WISDOM

Receiving the call to come to his path, Agathiyar sent out himself in the form of Tavayogi to take my hands and show me all his abodes, temples and caves, introducing me to their life at an ashram too. But never compelled me to adorn a kavi and to follow suit. I was asked to stay at home and be in the society and continue my work. Agathiyar began with teaching me through the Nadi or Olai Suvadi, simple pranayama techniques, Nadi Sutti and Dhega Sutti, to cleanse the airway. Patanjali came to guide me again through the Nadi on the preferred choice of sattvic food intake. Tavayogi showed me and others, asanas and further pranayama techniques. The Siddha approach was very systematic with the right people and guidance thrown in at the right time. They watched and monitored our progress. There was no seeking or searching, no expectations or ideals, hence there was no frustrations or disappointments. 

Annie Besant reveals the "other side", one that is talked about in spiritual circles and many yearn for in "The Laws of the Higher Life", The Theosophical Publishing House, 1903, 

Having controlled and purified the body, we can make it sensitive to the higher vibrations, responsive to the sounding of the sublimer notes. But to do this we must lose our interest in the lower.. while you love the lower things of the world, the higher consciuosness cannot use this upadhi as its vehicle. 

The various upadhis are themselves vehicles for the divine to manifests and work. For instance, as Ruzbeh Bharucha says, the consciousness enters the causal body that then heals the physical body. Getting connected, through our brain, with the larger consciousness these vehicles are prepared for the transformation to take place, for "the divine unfolding and blossoming of the bud of consciousness", making the body the ideal temple or abode of the divine energies that shall come within and reside since the only value of the body is to be a channel of the higher. However much I distance myself from becoming a channel or in common terms a medium, now I understand that it is not for me to decide, but part of the process that has to take place.

Starting us on doing charity Agathiyar began to inculcate the habit of giving to others, sharing our blessings with them. Nature has sacrificed much for us. It does not ask anything in return. It keeps on giving and giving. We only know how to take, not to give. While the physical form lives by taking, the life within grows by giving, says Annie. We have been known to take everything for our physical growth, survival, and existence. But the soul only grows when we give. To gain Atma Balam one has to start giving. Even all the merits accumulated by our kindness to others, by our religious and spiritual practices, by the charity and dharmam done to others, has to be sacrificed. Hence we understand the reason for Supramania Swami to give away the greatest sacrifice one could ever dream - his 40 year tavam.

If prior to coming to worship the Siddhas, I was contented with my life, family and career, when Tavayogi and I started on our journey to the places mentioned in my Gnana Kaandam, he turned to me and said, "Only now our real journey begins, my son!" I understood that I had taken a major step or big leap in my life, trailing my guru on a pilgrimage of Siddha sites. I returned home, enriched by the experience. I came to know that there was another world out there, or to be precise running parallel to ours. Just by taking a small step, we enter their world.

Annie recounts the journey of the saints giving us a vivid account of the transition that takes place in them as they come to the bridge that crosses the gulf to the law of living as she terms it.

The critical point comes now in the history of the evolving jiva. In a world of action, having tried earnestly, having made attempts at and placed efforts, all motive for action disappears. He marches towards sacrificing all the fruits of his actions, without taking credit for it. With this initial effort of his in place, all things that are of the divine falls into place and all things of his doings, crumble and fall apart. "The attachment to the fruits of his actions falls away; he becomes dead to attachments; vairagya seizes him; dispassion overcomes him; he finds himself hanging; as it were, in the void. At this moment of pause between the space of having become weary of the law of duty and having not seen the heart of the law of sacrifice known as the law of life, the seeming void that is veritably full appears as the final frontier. At this moment of suspension in the void, he would seem to have lost contact with the world of forms and objects. This is the moment of crossing over to the other side that is much awaited; a journey of no return. He cannot return and he has yet to reach out to the brink beyond. He would seem to be hanging in the void, in mid-air having lost touch with all that seemed real but now appeared transitory. The moment of isolation dawns, something that Lord Muruga spoke about too.

He cannot see ahead. The air seems empty. There is nothing to grasp. His faith is put to test. He then reaches our for the Father trusting that he would be there to hold his hands. The father lifts him to his side. The law of higher life receives him in its clutches. Trust plays a pivotal role here. Trust that the law cannot fail.

Terrifying right? Annie Besant writes further, "None but those who have felt it may know the horror of that great emptiness where the world of form (that we have been accustomed to since our birth), has vanished, but the life of the spirit is not yet felt. It seems like a gulf must be crossed. During these moments of uttermost isolation, the man is thrown back into himself. There is nothing around him but the silent void. From that nothingness of being, the eternal being arises."

Venturing into this state ask for the greatest sacrifice of all - giving oneself up. There is no other way. Proportionate to how much we empty ourselves of all that we have, the room is cleared for the divine fulness to flow in, and fill us more than we were ever filled before, she fills us in.

But it does not come easy. Sacrificing causes pain in many having to lose whatever they had held on, be it ideas, opinions, thoughts, riches, property, or the self. This is a result of identification with and attachment to all forms. But for one who has begun to live the life of the spirit, the sacrifice that brought sorrow becomes pleasurable, joyous, and blissful. The free spirit that comes to the forefront rejoices in union with the self, all forms are then seen as vessels and channels of the oneself that we become. He knows that he is the life in the stone, the plant, the brute, the savage, in the saint, and the sage too. Fear then drops for he knows there is nothing but the oneself and nothing outside it either to fear or to challenge, exactly what Agathiyar meant when he said that he was the prapanjam and that the prapanjam was in him. True peace then prevails. That is the true peace and that that alone is wisdom.

TUNING THE BRAIN

What appears to us as sudden in fact has been brewing underneath for ages. A volcano erupting, slight movements of the sea bed over time that brings about massive tidal waves, a ripple that is magnified a thousand times, all had a beginning somewhere in the past as a silent occurring. Annie Besant in her talks on "The Laws of the Higher Life", the Theosophical Publishing House, 1903, states that there is nothing disorderly both in this material world and the spiritual world.  

As heads of families where duty prevails, we are obligated and responsible to many people, called the law of outer obligation. There is yet another facet of law, the inner law that demands for sacrifice from us, where everything is done gladly and willingly and in perfect self-surrender, she says. 

"Here he works because the divine outwelling finds its channel in his life, and he needs no outer compulsion because of the perfection of the inner law." 

He grows. The sacrifice that is a faint reflection of the divine grows in him as he has connected with the larger consciousness. The divine consciousness begins to work through him its laws expanding to envelope all those who he comes into contact with. A movement is generated to do His divine bidding. Whoever throws his heart at the Lotus Feet of the Divine is roped into for his mission. He becomes a channel of the divine outpouring transmitting not his love but the great outpouring of love of the divine. He becomes His apostle. Then nature is conquered through his obedience, Annie writes just as Agathiyar mentions too. 

There is a consciousness larger than the brain, a consciousness that transcends the body akin to the limited hard disk space and in comparison, that which is massive in the server or cloud. When Tavayogi spoke about the receptiveness of people to certain teachings, he classified them as having the nature of petrol, charcoal, and peat. Peat fires may burn for great lengths of time, or smolder underground and reignite later. Charcoal if fanned will catch on and burn well. Petrol catches fire easily. Annie says of those who are in the front of evolution are of a subtler nature and more easily upset by the coarser vibrations of the lower world than those adapted to it. Similarly, Annie draws two distinct division to people and their brains. The more highly evolved brain that is sensitive and readily responsive to subtle vibrations is that of the spiritual genius - spiritual, artistic, literary. Then the normal brain under undue stress and emotion becoming sensitive and tense, is the brain of the religious mystic and seer. While the former is careless of ordinary affairs, the later with its "intense desire to reach a higher life overstrains the nerves hence rendering it sensitive to answer vibrations from the subtler planes of being. Then visions and abnormal happenings will occur. The superphysical consciousness finds at least for the brief moment a vehicle sufficiently sensitive to receive and answer to its impulses. The neuropathic brain affords the conditions necessary for the vision that belongs to the superphysical world, to impress itself on the physical consciousness."

In our over-enthusiasm, and as "we are dealing with vehicles in the ordinary stage of evolution, unfit for subtle vibrations", the medium could place himself in danger. The unfit brain, in straining itself to answer to the higher could go cuckoo - a warning given by Lord Muruga too. But Annie asks us to look towards the East for answers to "how this danger has been understood and guarded against and avoided." 

"The self gathers around it upadhi upon upadhi, vehicle after vehicle, gradually shaping its own instruments." 

He shapes a mental body, to communicate his thoughts with others, he shapes an astral body expressing his emotions to others, and he shapes a physical body that works into bringing his activities alive.

"Here we see a consciousness that shapes bodies according to its needs, gradually refining them and bringing them under the control of the higher." 

Man who wished to make rapid progress escaped into the jungle, that as we know brings him into the alpha state almost immediately. Here he is saved from the constant bombardment of "coarser magnetism of the outer world", where "rougher vibrations" do not assail him. Hence he is less likely to be upset. Yogi Ramsuratkumar too expressed his sadness saying that it is a blessing indeed if one could go into a meditative state in these times where there are a myriad of waves emitted from appliances and gadgets that disturb meditation. 

"Here, in the jungle, they meditated making the brain tense and refined by the concentration of the mind, and restraint of lower faculties, fixed in rapt attention on the higher, with the consciousness working from above playing on the physical brain and tuning it to respond safely to the higher vibrations. Then it strove to draw the lower upwards (as Tavayogi says of our efforts that are only till the first two initial stages, Muladhara and Svadisthana) until it answered no longer to the stimuli of the outer world. This is a state of yoga - complete withdrawal of the consciousness from the Indriyas."

"Now making the mind steady, holding quiet the powers of the mind, the mind ceases to vibrate, and it becomes still - able to answer the vibrations coming from above."

As Bharathi sang "தன்செய லெண்ணித் தவிப்பது தீர்ந்திங்கு, நின்செயல் செய்து நிறைவுபெறும் வண்ணம், நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன் — கண்ணம்மா! நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன்!, "When the mind is made tranquil and quiet when no desire was allowed to trouble its serenity, as a lake in perfect calm, on that mind at rests and peace was thrown the reflection of the self."

Annie describes the change needed to be brought forth,

"The brain has to be changed, refined, improved, its connecting links fashioned and manufactured for the purposes of the expression of the higher consciousness." 

So it looks like there is a lot of work to be done here. It is not an easy task. No wonder Supramania Swami said we shall polish and keep polishing till it shines and Tavayogi said we shall come again and again to get it right. Maybe it is too late for us to venture into making the brain conducive to receive the consciousness and having it reflect the majesty and the glory of the self, but our children have been blessed coming with the right mindset to progress steadily and achieve what they came for as promised by Lord Muruga and Agathiyar. 

MIRACLES

Cyndi Dale writes in her book, "New Chakras Healing - The Revolutionary 32 Center Energy System", Llewellyn Publications, 2003, the following about miracles.

A physician will try his best to save a life but will tell us too that drugs only work sometimes, tests only reveal so much, and treatments only help some people. Even spiritualists will warn that faith can only take you so far.

They will eventually tell you to pray for a miracle to happen. They too believe that miracles can do wonders. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying the following on miracles. 

There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is a miracle.

Miracles are everywhere. Miracles are taking place every moment. It is just that a veil screens it from our sight. Removing that veil exposes us to these miracles and its workings. It is just whether we want to see it. Ask and it shall be shown.

When someone walks up to the mother of a sick child after the mass at the church and says to her face that she should consider if either she or her husband or her child had sinned, she is devastated and walks out of the church. 

Mother: It's been goin' on for quite a while now.

Other: Oh, well, longer than you can imagine. Well, since she's not been healed, it may be a good time for you and Kevin to ask yourselves some difficult questions.

Mother: I don't understand.

Other: Honey, Anna is not better, and she should be. Now, somebody's sins are preventing the healing. Either yours or Kevin's or maybe even Anna's.

Mother: Excuse me. (and walks away unable to hear or bear it any further) (Source: https://www.scripts.com/script/miracles_from_heaven_13818)

It is not the right thing to say especially to ones face. What she needs at that moment is words of confidence and words that strengthen her faith and hope. Agathiyar can talk about karma to us for he stands beyond the affliction of karma. Not us for we too are very well subjected to its law. It is for someone who has come out of it to best talk about it. He explains to make us understand why all the sufferings, pain, misery, delays, and obstacles are taking place. We can share it for the purpose of enlightening each other and understanding the chemistry of it. Even the one who understands well how the divine law works as a result of this cause and action, cannot tell another to the face that he, she, or their child is afflicted with a disease or illness or the accident was a result of karma. Agathiyar and the deities at times chose to remain mum or quiet not that they do not know but fearing how we are going to swallow the truth chose to deviate, or send us on doing several remedies, buying time for time is known to heal old wounds. They too give us hope and ask that we have faith. Finally, we will come to terms with reality and settle within accepting our fate. 

Continuing our story, the divine chooses to help the sick child and the family through a freak accident. She falls into the hollow trunk of a dead tree some 3 storey high, head first. How is that helpful to a family that is already distressed and lost for answers? The child is rushed to the hospital by the paramedics, after some 3 hour attempt at getting her body that shows no signs of life, out of the giant hollowed-out tree, that swallowed her. The doctor meets her parents and has this to say.

I, uh, don't know how to say this, but other than the possibility of a slight concussion, your daughter has no broken bones, complete movement of all her limbs. There's no internal bleeding, no indication of bruising. In fact, after hitting the ground skull first with dirt packed to the top of her head, she regained consciousness, woke up with a smile on her face. Quite frankly, I've been a doctor for 25 years. Never seen anything like it. (Source: https://www.scripts.com/script/miracles_from_heaven_13818)

She survives and comes out of her comatose state, smiling. This is opposed to the findings of the paramedic team just some hours ago!

Chief, the victim's unresponsive. We don't know the extent of her injuries just yet. She's still unresponsive. Can't confirm that, though. Just notify Fort Worth Hospital that injuries have left her comatose at this time. Scratches on her arm, on her face as well...(Source: https://www.scripts.com/script/miracles_from_heaven_13818)

She saw God. She wants to stay. He chose to send her back, healed of course! Isn't that a miracle?

When she asked if her daughter had shared her story of being in heaven with others fearing what others would say, the child answers, "Its okay mum. They get there when they get there."

Showing up in the strangest ways and places, even through passers-by, miracles are surely God's way of letting us know that he is there for us, says the mom of the child to the congregation at church. 

Baptist minister Don Piper is found without any signs of life in a car wreck. A fellow pastor and friend who comes by manages to convince the police who have sealed off the area to let him through, prays for him holding his hand. He survives and although takes a long time to get back on his feet with the aid of external fixators in his arm and leg and with crutches heads back home, with a learning and a lesson while at the hospital and the experience of leaving his body at being with God after the impact. He thanks his friend who came by to pray for him at the site of the accident, only that the friend says he did not hold his hands for there was no way he could have gained access into the car! The firemen arrived only later to free his body from the wreck. Who did hold his hand in prayer then? Isn't that a miracle?

"90 Minutes in Heaven", and "Miracles from Heaven" both based on a true story, bring these stories to the small screen.

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN is based on the incredible true story of the Beam family. When Christy discovers her 10-year-old daughter Anna has a rare, incurable disease, she becomes a ferocious advocate for her daughter's healing as she searches for a solution. After Anna has a freak accident, an extraordinary miracle unfolds in the wake of her dramatic rescue that leaves medical specialists mystified, her family restored and their community inspired. (Source: https://www.scripts.com/script/miracles_from_heaven_13818)

When does a miracle take place then? Only after we have put in all our efforts and we step aside that providence, the divine and nature does its thing. Since day one we have been shown miracles that cannot be explained, that is beyond logical thinking. Run through these pages if you have the time.

https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2019/07/let-us-go-back-to-being-child.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2019/02/mysterious-means-to-healing.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2018/12/miracles-miracles-more-miracles.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-miracle-of-worship.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2018/06/miracles.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-miracle-of-birth.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/10/miracles-of-agathiyar-part-1-saving.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/10/miracles-of-agathiyar-part-2-saving.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/10/miracles-of-agathiyar-part-3-bundle-of.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/10/miracles-of-agathiyar-part-4-saved-from.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-miracle.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/11/more-miracles.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-miracle-at-nattadreeswarar-temple.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/09/miracles.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/09/miracles-2.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/07/welcome-to-sidha-heartbeat-home-of.html

ATTENDING CLASS

We never came knowing everything. We slowly started to pick up the pieces by observing, listening and repeating. Then learning the alphabets we picked up recognition of words. Slowly we made sentences. We began to comprehend stories told or read. Thus started our journey of learning lessons and gaining experience from them. 

Programs undertaken by PTS are rarely planned but they take off the ground almost immediately. Rather than gather others to sit, talk, discuss and plan these programs, we set off doing it if we think the ideas brought up by fellow members are feasible and practical and of course provided we have the funds. Going to the ground only then we begin learning lessons from the experiences encountered.

And so we started providing groceries, cooked food, clothing and other needs to orphanages for a start. Bala Chandran identified the home. We provided the same to old folks homes too. Again Bala identified and verified them. We provided food to devotees at temples too in conjunction with the Nei Deepam Yetrum Vizha or lighting of lamps, again initiated by Bala. Shanga introduced a home for the elderly too where we provided food and groceries. Then we set off to the streets to feed and clothe the homeless, lead by Sri Krishna from Pothihai Dharma Chakram. Then we turned our attention to the poor in their homes following in the footsteps of Vintha. Agathiyar had given her an alternative to performing a remedy in India. He asked her instead to feed 8 families for 8 months right here. She identified these families in dire straits, in need of assistance and food at the PPR flats. PTS took it up from there. Our outlook of life changed and we began to understand it better as life showed us how it deals a blow to some and pampers others when we took a walk through the corridors of these homes. We thank Vintha who began this wonderful deed of feeding these families where we joined in by providing groceries. This is indeed the most satisfying deed we have done to date. Here we have all the above-mentioned categories of people, namely the old, mentally challenged, physically disabled, and kids, under one roof. We began to serve their daily needs by providing cooked food that appeased their hunger; groceries that helped sustain them for a month; giving them an ear in listening to their stories; providing clothing that they wore immediately on their visits out of their pent-up homes; and we brought them cheer in organizing activities and games, thanks to Captain Ariva and his brother Perarulalan. These householders look towards us for these aids often mentioning to us outwardly their gratitude. Occasionally a doctor in our team, Dr. Jana visits them to check in on them and provide certain medical supplies.

It is fulfilling to carry out the responsibility and trust laid on us by our small group of contributors. We understand pretty well that we have been entrusted with the job of channeling funds received from these good souls doing their part towards charity. We intend to do a good job of it, making sure these contributions from hard earn wages of our contributors are put to good use and goes to the most deserving. 

If initially, we dropped off the standard items and supplies we thought they would use, at the doorway of these family homes and walked way, today we are catering to the individual needs of these families. We are learning to tune and fine-tune the services provided so that it is delivered in the shortest time and to ensure that it goes to the right home. We have identified many shortfalls and weaknesses in the delivery system along the way. We have opted to adopt the following procedures while purchasing, packing and distributing the groceries. 

Once the groceries are purchased, we shall pack them together and label them accordingly to the recipient complete with their addresses. Those who purchase groceries and other items individually will do the same and send it over. We shall assign and designate individual volunteers to the respective homes of these families when we come together to collect the groceries from AVM. It is then the responsibility of the individual to, as in the child's play where he/she has to carefully deliver the egg placed in the spoon to its destination, collect it from AVM and have it delivered to the assigned unit or household. He/She is responsible for the safe delivery of the commodity right from picking it up till it is handed over to their recipient.

For those arriving newly to participate, we expect them to give a hand to the individuals assigned earlier, in carrying these groceries and delivering them to the doorsteps of these homes. We request them not to "interview us" or ask questions at that moment for it distracts the attention of the persons-in-charge. We expect the volunteers not to continue their talk while in the lifts for we then tend to miss the floors while engaged in talking. We need to be focused on the task at hand. We advise those following not to promise any items asked or requested by the householders. They can listen but they need to tell them that they shall forward their requests to the working committee. We strictly discourage large groups of people or families who turn up out of curiosity just to have a look at what is going on or to see the state or condition of these householders, without giving a hand in carrying the goods or extending other forms of aid. We are not visiting the zoo. Neither are they circus freaks. They are very ordinary people like you and me trying to survive a day.

Agathiyar has sent us out of the comfort of our homes to see for ourselves and come up with programs to feed and aid others. We have walked the mile and have observed what needs to be done and what needs to be dropped. He is teaching us through these souls many lessons in life. At the end of the day, we each become more experienced and refine in our task. It is again a learning curve for us at PTS.

LEARNING, EXPERIENCING & GAINING WISDOM

In all the texts, songs, views, and sayings of the learned and wise and the divine too, two words stand out significantly: learning and experience - learning as in a lesson learned from experience and, experience that brings about or leads to wisdom or jnana. We are told that we have come to learn and experience. Within this short lifespan, we gather all the knowledge gained from these experiences that we receive through life's lessons. Then we pack our bags and leave to return again and continue the learning process in this never-ending drama, schooling for life.

As each day passes we are beginning to comprehend more and more what Ma meant when she said the path of the Siddhas is one of learning (and with it comes the experience that brings lessons to us). Our learning is another's knowledge, wisdom or jnana. That is how the divine experiences of the saints stood the tests of time and became a beacon for us to follow. Similarly, the experiments of the scientists have taught the world much, enlightening us too in many aspects. The many autobiographies of both the famous and the not so famous have taught us lessons in life, lessons in decision making, lessons in making investments, etc. The world is a potpourri of experiences waiting to be tapped, read, listened to and used by others.

Cyndi Dale in her book "New Chakras Healing - The Revolutionary 32 Center Energy System", Llewellyn Publications, 2003 quotes Marlo Morgan from his "Mutant Message Down Under", on the wisdom of aboriginal teachers called Real People.

All human beings are spirits only visiting this world. All encounters with other people are experiences, and all experiences are forever connections. Real People close the circle of each experience.

We do not leave ends frayed..if you walk away with bad feelings in your heart for another person, and that circle is not closed, it will be repeated later in life. You will not suffer once, but over and over until you learn. It is good to observe, to learn, and become wiser from what has happened. 

Going through life and its lessons that it has to offer we build up our store of experiences that comes in handy when the need arises. Besides this, we are learning from the experience of others around us too. The mother has a fair share of experiences to share. The father too. Then we have the grandparents and their experiences from a different era. Then there are the movies. Let it be a movie based on a true story or on historical facts or about a person. Let it be the adventure of a hiker, the mouth-watering delicacies prepared by a chef, or a social worker. The camera follows him as he tracks, climbs and finally sits perched precariously on a rock sharing the magnificent view - his view and his experience with us sitting perched on the edge of the sofa in the comfort of our homes. Then we learn from the chef his secrets to making a tasty dish. And we learn to see the world of those living in poverty, in distress, etc through the lens of the social worker.

Reading a book too takes us to the very era and time the story takes place. It takes us inside the mind of another person as Carl Sagan speaks of books.

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."[Cosmos, Part 11: The Persistence of Memory (1980)]”― Carl Sagan, Cosmos.

If both the camera and the books can bring one immediately to experience another's experience, following in the footsteps of one too brings an equally exciting and memorable experience. Thus came about the concept of Gurukulam, spiritual masters and religious teachers. Tavayogi shared his former experiences tracking into the jungles and spending the nights in dark, damp caves that he had gone through some ten years back by bringing me along on the same track. I was surprised that he could find his way in the jungle with the jungle changing every minute. Even after having left these places for so long he walked ahead of me with so much confidence as if he still remembered every stone, tree, and rock on the path, and the joy of returning home expressed on his face.

Agathiyar too gave us lots of chores by way of worship and rituals that brought us new learning, lessons, and experience. Today we can comprehend to a certain extent the wisdom of the wise. The divine cosmos fulfills all our desires. When the desire and thought for something is great, a path is created anew in space and time for the desire to take shape and take place. It is just a matter of time when it all comes into place. But be forewarned that the results might or might not be to our favor, to our liking or as expected. One might question why these divine laws or the promises given by their apostles or messengers are often broken, not fulfilled or delayed or are not to our expectations. As Agathiyar told me we needed these experiences too, that of accepting delays, failures and disappointments too. Having gone through disappointments and failures one comes out of it stronger. The divine does not interfere or mess around with others lives. There is a divine law in place that executes all happenings. But when a prayer, desire or wish is placed or put forward to him he obliges to step in. The divine studies our past records, the present deeds and the many possibilities that the future holds for us. Some of our askings could bring consequences that are detrimental to the health, wealth and well being of the person. So the divine buys time, sending us on what might be called a wild goose chase for some, but during this interim period, the person meets others and gains new experiences, that help build confidence in him, bringing some peace and calm. Eventually, we would drop, or these desires or our wants, would drop on its own. We will move on to new terrains and new experiences. Soon we will stop wishing and submit to his will. The divines way of getting us to lose our hold on all things material and related to the world and instead turn our attention towards strengthening the soul within begins in a subtle manner, thenceforth. But sadly we do not understand the inner workings of the divine and lose faith in them, belittle them, thinking that they have failed us and never kept their promises.

The intelligence, although is seen as a wish-fulfilling Genie for most folks, apparently for those who have taken refuge in him, vets through these desires of theirs without blindly granting them. For those who continuously connect with the divine and surrender their lives to it, the divine begins to draw a new path and carve a new life for them. Then it becomes not a matter of fulfilling their desires but that of the divine energy that now takes charge in all matters. When personal desires are dropped the personal karma accumulated too sees a drop. When personal desires are transformed into those carried out for the well being of others, the community, and society, karma does not attach its stigma to these actions.

Cyndi Dale says of how the charitable acts can transform karma.

Karma is only important because it leads us to dharma; the dharmic conversion process is the only one that can help us transform karmic energy ( from pain to wisdom). If karma is the process which pulls us back toward our past, dharma is the process which pulls us forward toward our future. Dharma is actually another word for purpose.

Life now has a new purpose - that of serving others. In serving others existing karma is drastically reduced. Hence the reason Agathiyar shows us the door out and starts us feeding and serving others immediately after our Nadi readings. Cyndi speaks of dharma as the key to transformation just as Agathiyar, Buddha, Ramalinga Adigal, Jagannatha Swamigal, Chitramuthu Adigal, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Neem Karoli Baba, Rengaraja Desigar, Tavayogi, and many other saints have reiterated time and again of the importance of feeding and serving others. Wiederman too subscribes to this thought. Cyndi quotes Frederic Wiederman: "It (dharma) is to serve (other) life and increase god consciousness ... the souls calling can be viewed as a blueprint which contains information as to why we are here." Our karma that is energy, if converted to dharma expediates the process of clearing the backlog of baggage we carry and helps speed up "the healing process of the soul and soul body which is integrated with the mind and the physical body."

Cyndi Dale shares further Frederic Wiederman's view on karma from his "Between Two Worlds: The Riddle of Wholeness, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1986. Frederic Wiederman sees karma as "the sum total of the consequences of all our actions .. regardless of whether our actions create positive or negative karma, the law of karma, assures that we must experience the return of the effects of our actions. While this may seem binding... it is in reality very freeing."

Dr. Krishnan, astrologer and Siddha practitioner once told me that many fear and shun the approach of Saturn's Dasa and Buthi in their horoscopes. But the coming of Saturn into our lives and its planetary effects on us that is feared and dreaded by many is a blessing for it provides an avenue, the environment, and circumstance for us to work out our debts or karma. Indeed there is an opportunity for us to expedite the process of exhausting the karma that we have accumulated and in the event, free ourselves from the clutches and the chain that binds us to repetitive birth and death. The next time you see someone going through a tough period understand that the divine is helping them clear their backlog of karma thus helping them go through the process speedily.

As Wiederman views the law of karma as a "cosmic feedback system which allows us to become conscious of our deeds and therefore learn from them", time and again we are brought back into the classroom to learn lessons on how to live life properly. As Supramania Swami said "Never mind we shall work on it" saying we are being polished to shine, as in metal wares, here we will be subjected to polishing till we shine in the brilliance of the divine. Tavayogi too says its all right to come back again to work on polishing our wares to shine in the brilliance of the divine light. 

GURU PURNIMA

For the first time, after 149 years, the Chandra Grahan (lunar eclipse) will coincide with Guru Purnima on 16 July. It is a festival celebrated by Hindus and Buddhist where they pay respect and show their gratitude to their spiritual and academic teachers. (Source: https://www.firstpost.com)

This day is of spiritual significance to both Hindus and Buddhist. 

According to Hinduism, Guru Purnima celebrates the birth of Veda Vyasa, the famous sage who is said to have edited the Vedas dividing them into four; he also wrote the Puranas which is considered the 'fifth Veda' and the Mahabharata. It is believed that on this day, prayers reach the Mahaguru directly and his blessings evade darkness and ignorance from a disciple's life.

According to Buddhism, on this day, Gautam Budhha delivered his first sermon or teaching to his first five disciples after he migrated from Bodhgaya to Sarnath. Thereafter, the 'Sangha' or the community of His disciples was formed.

(Source:  https://www.prokerala.com/festivals/guru-purnima.html)

When Supramania Swami passed away in 2006, Agathiyar told me to bring him to mind each Thursday during Puja. Thursdays are auspicious to the Gurus too. Agathiyar has asked to reflect on the guru and his words or teachings. That was sufficient he said. Tavayogi too told me to pray that his soul is placed with the divine. That was sufficient he said.

Tavayogi, knowing pretty well that I would hold on to his physical form and offer obeisance and worship his image, stopped me in my track the day I showed outright joy and happiness in having him visit my family home back in 2005. I am glad he did that although it hurt so much then. He showed me instead to Agathiyar and asked me to hold on to him tight. All the saints come to dispel the darkness, ignorance and the veil that prevents us from knowing our true self. They work to bring us back on track to return to the source, starting us with external worship of the divine and slowly bringing us within. Sadly we chose to worship the guru in physical form instead of forgetting his message to go beyond form and reach out to the source that is within the Guru and all of us. Tavayogi too had to take a physical form to carry out his mission here, representing what Agathiyar stood for and preaching the Siddha ways. Now that it is done he has merged with Agathiyar. We need not start the worship of him in the form he took in this birth. Now that he has merged with Agathiyar, today even as Tavayogi is with us in the subtle form guiding us on, we do not worship his form. We see him in the bronze statue of Agathiyar at ATM.

ANNADHANAM

Bala Chandran and his family circle have committed to and are continuing the tradition of feeding the homeless, the unfortunate, the neglected, the poor and the hungry all these years. It brings joy in being associated with these souls who care for the welfare of others in need.

THE ART & PURPOSE OF LAYING KOLAM

Yesterday as part of the ladies' wing of Agathiyar Tapovanam Malaysia (ATM)'s program, the ladies gathered together to learn the art of laying Kolam and tying the flower garland from Mrs. Shanti Balachander. Of course, some men could not resist and tried their hands at it too. The ladies and gents too, had fun learning this art forms.

Balachander Aiya shared the following on this subject.

In her 2018 book, "Feeding a Thousand Souls: Women, Ritual and Ecology in India, an Exploration of the Kōlam", she (Vijaya Nagarajan) explains how the act of drawing a kolam is considered an offering to all beings. According to Vijaya Nagarajan, a professor at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Francisco, it is a metaphor for harmony. The powder, made of rice flour, is safe for ants, birds, bugs and insects to eat. So that every morning, the household can start its day with a ritual representing generosity. The art form is said to have originated in the Indus Valley Civilisation around 2500 BC, although there lies some dispute about the same. The term ‘kolam’ represents beauty, embodying the absolute symmetry of lines around a grid of dots and natural motifs like leaves and flowers.Interestingly, owing to its complexity, mathematicians and computer scientists like Marcia Ascher, a professor emerita of Mathematics at Ithaca College, have been studying it as an unusual example of the expression of mathematical ideas in a cultural setting."

Bala Aiya adds, "The powder, made of rice flour, is safe for ants, birds, bugs and insects to eat. So that every morning, the household can start its day with a ritual representing generosity", - Jeeva karuniyam."

In "South Indian Customs" by PV Jagadisa Ayyar, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1985, the author writes, "The use of pulverized grain for the purpose has besides religious importance has its own moral purpose to serve to wit kindness to inferior insects."

There is an underlying truth here. Rather than have them seek food making their way into our homes and becoming a nuisance, they instead are fed and kept outside the home. The art of Kolam trains the maidens in freehand drawing too he adds. 

For those who cannot afford to take time to sit and contemplate in meditation, if this practice is assimilated in their daily lives, focus, attention, and concentration, at least for these few minutes, is gained in this daily chore. 

The Buddhists monk are known to create the Mandala that is a depiction of the universe, painstakingly working on it for hours, only to destroy their creation. 

At https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/customs/mandala.shtml an enlightening account of this ceremony is given.

A mandala is a symbolic picture of the universe. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing. According to Buddhist scripture, mandalas constructed from sand transmit positive energies to the environment and to the people who view them. They are believed to effect purification and healing. Mandala sand painting was introduced by the Buddha himself.

The design of the mandala is marked with chalk on a wooden platform. This meticulous process takes an entire day. Starting from the centre and concentrically working outwards, the monks use metal funnels called chak-pur to place millions of grains of dyed sand to make the elaborate patterns. The vibrations of the chak-pur being grated with a metal rod cause the sands to flow like liquid. Other popular substances are powdered flowers and herbs or grains. In ancient times powdered precious and semiprecious gems were also used.

Once the mandala is complete the monks ask for the deities' healing blessings during a ceremony. As the monks chant, one monk begins the destruction of the mandala by scraping a knuckle through the sand, creating a cross of grey sand. Another monk takes a paintbrush and slowly and carefully sweeps the sand from the perimeter to the centre of the mandala. The destruction of the mandala serves as a reminder of the impermanence of life. The coloured sand is swept up into an urn and dispersed into flowing water - a way of extending the healing powers to the whole world. It is seen as a gift to the mother earth to re-energise the environment and universe.

Another aspect of the mandala designs is seen in the yantra. In https://upliftconnect.com/sacred-power-of-yantra/ we are given an insight into the various forms of yantra and its significance. It says the yantra is the deepest representation or a symbol: "A mapping of the human body through sacred geometry. A Yantra is like a place holder, a fixed image which roots the divine into the matter."

Mavis Gewant is quoted: "Yantra gives a pattern to energy. By creating a Yantra, one sits for hours absorbed in the energy of the particular deity they are working with. When one chants the corresponding Mantra, both hemispheres of the brain are activated, eventually creating a state of one-pointedness, healing, and transformation. The Yantra that is a symbolic reminder of a chosen deity, called your Ishta Devata is likened to a map to help you find your way." 

The website informs us further: "In the Tantric tradition there are three important ways to invoke and work with specific aspects of creation, called Devas or Devis. We can invoke the deity through sound (mantra), visualization (yantra) or by making offerings to an idol, which represents the deity."

In my teens, I used to draw pictures of deities on paper and the walls of my home and in temples. It gave much satisfaction and fulfillment being connected to the physical aspects of the deities, coming to actually see and understand rather than give a glance as many do. Those hours I spent right from pencil drawing to painting brought me into a state of concentration and focus that delighted me. I guess I covered the visualisation aspect then.

When I told Dr Krishnan, a medical astrologer, Siddha medicine practitioner and friend, that I was asked to come to the worship of Agathiyar, he prepared me a yantra that is said to carry the significance of a specific mantra or a process. It is said to be a device or instrument to garner the energy of a particular deity to come down and reside in an idol, a place, the home, or temple, sort of a SIM card in a cell phone, that gives access to certain people we know whose numbers are saved within. Just as a "SIM - short for Subscriber Identity Module - is a piece of plastic that slots into your smartphone (or mobile phone) that acts as your unique ID, so that you can connect to a mobile phone network" with the dialing or invocation of the accompanying mantra, a connection is made and the divine is accessible to us directly at all times. I guess I covered the mantra and yantra aspect too.

Then Agathiyar brought me to care for his idol in my home. I fill complete, having gone through a process that was outlined by the divine in my journey towards getting back to the source. Whether I achieve it or not, whether it is possible in this birth or not, is immaterial, for the effort has been made. If there is a need to come back to continue, so be it.

A NEW TEMPLE FOR ECO CITY AGATHIYAR

Agathiyar and all the other deities at Eco City have a new home now. They have moved to another spot just adjacent to the site of the old temple to make way for development.

The Old

https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2017/05/annual-guru-puja-for-agathiyar-at-eco.html

https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/02/agathiyar-sri-sakthi-nageswari-amman.html

The New

YOGA

There is the story of six blind men who were asked to describe the elephant that we have all heard about. Each gives a description of what they behold by touch, smell and hearing. It all varies. But they are describing the same thing.

When I attended a course on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) we were shown a credit card and asked to described what we saw from where we sat. We each described the card from our seats. The description varied. But we were all describing the same card. 

Then in the same class we were told to draw an elephant. I drew mine quite easily while the others struggled. Finally after we presented our master pieces the facilitator told us it was his turn to draw now. He just placed a dot on the wide paper and told us that was an elephant - seen from space. 

Its all about perspective. We base our judgement on whatever little learning we have had, a bit of our experience, what we have heard, mostly hearsay as garnishing, and our individual judgement as toppings and present our dish or opinion to others. So do others to. Is this the truth then?

"We need to understand that the truth is one but the visions of it are many" says Jeffrey Armstrong in "Spiritual Teachings of the Avatars - Ancient Wisdom for a New World", Atria Books, 2010.

Just as Tavayogi describes the distinction between Vignanam or science as the study of matter that changes and Meignanam that is the study of the soul that never changes, Jeffrey states first there is the study of the matter as general science. Logic comes in to verify and accept the findings. Then matter is placed under a microscope and studied as atomic physics. This three stages or darshans mainly describes our relationship with matter.

"Yoga forms the bridge that links all these studies that help understand its true essence, re-establishing with the transcendental," he continues. "Yoga teaches us to understand the essence of everything not just as theory but also through direct connection. It is especially aimed at empowering individuals with the ability to form a link or connection of direct experience between themselves and anything with which they are in contact."

"Yoga is the stage in seeing where each student, starting with the physical and moving toward the invisible realms both here and beyond, is taught how to have a direct experience of the true essence of everything with which they come in contact."

"Beyond yoga the visions like rituals and mantras serve to inform us of higher beings and the transcendental reality that is not directly visible here, becoming direct links to the devas," he explains.

"Finally, the goal is reached where the transcendental reality is described."

Jeffrey says the purpose of yoga is to live in a way that leaves you clear and self-directing at the moment your body is up for recycling. For that to take place we have to live in the most cooperative way with nature.

Our soul has been caged for too long in the numerous bodies we took that it has forgotten that it can fly. It ends up taking yet another birth. Tavayogi once told me that the soul should not be caged. He was here to help us understand that it needed to be freed and free. 

YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR

Yogi Ramsuratkumar went into Maha Samadhi on 20 February 2001. I did not know him then. I only came to know about him in 2003, two years after his departure from the physical form. I was brought to meet my Guru Supramania Swami by accident. Of course these days we pretty well understand nothing happens accidentally in this world. For those who take charge of their lives, providence steps back and watches. He or she assumes full responsibility for all things said and done. For one who surrenders to him his will, providence takes charge of his life. HE assumes full responsibility for all things said and done.

Heeding Agathiyar's advice that I go to India to carry out certain remedies or atonement for my past doings that had brought on me the wrath of karma, I left for India in 2003, a year after I read the Nadi. As I was to circumambulate the Holy Hill at Tiruvannamalai on a full moon day as requested by Agathiyar, I had some time on my hands. So I asked Deva who chauffeured me around about seeing an astrologer to chart my daughter's horoscope. He told me his uncle was an astrologer at Tiruvannamalai. And so we arrived at the doorsteps of Supramania Swami's cottage home in a village some 8 kilometers away from the town center. Providence had planned that he was to become my guru that day. 

I spent 5 hours with him that day. He spoke about himself and his gurus. He then spoke about why I had come and what I would become. That was the very first time I heard Yogi Ramsuratkumar's name mentioned. The Yogi was one of his gurus.

I came back to Malaysia and learnt more about the Yogi. Many wonderful books written on him showed the greatness of the Yogi who humbly called himself a beggar. All that I read about him brought me to compile a book on him too available at  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hq9IfYyrnn7OwjU11cXcXUxBO4iexw4x/view and another at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zrx_4OZnF7ss8754vh6W6r5afD6P_Sew/view

When one carries no desire or will of his own but surrenders to the will of the divine, he becomes divine. The divine moves in him and moves him too. That was the state of surrender of the Yogi. That was the state of the Yogi too.

"Whenever my Father wants this beggar to talk, this beggar talks, whenever my Father wants this beggar to keep silence, this beggar keeps silence, whenever my Father wants this beggar to laugh, this beggar laughs, whenever my Father wants this beggar to weep, this beggar weeps. Wherever my Father keeps this beggar, whatever my Father does with this beggar, this beggar would just submit to his Father’s will. This beggar knows Father cannot commit any mistake. Whatever He does, He does for the good of the whole cosmos. So, nothing is wrong in this world, nothing is sin in this world. Every thing happens, happens by the will of my Father. So, nothing is wrong in this world. Everything is perfectly alright." - Yogi

The Yogi when he was around in the physical form, called on all to chant his name.

The Yogi always reminded others around him of the significance of his Name. He repeatedly says, ”This name Yogi Ramsuratkumar is not this beggar’s name. It is my Father’s Name. My Father has invested in this Name. Whoever remembers this name my Father will come to their rescue. Catch hold of the Divine Name and go on doing your work in the world. That’s enough. Remember this beggar’s Name, Yogi Ramsuratkumar. You need not do any other rituals other than chanting the Name Yogi Ramsuratkumar. The Name Yogi Ramsuratkumar is not this beggar’s Name; it is my Father’s Name. For this beggar’s friends, this Name Yogi Ramsuratkumar is enough. If you remember this Name, you need not worry about your spiritual growth. My Father will take care of you. My Father will see that you will reach my Father safely. For all other people, let them remember any other God’s Name which they like. My Father alone exists. Nobody else. Nothing else. In the past, in the present and in the future, My Father alone exists.” - Yogi

If in 2003 my guru Supramania Swami first spoke about his guru the Yogi to me, on my second visit in 2005, he brought his guru to join me and him in chanting his (the Yogi) name. This was a miracle that materialized and was made possible by the joint act of both the Yogi and his disciple Supramania Swami just for me. I am blessed indeed. I shall cherish that moment all my life. 

If Supramania Swami made his guru rise from his samadhi and join us in the chant, he too materialized himself at my home after his samadhi, following the "footsteps" of his guru, an eventful evening that I have written about at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BNLP9fdJ2OFQzVgSBsvp0x3RAMYeyDFJ/view

Then the Yogi himself chooses to come to ATM. A devotee who was finding it difficult to establish when the divine speaks through another devotee and when the devotee was himself, was trying to establish the personality shifts that took place in her friend who often is used by the divine as a medium. So she thought she could outsmart the divine thinking that the deities of the Hindu pantheon would only speak Tamil, so she asked him in English, "Are you okay bro?" to which her friend replied, "Okay!" She had verified that it was indeed her friend. She said that she would use this approach henceforth to establish and differentiate the divine speaking, from her friend speaking. Some moments later after dressing Father up, when we all sat for prayers, the Yogi came and spoke in English through another devotee! She was dumbfounded! The divine saw through her game and played a game on her instead, to our amusement!

Balakumaran who sat beside the Yogi most of the days too extolls the greatness of the Yogi. He shares a story of a devotee who came to see the Yogi and wanted to rush back to Tirupathi to have the darshan of the Lord there. The Yogi told him all was there and somehow held him back for some time. But after several attempts at seeking permission to leave, the man left with his entourage eventually. Once at Tirupathi he saw the vision of the Yogi in the Lord!

A similar story is told of Guhai Namachivayar of Tiruvannamalai and his student Guru Namachivayar. The Guru who saw that his student had himself attain the status of a guru after Guru Namachiyar explained that he was beating off the fire at Chidambaram temple when questioned why he kept slapping his thigh, told his disciple to leave for Chidambaram immediately. Guru Namachivayar refused to leave for he had a strong attachment to his guru. Upon commanding him to leave, finally, his student relented only after the Guru told him that he will meet him there at Chidambaram. To Guru Namachivayar's surprise as he entered the chamber of Lord Siva there was his Guru giving darshan as Siva himself!

VENTURING INTO THE DIFFERENT MENTAL STATES

When Tavayogi told us not to remain in the Bakti Marga or path and to move on inviting us to the Jnana Marga, he meant that we have to progress and not remain stagnated at one stage or level. Ramalinga Adigal too moved on rapidly from beginning with the worship of Lord Muruga, Lord Shiva, Ma, Lord Nadaraja and went within to see the Light or Jhothi and working towards materializing as the Jhothi itself. The Siddha path is alive and lively. Just as the Butterfly goes through metamorphosis and change we need to transform both our thinking and the very structure of our constitution. While we are engaged in bringing change in us externally, subtle changes take place on the subtle level without our knowledge occasional prodding us with obvious signs.

Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brainwaves. There are four categories of these brainwaves, ranging from the most activity to the least activity. (Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-t-1997-12-22/) Sophy Burnham in her book "The Art of Intuition - Cultivating Your Inner Wisdom, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2011, clearly explains in simple terms the various mental states of activities that go on from engaging in activities to sitting still.

The brain produces electrical impulses all the time that have both frequency and amplitude. The amplitude shows the power of the impulse, as measured in microvolts. The frequency is the speed of these waves, measured in cycles per second or hertz, and there are four frequencies beta, alpha, theta and delta.

A fifth the mysterious gamma wave is found in spiritually evolved lamas and spiritual giants when they are meditating.. 

Your state of consciousness arises from the fluid combination of these four frequencies .. and the awakened mind use all four in symphonic harmony.

From https://www.mindlab.institute we gather the following.

It can be observed with an electroencephalograph or EEG which is a tool that allows researchers to note brain wave patterns. Brain waves are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other. In our sports performance, we start out with beta, but very quickly move into alpha and eventually theta. And when you are in intense creativity, you are having a mystical theta burst where you engage in deep dialogue with your divine mind and you’ll be surprised by your performance. This is the brain state of “being in the zone” where your work feels effortless.

Sophy breaks it down further into simpler terms,

Beta waves ranging from 38 - 15 Hertz are what most people use most of the time while involved in everyday activities.

We are told countless times not to use the cell phone while driving. And there are laws too to penalize those who are defiant of the rule and order. Here we are warned further about using the cellphone while driving. Using a cell phone while driving, says Sophy, not only splits our attention but it interrupts beta waves. The distorted beta brain wave frequencies can't compute an impending danger. You see the truck but cannot respond to it!

Alpha waves vibrate at and from 14 to 9 Hertz. We drop into a relaxed mode, everything takes on a sacred and holy radiance says Sophy. Nature itself vibrates at a frequency equivalent to alpha. Being in natures throws us into the alpha state automatically. Sophy says alpha is the bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind.

Theta waves vibrate at and from 8 to 5 hertz bringing us into the arena of the subconscious and long term memory. I suppose when Tavayogi told me he had access to his past births and lives during meditation, he must have gone into this state. Sophy writes, "In theta, you are moved by empathy and compassion. The lowest theta frequencies take you into deep meditation and have healing potential. In theta lies mystical and spiritual experiences.

Individuals who do a lot of freeway driving often get good ideas during those periods when they are in theta. Individuals who run outdoors often are in the state of mental relaxation that is slower than alpha and when in theta, they are prone to a flow of ideas. This can also occur in the shower or tub or even while shaving or brushing your hair. It is a state where tasks become so automatic that you can mentally disengage from them. The ideation that can take place during the theta state is often free flow and occurs without censorship or guilt. It is typically a very positive mental state. (Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-t-1997-12-22/)

Delta waves operate at and from 4 to 0.5 hertz bringing us to deep sleep and restorative rests she says. Geniuses and psychics have access to the delta. We are reminded here of the divine coming in dreams and informing the arrival of devotees special to them asking us to invite them into our homes or the temples. Again we have healing potential too.

They never go down to zero because that would mean that you were brain dead. Research has shown that although one brainwave state may predominate at any given time, depending on the activity level of the individual, the remaining three brain states are present in the mix of brainwaves at all times. (Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-t-1997-12-22/)

Sophy says, "When you are able to access all four wavelengths at will and when you add the power of heightened amplification then you have the attributes of the awakened mind." In delta and theta, we consciously create conditions. Hence we take our lives into our own hands changing fate at will, bringing on a new destiny. Sophy says in these levels we enter the spiritual realms in deep humility, compassion and gratitude which shows in the personalities of the great saints. Moving towards a paradigm shift we enter new states of awareness and understanding exactly what the saints did to evolve spiritually.

Sophy shares a beautiful thought with us. "When your prayers and inner longings are answered you remember your responsibility. You give thanks and pass the gifts along." This brings to my mind Supramania Swami who passed on his entire 40 years tavam to me. Let us give thanks too and pass the gifts along.

LET US GO BACK TO BEING A CHILD

Why do we need to prove the existence of the Divine or God? If we do not try to comprehend the workings of the sun that rises and sets daily without fail; we do not ask the reason the moon turns up every night to show its brilliance; we do not try to comprehend the workings of the automobile before driving off; we do not want to figure out how the internet, the smartphone and all the appliances that make our lives easy and that we cannot live without now, works; if we have no interest in finding out the functions of this miraculous body given to us that is so close to us; why is it that we need to know proof of God to believe him? Why can't we accept that there is a force out there, like the many forces science has proven, that has created and is driving us too? As Manikavasagar says in his Sivapuranam, "Avan Arulale Avan Thal Paninthu", it is only with his grace that we shall know him one should understand that God never gave you a calling yet. 

Upon seeing a medical doctor we take his advice and medicine and move on. We do not explore the contents of the medicine. We do not investigate the test results, the x-rays, or other records. Neither do we investigate the doctor. We only want to be cured. We went on our own accord seeking a cure.

Similarly, we go to the Nadi reader to listen to what the Siddhas have to say. Why does anybody want to investigate the reader, the Nadi, or the Siddhas? Why can't we accept the message and move on? The Nadi reader did not invite or drag us to have a reading. We went on our own accord.

Similarly enrolling in an ashram why would one want to investigate the guru? The guru did not coax us into stepping into his ashram. We went on our own accord.

As such why do you end up having a confrontation with them having gone to meet them on your own? You do not investigate your teacher at school. You do not investigate the lecturer who tutored you. You do not investigate the one who speaks at a seminar. 

Why do we need to refute and challenge another's views, opinions, beliefs, and faith? Why do we need to ridicule others? Why do we need to end up being enemies just because we differ in our opinions or belief? All our problems with inter-relationships is a result of a difference of opinion and our approach to issues on hand. We would understand a thing differently or want to tackle it in a different manner, but the moment we voice it out a debate takes place and ends on a sour note. All our quarrels and fights, be it in the family, workplace or between nations is because of differing opinions. Just because we cannot comprehend and understand one another we argue, have a showdown, leave the other camp, eventually sabotage the other camp stopping so low as to bad-mouth the others, write poison letters, calling another a cheat and a fraud and end up as enemies forever. 

Sophy Burnham quotes CG Jung in her book "The Art of Intuition - Cultivating Your Inner Wisdom, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2011, 

"I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud."

Sophy quotes Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,

"As soon as you trust yourself you will know how to live."

When we are familiar with things we tend to accept them over time without question. It's only when someone tries to bring change or voices a different approach or brings a different understanding and when one's ego feels threatened, that all hell breaks loose. But the world is continuously going through change. Nature is changing every moment. We are undergoing great changes each second. No days are the same. We are never the same. 

The elders say "Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum Onru" or that the child and God are one. Sophy quotes Ambrose Worrall, 

Not only are children the repositories of infinite possibilities but they also have within them still the murmur of angel wings, an essence of divinity, unscathed. They believe. They accept. They do not doubt in terms of adult doubt... Their innocence opens the gateway of faith and healing. 

Let's go back to being a child.

BELIEF + FAITH = MIRACLES

Reading my blog someone asked me how does Agathiyar come to you? He comes in mysterious ways. Ways that we cannot comprehend. To understand his presence one has to be willing to have a belief in miracles and faith in him. For instance, when we went to distribute groceries, cooked food, and clothes to the poor asking them to gather at a temple just some meters away from their flats, we needed some tables to lay out our wares. There were two that stood upright and another two left horizontal. We brought down the tables that were upright and laid them alongside the other two. After distributing all the groceries, food and clothes we brought along and having participated in the evening prayers, we prepared to leave. I was introduced to the temple chairman then. After a small talk, I asked him if we should put the tables upright again as we found them or leave it as it is. The temple chairman went into a panic mode realizing that we had moved the upright tables. It seems the two upright tables were holding up that portion of the roof! Phew! How were we supposed to know? Thank God the roof did not collapse. 

Each must have a mystical encounter to believe and understand the divine. But one has to get connected first. By being just grateful we become connected to the divine. Not asking for anything but thanking the divine for what has been showered, we become connected to the divine. Belief in him brings miracles. But sadly we want to see a miracle first before believing him. We challenge him to prove himself first before willing to believe him.

All the saint's songs had one thing in common. They were all grateful to the divine. There was never a song written, a task done, nor a journey started without mentioning a phrase of praise to the divine. Having connected with the divine forces, the magical show starts. We need only watch. 

Sophy Burnham quotes CG Jung in her book "The Art of Intuition - Cultivating Your Inner Wisdom, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2011, writes that although "the mystical encounter brings confusion, discomfort, and difficulty but it also brings hope, forgiveness, limitless, compassion, humility, gratitude, and a sense of oneness with everything around you. It brings an unselfish interest in others."

To understand the love of the divine for us we need to quieten down. It's only in these quiet moments that they speak. "You restore your soul in solitude", says Sophy. She quotes Jane Goodall that goes, 

"That still small voice that we speak of telling us what we ought to do. That I think is the voice of God. Of course, it is usually called the voice of conscience."

For a start, the mantra could help get us connected to the divine like tuning in to a radio station or frequency. Soon that is not necessary too. The mantra lives in us bringing about Siddhis. The mantra resonates within, healing the self and is easily absorbed by others in our presence as in osmosis. Sophy wrote upon meeting the Dalai Lama,

Such is the power that one energy field exerts upon another. For aren't we spiritual beings walking around in our light shields, merging and melding with one another by thought and energy?

It is said of the Buddha that his presence is felt even before he steps into a village.

When my daughter as a child was complaining of pain in the throat, the doctors examined her and could not find anything wrong with her. We brought her to the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields. We were blessed to have the Chief High Priest the late Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera see us personally. After hearing our case, he placed his hand slightly above her head and hummed the "m" syllable and sound in the last portion of the Pranava AUM for some moments. She was relieved of the pain.

Dr. Masaru Emoto after extensive research believes that the energy of thoughts, words, and music affects the molecular structure of water.

 

Krishna Madappa offers to test the gas discharge visualization or GDV device that measures electro-photonic glow on Sophy. The test results shocked her. All four colors collapse at the exact spot where she had surgery. But he promised to quickly heal her energy field. He gave her water that came from a nearby town Angel Fire in Mexico. Going back to the device for another round of test, all four colors flared more powerful than before with no injury visible at the knee.

I too was relieved of my back pain when the Arutperunjhoti Mantra was chanted into water held in a glass that I drank. As a child, a Chinese medium writing Chinese characters with red ink, burnt a strip of yellow colored rice paper that was held above a glass of water and had me drink it. I was cured. In later years, a Muslim healer used to chant Quranic verses into a glass of water and have me drink it. I was cured too. How's that for the miraculous power of energized water? How is that for the miraculous power of the creations and apostles of the divine?