Though our intentions and actions are noble, at times, they lose their true purpose. For instance, each time we carry out a ritual externally, the idea is to look within as well. But sadly, it is seen exactly that, as an external ritual and left at the doorstep of the temple. In lighting a lamp, we should bring to mind that we need to keep the flame within us blazing, too. In applying the holy ash, we need to remind ourselves to kill our ego, for we shall become the ash one day, too.
In helping humanity, as in feeding the poor and hungry, we came across many sad occasions that had us ask if we needed to pursue it further. We saw an individual come again and again to collect food parcels and stocked it up. We saw greed in her. We saw many who stocked up on this food as many good Samaritans came along to do charity in the city, one after the other. They did not know when to say I have enough. Walking a bit further, we saw all these food parcels dumped into the rubbish bins or littered around. They don't care if it goes to waste. It was reported that during the annual temple festivals, too, many receive only to throw away the food without finishing it. A friend who helped at a temple festival to serve food witnessed the same. He asked me whether they know how much they usually eat and to say stop? We have seen guests at weddings take more than they could possibly eat, only to leave it behind. As I walked into a vegetarian restaurant to pack some food, a vagabond sighting me from afar asked for food. I packed for myself and asked the proprietor of the restaurant to pack some for him. She asked me not to because he throws away food the moment he sees it is vegetarian. During our rounds in the homes of the poor in a public housing scheme, a tenant highlighted that others had thrown away our food parcels through the windows after we left. I guess we have to scrutinize and give any aid for the matter to only the deserving ones who appreciate it and are truly in need of it. Otherwise, we might as well throw it into the drain, too. Surprisingly, Agathiyar brought it to a halt too, telling us that we had seen enough and gained the experience needed and had to move on, comforting us that others would come to continue it. They, too, need to learn, I suppose. Agathiyar has never had us do something forever, although it is he who moves us to do it initially.
When I was the head of the Parent Teachers Association in my daughter's school back then, though I would be given a speech by the secretary, to be read out, I would study the target group, the crowd present, the atmosphere, if the audience were comfortable or if the hall was pack to the brim leaving many standing, and the attention span of all gathered, and often would either complete the whole speech or shorten it the moment the audience lost their attention or if I felt I was holding them for too long.
When I used to edit the raw footage of the events carried out at Kallar Ashram, I noticed that year in and year out, Tavayogi and Mataji gave the same speech to the same audience. I asked him once why he did not move on, just as he used to ask why we never moved on to Gnanam from Bakti. He replied as usual with another question, whether I (the public) did all that was told previously. He said that he can only move on to new things when we do whatever he says. I guess my question in mind when he addressed us when he came last time to Malaysia in 2016, for he went beyond Bakti, covering all four phases that we yearned to know. He left us another treasure besides the Asana and Yoga practices he gave.