BRINGING HOPE TO OTHERS

“To a hungry man, a piece of bread is the face of God”

 (Mahatma Gandhi).

Jane Badham, a freelance nutrition consultant, wrote in 2011 at https://www.hunger-undernutrition.org

.. my mind is flooded with the tragic images we are seeing in the media and across the social networks of the suffering and death in the Horn of Africa due to what is being described as the greatest humanitarian crisis that the world has even known. The pictures show people, like a line of ants, walking across a dustbowl, in the hope of finding help, of finding food. We hear endless stories of those who have walked weeks to escape the ‘famine zone’ and who have had not one but numerous family members die en route. Yet this crisis hasn’t garnered the same rapid response and outpouring that we see when there is a tsunami or earthquake – it almost passed us by, but only when the images were reminiscent of the 1985 Ethiopian starvation horrors, did the world seem to wake up and declare what is happening as intolerable. Source:
https://www.hunger-undernutrition.org/blog/2011/08/we-have-to-tackle-hunger-in-all-its-forms-to-a-hungry-man-a-piece-of-bread-is-the-face-of-god-mahatm.html

She continues about starvation.

Famine should be declared when 30% of children are acutely malnourished, 20% of the populationis without food, and deaths are running at two per 10,000 adults or four per 10,000 children everyday. We forget that each death has a face and a family. The figures show that in areas of Somalia, almost a third of the total population, are acutely malnourished. 

While she defines malnutrition as a poor overall quality of nutrition, she exposes another deadly face behind this phenomena.

Likewise we also have a definition for hidden hunger - micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiency in a person’s diet. The estimates are that some 2 billion people suffer from hidden hunger. These individuals may eat enough calories to live, but have a basic diet that fails to provide sufficient levels of crucial vitamins and minerals that allows them to be mentally and physically healthy. These individuals also have faces and families…

Al Jazeera published the following news coverage of poverty the following year. I never imagined that children in their act of desperation had to resort to picking seeds from cow dung to appease their hunger until I saw this video.

I remember watching a video of starving people in the African continent having to make a paste out of earth, bake it and eat it. I saw another video of the hungry in Philipines who picked up waste food from the public rubbish bins, bring them home, wash it, add spices and salt and recook it to feed their families. They also sold them to other hungry customers. My friend told me of an incident he came across in the seventies in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, in the back lanes to be more specific, holding out a tray as he collected the discharge wastewater and food remnants as the plates were being washed in a restaurant up front. When my friend questioned him, he replied that he would go home, wash the rice that came along from the wash basin at the eatery and recook it.

When we began to enter the homes of those who we were giving groceries to at the PPR flats, another rather pathetic face emerged and was exposed to us. We did not realize the plight of these PPR householders until we began to talk to them. Now we can relate to the above video.

Agathiyar is showing us the complexities of life. Just as a child is shown going to bed hungry in the video, the granny at a household here puts her grandchildren to bed early so that they do not complain of hunger. We only realized this when we cooked food and had Sugumaran knock their door on the way to work that day at 8pm. The house was pitch dark. Upon knocking on the door several times, grandma shows up. When Sugu questioned why their home was dark as it was only 8pm, she gave him this answer. Vintha shares the same story too at this PPR flats when her family members encountered a similar scenario. As is revealed in the video paying rent is a more pressing concern for them. Many have missed making payments that had accumulated to several months, and fear that they would have to move out. The children here are constantly sick. We saw a child who appeared stunted for their age, but Dr Jana suspected that she could have been born small. Her mother confirmed that she was merely a kilo and a half at birth.

Pothigai Dharma Chakra (PTC), another charitable organization extended a helping hand in feeding the schoolchildren who had to stay back for extra classes in a couple of schools. Sadly the school management became dependant on this group rather than take the initial cue from them, bringing the Parent Teachers Association in and the parents who walked by indifferent to the activity going on. None stopped by to inquire what was going on, as we fed the kids.

Tavayogi did the right thing in squatting in a locality where there were numerous native children. Soon he served cooked food to these families. The native's only source of income was from selling the firewood collected in the jungles of Kallar. 

When we followed in his footsteps and that of Sri Krishna of PTC, in feeding the hungry in Malaysia, we realized the same reason, as mentioned in the video, was given by the tenants at the PPR housing scheme as to why they were not going to the hospitals for treatment of their chronic ailments. That is time and money they cannot afford. They tell us they have no transport, hailing a cab will cause money which they don't have, and they cannot afford to spend the long hours waiting to be seen by the doctor as they had family members who were bedridden or young kids let loose back at home.

We at Persatuan Teman Setia (PTS) only provide food and groceries to these homes, the mentally challenged children and old folk homes. We do not help out with long term commitments and expenses such as rentals and utility bills. As mentioned in the video we never give money to them because we don't know how it is being used. A family in another locality used the money we gave them for groceries to make payment for a utility bill that she felt was more pressing, defeating its purpose.

Eradicating poverty needs the concerted effort of the government. But it is sad that it is treated or given the least priority among their many programs here as elsewhere too. 

Jane Badham wrote, 

Key is the need for real political will and commitment, which many agree is lacking in many of the most affected countries.

She also shows us a direction. 

And just as governments have to show willingness and be committed and be held accountable, the time has come for those of us working in nutrition, agriculture and development, to break down the silos in which we have traditionally functioned and to build meaningful partnerships across multiple cross-cutting disciplines. We need direct nutrition interventions such as the promotion of ante-natal nutrition and exclusive breastfeeding as well as improved complementary feeding, food fortification and public-private partnerships that deliver affordable nutritious options to the neglected at the bottom of the pyramid. We also need nutrition and gender sensitive investments across agriculture, health, social protection and education.

The sad state of affairs at these homes is that the men are never seen or around and the responsibility of feeding and taking care of their needs falls squarely on the shoulders of grannies and single mothers.

Just as Dr Siddharth Agarwal mentions in the video, we need to bring aid including medical aid into these homes to overcome the sufferings of the unfortunate,

It is difficult for the women and children to go out to the health centres, which are quite distant if they did they would end up wasting at least 3 to 4 hours. So if we are able to bring these (medical) camps to them then a greater number of women and children will be availing of these services, 

towards this, the government had introduced clinics manned by hospital assistants and nurses who provide very basic medical care and medicines in shop lots accessible to all, supplementing the numerous larger clinics at strategic areas and even larger nucleus hospitals that have begun to specialize in a particular area of medicine.

The sad thing about us is that we can look away and ignore this group because we are told that each one lives his fate out. They are fated. It is their karma. Let them go through it. Saying thus we walk away ignoring their hunger, thirst and plight. But just as Agathiyar fills us in on our karma, he brings solutions and deliverance in the form of remedies. He does not just leave us to live with it but tries his best to elevate us saving us from the mess we are in. So should not we then do our part to elevate these unfortunate souls by providing aid to them in their hour of need. Maybe the small contributions we make can go towards changing their fate bringing them a new destiny.

Each time we stand at the doorway of a particular PPR household where there are many children, they cheer us on seeing us and immediately run up to us and give us a hug, asking if we would be coming again, when are we coming next or request us to come the next day too. 

A government official, when told about the pitiful conditions in which they were living in, quickly, pointed out to me if I had noticed the cable TV and latest smartphone in their homes. I told them we vet through the families before giving aid. As Dr Siddharth says in the video only deserving families deserve to receive aid, one of the criteria for rejecting certain households who came asking for aid from us is if they had cable TV in their homes. In our eyes entertainment should be least on their minds when there were other teething problems. When asked some reply how else are they to pass their time? We expect them, rather than be passive sitting on a couch watching all that is churned out by the TV stations, they could instead spend this time in keeping themselves occupied doing some handicrafts as a hobby or peddle them bringing some additional income.

While feeding kids in a home some years back, a regular visitor at the home told us he caught a man running three homes selling the groceries received as a donation to a shop. When questioned he replied that he would rather sell them than see it expire. Why did he choose to take on so many supplies if he knew he could not possibly consume them before they expired? At a home that was closed after there was a reported abuse of children, that was pretty obvious to us too, we were taken aback to see provision stacked up to the ceiling. At another home for the kids, we were caught by surprise when the inmates hauled clothing to the dump bins placed by the council. When we questioned them they replied that the clothing was oversized and would only fit adults. I was wondering why can't they have a networking and good rapport with the other operators and share the excess food and groceries among them or pass the clothing that they receive but were of no use to them to another home rather than throw them away.

On the other hand, there were homes that we well run. At a popular home, they refused to accept any more groceries citing that their store was full. At yet another home that we helped out with groceries, as we were there feeding the old and mentally challenged inmates, 3 four wheel drives drove up to the home asking if the operator of the home wanted grains and groceries. She chose to only take what she required at that moment. Another home and shelter for the aged, told us that they have enough.

As Dr Siddharth believes that food distribution should be targeted towards the poor so that the most starving children can reap the benefits, we have moved our sights into the home of these families apart from feeding those on the streets, reducing our frequency for street feeding, as we realized many organizations and individuals have taken to the streets to feed. A man standing in the queue told me he was not going to go hungry because, as he listed to me, an organization was giving food four days a week, while another two covered the other days. A grandpa and grandson seen on the streets daily, with the grandpa playing a board game with others, actually had a home to return too. It's just that grandpa was bored at home so he brings his grandson along to the city to spend the day. When I asked the kid who revealed this to me how about food throughout the day, he replied that they helped themselves to breakfast at a soup kitchen housed permanently in a shophouse nearby and another mobile soup kitchen provides lunch. They return to the earlier place for an early dinner at 5pm before heading home. They would be back the next day at the same spot.

As we walked the streets we have to admit that there is an abundance of food distributed to the homeless. We could not fail to notice that some had packets of food stacked up beside them receiving from the continuous generosity of Malaysians. The public garbage bins were overflowing with food packets, with food only half eaten. They could now afford to eat the more tasty food and throw away the less tasty ones.

As Dr Siddharth says we will end up having people who have access to food (subsidy), will receive and supply someone else at a cost, there is a likelihood for such irresponsible act on the part of these homeless to do so too. As I was editing the video footages taken during our feeding sessions, women caught my attention for she came around taking several packets of pastries and drinks again and again but none spotted her act of defiance as there were many receivers. As one of our fellow volunteers noticed too, a man who was quick to pick up the clothing given on the streets by them, kept comes back again and again on each visit by the volunteers, still without a shirt on. One would only expect him to wear those shirts and pants he took earlier. My friend posted a question to me? Was he selling it to others for a price?

As Dr Siddharth says "Any system that relies on giving away is not likely to be a successful system. By not making them recipients of handouts, only then has the system any future", we at PTS shall take heed from his words to empower the poor, investing in human beings. 

WALKING WITH THE SIDDHAS

If we are willing to be child-like and empty Erai fills us up with his knowledge. This knowledge brings us back to his home which is our home too.

A man's greatest strength is not to be influenced by others. Tavayogi tells us we are given the gift of arivu or the ability to think and decide wisely based on our own experiences, the many pieces of literature, the knowledge, the advice given and experiences of others too. Only after careful evaluation can we concur with a decision that would bring the right outcome. The problem with us is that we allow our emotions to come into our way and disrupt and disable us from making wise decisions. We allow others to influence us or our decisions too. Enmity with another, a bad experience of another, etc tarnish these relationships and leads us to evaluate the situation differently.

These and many little learnings I gained as I walked the path with Tavayogi. The Siddhas made such an impact on me that there is no turning around. The Nadi reading, the passage to India, the numerous miracles abroad and later back at home, finding and the meeting my gurus, the lessons learnt, the experience gained all have had an lasting imprint on me.

Having no pain is bliss. Having no worries is bliss. Having a meal that satisfies the hunger is bliss. Having that gulp of water that quenches the thirst is bliss. Taking in that breath is a bliss. Going motion is a bliss. To doze off the moment you lay your head on the pillow is bliss. We are going through many tiny moments of bliss each moment. Yet we do not respond to these small moments of delight, looking out for the bliss outside, hoping to land it one day.

The only time we appreciate and reach out for these gifts is when we are in pain, or faced with problems that cause worries, when we go without food for days, when we are thirsting for that single drop of water, when we are gasping for that last breath, or when we can't go motion for days.

Life is a accumulation of little moments. Live this moment well. Live the next moment well too. Then you shall have a life well lived.

Having parents around is a gift. Having the family around is a gift. Having grandchildren around is a gift. Having a job is a gift. Bringing home a paycheck and food to the table is a gift. Having a good health is a gift.

Birth itself is a gift. Many souls await to be born and experience life on earth. Should not we keep the earth save then? 

Just as we created plastics that brought much help and made a difference in our lives in the many fields of science, etc disposing it has become a problem. Initiatives are being taken, discoveries made to reuse and recycle it and to save the earth from becoming a dumping ground for yet another of man's invention. And so Erai comes once in a while to clear and clean the earth of trash and rubbish, bringing along with it lives and livestock. No one can speak on behave of Erai. Erai has its own mind. It is difficult for us to read the blueprint that Erai works on. Even if we are shown it it is rather difficult to comprehend it or decipher it. 

Taking the path of the Siddhas we were introduced to the tools that they use to communicate with their followers. One of it is the Nadi. Reasons for things to take place and predictions are given. Some of the reason can be mind boggling. Some of the predictions might not even happen. Nothing is written in stone. It is all so fluid. It is like throwing a stone into water that causes ripples that travel some distances and depths before losing its velocity, nevertheless affecting all that comes into its path.

Each of us is given an instrument of writing when born. We can use that instrument to rewrite our fate and create a new destiny. If the tool is used wisely we can put an end to the cycle of birth and rebirth. 

Most of the time we are not aware that we can rewrite our fate but rather turn to another to help rewrite it. Seeing the humongous task up ahead in changing our fate we look for someone who can expedite the reverse process without we having to place any effort, willing to pay enormously for the service.

We took the hand of Agathiyar to help us change our fate. He guided us well and we followed him to the word.

Another tool that came to us is the compositions by saints called kavasam or songs that act as a shield or force field that keeps us from harms way. Reciting these kavasams we build faith and belief that the divine cares for us.

Agathiyar tells us the sacred ash can be a panacea for all ills if taken with faith. Water that is energise by chants is a remedy for illness too. The prasad from temples brings Erai's energy to our homes.

As Avvai says,

ஆறிடும் மேடும் மடுவும் போலாம் செல்வம் மாறிடும் ஏறிடும் மா நிலத்தீர் சோறிடும் தண்ணீரும் வாரும் தருமமே சார்பாக உண்ணீர்மை வீறும் உயர்ந்து

ஆறு வரும் வழியில் உண்டாகும் மேடும் பள்ளம் போல நம்முடைய செல்வம் ஒருநாள் அதிகமாகும் அல்லது குறையும். பூமியில் வாழும் மனிதர்களே இதை உணர்ந்து உங்களிடம் செல்வம் இருக்கும் போதே பசி என்று வந்தவருக்கு அன்னம் இடுங்கள், தாகம் என்று வந்தவருக்கு தண்ணீர் கொடுங்கள். நீங்கள் செய்த தர்மம் உங்களின் தலை காக்கும். அதுவே உங்கள் உயிர் உயரும் உபாயம் ஆகும்.

Avvai calls upon us to feed the hungry and quench the thirst of those who come with thirst while we still have the material resources to do so, for our assets will dwindle by day.

POVERTY

CONDUCTING OURSELVES AT A SAMADHI

Some years back Nathan who was staying in the southern tip of Malaysia was told to visit a Siddha cave in Sungai Siput, Perak. When he mentioned the Nadi reading to me I was surprised for my wife was from that small town and no one had mentioned to us about the cave's existence. My wife and I enquired about the cave from her father. That is when as if by coincidence (or was it), the chairman of the temple committee that oversees the daily running of the cave temple walked into the restaurant where we were dining. We are introduced and next we know, we were already heading to the cave temple chauffeured by the chairman himself. The priest took us on a guided tour of the cave explaining the significance of the cave, temple, murthi or statues and the numerous sacred spots within it. Organizations that placed additional objects of worship here as time went by.

We were informed: that the cave was submerged under the sea during times immemorial and was only exposed once the sea waters resided. There were visible remains of seashells, corals and fossils to substantiate this claim; that Agathiyar and the Siddhas were present in this spot; that there were documentation at Kumbakonam in India, dating thousands of years back, about Agathiyar mentioning this cave as Guhan Alayam; and mention of Siddhas ever present and living here including Chitramuthu Adigal having meditated here on the Suyambu Atmalingam and the five faced Nagam that stood guard. Incidentally, Chitramuthu Adigal is the guru of Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal. We were blessed to be shown the spot where Chitramuthu Adigal had sat in meditation. We included the cave temple in our subsequent tours of temples in Malaysia, bringing devotees there. 

https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/03/agathiyar-siddhas-in-malaysia.html

I suppose I had a hand in publicizing the place through this blog and posting the above video on YouTube for the chairman tells me that the public is frequenting the place now. I thought to myself if I had done wrong in publicising the place and bringing in the busloads of curious onlookers. I was saddened to see their disrespect for the place. As we were making our way out, in came another busload of tourist. They were chatting aloud as if picnicking as they stepped into the confines of the cave temple. Agathiyar has said that the Siddhas were still in tapas or meditation in the cave. As such should not we maintain some level of silence and respect them. No wonder the Siddhas have begun to move further and further into the dense virgin jungles away from society, in present times. The society of old revered the Siddhas highly equating them to the Gods and hence were respectful and never intruded into their space unnecessarily, lest they are cursed for disturbing the Siddha's tapas. They provided for the Siddhas their daily needs so that the Siddhas could continue their meditation without any hindrance.   

Today's man views all these sacred places as an arena, coming in droves to view as would a spectator, leaving behind trash and graffiti. They deface the cave walls with writings, throw rubbish all over, and talk loudly. Coming to the samadhis of the Siddhas they perform all forms of rituals and leave behind more trash. They consume food and leave behind the remains inviting the rodents and vermins.

Travelling with Tavayogi to the Siddha shrines, caves and samadhis, he voiced out his concern at the existing conditions in these sacred places and the crowd that made a din disrespectful of other worshippers who are steeped in prayers or meditation. The original names to the caves have been changed. Additional objects of worship were brought in while original pieces were removed. Caves that became stores. Graffiti on its walls. Litter all over. 

Entering these places Tavayogi would take a sit, close his eyes and remain silent. We did not perform any rituals. Just to keep us occupied while he meditated, he would ask us to chant the names of the Siddhas. At the end of the session, the Siddhas would show us a miracle.

Agathiyar in a Nadi reading for Surendaran tells us the proper thing to do at a samadhi is to just sit still and take in the radiant cosmic energy that flows abundantly and fills these spaces. The Siddha in samadhi is continuously tapping into the cosmos and giving it out. There is no need to perform any form of rituals at these energy spots. Neither is there any need to engage in any form of activity with the intention to help further energize an already charged space. No amount of ritual is going to add on to an already energize samadhi. The rituals are only required initially to connect with the divine forces. Once the divine is connected the place is energized by their mere presence. Worshipping over long periods transforms the place into a portal for the divine to engage with the common man. No further rituals are required at this stage. What we need to do is begin to tap into these energies that help strengthen our causal bodies, by merely sitting in silence. The charged causal body heals us, while burning past karmas. By strengthening the causal body with cosmic energy we return healthier and energized, from these sacred spots.

Similarly, an Indian citizen working in Singapore was asked to visit a samadhi at the base of Batu Caves Murugan temple. It was that of Mauna Siddhar. Coming to know of this revelation we too made our way to the shrine. It was sad to see that it had become partly a store too. Organizations had put up posters on its walls. Today the place has been given its due respect and we see a decent crowd that comes to meditate here.

Bala Aiya and Shanti ma were invited to join a friend visit a cave in Cambodia over the weekend. Having visited Cambodia earlier his contact brought them into the dense jungles of the Siem Reap District. There was a statue of Agathiyar installed in a cave.

It is interesting to note that a local of Phenom Pehn, having seen the Nadi, a canto that took from 12 noon till 9pm, in Pondicherry, was directed to install the statue of Agathiyar. He was henceforth called Soma Agathiyar. Lord Shiva in the Nadi did reveal that the Ganga was flowing through this spot. He narrated that Agathiyar was married to a local princess here.

The entourage carried water and other prayer items in their van until the cave that was accessible by a dirt track. They cleaned up the statues and the place before bathing the deities and conducting a Homa. Siddha related songs were sung by them, witnessed for the very first time by the locals. 

A GUIDE BOOK TO SIDDHA WORSHIP

When the learned decipher the songs of the Siddhas and chose to highlight the verses that pertain to the Siddha's radical view of rituals and customs, breaking it in many ways, this causes further confusion in an already confused society.

Many take the songs of Sivavakiyar, for instance, to shoot down idol worship, temple worship, chanting mantras and other rituals, claiming that Sivavakiyar did not condone these practices. But there is an idol for Sivavakiyar in most Siddha temples or ashrams. His painting is worshipped too. We recite his name in the long list of Siddhas. Should we then remove him from the temples, paintings and list of names? If his works are likened to be highly philosophical in nature, the irony is that he starts writing his collection of songs by dedicating the very first song to Lord Ganapathy, " கரியதோர் எழுத்தை யுன்னி ... கரியதோர் முகத்தை யொத்த கற்பகத்தைக் கைதொழக் .."

Man prefers to debate about Erai rather than get on the ground to experience Erai. Agathiyar brought us safely away from those who engage in endless debate, reminding us sternly not to engage with them. Instead, he brought us to experience him, gain the state of Agathiyam, by starting with the basics. He made us visit temples, he made us commission his statue and worship him by performing libation or abhisegam, dressing him up, garlanding him, feeding him and singing his praises. He brought us to continue worshipping the whole pantheon of Gods and Goddesses including the ancestral deities and village deities and many lesser known deities too. He brought us to respect all forms of worship and practice and not ridicule the faith and beliefs of others. He never segregated nor alienated any path, discipline, practice, form, name or deity or guru. He never pushed away the non-vegetarians. He never ignored the thieves and murderers bringing even them under his watchful eyes hoping that one day they too shall change their ways. As he is prapanjam everything comes within him and he in it. He wants us to acknowledge and accept all as him. 

Walking through the forest and jungles, staying in the caves overnight, dipping in the ponds and streams, he cut us off from the comfort of our homes momentarily. Instead, he gave us valuable insights into what life was in his times. Praying at the abodes associated with the Siddhas, he brought them to be present among us and bless us. Reciting their names, chanting their mantras, performing rituals of lighting the sacred fire or homam, or performing the libation of abhisegam connected us with them. Although we carried out every dictate of the Siddhas, we never imagined that these means to connect with them would bring results. As my wife says today we have created a portal for them to take the bridge over to our plane. We have had visitations from the divine. The days of going in search of them have ended. They are living with us now. The only thing we need to do is to invite them first into our homes and then into our hearts and finally merge with them even while living in this mortal frame. Mission accomplished! No further attempt or effort is needed. No further seeking is required. No further guru is required. No further mastering of techniques or practices is required. You do not get conned no more. You do not get disappointed. You need not part with your hard earned cash to frauds and crooks. You become contented. Everything settles down: the search, the seeking, the talking, the discussions, the debates, the readings, and even the thinking. You come within yourself, you now begin to connect with your breath. The Japa or chant is repeated without your effort in, day and night, while awake and also while asleep. You are at peace with yourself and others. You do not create fresh karma. You only need to live out your past karma. Even that had been taken care of by heeding to the advice of the Siddhas, by doing parikaram or undertaking pilgrimages, holy baths and performing other remedies including doing charity. Even that has been further taken care of performing the Homa and libation. Finally, as we go within and now get connected with the cosmic energy, it enters our causal body to rid off the remaining fragments and pieces of the karma; heals the physical body of its illnesses and diseases, and brings change in it, working on the level of the very atoms. We take rebirth in this very body. We get a life extension. As Agathiyar says, "Many have lived as me, in my name before", the divine comes to live in us. We become him. 

As the Siddhas have given us various means and its methods to pursue the spiritual path according to our past karma, merits, and temperament, we are at liberty to take up any of the path that best suite us be it Sariyai, Kriyai, Yoga or Gnana. The important thing is we are happy. It is no point following the masses or looking at the numbers frequenting a particular temple or ashram as we would in our selection of restaurants and eateries thinking that the number is directly related to good food. At times it is the lone peddler who has the best food or the lone common man who exhibits Erai's treasures most. Look out for him too in your travels.

BEING GRATEFUL

We live in a well-informed society today. With the advent of information technology and making it available to every single man, our expanse of knowledge has grown multifold. What was the purview of selected few who were daring to cross the borders on horseback, or by sailing the rough seas is made available to us with comfort, provided we have the cash. Travelling out of the cocoon that was our society has opened our eyes to the beauty of the terrain and its people in other lands. Through documentation of these travels these places are brought right into our living rooms. 

Today we realize that even before Ramalinga Adigal started the Dharma Salai to feed the hungry a century ago, the people of Punjab had started feeding thousands of devotees at their golden temple at Amritsar since the sixteen hundreds. With the numerous occupation of the lands by invaders, we saw new races and faiths emerge. With people travelling out of the homes and villagers to make a better living, venturing into unknown territories, they happen to come upon the locals there and merged with their culture.

My father was one of those who chose to travel beyond the walls of his ancestral home of Kilsevalpatti to seek new fortunes. He travelled to Burma, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and finally settled in Malaya. I am grateful he took up the urge to leave the comforts of home and venture to new lands. I am grateful he opted to marry and raised us in this country. Today the reason I am able to write this post in the comfort of my home, with all the technology available just a click away, is because of the sacrifice of my parents and forefathers. He dared to travel. He dared to carry out his money lending business in foreign lands when there we only a handful of banks in existence at that time. He gave back to society whatever interest earned from those loans. Today, the reason my family and I are doing well is due to the tremendous blessings gain by being a philanthropist, giving generous donations towards people in need. The moment death came, he sat quietly in a corner of our home, in the padmasana pose and passed away peacefully. 

I believe blessings and merits he collected, have come down to us too, safeguarding us from harm and danger. He never harmed anyone. He did not manipulate nor use anyone. He was honest in all his business dealings. He never made enemies. I realize that it is difficult to fit into his shoes. My mother and siblings took care of all our needs while my father was away. I am grateful to all these souls with whom I grew up. 

Today I have a family of my own and a grandchild too. God has been good to all of us. He chose to come to us as Agathiyar. He now takes care of all our needs. He dines with us. He sleeps with us. He listens on to our talk. He travels ahead of us and waits for us to turn up. He paves the way for us, removing obstacles and delay. He rewards us. He weeps with us. He laughs with us. We are truly fortunate to have him look over our shoulders, 24/7.

How can I return these favours? What would bring joy to him? How would he want us to live our lives?  The day we learn the answers to these questions is the day we will bring a tremendous change in us.

Today we celebrated Siddhar Vizha in a modest way. As it was a working day, a small number of devotees who could find time joined us in prayer to the Siddhas. A homam was lit followed by abhisegam to the Siddhas and finally the lighting of the Aganda Deepam. Agathiyar has reminded us countless time that rituals are important in wanting to move up the spiritual ladder. Through attending to rituals, he is slowly bringing us to a state of silence and bliss within. At the end of the day, everyone leaves for their home, happy and contented.

GIVING

"Creating an opportunity for one person might not change the world, but you will change the world for that one person!" - Davis Nguyen

The homeless were invisible to me too as Adam Rideau describes them. I would just walk past them on the streets without even noticing them or their plight. I could carry on eating my lunch as a homeless stood beside my table with extended palms asking for alms. I could watch a child loiter aimlessly on the five-foot way without even having a thought what he was doing alone on the streets. I could chase away a beggar who stood at my doorsteps. I could pinch my nose or hold my breath as I hastened my steps walking past a homeless sleeping among the rubbish on the back lane. This was me then.

Agathiyar has brought me and my family of friends at PTS into the homes of the poor today, asking them ways for us to help them survive their ordeal, figuring out ways to bring long term relief, and most importantly giving them a morsel of food to appease their hunger. 

Agathiyar has turned us into becoming grateful for the life he has given us. Agathiyar has brought us to share a small portion of our earnings with the unfortunate. Agathiyar has given us an opportunity to help another soul. As Davis Nguyen said, we changed the world for one person!

OF PRAYERS & TAKING CHARGE OF OUR KARMA

Our senses are assaulted daily by hundreds of thoughts and desires. If we are master of our senses then fine, we survive, otherwise, we fall for the trap that lays before us as desires and needs, likes and dislikes, etc. The story of the Pandavas is said to be an example of how man lets loose his control over his senses and power to another party and suffers its consequences. This story tells us to take charge of our lifes, take responsibility for it or otherwise pay the consequences.

Having no idea where our daily actions are taking us, we begin to accumulate karma. This is what we did in previous lifes. This is what we are doing currently. Then when terror, hardship, mishaps, sufferings or disease strikes us we begin to crumble under its weight. We seek a way out. We approach our families, friends and professionals for a solution and a way out. If none of them provide a solution, we either turn to God or are referred to him. We are asked to worship and pray to him. We are referred to the Nadi. We are asked to carry out remedies. Even then we begin a deal with him, we bargain with him like we buy any other commodity. We bribe him. We try to buy him over. We want fast relief without having to work for it. We want a magical capsule that rids our pain or cures our illness. We want a remedy that does not jeopardise our comfort. We have grown so used to receiving that we expect others to facilitate and provide for us in our times of difficulty too.

In an actual sense when a remedy or solution is shown, we need to look for it, search for it, purchase it, or gather it. It is pointless if someone else runs the errands and hands it over so that you can offer it to Erai. The sick has to seek the means and ways to heal himself rather than hope on someone else's prayer. He or she has to go on their knees and pray for deliverance from their sufferings. Unless one is senile, not in the right state of mind or in a coma, he or she can still pray even if they are bedridden. Asking another to pray for them will give results only if they start praying for ourselves too. This is where not knowing the power of individual prayers they seek a remedy outside of them and land themselves in the clutches of quacks and crooks who promise heaven for a fee.

Similarly, by asking us to go places, undergoing hardship in the process, to carry out remedies, we tend to exhaust a portion of our karma. The rest is relieved through the actual ritual suggested. Do not expect to gain relieve by abstaining from personally doing a remedy and sending a proxy to do it. God helps those who help themselves. God also helps those who help others. But the remedies given have to be carried out by the person concern. Exceptions are made in the cases of children, the bedridden and if the Siddhas desire.

Just as they are willing to pay a hefty sum to another to perform a ritual hoping that things change after the ritual, they come to another to pray for them. This is a misconception that we carry thinking that we can appoint another to carry our baggage of karma just as a porter at the train station does. We need to get on the ground and dirty our hands and feet if we are to see results. We have grown so used to comfort that even in the face of danger we want someone to stand in for us. When I was told that a devotee suffered because he facilitated the proceedings towards performing the parihara or remedy for his clients, it was a message for me too. We can be considered selfish but karma is not meant to be shared as we share all other things. Asking another to light a lamp, lighting one without taking up its cost, doing remedies online, having proxies to do it is all inappropriate unless an exception is given. Exceptions are made when the divine asks of us to gather together and pray for a solution. A solution might be given but we still have to run the race. Definitely no proxies. 

Ruzbeh Bharucha channels and shares Sai Baba's messages on how to pray at https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/for-some-reason-i-thought-i-knew-how-to-pray

... when we pray not only pray as though it is the last time we shall ever get the opportunity to pray and that shall be our last prayer but also pray as though the life of our loved ones depends on our prayers.

... when we pray with the firm conviction that our prayers are going to reach our Goddess, God, Guru, then whether the prayer is answered or not, one can be assured that whosoever we are praying to, our prayers shall reach the One.

He tells us neither to pray for the sake of formality or take it as mandatory but pray because we love and truly love The One we are praying to. Baba tells us that "Nothing should compromise one's focus, intensity, love and certainty that one's chanting is being heard to Whosoever one is praying to."

Baba says that when we pray with the faith that Whoever we pray to first and foremost resides within us, may be dormant, and we pray with the hope of awakening The One within us and then coming forth through us, that prayer is a prayer worth praying, as when we believe They are first and foremost within us, as we have come forth from The One and The One thus has to be within us too and when we pray knowing that The One within us can hear us, that prayer takes on wings which shall make our prayer soar not only within to The One but also reach the very heavens where The One resides in all His/Her Magnificence and force The One to come and sit in front of us when we pray with such love, intensity and faith.

Ruzbeh asks that we do not complicate prayers but make it simple and childlike. "So our prayers should be said with love. We need to love The One."

Finally, Ruzbeh has a very sound piece of advice for us on how to pray.

The prayer that comes from humility and gratitude, seeking forgiveness and wisdom and strength to go through whatever is in store for us with calmness, compassion and complete surrender to Their Wisdom and Love, is the best prayer, as we are not asking for our karmas to be manipulated, we are not seeking things, we just want to make Them happy and proud of us. Praying to Them to help us to give each moment our very best and to accept whatever is in store for us as Their blessing is a prayer as good as any prayer found in any Scripture here or the beyond.

WE ARE NOT ALONE

We are not alone. It is said that for each soul taking birth a star is born. It is said that the souls have already made a deal to come either together, earlier or later to help each other once on the face of the earth. It is said that for souls who cannot make a decision whether to come down, they are given a gentle push. The angels follow us down looking over our shoulders from time to time. Gods and goddesses enquire about us. It is said that Erai occasionally takes a glance at us too and instructs his servants to help us in our times of need.

It must be understood that Erai does not chauffer us around in his limousine but only comes to our aid after we have exhausted all the means given and are at lost for ideas. The Lord comes as a shepherd to bring the flock back home when it is time to return home.

For everything to go well, we need to take custody of Erai's hand. Once Erai is locked in our arms, even if we forget him, he would not let go of us. How do we then bring him into our custody?

Ruzbeh N Bharucha writes based on his experience at https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/the-compassion-of-the-master-720563

The Almighty wants all the children to come back Home. The focus of each and every living being is to merge back into Goddess, God, Guru. The role of every Guru or Master is to make each disciple into a Master and to eventually help the disciple merge with The One.

Baba time and again has revealed that many spiritual Perfect Masters, even though They can merge with The Almighty, due to the love of Their children choose to remain Masters and not merge with The Almighty.

Baba reveals that ‘I sit here and countless sparks go out of me and countless sparks merge back into me. So our Energy goes forth, but just a spark, or as one says, just an anksh, which means a part of me. That part of Me is the whole of Me but still a part of Me. A drop is part of the ocean and the ocean is in the drop too. So the first receiver is this body of Mine you see now and through the receiver, countless people receive My Energy. The second receiver is my Samadhi or Dargha, which also sends forth waves upon waves of My Energy to all those who come to be cleansed and energised and blessed. The resting place of a Master works as a cleanser, an energizer, a restorer, a blessing to all those who come from far to seek solace, respite, strength and blessings.

So you have Baba Sai, in His original form, say on the eleventh dimension, seated amongst The Masters, through His essence, a physical Self of His is seated on Mother Earth, from here, countless sparks or energy manifestations are sent to all those who truly need His personal presence, the same works through His Tomb, and then through all those who represent The One, through Him. When He is called, depending on the relationship, faith and love of the individual, the Energy flows to the individual, which means He or The Perfect Master can be all over Creation with His or Her children, whenever one truly calls.

The greater the longing for Goddess, God, Guru, the stronger is the manifestation of The One. If you want Baba to be with us all the time, we need to be with Baba all the time. The more you want Baba, the stronger His manifestation grows. If you want Him only for a particular reason, He will be with us for that particular reason. But remember, want Him for the right reasons and He will be with us forever, very often even materialising in His original form or taking the physical form of a man, woman, child, animal, insect.

The responsibility of a Guru, a Perfect Master, never ends, till the Perfect Master does not make His or Her child merge with The Source. Can you imagine the intensity and selflessness of the Perfect Master’s love, so often and even perpetually for that S(H)E puts on hold the final merger of the Perfect Master with Their Most Beloved.

He is a true guru who works for the wellbeing of his disciple. He rejoices in seeing his disciple grow spiritually, achieving his status and go beyond. He comes back to guide his student even if it means having to wait a thousand years. He takes pride in his student. He keeps constant watch over him.

As anyone travelling abroad needs to have a passport valid for six months before they travel, Malarvathy of ATM was refused the boarding ticket at the airline counter when the officers realized that her passport will expire before that period, short of two days. The rest of her team proceeded to board the plane for Cambodia, while she was told to renew her passport. As a consolation, she was told that she could board a plane later in the afternoon. She makes her way to the one-stop centre at Puduraya and stands in the queue.

As it was already 9.30am and time was running fast, she approached a gentleman who stood in line ahead of her. He obliged her to cut the queue after listening to her story. But a lady in the queue opposed the move and sends her back. A man standing behind her suggests that she approach the immigration officers and relay her dilemma. An officer shows her to an express lane. She is next-in-line. She receives her new passport and makes her way to the airport some 56 kilometres away.

She makes in at the nick of time, 12 noon. But she has to purchase another ticket. She did not have that much as she had used the money she carried to travel to and fro and to renew her passport. The officer behind the airlines counter helps her register online and withdraw the price of the ticket. With the given pin, she retrieves the money from the ATM machine, receives her boarding ticket and surprisingly receives a big hug from the airlines ticketing officer! She joins her friends in Cambodia.

She strongly feels that Agathiyar wanted her to learn to travel alone and that she learnt of several facilities made available to stranded passengers at the airport and government agencies. Above and beyond all these ordeals, she said she felt the presence of Agathiyar. She believes he showed himself in the hug she received from the airlines ticketing officer!

And why did the most compassionate father come to her aid? She does libation or abhisegam for him daily at ATM.

MEETING UP WITH THE PAST

Dr Janar continues his post on his journey to India recently. He describes how he was brought mysteriously to the place of his former birth.

I

In 2016, when Thavayogi Thangarasan Swami came to Malaysia, he brought along a bundle of Nadi leaves, called the 'Agastiyar Jeevanool'. That was the first time I was introduced to the concept of Jeevanadi. Words appeared as the seeker sat in front of the reader. Thavayogi stayed at Balachander Aiya's residence in Bangsar. I had a reading with him.

2015, was a turbulent year for me in a lot of aspects, particularly in my job. I was working at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). It is one of the premier health centres in Kuala Lumpur to be proud of, but I wasn't happy working there. It was a busy hospital and doctors were working like robots. As a doctor, I believed in spending quality time with patients. Listening is a craft. Listening with patience is an art. It was difficult for me to establish that with my patients there. The volume of patients was great. Some were VIPs and as usual, their whims and whines had to be entertained. Even adminstering an injection wasn't easy without a big fuss made. Life was a rat-race. I started feeling burnout very often.

I began to ask 'Big Questions' on existence. I was curious to know why I took this life and what pending karma I had brought from my previous lifes. The answers were revealed at the Bangsar reading of Thavayogi's Jeevanool. Thavayogi began reading Agastiyar's message as Mataji wrote whatever he mentioned in a small notebook.

Once upon a time, I was born in Ilanji, a small village in Tirunelveli. My parents, Narayanan and Visalatchi were devotees of Ilanji Kumaran (A Lord Murugan shrine) at the village. They worked in the temple as Lord Murugan’s servants.

As I was interested in medicine and healing then, I joined Sundaralinga Swami, a Siddha doctor in Ilanji as an apprentice and started learning under him. Sundaralinga Swami had established an ashram, treating illnesses. Under his tutelage, I had mastered the art of combining different minerals (Thathukal) to make medications. In today’s day and age, it would sum up to being a pharmacist. The tablets that we consume are all a mixture of different chemicals and minerals to create the desired effect in the body.

As time went on, I started my own experiments by mixing minerals to invent Kaya Kalpathi, a concoction to promote a strong and healthy physique. As I couldn't find proper prospects to try out the potion, I started trying it on myself. As time went by, the potion had disturbed the composition of the electrolytes and minerals in my body, which began causing hormonal imbalances and increased heat. In a lost state of mind, I committed the heinous act of destroying the chastity of a passing herdswoman. At that instance, I lost all the penance (thavam) I had accumulated.

'Viswamitranai-pol thavam kalanji, ilanji kotathil yen idam kathari aluthai' (You lost your penance like Visvamitrar and cried to me at Ilanji temple). The exact sentence Thavayogi uttered while looking into the Nadi leaves.

'Unake maruthuva sevai seiya intha pirappu koduthom. Sevai sei, kandukolvom!' (I have given you this life for the service of medicine and healing. Serve and we shall acknowledge!) he paused. Thavayogi, looked at me with a smile and asked, "Puriyitha magane? (Do you understand, son?)”

II

March 6th 2019

Courtrallam, Tirunelveli District

Krishna Anna had arranged to meet his old friend at the foothills of Shenbaga Vinayagar temple. We were on the way to meet the family after visiting Agastiyar falls. Krishna Anna called him and he gave our driver the directions to an Amman temple near his house. Our driver was communicating with him on the other side, taking note of the directions to the temple. He mentioned that there will be a big arch on the right side of the main road. We were supposed to turn into the arch and proceed to arrive at the temple. Our driver wasn't very sure so we were moving slowly trying to look out for the arch that was a landmark. After some distance, there was an arch on the right side. Our driver who was excited and relieved took the immediate right passing through the arch and a windy road before coming to a temple. But......

It wasn't an Amman temple. It was indeed a spacious temple complex overseeing a wide green landscape of paddy fields. In the background, the curves of the western ghat mountains (Pothigai Malai) were in bright contrast with the blue sky.

Our driver stopped over and informed the gentleman whom we were supposed to meet. He said, “Wait there! I am coming now.” We ended up at Ilanji Kumaran temple instead.

It was a great and grand surprise! This was exactly where I was born in my previous birth. Getting down from the "Tempo-Traveller', setting my foot on the brown soil, I was speechless! I looked at a huge tree at the corner where a few people were taking shade from the hot sun. I thought to myself, I am sure this tree knows who I am. Plants have a surprising affinity to witness and register events. Especially, huge old trees which have been around for hundreds of years. The daily happenings that took place and the historic events that happened around, would definitely have registered in them.

One may wonder, how can trees live so long despite going through the constant test of time and falling prey to human being’s atrocities due to ignorance. The answer is simple indeed. Plants never speak. Plants are in a constant state of ‘Mounam’, like a Siddhar, witnessing and accepting continuous profanity that happens around.

Each and every granite slab in the temple knew my existence. I embraced a huge granite gently and whispered softly, you definitely remember me better than I do. It was ‘Déjà vu’ for me.

May Agastiyar Peruman and Ilanji Kumaran’s Blessings be with all.

COMING INTO THE GOOD BOOKS OF THE GURU

Although we had been claiming that Tavayogi was our guru, he never claimed we were his disciples until in 2016 when he was here in Malaysia to attend my daughter's wedding and when we arranged an event "An Evening with Tavayogi" in the home of Bala Aiya and Shantima, where he uttered those magical words for the very first time. Although he addressed all as son and daughters, it took us some 11 years to come into his good books and be acknowledged as a disciple.

As the Deccan Chronicle wrote of Ruzbeh N Bharucha, "The author, journalist and documentary filmmaker, whose latest book The Aum of All Things was released recently, feels one can’t “get into” spirituality. “You can’t find your master, your master finds you,” he remarks", it is true many of us claim to be a follower of a saint, guru or mentor. But they have to acknowledge us.

Srinatha Raghavan wrote just moments ago on fb the following episode of a guru and his disciple.

Baba Nanakdev ji was a hard task master, who wouldn't stop at nothing to drill a lesson into the minds of his chosen disciples. He would often say, "There are many Admirers, a few more Followers, but only one true and worthy Disciple."

...and to become a Disciple was the most challenging and grueling of tasks. Once an unsuspecting follower was taken to task by Baba Nanakdev ji, when He was asked to build a roof over a shed, in pouring rains. The follower followed the orders of the Guru and did what was asked earnestly, but Baba Nanakdev ji dismissed it all with a wave of his hand saying, "Do it again!"

The Disciple did and redid the roof and did a lot more, for nearly a Hundred times, without losing his cool, even while all others were getting piqued by Baba Nanak's unrelenting attitude. On the Hundredth time, Baba Nanakdev rushed to the exhausted Disciple, hugged him like a loving Mother and proclaimed to the world, "Ah! I have found my Angad (My own limb)!"

~ Remember to follow a Master is your choice, but to be accepted by one as a Disciple ain't really yours.

HOMA, FEEDING & PRACTICES

Srinatha Raghavan continues his post on the benefits of Homa and feeding after performing the ritual.

As the Chaitra Navratri came to an end last night, today as a culmination, fed 11 poor children and a few hapless strays, with sumptuous lunch on behalf of all those who participated in the Homa.

Feeding the Jataraagni (Digestive Fire) is greater than any worship and it is imperative to feed after you do a Homa, as it selflessly and evenly distributes the fruits of the Homa generated to one and all, visible and invisible, who were conducive, in making it possible.

A part of the punya derived from the Homa, will go to the Five Elements as it "holds" the whole of Creation together, a part to our Ancestors and Rishis without whom we are not to be here, a part to Nature and its produce, from whom we took substances to be put in Homa fire, a part to all the Deities propitiated and finally a part, which is more than enough, to the ones who have participated in it.

Here's a short testimony that's just come in, by someone who had registered Her dear one's name for the Homa, with their Health and Well Being as the Sankalpa --

Good evening Sir, I am happy about the Homa. I can see a positive change in my husband's health, he is on antibiotics from the past 3 months for diabetic foot ulcer, yet the ulcer didn't cure fully but i was worried about his kidney health. But today the reports shows Creatinine level is 1.1 I am so happy Sir. Thank you very very much.

There are many rituals and practices we do that bring about changes indirectly or subtly without even us noticing it. One day we realize the full impact of these efforts. The Siddhas do not explain at length the reasons for asking us to do things. It is for us to take up the directive and carry them out diligently. But be assured that you shall see the fruits of your efforts one day, if not for you, then it is for your prodigy and children. 

The Siddhas concern for us brings them to work a way out for us from the mess we are in, by providing solutions that might not relate to our sufferings or might not make sense in the first place. But be assured that they know what they are doing and that nothing we do is wasted. We are all linked to every being and creature and plant in this wide world. This link extends beyond our world to the other worlds too, we are told.

Srinatha has a word of caution and advises us of the need to be careful in our spiritual practices to avoid unwanted problems and not to hurt ourselves too.

1. Do not undertake any Sadhana on your own, especially extracted from a book

2. Have an able (and living) Mentor or a Guide if you still want to do so

3. Please be advised that there are only a very few genuine Tantric Masters, in the present age who will accept to guide you practically. Most are them are knowledgeable quacks who can be of least help when things go terribly wrong

4. Refrain from undertaking "Veera Bhava Sadhana" or the "Heroic Attitude" Sadhanas, as it ain't conducive for this time and age

5. Do not be too curious or inquisitive to know what's on the other side of reality, because it can be very unexpected and downright scary

6. Keep it all simple, as there are a certain charm and easiness in simplicity

7. Lastly, don't push your luck too much, as it could prove to be unlucky.

GIVING OUR BEST

I was a Nambudiri priest in one of my past births. I was serving Siva in his temple. Yet I could not make it to his kingdom. I was peddling fruits in the vicinity of the famed Kutraleswar temple in Papanasam with my present-day wife and daughter. We served Agathiyar with fruits daily before starting our small time business. But we could not make it to his kingdom. I had been in Sringeri temple. I doubt if I made it near to Siva. I was in Batu Caves. I guess I did not make it then either. Only God knows how many times I took birth to attempt this mission to get back to him. I am me now, putting down these thoughts and sharing them with you. Would I make it this time?

How would I know if I had made it to his kingdom? Yes, the ones gathered around me will say that I had attained "Siva Patham" or reached the feet of Siva, as is the norm, but how would I know? I had died previously several times, but I never made it despite the claim by the family and next of kin. Are all our efforts in vain then? 

Does carrying high virtues, doing charity, feeding the hungry, praising him, building places of worship, and many more warrant entry to his kingdom? What is the secret to reaching his abode then? What does it take to make it to his kingdom? Would we be aware of us entering his kingdom? Is it something out there and beyond life that we need to achieve? Or is it all to be attained and achieved in this lifetime? 

Life is a mystery. The world around us is a mystery. Each moment many lives, having exhausted their time here, leave their physical bodies while many more come down with excitement at having made it into this world. Many more are waiting patiently to be part of the earthbound souls preparing for the right moment to decent. 

We have been given numerous opportunities to come and live a life, but when is this all going to come to an end? These are mysteries that intrigue us. I guess only with time and the grace of Agathiyar can we know the answers to life's mysteries. Meanwhile, let us live life well and let the answers dawn on us when the divine thinks the time is right for the revelation to take place.

As Ruzbeh Bharucha says, "Complete surrender to the Master is the only way to merge with God Almighty. After giving your all, leave the rest to the wisdom and grace of your Master", maybe I had not surrendered to him then and now. I will have to work on this approach.

Ruzbeh says further, "I believe that the one who goes deep within, meditates, becomes one with his or her breath, merges with his or her breath, thus becoming one with the Source and through the Source, the individual taps into the universal grid of Knowledge, and thus can go beyond man and become Superman or as in the earlier days we would say, become God-like."

He shares the way, "Connect with The One with Divine Vision & Divine Knowledge to transform from a state of death to a deathless or immortal state. The transformation has to come about by converting the purity in the Elements."

THE SACRED HOMA

It was nice to receive a photo taken after a homa at the home of Mahindran yesterday. He had performed a homa and Siddha puja in his new home ushering in the New Year. Earlier he had conducted a similar homa and puja as a house warming ritual. 

I was started on conducting the homa by Tavayogi in 2007. When he was in town again in 2016, we made it a point to conduct the homa and puja in the homes of ATM (then AVM) members. The tradition of lighting the sacred fired was revived by Tavayogi and is being continued by his students. Along the way, we learnt of karma and the means to eradicate, reduce or wipe it. One of the means is through performing the homa. Recently I learnt through reading Ruzbeh Bharucha's blog that just sitting in silence releases one of his karma too, besides healing the causal body that in turn heals the physical body. 

Besides carrying out the remedies given on the start of any Nadi reading, Agathiyar has through Tavayogi engaged us in performing this sacred ritual regularly. He tells us that individuals karma are burnt just like the numerous offerings into the fire burn to ash. Tavayogi who headed an ashram did the larger scale of the homa called Yagna or Yagam to appease Mother Nature so that she does not lash out her anger and power. Later he included the sangkalpam of ridding people of their sufferings and ailments too. Today Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar carries on the tradition at the ashram grounds at Kallar.

Srinatha Raghavan has found that silent moment spoken of sitting in the midst of the sacred fire. He shares it on a fb posting.

Chaitra Navaratri comes to an end today and personally it has been a time of deep peace and silence, despite all the outside noise. Braving all the oddities, I would go ahead and perform the Homa and would just keep hoping all would be well. But whence the Agni would get kindled and the oblations starts, the Mind would start retracting within strangely. With every Mantra being chanted, I would feel the start and the end of the Mantra and the vibratory silence that ensued. The whole body would become a medium, a soundscape, where the Mantras would tingle producing some sonic patterns within. No other noise would be audible thereon, just the Mantra and the Silence it gave birth would resound.

One of these days, I could also hear the voice of Agni in that Silence, the Fire has almost a musical note to it, as if it was singing whatever the Mantra you have been chanting, albeit taking it to a higher note. There is a certain raspiness to it, but then it kinda reproduces an overtone of the Mantras that is offered into it, so it can reach the Higher planes.

Ah! There is much to share, the innumerable shapes and faces that materialized, the heat/color signatures that varied from mantra to mantra, but for now, I am really happy that I got an opportunity to perform it, to the best of my abilities.

Many have seen the flames in the homa pit taking the figure and shape of deities, some very obvious others not too and those that needed to be pointed out and shown. It is nice to know that the divine has many ways of making its presence known to its devotees according to the ways that they would like to see the divine and the ways which they would accept. The divine too is not rigid but caters to the ways, needs and desires of its baktas. But man is so rigid and unforgiving when it comes to religion and spiritualism.

One does not accept another's faith or belief and mode of worship. Another looks down on those who never had come close to worship. Yet another despises the company of happy go, lucky guys. The divine exists whether we believe in it or not just as the laws of nature exist whether science has proofed it or not. As Srinatha says, "There are sure great mysteries hidden in Agni, but I am not too keen to decipher it for now, as I have accepted it", life would be charming if we can accept and move on with the ways that bring joy and happiness for that is what we seek too.

GIVING BACK

A new day and a New Year has dawned today. And for me, it is the second cycle of 60 years. I am grateful to be around to complete one cycle and grateful to be granted to take a step into my next. I look forward to this second phase of my life that comes as a bonus. I don't really know what Agathiyar has in store for me and the rests of us at ATM. But whatever it is we accept for we know that whatever he does is for our own good. We know that the obstacles and delays are for our good. We know that the sufferings and miseries we face and undergo have been cushioned by him. He does not let us take on the full impact of the misfortunes but reliefs, shouldering a grand portion of it himself. It is lovely to know that you have him by your side.

Although there is no physical guru at ATM it is very obvious that the boat is steered by Agathiyar. The boat is the guru as Ruzbeh Bharucha says. We are all journeying in it. Agathiyar brought us to dock at various jetties on the river bank to introduce various people either to learn from them, take on their ideas or reject them. The past years have taught us much. We learnt to improve ourselves from experience. We accepted every happening or event as a lesson that taught us further.

We have learnt to balance out private and personal lives with enough time allocated and given to service and worship. We have improvised many procedures here at ATM taking into consideration the society and lifestyle of Malaysians. And so we have worked on the rituals and prayers to suit the moment, the surrounding environments and the audience in attendance. We cater to the devotee rather than follow or stay fixed to rigid and orthodox ways. Hence our worship and rituals are short and sweet. Often the divine comes to lead, change and conduct these affairs according to their liking.

We at ATM would prefer to do things slightly different. Rather than call for a gathering to talk, discuss and debate on length about the feasibility of our proposed programs, we accept any idea forwarded and work on it immediately. If it fails we abandon it. We move on to new ideas. We are not interested in gathering numbers but quality. I believe both Agathiyar and the ATM family are comfortable with this arrangement. 

Ruzbeh Bharucha sets us thinking through his writings. His post at https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/we-deserve-the-guru-we-get is an eye-opener, where he speaks about the gurus. We can all relate to what he has to say. He poses several questions.

So even if a Master comes through an individual, even if an individual can predict the future, even if the chap can materialise rolex water proof watches made in Taiwan, that still does not make that individual a Guru.

Just as Tavayogi took me to see several Gurus so that I could learn to see that not all are the same, see the differences between them and understand certain truths, Ruzbeh too speaks about these differences.

There are Spiritual Giants and there are noble people in the field of spirituality. The difference is like twenty four carat gold and ten carat gold and very often gold plated stuff.

It is we who place a person on a high rank, a top spot, be it in the political arena or the spiritual field. All the adoration lead to making him inaccessible to us eventually. 

Ruzbeh says, 

"Unfortunately we have made these individuals, whether they wanted it or not, they who are more like life instructors into Gurus.... they too are on the path, in the same boat as we are and may be they are in the first class cabin, while we grapple shoveling coal in the furnace of the damn steamer, but still they too are travelling in the same boat. "

He points out that the "Spiritual Giants, Perfect Masters are not travelling in the boat....They are the Boat.....Thus we have slotted these good people, in a role which has been traditionally reserved for Perfect Masters and truly Evolved Beings."

Whose fault is it now? 

"So, whose fault is it when one's faith is shattered by these normal people with some extraordinary ability? It is our fault."

He has this piece of advice for us.

So first of all we need to get this into our heads that a medium or a channel or a wise person or somebody who is well versed with Scriptures, though maybe a decent human being, maybe a good person, maybe a genuinely helpful chap, is just that, a person who is decent at heart and wants to help out. Why have we started to place these individuals on a pedestal and then when the poor bastard does something wrong we want to hang the person from every social media lamp post and do detailed anatomical dissection of his mangled life?

We at ATM hold on to Agathiyar. We have received much from him but have not given enough in return. What can we possibly give him when every single thing is he and his? As Ruzbeh says,

.. the Masters want of us is to become the Miracle by living each moment of our lives, giving our very best, with no thought of rewards and no fears of perceptions and to accept our lot with grace and with the firm conviction that our Master truly knows Best.

Live each moment as though you are answerable to Him or Her. Live each moment as one's offering to Him or Her. Live each moment giving our hundred percent and then accepting whatever is in store for us, calmly, gracefully and with joyful surrender. I think that is what They want. What else can we give Them? We miserable bacteria have only this to offer Them, our true selfless love and spread Their Fragrance through each moment of ours,

this is all we can give.