What a wonderful journey it has been. Agathiyar too says the same about this journey. Its culmination is in the 60th wedding conducted by Agathiyar recently on Guru Purnima. Now we have to embark on another phase, the second phase of the journey says Agathiyar. From following our desires and doing our stuff Agathiyar brought us to carry out his desires. He had us drop our desires and replace them with his work. Soon he had us even drop his work too and let go. He had us drop "charity and duty, ceremonious and music" as in the words of Yen Hui too. Henry Wei in his book "The Guiding Light of Lao Tzu, Synergy Books International. Henry Wei tells us the story derived from Chuang Tzu regarding Yen Hui and his master Confucius.
When Confucius enquired of his student as to how he was doing, Yen Hui replied, "I am getting on."
"How so?" asked the master. His student replied, "I have got rid of charity and duty."
"Very good" acknowledged the master but quickly added, "But not quite perfect."
Meeting again after some time, the student answers a similar question from Confucious, saying "I got rid of ceremonious and music" to which Confucious says "Very good but still not quite perfect."
On another day the student replies that "I can forget myself while sitting." This time Confucious asked, "What do you mean?" Yen Hui replied "I have freed myself from my body. I have discarded my reasoning powers. By thus getting rid of my body and my mind, I have become one with the Infinite."
Confucious immediately tells his student that he wishes to be allowed to follow in his steps. Yen Hui emptied himself of himself which is the height of purgation necessary for the mystic attainment of Tao or ultimate reality writes Henry Wei. This is the Purgative Way spoken about by Lao Tzu and Ramalinga Adigal too. In showing us to "Reduce and reduce", Yen Hui emptied himself of himself which is the height of purgation necessary for the mystic attainment of Tao or ultimate reality.
If Henry Wei writes "The (Purgative) process involves tremendous sacrifice from the worldly standpoint not only the abandonment of one's habitual way of life but also the termination of many human ties", G. Valmikanathan writes that "One purges oneself of all desires and attachments, of all imperfections, of all acts of commission and omission of shortcomings in renunciation, of shortcomings in the total love of God in the passion for the apprehension of the Godhead."
"A calm and detached attitude towards the vicissitudes of life will prepare one for mystic meditation," say Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, writes Henry Wei.
Having filled us in by coming to us and speaking on it after we had gone through the much-needed experiences that he gave, he ended the first phase with a gift, the 60th wedding, telling us that it was a reward for carrying him in our hearts. Agathiyar now asked us to prepare to enter the next phase that of the Illuminative Way. Asking him to guide us further, as he had done all these years, he told me it would dawn from within. The guru within, Agathiyar, the Self, the Soul, the Atma shall reveal it in good time.
G. Valmikanathan writes of the next phase, the Illuminative Way in his book "Makers of Indian Literature - Ramalingam", published by Sahitya Akademi (e-book at http://www.vallalar.org) as that part of the path, that comes after the Purgative Way, and in which one gains illumination, knowledge, and gnosis (Gnanam). G Vanmikanathan writes, "Swaamikal gives expression to his amazement at the manner in which God entered his mind and took abode therein. Maanikkavaachakar too is oftentimes lost in wonderment at his good fortune in the Lord vouchsafing him a grace denied to others."
The final phase, the Unitive Way, that of "galloping towards the beckoning smile and the outstretched arms to be locked in an eternal embrace with the beloved, the eternal being, the Godhead, the ground of all being" will follow suit. Henry Wei quotes Rabindranath Tagore on this mystic union, "The Paramatman, the supreme soul, has himself chosen this soul of ours as his bride and the marriage has been completed." Ramalinga Adigal composes a beautiful song about how his Lord had told him to prepare for this bridal marriage or mystic union an hour before the event takes place.
மணம்புரி கடிகை இரண்டரை எனும் ஓர்
வரையுள தாதலால் மகனே
எணம்புரிந் துழலேல் சவுளம்ஆ தியசெய்
தெழில்உறு மங்கலம் புனைந்தே
குணம்புரிந் தெமது மகன் எனும் குறிப்பைக்
கோலத்தால் காட்டுக எனவே
வணம்புரி மணிமா மன்றில் என் தந்தை
வாய் மலர்ந் தருளினர் மகிழ்ந்தே.
More verses at http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T338/tm/peerataivu
G Vanmikanathan in his "Pathway to God Trod By Saint Ramalingar" writes of this song, "In intimate terms of bridal mysticism our Swaamikal pleads for union." Elsewhere he sings “This is the moment, this is the right moment for uniting with me”
The Journey on the Unitive Way is where we see results. The transformation takes place rapidly without our doing. The Divine gifts us a body that can sustain his majestic presence. He personally sees through the necessary transformation to become him. Ramalinga Adigal affirms that the most impure body will become a body pure and imperishable.
Henri Wei sums up beautifully, "In all these, man is understood as being capable of attaining union with the mysterious cosmic influence or cosmic spirit or divine being." This is what Agathiyar pointed out to the devotees gathered for our 60th wedding too. Days before he had given me the script and on what to speak that day.
"Who is Agathiyan? You are. I am. True. We all are Agathiyan. The Jothi or flame in us is Agathiyan. He resides as the fire, flame, heat, and warmth in us. He is Esan. He is the Esan who resides within. Why is it that we do not realize nor feel him? It is because we have not attained the state of preparedness or readiness to realize him. Once our soul attains this state, we shall begin to realize him. How can we attain this state of preparedness? First, we have to travel this path. We need to travel to the places and abodes of the Siddhas, witness their miracles, enter the states of bliss, and bring back these feelings and work on them, nurturing them. The Siddha shall come down. When we follow their directives they shall walk with us holding our hands. This travel then shall not be that of an external but of an internal journey. Yoga is the key to this travel within. From Sariyai arriving at Kriyai, now they shall teach Yogam. The journey within shall begin. You shall witness happenings. You shall see many things. It would be puzzling to you. It would be new to you too. Continuing this internal journey, you shall arrive at each Chakra and eventually see the cosmic dance of Thillai in Sahasrara. A 1000-petaled flower will keep on opening up continuously. Arutjothi will come to reside here. Then its effulgence enters within, and just as how the Kundalini upon awakening traverses each Chakra purifying them, this effulgence brings on the shine and luminosity in them. Jothi Darisanam takes place where one sees the light or effulgence. The body takes on the same. Vibrations begin to emit within and around us and are felt by those tuned to receive and feel around us. They shall follow you. You become a Jeeva Mukta, having attained Mukti while living in the flesh. Henceforth you are no different from Agathiyan and Agathiyan is no different from you. You are me and I am you."
"யார் அகத்தியன்? நீ அகத்தியன். நான் அகத்தியன். உண்மை. நாம் எல்லோரும் அகத்தியன். நம் உள் உள்ள ஜோதி அகத்தியன். அவர் அகத்துள் உறையும் தீ அகத்தியன். அவர் ஈசன். அவர் அகத்துள் உறையும் ஈசன். ஏன் நாம் அவரை உணர்வதில்லை? ஏன் நாம் இதனை உணர்வதில்லை? நாம் பக்குவம் அடையவில்லை. நாம் ஆத்மா பக்குவம் அடைந்தால் நாம் இதனை உணர்வோம். நாம் எப்படி பக்குவம் அடைவது? முதலில் இந்த பாதையில் பயணிக்க வேண்டும். சித்தர்கள் வாசம் செய்யும் இடங்களுக்குச் சென்று, பல அற்புதங்களைக் கண்டு மகிழ்ந்து, உணர்ந்து, பின்னர் அவ் உணர்வுடன் இல்லம் திரும்பி, அவர்களை நினைத்து நினைத்து உருகிப் பூஜிக்க வேண்டும். சித்தன் இறங்கி வருவான். பின் அவன் கட்டளைக்கு ஏற்ப நடந்து வந்தால் விரைவில் அவன் உங்கள் கரங்களை பிடித்து கொண்டு பயணிப்பான். இப் பயணம் வெளி பயணம் அன்று உள் பயணம் ஆகும். உள் பயணத்திற்குத் திறவுகோல் யோகம். சரியையிலிருந்து கிரியைக்கு வந்த பின்னர் இப்போது யோகம் பயிற்றுவிப்பான். அப்போது உள் பயணம் ஏற்படும். பல நிகழ்வினை காண்பீர். பலதும் உணர்வீர். புதிராகவும் இருக்கும். புதியதுவாகவும் இருக்கும். இவ் உள் பயணதைத் தொடர்ந்து வந்தால் ஒவ்வொரு சக்கரமாகச் சென்று அடைந்து பின் இறுதியில் சஹஸ்ராரவில் தில்லை நடனத்தைக் காணலாம். எந் நேரமும் அங்கு ஆயிரம் தாழ் மலர் ஒன்று விரிந்து கொண்டே செல்லும். அருட்சோதி அங்கு வந்து உறையும். பின் அதன் பிரகாசம் உள் சென்று எப்படி குண்டலினி ஒவ்வொரு சக்கரமாக மேலே சென்றதோ சென்று கழிவுகளை விளக்கி தூய்மை செய்ததுவோ அதுபோல் அருட்சோதி கீழ்ச்சென்று ஒவ்வொரு சக்கரமும் பிரகாசிக்கச் செய்யும். ஜோதி தரிசனம் கிட்டும். உடல் ஜோதி பிழம்பாக திகழும். உடல் பிரகாசிக்கும். உடலில் இருந்து அதிர்வுகள் நீண்டு உங்களைச் சூழ்ந்து மற்றவர்களைத் தாக்கும். பலர் இதனை உணரக் கூடும். பக்குவம் அடைந்தவர்கள் புரிந்து கொண்டு பின் தொடர்வார். அப்போது நீ ஜீவ முக்தன் ஆகிவிடுவாய். உனது ஜீவன் முக்தி அடைந்து விட்டது. பின் நீ வேறு அகத்தியன் வேறு அல்ல. நீயே நானாய் நானே நீயாய் திகழ்வோம்."