Wondering how I was going to handle the last post that opened with the statement by Agathiyar telling us that even Puja was Maya, when we are all rooted in it, but I was so surprised when Agathiyar presented the facts and pointed me to several references and had me write. I was amazed at the outcome and profusedly thanked him from my heart for having englighthened me too. It was a good read. This is how he has me write and when I read it I too learn with fellow readers.
The post reminded me of the moment Tavayogi stepped into our temples and asked why are we hooked to Bakthi or devotion when we should come to Gnanam. I stopped him from speaking on Gnanam telling him that it might not go well with the crowd as indeed we are steeped in temple worship and not ready for Gnanam. It is said that even Ramalinga Adigal agreed to publish the first five Thirumurai and did not give consent for the sixth as the people where not ready.
Speaking to Mahindran just moments ago over the phone about the post and Maya, we tend to agree that the reason Tavayogi, Agathiyar, and Lord Muruga, made us aware and warned us about Maya is to have us restrain ourselves in whatever we do and not go overboard to the extent we become fanatics and extremists. As we pass each phase, we are asked to drop whatever gathered and move on afresh, with a willingness to learn something new that could either strengthen the earlier faith or weaken it or entirely replace it, hence having us open to all possibilities. We are so grateful for this teaching. We are grateful that we are not fanatics and extremists.
It reminded me of a charity event that we held at the height of AVM's charity drive many years ago when we passed on packed food at a temple at 5pm. There were many living in the adjacent flats who came to collect it. Many ate it there and then. They were obviously hungry. The temple priests came up to me later after the Nitya puja at 7pm telling me we should not have done that for the Goddess would not know what we did. I was stunned but kept quiet. I asked myself if the divine was working 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 and was absent at other moments. Food is supposed to be handed out to the hungry. We are grateful that we are not fanatics and extremists.
Then there was a friend who felt offended when he was singled out and asked to step aside from the queue of devotees who were given the priviledge to do libation to Agathiyar at his temple by the stakeholders - because he was not a vegetarian. Then when he came recently to my home, I invited him to sit with us at the Homam. Upon completion he told me that he was astonished and overjoyed that I did not asked where he came from, if he had taken a bath, what he ate for lunch etc but invited him to sit together and conduct the Homam. We are grateful that we are not fanatics and extremists.
Just days ago, as I was living alone since my wife and daughter where on holiday in Penang island, I packed home some fried noodles from a restaurant that I frequent. The chef knew me to be a vegetarian. But that day there was egg in the noodles. As it cost me RM8.50, and since Agathiyar has told us not to waste even a grain of rice, I consumed it. We are grateful that we are not fanatics and extremists.