Mahindren who heads the new AVM targeted at nurturing young kids into the path had hosted a series of events for them beginning with a Start-Up Siddha puja on 22 September where he engaged them in lighting the Homam,
a Yoga session on 20 October,
a Sangeetham session on 17 November,
had planned a Minion's hiking trip on 15 December. Agathiyar who came a day earlier asked that we replace that planned event with meditation. Asking myself how these kids were going to sit to meditate, Agathiyar surprised us by coming to help conduct the class, asking each one of these children to be given a toy. He asked that they look at it, hold it, and play with it, while he guided the adults into meditation. This reminded me of the Buddhist technique of meditation of concentration and focus as one goes about doing his chores. This is what we came to realize too in all the rituals he had us carry out. We were fully focused on the job on hand, be it in the preparation, in lighting the Homam, in chanting the names of the Siddhas that accompanied the Homam, and libation or Abhisegam, and finally in singing the Bhajans.
Agathiyar who did not make his presence felt or show himself during the Sangeetham session was fully aware of it as he had us sing a note again as we did earlier.
We did go ahead with the hike a day earlier though.