THE PROCESS 3 - CULMINATION OF ENERGIES

When writer Balakumaran reveals through words the amazing moment when Yogi Ramsuratkumar by his touch raises the dormant energies within him, we would have had only the option to visualize the magic moment if someone had not recorded a video of it. Many years later he decided to reveal the video to the media. To truly experience that moment we too need to have the Yogi arose it in us to fully experience it. But then no two experiences would be the same either. In spirituality, we cannot compare with others though there might be some similarities. Each individual although is made of the same basic elements and substance, but many ingredients go into us to make each one of us unique. Look at our siblings and you shall see this vast difference. Look at twins too. Although we cannot tell them apart at times, for they are alike and similar in their physical features, they could most likely be two entirely different personalities like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There are many things that take place within that cannot possibly be put into words or expressed. One has to enter that realm, not of imagination or hallucination but one of reality just as much as the world around us seems real. When Ramalinga Adigal vividly describes his journey within can we just brush it off as a hallucination?

ஆணிப்பொன்னம்பலக் காட்சி

1. ஆணிப்பொன் னம்பலத் தேகண்ட காட்சிகள்
அற்புதக் காட்சிய டி - அம்மா
அற்புதக் காட்சிய டி.

2. ஜோதி மலைஒன்று தோன்றிற் றதில்ஒரு
வீதிஉண் டாச்சுத டி - அம்மா
வீதிஉண் டாச்சுத டி.

3. வீதியில் சென்றேன்அவ் வீதி நடுஒரு
மேடை இருந்தத டி - அம்மா
மேடை இருந்தத டி.

4. மேடைமேல் ஏறினேன் மேடைமேல் அங்கொரு
கூடம் இருந்தத டி - அம்மா
கூடம் இருந்தத டி.

5. கூடத்தை நாடஅக் கூடமேல் ஏழ்நிலை
மாடம் இருந்தத டி - அம்மா
மாடம் இருந்தத டி.

6. ஏழ்நிலைக் குள்ளும் இருந்த அதிசயம்
என்னென்று சொல்வன டி - அம்மா
என்னென்று சொல்வன டி.

7. ஓர்நிலை தன்னில் ஒளிர்முத்து வெண்மணி
சீர்நீலம் ஆச்சுத டி - அம்மா
சீர்நீலம் ஆச்சுத டி.

8. பாரோர் நிலையில் கருநீலம் செய்ய
பவளம தாச்சுத டி - அம்மா
பவளம தாச்சுத டி.

9. மற்றோர் நிலையில் மரகதப் பச்சைசெம்
மாணிக்கம் ஆச்சுத டி - அம்மா
மாணிக்கம் ஆச்சுத டி.

10. பின்னோர் நிலையில் பெருமுத்து வச்சிரப்
பேர்மணி ஆச்சுத டி - அம்மா
பேர்மணி ஆச்சுத டி.

11. வேறோர் நிலையில் மிகும்பவ ளத்திரள்
வெண்மணி ஆச்சுத டி - அம்மா
வெண்மணி ஆச்சுத டி.

12. புகலோர் நிலையில் பொருந்திய பன்மணி
பொன்மணி ஆச்சுத டி - அம்மா
பொன்மணி ஆச்சுத டி.

13. பதியோர் நிலையில் பகர்மணி எல்லாம்
படிகம தாச்சுத டி - அம்மா
படிகம தாச்சுத டி.

14. ஏழ்நிலை மேலே இருந்ததோர் தம்பம்
இசைந்தபொற் றம்பம டி - அம்மா
இசைந்தபொற் றம்பம டி.

15. பொற்றம்பம் கண்டேறும் போதுநான் கண்ட
புதுமைஎன் சொல்வன டி - அம்மா
புதுமைஎன் சொல்வன டி.

16. ஏறும்போ தங்கே எதிர்ந்த வகைசொல
என்னள வல்லவ டி - அம்மா
என்னள வல்லவ டி.

17. ஆங்காங்கே சத்திகள் ஆயிரம் ஆயிரம்
ஆகவந் தார்கள டி - அம்மா
ஆகவந் தார்கள டி.

18. வந்து மயக்க மயங்காமல் நான்அருள்
வல்லபம் பெற்றன டி - அம்மா
வல்லபம் பெற்றன டி.

19. வல்லபத் தால்அந்த மாதம்பத் தேறி
மணிமுடி கண்டேன டி - அம்மா
மணிமுடி கண்டேன டி.

20. மணிமுடி மேலோர் கொடுமுடி நின்றது
மற்றது கண்டேன டி - அம்மா
மற்றது கண்டேன டி.

21. கொடுமுடி மேல்ஆயி ரத்தெட்டு மாற்றுப்பொற்
கோயில் இருந்தத டி - அம்மா
கோயில் இருந்தத டி.

22. கோயிலைக் கண்டங்கே கோபுர வாயிலில்
கூசாது சென்றன டி - அம்மா
கூசாது சென்றன டி.

23. கோபுர வாயிலுள் சத்திகள் சத்தர்கள்
கோடிபல் கோடிய டி - அம்மா
கோடிபல் கோடிய டி.

24. ஆங்கவர் வண்ணம்வெள் வண்ணம்செவ் வண்ணமுன்
ஐவண்ணம் ஆகும டி - அம்மா
ஐவண்ணம் ஆகும டி.

25. அங்கவ ரெல்லாம்இங் கார்இவர் என்னவும்
அப்பாலே சென்றன டி - அம்மா
அப்பாலே சென்றன டி.

26. அப்பாலே சென்றேன்அங் கோர்திரு வாயிலில்
ஐவர் இருந்தார டி - அம்மா
ஐவர் இருந்தார டி.

27. மற்றவர் நின்று வழிகாட்ட மேலோர்
மணிவாயில் உற்றேன டி - அம்மா
மணிவாயில் உற்றேன டி.

28. எண்ணும்அவ் வாயிலில் பெண்ணோ டாணாக
இருவர் இருந்தார டி - அம்மா
இருவர் இருந்தார டி.

29. அங்கவர் காட்ட அணுக்கத் திருவாயில்
அன்பொடு கண்டேன டி - அம்மா
அன்பொடு கண்டேன டி.

30. அத்திரு வாயிலில் ஆனந்த வல்லிஎன்
அம்மை இருந்தாள டி - அம்மா
அம்மை இருந்தாள டி.

31. அம்மையைக் கண்டேன் அவளருள் கொண்டேன்
அமுதமும் உண்டேன டி - அம்மா
அமுதமும் உண்டேன டி.

32. தாங்கும் அவளரு ளாலே நடராஜர்
சந்நிதி கண்டேன டி - அம்மா
சந்நிதி கண்டேன டி.

33. சந்நிதி யில்சென்று நான்பெற்ற பேறது
சாமி அறிவார டி - அம்மா
சாமி அறிவார டி.

34. ஆணிப்பொன் னம்பலத் தேகண்ட காட்சிகள்
அற்புதக் காட்சிய டி - அம்மா
அற்புதக் காட்சிய டி.

Listen to Thavathiru Dharmalinga Swamigal's beautiful rendition of Adigal's song at http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T344/tm/aanipponnampalak_kaatsi and at http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T344/romanized1/aanipponnampalak_kaatsi

Literally speaking, the verses from his song "Anipon Ambalathey Kanda Thiru Kaatchi Yellam... Arputha Kaatchi Yadi... Amma" though seems to describe a journey that Adigal took on the physical plane initially but later it traverses onto a mystical plane. He describes coming upon a Hill, and a Path opening up to it. "As I walked on the Path, there was a Platform. I climbed the Platform. There was a Room. As I approached the Room, there was a 7 tier Hall above it. I cannot bring myself to narrate what I saw in these 7 tiers. In one tier, the silver Pearl transformed into Blue Sapphire (Neelam), in another tier, the Blue Sapphire became Coral (Pavalam). In yet another tier, the Emerald (Maragatham) became Ruby (Maanikkam). Further up in another tier, it became a Pearl, and back to Coral in another. Then on another tier, the gems became Gold. All these gems became Spadigams in yet another tier. Above these 7 tiers, there was a staff. Climbing the staff, what can I say of that which I saw? There were thousands of Sakthi's everywhere, who came to enticed me but I remained undeterred and strong due to the Divine Grace. Due to his Grace, I saw the Jewel of the Crown. I saw a Peak atop the Crown, above this, there were 1008 Temples. As I entered through the Arch at the Temple without hesitating, within the Entrance there stood both Sakthi's and Sakta's in millions. They began to question as to who this trespasser was, as I moved on. At another Entrance there stood Five, the others showed the Way, yet to another Doorway. As I entered, a male and a female showed me to yet another Doorway. At the Doorway my Mother the Goddess Anandha Valli stood to welcome me. I saw her and submitted to her Grace, and partook the Divine Nectar. With her grace, I saw my father's Abode. I stepped into his Abode. Who could possibly understand the Gift I was showered by my father Lord Nadarajah."

From "Makers of Indian Literature - Ramalingar" published by Sahitya Akademi, S. Vanmikanathan provides an introduction to his translation. 

It is the aani-p-ponnambalaththe kanda kaatchikal, the visions he saw on the magnificent golden hall, the 109th decad of the VI th Book. He sings in 32 stanzas of jubilant verse, all of which end with the refrain: "The sights I saw in the Hall of Prime Gold are wonderful sights, O mother, wonderful sights are they!" He goes on to describe in detail the sights he saw. I omit the repetitions and refrains and give, in his own words, of course, the details of the sights which met his eyes. The refrains are evidence of the irrepressible joy bubbling in his heart.

He says:

There appeared a mountain of effulgence and on that was a street. I went along that street and in its center, there was a platform. I climbed onto that platform and on that platform, there was a hall. When I approached the hall, on top of that hall I saw a seven-storied tower. What shall I say of the wonders that were on the seven storeys? On top of the seven storeys there was a golden pillar. When I beheld the pillar and climbed on it, what shall I say of the novelties I saw! It is not within my capacity to describe what met me as I climbed on. At the several stages, Shakthi-s, in thousands and thousands, came, They came and tried to bewitch me, but, that I may not be bewitched, I gained the power of grace. By that power, I climbed up that pillar and spied the jeweled crest. On top of the crest there stood a dome, that I saw. On top of that dome, there was a temple of one thousand and eight-carat gold. On seeing the temple, I went unhesitatingly inside the portal in the tower. At the portal in the tower, there were Sakthi's-s and Saktha's in crores. Their hues were white, red, and scarlet. There, all of them asked, “Who is this man?”, but I went past them. I went past them, and there, at a sacred doorway, were five persons. With them showing me the way, I went to a jeweled doorway farther up. At that doorway, which I remember well, there stood two, a man and a woman. With them pointing it out to me, I beheld with love welling up in me the private sacred entrance (which leads to the sacred presence of Lord Civan). At that sacred door, stood Aanandhavalli, my Mother. I beheld the Mother, Her grace I received, and ambrosia I partook of. By Her Grace which held me up, I saw the presence of Natarajar, "O mother, I saw the presence of Natarajar!" The boon I received on going into His presence, God knows it, O mother, God knows it. In the Hall of prime gold, the sights I saw, wonderful sights they are, O mother, wonderful sights they are.

 He describes the finale very beautifully.

"At that sacred door, stood Aanandhavalli, my Mother, I beheld the Mother, Her grace I received, and ambrosia I partook of. By Her grace which held me up, I saw the presence of Natarajar; O mother, I saw the presence of Natarajar! The boon I received on going into His presence, God knows it, O mother, God knows it!"

Ramalinga Adigal's journey reminds us of the mystical doors that give way to the abode of the Gods and Goddesses in the Purana movies. About this journey, Tavayogi told me it was an inner journey. He told me it was a journey through the Chakras and stopped at that. We soon realized the truth in Tavayogi's words, that these songs of Anubhuti or personal spiritual experiences of saints do trigger a similar effect on us, bringing us to visualize all that they went through. Agathiyar tells us singing their praise is not sufficient. We have to imbibe the words into our souls. He asked us to stop singing the songs of praise and instead sing the songs of these saints so that we can understand what they had seen and gone through. Traveling on this path, adopting these renditions of their Anubhuti and singing them, we can sense and visualize the sensations and visions that took place in them and that which they saw, respectively to a small extent. In order to truly experience it, we too have to take a walk in their footsteps. Hence we find a need to sing or read these songs of experience or Anubhuti so that we too can feel, experience, and be elevated to the states of these saints and Siddhas. 

I can imagine Ramalinga Adigal's bliss in stepping into Lord Nadarajah's chamber. I too had a mesmerizing and uplifting experience that cannot be put into words as I accidentally came upon his chamber and was invited within by a young priest.  Though it seemed to have taken place in this physical plane could I have stepped into portal or a different time frame and somewhere else or another realm and space?

When I was at the Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, frustrated at not having a moment with the Lord as the space immediately before his inner sanctum was utilized by a noisy family conducting some rituals that intruded into an otherwise serene and peaceful atmosphere at most temples, I walked away seeking an alternative Sannadhi where I could fulfill performing an Archana as asked of Agathiyar in the Nadi. I was mysteriously invited and led into the inner chambers of Lord Nadarajah by this young priest who went ahead and showed the Arati and did the Archana without me asking. As there was no one except the priest and me, I asked myself later, if I was on the physical plane or in another space. As He majestically stood before me and looked down on me I could only cry. I shed tears of joy that came on seeing the majesty and beauty of my Lord. Words cannot possibly describe my joy, happiness, and bliss. This is unlike the joy and fun we have in the company of family and friends. The next best thing that could happen to us is in the company of children, infants, toddlers, and children who are growing up. 

A similar magical moment happened at Palani too. Walking in line with other devotees, the moment I came before Lord Murugan I lost all sense of my presence. The last thing I remembered was the priest snatching the bag of goodies I had bought for the Lord asking if it was for his Archana. I was lost in space. I regained my senses only when he came before me again and stuffed the bag back into my hands and told me there was the sandalwood paste from the mornings Abhisegam. Only then I realized I was all alone. What happened to the long queue of devotees before me and after me? I stepped out into a dark corridor and took a few steps. Observing a door on my right I looked within to see an elderly priest at the doorway. I asked him if it was Bhogar's Sannadhi. He answered yes and began showing the Arati. There was another young priest seated on the floor and attending to matters at his desk. Another young priest at the exit door was watching us. The moment the elderly priest finished the short Arati as there was no one around besides us I took the opportunity to sit down and close my eyes for a while. Upon opening them the young priest who stood his distance was right before me and placed some prasad in my hands. He reached for the top of a wooden cabinet and handed me a tumbler telling me "Abhisegam milk." I drank it and passed the empty tumbler to him. I got up to leave. I thanked him through the gesture of my eyes and a nod of my head and left. The moment I stepped out of the exit door, I was floating literally. My feet did not sense the ground. I was swiftly moved to circumambulate the temple grounds. As Ramalinga Adigal sang "Who could possibly understand the Gift I was showered by my father Lord Nadarajah", I too cannot possibly share that moment through mere words for words cannot possibly justify the divine act. Though it seemed to have taken place in this physical plane could I have stepped into portal or a different time frame and somewhere else or another realm and space?

If those were tears of joy, while at the Tiruvanaikaval temple in Trichy, when the priest from Utamar temple who volunteered to accompany me there, brought me to Lord Dhakshanamurthy's Sannadhi, I broke down and cried and cried and cried my heart out uncontrollably not knowing why I did that. An elderly priest who was taking his break as it was lunchtime and the doors to the Sannadhi were closed, was hauled up by the visiting priest who accompanied us. He called over to him, "Mama, come you must do this for us" "மாமா வாங்க இதை நீங்கதான் செய்யனும்" and led all of us to Lord Dhakshanamurthy's Sannadhi. Once the Arati was over and the old man turned to me with the flame, I saw a fatherly figure before me and I fell to his feet immediately. Surprisingly the priest from Utamar temple told all those from the entourage, assembled timely and ad hoc for the arising occasion that included my driver Deva, the caretaker of the temple who had the keys to all the Sannadhi and opened them up for us, and the old priest who conducted the Arati or waving the flame to step back, giving me the space to cry. He asked none to stop me from crying, "Let him cry his heart out" "விடுங்க! தடை பண்ணாதீங்க! நன்றாக அழுவதும்." His words rang out and echoed off the temple walls. It was as if my soul was asking for forgiveness. 

Coming unknowingly into the presence of my guru Supramania Swami in his village home in Tiruvannamalai, a year later, I wept silently for the whole duration of our sitting, some 5 solid hours till dusk, as he revealed about me without charting my horoscope though he was an astrologer. This time it was tears of gratefulness to the divine in seeing me through all these years and all the blessings he showered on me and my family till that very moment of revelation. If a year earlier, Agathiyar came to bring a revelation too through the Nadi reading, though I sat in awe and amazement thinking how could he know so much about me, my family, my life, my past, present, and future, the messages he conveyed to me were sober in nature for he was talking about my past wrongs and what to do about it.

Two years later in 2005, as I bid farewell to Tavayogi, after meeting him for the first time in Malaysia, as it was customary, I fell at Tavayogi's feet. He moved back and told me never to do that again. Instead, he pointed me to a pair of wooden sandals or Padhugai, telling me to fall only at Agathiyar's feet. Can you imagine, just as I was not aware of my surroundings as the young priest led me into Lord Nadarajah's chamber and I was mesmerized by His brilliance, only when Tavayogi pointed out, that I saw the sandals and the painting of Agathiyar in the meditation room of his local affiliate Peedham in Batu Caves. The moment I touched the wooden sandal, I broke into tears and began crying aloud for reasons I could not comprehend. It was not that I wanted to cry but it happened suddenly and spontaneously. The cry came from within without my control or me initiating it. I cried my heart out. I guess my soul got connected with Him recognizing him finally after staying away for some 43 years in this birth and who knows the many other births in the past too.

As my moments with the guru became more frequent, later in 2010, when I was with Tavayogi at an affiliate Peedham of his in Seri Gombak, and as I stood in line with the other devotees to get his blessings, just as I got on my knees in front of him, there was a sudden burst of laughter and joy that overcame me. Simultaneously Tavayogi went into a state of laughter and cry too. I did not understand neither of our actions. Surprisingly nobody took notice of what had just happened. It is indeed amazing to realize that these moments where we connect with God and guru are often not seen or visible to others. It is as if it is shielded from others' views be it in the midst of a festival or a busy marketplace or in public. Later as I drove him to Bukit Rotan to visit a new temple that was under construction, I asked him what had taken place that day. He immediately hushed me looking back to the guide who was drowsing off in the back seat. I never got to know the answer. 

These spontaneous and unintentional cries become quite a regular affair in the places of worship that I visited. As I stood with my family at the Sri Jeganathar Sivalayam in Tapah, I was overcome by emotion and cried for reasons I do not know. Again surprisingly none of the disciples of a Swamiji who was residing in the temple with his entourage took notice of what was taking place. My family was always the sole witness. When I was with my family at the Siva Subramaniam Alayam, Kampung Kepayang that is inside a cave, I was again overcome by emotion. When my family and I had prayed at the Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple, Penang, and stepped out, a man mending to his flower shop pointed us to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, atop the hill where its temple tower was visible from where we stood, as we asked for direction to go over there next. I went into a state of joy and laughter on looking in the direction he pointed. He told my family, "He is in bliss."

Then the highlight and pinnacle or grand finale of all these shows of energy happened in the silent inner caves of the Sri Siva Shanmugar Temple in Sungai Siput. When the priest or Gurukul who had taken us on a tour of the cave stopped at a spot and revealed to me and my family that that was the spot where our Paramaguru Chitra Muthu Adigal had meditated for years, I went into a spin, and fell on my back in a depression in the ground, missing the boulders by inches. As my daughter started to record our tracking into the deep caves of the temple, this was the only instance caught on video just short of some distance from a particular spot where the priest who allowed us to do so, told us not to record further. 

But I never prodded or investigated these happenings. I took it in my stride and moved one. Only my family stood witness to all these strange happenings until others began to notice these strange phenomena too at our puja at AVM. But none questioned me. It was only when another devotee who was used by them to come within, shared his prior experiences that I could understand the phenomena better. We exchanged notes. Although deities came through him he had the veto power whether to allow them to do so or otherwise. I slowly began to learn the ways of the deities. If once I was fearful of them and stood my distance I began to learn that they were the gentlest of deities. Initially, they came to pay respect to Agathiyar. That is when we began to realize the greatness of Agathiyar. They would spend time in silent communion with Agathiyar. Goddess Ma came to perform a dance before Agathiyar. What we figured to be a peacock danced before Agathiyar too. Agathiyar and Anjaneya too came to share their food with us. Ma came again to perform Abhisegam for him too. Bhogar came to bathe him too. Lord Shiva said that he had come because Agathiyar was there. Lord Murugan came as a gust of wind and toppled a couple of devotees down. Lord Murugan, Agathiyar, and Dhanvantri came to heal. But amidst all these none of our neighbors knew what prevailed within the walls. 

Many are the stories that we cherish close to our hearts. These unexplained turn of events continued. When the AVM family went on a tour of spiritual places in Malaysia, I found myself crying in joy at Lord Murugan's Sannadhi at the Siva Subramaniam Alayam, Kampung Kepayang again. 

Revisiting Tiruvanaikaval again, this time with my family and Jnana Jhotiamma in 2013, again I was overcome by an emotional outbreak of cry and joy. As Jnana Jhotiamma, Dr. Ram Subramaniam of Tirunelveli, and my family assembled at His Sannadhi, I hit the floor crying my heart out again. Jnana Jhotiamma was trying to pacify me. When I came to get hold of myself, a young priest came along and opened the grilled gate to the Sannadhi and went about the puja. Jnana Jhotiamma prompted me to leave some money on his tray as he finished showing the Arati tray. I walked up to him, he suddenly asked me "Did you see?" "பார்த்தாயா?" Immediately my glance went to Lord Dhakshanamurthy and back to the priest. I saw the priest take the posture of Lord Murugan in the form of Lord Dhandapani of Palani. I fell at his feet immediately and began to cry out loud asking if others saw him too? 

In 2016 as the AVM family made its way to join the festivities for Agathiyar's Guru Puja in Kallar, we stopped over at the Mayuranathar temple in Mayiladuturai. As we sat in the presence of Lord Dhakshanamurthy, Lord Ganesh, and Kuthambai Siddhar, I was overcome by profuse energy that went through me and left me crying in joy. It refused to settle for a long time. Later at the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple, Madurai, I was overcome by emotion sitting at the Sundarananthar Vallabha Siddhar Sannadhi as we recited the names of the Siddhas.

If it seems like our life's journey as an insignificant individual began with our parents coming together, taking on the genes and DNA of our ancestors; and though it seems we took on and adopted the religious faith and beliefs of our parents; with the coming of a guru we stepped into a spiritual journey adopting the ways of the guru; Agathiyar says that we began a relationship with God in our mother's womb itself. The divine begins to bless us in the womb of our parents. Growing up as we frequent the places of worship the bond is strengthened further. Coming to the guru the bond is cemented for life. Agathiyar in conveying a message from a guru from a past birth of the young lady who sat before him for a Nadi reading read by Tavayogi, tells her that her guru was pleading with him to heal her and save his disciple. Can you imagine that, that the bond between a guru and a disciple goes beyond births? 

The soul and spirit came within the physical form that of matter, to navigate the course and keep us on track and keep a check on us. Our parents were only caretakers who watered, nurtured, and cared for us. We took on their ways and thoughts along the way. We experienced and learned a thing or two. These were akin to fertilizers that boosted our growth. As a result, we begin to germinate and grow fast. Then becoming a tree we are on our own to investigate further and reach down deep into the ground reaching out to our roots and lineage. When we are ready then the guru comes to nurture us further on another entirely different aspect of life. When we marry and have children of our own we, in turn, sow, plant and water the seed, passing on our belief, and faith, our strength, and endurance in them. When they marry their spouses are pollinated vice versa, coming to the path too. The family expands and with it the spirit. We see a full-blown garden of flowers in full bloom then. It continues and has continued for ages. It shall continue in times to come.

That was what Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) family was in its prime moments, a garden of flowers. But as all good things have to come to an end, AVM too had to close its doors. In turning them away, the devotees were taught to stand on their own feet. With the knowledge gained in doing rituals, they became self-sufficient in carrying it on their own now. The strong-willed ones shall stand the test of time and shall grow into strong trees reaching out to the skies, reaching out and above the canopy of other trees. These few shall excel in the numerous tests of nature yet to come their way. They have to weather it too. Hopefully, they leave behind the good seeds in their children too, germinating, growing, reproducing, pollinating, blooming, and flowering, and spreading the seeds of the Siddha Marga even further and wider.

THE PROCESS 2 - KRIYAI & YOGAM

From Sariyai we move to Kriyai and Yogam. With the vessel emptied of past karma that is a hurdle to many good things coming our way in both material and spiritual life to a certain extend, Agathiyar sends a guru to mold us into becoming the right vessel to now receive his teachings and practices. The guru then leads us further on walking through the other components of Kriya Yoga. He brings us to get our feet wet in rituals rather than rely on others and have priests, proxies and middlemen do it for us. We bath and cloth the deities, sing his praise, and feed him to our heart's desire and joy. Besides cleansing our individual and collective karma further, helping the sick in body and mind recover, and bringing on good health and good fortune, these rituals cleanse and revitalize the Prapanjam and cool Mother nature down, appeasing her. Above and beyond these, rituals get us connected with the faith and the deities and a whole new world. A bridge is laid for them to travel to and fro. One fine day they shall walk us across this bridge too.

Learning good ethics or Yama or restraints or ethics of behavior, we learn to refrain from adding on more karma or take on fresh karma through our actions. Each action is then a calculated one. 

Bringing us to his worship and to do charity leads us to carry noble thoughts. The mind and body engaged in his thought and in his work or service towards him never give the devil an idle moment to come and dwell within and begin his workshop creating negative thoughts and talk. Agathiyar showed us his 5 tenets for mankind to live an ideal life with a purpose. This is similarly reflected in the first two Angas of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra too. 

Having introduced us to all these fine tools that serve to enhance and enrich our purpose in taking birth, strengthening our body, soul, and spirit, he now comes to work further on the very vessel or vehicle upon which both the soul and spirit travel - our body. As everything is established in prana, the body is made fit for the spiritual sadhana initially by having us take an interest in it and placing the necessary effort into it. Soon we are guided or to be precise the hidden hands of the guru guide us further. 

To rid the mind-body and purge the impurities Agathiyar gives us the techniques of Deha Suddhi to adopt and put into practice. The blockages that are a result of our previous lifestyles result in its associated imbalances and disorders in the body and the imbalance in the 3 Dosas or bodily humor namely Vatam or wind, Pittam or bile, and Kapam or phlegm. This necessitates the need for Deha Suddhi too. Agathiyar gives us his Agathiyar Kuzhambu to consume for the purpose of Deha Suddhi. This does an excellent job of cleansing the house further.

"It contains 11 ingredients which are mentioned in the Siddha formulary of India - part -1, that when combined act as a purgative. Besides being a purgative it is said to cure many diseases too. The major ingredients of this drug are Perungayam, Kadugu, Induppu, Rasam, Vengaram, Naabi, Manosilai, Omam, Aritharam, Karunjeerakam, Nervalam." (Source: Muralidass SD and Shree-Devi MS: “Agathiyar Kuzhambu”- not only a purgative- an overview. Int J Pharm Sci & Res 2019; 10(5): 2156-63. doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.10(5).2156-63.)

Once he is satisfied at having seen the student observe and put into practice three of the Niyama or observances of Ashtanga Yoga, namely "tapas or austerity; svadhyaya or self-study of the scriptures; and isvara pranidhana or devotion to God or pure consciousness", the guru embarks them on strengthening the body with practice of Asana or physical postures and Pranayama or control of the breath under his watchful eyes.

But first, the nerves are to be purified, only then comes the power to practice pranayama. For this purpose we take up the tool known as Nadi Suddhi. Swami Vivekananda speaking about this practice of Nadi Suddhi or purification of the nerves quotes from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad.

Stopping the right nostril with the thumb, through the left nostril fill in air, according to capacity; then, without any interval, throw the air out through the right nostril, closing the left. Again inhaling through the right nostril eject through the left, according to capacity; practicing this three or four times at four hours of the day, before dawn, during midday, in the evening, and at midnight, in 15 days or a month purity of the nerves is attained; then begins pranayama.

He adds that,

Nerve currents will have to be displaced and given a new channel. New sorts of vibration will begin, the whole constitution will be remodeled, as it were.

The purification of the Nadis is required before one progresses to take up pranayama. These are prerequisites to taking up asanas and pranayama as we take note in the 8 Angas of Patanjali. Besides the Vishnu Granthi that was pierced on the onset that opened the dam and allowed the flow of the energies upwards, the other two knots known as Brahma Granthi and Rudra Granthi, are pierced with further practice of pranayama. Impurities that block the passage of the prana in the Nadis are removed. Once purified the full force of the divine can come down in torrents and do its will. 

Only the divine in coming within once the coast is clear can bring us back to its abode. Rarely does a man stumbled on the treasure. Those who do are the divine avatars who had prior knowledge and wisdom and knew where to search and find the path back. We are now ready for the transmission of Gnana or rather it flowers from within, as Agathiyar tells us that it is not given or gifted by him but arises from within. The guru hastens the process and sees to it that it dawns on us, springs into bloom, blossoms, and flowers. 

We are divine in nature for aren't we a spark of him? But our true nature is veiled and shrouded by a thin curtain - Ignorance of the true self and the spirit. The soul knows though. The day we reckon our soul we understand who we truly are. As Balakumaran says the arousal of the kundalini and the moments before death are one. "You can only see your true self at death. We realize who we are at death. When we look within that is akin to death. At death, we can see within. Both are the same." If we can see what is seen during death, while still alive, that is indeed a feat worth mentioning in the text and worth recording in history.

குண்டலினி சக்தி வெளிப்படும் நேரம் மரணத்தின் போது வெளிப்படும் உணர்வு ஒன்றுதான். "மரணத்தின் போது தான் நீங்கள் உங்களைப் பார்க்க முடியும். சாகும் பொது தான் நான் யார் என்று தெரிய வரும். உள்ளுக்குள் இருக்கும் ஆள் தெரியும். எப்போது உள்ளே பார்க்கிறாரோ அது மரண நேரம். மரண நேரம் போது உள்ளே பார்க்க முடியும். இரண்டும் ஒன்று." மரண நேரத்தின் போது நீங்கள் பார்ப்பதை உயிரோடு இருக்கும் போது பார்த்தவர் பாலகுமாரன்..

Then when the student is ready to undertake another journey, that of going within, he is told to refrain from all outside activities or to minimize them at least or to only attend to those crucial only. With Pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses in place, and with more time on his hands now he devotes his time to sitting by himself and observing his breath. By bringing his awareness to his breath and letting his breath lead him further within, Dharana or concentration takes place. If both Pratyahara and Dharana is very much our effort, these lead us to the effortless Dhyana or meditation eventually. When one is engrossed and absorbed in this state it leads us further into the state of Samadhi or total absorption. In all these the guru observes from a distance watching us put into practice what is taught to us. Only if the need arises he comes to our aid. He doesn't want anything from us in return. He just wants to see use become him.

THE PROCESS 1 - SARIYAI

If Tavayogi had thousands of questions put to him, I too had some tricky questions come my way.

"You say you have worshipped the Siddhas. What results or benefits have you seen?"

This person needs to be convinced first that she shall reap benefits from this venture. Her approach is that of a businesswoman wanting to see returns from her investment.

"Why do you need to praise the Siddhas?"

This person by nature hasn't praised anyone in his life I guess. In praising another we feel good. Just try shouting or condemning another. It makes you feel sick and bitter, cold, tense, and angry. Similarly, and although we agree with him that God doesn't need our praise, in singing His praise it is we who are elevated to the state of bliss. Every ritual and practice done brings us and our souls to a higher state of joy and bliss, that of ஆனந்தம் and பேரானந்தம்.

"I read in your blog that Agathiyar speaks to you. Could it be a hallucination?"

Let it be my hallucination as long as I do not trouble another. It is usual for us to deride others what we cannot perceive or understand a thing. That understanding comes only with experience. That experience is gained only by taking the walk and not by investigating. Trying to understand another is different from going through the experience that he has had and understanding it.

To all the people who asked these questions, I invited them to walk the journey and find out for themselves. No amount of talk, explanation, discussion, Satsang could possibly replace these experiences. Yes, we can relate to them the many miracles shown. But that was something we saw. It would not happen again. We cannot make it happen again. I have always wanted to share these moments of extreme bliss in me with others. I asked if it was possible simply by touch. So we got together and held hands. It did work. The Siddhas came to hold our hands too. But above and beyond these is the soul's experience that goes beyond the physical. Tavayogi defines the joy experienced by the physical body and that gained through the senses as lesser and impermanent joy or சிற்றின்பம். That that the soul experiences is a greater and lasting joy or பேரின்பம்.

One has to be in the field - to see the expanse of our earth stretching till the horizons; the sky and its great expanse; the smell of grass; the breeze that brushes our faces, the sweetness of the water from the clear streams; and the sounds that nature makes. Although these are the pleasures and the joy that the senses perceive and gift us, when we bring awareness to it, the soul gets connected immediately and begins to perceive directly the joy becoming merge in bliss or ஆனந்தம். Stretching this bliss further beyond space and time is eternal bliss or பேரானந்தம். Tavayogi always asks that we prolong these moments.

But the journey is a long one. If in Sariyai although we get to serve our beloved deities, by gathering flowers, and keeping their temple abode clean, etc, we stood a distance from them as we had to observe the numerous man-made rules and laws that forbade us to venture further than the threshold of the Garba Graha or inner sanctum. We cannot possibly bath the deities. We could only watch the brilliance of the deities heavily decorated once the veil is drawn aside. If there is a need the priests shall carry out Yagam. We sit around as spectators. But that is how it is and we have to respect and abide by the rules as we are on others' turf.

In the path of the Siddhas, we were given the freedom to explore. We were given leeway to deviate from the norm too. Tavayogi motioned me to step into the inner sanctum of Agathiyar at Agathiyampalli. But I refrained as we were not used to entering the sacred space. I opted to sit on the threshold. Yet the most compassionate father did open his left eye to see us in his granite statue. With a replica of his image at this temple in my home, we spent hours bathing him and decorating him. We carried out Homam for hours too. All to our satisfaction. Agathiyar came by in the Nadi and told us each time that he too was extremely happy. We suddenly became active participants in these rituals. No rules were laid. Each was free to do as he pleased. A forum and a venue was created where the devotee and Agathiyar could interact with minimum intrusion. 

If Dr. Krishnan speaking to me about the Nadi in 1996, told me that past curses that took the shape of karma could prevent us from receiving our dues and rewards in this lifetime, five years later Agathiyar in a mysterious way passed me the Vasudeva Mantra that could break these knots. It came through his agents of these mystical worlds, quite similar to the fictitious Loki who is an agent of Asgard. Agathiyar gave me the Vasudeva mantra in 2001 and only revealed himself a year later in my very first Nadi reading. 

The Vasudeva mantra is said to pierce the Vishnu Granthi or knot. R Venu Gopalan in his book, "The Hidden Mysteries of Kundalini", enlightened me further on this mantra stating that the Vishnu Granthi adds obstructions for the Sadhaka keeping one under the wraps of attachment and bondage. The mantra is recited for balancing the Vishnu Granthi. 

The Nadis of the heart chakra is cleansed. It balances the heart chakra. Continuous practice of meditation on this mantra helps purify the thinking process. It also helps in dissolving all the past karmic deeds for a better future. 

From Awakening State at http://www.awakeningstate.com/spiritual-awakening/om-namo-bhagavate-vasudevaya/ we learn that,

This Sanskrit mantra can be practiced to attain freedom (moksha) from Samsara – the “Karmic Wheel” that keeps us bound to cycle after cycle of incarnations. This liberation mantra is a karmic eraser. Chanting this mantra with a sincere heart frees your mind and spirit from negative patterns in this life and helps us realize ourselves as a manifestation of transcendent divinity. 

Besides being a panacea aiding with the removal of one's karma, this mantra brings on tremendous changes in the Sadhaka leading him to the higher states. Yogi Professor Ramdas Prabhuji who is of the same opinion as R Venu Gopalan, writes at https://lahirimahasayakriyayoga.org/om-namo-bhagavate-vasudevaya/

The purpose of the Second and Third Kriya is to break the heart granthi in order to get the fourth state, Turiya, or Samadhi. The heart knot is the Vishnu-Granthi. Therefore, the supreme Vishnu mantra (mahamantra) – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya – is used for this purpose. The Vasudeva-mantra of 12 syllables – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya – is known as a Mukti Mantra because it grants release from Samsara for the one who recites it with devotion and faith. In the light of Kriya Yoga, the fourth state of Turiya, or Vasudeva, is a synonym for Kevala Kumbhaka. 

 Wikipedia mentions the following,

‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’ is a mantra of Vishnu and Krishna both. This twelve syllable mantra is known as a Mukti (liberation) mantra and a spiritual formula for attaining freedom.  

In a book titled, "Saint Dhruva", it is mentioned that this mantra was given to Dhruva by Saint Narada who initiated Dhruva into the mysteries of yoga and meditation leading to samadhi.

Narada taught Dhruva the practice of pranayama by inhaling, exhaling, and holding the breath. He taught Dhruva to overcome thought fluctuations with the help of breath control. Narada also taught Dhruva to meditate on Vishnu in the sanctuary of his heart repeating the Lord’s name mentally and offer prayers and worship. 

This mantra was mentioned in an extract from the English translation of the book "Kriya Yoga Vijnan - The Science of Kriya Yoga", the original by Saint Lahari Mahasaya.

Lahari Mahasaya has named this sadhana, Omkar kriya. This is essentially a pranayama and the basis is the Vasudeva mantra. The Shastras have propounded that the Vasudeva mantra is an omniscient mantra. When a Sadhaka starts comprehending his awareness as one with the mantra then he becomes omniscient himself. Then his attainment shall be - I am this omniscient Vasudeva. In the Gita it is stated: "In the very last of all births, the man of wisdom worships me, realizing that all is Vasudeva. Rare indeed is the soul. Then do namaskar to thyself."

This was the very first mantra delivered to me officially in the confines of my prayer room one Saturday afternoon in 2001 by my nephew. He was only a messenger he said and asked me not to question further. In calling me to the path the following year, Agathiyar told me that my past karma stood in the way of even my spiritual practices. As for every kind of sin, there is a kind of retribution, he had me travel locally and to India to carry out my remedies. I set off to do as he said the following year. 

Agathiyar sends me first doing my rounds visiting temples, and in doing so knocking on God's doors. In going on pilgrimages we had the means to clear the baggage of karma brought along from our past lives, where the difficulties and obstacles endured along the way help rid the karma to a certain extend. Finally, upon reaching the abode of the deities, another portion of the karma is cleared further. How is karma magically cleared in the presence of God? The energy vortex at these places clears the knots and blockages in one's chakra system. I realize now that the reason we are asked to go on pilgrimages to temples is to get connected with the energies that prevail in the temples and sacred spots. Only when these blockages are cleared can one continue the journey in a meaningful manner. 

PARALLEL UNIVERSE

We have heard or read about the lamentations of the saints Pattinathar "நெஞ்சொடு புலம்பல்" and that of his student a former king Badragiriyar known as "மெய்ஞானப் புலம்பல்". 

Follow the lyrics at https://www.ytamizh.com/siddhar/pattinathar/?page=9

If theirs was Gnana Pulambal or lamentation that they have yet to reach the holy feet of the Lord, I guess my lamentation is towards the community and society. I guess it was heard loud and clear by readers as another reader messaged me after reading my last post last night.

Anna have told me this. Agathiyar sometimes will lament with Lobama about the people who never have the understanding on their teaching and turn sad. But then next day he shall continue with his cooking of the meals for all those who have come to be fed. And he also would take all 3 meals without skipping them so that the meals feed the unseen elementals. 

Your writing also the same Anna. You’re feeding us all the knowledge that you experience that becomes ours too. Yes, sometimes you too get tired when there isn’t any change yet without realizing someone messages you that they’re following your messages and working on it. 

As Agathiyar says “Naane Prabanjam, Prabanjame Naan”, your worries are also his worries. Your writings are also his writing. So I’m begging you not to stop this. As those ants struggling hard to pick up and carry food go unnoticed but yet we’re feeding them, without your knowledge that’s how your writing is feeding us.

When we begin to see the might and greatness of the Siddhas and at the same time the humbleness and the down-to-earth nature of theirs one cannot but keep it all to himself. Hence the reason to share with others arose. What better way than to go online. Although I have no ideals nor spiritual ambition to pursue, and neither have I achieved anything worth mentioning on the path to spiritual evolution, it's all these simple things in life that come my way that interest and excite me. So you shall not find doctrines and means to achieve a spiritual state in these pages. Instead, you shall read stories of miracles that take place in our daily life. You shall read how the Gods come down from their thrones and the Siddhas come away from  Samadhi to mingle and interact with common folk like us. If the lockdown has put a stop to visitors it never could stop these divine visitations. If once I was fearful of them, seeing how they have adapted to our lesser intellects, made us at home with them. I was always silent before them for fear of exposing my past sins. For fear that I would turn out to be an idiot asking the wrong questions. Agathiyar in the Nadi helped me confront my sins telling me that all those were experiences that I needed to learn. I guess as a soul before taking birth I had asked to experience them as did the little soul ask of God in the parables from Neale Donald Walsch's "Conversations With God" He forgave me and asked that I forgive myself too. I am slowly learning to forgive others too and pray that they forgive me too. They are now part of our families too. In National Geographic's "Cosmos: Possible Worlds", we learn that,

"Charles Darwin presented the evidence for our oneness with all lives that despite our potential to have mystical higher birth we were actually relatives to the other beasts and vegetables as much a part of the natural world as any other living thing."

This is what is seen but there are unseen worlds we are told that exist too. Maybe parallel worlds where another Shanmugam Avadaiyappa is taking on other experiences living with a wife named Manohari. I was jolted from my state of awe and amazement as I sat before the Nadi reader to hear my Nadi read for the very first time. But first, the reader and I  have to jointly look for the precise and right Nadi that fully describes me. As we went through each leaf in the three stacks he had with him, there was one that seemed to describe me, my parents, my siblings, and my career and property too. But I stopped short of accepting the Nadi as mine when my wife's name was read out to me. It was another name. It was Manohari. We skipped that Nadi. Going through the same routine another day I found one that matched and we went ahead to have a reading. This made me ponder who was the other me living with another woman? Is there a relationship with my life then? Does what I do here reflect or change things there or vice versa? I have been asked by others if I was at a certain place as they tell me that they had seen and spoken to me. A cleaner at my office in the '80s told me I came around to collect donations for a temple clad in saffron. Another colleague saw me in a dream clad in white waiting for a bus. Finally, I came face to face with my other as I watched him cross the road right before my eyes and right in front of my car. How do we explain all these?

From Wikipedia, we learn something similar.

Parallel universe, also known as a parallel dimension, alternate universe, or alternate reality, is a hypothetical self-contained plane of existence, co-existing with one's own. The sum of all potential parallel universes that constitute reality is often called a "multiverse".

Mahin who saw the Tv series Loki came up with his observation. At https://en.wikipedia.org/ we read the premise of the series.

After stealing the Tesseract during the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), an alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline. They give Loki a choice: face being erased from existence due to being a "time variant", or help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat. Loki ends up trapped in his own crime thriller, traveling through time.

 Mahin wrote a lengthy piece. He is becoming a good storyteller too.

In this series there was a a bureaucratic organization (Time Variance Authority) who looking after timeline. If any individuals from any planets trying to create a new timeline they will caught them and will retreat and will put them back into the same timeline. This is to maintain and avoid any disturbance in what’s was designed originally in their life and from them to others life. Only selected people they recruited and erased their past memories and training them and keep them to run the TVA. That’s how Loki (The God of Mischief) trying to escape when the Avengers caught him during 2007 and Loki used Tesseract to escape and unfortunately that wasn’t designed into his lifetime. Therefore, the TVA guards was caught him and bring him into their world. There was a agent named Mobius who knew about Loki and wanted to take him into his custody to questioning him by asking his past misdeeds. But Loki trying to escape himself from TVA but gives up after realizing that the TVA’s power exceeds that of the Infinity Stones. He return to the Time Theater and reviewed more future event including his own death at the hands of Thanos. Then Loki agreed to help Mobius and TVA to hunt another Loki Variant. Then the story goes on and on….. 

The Variant (Sylvie) created numerous timeline by using the stolen reset charges to various points that throw the TVA into disarray. The Variant teleport away and Loki follows her to TVA to find the Time Keepers but Loki confronted her. Loki used TemPad to teleport them both away from TVA and they arrived at 2077 Lamentis-1 (Moon that soon will be crushed by a planet). Here The Variant will reveal her side of stories about TVA to Loki. Then Loki join with her to find the Time Keeper. They found that Time Keepers are hiding somewhere beyond the void.  However, Renslayer (The Judge of TVA) who doesn’t believe in Loki pruned him and he was sent to the Void at the end of time from which nothing has ever return. Here Loki will meet all his Variants from different timelines but each of them carry same power but only the Original Loki never understand the power he has. And the Variation (Sylvie) will prune her own self to join with Loki to meet the time keepers. However, the time keeper created “Alioth” the giant trans-temporal, this giant killing everything drops into The Void. The Classic Loki variant will create an illusion of Asgard to distract Alioth while Loki & Sylvie enchanted Alioth. Both of them successfully enchant Alioth and they creature shows them the way to a Citadel where the Time Keeper “He Who Remains” stayed. 

The “He Who Remains” claimed that he get aged and ask Loki or Sylvie to kill him and take charge of Time Keeping from his position. Loki & Sylvie have a epic fight over and Sylvie flings Loki back to the TVA and slays “He Who Remains” which let the timeline branches like crazy apparently letting many versions of Kang (The Worse Variations of “He Who Remains” run amok across the multiverse. While Loki was sent to a different timeline’s version of the agency and this is shows that Kang variant is openly controlled. 

Then he brings us to the similarities he observes between Siddha Path & Loki Series. 

Now what’s the similarities with this story and siddha path ? As we know that we also linked  with “Timeline” and here my understanding. As I sit for my 1st naadi reading there was a numerous naadi which carry details of mine and only missed with one details. Some having the same name as mine “Mahindran”. That time I was wonder is that so many variants of mine out there with the same characteristics just like Loki having numerous Variants. As everyone carry normal life style we’re rooted deep into a timeline where everyone walked toward something nobody knows. Wake up, Bath, Having breakfast, babies will crawls and growing according to the nature, children’s will go to school, adult to work, oldies counting numbers for the end of their journey. If we stop and take a look back what we’re done are the same like everyone. BUT, when someone trying to escape from this timeline and wants to create a new timeline for his/her journey, yes that would be Siddha Path. The Guru will pick up them and will test their willpower how strong they’re before continue the journey. The Guru will give some test to him/her and if he sustained the further enlightenment will be given. If he/she wasn’t fit for it then will be return back to the same timeline where he carry back the same routine. Now we go thru only those sustained and their journey. 

As Loki sees his misdeeds via Time Theaters, we will see ours via Naadi reading at 1st and will do some parigarams to clear the karma. By the time we were fully merged into the practice with Guru, we will be able to see our past Karma/Variants in previous births and the misdeeds. From there, we will be connected with all our variants and started to clear the karma. Why we should do this? What is our purpose of this journey? Loki join with Mobius and find Sylvie and later join with Sylvie to find the time keeper. And here we’re join hand with Guru to find our variants and later combined all variants to clear karma then find the Sivam/Jothi. Once we cleared our karma, Guru will bring us to Agathiyar or Siddhas. Now Agathiyar/Siddhas will push us into Yogam & Gnanam where we will start battle against our self to go deeper into meditation. However, Loki finds Alioth as a obstacle to reach the Time Keepers and here we will find our own thoughts as veil of curtains to see to the Sivam/Jothi. With the help of Agathiyar/Siddhas together with the support from our own self we will be able to prevail the curtain and see the Sivam/Jothi. But when Loki meet time keeper he was offer him another level of stage to take his job and run the show. As Ramalingam Adigal meets the Sivam/Jothi he also got the gift of Gods 5 duties of Padaithal, Kathal, Azhithal, Maraithal and Aruluthal but is that an end? No, He was still back to the society and couldn’t preach the teaching of what he experienced so He was merge with Jothi and ……. Loki was send to different timeline… Was Ramalingam Adigal also send to different timeline since he was come again to this timeline to bring Kalpaddu Aiya into Samadhi.

Mind-blowing right? I still have the need to read and reread and comprehend it. 

MANAGING THY SELF

My thoughts were so muddled the past couple of days. I guess disturbing things that came to my attention recently brought me to ask where is man heading. The past few posts, you might have guessed, reflects these. When we want to make this world a little better, there are those who are bent on destroying it. Where shall we go if we kill off this world? Taking these a little further we are shown the implications of our actions in movies and documentaries. Yet it is taken lightly and seen as entertainment and forgotten. 

Then some religious and spiritual figures have scared us with theories and predictions etc. Even Lord Shiva and the Siddhas are said to be angry. That's what I have heard or read. Nobody actually paints a picture of a promising future. So where do we go or to whom shall we turn to? But the irony and sad thing about this is that it has been going on for ages in many forms and in many places. Famines and starvation have existed since then where people in great numbers starved and died. Looking towards the other bank of the river, many saints came along only to save themselves. We were left behind. The Siddhas came to uplight mankind but no one seems to listen to them either. All they want from us is a commitment to at least try to change for the better. Avvai came. Tiruvalluvar came. They gave us the ethics of good living. We are a far way from assimilating them in life. We do not make a resolution to change. It is all in the attitude. When our attitude changes to be inclusive rather than selfish, we shall look after the welfare of our neighbors, the community, society, and nation. But it needs all parties to participate. We asked if our individual actions could make a difference? If one person could change the world?

So last night I contemplated on bringing to a halt my writing. What do you know, this morning I receive the following message from a dear friend in Delhi.

"Hi Shan sir....just wanted to say that your articles on the blog lead one  to silence, From questions to answers, from doubt to faith, from ignorance to gyan, from darkess to light. A delight for the true seeker.....from moments of weakness to strength....and I can carry on. Om Agathesaya Namah."

I messaged him, "Siva Siva tqvm. It's a boost to carry on. Truly I was contemplating stopping writing just last night and I receive your message this morning. Don't know what to say."

He replied further.

"and I was about to write that dont stop writing..... this is a divine happening orchestrating through you....Let it be."

These writings besides being a delight to the true seeker as my friend says are also meant for me. But I have failed miserably in complying, following, and adopting them too. I have stood before Agathiyar ashamed of myself many a time. Whatever I write has to be either my experience or has to be experienced by me before I share. Otherwise, it would be akin to forwarding messages as is the case in social media. The Siddhas too only disclose what works for them, meaning they have done it and have seen its results.

Man in coming to religion and spiritualism seeks to know the secrets that mystify the mind. He is attracted by words like kundalini and siddhi, mukti and samadhi, etc. But all this in the hands of the wrong person can do much damage to him and to others too. Hence the reason the saints began working on our attitude, habits, and character first. Tavayogi told me that the guru shall wait patiently to see us evolve from an ordinary man to a good man first with noble thoughts and high virtues. But we, the seekers and aspirants and disciples do not have the patience to wait that long and move on to other gurus who can give us instant results. We forget that there is nothing given by the gurus but that we need to flower from within. They are only catalyst to kindle the flowering within us. Then when the gurus are too generous we have disciples who cannot manage these energies. They struggle to take control of it and often have to bear the pain and suffering or live with it for the rest of their lives. Both body and mind have to be strengthened first before we indulge in any activity that might arise these subtle and powerful energies. A true guru would prepare the student first before having him indulge in this dangerous play of energies. It is akin to playing with fire. He would monitor and guide further. He comes to heal or bring him out of his agony. Or if the need arises to have him stop the practice momentarily or entirely.

We are taught to become a divine man first before we can imagine becoming God. Then a man who claims he is God should go beyond performing Siddhis and demonstrate feats and be able to carry out the 5 distinct roles of God, that of creation, sustenance, destruction, veiling, and showering grace.

In bringing a change, one of the most difficult things we face is to forgive another. But some have magically done that. The story "The Farmer and the Nun" in the anthology documentary film "Rubaru Roshini" or "ஒளி வரும் வழி" introduced by Aamir Khan speaks about acceptance and forgiveness. Swami Sadanand of the Shantigiri Ashram, Bamodi in Madhya Pradesh, asks us several pertinent questions as to which is more important rain or shine, heat or cold, day or night, and finally inhalation or exhalation. He drives the point that we need both including friend and foe and happiness and sorrow. The greatness of a human is to accept and forgive another. The three stories in this movie focus on questions asked by kith and kin as to why certain tragic events took place. Living with these questions for years finally they come to meet those who were the cause of their sorrow and forgive them. It is a great thing to come to terms with and forgive another. Closer to home we saw our neighbor forgive another even after he was caught redhanded causing damage to their cars.

The other component in life is to overcome fear. Fear of the enemy kills us even before we step onto the battlefield. Now we are faced with an unseen invisible enemy -  the covid virus. To overcome fear Lord Shiva had a seeker sit it out at a cemetery the whole night long. She did it. To rid our fear of the virus Lord Shiva asks that we recite the same mantra given to her. We realize that saints like Jeganathar stay close to cemeteries too. Could there be a reason for it?

Besides discipline that is a must if we are to succeed in this endeavor, trustworthiness is a must too. One needs to be honest, tell the truth, and shame the devil.

Another vital component is the commitment to the cause. We are told of a batch of scientists in Russia who never touched the grains that they were studying and researching their genetics. They were so committed to their work to heighten food production in the face of widespread famine and starvation that they starved and died. The future was trully precious to them that they preserved the grains in their labs. This is revealed in National Geographic's "Cosmos: Possible Worlds"

Then we have the opposite characters. When my daughter, son-in-law, and his brothers opened up a Food Bank with contributions from family and friends they saw selfish individuals make their way to the center and cart away as many as 5 bags of rice each forgetting to leave some for others too.

Change I believe is vital in all areas and fields. Could it be possible that maybe when I was cursed for bringing radical changes to the age-old traditions in temples as a priest in my last birth that I was given the freedom to bring the change in Siddha worship now? It is said that kings and ministers of the past take rebirth again playing the same role that they had cherished or become part of the kingdoms or governments.

Michael Wood in BBC Earth's "The Story of China" narrates the following.

"Everything is a payback. Jung fled his empire to become a penniless Buddhist monk. He wrote "I think of the things I did in the past. I write them all down. To beg forgiveness. In life everything has a payback. The rags I am wearing now are payback for the fine furs and silk that I once had. The straw that I sleep on is a payback for the soft beds. The smoke in my eyes and dung in my nostrils are payback for the fragrance in the past. This sack on my shoulder is a payback to all those who carried me. For every kind of sin there is a kind of retribution. I was nearly 50 years old in 1645 when my country was shattered and I had lost everything. Looking back was as if my life under the Ming had been a dream."

"So ended the Ming dynasty that ruled for almost 300 years" ends Michael.

These are a few of the notable virtues that we need to work on before even imagining joining the fold of the Siddhas. Let us work on these small but vital things in life first. To come to the path of the Siddhas is to come to their fold eventuality.

LOOKING BACK AT "AGATHIYAR GEETHAM"

There are songs. Then there are the devotional songs. If these bring bhakti or devotion and tears to our eyes, some go some distance in kindling us to think and ponder about life, the soul, and our link with God. These are songs of Wisdom or Gnanam says Tavayogi, ஞானத்திற்கு உரிய பாடல். Ramalinga Adigal's songs shall bring one to attain Gnanam added Tavayogi as I played songs from his Tiruarutpa when I drove him to Bukit Rotan many years back. We were blessed to produce an album for Agathiyar titled "Agathiyar Geetham" in 2018. The producer, singer, and coordinator of this album Gowri Arumugam had received a request from Tavayogi to come up with an album for Agathiyar. He told us later in a video call that he had approached many artistes to bring out an album, but none took up the challenge. Gowri did. 

This reminds me of Sivabalan telling me the same, that Agathiyar had asked fifty individuals who came for a Nadi reading to build him a temple, but none took up the tasks. When Agathiyar placed the requests to me too, Sivabalan told me to take up the tasks if I had the resources, finances, and know-how. I was very keen and scouted for a place in existing temples to house him, knowing that it would be difficult and costly to build an entirely new temple dedicated to Agathiyar. Sadly, none of the temple committees I approached were in favor of a Siddha taking residence in their temples. They came up with numerous excuses. I left it at that. Today Agathiyar and the Siddhas recognize my humble home as a temple and their residence. 

Tavayogi added that this album was one of Gnanam too. On the day we launched the album, a veteran Nadi reader stepped up to me and told me in classical Indian prose that the songs from this album were those that depicted the state of Gnanam exactly what Tavayogi had told us. Lord Murugan came later and praised Mahindren in a Nadi reading, for his lyrics of the songs that were carried in Agathiyar Geetham. 

Mahindren and I were reminiscing over the phone a couple of nights ago about how tough it was to come up with the right words to match the tune set by Music director Jey Raggaveindra. We were lucky to have Gowri Arumugam guide us, giving suggestions, singing the lyrics, correcting them, or finding other suitable words to replace them to suit the tune. We had to be true to the many episodes in Agathiyar's life too and had to research into his life story, the tapas he did, the miracles he performed, etc. Both Mahin and I had no prior knowledge and experience in songwriting. We took it as a challenge. Today, we agree that Agathiyar in wanting us to gain various experiences, he included that of songwriting too.

As we have had a little experience in songwriting, we just wonder how the poet Vairamuthu came up with the beautiful and meaningful lyrics to the song "Jenmam Nirainthathu"

Then I came across the following song too. It mentions that each time I came near you, you seem to go further away and out of reach. What am I to do the seeker questions God? 

As Goddess Ma told us that the Siddha path was one of learning or ஒரு படிப்பினை Agathiyar has been giving us practical lessons just as Tavayogi did in bringing me to the sites of the Siddhas, bringing us into Yoga and into doing rituals, etc. 

Looking at the astrologers squatting on the five-foot ways and dishing out our future, I questioned myself why their lives never changed for the better. My opinion of them changed the day I picked up the almanac and several books on astrology and drafted my horoscope. Only then did I realize the extent of science and mathematics that went into it. One could manage to draft the horoscope, but he needs to be well versed with telling the Gochara Palan or the results of the movements of the planets, for only then shall any reading of the horoscope be complete. One has to be a walking encyclopedia. Agathiyar gave me this experience too.

He had me go through severe back pain and educated me on the reasons behind it. Agathiyar spoke about the three dosas and started me reading about them. He spoke about the Tattvas that maketh man and asked me to read Tavayogi's book. Ramalinga Adigal came to ask if I was reading it too. In giving me the painful experience, they provoked me to gain knowledge about the body. We needed to know and understand how the "house", that sustains our life, spirit, and soul, was built. Knowing this shall facilitate the dismantling of these 96 tattvas, reversing, replacing, and transforming the "house". 

As I chose to stay away out of fear from the worship of the lesser Gods that are prevalent in Malaysia too, Agathiyar bridged the gap between us sending devotees who were receptive and a receptacle of these energies. He drove away my fear towards them by showing me their other side, that of kindness, gentleness, and humbleness. 

Srinatha Raghavan wrote about the need to have practical experiences in his Fb notes.

Sometimes you have to do the heartless job of breaking someone's bubble, because even that bubble could become a potential coffin for them, if not timely popped. 

A Sadhaka or at least presumably, kept asking many questions about everything Spiritual, till it struck me that they ain't doing anything with it, but were simply collecting information as a slave of habit. So when they once again questioned what is this and that, the answer was silence. 

They felt instantly offended and kept asking the reason for silence, when we said, "All the Mao you require for spiritual progress is already with you. But the problem is, you are more of an imaginary "Time Traveller" who loves to explore various  themes sitting in the comfort of your own home, rather than hitting the road itself. So unless you drop all your curiosity of wanting to know, without having the will to put into action what you already know, your whole "I'm Serious" attempt is futile." 

"Curiousity is good, but sitting home and being curious about exploring all the places far away is simply stupid. If you wish to experience the magic of these places, you gotta get you a*** off the couch and start walking on the direction shown."

If we only know the truth of any matter upon experiencing it, does that mean that we can only know death upon death and not a moment sooner? Is this what the saints are said to have experienced death  சாகாமல் சாகும் வித்தை even as they walked the earth? This experience is said to have come spontaneously to Bhagawan Ramana one day. He was suddenly overcome by the fear of death. Ramana shares that experience carried at https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ramana-maharshi/death-experience/.

P.Karthigayan in his "History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", explains that generally, the 96 principles tattvas animate us on life's stage, and eventually end their act, leaving and going their way at the end of the divine play. The Siddhas, instead of returning to dust like everyone else, reincarnated their spirit with the soul within their own body, attaining death without dying, by means of the art of deathlessness or சாகாமல் சாகும் கலை. This was done by eliminating the worldly substances in it. What is retained then is the form of their profile. All else is replaced. Substances of perishable nature are replaced by substances of cosmic nature by altering the natural physical fabric through the science that was known to them - Kaaya Siddhi. On completion of the transformation, their body remains forever. 

We understand the purpose in us taking birth is to gain the experiences that we had desired to have as a soul from the story of "The Little Soul and the Sun", a children's parable adapted from "Conversations with God", Hampton Roads Publishing Company Ins, 1998. Neale Donald Walsch walks us through a conversation between a Little Soul and God.

"The Little Soul knew itself to be the Light but it wanted to experience itself as Light. And God said that if it wanted to know the Light it must also know the Darkness. For how else can one know Up without Down, Hot without Cold, Fast without Slow? Then the Little Soul understood that in getting to know Who It Really Is, it would have to know the opposite. And so the Little Soul embarked upon an adventure very much like that we all share on Earth."

Knowing who it was, was not enough. The Little Soul wanted to be who it was. God asks him, "You mean you want to be Who You Already Are?" The Little Soul replies that it wanted to feel what it is like to be the Light. God goes on to explain. "Well, there is nothing else but the Light." But as the Little Soul wanted to know itself as the Light amidst the Light, God tells him, "Since you cannot see yourself as the Light when you are in the Light, we will surround you with darkness which is that which you are not." God explains that in order to experience anything at all, the exact opposite of it will appear, reminding the soul, for instance, not to shake his fist and raise his voice and curse the darkness when he is surrounded by it. "Rather be a Light unto the darkness and do not be mad about it. Let your Light so shine that everyone will know how special you are."

The story goes on to narrate how the young soul who knew he was Light but wanted to experience it, chose to pick the desired action that he would like to do, from a list of many, once he is on earth. He chooses the act of forgiving. Another soul immediately steps up to join the soul in fulfilling its wish by being the perpetrator so that the young soul can then forgive him. They both come down to earth to live out their desires. This desire triggers a chain of events, a learning process takes place and several experiences are recorded, whereby the soul becomes enriched through these experiences. We, being Light in essence, for want of experiencing it, had darkness and all opposites created for us. As all the souls are perfect, many wanted and volunteered to come down to help us gain the experience. Thus, we had all known each other earlier. We had planned to be together here. Those who needed a particular experience chose to come early, while others remained behind to join later. We have worked out all things at the level of the soul and wait for it to take shape and happen or act it out on the physical plane - earth. We create the situation and the scenario, allowing all our wishes to take shape. What we are going through is what we had asked for. We had asked for this experience and hence are enacting the role and taking on the experiences. Hence, when we begin to understand that everything comes to take its respective form and place according to the wishes of the souls and the divine law of nature (God), we can settle down and accept all that is seen.

Although Tavayogi, the moment he stepped on our shores, opened up about the need to move to Gnanam from Bakthi, Agathiyar, and later Tavayogi himself educated us on the other stages of spiritual growth on the path to Gnanam. We needed these experiences too. Taking over from where our parents left us at Sariyai, fearing that we shall forever be dependent on others even for our personal spiritual uplifting and evolution, Agathiyar in wanting us to learn the trade, handed me to Supramania Swami and later Tavayogi. Supramania Swami taught me bhakti or devotion to the Guru by example. Tavayogi led me to let go of my hold on the physical guru and to take up the hand of the Moola Guru or Primal Guru. He showed me to Agathiyar directly, just as Goddess Ma showed Ramalinga Adigal to Lord Nataraja. This way we were saved from attachment to all forms physical, be it even that of a guru.