Just for a start as an elementary school teacher simplifies the teachings for the sake of her students to easily understand the concepts, and as we go up the ladder and as the learning curve intensifies, we are given the raw facts to chew, Sariyai simplified God showing him in the idols; Kriyai showed us the guru in physical form as God; Yogam showed us, God, as residing within as our breath; and Gnanam finally pierced all the earlier understanding and has us drop all our earlier hold on things, belief, learnings, and practice. Now standing stark naked we confront the soul or Atma and its teachings. Similarly, a song of the lady saint Avvai that is a song in praise of Lord Ganapathy for the children turns out to be a song laden with a recipe for good health, when Dr.Bhani took up Siddha medicine and finally was said to be a song of Gnanam when he came under the tutorship of Yogi Ramaiah.
I told Agathiyar that I would like to see him as God for all, regardless of what caste or creed they were, immaterial of their financial standing and social status. I told him if he was only to help me and my family, or believers and followers, and shut the others out, I do not want him. He who was introduced through a form and name in the Nadi reading and called me to his path soon came as the guru who told me that Agathiyar was God, then was Siva, and later the breath, and Light, came as a statue, walked along with us, showed himself coming through devotees, and finally came as the Prapanjam that is acceptable to all faiths and believers fulfilling my humble request.
God and the Siddhas are no one person's possession nor can one lay a stake on them. The concept of God is for all. In championing the cause some tend to get carried away and lay claim to God and the Siddhas, their ways and methods, the rituals and practices. I fear that someday someone might even claim copyright to them and their works.
In our eagerness to campaign for the cause of the Siddhas, we tend to turn ugly. If back then man was divided by caste and creed, and some were forbidden from entering temples and holy places, coming to the spiritual path, we begin to differentiate mankind based on karma and merits, his diet and his hunger for knowledge, etc. The numbers as in attendance and following classes and teachings, and the numbers as in the number of initiations received, etc, segregate them further. In laying rules and codes it further distances many from coming forward. In mentioning and laying claim that only those who qualify can come into the path or qualify to stay further, the question arises as to who are we to talk about others' karma when we carry the baggage too? Who are we to decide who is eligible or otherwise when we are nowhere close to achieving the state of a Siddha? Would anyone have imagined Arunagiri becoming a saint? For all the sins I have committed it is a surprise that Agathiyar took me into his fold too. A sinner has an equal opportunity to walk the path with those who are pious. All borders and distinctions are the work of man. God does not divide and rule.
Then there are the fear mongers in all fields be it in reading the Astrology, in reading the Nadi, in practicing Siddha medicine, in carrying out rituals and worship, etc. The stakeholders tend to add to the facts, and manipulate the facts for their personal gains, etc. Taking up the role of a spokesperson for the Siddhas and other gurus too, some followers do tend to go overboard promising the sky. There is no harm in praising one's guru but we need to know the limits. Do not glorify them and make promises. Even Agathiyar does not promise but has us place the required efforts and be patient for time to unfold the goodies. Agathiyar asks us to stop praising him and look within for our souls.
When a Russian in a wheelchair messaged me asking if Tavayogi could heal him, I replied that I did not know. He soon went over to Kallar ashram. Tavayogi later told me that he could not help him. When a reader from Delhi messaged me if Tavayogi could clear his blockages, the result of taking up several practices simultaneously, I told him to see his masters. Sadly his masters could not help him. I told him the same that I had not seen Tavayogi heal anyone. After 8 years when I reached out to him, he was still in pain.
I shudder to think where all these shall lead to. I guess the Siddhas and gurus themselves have to come down and bring a close to all these false claims. As a devotee said Agathiyar at AVM accepts all and then begins to work on having them drop whatever they hold dear to them and never rejecting anyone on the onset for being a nonvegetarian or nonbeliever or a sinner or for numerous other unthinkable reasons that we come across, if anyone out there has been rejected for various reasons you are free to walk into AVM. We do not discriminate but shall invite you with open arms. We shall travel together exploring the realm of the Siddhas and learning their secrets to living a worthwhile and purposeful life.