TO BE OR NOT TO BE

I have been asked to write on a very sensitive and personal matter, that is whether it is needed to be a vegetarian to gain the grace of Erai. 

Good afternoon Aiya. I have read few times somewhere in your blog about how you give up non vege food over the night. Its really amazing since people like me still struggling to give up the non vege food attachment. Of course i hv few vegetarian days in a week. But couldn't gv up totally. And.... someone told me that by eating non vege, you can't pray to Agathiar appa. If you have time Aiya, please gv some enlightenment or guidance to ppl like me via your blog writing. Thank you.

I replied to her,

These are the people who confuse others ma. God does not reject his child just by judging whats on his menu. God only sees the soul and not the physical. The reason they ask us to be vegetarian, and this answer is specifically for those seeking to become light like the siddhas and vallalar, is that it is easier to go through the transformation from solid to light body. Moreover at higher levels or states on the spiritual ladder, we need not even worry about eating because we will be taking in the ambrosia that is formed and oozes out from within. So why the fuss over food for common people like us?

She replied,

Thank you so much Aiya. i was so shattered and upset over the "remarks". Even i was told Siddhas get angry when i eat non vege & pray to them. I'm very clear now. I hv a stand that if i give up non vege food, it has to be voluntarily. No more even a slight liking in it.  I believe one day i shall give up totally this non vege food.

The reason to become vegetarian, for our purpose here, can be seen from two aspects. Ramalinga Adigal advocated his followers to be a vegetarian from the aspect of humanitarian grounds. He was a great saint and soul. He expressed compassion and love towards fellow humans in his days, where there was much oppression from all quarters towards human beings. He built the Dharma Salai to feed the poor and hungry. His extreme compassion crossed over to the animal kingdom too for these animals too tend to express their love, affection and attachment for both their offspring and their owners. Ramalinga Adigal's boundless love now then crossed over to the plant kingdom too when he sings a commonly quoted line, that he was sad at seeing the stalk of grain wither. Besides abstaining from hurting man and animal, and refraining from slaughtering and eating meat, he felt great sadness at seeing the wilted plants. Now let me place a question before you. If his heart and soul was saddened by the sight of the withering plant, would he have eaten them and other plants too? What could possibly be his diet then? 

The love in him went beyond boundaries, incorporating all of Erai's creation that he shunned from harming much less eating the meat, torso and carcass of animals. He had advised his followers to abstain from eating tubers and roots too for the sole reason that to harvest them would mean digging into the earth and removing them. They then "die". But he gave an exception that one could eat the yam or karunai kilangu. Each siddha and saint has recommended a life giving/saving herb to be consumed. Similarly Ramalinga Adigal's choice was karisalai, which is a plant. 

Ramalinga Adigal, we are told, only ate once in a few days and that too only a morsel or two. He would go on without food for days. In his state of spiritual transformation and attainment, he did not need food to sustain his body and life. How was that possible? He partook the ambrosia that flowed within. 

One should understand that what the masters, saints and gurus taught was from their own experience on the path to Erai. The problem with us is that the ego in us equates us with them without even coming to experience or reaching their saintly state. We dress like them and begin to churn the teachings of the saints minus the experience. 

One must remember that when we too come to their exalted spiritual state, all our aversions and desires too shall drop off its own accord, without any external force or directives. Our body is very intelligent. It brings the necessary changes for attaining a spiritual body and mind. We would not like nor dislike another, and we would not make choices in picking and choosing food. Neither would we prefer certain practices over others etc. An enlightened man would not make choices; he would not use his free will but instead live out the will of Erai.

Our prayer should then be that the divine work its magic in us too and help us subdue these cravings, rather then we curb it forcefully only to have it lay dormant and raise its hood when the situation and surroundings are favorable for it to germinate and grow again. All cravings should die a natural death never to rise again.

Agathiyar sees this debate from another expect. The need to abstain from taking meat arises if you are specifically working towards reaching the state of light or jhoti as did the siddhas and Ramalinga Adigal. In the process the body goes through numerous changes and inner transformation. It sheds its skin seven times just like the snake does. As often said, we are what we eat all the meat intake taken over the years need to be purged out, since the particles from the digested meat had gone into making the body, serving as building blocks of the body. If we abstain from taking meat early in life, the transformation would not hurt as much and would not prolong long. It would be quick and easy. These is based on true life experiences of saints and notes from people on the path to transform the physical body to that of a light body.

It all boils down to our choices in life - who do we want to be or what do we want to become?

Pardon me if I am wrong here. This is my understanding based on what I was told; what I have seen and been through and what little I could understand from the teachings of the great saints. 

CROSSING ONTO THE SIDDHA PATH

Traveling the path of worship of the siddhas, I have began to ask myself if this worship could be considered as akin to ancestor worship? Considering the events that took place, the advice given and the deliverance to another state of affairs, it is interesting to note that there is a pre and a post results in coming or crossing onto the path of the siddhas.

I have come to realize that what is applicable for others: be it rituals; remedies or parikaram; specific means of worship; worship of specific deities, etc might not be applicable once we travel this path. What is appropriate for others and society might not apply to those traveling the path, once we come under the watchful eyes of the siddhas. 

For instance, if before we prayed to kula deivam, a deity who presides over a generation, after coming to hold their feet firmly, we are told siddhas prayers will suffice. 

If before we had to be fearful and remorseful and please the planets to avoid any misfortunes as foretold by astrology, after coming to the siddhas, using the ticket that we are friends of the siddhas, we begin to befriend the lords of the planets too. Their role then switches to that of gurus, guiding us rather then penalizing us.

If before our lives were a mess, confused and directionless, after coming to hold their feet firmly they guide us through the rough rapids of life's treacherous waters. They are both beacons and lighthouse.

If before coming to siddha worship, we depended on middleman and brokers, after coming, the siddhas themselves lead us and guide us. We come directly under their purview.

If rituals were the domain of a selected few, coming to the path we are exposed and encouraged to perform and conduct them personally. 

If yoga was an effort that we had to put in, after coming to the siddhas, by their grace it takes place within without our effort.

If spiritual knowledge was the domain of the masters, coming to the siddhas they infuse fresh knowledge about the world around us, from their perspective. 

These are some of the results seen when one takes on the worship of the siddhas diligently and sincerely. 

Walking the well defined path with the siddhas bring us to our destination speedily. 

Walking the path with the siddhas, our path is cleared for us, devoid of obstacles and danger. If at all they exist the siddhas very carefully take our hands and help us maneuver and overcome the difficulty. 

Walking the path, the siddhas prepare us for a bigger journey - that of internal transformation both in body and matter, and mental and physical, leading us to finer and more subtle regions.

Taking our hands, they lead us through sariyai, kriyai, yogam and jnanam, bringing us to perform and experience each state of relationship with Erai - that of servant, son, companion and becoming him by nature, respectively and finally merging in him. 

The siddhas teachings and worship are all comprehensive, that include the whole pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. They guide us to Lord Ganapathy at the start of the journey, so that he removes obstacles; they plead with Lord Brahma to change our fate and bring upon us a new destiny; they asked us to engage in the prayers for Lord Muruga to defeat visible enemies and Mother Goddess to defeat invisible enemies; they bring us to Lord Vishnu and Mahalaxmi, bringing prosperity, wealth and health; they finally bring us to Lord Dhakshanamurthy when we are ready to sit in silence and reach out to his silent teachings that serves to save the soul and merge the spirit with the source.

It has been an enriching new journey for us at ATM, walking the path of the siddhas. We look forward to more revelations from the most compassionate siddhas.

FEEDING THE SACRED FIRE WITHIN

Through a mantra initiation, Tavayogi connected me to Agathiyar. He gave me Agathiyar's IP address. I could connect with him anytime 24/7. We then set on a journey of exploration for me while it was a revisit after a long time for Tavayogi, to numerous sacred places. Walking the path of Sariyai, we explored the physical world created by Lord Siva. 

Taking me into his folds, regarding me as his son, he introduced Kriyai so that I could connect with their mystical world. Through performing the Homam, we opened up a portal that reached out to their realm. A bridge was built between both realms. We made fast progress across the bridge. 

Delivering Yoga Asanas and Pranayama techniques, he connected us to the subtle world within us and its prana.

Having journeyed to all three worlds he has now brought us to a world of silence, that dwells deep within us, a world of contentment and peace, the domain and world of a child, bringing us to see things as a child would.

Tavayogi has groomed us well. Agathiyar has looked after us well. The lineage of masters past and present are here to care for us. The entire legion of siddhas are at hand to help us move on. We are grateful to them.

FEEDING THE SACRED FIRE

Tavayogi did not preach to me about the path in the confines of his ashram but chose to take my hand and lead me on a journey instead, to have first hand encounters with the siddhas and their magnificent world. The world of the siddhas is not another planet to be explored but that which runs parallel to ours and it just takes a fraction of a second for us to step in and within, most of the time unknowingly or by accident.

Agathiyar asked me to go more places and meet more sadhus and gurus. But I told him I had him. No living guru could possibly surpass him. So I chose to deal with him directly. He too dropped the subject. Instead he came over to my place as I had wanted. I am deeply indebted to him for the mercy and compassion he showers on us. Just as Tavayogi introduced us to Agathiyar and the path and took a step back, Agathiyar too gives us space to explore; to make mistakes and to learn from them. There is no right and wrong way of doing things we soon understood. The important thing is to engage in the task given. He comes along to enhance the job, guiding us appropriately.

This is a beautiful relationship that we have here. Living in his world as do the majority of his creation, we were reminded of our duty towards him. We became servants of him, serving him through physical means, through sariyai, the path of a servant. Soon we were tasked with a wider and comprehensive responsibility that reached out beyond the individual self and extended towards serving all of his creation. He brought us to perform rituals or kriyai, for the well-being and welfare of prapanjam.

A doctor might have patients stand in line and might need to administer medicine individually to his patients according to their ailment. An injection would bring quicker relieve then taking tablets. The siddhas devised a way to bring a relatively quicker relieve to ailments and grieve, through the ritual of performing the Yagam or its smaller version that of a Homam. The numerous dried plants, herbs, parts of trees etc that goes into this sacrificial fire brings relief to many at the same time through inhaling the smoke emitted that travels for miles.

Tavayogi started me on conducting this ritual over the phone the first time. I was reluctant as it was the domain of the temple priests and a pious affair. He made it sound simple and gave me the encouragement to start. Later on during his visit to Malaysia, he fine-tuned the process by performing it himself. We watched and learnt the details. We chose to light the sacrificial fire every Thursdays, Full Moon and Amavasai days and other auspicious days for the numerous deities too.

Once when someone from Malaysia contacted Tavayogi and asked for the means to come out of their predicament, he suggested to them that they perform a Homam. As they were in no position to go over to India, Tavayogi suggested they do it at AVM. That is when we realized that the Yagam and Homam can be customized to suite the occasion and the result seeked. The family joined us at performing the Homam and they saw the desired results. Another person who had the means to go over to India sat at the Yagam conducted by Tavayogi and saw the desired results pretty soon. Taking the cue from there, I suggested to someone I befriended on social media that he conduct a Homam at his home in Bangalore to achieve his desires. He is happily married now.

From performing the Yagam to please and contain Mother Nature's wrath, on the heels of the recurring phases of the tsunami, he soon moved on to include the plight and sufferings of its people in his puja. When he started doing the Sarva Dosa Nivarana Maha Yagam at his Kallar ashram grounds, I followed suite but on a small scale and with a small group of family and friends. This Yagam/ Homam was conducted to coincide with the annual Agathiyar Jayanthi and Guru Puja day.

Whenever there is an immediate need for attention from the siddhas, my family and I will sit down at the sacrificial fire and put in a sangkalpam or wish. Agathiyar tells me that the siddhas themselves sat to perform a Yagam so that Tavayogi could live, fulfilling our prayers.

Performing the Homam at home is a sure and simple way to gain and reap benefits and have desires come true as is attested by our own experiences. The path of the siddhas is not a doctrine to be followed strictly nor scriptures to be read and memorized and repeated to others; but a personal journey of learning and building the faith based on our own findings. It is a day to day living where the boundaries of sariyai, kriyai, yogam and jnanam are touched, hence bringing the bond between Erai and the self closer each day.

Read more at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bduv5PhFtuqncAherXq8WMPJ80yXFd7n/view

WHEN ERAI MANIFESTS

What would it be like the day Erai comes into our lives? Many have shared these moments either by way of mouth, the written word or through celluloid. Lets take a look at some moments portrayed through the Indian cinema.

Nandhan seeks permission from his employer to take leave to go to Chidambaram to have his life long yearning to have a darshan of the Lord residing there. He finally gets permission to go, only if he could toil and harvest the grains. The Lord mysteriously delivers the yield.

As he is not allowed to step within the temple, all he and his followers could see was a huge statue of  Nandi blocking the view of the Lord's chamber. After pleading, the Nandi mysteriously moves and gives way. Nandhan and his friends have a full view of the Lord.

Arunagiri who was saved earlier by Lord Muruga as he jumped from the temple towers, is asked to go to Viralimalai. Arunagiri who loses his way is lead to the temple by Lord Muruga in disguise.

Sambandhan who was a arch rival of Arunagiri, wanting to shame Arunagiri, coaxes the king and begets consent from him to engage Arunagiri in a duel to get their respective Gods to appear before the public. 

Avvai who is worn out after traveling distances teaching and spreading the word of God, finally comes face to face with Lord Muruga.

Abhirami Patar who was asked to vacate the temple grounds due to the arrival of King Saraboji, in his meditative state utters that the tithi was that of full moon or pornami to a question by the king. The king sets out to torture him for lying as it was amavasai that day. Goddess appears and reveals a full moon in the sky, just as her ardent devotee had mentioned.  

Sundarar's marriage is stopped by Erai who argues that Sundarar is his servant, based on a document signed by his ancestors, and wins the case in court. Finally he reveals himself and the reason for intruding in on the marriage. Sundarar needed to serve Erai.

Just as Erai came to Sundarar, in present times, on the local front and back at home, we have ATM family tell us how Erai came to into their lives through a series of interviews.

Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedam - History

LIVING THE TRUTH

In my days of searching, it was frustrating when masters talk and authors write about the results of spiritual endeavors over and over again but never did show the way. They paint a rosy picture of the fruits of labour in spiritualism only to stop there. Ramalinga Adigal brings to us both the results and the way. The Arutpa of his is all about his endeavors and experiences put into words in simple terms and language so that the reader, captivated by the results and the means, would be enticed to walk his path. His path is that of compassion, love and divine knowledge or gnana, easily available and can be easily adhered too.

Before he came to reveal the higher states, he too had started out with the basic form of worship of idols, both at his home and at the temples. Slowly he progressed on. With the blessings of Erai in many forms, he attained siddhis. With Erai instructing him from within he set out to bring the divine knowledge to the grasp of all. Today his teachings have taken on the world and spread like wild fire. All these was possible only because he chose to reveal. If he and the saints before him had chosen to keep their experiences within them, we would not have the Thiruarutpa, Thirupugazh, Thevaram and many other devotional texts and scriptures. 

In his joy at attaining sight of the divine Ramalinga Adigal composed many songs of elation, be it in the manner of a folk song, a traditional number or a tune that is reflected in the villagers of India of past years or others that were tongue twisters. He rejoices in having learnt the art of deathlessness and having attained it. He calls upon all to join his Sudha Sanmargam. All that one needed to possess was Arivu that differentiates between right and wrong, and Anbu or unconditional love. Agathiyar too says the same of this two required criteria.

Ramalinga Adigal freed death. Death that clings on to us at every birth was given a reprieve and released; depriving it of a new lease. And so was he freed from the coils of death. Going a step further, Sivam, knowing it, he is said to have brought the dead back to life too.

If saints refrained from mentioning too much or revealing the secrets in the past, hiding them under the cover of paripaasai or code words, Ramalinga Adigal opened up the dam and drenched us with the flood waters of ambrosia and its corresponding bliss. He tells us that the kingdom of Erai is our birth right and everyone is eligible to attain the wisdom of Erai. He calls all to join him in Suddha Sanmarga. Being steadfast and devoted to one cause has brought results. We have begun to understand and experience the states mentioned by Ramalinga Adigal and other saints.

By breaking me the very first time I jumped at having Tavayogi in my home, he brought me not to worship him but the light and energy in each one of us. I am grateful to him for lashing out at me that day. Today I have learnt first to worship Erai with a form, then worship him as the light within others too, and finally beginning to worship the light within me. Agathiyar made us travel a memorable journey, from external worship to internal worship, that has brought us to just sit in silence in his presence, devoid of any activities and worship nor chanting of mantras. Not observing the thoughts, letting them go by without attaching to them; not having any ritual to be done or observed, we sit with ease and contemplate on the divine before us, bringing him within.

While the devotion or bakti that raptures from within us brings immense joy within the body and self, his presence brings bliss to the soul. Sudden outburst of joy and tears that rapture and flow to drench the body, cooling it down as it flows unhindered, bringing us to a state of inaction, are a common thing these days. Ecstasy is touched by the mere mention and thought of the divine. Tears of extreme joy flow down the cheeks just by listening to the expositions of the saints in the form of these songs. Ramalinga Adigal brings before us the divine, bringing with it his experience at receiving the divine's darshan. Bringing his experience to us, his experience becomes ours. We become him that moment.

After his appeals are heard, and the curtains are removed one after another, Ramalinga Adigal goes into a spontaneous outburst of ecstasy and spiritual delight, calling upon others to join him in receiving the nectar of bliss. Here are some songs of that nature that Ramalinga Adigal had composed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uaJSlbQ3-XDxbB13wJ9mAsA6lilwWqE_/view?usp=sharing

THE LORD'S ARRIVAL

After desperately pleading to Lord Muruga, the young Ramalingam is shown his darshan in a mirror in his room privately. Many years on Adigal pleads to Lord Shiva to open his door so that he could come in into his company. Finally the years of search end and the Lord knocks on his doors, giving him the gift of Gnana in the middle of the night. Ramalinga Adigal describes this eventful night in 100 stanzas named Arutpirakasa Maalai.

Valmikanathan writes of this amazing visit of Erai to Ramalinga Adigal's quarters.

Already our Swaamikal has begun to experience the early fruits of the union with the Godhead. He describes one of them in 100 stanzas of the second decad of the Fifth Book. All the stanzas describe in growing amazement only one item of experience. Lord Civan walked on His holy rosy delicate feet all the way and, seeking the door of the house where our Swaamikal was staying, opened the door, hailed him and placed in his hands something accompanied by loving and reassuring words. While all the 100 stanzas describe the same incident, the description of the feet and the expressions of amazement and gratefulness vary from stanza to stanza. Nowhere, however, in any of the one hundred stanzas is there any clue to show us what was the object which the Lord placed in our Swaamikal’s hands. Whatever it was, the incident made such a great impact on the mind of our Swaamikal that he sang no less than one hundred stanzas to record that incident.

MYSTERIOUS MEANS TO HEALING

"Wisdom shall always give birth to Humility, whereas Knowledge shall nurture the Ego present within. Ah! Giving birth is the most difficult, physically and spiritually, as one has to die to oneself, so the other could see the light." - Srinatha Raghavan

Srinatha Raghavan posted the following on fb,

Every dis-ease, I believe, has an underlying Spiritual cause and it can be cured by Spiritual means, by strengthening the Energy Body, through ancient methods and techniques. It might not be necessarily "scientific", but there is truth in it. Heal the Spirit and the Body cures by itself.

Body is the grossest form of Energy and there more subtler forms that also forms a part of "You" in reality. Change the "energy patterns" of the subtle bodies and the gross ones will follow suit automatically.

Sometimes Truth don't have no tangible proof, yet you have to choose between proof or faith, so to experience the truth for yourself.
What's the point of discussing the Truth, when we haven't experienced it for ourselves?

Sri continues to share his personal experience towards caring for the body.

Just by being aware, the Mind of the Universe will connect with yours and share all its secrets. 

It started early last year when I began to experiment with various natural and organic substances for the "Joss Sticks". Well, the idea was to see how smoke emitted from natural occurring Herbs and resins, affects the energy patterns of the living space. Well, I couldn't go public with it, but after having shared samples and tried it for myself, I realized the potential of these herbs. Sure Ayurveda and Unani systems rests upon these wondrous herbs but this "Holy Smoke" was only well too known to our ancient forefathers, the Rishis, who would offer them into the Fire of Yagna, creating a sacred space in and around them.

There was a Master, who would cure the sick by puffing out Ganja smoke from His Chillum. He would directly blow smoke over the affected person and in time the person would get healed of the worst diseases. Even today, the devout offer Ganja and Beedis at his Samadhi in Pune. 

The thing is, what we take to be common place, holds within itself the power to heal. Daily ingredients used in cooking say Bay Leaves or Cinnamon Sticks has so much "Spiritual Properties." I must say, that just by smoking it out, one can benefit immensely.

So let me share this lil' secret with you, as I have tried it myself to counter the frequent body aches I wold get due to Healing others. No matter what I tried, nothing worked to ease the pain, even as I would spend many sleepless nights trying to cope up with it. That's when an old Master, who was into Siddha Medicine, suggested to take a few dried Bay leaves, add a few cloves and cinnamon bits to it, roll it into a Cigar and smoke it. 

Yep! I was told to smoke it like a Cigar, so I followed it and it worked like Magic, however you can also burn it and ingest the smoke, for a through system cleanse. (Asthmatic people please don't even think of it). Well, as ridiculous as it may sound at first, but it's highly effective; also it's perfectly safe, non-addictive and works like a potent Spiritual Medicine. See to it that you don't overdo it, as these herbs contain powerful alkaloids which can mess up your internal organs if ingested in excess.

Well, don't jump to conclusions, for you gotta try it before you can comment or discount it, as it has worked very well for me and for the ones to whom it was duly recommended, especially Healers, who are into Energy Work, as they get clouded and heavy by all the Healing they do. 

One would wonder when everyone is asking us to stop smoking, citing all kinds of reasons, including the harm it does to those non-smokers around them, besides killing the smokers gradually, we have seen saints take a puff and some go one for hours. Yogi Ramsuratkumar is said to smoke as he attends to the long line of devotees waiting to see him, have his darshan and hoping to be cured of their illness and rid of their miseries. Once when asked the Yogi revealed that he sees better into the soul that stands before him seeking Erai's mercy and grace, through the smoke that is emitted from his cigarette. Logically the fireman will testify that he could not save a life due to poor visibility as a result of thick smoke bellowing from fires. How do we then explain Yogi's statement? During another instance a devotee was describing the beauty of the full moon to the Yogi as they sat together watching the night sky. After a while the devotee was angry that the master did not turn to watch the moon but looked elsewhere. When he voiced his anger, the Yogi shut him up by telling him that he was watching six other moons! Here is where we are stupefied as to the mysterious workings of the saints and Erai.  

We have among us at ATM many trained personals who can aid and help in healing the unwell. Master Arunan teachers the art of Varma and heals using this science. His student Master Uva, helps with energy and chakra healing. Both masters teach Yoga too. Balamurugan also trained in Varma is also a qualified Siddha practitioner and prepares certain Siddha products for sale. This trio came to my aid and helped heal my back pain, besides the medical attention I received from Dr Janar and the exercises taught by former Gym instructor Shanga. We have a medical doctor Dr Janar in our midst who unfailing advises us when we are ill and goes to bring medical care to the society living in the interiors with his fellow doctors.

We have Perarulalan who works in the Oil and Gas sector, who is a hiker having conquered several peaks in both West and East Malaysia. He had also served to bring aid to those affected by tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004. Today he aggressively feeds the hungry, cooking simple meals at home and serving them to those on the streets. 

Roshan of Psychoacoustic Sound & Lights who supplied the equipment and workforce to pitch his Audio Visual equipment for the launch of our recent "Agathiyar Geetham" Audio Cd, free of costs, is currently in India, feeding devotees and the hungry on the banks of River Ganga. Since he did not charge us, I asked him for his business name card so that I could post it on the blog, as I thought it would serve to bring in some business for him, he replied, "It is enough if Agathiyar knows."

Roshan wrote of his visit to India on fb,

A few days ago we arrived at Haridwar (Uttarakhand’s Holiest City). 4 years back I was here alone during Shivaratri in one of the most significant Shiva temple - Daksh Prajapati mahadev temple. Came back here this time with my family to visit the prist as we became close friends. We did offering & worshiped Ganga river by offering milk and also did Food feeding to about 200 people by the side of the Majestic Ganga River.

God has given everything in life, money, beautiful family, business, wonderful friends and staff, BUT nothing can come close to the JOY AND HAPINESS I feel when we give and feed others. The JOY & SATISFACTION of seeing others HAPPY is beyond words.

Money does not belong to us. Food does not belong to us too. All belongs to GOD. We are merely an instrument, a medium in between which connects MONEY which was given to us, and FOOD which GOD wants to give to others. If every action is done in such mindset and intention, all of us will experience TRUE JOY & PEACE.

Balamurugan had reached and kissed Mount Kailash in 2011 while Dyalen had been to Mukthinath recently.

We have Gowri Arumugam of the famed song "Yengugiren" with us in ATM. She produced the album "Agathiyar Geetham", her first devotional album under her own label Raagawave Productions. We are proud to be associated with the making of this album. It was fun sitting through their long hours of recording sessions till - the wee early morning hours and till dawn broke.

We have a very passionate movie maker in our midst too, Hari who has his Sage Studios to serve his clients too. 

My younger daughter is currently studying Mass Media at a local university. She is equally talented in the arts and crafts too. The picture of Agathiyar that graces the "Agathiyar Geetham" audio album is a coloured pencil sketch by her.

Mahindran is one of the lyricist who connected with Agathiyar and Lord Muruga to give us such a wonderful compilation of songs. 

Bala Chandran is the spine of Agathiyar Tapovanam Malaysia (ATM), Amudha Surabhi (AS) and Thondu Seivom (TS) and the official Persatuan Teman Setia (PTS). The fire in him to serve both Agathiyar and society has consumed him to the state that he hardly sleeps these days.

Sri Krishna and his wife Sri Dewi with his two kids are another exemplary family from whom we learnt to serve the society.

Of course not forgetting our spokesperson, correspondence and ambassador Suren who has a pretty good relationship with all organizations and societies and true to his IT profession, helps bind this network of Agathiyar's devotees.

On the India front, we have Rakesh with his team Thedal Ulla Thenikalai (TUT) serving the hungry and serving at the temples. 

With these wonderful souls and many others serving our cause we are all set to take on the world through the simple and practical teachings of the siddhas.

LESSONS IN LIFE

Although we will keep coming back again and again, make good use of this life for it will determine the next. Grab hold of a saint's feet to find the means of not coming back for good. In the event these saints came back, it was not that they were here to settle scores and for reasons of unfulfilled desires or to repent for their past karma but to help their disciples and others gain ground and rise above the torment of worldly life and end the cycle of death and birth, as they themselves did.

These are the siddhas, ever willing to come back for us, if only we reached out for them. The siddhas shall look into our past and recommend remedies to first remove the veil of karma. Next through worship and service they open both the gates to heaven and the gates of our hearts respectively. All we need to do is disengage ourselves from insisting that we want things to go our way but instead let the divine move things, events and us, eventually moving in us. The divine then does its work through us. We become his humble servant, disciple, friend and a representative of him. We become an image of him, adored by others for carrying the qualities of Erai. Seek to gain the qualities or tanmai of Erai, not the super powers of the divine. If Erai wills he shall then pass on these powers as gifted to Ramalinga Adigal.

I used to wonder why the masters never stopped their disciples from falling at their feet, performing libation on them, dressing them up as deities etc. The masters need only to tell them that it was wrong, and this practice would stop. Then I figured if the master were to say so, it would only mean that he still made decisions based on likes and dislikes, giving consent for something and stopping something else. A master would have to have no likes and dislikes, he should not have wants and has to be indifferent to all things happening. I figured than that that was the reason they gave in to all the antics of their devotees and disciples. Then came a time when things took place beyond our control too. We did not like what was happening. We spoke our mind to Agathiyar. He put a stop to it. But it was only temporary as we were soon to find out. He still held on to the thin string that attached us to his leela or play. I suppose he figured out that we were not ready for the act to fall into place. We had strictly told him our concern and fear; that we felt threatened and confused; we did not want to end up as a shaman, medicine man or want our home to become a place for people to congregate and wait to be healed or wait to hear a prophecy or prediction made.

When everything had quietened down on the front, and so we thought, he made me realize that he was doing his work and was only using our venue and sometimes us as a medium. He assured me that it would not inconvenience us or put my family in danger. They asked me to step aside and just watch their leela take place.

Then sometime last year Lord Muruga ask me to submit and give in to their wishes. He told me to allow everything to take place. I did as told. The moment "I" backed off and took the stance of being a watcher, the divine manifested and did its work.

Having had these experiences and fully understanding the state of the masters who never lifted a hand in objecting to their disciples adoring and worshiping them, I have again placed before them my wish that it should all stop, so that I may progress further. I did not want to be stagnated in this stage. I believe they are listening and will bring about the necessary change.

The guru comes to redeem us. In the process he might give us a beating; a slap to wake us up from our dream and illusion; break us or totally ignore us. The "us" he sees is the soul and not our physical form, caste, race, beliefs or others. The guru works on our soul. Both the souls of the guru and disciple were connected before and shall remain connected for life and beyond.

When Tavayogi came into my life, there was now a fatherly figure in my life again, who was connected with Erai. I was 43. He was 69. He confirmed that I had come to the right place to gain and secure knowledge about the siddhas. He asks Perumal of the local body in Batu Caves that was affiliated to his Peedham in Kallar, to arrange for him to initiate me the same day. He explained what he was doing back at his ashram. He invited me over to India. Before I left, he asks that I bring my family too to the path, and to the event that evening. He took my little daughter onto his lap. He was rather intrigued and amused with her for asking questions about the soul. Meanwhile my wife asked why she was having dreams daily in which saints appeared. He patiently explained and clarified to both my little daughter and my wife. My wife and I were officially initiated into the path of the siddhas that evening. A guru disciple bond was cemented that day.

I took to Kallar right behind his heels after his departure. He invited me with open arms to his humble cottage. We took a dip in the river, dined together and spoke for hours till night fell. As there was no electricity we were forced to end our conversation and retire early. The next morning he invited me on his morning walk around the neighbourhood and nearby woods. As we walked, he told me that Agathiyar had come the night before and asked him what he was going to give me. I looked at him in silence. He continued that he asked Agathiyar what he should give and Agathiyar had replied that he would let him know. We took our bath in the river and had breakfast together. He then asked if I wanted to visit living gurus or the caves of Konganar in Uthiyur. I picked the caves. Next we were on the way to Konganar's cave.

As he sat, eyes closed, I and an elderly man who accompanied us recited the names of the siddhas. Soon we too closed our eyes and sat in silence. Upon opening my eyes, Tavayogi applied the sacred ash on my forehead. There were more from where it came, in a piece of newspaper before us. I asked him where it had come from. He asked the same of me! Puzzled, I was shown my very first miracle there that day.

The next day he took me to see three living gurus or heads of various establishment, where he pointed out to me the nature of each one of them. One was eyeing for the post vacated by the demise of his guru at an ashram; the other was absorbed in rituals in his temple; while finally he showed me a gnani, curled up, all alone on his bed, in the cold of the monsoon rain that poured down on us. I was taught that even gurus differ in status, my first lesson.

Tavayogi took me to more places including those that Agathiyar wanted me to visit in my Gnana Kaandam. See https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/07/tavayogi-thangarasan-adigal-tavayogi.html Before I returned to Malaysia, he gave my another initiation in private, telling me he had fulfilled and granted Agathiyar's wish.

I was very contented upon returning from India in that year of 2005. The year 2013 saw me make another visit, this time with my family, as the word was around that Tavayogi was ill. Agathiyar too asks me to visit him in the nadi. Upon arrival at Kallar ashram we were relieved to see him hale and healthy as he walked up to invite us in. I understood that all that I heard was meant to change my standing and to lure me to visit my guru again. Earlier I was steadfast in that I did not want to venture nowhere again and did not want to meet any more gurus, although Agathiyar had mentioned them in later nadi readings. Agathiyar listened to my wishes and never brought up the subject till this visit. See https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-presence-of-tavayogi-again.html

During this visit Tavayogi permitted my family and I to sing the praise of the siddhas as we have been doing as a family back in Malaysia. At the end of the prayer he mentioned that his dream had come true. The seeds he had sowed in the soils of Malaysia had germinated. That was the greatest accreditation for a student from his guru.

The year 2016 saw him and Mataji come down to Malaysia to grace my daughter's wedding. The whole (then) AVM family were overjoyed to have him visit their homes. We arranged to perform the homam, abhisegam and have him give a small talk in all the homes he visited. The host sat with his/her family to conduct these prayers, carried out to Tavayogi's joy and amazement. He left Malaysia telling us again that now the seedlings had taken a strong hold and shall emerge as apostles of the siddhas. Again we felt elated hearing these words from the guru. Agathiyar has at numerous times mentioned in the many nadi readings that

 I and the rest at ATM family have had, that he was happy with our work.

But all was not rosy on the path in the beginning. When I invited Tavayogi to my home back then in 2005 for the very first time after we met, he conducted a small prayer and my family members, friends and he engaged in small talk before we served him food. I was elated that day at having a yogi in my home. As we got into the car driven by my nephew, to send him back to the peedham where he was staying for that duration in Malaysia, I mentioned that I was happy to have him grace my home and that he was the very first holy man to step into my humble home. I did not expect a rebuttal from him that was equivalent to a slap on the face. He told me I was living in Maya or illusion and that he was not a holy man but just an ordinary person. Hearing those words, I zipped up for the rest of the journey. Today I am grateful to him for having said those words, otherwise I would have adored and worshiped him and not the energy, light and jhothi within us all. He regarded that energy as Agathiyar. He had passed the message to me to worship the force within and not him.

When strangers began to frequent my home and shared their problems, worries and sufferings, as my wife and I were good listeners, we did what comes natural to all of us. We began advising and showing them ways to come out of their misery. That was the mistake we did that landed us in trouble. Going back to Tavayogi for advise he asked me why did I choose to involve in their problems? There was Agathiyar sitting majestically in my home. I should have pointed them to him. Let them pour out their grievances to him. That was another slap in the face I received from my guru.

Along the way Tavayogi acknowledged that compared to him having to travel far and wide in search of Agathiyar, Agathiyar had come quite easily to us. It was a compliment. I am grateful to Agathiyar. He asked me to come to his path in the nadi. He sent me Tavayogi. He decided to remain in my home as a bronze statue, changing his mind and initial intention to leave for the Jegathguru Sri Raghavendra Mrithiga Brindavanam Kinta in Ipoh upon completion of the premises. Today he graces ATM, listening on to all our conversations and surprising us often. Now he wants us to move house since he says there won't be space to accommodate all the devotees of his who will make their way over to my home. When I told this to my father-in-law, he offered a piece of land in his town. I am grateful to him but the hive of activity is here in Kuala Lumpur. The ATM family is stationed in and around Kuala Lumpur and Semenyih. The driving force behind ATM are the many youngsters living here. The idea to build or move into a larger premise is to have people patronage the place of worship. It would defeat the purpose if I was to move to another state.

I have let it rest at that. Agathiyar and his guru Lord Muruga will figure it all out for us. As always we shall carry out their directives once it is made known to us. We await their command. 

HINDU NECTAR - By AKANKSHA JOSHI

Here is a wonderful documentary by filmmaker Akanksha Joshi that besides educating and enlightening us on India and its spiritual offering to mankind, leads us into a meditative state.

SETTING OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT

Life is a matter of setting our priorities right. A young entrepreneur would set his goals on achieving a mark, a success in his endeavors. An educationists would set his goals on achieving the highest order that an institution could confer on him. For Ramalinga Adigal his priority was to defeat the fear of death. He asks in a stanza of what use is taking a birth if not to overcome the fear of death. Bhagawan Ramana too had a sudden fear of death experience back in his home in Madurai, which was to be the turning point in his life. After this experience his search began. He left Madurai for Tiruvannamalai. The blog https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ramana-maharshi/death-experience/ carries this story.

Just as Ramana describes the moment,

"It was quite sudden. I was sitting in a room on the first floor of my uncle’s house. I seldom had any sickness and on that day there was nothing wrong with my health, but a sudden, violent fear of death overtook me. There was nothing in my state of health to account for it; and I did not try to account for it or to find out whether there was any reason for the fear. I just felt, ‘I am going to die,’ and began thinking what to do about it", 

I too have had three moments similar to this where a sudden thought and feeling of fear of death overcame me in the middle of the night. Nothing I did could help subside the fear. If Bhagawan used the moment of fear to go within and investigate the cause of his fear, unfortunately I gave in to fear. Eventually it went away, all three times and I dozed off.

Bhagawan later described his condition,

One of the features of my new state was my changed attitude to the Meenakshi Temple. Formerly I used to go there occasionally with friends to look at the images and put the sacred ash and vermillion on my brow and would return home almost unmoved. But after the awakening I went there almost every evening. I used to go alone and stand motionless for a long time before an image of Siva or Meenakshi or Nataraja and the sixty-three saints, and as I stood there waves of emotion overwhelmed me.

(Source: https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ramana-maharshi/death-experience/)

I have had moments of ecstasy come over me since then too. Many in the ATM family too have had a similar experience of ecstasy and bliss for reasons unknown. We would shed tears of joy continuously for some time and be drenched in joy and happiness not akin to the pleasures of the world and senses, but rather much more enveloping and penetrating. I encountered many more moments of bliss in the company of my gurus, at the temples, in my home and in the midst of prayers. Sometimes I would wish that if only I could touch others and transmit this bliss to them too.

Another rare moment of incomprehensible awareness took place as a kid. I still carry memories of me floating close to the ceiling of our family home in Taiping, looking down at my family sleeping below. I had this experience daily for some time, a memory that I remember vividly till this day.

Lately we have had visitations from the divine too. Although it is exciting to be connected momentarily with Erai and his forces, I understand that even this has to be dropped. Agathiyar along the way gives many gifts to his devoted devotees and worshipers to use for the good of humanity and his creation. Although these gifts are acceptable one is reminded not to indulge in it forever, at the expanse of losing one's sight on the most precious gift of all times - having him. I have negated many gifts and treasures for the sole reason that I wanted him, only him.

I have stopped seeking living gurus after having two wonderful souls to guide me, Supramania Swami and Tavayogi. My reason in dropping the search and meeting other gurus was that "What is it that they can give me that my Moola Guru Agathiyar cannot give?" Even the greatest of the masters is alive because of the divine wish! I asked Agathiyar to stop asking me to meet them and go more places of worship. I told him that I had him. Let him deliver me, giving me further states of illumination right within the four walls of my room, provided if I deserve it; provided if I was ready for it; and provided if he wishes it. I would not despair if I do not receive anything too. I am satisfied with what he has showered upon me all this while. This not a statement made in arrogance but one truly sincere, humble and down to earth.

ATM is neither a cult on Siddha worship or the only means to Godhead. ATM preaches the worship of Siddhas, one of various paths to Erai. We do not find faults in other forms or ways of worship. It is just that this path was chosen for me and for others too in the ATM family. Agathiyar sent a train to fetch us to the kingdom of Erai. We chose to board it. We could embarked midway or at any other station. This usually happens if we succumb to the gifts that he showers on us. Captivated by the likes of power and authority that comes with these gifts; the attention from the continuous flow of seekers, followers and disciples seeking advice and direction: and with healing the sick and suffering who turn up, we tend to stall at that stage, serving them forever. We fall for the trap.

I believe we can take in these experiences and bring ourselves to break away from them and continue the journey, not losing sight of the journey that we had initially set to take. There are more things to come and to be seen. If we negate and refuse all the good stuffs that come our way known as siddhis, we shall reach the gate of our heavenly father's kingdom. Even then one has to be extremely careful not to lose sight of the majestic palace of our father. Entering his palace we gain another set of siddhis that is hardly spoken about. Ramalinga Adigal sings about this in his Agaval. The initial siddhas are gained as a result of our efforts while the later siddhis are showered on us by the heavenly father. We need to seek the later.

Looking at the fables, myths, puranas and stories of lore from the Indian subcontinent, we gain insight into these gifts often showered on staunch devotees of Gods and Goddesses, who upon receiving them turn arrogant and begin to take control of the world and its running, nay even the Gods and Goddesses too. King Ravana was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. None of us could ever match his devotion towards Lord Shiva. Yet we consider him as the bad guy. Lord Shiva having being cooled down by Ravana's extreme tapas and austerities and devotion, granted him a boon. Once he began to understand the vast powers that came with the boon, he became arrogant. We seek permission to quote from https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/rise-and-fall-of-ravana/49116 on the process that took place in the rise and fall of King Ravana.

Born in the lineage of one of the most learned and wise sages of all times, Rishi Pulatsya, Ravana had all the bearings which could make him a legend. That said, Ravana had his own share of sins that he committed, and before he could have had realized his sins (maybe he would have never had), he met his inevitable death when Rama's arrow pierced his navel.

Not exactly a hero which he could have been, he definitely had the knowledge to be one. But, his ego, his illusion of immortality, and the belief that he would never be punished for his sins made him fall in the battle of Ramayana. Certainly an interesting character, where on one hand he stopped any kind of animal sacrifice in his kingdom and was pious and ascetic, on the other hand he had a long list of curses received from many celestial figures including Nandi.

Be it his son, his wife, his brothers or his sister, Ravana loved his family the most in the world. He loved and respected his wife Mandodari and also used to take her advises on matters of high importance. And though, people may claim he didn't love Vibhishana as much, he loved him until he asked Ravana to give up war against Rama, when Ravana considered his kingdom the greatest of all.

Though he placed his duties as a Brahmin and a king above his family, when Kumbhakarna was tricked by Brahma in receiving an eternal sleep as boon, Ravana performed some further penance and pleaded Brahma to amend the boon, which he then changed to 6 months of continuous sleep.

Ravana performed one of the most difficult penances of all times to Brahma standing on one feet for hundreds of years, and after the penance got successful, Brahma granted him Amrut which he placed in his navel. He had asked Brahma (the boon) to be superior to devas, other Rakshasas, serpents, beasts, celestial beings, as he disrespected mortals. This illusion of immortality sowed the first seeds of arrogance in Ravana.

After being granted Amrut by Brahma, Ravana started a penance to Shiva where he sacrificed his head 10 times, Shiva each time replacing his head. After the penance, Shiva blessed Ravana with 10 heads, after which he was known as Dashanan. On a separate note, the 10 heads of Ravana represented the 4 Vedas and 6 Shastras which he had mastered, the heads symbolically representing his knowledge in all the 10 directions. By now, Ravana had become so powerful, that he defeated all the deities of heaven, and gained control over the setting and rising of sun.

The great Shiva devotee that Ravana was, he wanted Shiva to move his abode from Kailash to Lanka. When Shiva didn't oblige, he even attempted to lift the entire Kailash mountain with his hands. This was one distinct attribute of Ravana, the arrogance. When Shiva pressed his toe on Kailash, Ravana's fingers got stuck beneath the mountains, and he sang an entire Stotram, Shiva-Tandava-Strotram to appease him. This was a contrasting, yet another distinct attribute of the same person, his knowledge, his wisdom. On Shiva's insistence, he had even mastered all the Vedas and their knowledge.

Lanka was built by Vishwakarma and was acquired by Kubera, Ravana's half brother. When Ravana returned from his penance, he won the complete control over Lanka from Kubera and the kingdom flourished under his rule. It is believed that even the poorest of houses had vessels made up of gold and hunger vanished from the country. The rise of Lanka speaks volumes about him being a wise and a just ruler.

Nadi Shastra talks about Ravana being an expert in the Ayurvedic texts. He also attended medical conferences held in those days. Ravana was a great musician. As per legends, when he started playing his Veena, even Gods would appear to listen to his music. He was an equally fierce warrior and a great administrator. While he was moments away from his inevitable death, Rama had asked Laxman to pay respect to Ravana and learn the methods of proper governance and administration, when Ravana eventually obliges Laxman with his knowledge.

Rama needed a bridge to be built across the ocean to reach Lanka, in order to defeat Ravana. The night before they started their preparations, he decided to conduct a Yagna to worship Shiva at Rameshwaram. As he was going to fight one of his most powerful adversaries, he needed the most scholarly priest to conduct the Yagna for him. He was informed that Ravana himself is the most learned scholar of all times. An invitation was sent to Ravana, who accepted it, arrived at Rameshwaram and conducted a Yagna with all holy rites. Interestingly, the Yagna could be considered successfully completed only when Rama would sit with his wife Sita in the ceremony, who was held captive by Ravana in Lanka. Ravana not only brought Sita to the Yagna, he presided over the proper arrangements and completion of the Yagna. After the Yagna got over, Rama sought Ravana's blessings in defeating him, to which Ravana replied, Tathastu or "So be it."

As per Jains, Tirthankars are human beings who achieved enlightenment and showed the world the right path. As some souls are never released from the cycle of birth and death, and in repetitions, these 24 Tirthankars are born as humans and show the world the path to liberation. Ravana, as per Jainism, is one of the 24 Tirthankars, a list which includes Krishna and Mahaveer themselves. Jains, however, do not worship Ravana, because before he could have realized his destiny and given up on war, he was killed. They believe that in the next cycle of Tirthnankaras, Ravana will be born and lead humans this time. Had Ravana not been killed by Rama, maybe he could have realized his evils and shown the path or liberation to the world.

From the face of it, Ravana was all set to become one of the greatest and divine figures of Indian mythology. In spite of his arrogance and ego, his knowledge and wisdom could eventually have placed him as one of the most revered names of Hindu mythology. And though, he is still worshiped at a number of places in India for the same reason, he never did really reach a position and stature that he deserved. Why a wise man like Ravana was doomed to meet such a fate in the hands of Rama. What was the flaw in the plan?

It was his love for Surpanakha, that caused his inevitable downfall. Though he had previously murdered her husband as well, when he had tried to overthrow Ravana in greed for power, he loved and adored his sister. Add to that, his arrogance, which forced him to seek some revenge against the men had who insulted his sister, formed the ingredients of his fall. What would have happened had Surpanakha not proposed to Laxman, or had Laxman not cut her nose? (What would have happened) Had Ravana not reacted strongly and had decided to negotiate with Rama and Laxman? (What would have happened) Had Ravana accepted the peace proposals sent by Rama in the form of Angad, Hanuman? (What would have happened) Had Ravana listened to Mandodari like he always did, when she asked him to let Sita go back to Rama? The epic would have been written differently, or we would have had another divine figure in the Hindu mythology to look up to.

Even the Gods and Goddesses, we are told, were never spared. Arrogance on their part, brought them to earth to live a mortal live and conduct extreme austerities, yagna, rituals and meditation before they were accepted back into their fold. Similarly it is with the numerous other stories of devotees who were lifted to an elevated stage in life, akin to ma manithan, deivam, mahan, gnani, muni, siddha, rishi, etc, but due to arrogance fell flat on their faces and fell to the ground; fell in disgrace and fell into oblivion.

I have asked the ATM family to help keep each other in check lest we too should fall out of the mercy of Erai; lest we shall fall out, out of arrogance. If the sheath of Maya or illusion does terrific havoc to even the masters and gurus, we could very easily succumb to it too. The day we stop listening to the words of the wise is the day we fall into disgrace. My prayer is, "Lord please help us be aware of the mischief done by Maya who lurks in the dark and at every corner of our spiritual journey, waiting to disrupt or bring to a standstill our intended journey, a return to your house, our home."

STEP ONTO HIS PATH

Ramalinga Adigal invited his followers to step onto his path. Later he sang thousands of stanzas on the delight and joy he experienced in walking the path. Similarly Agathiyar invited me to his path through a nadi reading. Today I have him in my home as a bronze statue and in my heart as the jhoti or light. Besides lighting the sacrificial fire or homam externally, he invites us to fan the jhoti in us internally. What better way than to recite the songs of Ramalinga Adigal that brings bliss in us, joy to the soul and nourishes the spirit. Singing the songs of the Siddhas remind us today, how these verses have began to become true. We are experiencing the truth in these songs. Similarly Tavayogi once mentioned that just by listening to Ramalinga Adigal's Arutpa one can attain Jnana. We are beginning to see the truth in his words too. Whatever path we chose to journey, be assured that Erai will be waiting for us at the end of the road with the entire lineage of gurus that we chose to follow.

We at ATM have tried out numerous combinations of songs to be used at prayers, sometimes extending and sometimes shortening the duration. We always end up elevated and happy at having recited the songs. My granddaughter too has now joined us.

 
We have had several lovely people lend their voices during our prayers. Here are some of the best moments.

KNOCK HIS DOOR

Before you do anything drastic, just take a leap into the future, into your next birth and life. Imagine you are sitting with a nadi reader who is going to reveal what Agathiyar has written about you. Agathiyar would of course be speaking about this life of yours and what you are about to do. He might reprehend you for taking the particular course. So consider your actions very carefully. By being careful and aware of your actions you can avoid many pitfalls and sufferings in the future. This is where you realize that your life us indeed in your hands. Do something drastic and irrational, you end up having to answer for your actions later in life or in the next life. 

I too have to remind myself often to take charge and control of the present moment and not to submit to the chaos brought on by others, the circumstances and surrounding. Rational thinking and alertness on our part can prevent lots of misfortunes and sufferings later. But it is tough as I experience too, not to be enveloped by our surrounding and people who can at times drive you mad, crazy and nuts. But we have all the time to perfect ourself, as Tavayogi says we shall come back. Ma too says life is a learning process, learning to be better at many things.

Forget the past for there is no way you can reverse those moments, except if you have joined the ranks of the siddhas, saints and nayanmars. But you can definitely begin building your life, beginning from this present moment in time, which would automatically take care of the future and other births too. 

Many call me up or call on me to ask me to pray for them when they are going through difficult and trying times. I put forth their wishes to Erai. Some tell me further that they know my prayers will be answered. It is an honor to be regarded highly by others. I can only thank Agathiyar and Erai. But my wish is for all to engage with Erai and lose their dependency on mediums and middleman. Erai provides opportunities for all to come direct to him. It is just a matter of approach, seriousness and determination on our part.

Just as we chose and elect one from us to represent us in politics, to serve us and all in our constituency, similarly it is we who place others on a higher ranking, sometimes equating them to gurus and Erai. Others we hold on to as role models and mentors. But anyone in the physical form, be it a guru or mentor, might flaw. Our faith on them is then shattered. We lose our grounds. The whole fortress that we built upon them and their teachings crumbles to the ground. Would not it be wise to manage our own lifes and be responsible for our own actions, rather than lay all our hopes on others and regret later for following them when they shame us by their actions?

Erai is accessible to all. You just need to spend some quality time with him. Find a moment in your life to talk to him. Initially you would be driven to pour out your grievances to him. But later your would reckon that he knows all and you shall just sit and remain before him in silence, waiting to hear from him. When we stop talking, he starts talking. When our thoughts settle, his voice is heard. It is only when we are preoccupied with our thoughts and never stop talking that he evades us.  

When you return from work this evening, go sit with him at his altar in your prayer room. Look at him. Speak to him. Put all the logical thoughts aside for once and become a child again, within. Just as a child makes believe with his toys, take a similar approach with Erai. You will be surprise that he will respond.

Do not tell your problems to others unless you know pretty well that he or she can help you. Otherwise they might listen and excuse themselves only to spread your story to others. Chose to sit before the paper print or granite sculpture of Erai and lament before him. He never speaks back and keeps a secret. But you return happy that you have relieved your burden at his feet. Erai starts the ball rolling to help you come out of your sufferings, for he is the most compassionate. Knowing that your sufferings are that of your past doings, but yet he extends his hand in changing your destiny. Let us believe in ourselves and Erai and work towards it positively.

Know that Erai is nobody's property to be patented and charged to view. Erai is open to all who seek, free of charge. It is only for purposes of governance that Erai takes form, otherwise he is within and without. As you travel with him you realize that he is within you and you within him, as Agathiyar mentioned earlier that the prapanjam is within him and he within it.

Know that there is no one way to reach Erai's kingdom. The paths can be many. Each brings you there, even if you have strayed away. Take any path and you shall find him there, waiting ahead of you for your arrival.

When Agathiyar ask me to worship the Siddhas, I seeked out established societies and movements to hinge on and learn about the Siddhas. Tavayogi too told me that I would learn all that there is to know from the affiliate Peedham of his that he had come to officiate in Malaysia. But the moment I took Tavayogi has my guru, all other avenues and doors shut. I made quick progress with Tavayogi. My sight was clear and unadulterated by other's teachings. His blessings helped me sail through my search and seeking without confusion and doubt. His personal touch in various matters that came as advises made me drop my existing thoughts and opinions and see things in a new perspective. Bringing me on a personal tour of the abodes of the Siddhas, exposed me to the world of the mystical and mysterious, a plane running parallel to ours, so close that we brush with them in many instances, sometimes knowingly but unknowingly most of the time. Traveling with Tavayogi, the Siddhas made their presence known. They showered miracles that before those moments I never dreamed of.

After taking me into his arms and delivering me, Tavayogi did the most respectable thing to do. He stepped aside and let me grow, without dictating nor moulding me. Having brought me to the path, he let me discover it for myself. I began to have my very own experiences that moulded me and made me. I was not to be a clone of Tavayogi, my guru but Shanmugam Avadaiyappa, a unique individual who only carried the seed. Given our environment in Malaysia that differs from that of India, I began to devise a mode of worship that I was comfortable with. Soon it applied to others too as it was apt to our society and its needs of the time. I began researching and experimenting further. The documentation of my experiences became a guide for others, as I came to realize after receiving mails, comments and feedback from readers. I am glad that I could contribute something, give back to my fellow friends.

As Srinatha Raghavan shared a beautiful piece of advice on fb,

Stick to one Practice, one Guru and one Path, no matter how "tempting" the other Practice, Guru or the Path is.

We often get carried away spiritually, by the various Spiritual Personalities, because of the way they (and their followers) share with us their Spiritual stories and experiences. We secretly begin to believe, that by following them, we too shall experience the same grace, which is an utter fallacy.

The whole of Sri Ramakrishna Community celebrates 1st January as Kalpataru Day, when the Master had blessed around 30 odd followers who were fortunate to be present there, with spontaneous spiritual transmission and awakening. Those who received it, received the same energy in different ways, some went silent for long periods while some jumped and hopped in ecstasy behaving like lunatics. However, as hard it may sound, the Master refused to give this gift to a few present there, saying plainly, "Your time hasn't come!"

I would always be vexed reading this part of the story, because of the selectivity shown by the otherwise all inclusive Master, and so I once got it clarified through a Senior Monk of the Sri Ramakrishna Order. The venerable Monk beautifully put, "It wasn't that Thakur wasn't willing to give, but the few who were asked to wait, weren't ready to receive."

My next question was, "Why so?"

So the Monk said, "In all probability, they hadn't accepted Thakur fully as their Master or Beloved."

He went on to explain, "When you walk the Spiritual path as shown by your Guru, you need to be intensely loyal to it and walk on it till the end. There will come many on the path, offering you a deviation or a different version, but your faith in your own Guru, should be strong enough to not get distracted by anyone or anything..not even God!"

Ah! That was an eye (and heart) opener. These are the days where we get to choose, change or drop one Guru/Path for the other, but there were those days, where the Guru chose you after much deliberation and you stayed true for life. That's the difference between now and then.

There is only one Mother, one Father and one Guru, stay loyal to them till the end.

Even today after Tavayogi's samadhi, our journey did not stop abruptly for absence of a guru, but continues with him guiding us in the subtle form. We did not need to seek another guru in the physical form and begin all over again. Today, we follow certain ideals at ATM. We welcome anyone interested to know the way of the worship of the Siddhas. But bear in mind that this formula has been specifically brought together to serve our needs of the present moment, to compete attention from the hectic and buzzing world of ours, that continuously depletes our energy and attention. Although applicable to our needs, it might not conform to the traditional schools of worship. We are delighted that it works for us, and brings fast progress to us. Rather then having to follow the orthodox and complex ways that no one actually comprehends but adheres and practices from memory, we would rather adopt a means of worship that is alive and changing with times. The external rituals are only a means to go within. We are prepared to let go of them if required and when we are ready to move on. We are adaptable to all future possibilities.

WORKING WITH ERAI

Erai gives us all an equal opportunity to participate in his work but we are so preoccupied with our self and our vested interest in all things that we do not see the calling. Once the calling is heard the child of Erai heads towards him, looking for ways to communicate with him. Traveling long distances and taking on journeys that open up the whole wide world to him, and bringing him to acknowledge the presence of Erai in all of creation, the heart of the seeker opens up to him.

Once he is settled to listen to Erai, the divine begins the conversation. This conversation with Erai takes place within. From coming in many forms, through the nadi, guru, people we known and total strangers, he moves within and the internal conversation takes place. The dialogue with Eri takes place in this domain of silence and privacy.

Erai works through him who works for the good of others. As long as we live to serve our own needs Erai takes a backstage. When Tavayogi became a mendicant, his young daughter could not come to terms with it. Agathiyar pacified her that if Tavayogi stayed with the family, he would only be a father to her and her siblings. If Tavayogi became a mendicant he would be father to all.

Pattinathar had a calling in a rather drastic manner, where his son reveals through a note to him, that even a broken needle would not accompany him in his last days. That statement broke the camel's back. Pattinathar gave up his fortunes and left to seek that which would permanently come with him throughout his life.

Bhagawan Ramana too had a sudden calling the moment someone who returned from Tiruvannamalai spoke about Lord Annamalaiyar. He left for the Holy town and never came back to Madurai.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar was not accepted in the ashram of Swami Ramdas. After pleading with his guru to accept him and driven to ask if he was to be a beggar in the streets, the master replied, "So be it!". The yogi remained a spiritual "beggar" blessing one and all in later years.

Although Tavayogi took to become a mendicant, he never persuaded any of us to take on the saffron robes. He told me to bring the family into the worship of Siddhas. Similarly all of us at ATM have been encouraged to tie the knot and carry out the responsibilities that comes with it. He asked us to divide our time between family, career and devotion to him. 

Agathiyar continues to give us numerous tasks, most of the time its either mooted or initiated by the ATM family members themselves and he comes to endorse and bless our ventures. It is a beautiful relationship we have with the Siddhas. We continue to serve them while taking care of our other responsibilities. This formula seems to work for us well. We shall stick with it for now.

FOLLOW THE CHOSEN PATH DILIGENTLY

Srīnāthā Rāghavan shared a beautiful piece of advice on fb moments ago.

Stick to one Practice, one Guru and one Path, no matter how "tempting" the other Practice, Guru or the Path is.

We often get carried away spiritually, by the various Spiritual Personalities, because of the way they (and their followers) share with us their Spiritual stories and experiences. We secretly begin to believe, that by following them, we too shall experience the same grace, which is an utter fallacy.

The whole of Sri Ramakrishna Community celebrates 1st January as Kalpataru Day, when the Master had blessed around 30 odd followers who were fortunate to be present there, with spontaneous spiritual transmission and awakening. Those who received it, received the same energy in different ways, some went silent for long periods while some jumped and hopped in ecstasy behaving like lunatics. However, as hard it may sound, the Master refused to give this gift to a few present there, saying plainly, "Your time hasn't come!"

I would always be vexed reading this part of the story, because of the selectivity shown by the otherwise all inclusive Master, and so I once got it clarified through a Senior Monk of the Sri Ramakrishna Order. The venerable Monk beautifully put, "It wasn't that Thakur wasn't willing to give, but the few who were asked to wait, weren't ready to receive."

My next question was, "Why so?"

So the Monk said, "In all probability, they hadn't accepted Thakur fully as their Master or Beloved."

He went on to explain, "When you walk the Spiritual path as shown by your Guru, you need to be intensely loyal to it and walk on it till the end. There will come many on the path, offering you a deviation or a different version, but your faith in your own Guru, should be strong enough to not get distracted by anyone or anything..not even God!"

Ah! That was an eye (and heart) opener. These are the days where we get to choose, change or drop one Guru/Path for the other, but there were those days, where the Guru chose you after much deliberation and you stayed true for life. That's the difference between now and then.

There is only one Mother, one Father and one Guru, stay loyal to them till the end.

FROM LIGHTING 108 NEI DEEPAM TO AN AGANDA DEEPAM

We have come one full round in our worship. Beginning with the desire to light 108 Ghee lamps that was mooted by Bala Chandran of Thondu Seivom way back in 2015, we came to light 108 the following year too. In 2017 Bala Chandran desired to light 1008 lamps and we carried it out at the same venue at Batu Caves Murugan temple. Last year we switched the venue to the Sri Mayuranathar/ Pamban Swamigal temple in Dengkil. Bala Chandran wanted to light the Aganda Deepam together with 108 ghee lamps, following Selvam Aiya who lights the Aganda Deepam at his ashram in Marutheri, India. See http://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-bhrigu-maharishi-guru-vizha.html

During the last Guru Puja and Annual Fest at Agathiyar Tapovanam Malaysia, we lighted a single Aganda Deepam with the approval of Erai after the Kalasa Puja, Homam and Abhisegam for Agathiyar.

Similarly our prayers began with the recitation of the names of the Siddhas in the early years and expended to include elaborate and detailed songs appropriate for each ritual. Very soon we reduced the prayers that initially took us a couple of hours to only 40 minutes. Today we have reduced the time spent on external worship and begun to delve within in silence, learning to see the light within.

Our worship of the Siddhas has geared up going into the Fast and Furious stage, with many changes taking place in our worship and understanding of life. We are open to these changes that the Siddhas have brought upon us and brought us to adapt, knowing pretty well that whatever they dictate will surely lead us on to a better life, both materialistic and spiritual.