traveled through all the usual run-of-the-mill phases in life. Nothing extraordinary. I had no ambitions or desires in life. Like many others, I never gave any thought to where I was heading. I was content with my job and family. I kept to myself and my hobbies most of the time. Though I had attempted to know certain facets of life like religion, custom, and tradition that posed numerous questions back then in the eighties, Lord Shiva in a dream ended my search for answers then. After a 14-year period of hibernation and letting go of all things learned from the books and through discussions, I was again an empty vessel ready to receive the practical ways of the Siddhas. Coming before the Nadi in 2002, I saw my life change. Agathiyar in going through my past lives, educated me on the subject of karma. Now I knew what was right and wrong or rather what brings on birth and rebirth and feeds the cycle of samsara. I had to be on the lookout totally aware of my actions now. I had to mend my ways lest I fall victim and prey to this vicious cycle. So then I learned that the idea of coming here was to break this cycle. Today as I listen to the songs of the saints the truth dawns, and the way to attain it is clearly shown by them. The ways are rather simple. It is because they are simple and easy to follow that man ignores them. He expects ways, means, and methods that are gargantuan, willing to spend money and time on them.
Ramalinga Adigal for instance promises a tried and tested way to end this cycle. He invites us all to step into his fold through his song "Gnana Sariyai".
....மரணமிலாப் பெருவாழ்வில் வாழ்ந்திடலாம் கண்டீர்
புனைந்துரையேன் பொய்புகலேன் சத்தியஞ்சொல் கின்றேன்
பொற்சபையில் சிற்சபையில் புகுந்தருணம் இதுவே.
Ramalinga Adigal flushes down the drain all our past learnings, knowing, seeing, tasting, and hearings, as wasteful matters. Knowing this he invites us to Chitrambalam the sacred chamber within our hearts.
கண்டதெலாம் அநித்தியமே கேட்டதெலாம் பழுதே
கற்றதெலாம் பொய்யேநீர் களித்ததெலாம் வீணே
உண்டதெலாம் மலமேஉட் கொண்டதெலாம் குறையே
உலகியலீர் இதுவரையும் உண்மையறிந் திலிரே
விண்டதனால் என்இனிநீர் சமரசசன் மார்க்க
மெய்ந்நெறியைக் கடைப்பிடித்து மெய்ப்பொருள்நன் குணர்ந்தே
எண்டகுசிற் றம்பலத்தே எந்தைஅருள் அடைமின்
இறவாத வரம்பெறலாம் இன்பமுற லாமே.
And the way is with God and in God. It starts with devotion to God. Man can become divine he says.
... பத்தியொடு பணிந்தே.
....மரணமெனும் பெரும்பாவி வந்திடுமே அந்தோ
சற்றும்அதை நும்மாலே தடுக்கமுடி யாதே
சமரசசன் மார்க்கசங்கத் தவர்கள்அல்லால் அதனை
எற்றிநின்று தடுக்கவல்லார் எவ்வுலகில் எவரும்
இல்லைகண்டீர்
சத்தியமீ தென்மொழிகொண் டுலகீர்
பற்றியபற் றனைத்தினையும் பற்றறவிட் டருளம்
பலப்பற்றே பற்றுமினோ எற்றும்இற வீரே.
இறந்தவரை எடுத்திடும்போ தரற்றுகின்றீர் உலகீர்
இறவாத பெருவரம்நீர் ஏன்அடைய மாட்டீர்
மறந்திருந்தீர் பிணிமூப்பில் சம்மதமோ நுமக்கு
மறந்தும்இதை நினைக்கில்நல்லோர் மனம்நடுங்கும் கண்டீர்
சிறந்திடுசன் மார்க்கம்ஒன்றே பிணிமூப்பு மரணம்
சேராமல் தவிர்த்திடுங்காண் தெரிந்துவம்மின் இங்கே
பிறந்தபிறப் பிதிற்றானே நித்தியமெய் வாழ்வு
பெற்றிடலாம் பேரின்பம் உற்றிடலாம் விரைந்தே.
This is an open invitation from the saint to join forces with him to combat illness and old age, He is willing to show us the way if only we lend an ear. First, we bring him into our homes after the phase of visiting him and seeing him as residing in the images in the temples. Once we begin to carry out home worship God comes to reside in our homes with us. Soon the external puja too subsides as we realize that he has moved in and within our hearts and soul. Ramalinga Adigal describes beautifully what happens when God comes within us.
... வரைந்துவரைந் தெல்லாஞ்செய் வல்லசித்தன் தானே
வருகின்ற தருணம்இது வரம்பெறலாம் நீவீர்
கரைந்துகரைந் துளம்உருகிக் கண்களின்நீர் பெருகிக்
கருணைநடக் கடவுளைஉட் கருதுமினோ களித்தே.
If rituals and puja draw the bridge to the other world and God steps into our homes, when God comes within he draws the bridge to experience the Prapanjam.
...ஆமயந்தீர்த் தியற்கைஇன்ப அனுபவமே மயமாய்
அம்பலத்தே விளங்குகின்ற அருட்பெருஞ்சோ தியைஓர்
ஓமயவான் வடிவுடையார் உள்ளகத்தே நிறைந்த
ஒருபொருளைப் பெருங்கருணை உடையபெரும் பதியை
நாமருவி இறவாத நலம்பெறலாம் உலகீர்
நல்லஒரு தருணம்இது வல்லைவம்மின் நீரே.
Ramalinga Adigal says he shares his divine experiences for our sake to see all unite with him.
ஒளித்துரைக்கின் றேன்அலன்நான் வாய்ப்பறைஆர்க் கின்றேன்
ஒருசிறிதும் அச்சமுறேன் உள்ளபடி உணர்ந்தேன்
அளித்திடுசிற் றம்பலத்தென் அப்பன்அருள் பெறவே
ஆசைஉண்டேல் வம்மின்இங்கே நேசமுடை யீரே.
எல்லாஞ்செய் வல்லசித்தன் என்னுயிரில் கலந்தான்
தேசுடைய பொதுவில்அருள் சித்திநடம் புரியத்
திருவுளங்கொண் டெழுந்தருளும் திருநாள்இங் கிதுவே
மோசஉரை எனநினைத்து மயங்காதீர் உலகீர்
முக்காலத் தினும்அழியா மூர்த்தம்அடைந் திடவே.