Mrs Kogie Pillai wrote the following in her latest post, "Surmounting Toxic Surroundings" at https://aaksharawellness.blogspot.com/2025/06/surmounting-toxic-surroundings.html
I awoke this morning to a “reality” in which we live, specific to the confines of my living environment. I glossed over the daily news and there it was again; crime, violence, government corruption, poverty, high levels of unemployment, collapsed infrastructure, ailing economy, failed efforts at service delivery and more. This was just within the ambit of my small, little world. On a global level we see extended patterns of poverty, economic inequalities, political corruption, water scarcity, food insecurity, terrorism, political instability, conflict and wars, fear of more pandemics, serious levels of crime such as smuggling of drugs, human trafficking, murder, robberies, money laundering, the threat of artificial intelligence. Not good news to wake up to on any day.
We see the underlying sadness in her writing. Indeed, we are sad and concerned.
Sir David Attenborough has boldly asked us to wake up to the alarming reality that mankind has brought much damage to this beautiful and wonderful world of ours.
We are not alone watching this "reality" take place. The angels, too, are crying as in this video.
I remember Agathiyar reminding me to walk tall and with pride that we are his children. He also told me that if I shed tears, he too shall. Velayutham Karthikeyan Aiya, in his blog "Siththan Arul," wrote the following, which goes to show the amount of concern, compassion, and grace of the Siddhas again. It is said that the Siddhas approached Lord Brahma and voiced a similar concern to him in the days of the past. The Siddhas had wished that whoever seeks them out for solutions to their problems and surrenders to them, shall be pardoned for their past deeds, however bad and evil they may be, and shall not be put through the trial and tribulations and made to face the consequences, but instead be saved. As Agathiyar did not give up on his devotees and insisted that Lord Brahma change their fate, it is written that Brahma tells him that he cannot stop the incident from happening, but he can reduce the repercussions or effects as a result of that event. Agathiyar pleads to Brahma, telling him that he believes all should be saved and that their fate should be changed. Agathiyar humbly requests that Brahma change the Karma of all those who came seeking him (Agathiyar) as he had given his word to them. He seeks Brahma's word of promise that he would not harm any of his devotees.
On an individual basis, the most compassionate Erai has given us ways to redo, correct, and come out of the rut we are in because of our past doings. He has given us a tool called free will to make a better future for us, to free ourselves from the hold of this Karma, and in the saints, be freed from the cycle of birth and death. Agathiyar and the saints offer options to reduce the past Sanchita Karma, which determines our future births. Man is the only creation of Erai who can change his fate and destiny by working on his Karma and his duties.
But at times, in reality, Agathiyar's hands are tied too. Lord Siva would override the wishes that Agathiyar places before him regarding his devotees and their families and have things take their course for reasons only known to him (Lord Siva). But as at other times, as in coming through in the moments of meditation of a devotee at the height of the pandemic, Lord Siva asked us to gather together and conduct a Homam to assist Prapanjam or Mother Nature, fight the dreaded virus. We did as told. Later, Prapanjam herself, coming through another devotee, asked us to help her keep it at bay, preventing another recurrence. We did as told.