If I had shared the various moments of excitement and joy that arose in the company of my gurus in physical form in the last post, we had an equally elevating experience in the midst of Agathiyar in our home. The greatest moment of excitement after embarking on the spiritual path was in having received Agathiyar in the form of a statue at our home. If he had come easy delivered to my doorstep or if I had purchased him off the shelf, we would not have seen such excitement. It was the manner it all came together and fell into place that brings back the excitement even as we go back recalling his arrival till this day.
Initially, Agathiyar wanted to grace the Jegathguru Sri Raghavendra Mritiga Brindavanam Kinta that was being built in Ipoh. He had asked to stop over at my home while waiting for the completion of the Brindavanam. But he chose to stay for good having another devotee contribute another bronze statue of him to the Brindavanam. This task was assigned to me in my Nadi reading. As Agathiyar had given the guidelines to commission his statue in Swamimalai, Varadaraj of the Bronze Creative traveled to Agasthiyampalli to see and take photos of Agathiyar.
Agathiyar in bronze in the foreground and his image at Agasthiyampalli in the background
Prior to his arrival, we were having his painting, in fact, several variations and a photo image of his statue at Agasthiyampalli. His bronze statue was made in the image of him at Agasthiyampalli.
The very first picture of Agathiyar I received that I began to worship to
Another picture that came my way that I worshiped
The following day after his arrival we had family and friends gathered to usher him and celebrate his Jayanthi that fell on Sunday 3 January 2010.
Then as family and friends wanted him over to their houses too, we arranged for puja in their homes too.
After visiting my nephew's home on Saturday 16 January 2010 Agathiyar stepped into his home again on Saturday 10 April 2010, this time accompanied by Tavayogi and Mataji who were visiting. A simple puja was conducted by Tavayogi.
This was followed by a puja at my home the next day graced by Tavayogi and Mataji.
On Tuesday 31August Agathiyar graced the home of 9 girls who stayed together.
The next day as the girls did the puja on their own Agathiyar opened his eyes in the painting of his at their home.
Agathiyar seen with an eye open in this snapshot taken with the camera of these girls
On Thursday 16 September 2010 these girls came over to participate in the puja at my home.
Then something strange happened as Agathiyar was drawn to a small temple in the small town of Karai in Perak. Asokan who wanted to have Agathiyar grace his home changed his mind as he was living in the military quarters. He invited me to bring Agathiyar to his hometown. As I was planning to go back too I agreed to bring Agathiyar over. It was a Sunday, 27 November 2011. Once there Asokhan changed the venue again bringing us to this temple instead of his mother's home. More strange phenomena took place while there. We were told on arrival that the previous temple priest had parted his way after having an argument with the temple management the night before our arrival. So we went ahead with lighting the sacrificial fire or Homam at 4pm just as how we do it back home. Sometime during this ritual, a priest arrives and takes his sit in the background. Soon we are told that he has come from the neighboring town to conduct the temple puja. I asked if he would carry out the libation or abhisegam for Agathiyar and he gladly agreed. Before that, he took the young caretaker priest and showed him the proper way to conduct the various puja at the numerous shrines of the deities. He began the abhisegam. What surprised us was that on arrival he had hurried the management telling them that he had to leave by 5 pm but remained to conduct the abhisegam and puja before leaving at 9pm. Who was he? Why did Agathiyar travel some 205 km to this small town and temple?
On Tuesday, 10 January 2012, devotees of Agathiyar gathered at my home to celebrate his Jayanthi. Both the Nadi Nool Aasan T.Ramesh and Thamaraiselvan graced the puja.
Suren dropped in frequently during these years. He would update us about Kallar Ashram as he traveled frequently to India too.
On Wednesday, 18 January 2012, he visited Agasthiyampalli and passed on the photos of Agathiyar there. Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli always had a place in our hearts as his image at this temple lives in both our homes and hearts.
On Sunday 20 May 2012 Agathiyar was invited by Maran to his home.
After this visit instead of Agathiyar going places, he had many seekers come over beginning 2013 to worship him at my home that took on a new name Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) for easy sharing of location. So did we start two WhatsApp groups AVM and AS to share the puja schedule and charity programs respectively. My family and I went over to Kallar Ashram where we were given the honor and privilege to sing before Agathiyar.
Jnana Joyhiamma arrived shortly after our return to Malaysia. Agathiyar opened his eyes in his bronze statue at our home on Wednesday, 16 October 2013 in her presence just as he did in his granite statue at Agasthiyampalli in 2005 in the presence of Tavayogi.
It was the greatest moment in our spiritual endeavor and adventure when Agathiyar as if to acknowledge the years of worship to him, gifted us with this rare sight and also appeared in the photo so that the rest of the world could see it too just as he saw all of us that day.
Soon after returning to India Jnana Jothiamma engaged in travel to numerous places that were related to the Siddhas and kept sending photos, videos, and information about her visits thus enlightening us too. Jnana Jothiamma visited Agasthiyampalli on Sunday 19 January 2014.
She returned again to AVM the following year for a brief three-day visit.
Why all this excitement about Agathiyar and his image at Agasthiyampalli one could ask? It was the first temple built for Agathiyar in this Kali Yuga by King Kuberan we are told as revealed to Dr. VN Jayapalan in his meditation.
In 2016 Tavayogi and Mataji arrived to bless my daughter at her wedding. After that, we went on a trail of bringing Agathiyar to the homes of some 9 devotees. The puja was graced by Tavayogi and Mataji. During this period and earlier we had brought Agathiyar out to the temples too. After that short duration and period of his travels to visit his devotees both at their homes and in the temples to our surprise, Agathiyar asked us not to move him anymore from AVM. Today Agathiyar sits at AVM only seeing selected devotees occasionally. As for us, we shall abide by his asking and wait for further instructions. The year 2016 also saw the AVM family members visit Kallar Ashram and several other places in India. A year later Tavayogi goes into samadhi leaving us to continue his work in Malaysia. In late 2019 Agathiyar dissolves the groups and gets us to go within with Yoga, taking a break from Sariyai and Kriyai, worship, and rituals. A year has passed and we await his directive.
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Although I never went looking for gurus, I was blessed to have two gurus in the physical form in my lifetime. Hoping to get answers from the divine I did puja morning and evening. All my search for answers centered around spiritual and religious books that I read. I read a lot and of course, the more I read the more I became confused. What was written in the text did not match with reality. At the brink of going cuckoo, I suppose Lord Shiva took pity on me and came to intervene. He came in a dream and asked me to keep my questions to a later date. I took heed of his advice and decided to stop all reading, engaging in Satsang, discussions, further searching, and worship. That later date he mentioned came some 14 years later. Emptied of all thoughts, opinions, judgments, and previous readings and knowledge, I stood a clean slate before Agathiyar in 2002 when I read my Nadi. I sat in awe as the mystical Nadi revealed about me and my past, my parents and siblings, career and future too. A year earlier the divine missionaries working through their divine machinery passed on to me the Narayana mantra and indicated that I shall meet my guru. Even then I was not excited. But I did as told. Lord Dhakshanamurthy came a few days later in the form of a painting again handed over by my nephew. I observed the Navarathri puja too as told. I came to understand that this was a forerunner to my very first Nadi reading the following year and meeting my guru in the next.
In 2003 I met my guru Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai without even knowing that he was to be my guru. There was neither anticipation nor excitement on meeting him but only sheer joy at sitting at his feet listening to him reveal about me as did Agathiyar in the Nadi. I shed tears for all the blessings. Supramania Swami who was an astrologer ironically did not chart my horoscope but went on revealing my story just sitting there with eyes closed. I was not there to know my future but to have my daughter's horoscope charted. Even after those amazing five hours, I spent with him and after he gave me an initiation mantra, it did not occur to me that I had just been with my guru. All these pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place only after I landed back in Malaysia. I took him to be my guru and we used to snail mail each other and occasionally speak over the phone as it was costly to make calls overseas then and he had to be at the STD booth to receive my return call. This bond between a father and son rather than guru-disciple continued till he passed away on 7.2.2006. Agathiyar in the Nadi told me that he had gone into samadhi. Before his demise, he told me he had seen the Jothi or Light. He had indicated to me that he would leave this world when he was 76 years of age. That too fell into place. He had even noted his exact day of demise in his diary that was recovered by his son after his death.
Two years into knowing Supramania Swami, I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal in Malaysia. Driven by the curiosity to know if the name on a pamphlet I had received during my Nadi reading was indeed this visiting Swamiji, I called up the number listed on the advert that made its round daily in the Tamil daily then, announcing the opening of a local chapter of his Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Kallar, Tamilnadu, India. It was him alright. Just as I began to leave I fell at his feet and was apprehended by him. He told me only to fall at Agathiyar's feet pointing me to a pair of wooden sandals. As I turned my attention to it and placed my hands on them, I burst crying for reasons I did not know. Tavayogi invited me to frequent the local peedham and over to his ashram in India. He invited me to bring along my family later that evening telling me that he would initiate me officially into the Siddha path. Both my wife and I and another six were given Agathiyar's mantra initiation that evening. Yet I was not excited about all these happenings. The excitement began only after I called him over to my home seeing many do so. I was not sure he would accept my invite but he agreed. As I waited to pick him up from his temporary place of residence the excitement in me grew. I could not believe that a guru had agreed to come to my home. Upon arrival, my wife requested him to conduct a small prayer which he did. After speaking to the small circle of family and friends and having lunch, we stepped into the car as my nephew drove us back to his residence. I could not contain my joy and blurted to him my heartfelt thanks telling him that I was overjoyed at receiving him in my home. What I did not expect were harsh words that shook my very core and being. My joy was crashed at that moment. My happiness left me. I chose to remain silent throughout the drive. So did my nephew. Tavayogi had said, "You are living in Maya or illusion. There is nothing within this saffron-colored clothing that I wear. I am not a saint (Samy) but the opposite as in an Asamy. Do not hold on to me but that Jothi or Light that lives in both you and me."
During the next few days, I continued to feel let down asking myself what did I do to deserve those words. But I picked myself up and visited him every day until he left for India. I took heed of his invitation and left for his Kallar ashram a month after he left. Again the excitement started to build in me. Making my second trip to India and getting to see both my gurus brought happiness and joy. As I made my way to Supramania Swami's kudil that we helped build and stepped into it I could not contain my joy in seeing him and fell at his feet crying aloud like a child. He had to pick me up by the shoulders with some difficulty as he was rather a very fragile man. That evening he did a mind-blowing feat by bringing one of his five gurus, Yogi Ramsuratkumar from his samadhi to chant with us! When he went into samadhi Supramania Swami too turned up at my home as confirmed by Agathiyar in the Nadi later. How did he come? As the aroma of tobacco followed by a miscall from his defunct mobile phone number! Not once but twice over two days.
Tavayogi who refused to be paid and given the attention of a saint, made a similar feat when his able cook Nadarajah called him to say that he had seen Tavayogi walk up to their Kallar ashram moments ago as Nadarajah was coming down the small hillock. On nearing him Tavayogi had vanished into thin air! What surprised both of us was that Tavayogi was in Malaysia at that time and I was with him. Making our rounds to the temples stipulated by Agathiyar and more that Tavayogi brought me to, including caves and samadhis, a peddler of rosaries on the grounds of the famed Breehadeswar temple in Tanjavur stepped up to us as we alighted from our ambassador and remarked asking what Tavayogi was doing there again as he had been there the day before! We both looked at each other as we never separated and had only arrived there then!
How do we explain all these phenomena?
Sailing the river adopting the teachings of both my guru now with many more seekers whom Agathiyar sent over to my home, we learned the way of the Siddhas. We can never give enough thanks to our gurus who showed us the way and stepped aside for us to grow and develop individually. Never did they make us their clones. Never did they force their ideas on us. If Supramania Swami was a lone ranger Tavayogi headed a peedham. But never did they suggest or influence me to start a peedham or organization and head them. Neither did I have desire or liking or thought for that. But everything fell in place when Agathiyar ran things the way he wanted. He had seekers sent over to my home after their Nadi readings. Soon to inform them of the dates and times of puja towards the Siddhas that we held, we formed a loose group on WhatsApp that was named Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM). Another group that catered to only local residents was formed and named Amudha Surabhi (AS) to update others on the dates and times of our charity programs. In 2016 Tavayogi and his lead disciple Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar attended my daughter's wedding and stayed behind to witness and participate in puja and charity both at the homes of devotees of Agathiyar and in selected temples and in the homes of the unfortunate respectively. They were overjoyed in seeing the faith that had grown tremendously over the years among many young devotees. This was a recognition for us although we never expected to be commended for it or asked for applause. I guess Agathiyar decided to gift and shower us with praises. All we can say in reply is a big thank you to all these wonderful gurus and the numerous upagurus who came by. Thank You Very Much.
Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×amazinginspiring awe or admiration or wonderMore (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)
I uploaded a video recently that carried photos of Agathiyar and Loba Ma at Kalyana Theertham visited by Varma Masters Arunan and Uva, Bala, and Dylan all devotees from AVM and Jnana Jothiamma from the USA and Dr. Ram Supramaniam of Tirunelveli some time back. I myself was led here by Tavayogi in 2005.
So the recent news, photo, and video mentioning/showing that floodwaters had carried away the stone chariot and statue of Agathiyar and Loba Ma at Kalyana Theertam came as a shock again since it had been swept away in the 1992 floods and damaged some years back due to an act of malice. The first question that always comes to our mind in the face of tragedies, calamities, disasters, or illness and sufferings is "Why did he let it happen?" The next question is "Why me?" Similarly, these questions arise too. "Why his place/establishment that is holy and sacred to his devotees?" Pondering further we tend to settle down and accept the fact that the divine wants to show us the impermanence of things even those that are associated with him. This comes as a reminder for us who refuse to acknowledge this fact thinking and believing that life shall go on for us, that all things built shall remain, and all bonds cemented shall last.
Bear in mind that these are the words of a fully realized man who is prepared to leave the mortal form. It might not be applicable for the common man who carries many desires and ambitions and has laid his sights on luxuries and pleasures in life. It might not be applicable for the common man who has to live out his past vasanas and karma. Much confusion arises from this duality in perception whether to see the world as an illusion and Maya and leave all things behind including family and responsibility or to see it as a reality in the making and participating actively to make the world a better place to live in. Often in coming to the path after just some years traveling on it, we tend to self proclaim that we have reached the perfect understanding and goal and tend to hop onto the next bandwagon that comes along carrying souls to the Lord's kingdom, brandishing the new thoughts and ridiculing the previous. We begin to ridicule the very path that we had stepped on, walked on trod on, and that had kept us alive and brought us to where we are today. This song serves us as a gentle reminder for those who have seen through life, completed their responsibilities towards the family and society, and now have much time to ponder over the life they have lived and what to make of the rest of it. Coming to the acceptance of the impermanence of life and everything associated with it, he is well-prepared now to draw the curtain down and leave in peace and with total satisfaction and with a sense of completeness or paripuranam.
Similarly, having us come to Kriyai from Sariyai that was shown by our parents the gurus in the physical form, with Supramania Swami introducing us to guru bhakti or devotion to the guru and Tavayogi to rituals, Agathiyar had us drop our attachment to the many physical forms we gave him. He slowly weaned us out of these forms and names and labels and brought us to see him within. He had us drop all forms of devotion and rituals and asked that we go within and meet and recognize our souls. Agathiyar broke the association and even stopped the acts of charity telling us that others would come along to continue from where we left. He had us refrain from doing bad deeds and neither had us gain merits through doing good deeds. He wanted to balance the account so that we need not come back to take another birth to satisfy the divine law of cause and effect or karma. From engaging in physical activities he brought us to still ourselves, both body and mind, and witness the soul. The soul that knows our true purpose begins to lead the true journey henceforth, as Tavayogi told me upon starting our journey to the abodes of the Siddha. Shedding our hold on our senses and the lure of the world and all that it has to offer in pleasing them, we come face to face with the soul that begins to take us on an internal journey back to its source.
Rather than drop dead one day and find our spirit and soul caught by surprise and roam the many realms before coming back to continue the worldly journey because of unaccomplished desires that we had carried, a man who prepares himself to meet his soul leaves his physical form at the desired time and in peace having accomplished the soul's tasks and purpose in coming here.
Rather than forcefully having to leave everything behind midway when death comes knocking on our doors, he had us tie the knots and prepare to leave. He had us clean up our act, and the mess too, locks the door of the cabin, and leave instead of leaving everything ajar and in a mess. So is it with all our possessions and creation. If we begin to practice letting go of each and every desire, possession, and attachment to things dear to us, we will have no problem leaving the mortal frame when the time comes. We shall be prepared for any eventuality.
The Buddhists' monks are known to create the Mandala that is a depiction and a symbolic picture of the universe, painstakingly working on it for hours, only to destroy their creation after it's done. This meticulous process takes an entire day. Once the mandala is complete the monks ask for the deities' healing blessings during a ceremony. As the monks chant, the destruction of the mandala begins. The destruction of the mandala serves as a reminder of the impermanence of life. Besides this, 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. At https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/customs/mandala.shtml an enlightening account of this ceremony is given.
In destroying his own image and that of Loba Ma is Agathiyar leading us to enlightenment, transforming this mind that is so glued to form, names and labels, as in Rupam, and bringing us to the devotion of the formless or Arupam?
Look around us, and we find that life teaches us the impermanence of all things at all times. Yet we shudder when faced with an end to things that we cherish much. Nature and the Divine Laws created this body for our soul to reside and use as a vehicle, but we begin to take ownership and possession of something that was loaned to us. When it's time to leave it behind it becomes difficult as we struggle to let go. When a leader of a spiritual movement passed away a message was carried across social media that with regret they inform the public that their spiritual head had passed away. If the leader had achieved the target in gaining release from the bonds of both the physical and soul matter and attained the state that was yearned and cherished that is the Holy feet of the divine Siva patham why should this be seen as regretful? Isn't this what they had cherished and had been taught all this while to achieve and attain? Similarly, during the death rites, we are told solemnly that with regret or sadness the deceased has attained Siva patham. Why should this be seen as regretful? Should not one rejoice in reaching His Holy feet?
The soul of our dear ones and gurus linger around us ever protecting us from harm's way. They communicate with their lineage if and when necessary. Yogi Ramsuratkumar came knocking on Supramania Swami's door one night, handing him a physical copy of his picture after his Samadhi in 2001. The Yogi came again to chant with Supramania Swami and me in 2005. Supramania Swami came to our home after his Samadhi too. We had the aroma of tobacco in the air followed by a miss call from his number. There was another call from his number a few days later. What surprised us was that the number was surrendered back to the Telco upon his passing away. Tavayogi who went into samadhi in 2017 has made contact with us too, is with us, and continues to guide us.
Both Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri and Yogi Ramsuratkumar of Thiruvannamalai consoled their followers moments before they went into Samadhi that they could do a better job in the subtle form compared to the limitations of the physical form. They promised to continue to guide them too. Although Bhagawan Nithyananda and Yogi Ramsuratkumar at their deathbed have mentioned to their followers not to mourn their death as they would continue their work in the subtle form and plane, and in fact attests that they can do more in that plane, the followers still could not bring themselves to accept the departure of their beloved Guru.
Agathiyar says in taking birth, it's all a process, to cleanse body and soul, and to rid it of all the dirt and negativities they have been carrying with it. Bitterness, Anger, Worry, Fear, Dislikes, Shame, Indignation, Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, Ill temper, Anxiety, Confusion, has to be given a face. Just as debris and the unknown may lurk below the surface of the pond, negativities in us have to come out to the open to be removed in their entirety. All the emotions that are pent up within have to be released. Agathiyar is in a hurry now that we should become pure and perfected. Hence he has given a string of happenings where the dormant vasanas and karma come to germinate and raise their ugly hood. We have to exhaust all these negativities before becoming pure in nature.
Water can be contaminated. The air polluted. The earth littered and poisoned. What about ether? Your guess is as good as mine. As we read the following line from "Tales of Ancient India" that "nothing can defile fire and whatever cast into it is made pure and clean" we agree that only fire having consumed all remains pure. The bronze statue of Agathiyar we have at AVM too was purified in the fire before its worship began. Similarly, a guru has the ability to burn one's karma. But how many find their way to a genuine one? Then again how many gurus would want to do that? We are told by Agathiyar that we can attempt to burn these vasanas and karma by lighting the Homa at home or participating in its bigger version the Yagna in temples, offering them into the sacrificial fire. Another option to burn them to ashes is in engaging in meditation. Yogananda Paramahansa states that the fire of meditation can burn our karma. In doing austerities or tapas, the internal heat that keeps us alive within is amplified and generated into the Tava Kanal clearing and flushing the entire bodily systems of toxins accumulated and blockages built over time. A confused mind is an indication of prevailing karma, a healthy body, and mind that arises out of this cleansing is indicative of karma kept at bay. Externally as the heat of the sun sustains us while the rains cool and nourish us, the air around us keeps this clock ticking.
For those who do not have privy to all the above-mentioned means to overcome karma and its hold on us, they have to live through life facing the byproducts of karma through misery, illness, pain, poverty, troubles, etc. By giving us these experiences, creating the right environment and situation for the dormant seeds to germinate Agathiyar is hastening the process of ridding our karma so that we might join him the soonest as possible. Even the most despicable act that we are prompted to do when all things are conducive for it to come into play is said to be his play for he tells us that we need those experiences too. Let us take everything in its stride. Who can fathom his gameplay? We are here only playing specific roles in his role-playing game.
Is all these a mirage then? A shadow game? In my earlier post at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2017/02/sacred-revelations-3-on-impermanence-of.html, Nadi Nool Aasan Thamaraiselvan brings us a wonderful song of Mahakavi Bharathi "Ulagathai Nokki Vinavuthal" which states the impermanence of all things on the face of this earth. I guess when all of God's play comes to an end, and everything is swallowed within it all ends, be it material, religious or spiritual. So why are we holding on to them never giving in to change and the possibility that one day it is all coming to an end?
From https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/chapter/chapter-10-forensic-sciences/ we learn further about fingerprints.
Fingerprints are unique patterns of lines and ridges that exist on the areas of our hands and fingertips, known as the plantar surfaces. These unique patterns have been classified in categories and features since the late 1800’s. The various categories and features allow each digit of a person’s fingers to be catalogued in a searchable system or database. These unique categories and features do not change throughout a person’s life, unless they are subjected to damage through physical injury or intentional abrasion. The impressions of our fingerprints are often left on items we touch because the oils our bodies produce act like an invisible ink adhering to smooth surfaces we touch, thus transferring these fingerprint impressions to those surfaces. These virtually invisible image transfers are commonly called latent fingerprints, and they are easily made visible on most surfaces through the application of coloured fingerprinting powder that adheres to the oils left by our fingers.
The NST carried a story of those who face thumbprint woes where they are subjected to damage through physical injury or intentional abrasion at https://www.nst.com.my/news/exclusive/2018/01/325223/exclusive-many-facing-thumbprint-woes
Other instances where fingerprints cannot be retrieved is when multiple persons have handled or touched the evidence. This was made known by the forensic team who investigated a break-in at my neighbors home.
Similarly, just as the fingerprints are inaccessible when muddied, Yogi Ramsuratkumar too says that the airways are congested hence preventing us from tuning in to the messages of the divine.
In the old days the scriptures were in the air and all you had to do was be silent and you could tune in to the scriptures and hear them. He could feel it, he could live it. But now there is electromagnetic interference from the TVs, from the radios, from the short waves, the cell phones, from all the static we’re putting in the air electronically, and it’s interfering with the scriptures – it’s a big impediment. He says that’s why the dharma is falling, because people can no longer hear the scriptures when they are quiet. “Your satellites are interfering with this beggar’s work.” He was so sensitive that he could feel what the influence of the satellites was and what they were up to. (Source: "Meetings With Yogi Ramsuratkumar" by Will Zulkowsky.)
The Yogi was apparently referring to the Sruti that means "that which is heard", "the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism". Srutis have been variously described as a revelation through anubhava (direct experience), or of primordial origins realized by ancient Rishis. The Sruti texts themselves assert that they were skillfully created by Rishis (sages)." (https://en.wikipedia.org/)
From directly accessing these scriptures man's ability to perceive, hear, and tap into these scriptures were lost over time. What remained later was that "which is remembered" or Smá¹›ti.
As it is made known to us in many ways that the ways of the past cannot reap similar gains in present times, the divine Siddhas have made themselves accessible to us directly hence the reason we are told that this is the Era of Siddhas. The Yogi too has mentioned that "Kaliyuga has gone. Now it is God Yuga. This beggar is able to see God everywhere and not Kali anywhere.”
Yogi Ramsuratkumar could see Reality, that is to say the noumenon, what is hidden beyond appearance (phenomenon), beyond sensible experience. On the contrary, what our eyes see is only maya (appearance, illusion), lila (cosmic play). All Yogis’ devotees will recall Bhagavan sitting with us or walking among us, and all of a sudden looking up, and after a few seconds bursting into laughter. He laughed heartily. We had the feeling that he saw something none of the devotees was able to perceive. (Source: "Yogi Ramsuratkumar - The Mystery of Becoming God" by Olga Ammann, published by Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan Mauritius, 2008)
They have kept their promise to elevate mankind from sinking deeper into Maya. As only the direct experience or anubhava can possibly be retained in the self and lead one to achieve greater heights in spirituality the Siddhas had us go to the ground and work ourselves up the spiritual ladder rung by rung. Continuing from Sariyai that was introduced by our parents they brought us to Kriyai with the arrival of the guru in physical form. The guru gave us the confidence to march ahead doing rituals and charity. From our homes, he brought us into the limelight and the public having us expand our homam that was done on a small scale to doing large-scale yagams at temples. He had us come together in puja and charity bringing both these to the masses. Having had these experiences gained from external activities he then brought us to observe our body and mind through Yoga. Thus the experiences went within. These experiences sustained over time having etched and left their mark in us and can never be forgotten easily.
Going by the numerous sacred texts and songs of saints it is all about their experience with God. It is this that the Siddhas gave us - experience with God. Having read these texts numerous times and not comprehending their essence and meaning we turn to the authors for clarification for it is their experience that we read about. A simple puja to them shall summon them to our sides. Have them at your sides. You can conquer all that you put your mind to or set to achieve by having the guru with you.
In the book "Changing Destiny - A Commentary on Liaofan's Four Lessons" by Master Chin Kung, published online by Amitabha Pureland at http://www.amtbweb.org" we read the following.
"My name used to be Xuehai, which means “broad learning.” I paid a visit to Master Yungu, a venerable Zen master at Qixia Mountain. We sat in meditation, face to face in the Zen hall for three days and nights without sleep. Master Yungu said: “The reason why ordinary people cannot become sages is because of all their wandering thoughts. In our three-day meditation, I have not observed a single thought arise in you. Why?”
I replied that Mr. Kong (who had inherited a very sacred and accurate text on astrology and prediction. The text, written by Shaozi, is called the Imperial Standard of Governing the World) had clearly predicted the entire outcome of my life. I had seen that the time of life, death, promotion, and failure are destined so there was no need for me to think of anything.
The master smiled and replied: “I thought you were someone of remarkable capabilities! Now I realize you are an ordinary person!”
Feeling confused by what Master Yungu had said, I asked him to explain. He told me that an ordinary person’s mind is forever occupied by wandering and imaginary thoughts, so naturally his or her life is bound by the mathematics of destiny. We cannot deny the fact that destiny exists, but only ordinary people are bound by it. Destiny cannot bind those who cultivate great kindness. Since I had lived my life just as Mr. Kong had predicted and done nothing to change it, I had been bound by destiny. Thus, I was a typical ordinary person.
In “transcending the ordinary” we are told that we could re-create our destiny. Xuehai continues.
But after receiving these teachings from Master Yungu, I changed it (my name) to Liaofan. I did not wish to be like ordinary people who were controlled by destiny. From then on, I began to be very cautious in whatever I thought or did. Soon, I felt quite different from before. In the past, I had been careless and without self-discipline. Now, I find myself being naturally watchful and conscientious. I maintain this attitude even when alone, for I know that there are spirits and heavenly beings everywhere who can know my every thought and deed. I am cautious not to offend them with my thoughts. Even when I encounter people who dislike or slander me, I bear their insults with a patient and peaceful mind and do not feel compelled to quarrel with them. The year after I met Master Yungu, Mr. Kong’s predictions were beginning to lose their accuracy."
The Siddhas bring us to become aware of our actions too by revealing our past karma and associating them to our present sufferings, discontentment, unhappiness, illness, state of affairs, etc. Dr. Amir Farid Isahak wrote two wonderful pieces explaining the Akashic records and the Nadi in his regular column in a local daily many years back. These pieces were also posted on his webpage at www.superqigong.com/articlesmore.asp?id=131. Dr. Farid explains the various forms of prediction and delivery of the Akashic records.
Muslims are not allowed to go to fortunetellers because we are to do our best, pray for divine assistance, and then accept that whatever happens is predetermined, and good in the eyes of GOD. To go to fortunetellers may cause the person to believe in what is being predicted, at the risk of losing sight of the fact that it is GOD who determines everything, including our future.
The subject of fate and destiny is something very complex and confusing to most. While everything is already written down, not everything is revealed by GOD, even to the Prophets, Saints, and Sidhas. With his permission, these chosen people do get accurate information about the future, and the information can be in detail. That is why all Prophets made prophesies, as part of the signs of prophet hood, and as guidance and warnings to their followers and all humanity. The Saints and Sidhas also are given similar gifts of prophesy, although at a less significant level and power compared to prophets.
There are fortunetellers, psychics, clairvoyants, modern-day prophets, bomohs, sinsehs and other traditional soothsayer who predict and prophesies with varying accuracies. Their source is the lowest realm of the cosmic database. Some even predict 4-digit numbers accurately, which goes to show that this realm is accessible to anyone who ventures in, for good use or for gambling and black magic. It is also the realm that dark spirits have absolute access to.
Akashic records are at a higher realm, available only to those who are destined to know their future. If you go for your reading, be assured, you record is there. If you never go for your reading, be assured the Sidhas did not waste their time writing about someone who was never going to have his record read. Even children's records are read by their parents in preparation for their future upbringing. There have been over 10 billion humans since the first man (Adam for some of us), and the Sidhas have written for all those who will go to have their readings done, until the end of time.
Cyndi Dale in her book, "New Chakra Healing", Llewellyn Publications, 2003, mentions that,
"One finds the akashic records, the books upon which is recorded all we have ever seen, done or said in this life or any other, in the eighth chakra from bottom up, located an inch and a half above the head."
She believes that this is the portal into and out of this time-space continuum.
Access to these records is done by taking our thumbprint and referring to the texts known as the Nadi written by the Siddhas in the past. The thumbprint is a reference point that is carved in stone, or frozen in a moment in time, unique to each individual and never changes. From https://en.wikipedia.org/ we read,
Human fingerprints are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to alter, and durable over the life of an individual, making them suitable as long-term markers of human identity.
It is interesting to note that the thumbprint develops as early as 12 weeks in the child in the mother's womb. From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6667827/ we understand,
A person’s unique fingerprints are formed prior to birth and the ridge/valley features that exist on the adult fingerprint are all present on the much smaller sized newborn finger.
We continue from https://en.wikipedia.org/ where we read about how the fingerprints are classified.
A fingerprint classification system groups fingerprints according to their characteristics. In the Henry Classification System there are three basic fingerprint patterns: loops that may be radial or ulnar; plain whorls, accidental whorls, double loop whorls, peacock's eye, composite, and central pocket loop whorls; and plain arches or tented arches. Features of fingerprint ridges, called minutiae, include: Ridge ending: the abrupt end of a ridge; Bifurcation: a single ridge dividing in two; Short or Independent ridge: a ridge that commences, travels a short distance and then ends; Island or Dot: a single small ridge inside a short ridge or ridge ending that is not connected to all other ridges; Lake or ridge enclosure: a single ridge that bifurcates and reunites shortly afterward to continue as a single ridge; Spur: a bifurcation with a short ridge branching off a longer ridge; Bridge or Crossover: a short ridge that runs between two parallel ridges; Delta: a Y-shaped ridge meeting; or Core: a circle in the ridge pattern.
Similarly, in Nadi astrology, Agathiyar in beginning to reveal our past, present, and future always begins with a description of our thumbprint and its meaning and explains how our life shall take shape. The thumbprint is both the starting point and reference point to a larger picture of ourselves. It reflects the individual's fate as translated by the Siddhas. Agathiyar then goes on to reveal the planetary positions at the time of birth. He did reveal the same for me too. I have edited out the details of my thumbprint and the planetary positions at the time of birth as detailed by Agathiyar for obvious reasons.
From https://www.allure.com/story/palm-reading-guide-hand-lines we learn something about palmistry or the art of palm reading that we can associate with what Tavayogi told us of the esoteric axiom "As above, so below" or "Andatil Ullathu Pindathilum Ullathu" (அண்டத்தில் உள்ளது பிண்டத்திலுà®®் உள்ளது)
Simply put, palmistry is the art of analyzing the physical features of the hands to interpret personality characteristics and predict future happenings. Chiromancy analyses are time-honored: Just as our ancient ancestors gazed into the night sky and created powerful correspondences between the movements of the planets and events here on Earth, palm readers observe how the hand's attributes connect to greater themes. Occult traditions are based on the esoteric axiom "As above, so below," and within palmistry, the palm is accordingly seen as a microcosm of the universe.
Nirav Bulsara, who studied palmistry since 2012, wrote a reply to a question on https://www.quora.com/
The lines on your palm is the mirror of the things that you have done uptill now and the things you will be doing in coming future. The line basically shows what is coming in future based on your current action. Because it is the current decision that determines your future.
As for the horoscope could one's horoscope change? Could his time of birth change? I had my horoscope drafted only after I went to college. A prominent astrologer in the town of Tapah charted it for me and others in the family. When I began to see the late Dr. Krishnan both a medical astrologer and a Siddha practitioner, his chart matched with the previous as both were based on the time and date of birth of mine. But whatever predicted by the dear Dr did not materialize for me. I was curious to know the reason for everybody I talked to gave me the thumbs up and reaffirmed that their readings with the Dr. were accurate. I asked him if his predictions could go wrong? He told me in the affirmative and told me if I had been cursed or had past karma lingering over me. Asking him to look into my charts for this possibility, he referred me to read my Nadi for only the Nadi could reveal such deep secrets. That was in the nineties. I left it at that not knowing where to seek the Nadi locally and having no intention to travel to India for a reading. Time went by. In 2002 my colleague shared his experience in reading the Nadi two years back in Malaysia. My interest in seeing the Nadi was kindled. In the Kaanda Nadi, to my surprise, Agathiyar after detailing my thumbprint draws my horoscope that differed from the one that I held to. Returning to Dr. Krishnan I played him the audio recording. He began to work backward from the position of the planets and arrived at a different time of birth entirely. It was in mid-morning as opposed to what I had held to be in the early hours of dawn. I asked him which should I follow. He replied to follow the Siddhas. These days it is immaterial what I follow for I believe they had taken charge and control of my life. Could the planets possibly harm us when they are standing as guardians and frontliners?
By carefully treading the path bringing awareness to each moment we can bring changes to our fate that was imprinted in us and stands out as our thumbprint, the lines of the palm, is written as fate on our forehead, becomes our horoscope, and is retrieved from the Akashic records. Awareness of the moment and upholding great virtues as Liaofan listed out what he did to change his destiny turns around our predestined fate.
Hence, the reason we are given the intelligence or Arivu to bring about these changes. Tavayogi always tells us to use our intelligence given to us. Only man can change his fate. All other beings live it through. A new destiny is charted. One's fate is rewritten. A new destiny then dawns. This is seen and is quite obvious in the lines on the palms changing accordingly too. The lines that form in the palm of a child after about 12 weeks in the womb keeps changing as we grow in size, in our thoughts, in our perspective, and in our understanding. Nirav Bulsara says,
Yes the lines on both the palms do change over a period of time. More specifically, the lines on your active hand change more often than the passive hand. The lines on your palm are a network of neuro nerves lying below your skin that are connected to your brain.
He gives a very distinct and clear example of such an instance.
Lets take an example, if someones is not doing a regular workout and have an unhealthy diet, then he will gradually develop a line on his active hand running from the little finger to the base of the palm. At the same time, if he brings out a change in his eating habit and starts working out, then that line will disappear with time. So our current actions comes down on the palm in the form of lines. They change with the decisions we take over time. These changes can take from 6 months to many years to show up on our palms.
Similarly, new entries are written in the Akashic records erasing and replacing previous etchings confirming to the above axiom "As above, so below."
When we heed the advice of the Siddhas and live accordingly bringing changes to our thoughts, deeds, and lifestyle, the thumbprint that is a necessity to evaluate and locate one's pre-written Kaanda Nadi becomes irrelevant in future Nadi readings. Rather than having the need to sought them as in the Kaanda Nadi the Siddhas come to us through the Aasi Kaandam or the chapters that are given in recognition of our deeds written as and then in real time. The grace that is showered by the divine, overshadows our fate. A new network is forged between God and man. Changes are seen. Previous predictions based on the thumbprint lose their accuracy not because the predictions by the Siddhas have gone wrong but that we have taken life into our own hands with the divine lending a hand in all matters and guiding us. Know that all predictions are accurate at that moment in time when the planetary positions are analyzed carefully and their results or Gochara Palan revealed to us as possibilities and probabilities that might take place in the future. Know that it can be changed by our will power. Strengthened by the Soul Power or Atma Balam attained by stacking on great merits derived from doing good deeds that bring on the divine to shower its grace on us, a distinct change takes place in each individual. A new destiny is charted. Our destiny is then re-created as Liaofan says.
Can we then safely say that by giving and being charitable our fate changes accordingly to accommodate our compassion towards others too? Cyndi Dale enlightens us on this.
"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."
She says it beautifully,
"If karma is the process which pulls us back towards our past, dharma is the process which pulls us forward toward our future."
Hence, we understand why Agathiyar addresses karma first before getting us to engage in all acts of Dharma. We understand how worship or puja to the divine and the resulting showering of their grace comes along to re-write our fate.
In college thinking I was a smart alec I researched and wrote additional facts in answering the questions given by my lecturer Mr. T. When we received the answer papers I saw that there was no marking done on them. I walked up to him and pointed it to him. He looked at the paper for a moment and told me "I want you to just answer what I had given you in the form of notes". He made it quite clear that he was not interested in additional material or answers beyond what he had given and taught us. He used to walk up to the blackboard and start writing. We are expected to copy his notes fast for he would erase them starting from the top as soon as he reached the bottom and write further. Later when I asked around my seniors and compared their notes it was repeated year after year, word for word.
When my daughter was asked to write a composition based on several pictures, she came to me for assistance. I began to dictate a story following the pictures and of course beyond. When she received her papers she was given zero marks although she had written quite a long piece. The teacher told her that that was the reason she received no marks - she had written a long piece including things not shown or depicted in the pictures. She never came back to me for assistance on composition.
When my children came with a maths problem rather than guide them with a solution I always had the tendency to go beyond the formula showing them how the formula was derived. I would hold them back for hours. They never came back to me asking to solve them.
When I lost my gate pass that is used to scan and enter my office and its premises, I was told a replacement would take some 6 weeks. I was asked to make a police report. At the police station, I was asked if I could write out the report or needed assistance. I opted to write myself. I began from the office taking the bus to the couple of banks and the post office. The desk officer observed me for some time and finally nudged me with a question. "What are you writing?" "You do not need to write an essay" he chided. He took the piece of paper away from me and begin to write himself. He wrote, "Pass lost". He asked me to sign the report. That's that.
Somehow when given a piece of blank paper I am carried away to write. Whenever someone asked me something I would always go to the beginning of time or dinosaur age. I guess I always never answered the question straight to the point but went beyond. I am surprised why Agathiyar figured I was the right candidate to write this blog. Please bear with me dear readers. I shall come around delivering the goods eventually.
Vashisht Vaid in his blog at https://holysageagathiyar.com/uuw/book-i-spiritual-initiate/chapter-1/ spells out the origin and nature of Agathiyar.
The Great Sage Agathiyar being a Radiant Embodiment of the Vital Consciousness of ‘’Adi Ganesha’’ was also blessed to be partaker of the all the ‘Agamic Wisdom’, which apart from him was shared by the ‘Param Adi Shiva’ only with the Cosmic Mother. Sage Agathiyar based upon his attained knowledge and wisdom, which was bestowed upon him by the Grace of the Great Lord ‘Adi Param Shiva’ then composed a great number of Agamic Texts in the ‘Mother Tamil’.
Lord Dakshinamurthi through the dutiful services of Sage Agathiyar thus revived in the ‘Dravid Vrata’ of ‘Bharat Khanda’, the Advanced Ancient knowledge of Siddha’s known as ‘The Wisdom of Celestial Perfections’, which included the wisdom of the most ancient 10 Shivogamas in their Three Fold qualities [Tri Gunas – viz Satvik, Rajsik, & Tamsik] thus creating the 30 treatise of Shivoagamas in Mother Tamil Language.
All Siddha "Wisdom of Perfections [Siddhis]" vitally existing as the ‘Supernatural Energy Frequency Vibrations’ in the Infinite Universe comes out of the wisdom of these Agamic Texts, spoken at the very beginning of all Creations and manifestations, which were vitally manifested Subjectively and Objectively in the Ethereal Nebulae of the Cosmic Egg [Brahmanda] by the desire mind of ‘Param Adi Shiva’, thus vitally formulating the 5 Rays of intellectual activity and their various Innumerable ‘Permutations and Combinations’ which caused all sorts of Cosmic Geometries [Jyotirmaya Antariksha] of innumerable frequencies in the Infinite Universe [Brahmanda].
Pon Govindasamy released many interesting information in his "Thiruchitrabalam Yendra Sirsabaiyum Porsabaiyum Avaniyin Antaranga Arul Arasu Chidambara Ragasiyam" and "Vallalarum Brahma Jnana Sangamum" published by Bharath Book Bureau Chennai 1970.
In each Kalpa, the seven landmasses under seven Manus appear and disappear one after the other. When the third land mass Kumari Kandam appeared, Erai sent Agathiyar, one of the seven Rishis, as its protector. Agathiyar learned the sciences from Lord Murugan at Pothigai. He mastered the five aspects of Erai that are creation, sustenance, destruction, veiling, and blessing, and also achieved all eight siddhis. Hence he stood as a Vignana Kalar.
Pon Govindasamy in his "Vallalaarum Brahma Gnana Sangamum", Bharath Book Bureau, Chennai, explains the different states including Vignana Kalar. Souls were categorized into three divisions namely: Sakalar, Piralayaakalar and Vignanakalar. The souls who were still tied down to the three Malam namely Aanavam, Kanmam, and Maayai, till they reached the state of a Jeevanmukta are called Sakalar. Dropping Maayai, now these Rishis are known as Piralayaakalar. God comes as guru to these Piralayaakalar. These Maha Rishis in turn educate the Sakalar. The Maha Rishis who had defeated Maayai and Kanmam but are restrained by Aanavam are called Vignanakalar. To these Maha Rishis God comes within to teach. Their vibrations are one.
Pon Govindasamy writes that Agathiyar in this current era was Brahma's representative at the "Antaranga Arul Aratsatchi" based at Chidambaram. He is tasked to look into the affairs pertaining to the portion of the Vedas known as Karma Kanda. Agathiyar goes through each individual's account of merits and demerits (karma). To aid him in this task he has Karma Devas known as Chitraguptas. Besides that, he is responsible for culture, kriya, and agamas. He oversees Sanatana Dharma. Through his thoughts, he drives the scientist and researchers to excel in their fields respectively.
Pon Govindasamy reveals to us the Divine's plan. In his "Vallalaarum Brahma Gnana Sangamum", he states that it is the mission of the Divine to save the souls that are riddled, locked, and chained by Aanavam, Kanmam, and Maayai and bring them back to his state of purity.
Gordon Matthews explains this concept in his translation of Meykanda Devar’s "Shivagnana Botham" writes,
“By reason of the soul’s virtue in previous births, God, who has been immanent in the soul, making it known, now vouchsafing to take the form of a Guru, initiates the soul in the Saiva mysteries. The primal one himself teaches these souls as a Guru: for in the form of consciousness, he is in union (with him). When because of the soul’s meritorious practices the primal one enlightens the soul as a Guru…”
We are indeed blessed to have come to be acquainted with a Maha Rishi of such a nature and stature. And it all started with his call to come to his path and worship him and the Siddhas besides the whole pantheon of Gods made through his tool of communication then, the Nadi. The Nadi reading did change our lives for good. Taking heed we started his worship. Love for him began to bloom within our hearts. We began to take his words as Gospel. Compassion for others began to bloom as we began serving the unfortunate as he ordained. He came through his Aasi Kaandam to further guide us. He came as both gurus Supramania Swami and Tavayogi and upagurus to teach and show us the methods of ritualistic worship or agamas and Yogic practices. In their absence in physical form, they come within us to guide us.
Just as he asked if Hanumathdasan Aiya wanted him to shed the majesty of the Tamil language that he so carefully nurtured but did speak in the colloquial language of the day henceforth in all his Nadi readings, Agathiyar has come to us bringing himself from his state of God to Guru to Father and now a fellow companion.
Just as the "Voltage/potential difference can be compared to water stored in a tank. The larger the tank, and the greater its height (and thus its potential velocity), the greater the water's capacity to create an impact when a valve is opened and the water (like electrons) can flow" and "The greater the voltage in a circuit, the greater its ability to "push" more electrons and do work" Agathiyar comes to enhance our storage capacity and upgrade the transformer station in readiness to receive the high pressure and voltage that is to come within us as we traverse higher altitudes heading for the summit and peak of God-realization. If he in preparedness for us to receive his grace brought us to his abodes that were power sources on earth, in the preparedness of us to receive the effulgence he moves within and clears the path of obstacles, widening it if necessary, and pushes us forward with an urgency. That is the grace of Agathiyar.
When speaking about the Nadi we only seem to know the Nadi written for individuals kept by Nadi readers and retrieved when a seeker steps before them in search of his past, present, and future.
But the art and technique of writing on palmyra leaves were not solely used for this purpose of prediction or astrology. The Thamarai Noolagam in Chennai is said to house an extensive number of books on the songs of Siddhas that were originally written on palm leaves. Many ancient texts and scriptures that have been written on these leaves are lost over time due to deterioration lack of care and other reasons. Many have been destroyed or burnt. For instance, we are told that we have in our hands only about 3000 plus songs of Saint Arunagiri among the 16000 know to be sung by him. It is said that the sea swallowed them indicating the floodwaters had swept them away. It is said that many scrolls were bought from locals who did not know their value and taken away to foreign lands. We are told many are still hidden in secret chambers and caves waiting for the right moment to be revealed.
Dr. Mandayam Kumar from the Siddha Medical Research Institute in Bangalore, in an article of his, "Siddha Agastya - Foremost of the Siddhas" based on findings from an ancient text attributed to Lord Muruga entitled "Prapancha Kaandam" mentions that it was possible to find out details about Agathiyar during the course of literary research on the Siddha medical sciences in a Tamil manuscript written on palm leaves about 3,000 years ago. Agathiyar narrated the contents while Pulastyar recorded it.
The Siddhas recorded their knowledge on palm leaves after extensive discussions held in Alagan Kulam and presented them to Lord Dhakshinamurthi for his perusal. This included the 64 kinds of learning, 18 Puranas, 96 tatvas, and 48 branches of scientific knowledge. The entire literature in Tamil came to be called "Siddhaveda".
Tavayogi who led me to all the temples stipulated by Agathiyar that I should visit in my Aasi Kaandam and more that he told me I should see including caves and samadhis that he added on as I followed him, chose to deviate momentarily bringing me hurriedly to see King Sarobhoji's collection at his palace that is now the Royal Palace Museum in Thanjavur. Trying to beat the closing time, he hurriedly showed me numerous Nadis or Suvadis housed at the famous Saraswathi Mahal library, telling me he had been there in his early days studying them. When we returned to his Kallar ashram he brought out many Nadi scrolls that were in his possession. Many had been passed to him when his name appeared in them. He showed me the various forms of writings on them that carried a name each.
We learn from the website https://www.tamilheritage.org/ the Tamil Heritage Foundation has done extensive research and finding in this area seeking them out and digitalizing them in the interest of preserving such a precious heritage for future generations. Read more at http://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-27-no-6/tamil-across-the-oceans/
We find much material on Dr. K. Subashini's YouTube Channel too at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9N9w5u2NhnX4OV6CKu5mvA
While much effort is placed by such institutions in preserving this heritage by digitalizing, a member of the public has taken the sole endeavor to rewrite existing texts onto palm leaves.
Going by Tavayogi's words and the teachings of the Siddhas, we are here to work on our destiny. And in doing it we are bound to live through our fate. The https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/ explains these beautifully.
The universe has an order. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get away from it. However, while fate is set by outside forces, destiny involves choice. By definition, fate is those outside forces establishing the preordained path of your life despite what you do. You can’t control the Fate. Given its definition, it should come as no surprise ‘fate’ comes from the Latin, fatum, meaning has been spoken. Imagine you get on a bus to go to work and it gets a flat tire, which leads to you missing your job interview. These events were beyond your control. That’s fate.
While
Fate is outside your control, however, you can shape destiny with your choices. Why? Because destiny is your future. Coming from the Latin term destinare, which means intended or firmly established, destiny hasn’t already been determined. Therefore, the changes that you make will affect your destiny in life.
Destiny is all about your traits determining your future. And, you have the choice to change your destiny by choosing differently. An interesting way to visualize destiny is to think about walking a path. However, your choice to take a fork in the road changes your path.
In other terms, the difference between fate and destiny is: "The former is predetermined while the latter depends on your choices. While fate is concrete and determined by the cosmos, destiny depends on your choices in life."
If Agathiyar initially had us carry out remedies or parikaram after revealing our past deeds and faults that formed our karma through Nadi readings and gave us hope that we could change or mend our past acts and all shall be well we later came to know that just as a vase that is broken although pieced together and glued carries the marks, even with having done remedies we carry the remnants of our past into the future. The only way to heal or rid the past that comes as traits and character suffering and illness etc is to bring a reformation and transformation from deep within in our thoughts and actions and in our very cells. So did Agathiyar lie to us on the onset? Are the words of the Siddhas or Siddhan Vaakku false?
If he had told us that we had to live with it, our lives would seem doomed. Instead, he gave us some hope in the beginning of a change or a silver lining. As one gains Gnanam or wisdom traveling his path he begins to accept the truth that karma can never be done with completely. What we can do is make the future both now and in a future birth brighter.
A friend from Slovenia sent me a PDF book published online by Amitabha Pureland at http://www.amtbweb.org" titled "Changing Destiny - A Commentary on Liaofan's Four Lessons by Master Chin Kung" last night that was very timely too. We are told that the reason to reform was to avoid misfortune and to accumulate good fortune.
The first lesson, which is about cause and effect, concentrates on building up the confidence in an individual’s ability to alter destiny and the ways in which to do so. The second and third lessons emphasize the methods to accomplish this; thus, they are concerned mainly with the ways to refrain from wrongdoings and theways to accumulate virtues.
Liaofan carefully wrote down the principles and methods that the master had taught him in changing his destiny and passed them on to his son, hoping that he too would cultivate following this method. Liaofan had received remarkable results from this practice and thus firmly believed in all the principles and methods that the master had taught.
This was the first lesson from Agathiyar too. The Siddhas too transferred their knowledge to those keen to seek their way telling us that if it worked for them, it should work for us too. As Tavayogi, Agathiyar, and many saints of the past asked us to question our purpose in being here rather than live a mundane life, we learn the same from the above book.
If we live for the present and procrastinate, we will remain bound by our fates. How we are born and die, where we will go after we die all accords with our destinies. Master Yungu called people like this ordinary, philistines who blindly follow what has been destined. They are what the Buddha called “pitiable beings.”
The Book of History explains, “Destiny exists but it is changeable. Destiny is not set, but is created and determined by ourselves.”
As we are told that destiny is changeable and Agathiyar, Tiruvalluvar, Avvai and many saints of the past had decreed the need to build and uphold good virtues to counter the enemy in this case our past evil deeds, we see a slim silver lining in an otherwise gloomy and bleak future. This should answer a reader's continuous barrage of questions after reading my blog and the numerous post on karma. These mails came in in 2015.
Are our present actions completely determined by our past karma?is there something called free will?
Hi. I commented a few days earlier about karma questions. They are kind of solved now. I really love your blog, and it is my only hope! Actually, I want to share with you my story! I think you are the only one who will understand. I actually read a lot of false spirituality stuff that made me believe that God is a maniac who has already fixed our destiny, and we cannot do anything about it. It also told that the Atman is a prisoner inside its own body and the body behaves of on its own, and we have to endure the effects of the karma that we didn't create in the first place. Through your blog, I understood that the Atman acts through the body!
As to her other question,
"Did Agasthiar himself say that one is fated to read the nadi. if it is so then u r fated to change your fate. in short fate rules. this cant be right. and also in another writing on ur blog u mentioned that agasthiar told that 3 peoples karma was dissolved. and they would go to a temple as per fate. how is fate prevalent even after karma is dissolved? i m asking these questions with a sincere approach and humbly to know more about the siddhas. please reply dad."
when we have corrected our mistakes and learned a lesson we might come back in another birth for other reasons. In that birth, we shall be fated to reap the fruits of our good actions. For instance, we might be led to the Nadi, the guru, or learn means to advance spiritually etc. Having cleared our closet of the ghosts of our past actions that hitch-hiked with us in all the previous births what we find now in the closet are rewards and gifts.
Continuing from the book
Awakening—the beginning of enlightenment—is being able to detect our faults daily. To know our faults daily is to awaken daily. As we discover our faults daily, we need to correct them. This is cultivation. As practitioners who chant the Buddha’s name, if we are able to correct one fault daily and be mindful of Buddha Amitabha, then in three year’s time we will be reborn into either the high or middle levels of the Pure Land. If we were to find and correct one fault a day then we would become a sage or virtuous person in three years.This is the way to cultivate to become a Buddha. It is the true achievement in the cultivation of great sages and virtuous people, and is the key to changing our destinies, to leaving suffering behind, and to attaining happiness.
And so Agathiyar set us doing remedies with the thought initially that we shall rid us of the baggage of karma that has brought on us great sufferings. But in doing these remedies what happens is certain subtle changes take place within us. For instance, we begin to step into temples if we had not done so before that. Soon we learn about Sariyai or living in the world of Siva as a devotee and servant. The Muladhara chakra opens. A yearning to know more arises in him. The thought of God forever in him awakens the Svadishthana chakra. Our seeking should end there for soon Siva comes to us as a guru bringing us his teachings. A master-disciple relationship starts. With an initiation, his Manipura Chakra opens. The fire of initiation and the mantra burn and clear the path ahead. Along the way, compassion opens up in our hearts as we are told to look around and see all beings as Siva and serve all. The heart chakra or Anahata Chakra opens. The guru then leads us on to Yoga, that with practice opens the Vishudi Chakra, and eventually steps aside and watches us in bliss as we make progress and enter the kingdom of God at the Ajna Chakra. If we had taken several tools such as devotion and bakti as in sariyai, the mantras and rituals as in Kriyai, taking the breath as a tool now we make speedy progress bringing/ breaking all doors down. From Ajna we are led by the hand by the divine himself to explore the further frontiers of his kingdom. He immerses us in constant bliss and makes us revel in his creation. We begin to appreciate him and his work. We return from that state never to make a fuss of things ever. We accept all that is given and showered and are grateful. All seeking and hoarding stops. We return as a changed person. We have attained the state of Gnanam having seen the subtle and internal workings of God. We settle in silence and just begin to watch. For some selected souls they are permitted to bring this news to others. They go about as a guru bringing others to attain the same state.
