We are living in a sea of knowledge right now, with all the various tributaries, streams, and rivers making their way to it. So too is it with all material, religious, and spiritual teachings. How do we separate what came from where? And so I came to know why Agathiyar asked us to refrain from indulging in the source and origin and the destination and end too. It would suffice to know that we came from the Light and shall return to it, that we came from a source and shall eventually return to it. All else is hidden behind the veil of Maya, or illusion, and delusion and ignorance, the hand at work, which has had a hand in creation, sustenance, eradication, and veiling. What is true is the Grace that is beyond these four veils. That which is not created, sustained, nor eradicated is Grace. It is only through Grace that one sees through these veils. He then arrives to settle in it. This Grace was given numerous names and forms in all the world's great religions by those who encountered it. This Grace was given further names and forms by all the gurus and masters in the sea of spiritual traditions. Now we have a hypermarket out there to choose from. But the Soul knows, and it shall return to its source, if not in this birth, maybe in the future. But even this is an understatement, for the Soul was never disposed. It is forever in existence. What changed was the form and name it took in all the many births that it saw through. These individual souls, or JeevAtma, are the limbs of the parent soul, or ParamAtma, or Param, the source. John Bowker, in his "Beliefs That Changed The World - The History And Ideas Of The Great Religions", published by Quercus Editions Ltd, London, 2007, writes that "seen properly, they are only the Buddha nature appearing in different forms."
What we know is only the tip of the iceberg. One has to dive deep into the waters to find out its bottom. But it is said that it is a bottomless pit down there, with one door leading to another and another. Those who have explored far and beyond bring us the news and the sights and sounds seen and heard. We then sit back in awe and listen to these stories. Only one who has sailed the sea in rough waters knows the experience of fear, apprehension, etc. So too are we apprehensive in taking the big step into the spiritual journey, the path less taken, for many settle for and into the joy and bliss, and the shade and comfort that religion provides.
I too have yet to start my spiritual journey, for all that I saw earlier was tied to rituals and traditions, religion and faith, beliefs and miracles. I wonder what lies ahead in the spiritual realm that Tavayogi is said to be in at this moment and what Yogi Ramsuratkumar describes as a place from which more could be done for mankind.
And so we are called to the Siddhas, for they have been there and back. Similarly, John Bowker writes that "in Mahayana belief it is possible for anyone to become a Bodhisattva or even a Buddha and many do. The world of Mahayana is filled with countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and those seeking enlightenment are encouraged to seek their help in worship, meditation, and prayer."
Just as we are told that "in Mahayana belief all have the potential to become Buddhas, and many realize their potential", so too, in coming through a memo to us, Agathiyar told us that we were all Agathiyan and asked that we realize our potential.