LOOKING UP TO THE DIVINE FOR HOLY GUIDANCE

It hurts to see the many documentaries on poverty, the homeless, the slums, the suffering, the mentally ill, sex trafficking, drug abuse, and lately scammers. Though we had reached out to a sector of the homeless and less fortunate in the past through Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) and its charity arm Amudha Surabhi (AS), Agathiyar Universal Mission and their charity arm Pothihai Tharmanyaana Chakkram (PTC), and Thondu Seivom (TS) that was registered later as Persatuan Teman Setia (PTS) things weren't this bad down here. 

What has gone wrong? The many Nadi readings posted on numerous blogs and websites and shared on social media too do not paint a good picture bringing on fear in us further that mankind is doomed though the gods promise that their devotees shall be saved. But should not they save everyone immaterial if they are believers or have faith, pray or worship them? A mother loves all her children, right?

We are told that we had brought it on ourselves and they show us karma. Right, we have made a mistake in the past and as a result, we suffer now. But can't we come out of this situation? Going by the many interviews people simply are caught in a web and can't seem to free themselves. It hurts to see the sufferings that fellow man goes through daily. 

Just days ago, when a Sri Lankan national told me he was returning home, I enquired about the situation in his homeland. He painted a grim picture. We passed the hat around and handed the collection to him asking him to see how he can help the hungry back home. How much can an individual do to bring a change? The Ngo's can only do so much without the resources and the authority to bring a change, implement programs, etc. The governing bodies don't seem to care much or are doing very little. God too seems to be sitting aloft and just watching. 

We have to acknowledge the work of many individuals, societies, organizations, and many more who have taken upon themselves what the governing bodies and people in authority fail to do, to reach out to these people and provide them assistance and aid and a shoulder to cry on. With whatever limited resources sourced from good samaritans from among us, they seem to put together programs that deliver rather than wait for the politicians to deliver a talk and governments to pass on rules and allocations that need to go through the bureaucracy and red tape associated with the process.

We can opt to look the other side and not take notice. But when something like the pandemic appears and envelops all of humanity, we are forced to act, right? Because we are caught in it too, we find ways and means to save ourselves and our dear ones. 

But what choice do we have but to believe and have faith in the Gods to deliver us out of all the troubles that we had brought on to ourselves? It brought joy to hear that the teachings of Ramalinga Adigal had been picked up well in the west. Now Geetha Anand who has written several blogs and books on the Siddhas teachings tells me that the Siddha path is well received in Spain and Brazil too. 

"Ashram Vettaveli in Spain brought out the publication (Agathiyar Mei Gnanam at http://agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.my/) ...  I was blessed to work on two more compositions, Saumya Sagaram (500 out of 1200 songs), Agatthiyar Antharangadeeksha vidhi. They have published these also.  Agatthiyar has brought a big interest in Brazil.  Around 50 students are learning about Tamil Siddhas, Agatthiyar, and his compositions with Sri Sakti Sumanan. (https://srishaktisumanan.org/institute.php). The Meijnana kaviyam that Amma (Jnana Jothiamma) initiated me to translate has opened the doors for so many souls with genuine thirst."

See her other works at https://www.scribd.com/user/199052719/Geetha-Anand

http://lyricsoftheliberated.blogspot.my/

She published her first research paper on Tirumandiram in the International Journal of Dharma Studies which we carried too at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2017/01/body-self-and-consciousness-according.html

She wrote a brief note accompanying this copy of her work, relating how she came to write this piece.

Thanks to JJ amma's (Jnana Jhothi Amma) blessings I was introduced to Agatthiyar Aiya who held my hand and guided me in this endeavor. Many were the moments when I threw in the towel crying I cannot do this. I do not have the capacity to understand this. At every such moment, Agatthiyar Aiya was there consoling me, motivating me, and providing me with the energy and mental clarity required for this experience. In fact, the paper should have his name as the author, not mine. It was like avan arulal avan thaal vanangi. Thank you Agatthiyar Aiya and all his children whose silent prayers have made this possible. It (this work) is an example of how Siddhas use a simpleton as a pen and convey their message to the world. You would not believe how this came through. ….

All through these steps, it was Agatthiyar Aiya and Tirumular holding my hand and taking me through the process, letting me enjoy their love and care. Honestly, I do not even remember the contents as much as I remember this feeling. It was a true blessing. I can see Agatthiyar Aiya in your puja smiling!

IN SILENCE SHALL I SPEAK 2

What if Agathiyar were to speak in those private moments of intimate silence? What would he have to say? What would he share?

It was one of the quietest moments, a rare moment itself in the outskirts of the city. The hustle and bustle of traffic that flowed through the main road that cuts across the small housing scheme had died down. The dogs that barked the whole day long and that were supposed to keep watch in the night too had retired for the day together with their masters. The continuous chirping of the birds in the day was momentarily substituted by the occasional outburst of the cricket, known as the night singer. The moon shone brightly in the sky, a scene missed by most of the city dwellers who had to turn in early to wake up early for another day of stressful work. The fireflies flew from one street lamp to the other and finally disappeared out of view. I too entered my prayer room to spend some precious time with my Guru Agathiyar. As the silence became more intense blocking out entirely all the remaining noise of the neighbors' air conditioners, only the sound of my breath was obvious. Soon even that was no more obvious to my hearing. In that moment of deep silence, I felt Agathiyar's presence. I opened my eyes. His bronze statue shone in the dark of the room, lighted only by the oil lamp that kept burning 24/7. 

I closed my eyes again. I heard him sigh. I opened my eyes again. There was no visible movement whatsoever. I asked him in silence what was the matter. He remained quiet. Then he spoke.

"I am disappointed with my children." I was taken aback. I listened on without interrupting. He continued. "They think of me only as an astrologer. They think of me only as a shaman. They think of me only as a mediator. They think about me only when in trouble. They come to me asking to settle their debts. They come running to me for a solution or cure most times. At other times they do not care to remember me."

At this juncture, my mind raced back to 2005 when I had heard a similar lament from both my previous gurus. Supramania Swami lamented that they never asked what he wanted but instead desired their needs to be fulfilled. Tavayogi lamented that they came for material gains and not Gnana.

Agathiyar continued. "I am their conscience. Why did not they listen to me speak through their conscience then? It is sad that they buried me long ago. They act without conscience today."

"As they came to see all things external, so too have I had the need to build temples externally to bring them to face their conscience externally. They come before me and stand in prayer asking for guidance there. They leave their problems at my feet and return home relieved. They do tiny bits of charity while at these places of worship. But the practice or worship soon evolved into fear for me, instilled by those who took advantage of these poor souls. Instead of love and devotion in worship towards me they did things out of fear, lest they should earn the wrath of the Gods, they were told. The element of fear was instilled in them instead of love for their creator."

"Then there came a time they lost even that remaining fear. They stopped believing that I was the stone and the rock in the temple. They stopped patronizing my abodes. Soon there was no means of sustaining these temples just as there was no means to end their troubles. The priests who had a full-time job of taking care of me and my abode had no income. They had to seek other means of survival. The temples were deserted. Charity lost its grounds. True devotees were hard to come by. I had to move too as they say to greener pastures, into the homes and the hearts of my devotees who were yearning for me. I had been traveling a lot since, seeking the homes and hearts of my devotees."

"Soon man began seeking self-made godman for remedies. As a result, they found themselves loose hefty sums in finding remedies and solutions to their problems. I have sung about these in my Gnana Nool."

"Today I can only watch in sadness as man moves on with his life indifferent to my existence. I would sit in a corner and watch the world go by. Lobamitra would observe me from a distance not wanting to disturb my thoughts. Occasionally she would walk up to me and enquire about my silence and what was in my thoughts. I would share with her my observation. She would listen intently not saying a word. Finally, she would distract my thoughts pulling me away from falling deeper and further into the world of the mortals. I would then return to my tapas."

"I am in tapas in your home too. If the need arises to be in Kallar or Pothigai or Kailash I leave immediately. Otherwise, I prefer to be here in your humble dwelling." And so saying the Mahamuni went back within into a state of silence.

I thanked him from the bottom of my heart with tears of joy running down both my cheeks. No audible words came out from my lips, except for the tears that kept flowing endlessly like the Ganges. A sense of coolness crept into me. It was as if I was drenched in bliss. Some energy traversed throughout me. It would have lifted me from the floor if I did not forcibly force myself to be grounded. A broad smile broke out on my face involuntarily which soon turned to a loud burst of laughter from within, that was beyond my control. Was this bliss I wondered, later? We both remained silent for some time. He broke the silence again.

"I have told my children about the importance of several practices through your writings. But it seems it does not register well with them. Except for a few who have started heeding your words, that are my words, the rest think it is of no immediate urgency. They think it can wait. Let me tell them that there is no moment more precious than the present; there is no life more precious than the present. It is now or never. If you do not do it at this moment, the much-awaited moment never comes. You will never find another appropriate moment other than now. You have to create that moment. You are partnered in creation with me. Besides us, you too are given the gift of creation, sustenance, and that of wrecking and destroying. Sadly man is prone to postponing or delaying his own plans. But the divine plan takes place as scheduled. Death comes as scheduled. Do not postpone the rare appointment given to you to meet Me. You might never get another moment with Me."

"You understand very well and have made it known in your writings numerous times. I am available to my devotees through the good gestures you and your wife have done and the facilities built and made available around you. You have provided them with access to me in your home through the many years of your worship. I come because of you. I make myself present to all because of your worship. I want them to worship me just as you worshipped me all these years. I too want to move into their homes. I too want to move into their hearts. I want to be constantly with them 24/7. But they have to invite me in first. Only if they invite me with an open heart can I visit and settle in their homes and hearts."

Then he moved on to mention the infighting his devotees had amongst them which again caught me by surprise. I guess he was opening up to me just as I had all these years. Our moments of engagement in the talk have stopped being a monologue as in the past; instead, it has evolved into a dialogue. He had literally spoken to me and we had a conversation in 2018. He spoke to the rest of his devotees too at his temple at Carey Island. That was amazing having the Mahamuni address us through a person, to our knowledge, for the very first time. He was apparently not happy with his children fighting among themselves. He wanted it all to end. He said he had summoned some of them. But only two of his dearest children turned up not because of fear but out of love for him. I felt sad too. I listened quietly. He went into a state of silence again something he does often only to come out of it to say what needed to be said, often returning to his domain. I knew he had moved on to attend to his numerous duties and other matters. The silence was prolonged. I moved away from the room - his room, to let him be with his thoughts.

Sitting with Agathiyar reminded me of the few but valuable days I sat at the feet of Supramania Swami and Tavayogi. Both my gurus taught me by example that both Guru and God are accessible to us without the need for mediators. The problem with us is we want to follow every guru on the face of the earth and follow every teaching available out there. Hence the confusion arises. I have sat with Tavayogi watching many devotees of Agathiyar who go on questioning him for hours, comparing what another guru had said, and asking his opinion about it. They come to him so full of religious and spiritual knowledge and vomit them to him, in most possibly a show of their greatness at having read and heard so much. I used to think if they knew so much why are they there in the first place? What can they possibly gain that other gurus haven't given them?

The above conversation was originally posted on Wednesday, 17 August 2022.

Sriinaath Raghavan wrote on Fb,

 

"The Ego is just as small as a Shrew, but the process of taming it is herculean to its core. There are many who come wanting to know but are enslaved by what they already know. So when you share with them what they don't know, they immediately compare it with what they know. When you tell them that they already know so much, so what's the need of knowing more, they reply, "I know that I know, but I don't know, what to do with what I know; so I keep wanting to know more?"

Ah! The first step of knowing is, "I don't know?" and so is the last step of knowing, "I don't know!"

IN SILENCE SHALL I SPEAK 1

Having journeyed some 20 years in getting to learn and know the Siddhas and their path, finally, I am told that nothing is greater than the joy of silence. But before reaching this point on the path Agathiyar called me over through a Nadi reading, spoke about my past karma, had me worship the Siddhas, gave me remedies, had me travel to India on a pilgrimage, and showed me my first guru Supramania Swami, initiated me officially into the path by sending Tavayogi to my shores, having me taken to their abodes in the hills, jungles, and caves and have Tavayogi officially teach me Yoga Asanas and Pranayama. He had Tavayogi officially start the ritual of lighting the sacrificial fire too. Tavayogi set me off on doing charity beginning at his ashram that expanded further to the streets of Kuala Lumpur with the aid of Mr. and Mrs. Sri Krishna and moving into the homes of the poor that was shown by Agathiyar. After all these activities reached a peak, he had us lay down these tools and sit in the confines of our homes for the virus was lurking outside. This was the prequel to what was to come later. If the past 2 1/2 years of the pandemic he had made us drop all the activities that we carried out at AVM and its charity arm Amudha Surabhi, now he wants me to zip up I guess. 

Tavayogi like Sri Ramakrishna was clear about his role as a guru.

Richard Schiffman wrote in his "Sri Ramakrishna – A Prophet for the New Age", Paragon House, 1989, 

"He prayed continually to Kali to grant his spiritual children ecstatic love for God. When divine love comes, it comes as a pure gift. It comes as a miracle. Ramakrishna rejoiced at seeing his disciples grow in spirit with Kali's special grace on them. He only helped to fan it. He knew too well that the best efforts towards attaining this ecstatic state, count very little, only as much as helping to clear the way for love's descent. What was required was the grace and love of the divine."

The guru brings changes either knowingly or unknowingly to the disciple and whoever comes into contact. Schiffman summarizes the role of God and Guru beautifully: Ramakrishna considered the guru as "a torch in the hands of god and a conduit for his grace." He also taught his disciples that god was the sole guru and the teacher in the physical form, his instrument.

Tavayogi stood aside showing us to Agathiyar who was his guru too. He showed us the rituals in the Siddha puja and had us follow them concurrently as he conducted these at his Kallar ashram. He never gave a discourse unless he took the stage at events. His teaching at other times came as a brief statement or observation that he left behind as he passed us or took us on his walks or visits. Today we understand pretty well all that he said after gaining similar experiences. He never spoke about the destination but gave us the means and the ways and the method and practices. It is only when we put them into practice that we can progress another step. He would watch and observe and add another rung to the ladder seeing our progress. The Siddhas never gave us the ladder to climb knowing pretty well that we shall never use it. Rather they would have us build one, rung by rung as we follow their teaching. 

Ramakrishna reminded his followers sternly, "Learn from me as much as I have told you. But if you want to know more, you must pray to God in solitude", writes Schiffman. Ramakrishna used to question, "How can a mere mortal enlighten another? The guru is only a pure and clear channel for God's healing and guiding energy." It is so clear now. The guru who has been commissioned to bring to shore the lost souls, his children who had drifted far and apart, cannot be contented with mere teaching. Theirs is a forceful and direct approach, practically pulling us off the ground where we were rooted deep and anchored, for ages. Indeed Agathiyar comes on forcefully on devotees telling them what he wanted them to do. 

Lord Muruga asked me to sit in silence and go within some time back. So what is the significance of remaining and maintaining silence?

Schiffman writes about the significance and depth of silence. Silence is potent. In silence the walls that separate the guru and disciple seizes to exist, he adds. Both their hearts meet. In silence, there is neither giving nor receiving. Just being in each other's presence. The most important works are accomplished in silence we are told. This statement is confirmed by the poet sage Nakkirar in his prayer to Lord Vinayagar, "The Vinayagar Thiruagaval." 

மோனா ஞான முழுதும் அளித்து
சிற்பரிப் பூரண சிவத்தைக் காண
நற்சிவ நிட்கள நாட்டமுந் தந்து
குருவுஞ் சீடனுங் கூடிக் கலந்து
இருவரும் ஒரு தனியிடந் தனிற் சேர்ந்து
தானந்தமாகித் தற்பர வெளியில்
ஆனந்த போத அறிவைக் கலந்து
ஈசனிைணயடியிருத்தி
மனத்தே நீயே நானாய்
நானே நீயாய்க்
காயா புரியைக் கனவெனவுணா்ந்து
எல்லாமுன் செயலென்ேற உணர
நல்லா உன்னருள் நாட்டந் தருவாய்
காரண குருவே கற்பகத் களிேற

வாரணமுகத்து வள்ளலே போற்றி

If reciting the names of the Siddhas in puja bridged both our worlds, the above verses created the space for both guru and student to spend some quality time. If in singing the verses, அகத்தீசா உனது சீடர்களாகிய ஒன்பது கோடி பேரும் என்னைச் சூழ்ந்திருந்து நான் விரும்பியதெல்லாம் முடித்து வைப்பதோடு மட்டுமல்லாது உன்னுடைய மலையாகிய பொதிகைக்கு என்னை அழைத்துவர என்னைச் சீடனாக நீ ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். நான் உய்வதற்கு அருள் புரிய வேண்டும். உனது அருள் பூரணமாகப் பெற்றல் வேண்டும் brought Tavayogi to take us on long walks to the abodes of the Siddhas, Lord Vinayagar created the space and the much-needed silence for me to contemplate in the comfort of my home where the guru and disciple could sit in silence and merge in similar thoughts; focusing on the feet of Shiva, the one becoming the other and understanding that all is a dream and that it is all his play.

Schiffman writes of these Godmen, The guru's heart is alive in God, making one feel the presence of the living God. Living in the world of God, the true disciple lives out the dream of God."

This should be our dream too. To live out the dream of God. Poet Bharathiyar realized this too and sang தன்செய லெண்ணித் தவிப்பது தீர்ந்திங்கு நின்செயல் செய்து நிறைவுபெறும் வண்ணம் நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன் — கண்ணம்மா. நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன்.

We learn from Ruzbeh Bharucha's writings that sitting in silence has the tendency to bring one to be filled with more Param Akash Tatva. The causal body is made of Param Akash Tatwa or Prime Ether, Param Vayu Tatwa or Prime Air, and Param Agni Tatwa or Prime Fire. We have all the more reason then to sit in silence. For one seeking and working towards his goals of attaining the Divine state, there is a more urgent need to focus on silence because Vairagya Vruti, or disenchantment sets in as we delve deeper and deeper into a state of silence says Ruzbeh. Since both the Param Vayu Tatva and Param Agni Tatva pull us away from this state of disenchantment leading us into Maya or illusion and getting us entangled more and more with the body and its relationship, we have all the reason now to just sit in silence.

Soon having been accustomed daily to the place and mood created, the self settles on its own nudging wonderfully into its domain - that of silence. In these hours of silence, the "self" speaks with the "higher self" whom we have given numerous names and forms.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

I was living in my own world. The divine kept me well. I had a secure job, family, and a roof over our heads. I appreciated it and was grateful. Then he brought his devotees to my home after their Nadi readings. Some came of their own accord after they learned about my home puja. They brought their problems with them. Only then did I begin to see how complicated the lives of others are. They thought Agathiyar would listen to me convey their problems and bring them out of their misery. Others thought my puja and prayers could save the lives of those close and dear to them. Then both Tavayogi and Agathiyar set us on doing dharma or charity. This opened our eyes to the immediate surroundings further. If I had walked past a dying man or one living on the streets, I soon became aware of poverty and its grip on many. I shed tears silently as I fed the hungry and starving. And they were living in our midst, not on a distant planet. Then they brought out the compassion in us that extended borders and countries as did the pandemic expand its wings throughout the entire world. Relatives and friends became victims of this dreaded virus. I gave an ear though I knew that I was helpless except to pray that they recover. Lord Shiva out of mercy gave us the Mrityunjaya and Dhanvantri mantra to be recited as we perform the Homam. He did not say that the virus shall go away but told us that it shall keep us safe. 

War, poverty, and suffering have been in existence, just that we were not aware of them in the past as in the times of yore we did not know what was beyond the hills and mountains and did not have access to media. With the coming of satellites beaming in images and drones showing us a bigger view, and the internet bringing these images into our living rooms, we are shown the extent of suffering that mankind goes through. 

Seeking answers, Agathiyar tells us that they had brought down on them the unfavorable actions from their previous lives. As to why others were having a jolly good time, he tells us that they had earned it, again from their past actions. But they were crooks down to the core and they are living well someone lamented. He hushes us up telling us that we would not understand the long link and chain of actions and reactions that form the web of karma. We were asked not to question the blueprint on the socioeconomic status of humankind either. Tavayogi too told us that life was not a math problem to be solved but one that had to be lived and seen through. We had come for these experiences too writes Neale Donald Walsch in his series of books titled "Conversation with God." Though we were not to question the reasons for a man's fate, Agathiyar through his 5 tenets to mankind asked that we help another be it man, animal, plant, or mineral to rise in the chain of evolution. We could make a difference. But then how much do we involve to change the fate and destiny of another? 

If we are told that it is rare to have a human birth that even the gods are yearning for, what went wrong with those who had a chance to come back? Have we forgotten our purpose here and become distracted by the lure of Maya?

But Maya or illusion is so real. It is so real that we fall for it. It brings us to act. Every action then starts a reaction. Though it never ends once we reach the spot we come to know that it was merely a mirage. When seen from afar its lure pulls us to it. But arriving there we realized that it does not exist. It was a deception. I believe no effort on our part can break the hold of our former actions but only with the grace of the divine. But before that, we are called to surrender to him all our present actions. Before we can bring ourselves to truly surrender to the divine we need to know him first. Hence the reason we are asked to believe first and have faith in him. With belief and faith, we shall seek to find ways to engage and communicate with him. Devotion begins to grow then. Devotion opens up compassion within. With compassion comes love. With love comes his grace. With his grace, we can battle on or rather the obstacles are cleared and the veil disappears. Maya loses its hold or grip on us. We see the truth. 

I think all the world's problems will not end overnight. The only way to escape is to opt out of this world. We each have to leave or escape from its clutches. Even the saints could not find solutions or an end to man's troubles. The saints found salvation for themselves. Having failed in convincing man of coming out of the ways they left to seek solace and peace at the feet of the divine. Even Ramalinga Adigal could go as much as built the Satya Dharma Salai and feed the hunger and speak about compassion. He realized that he could not move the people around him. Disappointed he shut his door and left. How many of his followers managed to keep up with him in his dream and eventual journey of realization? They were keener on taking over his establishments and writings. We can never turn around the world. We can only turn around ourselves and look for the escape route. This is what the saints did too. When others refused to toe the line, they left them behind. Agathiyar too at one juncture told us to move on and not wait for others to catch up for then our journey shall be delayed he said. 

I guess the hold of Maya is so great on us that we cannot come out of it on our own. We need his grace to break the chain that keeps us chained. His grace comes with the yearning to be with him and do his work. I guess we need the divine to put all of us to sleep instantaneously and concurrently and find ourselves awaken to a new world. This was what was predicted would happen in 2012 and postponed to 2018. But it did not take place. Who can decipher the workings of the divine? Who can fathom his lila or play?

Indeed it is all a play. For want of answers to our sufferings, we are told that we had brought it on ourselves. Then we are shown means and ways to shed the hold of our past actions that brings us places and meet more people. We start to add on good actions that bring on good merits. The scale is then balanced. What next we ask? Does that end the cycle we ask? But it appeases only one of our past births we are told. What about the actions of the numerous other births? Then we are told about our actions that span Yugas. It is mind-boggling. No wonder Tavayogi says not to approach life as a math question. No wonder the Siddhas say never enquire the beginning and the end. Indeed no one knows when shall all these end too. For one who has answers to all these shall have left the face of the earth.

Agathiyar in his Agathiyar Gnanam sings that it is all Lord Shiva's play. Just as from confusion arises clarity we are expected to come out of it clean just like the budding lotus. So does Sivavakiyar attempts to bring us out of state. But it is still so vague to us. I guess we need their grace to fully understand these songs of the Siddhas.

What did Ramalinga Adigal mean when he mentions the verse the dead shall arise or "செத்தார் எழுவார்" numerous times in his songs. "செத்தார் எழுவார்" is not adorning a robe and taking on a new name but bringing on a change in the very molecular level in us. There comes a stage where our body undergoes a transformation and changes within the body, nay within the very cells where decoding or "perception or interpretation of messages" takes place first and some of the earlier data is erased and encoding or "creation of new text with specific messages" that replace them and finally recoding or "appropriation and application of these messages" take place. If previously the vibrations and the prana from the chants and the pranayama practices respectively cleansed the external and internals including the mind, a cleansing of the molecular level takes place at this stage. The body oozes out bodily fluids creating a stench. It resembles the stench of a dead body left exposed for days. Certain alterations to the body become visible and become a subject of conversation among the ignorant. I guess this is the reason the saints went into hiding, often some 12 years long until it all subsides. They then appear in public again. So one dies and arises again while living - not literally dead and buried and coming back to life, but undergoes this process of decay and springing back to life. 

When I put forward the question to Tavayogi he replied that he did not know. I realize now that it is not that he did not know but wanted us to have the experience first. If he were to have explained in detail the process we would be looking toward the outcome. He wanted us to focus on the journey and not on the destination. This is how the Siddhas guide us a step at a time rather than hand over the blueprint to us. What possibly can we understand from the blueprint without their guidance?

RAT RACE

My 5-year-old granddaughter surprised me yesterday as we drove to the neighboring park for our evening walk. She asked me why I chose to own a small car and a small house. I replied to her that they served my purpose and that I was satisfied. She kept quiet. Her question rekindled a story I read just days ago at https://tomaslau.com/blog/everything-is-relative. Tomas Laurinavicius shares the story "The Mexican Fisherman and the American Investment Banker" in his blog. 

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish.

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed. “I have an MBA from Harvard, and can help you,” he said. “You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middle-man, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening up your own cannery. You could control the product, processing, and distribution,” he said. “Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually to New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?” To which the American replied, “Oh, 15 to 20 years or so.”

“But what then?” asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time was right, you would announce an IPO, sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”

That was what the Mexican fisherman was currently doing! So why go through the rat race to arrive at the same spot we are today? 

MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

We leave our print everywhere. We brush off our habits onto our children and grandchildren. We even connect with our cars and other belongings as we read at https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/08/stick-shift-manual-transmission-cars/671078/

We raise our children often to become another clone of us. We teach them morals and ethics. We teach them right and wrong. But Agathiyar tells us that there is no right or wrong. John Vampatella writes at https://www.cru.org/sg/en/train-and-grow/share-the-gospel/obstacles-to-faith/is-everything-relative.html,

"What may be right in one place and time may be wrong in another place and time. Or, what may be right in one culture at one time may be wrong in that same culture a short time later. It is up to the individual and/or society to determine the “rightness” or “wrongness” of something, and that can, and does, change from time to time."

Indeed as he says, "there is no absolute gauge of what is morally right or wrong, .." Everything is relative to one another. 

Agathiyar tells us not to judge another for we shall never know the full story. At times these stories can go back to several past lives and even Yugas as we came to know them recently. 

We are told that this world is an illusion. If this world is an illusion or maya then why is so much importance and detail given to material seeking and also one's spiritual seekings? We work so hard to accumulate wealth in the former and merits and siddhis in the latter. 

We are asked to surrender to the divine so that he can execute his work without interference from us. Total surrender means accepting everything that comes along without interfering. It means going with the flow. Can we just watch a horror or crime take place right before our eyes? Can we turn away from looking at others' plight and suffering? It broke my heart watching the following visuals at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT80uJtOE2sGejGX16zQGoA/featured, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nvTgSW2L8Q

Then we have some good samaritans take on the responsibility of looking out for their fellow mates in trouble - what should be the responsibility of the governing bodies at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxbGmqfmfBE

I read through the blog https://tomaslau.com/blog/everything-is-relative and asked myself if I could ever remain indifferent to challenges and the surrounding. I guess we will only understand live fully on our deathbed for nothing can change further for good or for bad after death, can it?

ENDING THE SEARCH

I came across a Malaysian at Kallar Ashram who started his search when he was 25. After 25 years he was still searching. His search now brought him the steps of Kallar ashram. We only became acquainted at that moment although we were both from Malaysia. He had moved into the ashram earlier. He made me uncomfortable when he began to open up the can of worms speaking ill about the many institutions that he had been to prior to arriving at Kallar. I felt sad that he was damaging the very institutions that had given him food and a roof over his head all these years. He told me that he had finally found Kallar to be genuine. I thought he would settle to serve at Kallar but I was surprised to see him in Malaysia after three years. I guess Agathiyar wanted to teach me something by having me meet the many faces of his devotees and learn a thing or two, as he says the Siddha path is one of gaining experiences and learning from them. Geetha Anand, the blog administrator at http://agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.com/2014/01/agatthiyar-meijnana-kaviyam-1.html, too in translating "Agatthiyar Meijnanam" writes, "Siddha marga is an experiential path, not a dry jnana marga.  It is a path where experience and knowledge go together.  Experience is always correct.  When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes and shortcomings occur.  These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience.  This is possible only by Divine grace."

I came across a couple of stories shared on Fb that teaches us a lesson too. 

Prem Niranjana shared Odhara Moon's post.

"SEARCH FOR A MASTER"  

A man went in search of a Master. He was ready to go around the world, but he was determined to find the Master, the true Master, the Perfect Master. Outside his village, he met an old man, a nice fellow sitting under a tree. He asked the old man, "Have  you ever heard in your long life ... look like a wanderer ..." 

He said, "Yes, I am a wanderer. I wandered all over the earth." 

The man said, "That is the right kind of person. Can you suggest to me where I should go? I want to be a disciple of a Perfect Master." 

The old man suggested a few addresses to him, and the young man thanked him and went on. 

After thirty years of wandering around the earth and finding nobody who was exactly fulfilling his expectations, he came back dejected, and depressed. The moment he was entering his village he saw the old man who had become very old now, sitting under a tree. And suddenly he recognized that he is the Master! He fell at his feet and said, "Why didn't you say it to me, that you are the Master?" 

The old man said, "But that was not the time for you. You could not recognize me. You needed some experience. Wandering around the earth has given you a certain maturity, a certain understanding. Now you see. Last time you had met me, but you had not seen me. You had missed. You were asking me about some Master. That was enough proof that you could not smell the fragrance. You were utterly blind; hence I gave you some bogus addresses so you could go. But even to be with the wrong people is good, because that is ... how one learns. For thirty years I have been waiting for you here. I have not left this tree." 

In fact, the young man, who was not young anymore, looked at the tree and was even more surprised. Because in his dreams, in his visions he was always seeing that tree and there was always a feeling that he would find the Master sitting under this tree. Last time he had not seen the tree at all. The tree was there, the Master was there, Everything was ready ... but he was not ready." 

- Sufi Story

And of course, Sriinaath Raghavan who is known to give us gems writes another.

"There was an ardent practitioner of Kriya Yoga who would go to the Mountains often to meditate. On one such trip, he unexpectedly happened to meet the Eternal Yogi, called Babaji. He fell at Babaji's feet, and told the great Saint, how he always wished to see him and receive Deeksha. The Saint however kept silent and listened with a patient ear, because all of them who happened to meet, more or less tell the same thing. After the Seeker finished talking, Babaji asked him to follow through a dense jungle, winding their way across many slopes, till they finally reached a cave, where the Saint lived. They sat inside and Babaji offered the Seeker a drink of something plain like water, but one that refreshed him to the core. Then the Seeker settling himself down asked, "Can you initiate me into the practice of Kriya Yoga?"

Babaji gently nodded his head in approval and imparted the highest wisdom of Kriya to the Seeker. 

The Seeker after receiving the teachings felt uncommonly dejected and turning towards the Master complained, "Master this was not how it was mentioned on the website, it was far more complex with a lot of Mudras and Bandhas?"

Babaji once again nodded his head gently and vanished from sight. 

It is said that this Seeker still roams the Mountains in search of Babaji, who is yet to confirm which one is right, He the Master of the Kriya or the Website. Alas! No matter what, we can never look beyond the book because we are hooked. 

As the Sufi saint told the seeker, "You were utterly blind; hence I gave you some bogus addresses so you could go. But even to be with the wrong people is good, because that is ... how one learns", and as the seeker in the other story was still waiting for Babaji to tell him that the websites are right, and as Geeta Anand wrote "When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes, and shortcomings occur. These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience", I guess this is the reason we keep coming back again and again until we recognize and submit and surrender to the guru and the divine. I am glad that my search stopped after Agathiyar showed me to Supramania Swami and Tavayogi. 

STICK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN

It is said that men fight over three things: soil, gold, women (மண்ணாசை பொன்னாசை பெண்ணாசை). Many emperors and kings embarked on voyages to conquer lands and expand their kingdoms in the past. They had their men go in search and loot gold and treasures. Countries went to battle with others for oil. We have heard that wars were fought over women though these are still debated. 

We learn many countries conquered and plundered India for its riches and wealth both material and spiritual. A summary of Roy Moxham's book, "The Theft of India: The European Conquests of India, 1498-1765", states that,

"In the three centuries that followed Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route from Europe to India, European powers made a beeline for India’s fabled riches, its spices, gold, and gems. Though they ostensibly came for trade and commerce and the thrill of discovering a new land, the lines between exploration and exploitation soon blurred. The "Theft of India" documents the intense rivalry for spoils that played out between the British, the French, the Dutch, and the Portuguese and the impact this had on Indians. It details the political intrigue, the agreements and the betrayals, the oppression, swindling, and greed of these foreign powers as they each tried to strengthen their grip on this vast and ‘exotic’ land."

Watching the documentary "Attack on Pearl Harbor: Minute by Minute", we learn that Japan went to war when talks were seen to have failed with America over oil and "a succession of increasingly restrictive trade restrictions."

All these still continue with much more reasons to start a war and add to the list. But as much as it hurts to read about them and many having to live in the midst of these horrors, many are there who are sweet and pure to the soul. God shows them to us though they refrain from the limelight. Someone chosen comes along to highlight their plight or reveal their glory. Though many might desire to take up the task the responsibility is given to certain souls to deliver. Equally many others do not even have the notion or idea to give them due recognition as their lives are self-centered.  

Man has to leave something behind besides his children. He might leave behind monuments and buildings. He might leave behind his riches that take the shape of foundations that carry on his good work. He might discover things that simplify man's work. He might also do work to uplift the souls. Agathiyar in his 5 tenets to mankind speaks about his role and purpose in taking birth. 

Besides giving back to the society we should instill these values in the young too. They then shall carry the legacy and flagship into the future. 

I was always interested in reading autobiographies and biographies of those who made a name for themselves. Then there are others who shun the limelight and hid away from society and the public. But the divine brings them or rather pushes them under the floodlight bringing attention to them.

Last night I watched the film based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, "Rocketry: The Nambi Effect." It brought me to tears. I could not imagine the lives of innocent folks could change overnight for the worse and made difficult by certain individuals, society, and people in authority. Knowing that this is possible we shudder in fear as the thought arises that we could be the next victim. But in all their lives the underlying factor that each personality who was harmed carried is trust in God, and the strength to live by their passions and principles. They never gave in to pressure. 

Reading the lives of the saints of the bygone era we see the same where they are put under extreme torture and brutality but they sort refuge in God. Buddha too teaches us the importance of seeking refuge not with others but the three Jewels of Buddhism that are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. As a kid, I used to attend classes and learn the mantras taught at the Wat Phodhiyaram Thai Buddhist Temple, Assam Kumbang, Taiping which was just doors away from our rented home. There is calm and peace in these Buddhist temples, which prompted me to visit one wherever I go. Similarly, the churches and mosques carried an air of calm and peace. I guess calm and peace are at the feet of God. This is the reason many turn to God for solace in troubled times. These religious institutions are a must for society especially in troubled times like now as the world goes through a period of shedding its skin and renewal. 

In wanting to bring salvation to us spiritual institutions too sprang up like mushrooms, bringing the teachings of masters and gurus to the common folk. 

So we have much choice in picking a tool, method, and way to explore what is right for our souls as no two individuals shall travel the same path. 

Geetha Anand, the blog administrator at http://agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.com/2014/01/agatthiyar-meijnana-kaviyam-1.html, writes,

"Siddha marga is an experiential path, not a dry jnana marga.  It is a path where experience and knowledge go together.  Experience is always correct.  When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes and shortcomings occur.  These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience.  This is possible only by Divine grace."

Going by the above translation of "Agatthiyar Meijnanam", "When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes and shortcomings occur.  These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience.  This is possible only by Divine grace", can we deduce that we come back taking births to right the wrong or perfect something in our lives? Does this explain the mystery of a Nadi leaf that the Nadi reader and I flipped through among the many others, that carried all the details in my life except that it stated I had married a woman named Manohari? As my wife's name wasn't that we forego the leave. After two weeks we located mine correct in its entirety. Maybe this particular chap had lived in the past but must have opted out of the blueprint charted for him by marrying someone else then. Now taking a rebirth he is settled back on the track married to his present wife. The statement "These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience" makes me wonder if we should at all interfere with God's original plan laid out for us. But that is what we do ignoring his desires by placing our individual desires up front and bent on fulfilling them. If we learn to go with the flow as Lao Tzu and the many masters before us have told us, I guess we will stick to God's original plan and end this journey rather fast. I guess this is why Agathiyar on the offset in his 5 tenets tells us to discover our purpose here rather than chart new ones for ourselves. 

After I started Siddha worship solo in 2002, my wife and children joined me in 2005, coaxed by Tavayogi upon his arrival on our shores. Agathiyar sent many to my home beginning in 2013 upon his arrival in the form of a bronze statue in 2010. My wife told me recently that we were getting "a high" after years of doing puja and charity. We now know why Agathiyar had us drop both in September of 2019. We are glad that we were tasked to carry out the rituals and charity by both Agathiyar and Tavayogi and never carried out things to our whims and fancy. We came to know that a highly religious devotee who went out to refurbish abandoned temples was killed in a tragic accident. Agathiyar surprised us by revealing in a Nadi reading that he had stepped out of line, though what he did was promising and good. I guess he took on something or shouldered something that was not his purpose in life. 

STANDING BEFORE GOD

Just moments ago sitting at Agathiyar's feet in prayer and in quiet contemplation I asked myself if I was wasting time just as I thought I had during the pandemic as all our activities were brought to a stall, he tells me that we make a mistake thinking or equating activities with progress. As in the material world, we set Key performance indicators or KPIs, "quantifiable measures that gauge a company's performance against a set of targets, objectives, or industry peers" and work towards meeting the target we bring all these methods to the spiritual search too. On the contrary, it is the opposite that is true. We are to learn to let go in the spiritual path as Mahindren comforted me back then as I told him of my disappointment in myself at having wasted precious time. 

Sadly we have come to gauge our progress through activities. If the world around us is a hive of activities the true path leads us to drop everything. We shall shed the post and the religious and spiritual assemblies too, the authority and power that comes with the spiritual posts, and shall remain a humble servant to god and his servants like the Nayanmars did. I guess that is what I saw in Tavayogi then but back then I did not understand it. Though he had started a peedham ordained by Agathiyar he stood apart even from it. That peedham could not be equated with him, nor he be equated with the peedham. We only saw Agathiyar and his workings there. All the worship, honor bestowed, etc was for Agathiyar solely. Tavayogi stood among us in prayer to Agathiyar. He never became the worshipped. He showed us worship to Agathiyar instead.

It is in these moments of sitting that the subject to write each post arises and I too arise to break the moment less I forget what is given as it flows by. One of our favorite books that we read to our children and now our grandchildren is "A Fly Went By".

Just as the fly went by followed by the frog, cat, dog, pig, the cow, and its calf, the fox, and the hunter, a train of thoughts comes and goes by, less I catch that it disappears. At other times they appear as I am engaged in work and other thoughts. I put aside the work to immediately capture it. Later I update and format the post and upload it. I am not the author of these writings but he writes through me I soon learned. He gives me the subject or creates a scenario from which I get a clear message and also gives relevant references from books, movies, and others' experiences for Tavayogi always said that what we write or say should be substantiated by references, proof, studies or Siddha songs. 

Just like he has taken hold of the pen, he has taken hold of my soul too for how can I explain the sudden burst of laughter that arises from within me as I stand in his abodes and also in my home? This then turns to cries and which are interspersed with shouts of joy. If somebody needs to crack a joke to make us laugh, here we laugh for no reason in the midst of god. I guess if we deal with the world using the faculties of the physical body with its 96 tattwas, in god's presence our souls connect that trigger a reaction that is sensed by the physical and related bodies. Many are the stories told of saints crying in their abodes and the reasons for it happening. But we shy away from associating with these reasons for we know where we stand before him or rather he knows every inch of us. Who are we cheating?

FEELING SMALL

I am amazed how Agathiyar taking hold of our hands, led us to take one step at a time, carefully pointing to the dangers along the way as we walked on the stones laid across the stream and waded the stream where there were none. Starting with the recitation of mantras and the names of Siddhas which were the stepping stones that elevated us to the next level of Yoga asanas and pranayama, perfecting the mind and body respectively, we became receptors of the energies that prevail all around us. But as we progressed Agathiyar and Tavayogi kept us under check less our ego should arise and bring our downfall.

Shanthi Amma told me once that the Sage of Kanchi or Mahaperiyavar was humble to the core. Though I was in Kanchipuram in 2003 and again in 2016 I never visited the math. Next, I saw the humbleness in Supramania Swami and Tavayogi. Tavayogi who trashed my ego the very first time he came over to my home kept taming this shrew numerous times. Each thing I held dear too, he made me drop it. Agathiyar too made us drop our attachment to puja, rituals, and charity. When Balamurugan who went to Kailash in 2011 told me that he felt very small standing before Mount Kailash I was made to feel small too. I felt small when I came to know from Kumarsamy Aiya of Anuvaavi Agathiyar Ashram that he came to Agathiyar at the age of 8. Today he heads the ashram. Even as the AVM family returned home after visiting India including Kumarsamy Aiya's Ashram and gathered at AVM in his presence to share the many miracles we saw on our trip, he sat by and just watched us, amateurs, rattle away. I salute him. 

Last night, as I spoke to Shankar Aiya who takes care of Adhi Kumbeswar Agathiyar temple, I felt little as he told me he came to know Ramalinga Adigal when he was a year old. He lost his father and was sent to a home that was run under the name of Ramalinga Adigal. He grew up in this home. Soon he saw himself serving Agathiyar at Adhi Kumbeswar Temple. We were blessed to have met this humble soul during our visit to the temple in 2016.

Compared to them, I only came to the Siddha path when I was 43. When I asked why I only knew of this path late in life, Tavayogi gave me another blow. He replied, "Be grateful that at least you came to know about it now!" I have been getting beatings to my ego to this day. I guess it is to keep me under check. But I love it as it only shows that Agathiyar loves me. As the father disciplines his son because he loves him, Agathiyar goes about molding me to be a better person. But we both agree that I have failed miserably in certain areas. Even after giving me a pep talk on anger management for an hour through a Nadi reading, I cannot seem to do away with my anger. I pray that he accepts my weaknesses and would never abandon me. I am deeply grateful to the divine for another reason too. The late Dr. Krishnan had told me that by God's grace I would lose money and forego the pain and agony of a disease. It looks like in exhausting our karma there are two ways to it. Either we come down with an illness or we lose money. If we suffer financial losses be grateful that your appending illness has been taken away. If we are a miser the cost of treatment shall drain our resources eventually. There is no way out. We would rather choose to lose money and stay healthy than fall ill and lose money too in treating our illness. 

When we brush aside ethics and values, Ramalinga Adigal shivers upon just thinking about the wrongs he might have done. But when he looks at the good that has come out of his association with God he delights.

NATURE BOTH FRIEND & FOE

Watching the shoot sprout from the seed, push its way through the soil, and reach for the sunlight tells us that life is not easy. It is only when we face problems that we grow and we find ways to overcome or come out of them. Our lives are similar to the flow of the river. It begins from the headwaters and flows rapidly with full force encountering numerous rapids before settling to flow very gently into the bay and the sea. In youth, as we have all the vigor we battle the rapids and take on the adventures that come along only to wind up and retire as the river does eventually. 

The blog administrator at http://agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.com/2014/01/agatthiyar-meijnana-kaviyam-1.html, Geetha Anand writes confirming what was told to us too by Ma, Aiya, and Agathiyar.

"Siddha marga is an experiential path, not a dry jnana marga.  It is a path where experience and knowledge go together.  Experience is always correct.  When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes and shortcomings occur.  These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience.  This is possible only by Divine grace."

We learn the secret to creation as revealed by Agathiyar from agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.com.

"The primary cause for the manifested universe is Suddha Maya.  This Maya emerges from Siva and Sakti principles.

Tavayogi in his "Andamum Pindamum" writes, "At the beginning there was Sivan. From it emerged a sound. From that sound emerged Sivam or a spark, light, (or the divine spirit, as P.Karthigayan calls it), without a form or formless. The vibration that resulted was Sakti."

Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia in his "The Mahavakyas of the Upanishads" compliments the above. 

"When Siva pairs with Sakti, the pairing of Siva-Sakti that is a result of desire or Iccha, causes the creation of all the lower tattvas (Padaital). This pair has the two properties of Jnana and Kriya respectively." 

Hence Jnana and Kriya are offshoots of Iccha Sakti. A desire that stems or arises leads to an action that results in knowledge or lesson or experience. This brings us back to my hypothesis in a previous post, "Can we deduce that Iccha is the myriad of never-ending thoughts, the deep yearnings and desires, and vasanas carried from previous births that induce all these? Can we then deduce that Kriya Sakti is executed into actions that then bring upon us its equivalent responses, results, and experiences that take shape as Jnana Sakti? Is this how we are connected with the larger picture, the bigger energies?

Agathiyar says "the Divine supported the manifested world, represented by the various lifeforms. This Maya leads to manifestation starting from Sadasiva."

Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia compliments the above statement by Agathiyar from "Agatthiyar Meijnana Kaviyam."

"When kriyasakti and jnanasakti of the Absolute are in equilibrium, aham or self appears (Sustenance or Kaathal). This is Sadasiva tattva or Nada tattva. The objectivation of self-awareness that "this is me", gives rise to delusion or concealment (Maraital). This is Bindu tattva. 

In "Agatthiyar Meijnana Kaviyam", we learn further that "When the completely unmanifested Divine took up a manifested form, due to the limitations it imposed on itself, some contradictions emerged."

Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia writes, "After the initial chaos and when things begin to settle "came the tertiary elements - the various Anatahakarans, the various Vikaars, and Vrittis, the three Gunas, etc, that would form the third layer of elements or Tattvas of creation."

Agathiyar says, "The Divine corrected these mistakes by providing its experience. Hence, Agatthiyar says that the Divine corrected the sastra. Also, the various incarnations of the Divine are said to occur to correct the mistakes that had crept into the scriptures and in their practices.  Siva's Divine play or Tiruvilaiadal are episodes that occurred for this purpose."

KR Sivakanthan in his "Sittargal Tathuvamum Yoga Neri Muraigalum", Tirunelveli Then India, Saiva Sitthantha Noor Pathippu Kazhagam, Chennai, 2003, writes on the subject of creation too. Creation began in Paraparam from which Param emerged. From Param came forth Sivan, Sakti emerging from it later, followed by Naadham. Vinthu emerged from Naadham, Sadasivam from Vinthu, and Maheswaran from Sadasivam. Uruthiran emerged from Maheswaran, Vishnu from Uruthiran, and Brahmam from Vishnu. Brahmam gave birth to the Pancha Maha Bhutam, which came about or evolved from each other. The five elements saw their beginning from the sky, from which came forth the element air. This gave rise to fire. Water emerged from the fire, and earth from water. Finally, man, animals, birds, plants, mountains, and rivers rose from the earth. The reverse takes place at the end of the cycle, all returning to the form from which they came forth.

We have to arrive at the state of Suddha Vidya to escape the clutches of Maya. Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia writes, "The acknowledgment that “I am this,” happens in Suddha Vidya or by the grace of the divine (Arulal)"

Surrender to the divine will, acknowledging that it is all his doing, performing the given tasks without taking credit for it, rather seeing oneself just as a tool in his hands, bringing upon us to drop the self-awareness that originally was held by us that "This is me and all my doing", shall bring the divine or guru to draw the curtain or veil that gives rise to this delusion or concealment. Once the curtain is drawn aside, what remains is the pure awareness of "I am this."

So it seems that nothing is perfect at the onset, even with the divine plan. Just as they perfect things along the way, so do we as we go on. Watching the story of John and Molly Chester transform "the soil that was completely devoid of life", into their Apricot Lane Farm (https://www.apricotlanefarms.com/) is proof enough. Their story is told as a feature documentary "The Biggest Little Farm - the Return", where this couple regenerates a land, that had been farmed for 45 years. In 8 years they do a marvelous job but not without problems. But they were optimistic about the future of their farm though. When asked about their resilience, they reply, "That resilience exists within the natural world. It gives us hope for it is waiting for us to unleash its full potential. As long as we continue to show up each day, our little world will reveal more of its secret."

This is true of the guru-disciple relationship too. Each day as we show up before the guru he reveals a little bit. 

They continue, "While our farm may never reach perfect harmony, it is alive with infinite possibilities. What created the place was not brilliance or experience - it was freedom."  They managed to transform "a place that 10 years ago did not even exist" into a dream come true. That is how we shape the world too. 

Tavayogi spoke about freedom too. The Siddha path is of gaining experience and with the brilliance that comes as grace, we are set free. The Atma should be set free to explore he told us. This we see in children always exploring their surroundings and youth always exploring new ideas. It is us the adults who end up in a rut becoming complacent and lazy. 

Figuring out that "The quality of the food we eat starts with the quality of the soil", the couple "allowed nature to show them a better way."  Biodiversity or having a variety of living organisms around did the trick. Then when they lose their harvest to birds attacking their orchards, snails doing damage, ducks polluting their pond, coyotes stealing their chicken, rodents pilfering their orchards, and their farm destroyed by the natural acts of droughts, winds, and fires, "something happened!" Hawks returned to chase away the starlings. Guardian dogs protected the chickens." This made the coyotes focus on another problem they were facing - gophers. What the coyotes did not eat other animals ate. John and Molly believed that "The solutions to our problems began to appear within the diversity that we had created." 

Just as we saw how Nature was both the problem and the solution to this couple, in the episode "Route Awakenings", from the series "China Revealed" on National Geographic Channel, the explorer, and presenter Harry Yuan, states it beautifully that "Nature is both the problem and a solution here." He continues to explain, "You have a problem - flooding, and then you have materials like rocks and bamboo that are found in abundance here. So nature is basically the problem and a solution here." Rocks from the river are placed into huge bamboo baskets that are woven to contain them. These are then placed in the river to create a wall to contain rising floodwaters or divert the river's flow or split the river into two. "What a great idea", he adds. 

Stephen Grissom on his blog at https://www.siddhavasihealing.com/blog/siddha-vasi-healing-ancient-wisdom-in-the-modern-world quotes his guru's saying, 

“Immerse yourself in the problem. There is hidden the medicine” or in Stephen's words, "The actual medicine that resolved the man’s illness lay hidden within the suffering of his sickness." He quotes his guru Pal Pandian again, “The beauty,” Pal said, “is that the solution to every situation, lies within the very problem itself.”

Indeed, Nature is both friend and foe. The Siddhas had a way of gaining its respect and in turn, were given access to its wide knowledge. They tell us that antidotes are always available, around the vicinity of poisonous plants. It is said that plants would bend down to salute Agathiyar as he passes by and pass on the knowledge of their properties which later came in handy in preparing medicinal potions. They used this knowledge for the good of all of the creation.