FURTHER LEARNING

We cannot speak about Rome unless we have been there. Similarly one cannot speak about the most commonly spoken powerhouse the Kundalini until he has tempered with it. Masters and saints can reveal it. So did Pandit Gopi Krishna who accidentally arose the sleeping giant and saw its tremendous and often painful outcome.

For one who is not well versed in either speaking or writing the Tamil language, I depend on others who have read them to share it with us. So do we look towards our gurus who are well-read and well-traveled and a library of Gnanam or personal experiences gained on traveling both the external and internal journey. So it was meant that I should get my answers to the many internal transformations from Nithilan Dhandapani today. His videos explain the scenario I am going through now and back then. I thank him for all the time and effort he took to do the readings and share it with us.

Agathiyar is yet to reveal my true purpose here. Calling me to the worship of Siddhas through my first Nadi reading, he sent a guru on the path to walk me through Kriyai and Yogam. Sending youths to my family home, the home turned into his home, Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia, where we assembled to carry out puja and charity. Then he had us drop everything and go within exploring the Self or Atma or Soul or JeevAtma that would eventually bring us to know the ParamAtma. He himself came to walk along with me on the path of Gnanam. Today he tells me that I am already there and that there is nothing further to do as far as my effort goes. The energies that came within and that I awoke unknowingly through all these years had paid up resulting in an internal transformation that he comes often to stamp and endorse as true. Just as Nithilan Dhandapani describes, we connect with the joy and pain of people and nature. The smile of another becomes contagious. The pain in others too becomes contagious and is felt. Agathiyar has a solution to this too. He tells us not to sink into their sadness but to help in whatever way possible and move on. 

Just as he brought us to carry out our 60th wedding in this world of instant marriages and instant divorces, to show others how a couple should stay intact till their old age, he wants to use me to show how we can actually bring change in our look and perspective and changes within and without as in our looks and other bodily transformations both external and internal. I am blessed to be part of his experiment as Nithilan Dhandapani calls it too, for I know I am in good hands. You work the changes until you're there. Then you let it all be, not wanting to stir it up again. Now I understand why Agathiyar wants me to do nothing.

GOOD HEALTH

During my morning walks I used to see an elderly Chinese man play basketball by himself. Upon chatting with him I find out that he is in his eighties. Then there is this Indian lady who walks with us. She tells us that she is a cyclist having gone some distance in her hobby. She is 56. 

These people are role models boosting our spirit dan encouraging us to care for our health. Today I managed 9056 steps covering some 6 km total in the morning and later in the evening too.

The greatest gift is mobility and good health till old age. The greatest investment is to invest in looking after this asset given by the divine. The collective ParamAtma that chose to play his Lila took on individual JeevAtmas that designed the gross physical body for its needs and purposes. Supervising the formation of the embryo and later fetus and growing into a baby and a child is sent behind the stage while the Ego grows to conquer more land and take control and possession and reign over the body and mind. His or her true purpose in coming is forgotten over time until a guru in the physical form comes knocking on his door. He is shown or as Ramalinga Adigal sings in his "Arutprakasa Maalai" given something in his hands that would draw the curtains or veil aside and make him recall his true nature and purpose in coming. Trekking the path and following the way now shown by the Guru in physical form, the Atma takes over from there and charts the course and his destiny. He attains Jeeva Mukti becoming a Jeevan Mukta. He turns into a Siddha serving in the role of a Guru to bring others to the fold too.

Those who fail to attain this post and role, they pass on to the other world and try at it again and again till they realize the purpose and the role in coming. Agathiyar to a question placed before him told my wife that for one who has accomplished what he came for and who has no further desires, wishes, and wants, there is no need to carry out funeral rites and customs. It is only imperative that we do them for those who left without fulfilling them for their souls shall linger on. It is to help make this transition to the other world easier that we need to carry out these rituals. For one who has made the transition from the gross to the subtle in this very life, the journey ends. He avoids making the transition to the other worlds as with others. These are the saints who can be summoned immediately for they have merged with the very Prapanjam. The Prapanjam is on call for all those who have learned to connect with it. It keeps them alive. It sustains the life in them. 

THE THEVARAM

When Agathiyar asked me to come to the worship of the Siddhas through my first Nadi reading the very first name that came to my mind was the Agathiyar Sanmarga Sangam in Dengkil as I had seen volunteers from this movement collect donations from the public in public places. I went over and brought back volumes of books and VCDs to learn further about the path. 

When Agathiyar coming through devotees in later years lamented that no one was following their teachings and the way of life "Siddhar Vazhkai Neri Muraigal" I invited Siddha Physician Thiru Arivananthan Aiya over to AVM to give us a talk on this subject. 

Agathiyar had recently told us to include the retelling of the stories of the Nayanmars either before or after the puja. He added that the stories of the Nayanmars would be very much appropriate for current times. So when Agathiyar asked me to go through one particular Pathigam "Manthira Aavathu Neeru" and write on it Siddha Heartbeat: THE SACRED ASH (agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com) I did as told but could only write so much as four songs and was lost about the meanings of the rest of the six songs. When I was schooling I picked up some Thevaram songs from a teacher of Ceylonese origin who home tutored me and my pals. I attended the class partly because my friends' parents had arranged it, and I joined them wanting to spend more time together. We had more fun than paying attention to the master then. When I started my home puja as a bachelor in the eighties, I used to sing the songs of the saints at my altar, my favorite being the Vinayagar Agaval by Avvai, Sivapuranam by Manikavasagar, Kandar Sasti Kavasam by Devaraya Swamigal and Sakalakala Valli Maalai by Kumaragurupara Swamigal, having memorized the verses by heart. Today I rejoice at seeing my seven-year-old granddaughter pick it up in school. 

So when I chanced to meet an old friend Thiru Sri Jegan Aiya who with a Thiru Chandran was the force behind establishing the Sri Bala Subramaniar Temple that stands proudly in an adjacent neighborhood of Taman Sri Timah today while having breakfast at a restaurant, I took the opportunity to learn from him the meaning to the rest of the Pathigam as he holds Thevaram classes. Speaking to him he tells me that he and another devotee Dr Vicky have revived the counseling sessions for inmates of a prison that was put on hold after the onset of the Covid pandemic. 

Listening to Thiru Rajnikant speak in a video, I guess I am like Arjuna too for I only know how to follow whatever is dictated by Agathiyar. Unlike some who start out to investigate the Nadi reader rather than take the message given by the Siddhas in the Nadi, others who investigate the mantra given comparing it with others who have received it too, and postpone reciting it till they have the answers, I start all things immediately. I guess that is the reason I have come this far. There might be a tone of ego in these words but it is alright for one needs to have either one, two, or all three of the Malas with him to remain in this material and gross body. The saints who left their mortal frames a clean slate, choose not to come back taking birth in the human form for it would require that the soul carry at least one of the three abovementioned Malam or impurities again namely Karma, Maya, and Anavam. But they do transmigrate momentarily into others' bodies to speak, hear us out, heal, or bless us. So it was that Agathiyar and the other Siddhas and Gods and deities came within devotees for brief moments using their bodies for their purposes. 

SIDDHA'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Agathiyar did not come to speak to us overnight. It took some 18 years for him to start coming through devotees. He began to speak to us in the absence of the Nadi readers who had returned to India in the wake of the pandemic. If we were already accustomed to deities and other energies coming within some people to address their devotees' wants and issues, it rather came as a surprise to us when Agathiyar and the Siddhas began to speak to us. Later the Gods and Goddesses too came down. Now we have come to believe that with the Siddhas and the Divine anything is possible. Imagine and it is done. Agathiyar has a saying for all of us as goes: "Man says, "Let it happen then I shall believe." We (the Siddhas) say, "Believe and it shall happen."  It surely is true. Yet many doubt if Agathiyar speaks through a common man like you and me. 

Let it be known that whatever conversations he had with us and said to us applies only to his devotees. At times he comes on hard on us and his words are harsh but that is how a father and a teacher disciplines the son and student at times. Understand that it is for our own good. 

Agathiyar first showed me that he was for real when he mentioned in my Nadi reading that he shall open his eyes to see me in his granite statue at his temple at Agasthiyampalli in India. True enough he opened but only one eye, his left to see me with a wide grin on his face. How was that possible? Then without asking, or without alerting me beforehand, he opened both his eyes again in his granite statue at Papanasam as if to assure me that it was not a figment of my imagination that transpired earlier at Agasthiyampalli. And the crowning glory was when he opened both his eyes in his bronze statue too at AVM. Coming through devotees, he would come and ask all those gathered to practice the Yoga techniques given and watch attentively and correct them if needed. What was truly beyond our expectations was that he served my family food and watched us eat before we begged that he give us the honor to serve him in return "live". I would not blame if others do not believe us for it is all beyond our wildest imagination too. It was a Fairytale or rather a "Siddhatale". We have to pinch ourselves to realize that indeed it was all happening. Just as we are familiar with the TV series "Ripley's Believe It or Not!", here we are getting accustomed to the Siddhas performing the most unimaginable. 

Just as when Tavayogi came over to Malaysia and asked us to come out of temple worship and move into Yoga and Gnanam, Agathiyar wanted us to do the same too. He tells us that Sariyai and Kriyai are no longer required unless called for or the need arises. Now we have to venture further into Yoga that brings on Gnanam. Hence the reason he has come to tutor us on both these phases bringing my home to be called Gnana Kottam now. Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia henceforth shall move into Mahindren's home where Sariyai and Kriyai shall continue with the kids. 

The Siddhas are not against any form of worship. But they remind us from time to time not to become too comfortable with what we are doing and settle into it. They tell us that there is more to be explored just as Ramalinga Adigal who had been there came back to enlighten us on these further states and realms. If we fail to move on now we shall have to come back again in another birth and continue from where we left. I guess I had failed crores of times since Agathiyar told me that he had known me during this time. I must have postponed the "mission" countless times in all my births and have arrived here and in the now to undertake from where I left. Shall I make it this time around? I wonder. 

THE REBIRTH OF AVM & THE BIRTH OF GNANA KOTTAM

Mahindren has come forward to revive the AVM Whatsapp group that was mooted in 2013 and saw its end in 2019. I am pretty sure that he has the blessings of Agathiyar. I am sure that Agathiyar is pleased to see this revival for AVM was very close to his heart and that of Tavayogi too. He had revealed recently that its closure was for a reason and was right back then. If my home was the venue back then, Mahindren's home would be the new AVM. It shall be a good start to better things that shall come the way of these devotees of Agathiyar. As Agathiyar has asked me to do nothing and since I am in my sixties, he needs new blood to drive the vehicle to greater heights. Mahinden shall be the one to do so. I believe Agathiyar will be the driving force behind Mahindren now just as he drove me on to accomplish his tasks and mission back then. I believe Mahindren would bring AVM to greater heights in the near future. He posted a beautiful invitation as follows.

I hope this message finds you well. After a period of reflection, we have decided to reopen our WhatsApp group dedicated to the teachings of Agathiyar Appa in the Siddha Path. Our renewed purpose is to explore Siddha’s wisdom in a fresh and meaningful way.

Vision: We aim to create a vibrant community where each member can experience the essence of the Siddha Path through practical teachings and shared practices.

Monthly Gatherings:

* When: Every Sunday (The Pournami Week)

* Where: Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia - Mahindran Home

* What to Expect: Sample of Ideas 

    1. Pooja Preparation (1st Month): Learn the art of preparing for Pooja, understand its significance, and explore the sacred rituals.

    2. Pranayama Practice (2nd Month): Dive into the world of Pranayama, the breath-based practice that connects us to our inner energy.

    3. Nature Connection (3rd Month):Embark on group hikes to experience the Siddha way of harmonizing with nature.

We invite you all to join us with your family & Kids on this enriching journey. Let’s learn, practice, and grow together as we walk the Siddha Path.

Looking forward to reconnecting with each of you!

Final Note: Opting Out Gracefully

Dear Members,

We understand that everyone has different interests and commitments. If you find that the revived WhatsApp group doesn’t align with your current path or priorities, we respect your decision. There’s no obligation to participate, and we appreciate your honesty.

Feel free to take leave from the group at any time. We value your presence, whether active or not, and wish you well on your journey.

My home shall take on the name Gnana Kottam which was given back then by Agathiyar. It is appropriate to use it now as Agathiyar comes frequently to pass on Gnanam. If Agathiyar came through the Nadi in the past, during the pandemic and post-pandemic he came through devotees to continue the legacy of guiding us as the Nadi readers had left for India. Besides coming through the Nadi and through devotees he has come into our thoughts both Mahindren and me and had us write out short but comprehensive memos to clear the air and doubts we had on the mystery of birth and the Siddha journey respectively.

THE JOURNEY TOWARDS SIDDHAHOOD

When Tavayogi was on our shores beginning in 2005, I told him that I wanted to see him become Jhoti, the state that Ramalinga Adigal merged into. But he told me that it was not possible as he was beyond sixty. Some time back Agathiyar too told us that the fruits of our Yogic practices had to be achieved before sixty. Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar of Ongarakudil had mentioned in a book that after seeing to the needs of Lord Muruga who came along as the mendicant Supramaniar, Agathiyar who was then a common man like us was told that though Lord Muruga would like to grant the state of Jhoti to Agathiyar, for his service and assistance towards Lord Muruga attaining the said state, it was not possible due to his age factor as Agathiyar was above sixty. Now what is the significance of the number sixty here?

Going by Agathiyar's second memo given to us recently days before he carried out my 60th wedding, and according to his explanation that came on later when he graced the event, it is the start of another phase of life for the couple where the male has attained the age of sixty.

In asking us to come to their path, the Siddhas first and foremost have us understand why we are going through life quite apart from others. It is individual Karma and universal Karma that come to fruit. If we stick by the Siddhas worshipping them and praying for assistance, they tend to modify our fate out of great compassion for us. When we surrender to their will they bring on a new destiny. Our lives take a turn for the better. It need not be material gain and comfort, though it might come along as a bonus, but they empower our souls. We gain Atma Balam.

The JeevAtma within that designed this body to live out its purpose is freed from our ego that had trapped it, making it mute and speechless and a silent watcher to all our doings the moment the ego gains control. The guru in the physical form comes along to break our ego, where thenceforth the JeevAtma is freed. The guru brings us to Yoga. Walking the path of Yoga now after being brought up in Sariyai by our parents and Kriyai later with the advent of the guru, the dormant energy or Sakti that the Atma summoned to create us forming the embryo and fetus later, and which was put to rest in the first Chakra the Muladhara later, is awakened by this practice. It begins to travel each Chakra or energy hub clearing the blockages and repairing the line that is torn or shredded due to our lifestyle, eating habits, and diet. This is a time of test and patience where the body is torn apart and reassembled again just as an old building is torn down and a new one built. The Siddha stands by us during these moments of transformation where the butterfly shall emerge from the pupa. The JeevAtma now begins its true journey to fulfill its true purpose charting the course to return back to its source, the ParamAtma. The JeevAtma desiring to merge with its pair and parent, unfolds the path before us and thenceforth guides us from within.

Meanwhile, the grace of the divine, that comes with and is earned by our sincerity, honesty, and dedication to the practice of rituals and worship, and in carrying out deeds that help others, is showered on us. It descends and enters the seventh Chakra Sahasrara or Suzhimunai. The Sakti (Kundalini) that had been awakened and had arisen clears the way and the path leading to the numerous Chakras, and ascends to meet her beloved from whom she has been separated earlier. The union and dance of the Yin and the Yang or Shiva and Shakti, takes place in the crown of the head and the resulting Amrita, or honey that oozes just as its material counterpart oozes in union of the flesh, feels the heart, now brimming with intense love for all beings and creation. He now stands before us as a Jeevan Mukta, a soul that has attained Mukti or salvation while still alive and breathing. He participates in life matters thenceforth without the risk of creating Karma for he is an awakened Buddha and a living Siddha. This journey was beautifully portrayed by Agathiyar coming through the memo read out on my 60th wedding day.

THE WAKE-UP CALL

I believe I have super hearing, super sight, and super taste buds, and am super sensitive to everything these days. Everything is enhanced, enriched, colorful, and truly beautiful. I believe good health is a gift from the Gods. I remember scrambling behind the 68-year-old (or that was what he told us) as Tavayogi took big steps and had me keep up with his pace when he brought me places in 2005 in India. He could run up the flight of stairs of the Peedham he stayed in during his visit to Malaysia. When I was with him at his ashram he invited me on his morning walk, something that was religious to him. When he was in Malaysia he lamented that he had missed out on this as he was cooped up in a pen in an office block. The moment we arranged for a puja in my nephew's house in 2010, he took the opportunity to take a walk with me around the neighborhood. When I and my family visited him at Kallar in 2013, he took us all on a walk through his neighborhood. Not satisfied he had some boys bring us into the Kallar jungle. In walking we begin to appreciate nature and its beauty. How many of us actually gaze at the skies? How many take in the fresh air of the outdoors? How many gaze at the green turfs of grass? 

Taking my evening walk around the neighborhood park, a six-year-old Malay boy walked up to me and touched my beard. There was joy in him. Later his father tells me as he had not seen a bearded man he was thrilled to the core. That is the joy that we adults should learn to see in simple things. But sadly we always look up to big happenings in life and miss out on these small things that bring joy in life. We tend to postpone most things for another day. But usually, that day never comes. It has to be this very moment be it engaging with god or nature or family and children. Ramalinga Adigal penned a beautiful song reminding us to act right this instant and never postpone the act of reaching out to the divine. These songs are a wake-up call. 

THE SIDDHAS

Agathiyar who came to me through a Kaanda Nadi reading initially in 2002, suggested I add Siddha worship to my usual puja to the other deities. Seeing my curiosity to know more about the worship, he came through the Aasi Nadi some 56 times to guide me further, branching into the fields of diet and Yoga too. Hence began a wonderful relationship with a guru in the subtle form. He roped in the assistance of Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram, India, too whom he sent to our shores in 2005. Hence began a wonderful relationship with a guru in the physical form. Tavayogi brought me to physically walk the path that led into the jungles and caves of the Western Ghats in India, rather than hold classes in the comfort of airconditioned buildings. He had us follow the steps and techniques of Pranayama and Asanas that he did with us. With Tavayogi came his lineage of gurus beginning with Agathiyar, Ramalinga Adigal, Jeganatha Swamigal, and Chitramuthu Adigal. I am grateful to them. 

After the absence of Tavayogi, Agathiyar began to come through devotees to continue the legacy. Now "being in a legacy" has increased my chance of being accepted into their fold. This was made simple and easy for me compared to the tough terrain and hardship that many seniors and peers on the path had to respectively traverse and go through, by the kindness of my first guru Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai who merited me his forty years of Tavam, Tapas, and austerities. With Supramania Swami came his lineage of gurus beginning with his own father Jayaraman Pillai, Pundi Mahan (Atru Swami), Sandhanandha Swami of Salem, Kollimalai Swami and Yogi Ramsuratkumar (Visiri Swami). I am grateful to them. 

If initially Agathiyar came through the Kaanda Nadi and Aasi Nadi, he spoke through the Jeeva Nadi in the possession of Tavayogi and several other Nadi readers later. At times I used to wonder if Agathiyar spoke directly through Tavayogi too for there were many similar inferences and references between them. Agathiyar who later came through devotees after Tavayogi left his mortal frame spilled the beans recently telling us that he had come through him. But Tavayogi chose not to show it fearing unwanted publicity and judgment from the public.

Agathiyar some time back had come to Mahindren, having him note down while he delivered a brief explanation about the body, breath, and soul, that satisfied our thirst to know about our origin and existence. Recently he came into my thoughts just as he had with Mahin and had me jot down the purpose, method, and journey, justified and simplified for the masses.

When I went searching for information on Siddha worship knocking on the doors of existing establishments and movements, there was a negative opinion from some followers whom I presumed had left the path, telling me that life would be disrupted, marriages severed, and males would leave their families to lead a life of mendicants in following the Siddhas. I did not and could not accept this observation of theirs. I wanted to prove them wrong. As Agathiyar had told me specifically to come to the worship of the Siddhas I took it up gathering songs from the many books I purchased some from these movements and others from bookshops that carried them and got down to praising the Siddhas in my puja room at home. Soon my wife and children confronted me as to what I was doing behind closed doors. When Tavayogi came he told me to bring them to the path too. Hence the family got together to conduct the Homam that Tavayogi directed us to do and the libation or Abhisegam that Agathiyar had us do to his bronze statue which he commissioned be made in Swamimalai. After years of worship and doing charity Agathiyar had us conduct or rather he came to conduct our 60th wedding and broke the earlier accusation towards the Siddhas that a portion of the public had held on to and spread. We are grateful to Agathiyar for breaking the myth. We have to show others and prove them wrong. If previously I had shared several of my Nadi readings on my YouTube channel to prove to the public that the Nadi worked in my favor from day one, after seeing accusations towards this medium of conversation between Siddha and man grow, I have begun to compile and share the conversation that Agathiyar had with us over the years after the pandemic set in, the Nadi readers left for India, and after the demise of Tavayogi, with the hope that it shall break all existing wrong notions held about and on the Siddhas and show them in a new light. Agathiyar brought my attention to the souring number of viewership for these videos telling me that there shall be more to come. Agathiyar is all out to break the false notions held and carried on all these years.

 

In the years when I came to know Jnana Jothiamma and she asked me to relay live the Siddha puja that I carried out with my family in my home so that she could follow the puja in her aunt's home in the USA, I would telecast live these pujas initially for her eyes only through Skype. Later when another devotee from the USA too requested the same I began to stream them on my YouTube channel. Going by the viewership I believe many others too sat through these pujas with us. 

FREE YOUSELF

We must know when to drop things and the methods and practices we have either picked up, learned, and put to good use previously, be it rituals, yoga, or other spirituality-elevating things. We at AVM have dropped many rituals that Agathiyar and Tavayogi initiated after attaining their benefits. Similarly, no rituals are required at Samadhis of saints and Siddhas says Agathiyar. He asked us how can we possibly spiritualize or energize the place when the one seated in Samadhi there has attained a high state of evolution and himself or herself is a pool of energy. We are asked to instead sit in silence and partake or tap these energies for ourselves. Similarly, Agathiyar had us stop all rituals to his bronze statue at AVM some time back telling us that it was a fully energized "nuclear force" now and only needed to be cooled down with water. Similarly, when the energies in the Chakras within me were activated in 2010 after putting into practice the techniques that Tavayogi showed us in 2007, Agathiyar asked that I halt them. He told me that henceforth it shall do its work. When the goal is attained it is not necessary to revisit unless called for. Though he has halted all forms of rituals, he added that we could pick it up when the need arises. So when the pandemic reared its ugly head several months after we were told to stop all rituals and go within watching the breath, Lord Siva asked us to carry out the Homam and recite his Mrityunjaya mantra and Vasudeva's Dhanvantri Mantra. Bringing me to Agasthiyampalli in 2005, Tavayogi told me that it was ten years since he visited the temple. Later when I thought I would start my travels upon alighting from the plane at Trichy Airport, with my family who had set foot on Indian soil for the very first time in 2013, with a visit to Agasthiyampalli, Tavayogi told me it was not necessary. We listened to him and rerouted towards his ashram in Kallar instead. Just as Tavayogi brought me places I brought the AVM family members there when we arrived in India again in 2016, to witness the inauguration of Tavayogi's new ashram. 

But I find that others, even the heads of missions, find it hard to drop their hold on things, even the religious and Yogic practices that they have become accustomed to doing and have become a regime and habit. When then are we going to grow out of the cocoon? We settle for the comfort and safety of these practices. It is time we broke free from the cage and flew into the skies. It is time we broke free from the rope that tied us down to the pole and set off to venture into unchartered frontiers. 

If we are enslaved by our habits, wants, and desires in the material world, coming to the spiritual world thinking that we could snap out of it, sadly we fall for another snare in the disguise of rituals and ceremonies. Ramalinga Adigal sings that it was only at the moment he parted with caste and religious bigotry that he saw the Jothi (சாதி சமய சளுக்கை விட்டேன் அருள் ஜோதியை கண்டேனடி).

I am glad I never fell into any of these traps. I am grateful that Agathiyar has stood by me and safeguarded me all this while. How can I possibly repay him? 

RETURNING TO THE ORIGINAL STATE

I have been seeing things around me clear, bright, and colorful for some time now. Today on my morning walk all sights were exceptionally sharp, detailed, bright, and colorful. Many who had been to other realms are reported to have seen a bright and colorful world. I am seeing it here without traveling afar into another realm or without  astral travel. It is all here right now hidden from our very eyes. We need the grace of the Gurus, Siddhas, and the Divine to see through these layers and veils. Once its drawn aside what we get to see is the world in its purity.

Similarly if noise and sound do not bother others, they are exceptionally amplified for me. Even verbal conversations and telephone conversations on the other end seem loud and hurting to the ears. 

It goes with taste too. I can delve into the very essence of the foods I consume and is truly invigorating. 

It is true of the breath too. Each breath revitalizes me. 

The breeze, the wind, the heat, and the cold touch my skin right to its core. 

Apparently, all my senses are uplifted and amplified or maybe that is the way it was originally meant to be and should be. Maybe the sensitivity in us had deteriorated over time and with our lifestyle and way of living. Maybe I have returned to being my original self. I wonder. 

FINDING JEEVA

My 4-year-old daughter asked me as we watched Bhagawan Ramana's video clips on YouTube why we needed to pray to God. I told her that we were all God in the past but had forgotten this fact. So we are searching for God outside in temples and statues. Later when we come to know that God whom we saw externally was in fact within us, we begin to worship the Self or Atma (Jeeva). Soon we realize that we were God all these while. 

This is beautifully narrated by Alan Cohen too in the documentary " Finding Joe (You)".

"Many years ago in Thailand there was a temple that was called the Temple of the Golden Buddha... and there was a huge statue of Golden Buddha... and word came to this village where the monastery was... that an army from the neighboring country was about to invade... and they got the brilliant scheme to cover the Golden Buddha which is quite large with mud and concrete so that it looked basic like a stone Buddha... so the army would perceive no value in it. And sure enough, this army rolled in with weapons and as they passed by the monastery they saw nothing but a big stone Buddha and they had no reason to plunder it. While years went by because the army continued to occupy... until there was a time when the monastery in the village where no one remembered that the Buddha was golden... until one day a young monk was sitting by the Buddha meditating on his knee and as he got up a little piece of concrete happened to crack off and he saw something shiny... He realized it was gold under there so... he ran to his fellow monks and said "The Buddha's golden.. the Buddha's golden!" They all came out and they realized he was telling the truth they took their picks and hammers and eventually unearthed the Golden Buddha. Now what's the metaphor here? The metaphor here is that each of us is golden by nature. We were born golden. We're born high. We were born knowing. We were born connected to our bliss. We were born knowing the truth. We were born knowing everything every great spiritual master has ever said. We were one with Christ, the Buddha, everyone. But then we went to school and they said you had to dress like this... and this is what boys and girls do... this is what black people do... this is what white people do... on and on and on... and so we developed a casing of stone over the Buddha to a point where at a young age maybe four or five... six or seven we believed that we were the stone Buddha... not the golden one and then something comes along that cracks our casing maybe it's an injury, a divorce, the financial setbacks, our government... will change something that really scares us and knocks off a piece of our armor and only in that moment of the armor being knocked off do you get to look inside and see the goal then. Let me tell you friend at the moment you see that gold the armor and the concrete will never satisfy you again. At that point, you truly answer the true hero's adventure and all you want to do for the rest of your life is pick away the stone because the gold is so much more fun."

It is said that Pondi Mahan of Tiruvannamalai was unearthed too from a river after the floods subsided. He was brought to a house where he sat on its verandah for the rest of his life. 

We are told in this documentary that myths and legends are not history but metaphors to bring out the hero in each of us. 

Just as Robert L Miller says "It is better to have a story to look through life than an explanation. The reason for that is that the story is richer", Tavayogi took me on an exploration rather than have me sit before him and dishing out stories about Agathiyar and the Siddhas from the books. As I had these wonderful stories to tell, this blog has come about and these stories are shared with readers. I am grateful to him. 

A DAY OF CLEANSING

I took the purgative "Agathiyar Kuzhambu" at 6.30am and saw its effects beginning from 8am. First I threw up. Then the digestive system churned and I began to purge all its contents out. Finally, the bitter bile was expelled as the portion induced further vomiting. This lasted till 12 noon. I was advised by Siddha Practitioner Arivananthan Aiya to start eating soft food like porridge. I did as told. The hunger pangs that I used to have has returned. That is a good sign of recovery. I cannot possibly describe what was removed from my body during this process. Normal defecating does not deep cleanse the internals as much as this herbal preparation does. We unknowingly tend to store much debris within. Hence the reason Arivananthan Aiya recommends we take "Agathiyar Kuzhambu" once every six months. Like the OS in a PC, our digestive system has to be formatted to its original factory settings regularly to speed up our performance too. 

The "Pongal" celebration at the start of the Tamil month of Thai, is a device to bring us to clean and throw away all the trash that we have accumulated in our homes and surroundings. It is also a moment to renew ourselves by throwing away all the negative thoughts and habits. 

Similarly, Lord Muruga had his abodes in the hills so that we would take a hike up and exercise our limbs in the process of going on a pilgrimage. But this purpose is defeated in modern times with temple managements providing easy means of transport to the peak and these temples. I had trained and prepared myself to hike up hills that I would encounter in my travel on a pilgrimage of the temples that Agathiyar had designated for me to carry out my remedies or Parikaram in my first Nadi reading in 2002. But yet the playful Lord Murugan broke me and my ego at Palani in 2003. Taking my first step up the stairs, my legs suddenly became extremely heavy like concrete. I had to use my hands to lift and place each leg on the steps till I reached the top. I was short of breath and perspiring. The moment I reached the top the surroundings became vague and I only saw a light that came to pass too. On my second visit to Palani in 2005 accompanied by Tavayogi, and my third visit with the AVM family members in 2016, it was a lot smoother. One wonders what happened back then in 2003? 

THE BIGGEST TREASURE

Agathiyar has been sending us to Siddha Practioner Arivananthan Aiya for health-related issues. So when he asked my elder daughter to see him yesterday, she asked me to tag along. Since I was expelling mucus and phlegm excessively in the past months I mentioned it to him. Coincidently he had prepared a portion for his 83-year-old father to treat the same issue. He passed it to me too. Mentioning to him that the doctors had started me on Statin to counter a spike in my cholesterol level and that I had been taking it for some 70-plus days, he checked my Nadi or pulse and told me all the Dosas were well and in their places. Since it had been a while since I took the purgative Agathiyar Kuzhambu and he had some ready stock, I consumed it this morning. I know that it shall churn up my internals and have me vomit and purge and crawl on my feet as it did the very first and second time I took it. 

I had invited Arivananthan Aiya over to AVM some time back and had him give us a talk related to health and the Siddha way of living. It was a very informative talk. He can be contacted at +60 17-355 7462

When I saw Dr.Krishnan, a Siddha Practioner too in the nineties, he who was an astrologer, looking into the charts, told me that my body could heal itself. Later reading the Nadi, Agathiyar told me that my body and life would be spared (உடல் பிணி இல்லை உயிர் பிணி இல்லை). Then when he came through devotees in recent years he told me the same (உனக்கு ஏதடா பிணி). Yesterday Arivananthan Aiya mentioned that the cholesterol would not harm me. A medical doctor told me the same much earlier, brushing aside the lab reports, telling me that he had seen patients survive in their eighties with high cholesterol. I am truly grateful for Agathiyar and much indebted to him for his care. Having good health is the biggest gift and treasure. How can I possibly repay him? 

IN SILENCE IT SHALL BE REVEALED

A devotee called me up today to share a dream that she could not make out. Listening to her I told her about my wife's experiences in having a constant stream of dreams daily when I was carrying out my home puja to the Siddhas alone in the beginning years. When we came to know Tavayogi she shared it with him and wanted to know its meaning. As she had seen gurus and saints in her dreams, he told her that they wanted her to come to the path too. Then there was a dream in which she saw Tavayogi sitting in a temple ground and having something in his hands where letters appeared in gold. Sharing this with him on his next visit, he was surprised that she was shown something before it materialized. It was the Jeeva Nadi in his possession that he was reading then. Before that, she had shared some dreams that he brushed off as constant thoughts that were in her mind that came to manifest as dreams and did not give much importance to her dreams. As I shared all this with the caller, Agathiyar intercepted the call and revealed the meaning of the dream she had. In the dream a lady who she knew to be a lawyer held her hand and took her into a room and left closing the door behind her. She was alone in the room that was dark except for a light that shone. She asked me if the light was Vallal or Ramalinga Adigal. Agathiyar tells us that he was the person who held her hand and took her into the room. The room was the Manam or the equivalent of the heart, not the physical though. Agathiyar said the light was not Vallal but the light or Jothi in all of us. The light was that which was within all of us. We are asked to drop everything. The Jothi shall be revealed in us in these moments of pin-drop silence. Agathiyar then asked that I share it with my readers too. 

Agathiyar had earlier explained why he wanted us to sit in silence for it is only in silence that he could work in us. Saying this he also told us that he had leaked out the secret. (Watch from 11.56 minutes)

Watching YouTube I came across a talk given by Ilaiyaraja on his book on Bhagawan Ramana. Somebody had stepped before Bhagawan and asked him for mercy and a miracle in his life. Bhagawan shocked him (and me) when he asked for Guru Dakshana, an honorary gift given to the guru, first. But that man had nothing to give. When Bhagawan insisted on it, the man finally figured out and told him that he might have done some good deeds in his life and offered those merits that he had gained from these good acts as a payment to Bhagawan. Bhagawan shocked him (and me) saying that that was not enough! Finally, Bhagawan seeing his silence told him that he wanted the merits of his bad deeds too. Bhagawan had asked for his entire Karma. Now that man was a clean slate. He left and never returned. When most gurus refuse to take on others' karma, offering to and opting to give solutions in the form of remedies and carrying out certain virtuous acts instead, here we are blown out of our senses at what Bhagawan did. I am truly grateful to Agathiyar for the same too. He took on my Karma too.

THE SACRED ASH

Agathiyar came over the phone and surprised me by telling me that his talk that I posted had become viral and attained above 1000 views asking me to take a look. Scrolling through my YouTube channel I saw that indeed this particular video has had a good following. 

He tells me that this is only the start and there is more to come asking me to upload them too in the future. As for today, he has asked me to read up and write on the Pathigam or song "Manthira Aavathu Neeru" which he said implies that no harm shall come to our body and health.

மந்திர மாவது நீறு

  வானவர் மேலது நீறு

சுந்தர மாவது நீறு

  துதிக்கப் படுவது நீறு

தந்திர மாவது நீறு

  சமயத்தி லுள்ளது நீறு

செந்துவர் வாயுமை பங்கன்

  திருஆல வாயான் திருநீறே. 1

வேதத்தி லுள்ளது நீறு

  வெந்துயர் தீர்ப்பது நீறு

போதந் தருவது நீறு

  புன்மை தவிர்ப்பது நீறு

ஓதத் தகுவது நீறு

  உண்மையி லுள்ளது நீறு

சீதப் புனல்வயல் சூழ்ந்த

  திருஆல வாயான் திருநீறே. 2  

முத்தி தருவது நீறு

  முனிவ ரணிவது நீறு

சத்திய மாவது நீறு

  தக்கோர் புகழ்வது நீறு

பத்தி தருவது நீறு

  பரவ இனியது நீறு

சித்தி தருவது நீறு

  திருஆல வாயான் திருநீறே. 3  

காண இனியது நீறு

  கவினைத் தருவது நீறு

பேணி அணிபவர்க் கெல்லாம்

  பெருமை கொடுப்பது நீறு

மாணந் தகைவது நீறு

  மதியைத் தருவது நீறு

சேணந் தருவது நீறு

  திருஆல வாயான் திருநீறே. 4  

பூச இனியது நீறு

  புண்ணிய மாவது நீறு

பேச இனியது நீறு

  பெருந்தவத் தோர்களுக் கெல்லாம்

ஆசை கெடுப்பது நீறு

  வந்தம தாவது நீறு

தேசம் புகழ்வது நீறு

  திருஆல வாயான் திருநீறே. 5  

அருத்தம தாவது நீறு

  அவலம் அறுப்பது நீறு

வருத்தந் தணிப்பது நீறு

  வானம் அளிப்பது நீறு

பொருத்தம தாவது நீறு

  புண்ணியர் பூசும்வெண் ணீறு

திருத்தகு மாளிகை சூழ்ந்த

  திருஆல வாயான் திருநீறே. 6  

எயிலது வட்டது நீறு

  விருமைக்கும் உள்ளது நீறு

பயிலப் படுவது நீறு

  பாக்கிய மாவது நீறு

துயிலைத் தடுப்பது நீறு

  சுத்தம தாவது நீறு

அயிலைப் பொலிதரு சூலத்

  தாலவா யான் திருநீறே. 7  

இராவணன் மேலது நீறு

  எண்ணத் தகுவது நீறு

பராவண மாவது நீறு

  பாவ மறுப்பது நீறு

தராவண மாவது நீறு

  தத்துவ மாவது நீறு

அராவணங் குந்திரு மேனி

  ஆலவா யான்திரு நீறே. 8  

மாலொ டயனறி யாத

  வண்ணமு முள்ளது நீறு

மேலுறை தேவர்கள் தங்கள்

   மெய்யது வெண்பொடி நீறு

ஏல உடம்பிடர் தீர்க்கும்

  இன்பந் தருவது நீறு

ஆலம துண்ட மிடற்றெம்

  மாலவா யான்திரு நீறே. 9  

குண்டிகைக் கையர்க ளோடு

  சாக்கியர் கூட்டமுங்கூட

கண்டிகைப் பிப்பது நீறு

  கருத இனியது நீறு

எண்டிசைப் பட்ட பொருளார்

  ஏத்துந் தகையது நீறு

அண்டத்த வர்பணிந் தேத்தும்

  ஆலவா யான்திரு நீறே. 10  

ஆற்றல் அடல்விடை யேறும்

  ஆலவா யான்திரு நீற்றைப்

போற்றிப் புகலி நிலாவும்

  பூசுரன் ஞானசம் பந்தன்

தேற்றித் தென்னனுடலுற்ற

  தீப்பிணி யாயின தீரச்

சாற்றிய பாடல்கள் பத்தும்

  வல்லவர் நல்லவர் தாமே.

(Source: https://shaivam.org)

I remember when once as we were carrying out a libation or Abhisegam to his bronze statue, contrary to the usual, he asked us to stop when we applied the holy ash or Vibhuti on him. He asked that we let him be and forego the rest of the items that we had lined up. He did not want even to be dressed up. Sometime later he had us collect the ash and take it over to Siddha Physician Arivananthan Aiya and instructed him to add a couple of herbs and roots and have them ground on a stone mortar telling us that the modern-day blender would change its constituents and render it useless. This he had used to cure those who had sought him out later. Whenever he comes he immediately asks for the sacred ash and applies it accordingly to those who come before him. I have only seen Tavayogi do a Siddhi bringing forth the sacred ash from thin air before us as we sat in Konganar's caves at Uthiyur. He applied it on himself and me and an elderly person who accompanied us. 

I had never seen him apply this ash to devotees throughout my journey with him except when we went to Pambatti Siddhars cave where some devotees came before him and he applied them on their foreheads. I was told that my first guru Supramania Swami would pick up a handful of sand and it would change to this sacred ash. Today Agathiyar wants me to share with readers the efficacy of this sacred ash. 

This ash can become a cure, it is on those heavenly bodies too, it brings cheer to us, it is worthy of worship, it can come in handy in Tantras, and it has a place in religious followings, that is the nature of the ash of Parvathi's other half. It leads to Mukti or salvation, it is adorned by Munis, it is an insignia of truth, it is praised by elders, it brings on Bakti or devotion, it is sweet to share, it leads to Siddhis, that is the nature of the Lord's ash. It brings joy to see it, it brings on a self-pride to those who anoint it, and it brings on good sense, that is the nature of the Lord's ash. It feels good to anoint it, it brings on merits, it is sweet to talk about it, and it brings those in extreme states of Tapas to rid their desires, that is the nature of the Lord's ash. It brings worries to subside, it is the ash of the merit-full ones, it is the ash that King Ravanan anointed too, it ends our sins, even the Devas anoint it, it treats illnesses, and it brings on joy. That is the nature of the Lord's ash. 

MAGIC

This world is full of magic and mystery if only time stood still for us. But as we are forever chasing first going after the paper chase and later after the ladies, position and authority, respect and honor, property and wealth, we miss the magic. There is magic in the air. There is magic in us. There is magic all around us. The guru comes not to perform magic or Siddhis but brings us to see them. The magic is waiting out there to happen. 

The guru shall not bring us to another world. He would help open our eyes to see the magic and mystery in this very world as did Tavayogi show me Agathiyar open his left eye in his granite statue at Agasthiyampalli and subsequently both eyes at Papanasam. One would ask how is that possible? How could one see the eye or eyes engraved in a granite stone open? But it did, only after Tavayogi pointed it out to me. Bringing our children or grandchildren on an excursion we too tend to point out things of interest to them, don't we? We know of grandmothers and mothers pointing the kids to the moon and feeding them food. Similarly, the guru who has been there and seen it shows it to us too. The guru shall open our eyes to see things that missed our attention before. The guru points us to these miracles and magic and feeds us the experience that becomes Gnanam. A guru like Tavayogi would jump-start our vehicle or Self and step aside for the wonder he had seen and undergone to unfold in us too. The divine chooses to show herself when and as she chooses after that, whether the guru accompanies us or not. The magic happened again at AVM in 2013 when Jnana Jothiamma visited us and we conducted puja. Agathiyar opened his eyes in his bronze statue!

SHEDDING MORE LIGHT

After having us carry out our 60th wedding, or to be exact, he carried it out for us, Agathiyar came to ask my children why the need arose to hold the event and elaborated on it just days ago. To the children, it was to indicate and have them let go of their dependence on their parents. As their parents had to embark on another phase of the journey, the 60th wedding was carried out to clearly draw the line and remind them of this. It was not that the parents and the children were to break all ties but to remind them not to expect further from their parents. As for us, the parents,  it was meant to end our responsibilities towards the children and acknowledge that the children are on their own now. Henceforth he told us to prepare ourselves to embark on a journey of knowing the soul. Yes, it has been a month since me and my wife were betrothed again before him. It was not a repeat of the wedding rituals but rather an engagement of the souls this time around. His message is self-explanatory. This is the journey that Ramalinga Adigal speaks about in his song 'Aanipon Ambalathil". 

It was indeed a wonderful message that he had me write down and deliver in conjunction with our 60th wedding last Guru Purnima. In asking us who Agathiyan is he explains the journey of transformation into him or rather to rediscover him in us. He places the questions to us and answers them too.

"Who is Agathiyan? 

You are. I am. True. We all are Agathiyan. The Jothi or flame in us is Agathiyan. He resides as the fire, flame, heat, and warmth in us. He is Esan. He is the Esan who resides within. 

Why is it that we do not realize nor feel him? 

It is because we have not attained the state of preparedness or readiness to realize him. Once our soul attains this state, we shall begin to realize him. 

How can we attain this state of preparedness? First, we have to travel this path. We need to travel to the places and abodes of the Siddhas, witness their miracles, enter the states of bliss, and bring back these feelings and work on them, nurturing them. The Siddha shall come down. When we follow their directives they shall walk with us holding our hands. This travel then shall not be that of an external but of an internal journey. Yoga is the key to this travel within. From Sariyai arriving at Kriyai, now they shall teach Yogam. The journey within shall begin. You shall witness happenings. You shall see many things. It would be puzzling to you. It would be new to you too. Continuing this internal journey, you shall arrive at each Chakra and eventually see the cosmic dance of Thillai in Sahasrara. A 1000-petaled flower will keep on opening up continuously. Arutjothi will come to reside here. Then its effulgence enters within, and just as how the Kundalini upon awakening traverses each Chakra purifying them, this effulgence brings on the shine and luminosity in them. Jothi Darisanam takes place where one sees the light or effulgence. The body takes on the same. Vibrations begin to emit within and around us and are felt by those tuned to receive and feel around us. They shall follow you. You become a Jeeva Mukta, having attained Mukti while living in the flesh. 

Henceforth you are no different from Agathiyan and Agathiyan is no different from you. You are me and I am you."

This journey is beautifully portrayed in this video that I have put together. 

LEARNING TOGETHER

Going by the records and the conversations with the Siddhas through the Nadi and coming through devotees, I have come to understand that Agathiyar is using me as a tool to convey messages and to bring drastic changes that others never could bring themselves to do. Agathiyar is redefining the path according to present times, having us drop many things upheld and break many things considered taboo, including practices and beliefs. Life is a journey of the soul rather than an individual with a name and identity. In wanting to know new things and gain experiences, the soul seeks to venture out of the enclosure that man and society have created. Generally, people are satisfied with what was passed on to them. Only a handful seek to venture to know more. These handfuls are then met by gurus, enlightened men. The next phase of their journey starts. The enlightened soul does not drift into oblivion but remains in the family, community, and society observing and guiding those seeking to know. 

Before sending my wife to board the train back to her hometown this morning, we stopped over at several temples in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. Parking the car in a spot along Scott Road we walked up to the Sri Kandaswamy Temple. There was a huge turnout of devotees as in the other temples that we visited later too as it was a Saturday where devotees light oil lamps for Saneeswarar or the Lord of the planet Saturn. It brought back fond memories when we visited this temple with Jnana Jothiamma when she visited us in 2013 and 2014.

From About Us | Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Brickfields (srikandaswamykovil.org) we learn its history or Stala Puranam.

The idea of a temple for us was first mooted on 24th December 1890 when 50 of our then leaders met at the residence of one Mr. V. Sinappah who was the Acting Traffic Inspector of Selangor Government Railway and a very influential member of the Ceylon Tamil Community. They were anxious to have a temple in order to practice and observe the Saiva Siddhantha Tenets and religious observances such as “Viratham” (fasting), “Thithis” (commemoration rituals), “Punniyaahavaasam” (purification ceremony), “Kantha Sasthi” and so on. The matter was discussed and a decision was made to purchase an appropriate piece of land for that purpose. A very large percentage of the small Ceylon Tamil Community of Kuala Lumpur lived in the Government Quarters at Scott Road. It was for this reason that a piece of land comprising two lots was acquired in the immediate neighbourhood of the quarters to build a Temple and Hall. The locality was for some years known as “Sinna Yalpanam” or “Little Jaffna”. The Sri Kandaswamy Temple was inaugurated in 1902 with the installation of the “VEL” by His Holiness Sri Murugaswamy, an eminent Saivite. 

Bala Aiya a former hotelier, who frequents AVM serves and helps the temple priest at this temple when called for. He reaches out to help out at the other temples including the Sri Raja Sakthy Nageswary Amman Alayam and Sri Kasi Visalatchy Sametha and Sri Kasi Viswanathar Swamy Thirukovil at KL Eco City, Jalan Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur too. Brahmins by birth Bala Aiya and his soulmate Shanti Ma are staunch followers of Agathiyar and the Siddhas too. Apart from me and my wife, this couple were the only seniors in the group of youngsters who were the lifeblood of AVM back then. Come 2019 Agathiyar had us all go our way to live out our lives in the material world, carry out our responsibilities to the family and start a new family for many, gain lessons from the experiences they came across, and finally return to the Siddha path someday in the future. Agathiyar did not trap them in a snare nor take possession of them immediately. He let them loose to explore the world but held on to the thin and fine thread that held us all together. 

We then moved on to another couple of temples adjacent to Sri Kandaswamy Temple. It was the Sree Krishna Temple and Sree Veera Hanuman Temple. 

I saw a devotee of Lord Ranganathar, Andal elevated to the state of Goddess at the Sree Krishna Temple.

From Sree Veera Hanuman Temple, Brickfields Reveals Captivating Majestic Sculptures And A Unique Gopuram - Varnam Malaysia we learn that

This temple was established in 1942 near KL Sentral Monorail station. Due to the development of the station, the temple was shifted to current place which is at Scott road in 1999. Mr Suresh, the Chairman of the temple has designed the temple based on the stories he heard since he was young. Mr Suresh who was graduated in Engineering stated that he was the one designed most of the sculptures and pillars. He went to few countries during that period, to gather more information and ideas about Hanuman. He took almost five years to complete just the design of the temple. We can explore Hanuman statue from different countries in this temple. Mr Suresh took the initiative to gather the variety of statues. 

If we saw a devotee rise to the state of God by her pure thoughts and love for Ranganathar earlier, here I saw another devotee Bhakta Hanuman who only knew the name Rama elevated to the state of Guru and giving discourses. Entering this temple made me recall how the famed Nadi reader of Chennai and his friends had a Dharshan of Hanuman in a temple that Agathiyar asked them to visit. Though Hanuman did not appear before me, he moved me to tears thinking about his depth and extent of devotion to Lord Rama. How I wished I had that much love and devotion to Agathiyar too.

This is the nature of Siddhas too. They never settle for the devotees remaining forever a devotee in service to them but try their level best to push us up the ladder too and attain a similar state. Only then shall they rest on their laurels. 

Finally, we stopped over at the Sri Maha Muneswarar Temple. 

From Brickfields, Sri Maha Muneswarar Temple Kumbabishegam Is Happening On 21st January 2024 - Varnam Malaysia we learn further about this temple.

This temple, boasting a venerable history of 127 years, has undergone a noteworthy journey, initially experiencing a relocation process and presently finding its abode at Brickfields, Scott Road. 

The late Swami Guhabhaktananda Saraswati Maharaj, the first Malaysian-born monk to lead the Divine Life Society here at Batu Caves, is said to have said that Malaysians need temples for otherwise we would lose our identity. A reader emailed me in the past telling me how her father from Andra in South India migrated to the Fiji islands. He used to sing Ramalinga Adigal's Arutpa songs. After 40 years she remembered these songs upon listening to them on my now-defunct website. Another soul from Mauritius who resides in Botswana wrote to me telling me that he finally located a rare devotional number "Thuthi Magale Sivanin Naamaa Vazhi" sung by AM Rajah on this website of mine. His message goes as follows.

"Thanks very much for a very good blog. I have been looking for "Thuthi Magale" by AM Rajah for a very long time but to no avail until I got hold of your site. I could not believe my ears when I heard it. It is like going back in time of my childhood. I used to cherish and sing it when I am really down. I sincerely appreciate the time you spent converting the audio tape of "Thuthi Magale" into mp3."

Though Agathiyar has listened to devotees' problems and given solutions, enquired about their health, and healed some, he has also asked others to seek other deities for relief. Ramalinga Adigal too, was initially willing to help out but later pointed a devotee to the deity Karupanasamy to look into his current state of affairs. Agathiyar who stands watch over our family surprisingly asked my daughter to light a ghee lamp before Lord Ganesha every Thursday for nine consecutive weeks for her 3-year-old son. 

I had stayed away from places of worship to what people categorize as "lesser deities" or Siru Deivam, often in the homes of select devotees, but would join in, in the feast that follows the animal sacrifice given. But Agathiyar had me interact with these deities too, making me understand that it was all part of creation and the divine play. In the eyes of the Siddhas, we are not different. Neither are the deities and Gods and Goddesses. But since man is governed by time and space they advocate measures to bring relief to us by asking us to visit temples and Gods. Henceforth these deities have guided us along often looking into the immediate material and gross needs of us and advising accordingly. But Gnana is only dispensed by the Siddhas who have tracked long and far this path and have accumulated vast experiences and practices. These they pass on to their students. The Siddhas who are subtle in nature guide man who is gross and "heavy" to finer and subtler planes and realms by helping him transform from the gross to the subtle. Agathiyar tells us that he had to come to look into our needs now since Tavayogi was engaged in doing his work in the subtle realm. Yogi Ramsuratkumar on his deathbed told his devotees not to shed tears for he could do a better job in the subtle form. 

How can we make sense of all these unless we travel the path of the Siddhas and know for ourselves? No amount of reading would bring us there. When I thought that having the Jeeva Nadi would be an asset where we could ask Agathiyar to know about the unfathomed mysteries and wonder rather than use it to know our immediate wants and fulfill our needs, Agathiyar asked me how I had attained Gnanam. It was only by trailing behind Tavayogi going places, and practicing the lessons and teachings given, that I am where I am today, he added. None of these are available in the books and literature. Even if he was to dispense pages of Gnanam vis the Nadi, it can never substitute true and practical experience gained when one hits the track. Those are mere stories until we fit into these shoes. He added asking me how I saw and comprehended Ramalinga Adigal's songs then and now. With experience, we begin to see things from a different perspective and understand these sacred hymns and songs and their inner meanings. He had me drop the desire to own a Nadi that he had promised to pass on to me back then for my use and for others' needs. Similarly, he had me drop any desire if there was to see through their wish and desire for a temple that was in the asking since 2002. Agathiyar and Lord Murugan finally told me that they had tested me. But after traveling with them for some 22 years or that was what I thought until Agathiyar came along and told me he knew me for crores of years, I thought the best form of repayment to them, which initially I thought was undivided attention and service, which Agathiyar shot down too, would be a temple left behind for the devotees in the future including my grandchildren. But Agathiyar comes along and sends this renewed intention into the shadows telling us that preaching the path is the best thing a devotee could engage and do. I guess that is why he has me pen these words, staying out of sight but having me in the thoughts of readers. Thank you readers for following this blog and traveling the path and learning together with me. 

LEARNING ABOUT GOD

To truly understand the texts and songs by saints either the saint has to come before us or within us to have us understand or have us experience it to know it exactly the way they had experienced it. Agathiyar has told us to only read the original texts and not rely on translations and further elaborations.

While watching together her videos on my YouTube Channel with my second grandaughter age 4  yesterday, and moving on to videos of Bhagawan Ramana she recognized him as the old man who pets the cow. Suddenly she asked, "Why do we pray to God?" She made me think about how to answer a complex question in simple terms to a 4-year-old without distorting the facts.

I began by telling her that we were all godly in nature but we have forgotten this fact. We then start to "find" ourselves outside by going to temples and worshipping idols first. Hence we pray to God given forms and names externally. Later we begin to see God in us and worship the Self or Atma or Soul. She listened intently. As there was no further question I assume she understood. 

My 7-year-old second daughter too while sitting on the lap of Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal during our very first meeting with him at a local Peddham that he came to officiate some 19 years back in 2005, surprised us by asking Tavayogi what was the Soul or Atma. Though I cannot remember his answer to her now, Tavayogi was pretty amused and told us that we should all ask similar questions.

Children generally absorb, consume, and follow whatever is seen and heard. They retain what is touched, felt, smelled, and tasted too. In beginning schooling they learn more about themselves and the world around them. Soon they grow up as teens and youths and begin to explore life independently of their parent's surveilance. All of these make them into full-fledged adults. When they have children of their own another chapter in their lives begins. The notion and concept of God too changes as they encounter many tributaries to this single source. Impressed by a teaching they begin to explore the path further, traveling it. The experiences gained might enhance their perspective, beliefs, and faith further or otherwise. Their experiences are somehow brushed on to their kids who shall begin to explore further when they come of age. 

Sadly many adults stop at seeing God in the temples and idols. They never come close to exploring him within and further. A guru who has realized God in him has to come along to enlighten them of their true Buddha nature. Once the fire in them is kindled they need to make efforts to unveil the truth found within them. Soon the divine shall assist in all ways to bring him or her to realize his or her true nature and oneness with God. He or she shall attain the state of a Jeevan Mukta or one who has attained Mukti or completeness in this very birth. A Jeevan Mukta turns to guide others to the path. The lineage of gurus continues unbroken. Once his purpose is served he or she sets sail back to God's kingdom. He might choose to come back or remain to do God's work in the subtle state in another realm.

DOING NOTHING

After having us engage in rituals, in 2010, with the coming of him in the form of a bronze statue and in charity, in 2013, with the coming of many youths respectively, Agathiyar had everyone go their way and had me go within in 2019. In going within he had us talk less and engage less with our surroundings. He had us observe our breath. He had us observe our thoughts. As Buddha asked to replace a thousand thoughts with one, that single thought too shall vanish. In sitting still and stilling the mind, we began to observe rather than actively participate. We begin to observe the breath. We begin to observe our thoughts. We regret our past actions. With this comes forgiveness from within. It is only when we can forgive ourselves that we can forgive others says Agathiyar. Our past Karma lets go of its hold on us. We are freed. We come to face our Atma or Soul. It begins to take charge when our identity and Ego fade away. Life is anew and we are reborn. The past dies and a fresh future awaits us. The Atma sends forth a guru to guide us and attain enlightenment of the Soul and achieve Atma Balam or Soul Power. Agathiyar reveals that it is only when we sit still that he can do wonders in us. 

With the Soul enhanced and powered we gear up to do his work or so I thought. But after this phase Agathiyar who had placed me in cold storage, having me go into exile and solitude between the years 2019 and 2022, freed me from any further task. Even just days ago he asked, "Why would you want me to give you a task when I have asked you to remain doing nothing?" This seems to be the final phase. It is a phase of non-engagement in any form. We become the Watcher. We become the silent Dhashanamurthy. 

BECOMING A SIDDHA

Who is a Siddha? What is the state of a Siddha? We find a Siddha commonly described as "A Perfected Master, A Liberated Soul, and One who has attained Spiritual Enlightenment". 

From being the unseen and unknown God who is looked up to the heavens, to coming as an umbrella and our Father, and later a light and a Guru, and walking alongside holding our hands as a Companion, Agathiyar has now come as one in the Family. I wanted to repay him for his love, compassion, kindness, and generosity. Figuring how to repay him, as offering food, flowers, and libation is basically giving back to him what he has created and granted in the form of grains, plants, and other living things; thinking that serving him forever was the answer, he questioned me asking if that was what I wanted, indicating that it was not the thing to ask for; he tells us that spreading his teachings would be the best form of repayment to him. Even before I could settle my debt, he threw another gift surprising me again, by telling me that rather than make me a guru he would make me a Siddha. I understood that carrying his teachings to others will not make them nor us a Siddha. Each one has to live the many wonders that this body and the world around us have to offer, the many experiences that life has to offer, and also those thrown in. Using the given physical form and external means and tools as aid we are to attain the state of a Siddha. 

Just as Saint Avvai's song could have three distinct dimensions that of a song of praise, a song that carried a remedy for an ailment, and finally a song of Gnanam or Divine Wisdom, a guru, and his ashram can present a wonderful source and center of learning to one or reversely open up a can of worm to another. The seeker shall carry the imprint of these images and experiences that shall either strengthen his existing faith and belief, change his outlook and perspective, or even kill his faith and belief. There is no standard curriculum that one shall attain and graduate from. The experiences, messages, and learnings are tailor-made for each soul. This is the Siddha path, one of experiencing rather than picking up after a tour of the masters and ashrams, and picking up from sacred texts and books. This is the reason we do not find Gurukulam or centers of learning initiated by the Siddhas. When many desired to open up centers here and had Tavayogi officiate them, he never spoke a word to me about starting one. Instead, he took me on a journey of exploration and gave me real and life-lasting experiences. Agathiyar too on Saturday, told me there was no need for a Peedham and to take up the position of a guru. It is a solo journey with the aid of a light that comes in the form of a physical guru. The path has to be followed and walked. In walking the distance we shed the baggage of Karma that we brought along. In walking the distance we drop the numerous desires, wants, likes, and dislikes that we harbor in us. In walking the distance we begin to see everything anew and in a new light. The earlier understanding is shed and replaced with one that is beyond human thought and logic. The world that we know of collapses that instant. The search stops. We begin to tap into the Prapanjam for all our answers. A Siddha milks the wealth of knowledge that Prapanjam keeps close to her bosom. She shall restock us with whatever little needs we have without asking. We partake in the ambrosia that oozes from within. We delight in the Gnanam or Divine Knowledge that arises from our reflection on our past wonderings and experiences. We attain a state of Paripuranam or completeness. We become a Jeevan Mukta, complete in every sense. We become a Siddha.

The disciples of Lord Dhakshanamurthy attained enlightenment only when the master chose to keep quiet. All the previous question and answer sessions did little good to clarify, bringing on more questions and doubts. It was only in those moments of silence that the Divine Knowledge dawned on them. Agathiyar lets out a secret telling us the reason for asking us to quieten down. He reveals that only then can he fill us in and do his magic in us. This is surrendering. 

The trouble with seekers is that we bring along all the petty and trivial matters of the material and gross world and our approach to them too, when stepping into the spiritual world. This is where one has to shed all his previous learning and understanding and walk stalk naked into the arms of the guru. Only then, when we come empty, and when we walk in as an empty vessel, can the guru fill us up. We should learn to undress rather than wear the same shirt or dress before coming before a guru. But sadly we bring all our previous readings read and talks of other gurus and begin to debate about numerous subjects. I was witness to this common phenomenon among seekers who came before Tavayogi as I sat watching in the Peedhams and centers he visited. It was kind of a show-off on the part of the seeker trying to impress the guru with his extensive learning in numerous aspects of spiritualism. He is not willing to listen but rather vomits all that he has picked up along the way. If only he would zip up and learn to listen. This is the missing criteria that is very much needed in a seeker. The guru shall fill him up as and when he is ready to receive the message. The guru knows best. 

Karma will not be dissolved unless we regret and atone for our actions says Agathiyar. No amount of remedy or bathing in holy waters will cleanse us unless we make a resolve not to repeat our past evil actions. No amount of remedies will balance the score if we are not prepared to turn a new leaf. Similarly, after giving us a reprieve or saving our lives once, Agathiyar expects us to turn a new leaf. There might not be a second chance. The only option left then would be another birth to make good the flaws. 

THE NEXT PHASE

When Agathiyar came to us last February and asked us to conduct our 60th wedding on Guru Purnima, I told myself that it could not be a repeat of the wedding rituals done originally in 1989. There has to be a purpose and meaning to this ceremony. Going through the net everyone carried or reenacted their wedding again. I waited patiently for Agathiyar to enlighten us. As we had no idea what we had to do, Agathiyar made some simple plans for us. He came that day as a purohit and did the rest. It was truly amazing. Days earlier he had me take down notes that he dictated, to be delivered and shared with the handful of invitees on the grand day. That memo of his, after his first about the "Body, Breath, and Soul" much earlier that came by way of him speaking to Mahindren, was truly amazing too, clearly spelling out the Siddha Path and its ideals. Yesterday he explained further, telling us the significance of the 60th wedding. First, it was a reminder to the children that they were now on their own and to release their parents to continue another phase of the journey, that of the soul or Atma. As for the couple now it was time for their souls to unite and come in unison to merge with the ParamAtma. How wonderful.