AGATHIYAR GURU PUJA & AGATHIYAR TAPOVANAM ANNUAL FEST

Since last year we at Agathiyar Tapovanam Malaysia (ATM) have been instructed to hold Agathiyar's Guru Puja and an Annual Fest in the Tamil month of Thai. 

If the festival fell on the 1st of February last year, on a public holiday, this year Agathiyar has asked us to hold it on Thaipusam day, another public holiday. The prayers shall start at 6.30pm and end at 8.30pm. We shall conduct the Homam for the Siddhas, perform the Abhisegam for Agathiyar and light the Ahanda Deepam. Agathiyar has blessed us and asked us to share the Nadi reading regarding the fest, and extend an invitation to his devotees.

Download the songs that we shall sing during the puja at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fCVtmD7Tgc8K01pKVpsbmVOC6L9usHt/view?usp=sharing

The fest last year https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2018/02/agathiyar-andu-vizha.html

CHILDREN & DEVOTION

My wife and I were amused to see a parent and their two kids take a sit in meditation while at a temple. We could not believe that the parents had trained their kids to sit and close their eyes in meditation. However after some moments we were amused to see both these kids, probably two and three years of age, open their eyes slightly and look at each other, at their parents and around them before closing them again. This amusing happening went on for some time.

How do you train a child to sit and meditate when even adults find it difficult at the onset? 

This is where external worship serves to train and discipline, at the same time bringing a child to the path of worship or sariyai. The concept of god is explained in simple terms and they are showed that god is the statue.

Seeing us carry out the rituals at ATM our grandchild of 1 1/2 years anticipates what comes next and shows and instructs us accordingly. Even before we begin, she is already helping us by telling us the placement of the stuffs for the puja and helps carry the light stuffs. Children love to help out and can be given simple tasks to carry out. 

Several days ago, in the midst of singing the potri, she had to be cleaned up as she had defecated. As her mother was washing her upstairs she pointed out to her that we had started the potri and followed us in chanting the potri from the washroom. Today she rushed to joined us in prayer before even her grandma could wipe her dry after washing up.

She would come for the arathi and vibhuti and point out to others around her to be given too, making sure everyone got the prasad. 

Sariyai and Kriyai are the initial two steps designed by the Siddhas that includes participation from children where they tend to follow and learn to do all that we do. Kids are taught virtues that they take on with them through their life time. Kids who follow their parents during the annadhanam will learn to continue the act of giving and feeding later in their life too. A parent who frequents the temple or spends time doing puja at home will initiate the child to do the same.

It is said that singing aloud can help increase the breathing capacity in children. Going round and round like a top spinning, is something children including my granddaughter does. It is supposed to activate and keep the chakras functioning optimum.

Let them hang out with god too, at the temple, and outdoors with nature. Let them explore god's creation. Join them during these explorations and tell them it is all possible because of god. Instill god in them early. Later they can be initiated into Yoga and Jnana. Older children can then be taught Yoga and Jhana.

Imagine being like a little child again and believing everything you hear. There is something so wonderful about that trusting, open-hearted naivete that God loves. The more I have grown up, the more I realize that maturity in Christ is all about “growing down.” It is about becoming a child again. Not being childish but being childlike in our ways and our thinking. (Source: http://www1.cbn.com/Devotions/being-a-child)

Henry Wei in his book “The Guiding Light of Lao Tzu”, Synergy Books International, writes that both Lao Tzu and Jesus consider reversion to the state of a child as necessary for salvation for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. In the eyes of Lao Tzu, “the infant with its pristine purity and innocence is the perfect symbol of Tao itself.” He goes on to say that one needs to bring tenderness in him. There is many a thing that we could learn from a child. We only need to observe them closely and they shall teach us too.

JOURNEYING WITH THE GURU

Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal told me that I had come to the right place and invited me to journey with him, when I met him for the very first time in Malaysia in 2005. This excited me very much for I was searching to know more about the Siddhas and here he was opening his doors to me. Agathiyar in my first Nadi reading in 2002 had invited me to journey with him. I was hungry to know more about him and his journey. Tavayogi told me that I shall learn all there is to known. He asked that I bring my family over to his talk that evening and initiated me and my wife in the path. He reminded me that it was not enough that I came to the path, but I needed to bring the family too. He invited me over to his humble and modest ashram at the foot of the Kallar hills. 

Following on his heels, I arrived at his ashram one late afternoon of 18 September 2005. Feeling welcomed and at home, he soon arranged for me to participate in feeding the natives living next to his ashram. That was to be my very first act of doing charity; my very first annadhanam. This would be the beginning of many more feeding sessions to come for me. 

The natives who lived in thatched huts nearby, went on with their simple lives, collecting dried wood from the jungle and selling them. I was told, their daily income would be a mere 5 rupees. When there was sufficient finance to hold an Annadhanam, Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar who was then known as Mrs Sarojini would be summoned over from her village to cook. She would get the assistance of the local native ladies to prepare and cook the food. They would sent the word around that there was free food. It was a joy seeing their faces brighten up when they took the simple food that was served. There would only be rice, gravy and some cooked vegetable, but they received it with gratefulness and a broad smile on their faces.

Returning from Kallar my heart opened up to the unfortunate. I was very careful with my spending after returning from India. Each time I had an urge to buy something I translated it into rupees and thought how that money could help feed many in India. I eventually refrained from buying and spending unnecessarily. I began to do charity on an individual basis. My eyes began to look and search for the poor and hungry, where prior to the thought and change that Tavayogi brought in me, I would just walk pass a beggar without the least care and concern. 

When I had many youngsters drop in at my home later, we took the cue from Sri Krishna, and extended a hand to this husband and wife team who were going about feeding many in the streets. We joined them in preparing, cooking and distributing the food to the homeless. This feeding spree led by Sri Krishna that we went on, was another eye opener for us. We had never seen so many homeless in one place, right in the center of the capital city. Here we saw the maimed, those without limbs, those in shreds and almost naked, the thin and sickly, the malnourished children, young and old thrown into the streets. They accepted our food with outreached hands and a gesture of gratitude. It melted our hearts and brought tears to our eyes.

Initially the volunteers got excited looking back on the growth of these handouts from the original 18 numbers that Sri Krishna prepared and cooked with his wife, and with many volunteers turning up at PTC, with the numbers of packed food gradually increasing to 50, 100, 200 and 500 at that time. Then a neighbour of Punjabi decent told us his son's team served 1000 people in a single night through their Langar team, we were taken aback and saddened at the increasing number of homeless. Looking back and reflecting on this, I began to realize and believe there is something drastically wrong with our society and the authorities when we see a drastic increase in these numbers. 

By feeding the homeless are we encouraging more to arrive on the streets? Are we then encouraging more people to stay on the streets? Are they a lazy lot waiting to be fed? Are we the cause for these increase in number? Talking to them we realize that except for the mentally ill and immobilized, many take on odd jobs in the day and sleep on the streets by night. With their meager income they cannot possibly find a roof above them to rent in the city. Whatever little they earn they support the family back home. Many have lost their regular job overnight. Many were disposed off by their former employers for various reasons. Then there are many who come to town seeking jobs and have to stay on the streets till they find a job that would pay them enough to rent a space in the city. The latest to hit the news was that of a state footballer who had to make frequent trips to the city for medical reasons and had to sleep it out under the sky for even the hotels were costly. The reasons go on and on. 

Amidst all these reasons, I was taken aback when I met a man who cheerfully told me that both his grandpa and father were on the streets and he grew up here too. He earns a daily wage clearing the trash from the eateries that he would use to buy himself some liquor and sleep it off. For meals he told us he looks forward to the numerous soup kitchens that frequent the streets distributing food all week long.

Then again we realized that when we target 1000 people and prepare the food, our prayer that goes out was towards asking Erai to send 1000 people to partake food. Now that should not be our prayer but instead we should ask that there be not even a single soul in the streets. They too deserve to have a job, shelter, clothing and food like us. When we prepare a 1000 our prayers tend to be, "Oh god let there be a 1000 people out there taking this food otherwise it would go to waste." As we are told that the thoughts shall materialize and manifest we are encouraging more to take to the streets for our intended and desired purpose. 

Besides justifying our cause that the rental and meals are costly in the city, that a meal given by us would help lessen or relieve the cost in buying a meal for the day, Agathiyar and the saints too have constantly reminded us to continue feeding. Yes, they told us to feed - the truly hungry that walks up to you for food or riddled with disability looks up to for food. We have seen food stocked up by homeless only to be thrown away later. We do not yet know what happens to the surplus food that is prepared ahead in anticipation of large numbers and a large turnout of the hungry on the streets.

Again learning from experience, we at PTS began to get together and distribute buns and drinks to the homeless, something they could keep, eat and drink later too. But there was no true sense of satisfaction, for our role was only limited to distributing these food/drinks that we purchased. We wanted everyone to be more involved, right from the beginning to the end. We have since then had the PTS family start cooking small amounts of food in their homes bringing their families too to participate in purchasing, preparation and cooking. We then gather with others in our team and distribute these food and return home satisfied. Perarulalan has coined a name for this. We now call it Potluck Annadhanam.

We have widened our scope in doing charity by cooking or catering food and feeding those in shelter homes. We buy and supply monthly groceries for several poor families that we have identified too. 

While many in their spiritual search shun society and kept aloft Agathiyar brought us to serve society. He showed us that the former was the way of Vedanta and the later that of Siddhanta. 

It is interesting to read BV Narasimha Swami's "Self Realization - The Life and Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi", Sri Ramanasramam, 1985, where Bhagawan Ramana touches on this aspect of service to fellow mankind who were unfortunate. The author writes of Ramana, "While the tendency of spiritual aspirants has generally been to shun society, Maharshi was sympathetic with the present day ethics that stressed social service."

Ramana had mentioned that a man has to serve his society first before embarking on this journey of self discovery. When asked if one should go the path of solitude or service, Maharishi said beautifully that the path to solitude does not lie away from society but runs right through society. One has to serve society first before he can fall into a life of total surrender and be wholly absorbed in the self. 

BV Narasimha Swami writes, "People who visit the ashram watch him stitching leafplates, cutting vegetables, too." Ramana just like Sri Ramakrishna led by example.

Contrary to common belief, Ramana tells us to drop the body only when it has served its purpose not a second sooner. It has to be looked after till the self is realized, a stern reminder given to me by Lord Muruga in his Jeeva Nadi. While Ramana's own live has induced many to leave their families and responsibility, quiting family life, he tells us that these were "a passing wind of disgust with society and social life." 

He had admonished the dangers of becoming a recluse too soon. However exceptions were people like Natesa Mudaliar, Ramanathier, Yogi Ramiah, Suddhananda Bharati, writes BV Narasimha Swami.

It is said that one shall have Vairagya in his charts to become a true recluse. The position of the planets at the time of birth justifies whether one would turn out to become a saint, guru or recluse. The chart of such individuals reveal "an intimate link between the self and the spiritual houses" writes JN Bhasin in his book, "Events and Nativities Explained", Sagar Publications, New Delhi. 

Having said that "Vairagya is the basis on which the whole edifice of spirituality stands", the author quotes from a translation of a verse by Adi Sankara in his "Vivekachudamani."

"The state of Samadhi is easy to people who have intense Vairagya or dispassion." 

Sankara lists out the gradual progress into Samadhi clearly. Control of one's own mind leads to a state of Samadhi easily. Those who bring themselves to the state of Samadhi shall attain true knowledge. With true knowledge comes liberation. With liberation comes bliss.

Some of the charts of saints studied by the author are of that of Sri Ramakrishna, Bhagawan Ramana,  Arvind Ghosh, Swami Yoganand, and Gautama Buddha.

Tavayogi led me on a pilgrimage to the Siddha spots, caves, temples and Samadis. As we began the travel, he turned to me and said with a sparkle in his eyes, "Today your real journey begins." 

My journey had begun the day I read the Nadi for the very first time in Malaysia. I was alone on my spiritual travel till Agathiyar showed me a path, his path among the many I saw available out there. Rather than have me knock on each door, waste the time, and learn the hard way, he chose the path for me, foreseeing that it would suite my temperament and nature. Later Agathiyar tells me that the journey in fact had started many births before. He had come to redeem us to his path, to continue the journey that had ended abruptly before. 

Why are we here? The spark from the source is here to be nurtured into the nature of Erai. My very first guru Supramania Swami lighted the spark in me. The soul that carries the memories of all the births taken is here to grow too into becoming divine. Tavayogi nurtured the soul. The body is taken in the image of Erai who came before us. Agathiyar took care of the body. This is not my journey I realized eventually. It is my soul's journey. It is my spirit's journey. It is Agathiyar's journey.

All learning starts and takes place here. All gurus arrive here to serve their students. It is said that even the Devas were schooled here, looking at the numerous Stala Puranams. Ramalinga Adigal too built the Satya Jnana Sabai in anticipation of the arrival of Lord Shiva who would then teach the Devas.

We come here with a baggage. We need to place it down. But sadly we carry it on our shoulders everywhere we go. We unload these to others and pick it up again only to unload it elsewhere failing to understand that no one is willing to take on this baggage. The day the shadow disappears is the day the baggage too leaves us. Entering the temple we unload the baggage again. Rather then leave it there, we leave the premises bringing the baggage back home again. 

At ATM we have come to learn to "Leave the baggage outside" and sit in silent contemplation on the divine, spending some precious moments with Erai in his space. We then seize to exist. Only he is.

SEEKING DIVINE GRACE

No amount of effort would bring down the grace of the divine, unless we make a concerted effort to bring change in ourselves. When we are prepared to change our lives in the manner expected of us, the divine then sends first his apostles, who shall work on us and together with us to bring the desired change in us. 

Richard Schiffman in his "Sri Ramakrishna – A Prophet for the New Age", Paragon House, 1989, says Ramakrishna rejoiced at seeing his disciples grow in spirit with the Mother's (Kali) special grace on them. He had helped to fan it. "He prayed continually to Kali to grant his spiritual children ecstatic love for God." He knew too well that the best efforts towards attaining this ecstatic state, count very little, only as much as helping to clear the way for loves descent. What was required was the grace and love of the divine. "When divine love comes, it comes as a pure gift. It comes as a miracle."

Tavayogi too mentioned the same when my family and I were at his ashram in late 2013 and again in the midst of the AVM family gathering in Malaysia in mid 2016. He rejoiced at seeing us follow his teachings, and work our way slowly and meticulously, waiting patiently for the Divine to shower its grace on us.

Ramakrishna knew that Kali would heed his call to save his devotees just as she had saved him, writes Schiffman. The guru brings changes either knowingly or unknowingly to the disciple and whoever comes into contact. Schiffman summarizes the role of God and Guru beautifully: Ramakrsihna considered the guru as "a torch in the hands of god and a conduit for his grace." He also taught his disciples that god was the sole guru and the teacher in the physical form, his instrument.

He reminded them sternly, writes Schiffman, "Learn from me as much as I have told you. But if you want to know more, you must pray to God in solitude." Ramakrishna used to question, he says, "How can a mere mortal enlighten another? "The guru is only a pure and clear channel for Gods healing and guiding energy", Schiffman writes further, "and he does not take credit for any accomplishments."

Speaking about both divine love and the most exalted gurus, they come down on us like a bolt of lightning, Schiffman says. The guru who has been commissioned to bring to shore the lost souls, his children who had drifted far and apart, cannot be contented with mere teaching. Theirs is a forceful and direct approach, practically pulling us off the ground where we were rooted deep and anchored, for ages. Agathiyar came so forceful on a devotee telling him that he wanted him (to do his job). Amazing.

Lord Muruga asked me to sit in silence and go within. Schiffman writes about the significance and depth of silence. Silence is potent. In silence the walls that separate the guru and disciple seizes to exists, he adds. Both their hearts meet. In silence there is neither giving or receiving. Just being in each others presence. The most important works are accomplished in silence we are told. Nakkirar says it beautifully too in his Vinayagar Thiruagaval.

மோனா ஞான முழுதும் அளித்து
சிற்பரிப் பூரண சிவத்தைக் காண
நற்சிவ நிட்கள நாட்டமுந் தந்து
குருவுஞ் சீடனுங் கூடிக் கலந்து
இருவரும் ஒரு தனியிடந் தனிற் சேர்ந்து
தானந்தமாகித் தற்பர வெளியில்
ஆனந்த போத அறிவைக் கலந்து
ஈசனிைணயடியிருத்தி
மனத்தே நீயே நானாய்
நானே நீயாய்க்
காயா புரியைக் கனவெனவுணா்ந்து
எல்லாமுன் செயலென்ேற உணர
நல்லா உன்னருள் நாட்டந் தருவாய்
காரண குருவே கற்பகத் களிேற
வாரணமுகத்து வள்ளலே போற்றி

He created the space and the much needed silence for me to contemplate in the comfort of my home where the guru and disciple could sit in silence and merge in similar thoughts; focusing on the feet of Shiva, the one becoming the other and understanding that all is a dream and that it is all his play through the grace of Lord Ganapathy

The guru has the mystic touch to make even the toughest of hearts to turn supple and alive, Schiffman writes of these Godmen. The guru's heart is alive in God he says, making one feel the presence of the living God. Living in the world of God, the true disciple lives out the dream of God.

As we step into yet another year, I bring to mind the wonderful days I spent with my gurus Supramania Swami and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who although have left their mortal frame are with us together with Agathiyar and the other Siddhas in light form. We would not be where we are today without their magical touch on us; without their magical glance on us; and without their silent initiation or mouna diksa. Thank you Masters.

And to all my readers a wonderful Happy New Year.

Looking Back at 2018

LIFE LONG LEARNING

What was once an interesting story has begun to be our experience now. Now I understand why Lord Siva in a dream asked me to drop all reading, doubts and questions in 1988 and move on. All the reading, discussions and talks on religion and spiritualism brought me nowhere but only confused me more then. I was questioning why Erai, who was mentioned in all the scriptures and texts I read and in all the talks that I attended and heard, as the most compassionate - was blind to his subjects hardships and sufferings?

Now I understand pretty well that he wanted me to gain the experience first so that I could then, and only then refer to the scriptures and books confirming my experience. Bhagawan Ramana never read much except for Periapuranam, his Bible lessons and bits of Tayumanavar or Tevaram. After attaining his divine state having gone through a tremendous transformation, he began reading and could associate with what was written. Bhagawan Ramana explains this transformation in BV Narasimha Swami's "Self Realization, The Life and Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi", Sri Ramanasramam, 1985.

Formerly I would go there (the temple of Meenakshi Sundareswara) rarely with friends, see the images put on sacred ashes and sacred vermilion on the forehead and return home without any perceptible emotion. After the awakening into the new life, I would go almost every evening to the temple. I would go alone and stand before Siva or Meenakshi or Nataraja or the sixty three saints for long periods. I would feel waves of emotion overcoming me. The former hold on the body had been given up by my spirit, since it ceased to cherish the idea 'I am the body'. The spirit therefore longed to have a fresh hold and hence the frequent visits to the temple and the overflow of the soul in profuse tears. This was God's play with the individual spirit. I would stand before Isvara, the controller of the universe and the destinies of all, the omniscient and omnipresent, and occasionally pray for the descent of his grace upon me so that my devotion might increase and become perpetual like that of the sixty three saints. Mostly I would not pray at all, but let the deep within flow on and into the deep without. Tears would mark this overflow of the soul and not betoken any particular feeling of pleasure or pain. I had no desire to avoid rebirth or seek release, to obtain dispassion or salvation... in the language of the books, I should describe my mental or spiritual condition after the awakening, as Suddha Manas or Vijnana, ie the intuition of the illumined.

As he mentions "in the language of the books", referring to having read these books later, Bhagawan Ramana found out certain resemblances of what he had gone through in the Ribhu Gita. 

Bhagavan's first attendant, Palaniswami, brought a copy to Bhagavan's attention while he was residing at the mango grove near Gurumurtham in 1898. Later in life Bhagavan related how surprised he was at the time to hear an exact description of his own state recited in the Ribhu Gita and that it had been experienced by others and was the bliss of the Self sought after by all true seekers.

(Source: From the blog "An End to Suffering" at http://end-to-suffering.blogspot.com/2006/04/ribhu-gita-essence.html)

The blogger quotes Ramana's reaction to the numerous texts that was read to him, from B.V.Narasimha Swami's "Self-Realization. The Life and Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi", Sri Ramanasramam, 1985.

I had read no books other than Periapuranam, my Bible lessons and bits of Tayumanavar or Tevaram. My notion of God (or Isvara as I called the Infinite but Personal Diety) was similar to that found in the Puranas. I had not heard then of Brahman, samsara, etc. I had no idea that there was an Essence or Impersonal Real underlying everything, and that myself and Isvara were both identical with it. At Tiruvannamalai, as I listened to Ribhu Gita and other works, I picked up these facts and discovered that these books were analysing and naming what I had previously felt intuitively without analysis and name. In the language of the books, I could describe my mental or spiritual condition after awakening, as suddha manas or vijnana, i.e., the Intuition of the Illumined."

This is what Agathiyar and Tavayogi did with us at ATM. Agathiyar setting us on the path and Tavayogi bringing us on a practical journey rather then lecture us about the path in the comfort of a home or an ashram. They gave us the much needed experience. I had wronged many in the past and past lifes. Agathiyar tells me it was his doing so that I could gain the experience. When I asked if we had done mistakes while conducting rituals, "Ma" tells us that making mistakes is a learning process. One's mistakes will be wisdom for others, she adds. Finally she tells us that the Siddha path is itself one of learning lessons. 

We are here to make mistakes and learn from it. We are here to learn to live life. We are here to experience life. We are here to appreciate life. We are here to learn to build relationships. We are here to take in the beauty of creation. We are here to to know Erai. Everything is a learning process. Once "schooling" is over we return home to our father. We are blessed to have Agathiyar bring us to the worship of Lord Vinayagar, then Lord Muruga, now Mother "Ma" who will show us Father just as Ramalinga Adigal traveled a similar journey. This is a process we have to go through, learning along the way, discovering hidden secrets and new truths. It has been an interesting journey never a moment of boredom. Each day is a revelation. 

As Richard Schiffman writes in his "Sri Ramakrishna – A Prophet for the New Age", Paragon House, 1989, just as Saint Francis and Sri Ramakrishna "by their sheer authenticity and enthusiasm galvanized a band of dedicated followers to set their sights higher and broader and finer than they would ever have imagined possible", we too have at ATM a similar band of dedicated devotees of Agathiyar doing his asking. Agathiyar has banded together this fine and devoted group of youngsters to serve him and all of Prapanjam through the many feeding programs and through conducting rituals like the lighting of the sacrificial fire or homam and libation or abhisegam to the deities. As Schiffman wrote of the Ramakrishna Order of the Monks, "the revolution took place quietly and without fanfare, the revolutionized would hardly have been aware of the vast changes occurring within them until the work was done", so has it been with this band of wonderful souls. "To be present week after week at the foot of Ramakrishna", writes Schiffman, similar with Agathiyar, "weaned them from course pleasures of the senses towards the boundless rewards of the spirit" which Agathiyar embodied. 

Schiffman describing Ramakrishna's state wonderfully,

To watch the little poor man of Kali in the barest surrounding radiate a holy good cheer like a monarch of happiness was to grasp what the scriptures of all the worlds sacred traditions mean when they proclaim with a single voice that the fountain head of joy exists within oneself, and that it is futile to seek it anywhere else.

WORSHIP OF THE SIDDHAS

Agathiyar asked me to come to his path and told me to worship Lord Ganesa, Lord Shiva and the Siddhas in 2002. Worship of Siddhas was new to me. But Agathiyar paved the way for me to learn the worship of Siddhas from Nadi Nool Aasan Sentilkumar. He taught me to chant the names of the Siddhas. 

Later hungry for more information on the worship of Siddhas, I came to read and learnt from the many books that Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar had published on Siddha worship. The few books I could lay my hands on at the local book shops, helped me too. I began extracting some of the songs and prayers from these materials and compiled a book of hymns or praises to the Siddhas for my daily use during prayers. 

After coming to know Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, he asked me to start doing the Homam or the ritual of lighting the sacrificial fire at my home. He told me it was sufficient to just recite the names of the Siddhas during this ritual. I expanded my book to include more songs for this ritual. 

Tavayogi who was conducting the annual Vizha for his Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham, moved on to include the ritual of conducting the Maha Prapanja Yagam beginning in 2010 to cool down Mother Nature, who had gone on a spate of  wrecking. Soon the ritual evolved into the 108 Sarva Dosa Nivarana Yagam in 2012, that included removing the Dosas and bringing new hope to the devotees who chose to participate.

When Agathiyar came in the form of a bronze statue in time for his Jayanthi celebrations in January of 2010, he asked us to conduct libation for him with nine items on that day. We continued doing it every Thursday, and Pornami and Amavasai days. We performed the libation on days of celebration for the deities too, dressing Agathiyar accordingly. 

When I asked Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar for an appropriate song to accompany the libation, she gave me a compilation of stanzas for 19 items. We selected 16 stanzas, hence began to perform libation using these 16 items from the original 9. We were happy to learn later from Velayudham Karthikayan Aiya's blog "Siththan Arul" that the Siddhas conducted libation to Lord Siva with 16 items too.

Over the years Agathiyar sent many lovely souls to join me in my worship and prayers. We have held the annual Guru Puja and Agathiyar Jayanthi following Kallar ashram and the rests of the Agathiyar's ashram all over in India. Since 2017, for unknown reasons, Lord Muruga switched the date of the annual celebrations to fall in the Tamil month of Thai. 

After years of conducting the Homam and Abhisegam for the Siddhas, we were invited by Tavayogi's guru Chitramuthu Adigal to place the pictures of the 18 Siddhas and 7 Rishis and conduct a Yagam at the Thanneermalai Sri Thandayuthapani Alayam, in Taiping. It was a great honor for us to conduct the puja with Tavayogi leading us. Tavayogi led us on another Yagam that we performed at his Paramaguru Sri Jeganatha Swamy's Alayam in Tapah. It was another honor for us. This was in 2016.

We asked to conduct libation for Agathiyar at the the 80 year old Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Carey Island, but ended doing it for Lord Ganapathy and Lord Murugan too.  http://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2018/02/agathiyar-in-carey-island.html

When Lord Muruga asked us to conduct libation for him to cool him down and make him happy at his sannadhi at the same temple later, we were delighted. He had specifically mentioned 7 items to GK in his Nadi. GK was to lead the puja too.

When "Ma' came to conduct libation herself for Agathiyar, she asked for only 3 items. Taking these as cues we began to conduct the libation for Agathiyar accordingly: 16 items on Pournami; 3 on Amavasai and 7 on Thursdays. Learning from them, we began to reduce the time allocated for these rituals from two hours to only forty minutes. 

After Lord Muruga forced me to "sit down" freezing my movements, giving me a back pain, I was contemplating on doing away with rituals and instead spend that time in meditation. But members from the AVM family told me that they needed it. Then just when we thought that we would slowly wean away from doing it, that it was sufficient to just give a water bath on Thursdays, 3 during Amavasai and retaining the full range of items for Pournami, "Ma" came, asking us to cool her down and make her happy. She asks us to carry on doing whatever we did ... now daily! And she asked us never to stop the rituals until they tell us to! 

Fearing that we might have made mistakes in our worship along the way, I asked her for guidance. She told us that all our three Gurus: Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, Supramania Swami and Agathiyar shall guide us. This made us very happy knowing that the former two gurus who have gone into samadhi were still with us guiding us closely with Agathiyar.

Then "Ma" assured us that when I make mistakes it is a lesson to be learnt from. My lessons will become other's wisdom, she tells me. She tells us that the Siddha path is in itself a learning (process), assuring us further and comforting us, and giving us the motivation to move on irrespective whether we make mistakes along the way. We began to realize how comforting and compassionate Erai is then.

THE MASTERS & THEIR WAYS

When we are troubled, the astrologer tells us to please the planets for we are told that they have a strong hold on us. These could be in the way of temple visits and offerings, doing charity, or wearing gems and amulets etc. 

Mukunda before he came to be known as Paramahansa Yogananda was told by his guru to wear a silver and lead astrological armlet at one time. When he replied that he did not believe in astrology, Sri Yukteswar explains the greatness of astrology and why Yogananda needed protection.

The stars are about to take an unfriendly interest in you, Mukunda. Fear not; you shall be protected. In about a month your liver will cause you much trouble. The illness is scheduled to last for six months, but your use of an astrological armlet will shorten the period to twenty-four days.

Sri Yukteswar asks us to take advantage of the many sciences available to find the shortest way to achieve the results of one's attempts towards reaching divinity.

It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified in discarding his maps. During the journey, he takes advantage of any convenient short cut. The ancient rishis discovered many ways to curtail the period of man’s exile in delusion. There are certain mechanical features in the law of karma which can be skillfully adjusted by the fingers of wisdom.

(Source: http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/chapter-16/)

For those who have a guru, he helps alleviate the disciples pain. For instance many a times I have brought to Tavayogi's attention the need for surgery or treatment for illness of family members that arised unexpectedly. He prayed for us to alleviate the pain. We were then able to bear the suffering and pain. When my back pain recurred, Agathiyar told me the subtle reason behind the obvious physical pain and recommended some herbal medicine and ointments. The most compassionate father, acknowledging that I could not bear even the slightest pain, said that he gave me this alternative and safe means to fast recovery, without the need to endure further pain and worry.

My guru Supramania Swami, an astrologer too, told me to wear the nine gem studded ring or Navaratnam on my finger. Later when I met Tavayogi he enquired about the ring and told me "We do not need it, son." I was forced to remove it some days later as I realized a gem stone had fallen.

I put to practice a complete set of asanas and pranayama that Tavayogi showed and taught me in 2007. Later Agathiyar told me in the Nadi that what he gave me was a precious gift. In 2011 when I pulled my sciatic nerve when I forcefully coughed out sputum, Agathiyar asked me to immediately stop all my yogic practices.

This is the advantage in having a guru for he knows when we need to start something and when to end it and advises accordingly. A guru closely monitors his disciples progress.

The master at times takes on the pain of the disciple too, hence relieving the student of his pain and suffering, as did Babaji take on Yogi Ramaiah's. Yogi Ramaiah contracted bone tuberculosis which stopped him from traveling to the USA to continue his studies. He was immobilized for 6 years! His wife and servants cared for him at San Thome in Madras during that time. Bedridden, Ramaiah used his time effectively reading up on all the Indian spiritual literature. During these years, Prasanananda Guru aided him in meditation while Omkara Swami shared his knowledge of yoga. Ramaiah also published his first book based on Omkara Swami’s life, "A Blissful Saint". In 1952, he had a visit from Mauna Swami too, a disciple of Shirdi Sai Baba. Shortly afterwards, Ramaiah had a vision of Shirdi Sai Baba. He asked if Baba was his Guru. Baba replied, "No, but I will reveal to you who your guru is", and Ramaiah was shown his guru Babaji. 

One day Ramaiah succumbed to the pain and misery that he was undergoing and decided to end his life by holding his breath. Suddenly he heard Babaji's voice telling him, "Do not take your life! Give it to me!" Surprised at the divine intervention Ramaiah surrendered to Babaji.

After surrendering to Babaji, Ramaiah felt that he was healed. Summoning the doctors, and to everyone's astonishment the doctor certified that Ramaiah was indeed healed completely. Soon Ramaiah regained the use of his legs. Later in a vision Ramaiah saw Babaji limping and questioned him. To his surprise, Babaji replied he was taking on Ramaiah's illness (bone tuberculosis)!

Tavayogi who suffered massive losses in his business, was forced to the streets with the family. He went blind for a year too. Giving up hope of recovery he too decided to take his life like Ramaiah. Contemplating to jump onto the railway tracks, he suddenly heard a voice telling him the same, "Do not take your life! Give it to me!" It was Agathiyar. He stopped in his tracks and gave his life to Agathiyar. He soon got back his vision. He started the business again. At 50 as promised to Agathiyar he voluntarily left his family and business to become a turavi.

The caretaker of the Samadhi Mandir of Bhagawan Nithyananda in Ganeshpuri told Srinath Raghavan, "From now on, you are His responsibility! He has called you here and He shall take you where ever He deems fit. Your job is to simply follow Him faithfully". Srinath faithfully held on to these words from the stranger, "I nodded my head in consent; and from then on, I am following where ever He leads me - Up the hills and down the valleys, without ever questioning his credibility.... that one spurt of despondent adventure, led me to my Master unknowingly, who still walks with me in blood, bones and spirit."

Removing the veil, the master then begins to work on the soul of his student. The master helps to remove the students karma or helps the student work on his karma. Agathiyar through the Nadi that carried his words, which to me appears as a divine song, revealed about my past karma, that was written in these age old palm leaves. He revealed remedies too, to offset or payback in other ways, or to replace with other acts that brought good merits, to lessen or remove entirely the baggage of karma I brought with me. 

Besides the remedies that involves worship at specific temples, giving charity, feeding the poor, and feeding animals, that works towards removing the veil of karma that covers the soul, mantras are given too to recite and chant for specific periods of time, to bring into effect its potential. Some are given yantras to keep with them and amulets to wear on them. The mantra connects the spirit in us with its source, the spirit of Erai. There then appears a breakthrough, where we are connected to the spirit.

As Sam Cook list out the reasons for a slow internet connectivity: "Having too many devices on your network, using old hardware, or have interference from other wireless signals, are a number of reasons why your internet may be far slower than it should be", similarly with a large debt and baggage of karma hoarded in the Akashic records, that takes us down, slowing our otherwise rapid progress to reach divinity; old thoughts that hold back or delays progress; not being focused on the dream, seeking and being diverted by others opinions and advice, all can contribute in delaying the connectivity with the Divine.

If we have had the grace of a guru from a past live, be assured that his grace continues in the present. The guru shall help speed up and boost the connectivity with Erai. He brings us to the Divine through the fast lane or green lane speedily. The Divine through the guru touches us, awakening the dormant buddha nature to do wonders. Our soul becomes divine. The spirit is energized further. The physical body takes on a glow.

Richard Schiffman in his "Ramakrishna - A Prophet for the New Age", wrote that a song, a word, or a touch from Ramakrishna could awaken the dormant spiritual consciousness of his devotees. In those who were poised to receive it even a casual glance from the master during one of his ecstasies might release a veritable flood tide of bliss."

How beautiful. Arousal of the divine consciousness with a touch or look. These elevated masters were live wires to the consciousness, establishing instantaneous ties with the divine. These live wires work on the aspiring candidates, sowing the seed, nurturing it and being a pole for the vine to climb to brighter regions and greater heights.

Schiffman writes,

Ramakrishna stimulated the aspiring souls that had gathered around him to growth. Ramakrishna exerted a tremendous sway on those who came within his orbit.

How wonderful. Just being in the master's presence charges the thoughts and minds of seekers to emulate him. The master's presence moves the very inner core of the soul, silencing it, and opens it up to a new wave of thoughts, perception and a new dawn.

Schiffman writes that to see Ramakrishna was to be drawn to him; drawn to him the seekers wanted to emulate him. His divinity had such a strong hold on others. "Just to be in Ramakrishna's presence was to find one's whole being turning toward the ideal of God dedication which Ramakrishna so radiantly personified", a classic example of a Mouna guru who speaks without speaking, and teaches without teaching. He writes that it was this impact that brought rise to 16 young aspirants holding on to Ramakrishna's feet and later "wandered the length and breadth of India as the first renunciates of the Ramakrishna Order of Monks." 

He says Ramakrishna was different from other masters because he taught by example. He did not regard himself as either a teacher or a role model. He was the teaching itself. He was proof that higher states were real and attainable to all, writes Schiffman.

How inspiring! The master is willing to give. Is the student willing to receive? Tavayogi told me that one has to wait for 12 long years to be tested before the master would share the nectar of bliss. The guru disciple relationship is a very unique bond. The disciple has to have a clear understanding of his standing. What is told for him might not apply for another. Similarly he should not expect the guru to adhere to whatever rule laid or given to him.

The guru although does wonders, would at times watch the disciple grow without interfering. If and when the guru desires to step in and take hold of his life, the planets then switch their roles to become guru to the disciple too as revealed by Lord Muruga, working in his favour. Lord Murugan says that if he wills the planets will switch their roles, becoming Gurus and more benign to us. 

The young Sambandar gently rebukes and consoles his older contemporary Navukkarasar through singing the "Kolaru Thirupathigam", when the senior saint had doubts and feared if the time was not right for them to begin a journey together to meet the queen who had summoned them to combat the influence of another faith on the Pandya King and his subjects. The Nayanmars were then in Thirumaraikkadu (Vedaranyam) when Navukkarasar had certain apprehensions about the day and time of starting the journey to the king's kingdom, when the young Sambandar sang the Pathigam, which speaks of the ineffectiveness of ill effects of planets, evil mantras, wild animals and everything else that was harmful, the moment one holds tight to the feet of Lord Shiva. The stars and planets then do no harm.

How far can love and devotion towards the master in physical form go? The disciple might wait on the master and look to his daily needs serving him. Others might write or preach about their masters. This the disciple seeks to carry out as a show of gratefulness to his guru.

How far can love and devotion towards the master in the light or subtle form go then? Besides worshiping the guru and holding on to his thoughts and memories forever, reminiscing the wonderful moments shared together, speaking constantly of his grace and divinity is the greatest Dharma says Agathiyar.

For those who have yet to arrive at the doorstep of a master's abode, there is always the Divine waiting to grant his grace and darshan through a stone or bronze, or a picture or photo. Tradition teaches us to seek the divine at these places of worship.

How far can love and devotion towards the master go? We have a devotee in our midst who like many others in the AVM family has started to talk to Agathiyar, sitting at his altar in his presence, daily opening up to him on all issues of life and seeking guidance and most of all a miracle. Then she did the thing that many of us would not have imagined or even figured to do. She started a Whatsapp group to speak to Agathiyar privately!

To start a group you need to add someone first. So she added her fiance. Once the group was created she removed her fiance. Now it was she alone. She began messaging to Agathiyar! She showed me her messages. I told her that one day Agathiyar is going to reply to her through this media and she us going to faint in seeing his reply.

Jnana Jhotiamma who used to Skype with me for hours on end from the USA once stopped talking suddenly on the other end, without excusing herself or putting me on hold. Neither was the call terminated nor had it ended. After a few minutes she came back telling me that Agathiyar had come in between us while we were online and stole the conversation, speaking to her using this media. Amazing.

Supramania Swami who had gone into Samadhi, used the telephone as a media to convince me of his presence in my home via the aroma of fresh tobacco in the air. 

The masters lila's are many and amazing. These miracles are a tonic that keeps us going faithfully on the path even after the demise of our physical gurus.

FEEDING

In conjunction with Agathiyar's Jayanthi and Guru Puja today and tomorrow, Persatuan Teman Setia (PTS) and its members prepared a variety of cooked food individually at their homes and gathered together in Kuala Lumpur city centre and Klang to distribute the food to the homeless. 

We had the PTS members cook and package the food in their homes and gather at a common place before we began distributing the food. By doing so their family members too began to involve in this process hence contributing their share of time and energy towards this good cause. Rather then just join in distribution here they are involved from a to z. 

Has the food was prepared in many homes and brought together Perarulalan coined a term for it. He named it Potluck Annadhanam.

In Kuala Lumpur city centre

 

   

In Klang

REMEMBERING THE GURU

On this auspicious day of Agathiyar's Jayanthi and Guru Puja that is celebrated by his devotees everywhere, we take a moment to remember our gurus in physical form who led us to Agathiyar and Erai.

Isaikavi Ramana brings to memory his guru in all his speeches and songs too.

THE COMPASSION OF THE GURU

It is nice to have a guru. You know he is there for you 24/7. When we earn his respect he gives us responsibilities. His task is all for the good of the masses. He involves us in contributing towards humanity and giving back to nature. He teaches us in subtle ways to give always. Then he begins to provide for us. I was blessed to have three gurus, "Mother" tells me. She mentioned them too, beginning with Tavayogi (Kallar Ashram), Supramaniar (of Tiruvannamalai) and Agathiyar. She assured me that they are here to guide us further. I felt blessed. I was happy for the AVM family too. When Dhanvantri came he told us that Tavayogi would continue to guide us in the jhoti form. Supramani Swami asked me to continuously keep the flame (light from a lamp) alive as he did, as he would watch over me through the flame. The flame has a significance in our lives. 

The soul of our dear ones and gurus linger around us ever protecting us from harm's way. They communicate with their lineage if necessary. Yogi Ramsuratkumar came knocking on Supramania Swami's door one night, handing him a physical copy of his picture after his Samadhi in 2001. The Yogi came again to chant with Supramania Swami and me in 2005. Supramania Swami came to our home after his Samadhi too. We had the aroma of tobacco in the air followed by a miss call from his number. There was another call from his number a few days later. What surprised us was that the number was surrendered back to the Telco upon his passing away.

Tavayogi who went into samadhi has made contact with us too, is with us and continues to guide us. 

Both Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri and Yogi Ramsuratkumar of Thiruvannamalai consoled their followers moments before they went into Samadhi that they could do a better job in the subtle form compared to the limitations of the physical form. They promised to continue to guide them too. Although Bhagawan Nithyananda and Yogi Ramsuratkumar at their deathbed have mentioned to their followers not to mourn their death as they would continue their work in the subtle form and plane, and in fact attests that they can do more in that plane, the followers still could not bring themselves to accept the departure of their beloved Guru.

When Srinath Raghavan found himself boarding a state transport bus aimlessly after having fared badly in answering the Grade X examination papers, he alighted and found himself having arrived mysteriously at the Samadhi Mandir of Bhagawan Nithyananda for the very first time.

Out of the hall quite early, I decided to catch a State transport bus and go where it takes me to and come back in the next bus heading home. I caught a cranky old bus, fully battered by the hands of time and man, and after a couple of hours of back breaking journey, I finally landed in a far off sleepy village of Vasai, named Ganeshpuri. That was my very first time and it was to change my entire life thereon.

I still remember, the bus then dropped me right in front of a beautiful temple, which had a small pond nearby, exuding fumes of hot Sulphur. I got down, washed my feet and hands in the pond and went into the Samadhi Mandir of a great Saint, I knew nothing about. The temple was relatively empty, as it was noon and a working day too, with the Board Exams still going on somewhere else.

A huge beautiful golden statue of a smiling Saint welcomed me to come in, as I sat on the carpeted floor, tired from the travel. The temple was a simple and unassuming one, resting within it, the mortal remains of a Saint and Seer by the name of Baba Nithyananda. I watched at the golden replica of the Saint and without my knowledge, tears began streaming my eyes. Maybe it was due to the guilt and disappointment of not performing at the Exams or it was an overwhelming feeling of something stirring down deep within, unknown to me.

Someone from the temple, came and offered me the holy Prasada of stirred and sweetened semolina, which I gladly partook, as I was hungry and did not have much cash on me, to afford a full meal. I remember getting up and going to the person who offered the prasada, entreating him to give me some more of it. He, apparently the caretaker of the Temple, smiled and gave me another handful, which I consumed immediately in gratitude. He came and sat near me and asked me where do I come from and was this my first time there. I replied in the affirmative and he took a small photo of Baba and gave it to me as a gift.

He said, "From now on, you are His responsibility! He has called you here and He shall take you where ever He deems fit. Your job is to simply follow Him faithfully."

I nodded my head in consent; and from then on, I am following where ever He leads me - Up the hills and down the valleys, without ever questioning his credibility.

Finally I reached home safely (pun intended) and also flunked my Grade X exams royally. But that one spurt of despondent adventure, led me to my Master unknowingly, who still walks with me in blood, bones and spirit.

As the stranger told him that from then on he was the masters responsibility, "From now on, you are His responsibility! He has called you here and He shall take you where ever He deems fit. Your job is to simply follow Him faithfully", that is total surrender to one's guru. Our life transforms the moment the guru comes in, the light comes in. Darkness vanishes. We gain physical and mental strength. The spirit is elevated. The soul rejoices. There is total transformation. We become the image of the guru. The guru if departed lives in us. 

All the prayers, tavam, tapas or austerities done by us contributes towards the evolvement of the guru too. Supramania Swami constantly reminded me to do tavam for only then can he reach higher states he said. Velayudham Karthikeyan Aiya shared a beautiful message when he told me that when the late Sri Hanumathdasan Aiya passed away, his soul was placed in the Pothigai hills and that he was engaged in Tavam. It was amazing to know that the soul that is used to performing Tavam, upon leaving the mortal body, continues with the Tavam.

"From now on, you are His responsibility! He has called you here and He shall take you where ever He deems fit. Your job is to simply follow Him faithfully" This statement made to Sri holds a lot of truth. Agathiyar says this relationship between a Siddha guru and the disciple does not come about all of a sudden but is carried on from the past. When a devotee of Agathiyar who had some medical issues saw the Jeeva Nadi read by Tavayogi in Malaysia in June of 2016, Agathiyar mentioned that her guru of past birth was pleading with Agathiyar to help his child (the devotee). How compassionate of him to still worry about his disciple, even after his demise. 

Then there is another story shared by Velayudham Karthikeyan Aiya about Muniandy Swamy who had to take birth again after a long lapse of 2,000 years to serve his guru again. In his past birth 2,000 back he had failed to listen to his guru. He also failed to carry out his obligations to his guru. But the most compassionate guru waited patiently for his disciple to take rebirth. Muniandy Swamy had to finish his obligations towards his guru and the guru too had an obligation towards his disciple. He had to save his disciple from this cycle of birth. Since both their karmas were interconnected the guru waited patiently for his disciple to join him.

Similarly we are told about how Ramalinga Adigal after having merged with Arutperunjyothi Aandavar in 1874, came back to redeem his disciple Kalpattu Aiya 28 years later in 1902. Ramalinga Adigal appeared in a physical form to Kalpattu Aiya who after seeing his guru appear again, passed away in bliss. Ramalinga Adigal did the last rites for Kalpattu Aiya before leaving. This astonishing revelation was made by Gnanabharati in his book "Tamil Mannin Thanthai."

That is the magnitude of the guru and his hold on the disciple, crossing over several births. The compassion of the Guru is boundless. As Sankara says of the human birth: first among the three rarest gifts obtained through God's grace are the human birth; followed by the longing for liberation; and finally discipleship to an illumined teacher, the guru is a gift to us. Treasure him.