Monday, 25 November 2024

LEFT ALONE

I went back again to the warehouse sale this morning and bought more books that were only brought out now, that caught my eyes now, and which missed my gaze earlier. Life is all about stories. And books add flavor and spice to it. We have watched, heard, and read the many stories based on the Puranas where the Gods played their lila and divine game on their devotees. A sadhu who looked after the needs of Sadhu Krishnaveni Amma of Kalyana Theertam shared stories of her including one where Lord Muruga as a kid used to tease her and cause mischief, playing with her. He would pull down the wet cloths that she would hang to dry and run away with Krishnaveni Amma chasing after him with a stick. It was joy and fun to watch them he told Jnana Jothiamma as he recounted those moments. Ramalinga Adigal sings of the divine Lila that the divine played on him. In fact, he asked for more. If those were stories that we saw depicted in the movies, stories that we read, and stories that we heard from people, the divine began its divine play in our lives too. If upon stepping into the phase of Kriyai they came to guide us on the worship of Siddhas detailing rituals,  upon stepping into the phase of Yoga, they guided us on our internal journey by giving Yoga practices through the guru and also the medium of the Nadi back then before the pandemic. During the pandemic, they came through devotees to bless and guide us into the next phase of Gnanam. Since then Agathiyar has showered his blessings, grace, and knowledge on us without any reservation. 

When Agathiyar told me in the Nadi many years back that he would not expose me, I had no idea what he meant. I soon understood where they were bringing me. Neither he nor Tavayogi ever suggested I start a Peedham, an ashram, or an establishment. But when Agathiyar brought youths over to my home it became Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) where they participated in my home puja and where charity programs were planned and charted. Tavayogi who taught us yoga never told me to teach another. Only later during the years of post-pandemic did Agathiyar ask that I teach Mahindren who was assigned later to teach the rest at AVM. If Tavayogi never wanted me to be dependent on him, on amulets, gems, rosaries, and eventually the Nadi too, Agathiyar never wanted me to depend on the group, association,  following, on hosting his celebration and his idol and finally even on him. Just as in the book summary of Matt Gaw's "Under the Stars - A Journey into Light", we read that "We only need to step outside to find that in darkness the world lights up", Agathiyar cut me loose and has me graze the fields, take in the fresh air, watch the sky, and sleep peacefully. When everybody tells me they are busy with their work and career here I am left doing nothing. It is a blessing indeed not to do anything. Indeed our priorities in life change. Hollis Lance Liebman writes in the introduction of his book "Anatomy of Exercise for Longevity", Hinkler Books Pty Ltd, 2015 that "Fit older folks have learned that there comes a day when aesthetics (how the body looks) takes a back seat to functionality (how the body performs). When the question "How much can I bench?" is completely unimportant and replaced with "How do I feel?"