Now I understand why Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal kept asking if we had read Tavayogi's book "Andamum Pindamum" and told us to reread the chapter on tattvas till we understand it. The tattvas hide the Atma from us. As it is continuously engaged with the world around us we miss seeing the Atma that has been kept in cold storage. The guru comes along to bring us an understanding of these tattvas and bring us to an awareness of the existence of the Atma.
The tattvas when they come into play reign and sen the Atma into exile. It needs the guru to release the Atma from the dungeon.
Tavayogi wrote, "The world emerged with the Pancha Maha Bhutam or 5 atoms coming together. Each atom carried 96 Tattvas. These Tattvas function in our bodies too."
இவ்வுலகம் ஐம் பெரும் பூத அணுக்களால் ஆனது. இந்த ஐம்பூத அணுக்களில் உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு அணுவிலும் 96 தத்துவங்கள் அமைந்துள்ளன. இந்த தத்துவங்களே மனித சரீரத்தில் செயல்படுகின்றன.
The Siddhas categorized the human body into 96 tattvas that have come to be known as the Siddha Anatomy. From the first atom, the Paramanu, the Pancha Maha Bhutam came forth, writes Tavayogi. The world emerged with these 5 atoms coming together. Each atom carried 96 Tattvas. These Tattvas function in our bodies too. We are said to be a combination of the same five basic primordial or primary elements that form the building blocks of all of creation, the Pancha Maha Bhutam namely earth, water, fire/energy, air/wind, and sky/space, in descending order of grossness. This is seen as the first layer of elements or Tattvas of creation. These principal forces of Nature are responsible for the creation and coming into being, development and continued sustenance, and completion of every creation of the divine that we have come to know. These tattvas form the basis for the growth, sustenance, and proper functioning of all the regulatory systems within us for the continued dwelling and inhabitance of the spirit and soul within.
In the Varaha Upanishad, the Lord imparts his knowledge to Sage Ribhu. (Source: K. Narayanasvami Aiyar, at http://www.advaita.it/library/varaha.htm), "Some disputants hold that there are twenty-four Tattvas (principles) and some thirty-six, whilst others maintain that there are ninety-six. I shall relate them in their order. Listen with an attentive mind."
The organs of sense; The organs of action; Manas, Buddhi, Chitta, and Ahankara; thus those that know Brahman know these to be the twenty-four Tattvas.
The quintuplicate elements; The bodies; the states of consciousness; The Munis know the total collection of Tattvas to be thirty-six (coupled with Jiva)
Add to them the following: The six changes; the six infirmities; the six sheaths; the six kinds of foes; the three aspects of the Jiva; the three Gunas (qualities); the three Karmas; the five actions (of the organs of action); thought, certainty, egoism, compassion, memory (functions of Manas, etc.,), complacency, sympathy, and indifference; Dik (the quarters), Vayu, Sun, Varuna, Ashvini Devas, Agni, Indra, Upendra, and Mrityu (death); and then the moon, the four-faced Brahma, Rudra, Kshetrajna, and Ishvara - we have 96 in numbers.
It is interesting to note that the tattvas identified varies with the states of the beings as in "those that know Brahman" and "The Munis."
We now understand what Ramalinga Adigal meant when he had climbed the spiritual ladder and standing at the height of his of his accomplishment he brings us the various stages of spiritual experiences, stopping at the 16th rung of the ladder, telling us that there are still higher stages that he hesitates to express.
Various states of the soul.
The 16 stages and above of spiritual experiences.
Experiences (Nilai).
Stages.
Paths.
Human beings leading a mundane life without even a thought of its transient nature.
1. Jeeva Sakiram.
Normal wakefulness.
1st stage.
2. Jeeva Sorpanam.
Normal dreaming.
2nd stage.
3. Jeeva Suluthi.
Normal ignorance.
3rd stage.
Spiritualist aware of momentary nature of life; conscious of the world and external objects; enjoys gross things.
4. Sutha Sakiram.
Perfect wakefulness.
1st state of the soul.
1st stage.
Sariyai.
Seeking to see the Lord and feels inseparable; untiring search for God; enjoys subtle things.
5. Sutha Sorpanam.
Perfect dream.
2nd state of the soul.
2nd stage.
Kriyai.
Only God; neither dreams nor desires; soul temporarily one with Brahman enjoys bliss.
6. Sudha Suluthi.
Perfect ignorance or sound sleep or dreamless state.
3rd state of the soul.
3rd stage.
Yogam.
Lust & veil covering the soul for generations are shed one after the other; soul cleanse by Arutperunjhoti; spontaneous impulse of love for God; absolute union with Brahman.
7. Sudha Turiyam.
Perfect experience.
Supra-mental awareness.
4th stage of the soul.
Supreme grace.
Arul Oliyal.
4th stage.
Shiva Jnana Nilai.
8. Para Sakiram.
Higher wakefulness.
Enjoys grace of Lord and ecstasy.
9. Para Sorpanam.
Higher dream.
Supra mental dream.
Shackles removed by Arutperunjhoti; heavenly experiences. Above this stage, God is un-manifested.
10. Para Suluthi.
Higher ignorance.
Supra mental unknowing.
1st stage.
1st divine path.
Sithantham.
Sutha Sithantham.
Tasting God; the glory of Arutperunjhoti; self-realization on the soul as an atom brilliant as the sun; soul charged with divine grace; aspirant realizes the greatness of God's grace and his smallness; self-realization or Atma Tarisanam.
11. Para Turiyam.
Atma Tarisanam.
Supra-mental perfection.
Ananda Nilai.
2nd stage.
2nd divine path.
Vethantham.
Sutha Vethantham.
Perceive God in the form of light; the soul is saturated with compassion & love; experience of divine life (Uyir Anubhavam); attains purified body or golden body (Sutha Degam); the extent of achievement is dependent on the grace of Arutperunjhoti; sees divinity in all creatures; sees God in the form the aspirant is ready to receive; enjoys supreme grace (Arul Anubhavam); higher stages are heavenly stages and beyond human perception where the mind fails to conceive and all senses cease to function; Uyir Anubavam in Sudha Degam; a transformation to the pure body; love incarnate; the universality of love in all fellow beings; oneness in life; sees the divine in all life forms; sees smallness of one and greatness of God; spontaneous flow of God in him.
12. Guru Sakiram or Shiva Sakiram.
3rd stage.
3rd divine path.
Sutha Nathantham.
Descent of divinity in the individual.
13. Guru Sorpanam or Shiva Sorpanam.
Supreme dream.
4th stage.
4th divine path.
Sutha Kalantham.
Supreme grace flows and prepares the aspirant for the next stage.
14. Guru Suluthi or Shiva Suzhuthi.
Supreme tranquility.
5th stage.
5th divine path.
Sutha Bothantham.
The body transforms into Pranava Deham or body of grace; merges with Arutperunjhoti; deathlessness or conquest of death.
Ramalinga Adigal mentions Muthuthandavar & Tathuvarayar as had attained this state.
15. Guru Turiyam or ShivaTuriyam.
Anandha Nilai.
Periya Shiva Anubhavam.
6th stage.
6th divine path.
Samarasa Sutha Sanmaarga.
There are still higher stages that Ramalinga Adigal hesitates to express.
16. Sudha Shiva Sakiram.
Absolute supreme consciousness.
Sudha Shiva Sorpanam.
Sudha Shiva Suluthi.
Sudha Shiva Turiyam.
Sudha Shiva Turiyateetam.
(Source: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF RAMALINGA SWAMI by Dr C Srinivasan, published by Ilakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968 (Srinivasan).
There is no end to this journey. It just keeps going. There is more and more to discover. There is more and more to experience. I guess we keep coming back to upgrade the version or add on to our earlier comprehension and understanding, knowledge, and discoveries. We keep coming back for new discoveries and experiences. I would have possibly taken thousands of birth. Why did I come back again and now? To experience this era and period in time. I shall come back again in many years time to experience that era and the times. I shall be back to perfect my understanding or rather enhance and enrich it. I guess the world will go one and we shall revisit it many more times. As the catchphrase associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger and made famous in the movie "The Terminator" goes and as Ramalinga Adigal said before his departure, I too shall be back.
In my short tenure as a seeker, aspirant, follower, devotee, and disciple, I have seen many appear at establishments related to the Siddhas. Some follow others. Some come in search of something that most often they cannot pinpoint. Some are pointed to these places by others promising them an overnight turnabout in their lives. For instance when I sat with Tavayogi and others, many come up to him with their personal problems and sought solutions. Tavayogi would listen through and finally say a word. Being a man of few words, he would tell them that their problems, misery, and troubles are due to Vinai or past karma. If they were interested to know more only then would he tell them to worship the Siddhas for the Siddhas are known to help us with our baggage of karma. They have documented individuals' past lives and provided remedies in the Nadi. They shall make it known to them. Once that is out of the way sadly very few stay back or want to know about these amazing Siddhas who knew the past, present, and future, much less attempt to become one. Instead, they go back to their old ways adding on fresh and new karma.
Some wanted their lives turned around magically. Some come for Kundalini or Siddhis. The masters can definitely give them what they want. But they choose not to. They want us to tread the path they walked and create the magic ourselves. Agathiyar often tells me that whatever he shares is whatever they had carried out and experienced. For those few who come to know about the Siddhas, the yearning grows in them to follow their path. To them, they show light.
If Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal initially told us to become aware of the breath and follow it for it shall lead to the state of Dhyanam, later they told us to use the breath as a tool and to fan the flame in us to burn bigger.
உமது பிரணவத்தை கொண்டு செல்லு. நீயாய் சுவாசித்த பிராணவ வாயு இனி உன்னைக் கேட்காமல் உன்னுள் ஊடுருவும். எப்பொதுதெல்லாம் அது ஊடுருவதை நீ உணறுகிறாயோ இருக்கும் இடம் அறிந்து அதனுள் பயணம் செய். கலந்து போ. அதனோடு நீ கலக்கும் தருணமே தியானம்.
ஜோதி அதனைச் சுடர்விட செய்யுங்கள், பிரணவத்தை கொண்டு ஜோதியை சுடர் விடச்செய். நாடி சுத்தி செய்து பிரணவத்தை உயர்த்தவும். இப்போது இரு நாசியில் செல்லவில்லை. இரு நாசியில் செல்லும் கால் பிரணவம் இடைகலை பிங்கலையில் சீராகச் செல்லும் தருணம் சுத்த பரிபூரணத்தில் நீ ஆழ்ந்து விடுவாய். தியானம் என்பது உனது பரிபூரணம் ஆகும்.
As we listened and followed, Agathiyar told us to connect and bring the Prapanjam within. He said Ramalinga Adigal will help us bring the Prapanjam within. Seeing our progress, Agathiyar told us to become aware of the vibration that rises within and follow it. Soon he asked to dwell in the magnetic waves that arose.
பிரபஞ்சத்தை உள்ளுக்குள் செலுத்துங்கள். பிரபஞ்சம் உங்களுக்குக் கட்டுப் படும். துணை வரும். பிரபஞ்சத்தோடு இணையும்பொழுது உங்களில் ஏற்படும் அதிர்வுகள் அணுவாய் மாறிப் பிரபஞ்சத்தைத் தூய்மை செய்யும். வள்ளல் பிரபஞ்சத்தைத் தருவித்தார்.
Where do all these practices bring us to? Why do they constantly come by to remind us to go within? TR Thulasiram in his "Arutpaavil Varna Tiraigalum Manigalum" published by Sakti Stores, Pondicheri brings us there, quoting Ramalinga Adigal, Sri Aurobindo, and Mother.
"உள்ளே ஒருவன் உள் நோக்கிச் சென்றால் அதன் ஆழத்தில் தன் சொந்த உண்மையான இருப்பு நிலையை (ஆன்மாவை) தரிசிக்கலாம், அறிந்து அதில் நிலைபெறலாம். ஒருவன் உணர்வினால் உள்முகமாகச் சென்றாலும், மேல் நோக்கி ஏறிச் சென்றாலும், ஒவ்வொரு கட்டத்திலும் அஞ்ஞான திரைகலை சந்திப்பான்."
When one goes within, he shall have the darshan of his Atma or soul and know it and rests in it. In following either the vibration and going deep within or following the breath and ascending, he shall come across veils of ignorance at every stage.
If Agathiyar tells us that ஆன்மாவாகியது 5 கூறு தத்துவங்களைக் கொண்டது. ஆன்மா உடலையும் உயிரையும் தனது கட்டுப்பாட்டுக்குள் வைத்துக் கொள்ளும் ஒரு சூச்சமம். இந்தச் சூச்சமத்தை பிறந்த குழந்தைகள் 1 முதல் 5 வராகை வரையிலும் உடன் இருந்து மறையும். மறைத்தலின் காரணம் இன்னதென்று இப்போது உனக்குச் சொல்ல இயலாது,
TR Thulasiram gives us a clue. The vibration entering us or rising up (in Yoga) brings us to the state of Siddhi or accomplishment or Paripuranam or completeness. As we follow the vibration a veil of tattvas keeps coming up blocking our view of the other tattvas from us. The body veils the Pranan. The Pranan veils the Manam. The Manam in turn veils the Uyir. The Atma is of the nature of God. It stays hidden as the Paramatma in the Sahasrara and as the Jeevatma in Ajna. It keeps to itself and keeps one in ignorance. The divine presence, soul's existence, and the consciousness of the soul though veiled in the darkness of ignorance, ever prevails and pervades. This is the black veil that both Ramalinga Adigal and Sri Aurobindo speak about. We need to cross, pierce and shred these veils. He says that by drawing the veils aside and entering one can meet his God in the temple within him.
"நம் உணர்வு உள்முகமாகப் புகுவதும், மேல் வெளிக்கு ஏறி அடைவதும் சித்தி ஆகும். நம் உணர்வு உள்முகமாகப் புகும் கிரமத்தில் ஒரு திரையின் தத்துவம் அதற்கும் உள்ளே இருக்கும் இன்னொரு தத்துவத்தை மறைக்கும். உடல் (சிவப்புத் திரை), பிராணனையும் (பச்சை திரை), பிராணன் மனதையும் (நீல திரை), மனது ஆருயிரையும் மறைக்கும். அவற்றைக் கடக்க வேண்டும். அல்லது ஊடுருவிப் பின்பு நீக்கவும் வேண்டும். திரைகளாகிய வர்ணங்கள் படி படியாக நீக்கி அல்லது ஊடுருவி உள்ளே இருக்கும் ஆண்டவனை (மேய்ப்பதியை, ஆன்மாவை) தரிசிக்கும் கோவில் மனிதனிடம் உள்ளது. பேர் ஆண்டவனின் அம்சமே ஆத்மா. இந்த ஆன்மா தலையின் உச்சியில் சகஸ்ராரத்தில் பரமாத்மாவாகவும் புருவ மத்தியின் ஆழத்தில் ஜீவாத்மாவாகவும் மறைவாகப் பின்னால் நின்று அஞ்ஞானத்தில் வழிகாட்டி நடத்தி வளர்த்துத் தானும் தனித்த ஆன்மா உருவாக வளர்ந்து செயல்பட்டு கொண்டு இருக்கும். ஆண்டவனின் சாநித்தியமும், ஆன்மாவின் இருப்பும், உணர்வும் முழு ஜட இருளிலும் கூட நிலைபெற்று நிலைத்தும் ஆனால் அதே சமயம் மறைபட்டும் உள்ளன. இதுவே கருப்பு திரை ஆகும்."
Agathiyar tells us that though we are kept in ignorance, that is a part of the play of the divine or divine lila, and one of its attributes is to veil, besides the other four that of creation, sustenance, destroying, and showering its grace, the Atma comes to the fore depending on our actions and direction. Steeped in ignorance the guru's touch is needed to bring an awareness of the presence of the Atma in us. It steps out of its ignorance and takes the hand of the guru. As the awareness of the Atma grows in us, and it gains soul power or Atma Balam the resulting vibration reaches the state that Agathiyar is in.
ஆனபோதிலும் ஆன்ம ஒருவரின் செயலைப் பொறுத்தே மீண்டும் அவனை வந்து சேரும். ஆன்மா உன்னோடு இருந்து உன்னை ஒரு பாதைக்கு இழுத்து செல்லும். அப்போது நீ அதனை உணர்ந்தாள், உன்னில் அதிர்வாய் தோன்றி மறையும். அந்த அதிர்வினை நீ உனக்குள் நீடிக்கப் பழகினால் உன்னால் ஆன்மா என்னும் உனது அதிர்வுகளில் ஊடுருவி என்னுள் (இறை / அகத்தியன்) வந்து சேர ஒரு வழி.
TR Thulasiram says once we reach the white veil that veils the Atma and enter we come face to face with our Atma. That is Atma Darisanam. Passing through these six veils he comes to meet his Atma. But this is only the start. Before we realize it another veil comes up as an obstacle. This is the seventh veil. It is a mix of all colors. After we traverse the sixth and arrive at the seventh the internal and external states are revealed. We need to purify and change these tattvas to shine. After purifying and transforming them the Uyir reaches the abode of the Atma that is Agni Peedham, enters, and merges with the Atma.
"ஆன்மாவை மறைக்கின்ற ஆறாவதாகிய வெள்ளை திரை அது கடந்தால் ஆன்மாவைத் தரிசிக்கலாம். ஆறு திரைகளைக் கடந்து அவனுடைய உயிர் தன் சொந்த ஆத்மாவை தரிசனம் செய்கிறது. இது ஆரம்ப படித்தான். அதற்குள் ஒரு திரை வந்து தடை செய்து மறைகிறது. இதுவே ஏழாவதுவாகிய கலப்பு திரை. ஆறு திரைகள் கடந்து ஆன்மாவைத் தரிசித்து விட்டால் உள் நிலைகளும் புற நிலைகளும் ரகசியமாகத் திறந்து கொள்ளும். இதனைத் தூய்மை படுத்தி இணைத்து ஒளிமயமான தத்துவங்களாக மாற்றி அமைக்க வேண்டும். தூய்மை படுத்தி உருமாற்றம் செய்துவித்தால் ஆருயிர் தன் ஆன்மாவின் இருப்பிடமாகிய அக்கினி பீடத்தை அடைந்து அதில் நுழைந்து பின் ஆன்மாவுடன் ஒன்றாகி அதிலேயே நிலைத்து விடும்."
Agathiyar says that, once the body separates back into the respective tattvas, the Uyir or breath merges in the Atma and reaches Agathiyar as the Jothi. Hence the reason we are asked to use our breath to fan the Atma or Jothi within.
உடல் என்பது பஞ்ச பூதங்களில் உரு பெற்று மீண்டும் பஞ்ச பூதங்களிடம் சென்று விட்டால் உயிராகியது ஆன்மா வோடு கலந்து ஜோதிநிலையில் எம்மை வந்து அடையும்.
Thulasiram continues. Reaching soul realization the Gnanaperuvili shows itself. Ramalinga Adigal too receives Atma Kaatchi or soul realization or Atma Darisanam. This too dissolves before he steps into the Gnanaperuveli. Hence in purifying the states of the tattvas and states of vibrations and step by step transforming its gross state to that of light and divine vibration a transformation takes place. Only then can we cross this state and move into the Gnanaperuveli. This is true evolution.
"ஆன்ம அனுபவம் நிலையாக ஏற்பட்டதும் அதில் ஞானப்பெருவெளியின் காட்சி ஏற்படும். வள்ளலாரும் ஞானப்பெருவெளியின் காட்சியை முதலில் ஆன்மக்காட்சியாகப் பெறுகிறார். இக்காட்சியும் மறைகிறது. பின்பு அவ்வெலிக்கு நேரடியாக ஏறி அடைந்து சித்தி பெறுகிறார். ஆகவே எல்லா தத்துவங்களையும் உணர்வு நிலைகளையும் தூய்மை படுத்தியும் இணைத்து ஒழுங்கு படுத்தியும் அவற்றில் படிப்படியாக ஒளியும் தெய்வீக உணர்வும் நிரம்பும்படி உருமாற்றம் செய்ய வேண்டும். அப்போதுதான் இத்திரை கடந்து ஞானப் பெருவெளி முடிவாக ஏறமுடியும். இதுவே முறையான கிரமமான பரிணாமம் ஆகும்."
Ramalinga Adigal sings of this transformation in his "Aani Pon Ambalam" song. A Soruba state under the reign of the Atma together with the reign of Satya Meipati arises. When the veils in each state of vibration is removed by his Grace, arriving at its true Soruba state, the Atma and Satya Meipati (God) reign. The Atma shall forever dwell in God. The Atma that is now considered has having attained the state of Sithpatham merges with Paramatma who is in the state of Tatpatham in the Sahasrara.
"ஆணிப் பொன்னம்பலத்தே பாட்டில் இத்தகைய ஏறு இறங்கு உணர்வு நிலைகளை வர்ணமணிகளால் வள்ளலார் குறிப்பிடுகிறார். அச்சொரூப நிலைகளுடன் கூடி ஆன்ம அரசும் சத்திய ஞான மெய்ப்பதி அரசும் வெளிப்பட விளங்கச் செய்யும். அந்தந்த உணர்வு நிலைகளில் மறைப்புகள் எல்லாம் நீங்கியதும் தத்துவங்கள் அருளால் தெளிவு பெற்று அதனதன் உண்மை சொரூப நிலைகளுடன் கூடி ஆன்ம அரசும் சத்திய ஞான மெய்ப்பதி அரசும் வெளிப்பட விளங்கச் செய்யும். ஆண்டவனை எப்பொழுதும் ஆன்மாவில் அனுபவிக்கும் என்று ஸ்ரீ அரவிந்தர் கூறுவார். பின்பு சித்பதமான ஆன்மாமேல் ஏறிச் சஹஸ்ராரத்தில் தத்பதமான பரமாத்ம நிலை உடன் கூடும். சிற்பதமும் தற்பதமும் சேர்ந்த நிலையில் சத்திய ஞானப் பெருவெளி அனுபவத்தை அடையும்."
Thulasiram quotes Sri Aurobindo, "This experience of the force that comes from above or elsewhere to act through one and liberate comes like a flash for a moment then it withdraws. Only when you are quite ready for the transformation that it comes to stay."
TR Thulasiram continues to share Sri Aurobindo's work "Savithri" where he narrates the story of King Asvapathi. The king gropes in the darkness that envelops him and sees his Atma losing the battle. He eventually regains his "lost kingdom" through Yoga which teaches him endurance and his Atma reigns again.
"ஸ்ரீ அரவிந்தர் "சாவித்ரி" என்னும் காவியத்தில், அரசரும் யோகியுமான அஸ்வபதி அவ்விருளில் இறங்கி சகிக்க முடியாத மரண வேதனை அனுபவங்களைப் பெற்று, ஆன்மாவின் அரசு இழந்ததாக வர்ணிக்கிறார். அவற்றை யோக பலத்தால் சகித்த பின் ஆன்ம அரசு திரும்பவும் பெறுகிறார்."
Here we are taught not to wish for an obstacle to be cleared for another shall soon fall in our path, but rather to give us the strength Yoga Balam and Atma Balam or soul power to face it. Tavayogi too has said the same. I guess this is what Ramalinga Adigal told me when he asked me to accept the din and noise made by my neighbors for he says that with acceptance, endurance, and patience Gnanam would dawn.
Many of what I write might be repeated. But that is how we try to understand the mighty works of the saints. When Ramalinga Adigal asked me if I had read Tavayogi's book "Andamum Pindamum" that Agathiyar had asked me to much earlier, I replied that I did but added that I could not understand the subject on Tattvas which Agathiyar told me to brush up on. Ramalinga Adigal asked me to read again. If still I fail to understand he shall come and clarify.
In http://savitri.in/books/chandra-prakash-khetan/a-focused-journey-through-sri-aurobindos-savitri, we hear the same advice given by Mother when she asked "Have you understood all that you have read?" Mother says,
"It does not matter if you do not understand it — Savitri, read it always. You will see that every time you read it, something new will be revealed to you. Each time you will get a new glimpse, each time a new experience; things that were not there, things you did not understand arise and suddenly become clear. Always an unexpected vision comes up through the words and lines. Every time you try to read and understand, you will see that something is added, something which was hidden behind is revealed clearly and vividly. I tell you the very verses you have read once before, will appear to you in a different light each time you re-read them. This is what happens invariably. Always your experience is enriched, it is a revelation at each step. But you must not read it as you read other books or newspapers. You must read with an empty head, a blank and vacant mind, without there being any other thought; you must concentrate much, remain empty, calm, and open; then the words, rhythms, and vibrations will penetrate directly to this white page, will put their stamp upon the brain, will explain themselves without your making any effort. For him who wishes to follow this path, it is a concrete help as though the Lord himself were taking you by the hand and leading you to the destined goal. And then, every question, however personal it may be, has its answer here, every difficulty finds its solution herein; indeed there is everything that is necessary for doing the Yoga."
Indeed that is what happens each time I look through and recollect the messages of the saints. It is not dead but alive and relevant for every era. Their messages are alive and vibrant with energy. It brings on joy, happiness, and bliss.
And Mother speaks of Sri Aurobindo and how he came to write "Savitri."
"And the day He actually began it, He told me: I have launched myself in a rudderless boat upon the vastness of the Infinite. And once having started, He wrote page after page without intermission, as though it were a thing already complete up there and He had only to transcribe it in ink down here on these pages. In truth, the entire form of Savitri has descended “en masse” from the highest region and Sri Aurobindo with His genius only arranged the lines — in a superb and magnificent style. Sometimes entire lines were revealed and He has left them intact; He worked hard, untiringly, so that the inspiration could come from the highest possible summit. And what a work He has created! All this is His own experience, and what is most surprising is that it is my own experience also."
Whatever is written in this blog was not thought of or composed sometime back but is written in real-time with the subject or message coming in as I pen these words. I too start to comprehend and understand anew each time I write a post. I am equally amazed at whatever is taking place. But one thing is sure and we all agree it is all the work of the divine and we are mere tools.
I had an extreme hunger come over me this morning. It reminded me of King Kuberan's hunger in times of famine in his land. In a revelation, during his meditation, to Dr. VN Jayapalan, Agathiyar in disclosing the origin of his temple at Agasthiyampalli, continues. Kuberan finally turned up at the door of an old man who had earlier come by his palace to feed him. But the king had shooed him away, poking fun at his diseased body. When Kuberan too had exhausted his stock of food grains and was having tremendous hunger pangs that no amount of food could satisfy, he turned towards the stranger's cottage on the outskirts of his kingdom, something that the stranger had predicted would happen. The stranger turned out to be worshiping Agathiyar.
For a man who hardly ate Ramalinga Adigal started the Satya Dharma Salai at Vadalur to feed the hungry. Sri Jeganatha Swamigal is said to have fed the hungry at his cottage in Tapah. In present times Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar who has seen intense fasting and hunger feeds the poor and the hungry in the vicinity of his mission Ongarakudil in Turaiyur. Tavayogi and Mataji carried out regular feeding at their Ashram. Agathiyar too is said to love to cook but hardly ate too. He would serve the hungry instead. He explains that he was feeding the elements. Neem Karoli Baba told Ram Dass "Serve people." when he asked him "How do you raise kundalini?"
Food is essential in providing energy. Similarly, prana is essential to keep us alive. Dr. David Frawley writes in https://yogainternational.com/article/view/understanding-prana about the very well-known Vedic story, found in the Upanishads on prana.
"The five main faculties of our nature - the mind, breath (prana), speech, hearing, and sight - were arguing about which was the most important. To resolve the dispute they decided that each would leave the body, in turn, to see whose absence was missed most. First speech left, yet the body continued to flourish though it was mute. Next, the eye departed, yet the body flourished though blind. Then the ear left, yet the body thrived though deaf. Finally, the mind left, yet still, the body lived on, though it was now unconscious. But the moment the prana started to leave, the body began to die. The other faculties were rapidly losing their life force, so they all rushed to prana, admitted its supremacy, and begged it to stay."
This is the reason Agathiyar says the Prana is Uyir. It sustains all living things. The Siddhas ask us to take notice and later take hold of our breath. Eventually, the breath shall take us along on an internal journey of splendor and bliss.
David Frawley continues, "Prana is not only the basic life force, it is the original creative power. It is the master form of all energy working at every level of our being. Indeed the entire universe is a manifestation of prana. Even kundalini shakti, the serpent power or inner energy which transforms our consciousness, develops from awakened prana."
"On a cosmic level, there are two aspects of prana. The first is unmanifest, the energy of pure consciousness, which transcends all creation. The second, or manifest prana, is the force of creation itself."
I became aware of this force only when I undertook the Pranayama exercises that Tavayogi showed us in 2007. In Nadi Sudhi (Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing), we began to manage the flow of the breath ensuring that it flows in a particular nostril at the start of each day of the week. These exercises brought an immense amount of Prana that otherwise, we take for granted and hardly notice. My body was on the verge of exploding just as a balloon explodes when it expands beyond its limitation to hold air. It was blissful. Many years later I did not need to carry out these exercises as the Prana automatically filled me up. Later I could absorb this Prana from the food I took, from touch, through watching and hearing too. It was so blissful to become packed with energy. During these moments I wished that only I could share this bliss with others.
Soon Pranayama became effortless. The prana that traversed through the body now had to be channeled into the Sushumna. Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal came and gave us further practices for this purpose. After many years only recently did the Prana instead of traveling in the Ida and Pingala, switching every two hours, began to travel in the Sushumna. The result - it touched the chakras and awakened them as it traveled on.
Just as what I believed to be Hanuman came as a stranger priest who we picked up at Uttamar temple in Trichy had us move as swift as the wind and carry out my remedies and prayers at the numerous sannadhis or abodes of the deities at Tiruvanaikaval Temple the Prana swiftly leads us within and brings us to worship the deities at the numerous chakras within.
As David Frawley says that "Without prana, the physical body is no more than a lump of clay. Prana sculpts this gelatinous mass into various limbs and organs by creating various subtle nerve channels, or nadis, through which it can operate and energize gross matter, shaping it into various tissues and organs", Agathiyar too in defining Udal, Uyir and Atma to us says,
உடல் என்பது ஐந்து உலோகங்களின் நுண்ணுயிர்களின் அளவுகளைத் தாங்கிக் கொண்டு பிண்டம் ஒன்றினை உருவ வடிவமாய் கர்ப்பகிரகத்தில் நிலை பெறுகிறது. பஞ்சபூதம் ஆகிய நீர், நிலம், ஆகாயம், காற்று, நெருப்பு அனைத்தும் தாய் தந்தையின் உடலிலிருந்தே எடுக்கப்பட்டு சிசுவின் உடலைப் பிறப்பிக்கின்றது.
உனது உடலைப் பிரதானமாகக் கொண்டு இயங்குவது சுவாசம், அதுவே உயிர். உயிர் என்பது செயல் அற்று இருக்கக்கூடிய உறுப்பைச் செயல் பெறச் செய்வது. The breath that is Uyir takes the body as its vehicle to move and execute its actions. It primarily drives our body moving the limbs that are otherwise motionless.
பிறக்கும் சிசு கருவுற மூலமாக இருப்பது பிராணவாயு. பிராணவாயு ஆணின் அணுக்களிலும் பெண்ணின் அணுக்களிலும் ஊடுருவி ஒன்றெனக் கலந்து பிரதான பொருள் வடிவம் அடையும் தன்மை உண்டானால் அங்கு உயிர் சக்தி உருவேற்ற படுகிறது. The Pranavayu is the primary cause of the conception of an embryo and a fetus. The Pranavayu that flows in with the elements from both the parents move to take a shape that has a potential to become life. Life is hence given to the embryo. Air is breathed into the Pindam.
As Manickavasagar sings that we had taken many forms to be born as a human finally, it is only in human birth that we can correct our past mistakes by living carrying out remedies, doing puja, charity, and service. In all other births, we have to live out our karma as there is no means for salvation. Hence the reason the saints acknowledge that human birth is indeed rare. Agathiyar too says the same.
மனித பிறவி என்பது அபூர்வமானது. இப்பிறவியில் மனிதானாய் பிறந்தவன் மற்றொரு பிறவியில் மனிதனாய் பிறப்பான் என்பது ஊர்ஜிதமல்ல. கோடான கோடி பிறவியில் நீங்கள் செய்த கர்மவினை மனிதபிறவி எடுக்கும்போது மட்டுமே கழிக்க முடியும். அது கிடைத்தது உங்களின் மனித வாழ்க்கையை வாழ்வதற்கு அல்ல. ஆன்ம விடுதலை நோக்கிச் செல்லுங்கள். எடுத்தபோதே அதனை நிறைவேற்றிக் கொள்ளுங்கள்.
When a new seeker asked Tavayogi about Kundalini during a Satsang in 2016, he shut him up saying it is too soon to dwell on it. When I told him on my first meeting with him in 2005 that I was called to the path of the Siddhas, he had me worship the Siddhas first. He brought me to the places associated with the Siddhas. He showed my charity by starting off by feeding the hungry at his ashram. Later during his visit to Malaysia in 2007, he showed a small group of us Yogasanas and Pranayama. Until he passed away in 2018, he never spoke about Kundalini. I guess he did not want us to play with fire.
In "KUNDALINI, EVOLUTION, AND ENLIGHTENMENT" edited by John White, which carries a compilation of views of the spiritual masters, they discourage this "Power trip" where seekers and aspirants think that higher consciousness can result from forcefully practicing certain disciplines in a mechanical fashion." Instead, they ask us to,
"Seek to refine your character and cultivate your mind through selfless service, discriminating studies, and dedicated spiritual training. Do that, and kundalini will awaken gently, automatically, and without the unhealthy effects that are being seen more and more frequently. Desiring something-even such a noble goal as the awakening of kundalini is misguided." It has to happen with the grace and guidance of a guru.
When Ram Dass asked his guru Neem Karoli Baba "How do you raise kundalini?' he said, "Serve people."
M. P. Pandit writes "What is being laboriously attempted, dangerously pursued, and problematically achieved in kundalini yoga can be assured in a yoga like Sri Aurobindo's in a very natural way by throwing oneself open to divine consciousness and grace, letting it descend into oneself, and letting it decide which centers of consciousness are going to be operated upon, which one is most open and ready. It is more in the natural way of evolution to let things develop in this manner rather than having a systematized procedure."
Sri Chinmoy says "A genuine seeker never considers the hidden powers or occult powers as his goal. He cares only for God. He longs only for God's loving presence in his life. When one realizes God, everything comes. At that time the centers automatically open, whether the seeker wants to utilize them or not. There are many Indian spiritual seekers who have said that when the kundalini is awakened, the vital heat, dynamic heat inside the subtle body very often causes them great discomfort. This energy comes from the subtle body, but it is felt in the physical body. Very often seekers who are about to develop spiritual powers find that the intense inner power is too difficult to bear."
Alice A. Bailey writes that "When this process is carried forward with care and due safeguards, and under direction, and when the process is spread over a long period of time there is little risk of danger, and the awakening will take place normally and under the law of being itself."
Though Tavayogi did not speak about Kundalini after that I realized that he had given us the means and the ways to arrive there by showing us the Yogasanas and Pranayama practices in 2007. These were a treasure house Agathiyar told me later in a Nadi reading on 25 April 2008.
I guess I must have been the only one diligently following this practice for Agathiyar sent one of the handful who learned from Tavayogi that day to me telling him in his Nadi reading that he had forgotten the steps and needed to learn from me. When he came over we re-learned together the steps. When we perfected and polished up these Yoga practices under the tutorship of Acharya Gurudasan, Acharya later asked me why I did not teach it to people. I replied that Tavayogi only taught a few of us that day and never ever asked me to teach another. later In later years, Agathiyar asked me to teach Mahindren and have the others learn from him. I am glad that in his physical absence these days I have Agathiyar, Ramalinga Adigal, and the rest of the Siddhas looking over my shoulder.
Just as food powers the physical body, prana powers the astral body. The astral body corresponds to the physical. It is neither solid, course, nor gross in nature but subtle. Is not seen by the physical eyes. For instance, the Ida and Pingala correspond to the left and right sympathetic cords in the physical body writes Swami Vishnu-Devananda in his "Meditation and Mantras", Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd, Delhi, Om Lotus Publications, 1978. The Sushumna is the astral body's counterpart to the spinal cord in the gross body. Now I understand what Agathiyar meant when he diagnosed my ailment back in 2011. Please bear with me for often repeating these in this blog but I am trying to comprehend and understand what took place and is taking place. "Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from our lower back through our hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of our body." (Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435)
"The pain can be accompanied by tingling, ‘pins and needles’, or numbness, and sometimes by muscular weakness in the leg. Sciatica is usually felt in only one leg at a time. Sometimes, a sensation like an electric shock can be felt along the nerve. The nerve pain can range from a mild ache to incapacitating pain. Sciatic nerve pain is often felt when you sneeze, cough, go to the toilet, or when you’re sitting and may be accompanied by lower back pain." (Source: http://www.mydr.com.au/sports-fitness/sciatica-symptoms-causes-and-diagnosis)
Indeed what triggered the pain was a cough to expel the phlegm the first time and a sneeze the second time. The pain in the lower back although seemed to represent sciatica but the doctors ruled it out. So what was this pain that crippled me for close to three years? The doctors gave me a clean slate but put me on physiotherapy which I attended twice a week. This only gave me momentary relief but the pain came back. I had to bear the pain for some 2 1/2 years beginning in late 2010. Throughout this period Agathiyar watched silently from afar. Finally, in November of 2011, when I decided to ask Agathiyar in the Nadi, only then did he reveal the real reason for the injury. Although it was generated by my action in clearing my throat, he told me it was subtle in nature. He told me what was going on in my body and why I had succumbed to the back pain.
பாரிச (உடலின் ஒரு பக்கம்) பீடைகளும் வந்து நிற்கும் உற்றதொரு மூலாதார சக்கரமும் உயர் விதமாய் உஷ்ணம் அடைந்ததால் உரைக்க வரும் சோர்வுகளும் தேகம் தன்னில் உரைக்கலாம் முக்கூற்று திரிப்பும் இப்போ முறையாகச் சமநிலையில் இல்லாதிருக்கச் சோதனைகள் வந்து நிற்கும் அச்சம் மிகுந்து செப்பலாம் தவம் தன்னை நிறுத்திவைக்கப் பங்கம் ஏதும் வந்திடாது கலக்கம் கொள்ளா
He spoke about the chakras and the movement of subtle energies, which cannot be seen or measured by instruments, to be the cause of my misery. Although externally the cough triggered the chain of reactions, the cough was in turn the result of certain changes happening in the subtle body. He said I faced discomfort and pain in the body due to the heat generated in the Muladhara from my yoga practices. The three Dosas too have run haywire and out of proportion. Hence he asks to stop all forms of practice. He suggested several Siddha herbs to consume. He classified it as Sparisa Unarvu, something that I understood now was related to the astral body. The pain slowed me down. I had to pull myself out of bed and drive to work. The pain surprisingly left me in 2012 after I was asked to perform the exercises the physiotherapist gave me before her at the government clinic. It was magical for her to out of the blue ask me to do something that was shown to me and that I did diligently at home for some 7 months.
Later the pain came back momentarily in 2016 and was treated by Dhanvanthri with his sacred ash. He too told me that Vata, one of the three Dosas was at its peak and causing me my agony. One fine day I realized that the pain had gone. The pain resurfaced in 2018 as a sneeze came on just as I was crossing the street. Lord Murugan came in the Nadi and through a devotee and treated me by stroking my back using the peacock feather. Later I learned that he had attended to my causal body then. Ruzbeh N Bharucha shed some light on what transpired that eventful day through his writings at https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/going-within.
"... disease first gets ingrained into our causal body and then moves into the astral and then resides in our physical body. That is why in the early days Fakirs and Sages, would caress the body of the devotee with peacock feathers, as they could see the illness lodged either in the causal or the astral body. Through their power and affirmations, they would clear the illness, which was still in the causal or astral body, and not allow it to enter the physical body. Or cleanse the auras so that the body would automatically heal." That is what Lord Muruga did that day using the peacock feathers. I guess all these pertain to either the causal, subtle, astral, or energy bodies, hence it is not detected through medical checkups.
When I had the dengue fever I collapsed thrice at home but picked myself up. Later I collapsed at the private clinic. My daughter who was admitted for a night a year earlier was blessed to have Agathiyar and Tirumular come by her hospital bed and raise her platelet count. This message was surprisingly conveyed in Suren's Nadi reading. Suren was in India during this time.
The other time I fell outside the bathroom and my body writhe in pain and bliss at the same time twisting and moving as a snake would. I do not remember what exactly triggered the fall. Neither do my wife and children. But Agathiyar confirmed it in a Nadi reading later on 5.9. 2019.
மும்மலங்கள் அற்றதொரு தேகம் என்பதாலே முக்கணும் முறை திறந்து உட்சியும் திறந்து
குண்டலினி உயர்ந்து தான் கனல் எழும்பி
அமிர்தத்தை இடை விடாது உண்டு கொண்டு இருக்கிறாய்
குண்டலினி சக்தி எல்லாம் எழும்புவது எல்லாம்
குவளையத்தில் பாம்பின் போன்று நெளிய நேரும்
ஆனால் ஆனந்தம் ஆனந்தம் அதுதான் என்போம்
மைந்தன் நீயும் நீ உள்ளே அமைதியுடன் இருந்து தான்
ஆர்ப்பாட் டம் இல்லாது அமைதியுடன் பூசை இல்லமத்தில் செய்வாய்
The following year upon taking Agathiyar Kuzhambu I went through a session of vomiting, purging and peeing, and pooping that cleansed my internals thoroughly having me crawl out of bed to the bath and toilet and vice versa. And most recently I fell down over two days as the chakras were activated in me, according to Agathiyar. He immediately came and explained the situation and forbade my wife from leaving my side. I had to be in her sight always he says as this is a joint journey for both of us. We are truly grateful for Agathiyar to be there always in our hour of need.
From the site http://www.thekundaliniyoga.org/siddha_yoga/experiences_stages_of_siddha_yoga.aspx we learn that,
"Throughout this journey, although the Siddha Guru will always be there for specific guidance, the initiate will be guided automatically by his own awakened Kundalini energy. Consistent and diligent practice of meditation will gradually result in the opening and cleansing of the spiritual pathways (Nadis) needed for the Kundalini to eventually find its way to the Sahasrara Chakra (spiritual center in the brain) resulting in the Siddha yoga aspirant’s awareness merging with the Chaitanya, i.e. the Siddha sadhak achieving Self-Realization, and eventually, liberation."
In the initial stage or Arambha-avastha,
"He will feel Prana in everything he touches with his skin. He will get a whiff of Prana in everything he smells with his nose. He will sense Prana in everything he tastes with his tongue. And he will hear the sound of Prana in everything he hears with his ears. In other words, he will begin to sense the entire material universe as manifestations of Prana Shakti."
In short, his senses are enhanced.
In the second stage or Ghata-avastha,
"In this second stage of Siddha yoga, which usually overlaps with the first, the aspirant gradually begins to lose interest in material desires and begins to develop a sense of detachment from worldly attractions. This does not mean that he has to, or will, give up on material things (Samsaric). He may continue to live in the material world if he so chooses, but he will begin to develop a sense of non-attachment to material things. While the First Stage results in the aspirant feeling Prana within himself, the Second Stage leads the aspirant to sense Prana in everything. It is at this stage that he truly experiences the all-pervading universality of the Divine. By this time, many of the physical experiences will have been diminished and the aspirant will find himself sensing Prana within and outside himself, not just during Sadhan but at all times."
Ramalinga Adigal confirmed this. This is what Ramalinga Adigal meant when he told me I shall come to know if the Prana dwells, lives, and travels in me or if I live in the Prana. In other words, it's akin to what Agathiyar told us that he was the prapanjam and the prapanjam was in him.
பிராண சக்தி ஊடுருவிச் செல்கிறதே, அதுவே பிரணவ தேகம். முதல் படியில் இருக்கிறாய். பிரணவத்தின் சக்தி உணரும் தருணம் பிரணவத்தின் நீயே அதைக் காண்பாய். உன் பிரணவத்தால் ஊடுகிறாயா? அல்லது பிரணவம் உன்னுள் ஊடுகிறதா என்ற குழப்பம் ....என்று அப்படியில் காலடி வைகிறாயோ அன்று உமக்கு விடை பிறக்கும். இன்பத்தில் ஆழ்ந்து கொண்டுவா. அது பேர் ஆனந்தம். இன்னும் இருக்கிறது.
In the third stage or Parichaya-avastha,
"His perspective of the universe changes to where he constantly sees the universe as nothing but a manifestation of Prana. He sees that oneness in everyone and everything."
In the fourth stage or Nishpatti-avastha,
"This is the fourth and the final stage of Siddha yoga, where the Siddha yogi, having achieved Self-Realization liberates himself from the cycle of birth and death. He achieves a state of bliss (Samadhi) where he is completely beyond the physical confines of this universe. He feels neither hunger nor thirst, nor heat nor cold. His Awareness no longer dwells in the material, but constantly resides in Prana. He rests in his own essential nature – Self (the Atma-swaroop). When he chooses to depart from his body he does not need to be reborn and his Awareness stays merged with the Chaitanya forever."
உனது எண்ணத்தை நீ சற்று விலக்கு. நான் அங்கிருந்து உனக்குப் பதில் அளிப்பேன். அழுத்தமான உன் எண்ணம் தளர்ந்து போகும். அது தளர்ந்து போகும் நிலையில் நானே உள் இருப்பேன். நீயாய் சுவாசித்த பிராணவ வாயு இனி உன்னைக் கேட்காமல் உன்னுள் ஊடுருவும். எப்பொதுதெல்லாம் அது ஊடுருவதை நீ உணறுகிறாயோ இருக்கும் இடம் அறிந்து அதனுள் பயணம் செய். கலந்து போ. அதனோடு நீ கலக்கும் தருணமே தியானம்.
If in the past he started us with pranayama by asking us to concentrate on several spots in our head and torso, then both Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal asks that we just follow the trail of the breath. The trail shall end when the breath subsides. Just as the force of water calms down as it travels farther away from its source into the plains and eventually settles into the ocean, "When your thoughts die down or lose their intensity what remains is me", says Agathiyar simplifying the means to an end. As the thoughts hitch on our breath, we are asked to ditch it. As the manam takes a ride on it when the breath subsides the thoughts die with it and vice versa. What remains is the Self, the Atma, and Agathiyan as the inner flame and Spirit. When our thoughts die that is "Summa erupathu" or Stillness. Thoughts are the seeds of action. The thoughts fed with prana result in action. Drop the thoughts and the actions shall seize. As it is the Prana that energizes the astral body, the Prana accumulated within then shall not be lost through the senses and its organs.
Claire Dederer in her book "Poser", Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012, candidly speaks of the moment when she touches the state of stillness or "the seat of little ease."
"Stillness. I was in it now and it was scary. I was incredibly uncomfortable and there was nothing I could do about it. I could not move more quickly or focus on the next transition. there was no task to complete, no clock to watch, no child to cradle, no dinner to make, no mother to call, no sad husband to cheer up, no friend to comfort, no father to lend an ear to, no school to clean, no car to fill with gas, no deadline to meet, no editor to appease. there was nothing I could do to solve this. All I could do was be with it. There was just this discomfort."
How true. It is indeed pretty scary. We have been so used to doing something, anything all the time except when we doze off that taking all this away from us as in sitting still is indeed scary. I too backed off initially from sitting alone to be with myself. It was scary.
We often have wondered how saints perform feats that are magical and deemed impossible. These are referred to as Siddhis. We can understand now reading what Swami Vishnu-Devananda has written. "When prana moves through Ida and Pingala man is bound by time space and causation. However, when the Sushumna operates he is beyond such limitations."
The very idea is to have the prana traverse through the Sushumna and hence the magic happens.
I cannot seem to have a decent conversation with others these days. When the only thing they talk about was current affairs, politics, money, and others, I on the other hand can only talk about Agathiyar. Hence I decided to live the life of a hermit keeping away from people and events. A friend and reader of this blog from Europe always calls me and each time his talk moves to the topic of the Nadi which interests him a lot as an academician. Yes, I started my journey reading the Nadi. I had moved on since. He has not been able to move away from the mystery of this mystical oracle. Another new reader messaged me and we spoke over the phone some days ago. He had seen and carried out the remedies. At the onset, he asked me my opinion on the Nadi. Yes, I have read Nadi numerous times. It has guided me to this day. To someone who asks if the Nadi is true, I would put forth the following. A medicine works only if we have faith in both the drug and the doctor. Then again it only works if we take it in the precise amount or prescribed dosage and at the precise times. Otherwise, we would not recover. If the fault lies with us can we say the medicine did not work or the doctor is a quack?
Similarly, it is with the Nadi too. It works if we go with faith. It works if we follow what is said and predicted. We make it happen. We bring these predictions to life. Just as Agathiyar asked me to give life to his murthy or statue at my home, we give life to these predictions of the Siddhas. Just as we draft our ambitions and work tirelessly towards achieving them we have to move to make the predictions come true. If we do not lift a finger as when we doubt it, can we then blame the Siddhas and their oracle? Someone asks me why their parents should carry out remedies for his inadequacies. When we visit a doctor he usually asks for our family health history. Some genetic diseases are inherited we are told as we may share genes. Similarly, since we are all connected as blood relations even remedies extend to extended families. It is only when we step out of our suspicion, negative assumption, prejudgement, and prejudice and look at the oracle with awe and mystery shall we reap the said benefits.
When someone is given a mantra for instance as a solution to their problems or illness, they do not immediately execute it but begin to explore, investigate and seek opinions further. If they finally decide to recite it, they do it a few times and expect results immediately. They want instant results. It does not happen. We were asked to recite Agathiyar's name some 100,000 times when he came as a bronze statue to our home in 2010. The mere mention of that number of chants to sing gave me shivers. How was I to fulfill Agathiyar's directive? Back then we did not have the following that we had in later years. Consulting with Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar she asked me to gather others too and have each participant contribute to the number. That advice came as a relief to me. I gathered family, relatives, neighbors, and friends and chanted Agathiyar's name. But as we were a tiny group we only managed 45,000 among us which took us 2 solid hours. We gave up as our throat was dry and parched and our vocal cords became irritated and inflamed. But the most compassionate father accepted our prayers acknowledging our effort in a subsequent Nadi reading.
One who is filled with divine energy might light a fire with his mere look but we still need a matchstick to do so. As long as we are on earth we are at the mercy of the stars and planets, nature, and society. The saints managed to stay aloft though. They are indifferent to what goes on around them. We marvel reading the lives of the saints and wish we could be like them. But we are not ready to walk the path they had trodden. We have a foot in the greenhouse and another in the scorching sun. We bathe in pleasure and also yearn for a paradise that lurks elsewhere. I guess it takes many births for us to let go of our hold on the three pleasures that are: ownership of grounds; craving for wealth, gold, precious gems, and stones; and the lust for flesh.
In writing on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, BKS Iyengar in his "Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", HarparsCollins Publishers India, 1993, says Patanjali lists four padas: Samadi pada, Sadhana pada, Vibhuti pada, and Kaivalya pada.
"The first pada deals with the science of disciplining the fluctuations of consciousness. For this reason, it begins with the code of conduct. The second pada gives detailed information regarding the practices. The third pada explains the hidden wealth which comes through these practices. The fourth pada speaks about cultivating actions that cannot produce reactions so that consciousness may dissolve in the light of the soul for the very being."
Similarly, a common man is asked to visit the temple and pray before the deity. This brings him to focus on the statue momentarily. He is momentarily engaged with the prayers conducted forgetting his surroundings for those brief moments. If my parents had launched the Samadhi pada that was devotion to the deities, the guru came to bring us to carry out sadhanas in the Sadhana pada by having us carry out rituals and practice yoga. In carrying out rituals ourselves we build focus and concentration even before we sit in Puja. Having gathered all that we need to conduct the rituals for instance the homam, in repeating the names of the Siddhas we are focussed further on the chore or task on hand. In carrying out the other half of Dharma which is charity and service to others compassion builds in us for another being. This compassion envelops all of creation in the saints as Iyengar writes the central thread of Patanjali's philosophy is the relationship between the self (Purusa) and nature (Prakrti). Agathiyar then brings us into the Vibhuti pada moving us to the inner quest (Antaranga sadhana) or Jnana marga by having us go within on an internal journey that gives insight into the very purpose we came thus fulfilling each individual Dharma. It surprises me that Agathiyar has given me the green light to share my inner experiences with readers as he takes me on this new journey. Agathiyar has shut me up completely. First, he gave me the sanction for me to retire early in 2016. Then he had me devout my entire time to carrying out puja, Satsang, and charity. Then he stopped all this in 2019 and asked that we go in. He gave some techniques for that purpose. My interaction with others ended when he closed the social media groups that I had. He gave me pain so that I would not move around unnecessarily. My outside engagements came to a stop. Then he had noisy tenants move in as my neighbors. The smell of cat poo that they raised and the din they made, made me shut all the doors and windows too. Recently as my body froze like a log, he told me to shut the windows that I kept open throughout the night till morning too as the cool breeze would do harm to me. I am practically living in a cave in the city now. He has kept me from the public eye except for a handful of his devotees who come by to see him at AVM regularly.
Finally, "In Kaivalya pada we lose our identities and merge in the soul (emancipation)" says Iyengar. If Agathiyar had given the 5 tenets for mankind in general as his mission and purpose, our mission is to be free from the gravitational pull of the Gunas says, BKS Iyengar. This is the summit of yoga.
We had read about Agathiyar's extensive travels in the past. But a thought struck me if the myth and legend that follows Agathiyar's travels was actually a journey within like what Tavayogi told of Ramalinga Adigal's song "Aani Pon Ambalathil" as a journey traversing the chakras within.
We follow this internal journey that appears to be an external journey initially as translated by S Vanmikanathan.
"It is the aani-p-ponnambalaththe kanda kaatchikal, the visions I saw on the magnificent golden hall, the 109th decad of the VI th Book. He sings in 32 stanzas of jubilant verse, all of which end with the refrain: "The sights I saw in the Hall of Prime Gold are wonderful sights, O mother, wonderful sights are they!"
He goes on to describe in detail the sights he saw. I omit the repetitions and refrains and give, in his own words, of course, the details of the sights which met his eyes. The refrains are evidence of the irrepressible joy bubbling in his heart. He says: "There appeared a mountain of effulgence and on that was a street. I went along that street and in its center, there was a platform. I climbed onto that platform and on that platform, there was a hall. When I approached the hall, on top of that hall I saw a seven-storeyed tower. What shall I say of the wonders that were on the seven storeys? On top of the seven storeys there was a golden pillar. When I beheld the pillar and climbed on it, what shall I say of the novelties I saw! It is not within my capacity to describe what met me as I climbed on. At the several stages, Sakthi-s, in thousands and thousands, came, They came and tried to bewitch me, but, that I may not be bewitched, I gained the power of grace. With that power, I climbed up that pillar and spied the jeweled crest. On top of the crest there stood a dome, that I saw. On top of that dome, there was a temple of one thousand and eight-carat gold. On seeing the temple, I went unhesitatingly inside the portal in the tower. At the portal in the tower, there were Sakthis-s and Saakthaa-s in crores. Their hues were white, red, and scarlet. There, all of them asked, “Who is this man?”, but I went past them. I went past them, and there, at a sacred doorway, were five persons. With them showing me the way, I went to a jeweled doorway farther up. At that doorway, which I remember well, there stood two, a man and a woman. With them pointing it out to me, I beheld with love welling up in me the private sacred entrance (which leads to the sacred presence of Lord Civan)."
Speaking about a private sacred entrance, I tend to believe now that I was led through this sacred entrance that I deemed as a portal during my very first visit to Palani where I had a private moment in the samadhi of Bhogar.
"At that sacred door, stood Aanandhavalli, my Mother. I beheld the Mother, Her grace I received, and ambrosia I partook of."
I was given the sacred milk at Bhogar's samadhi back then in 2003 and again in the company of Tavayogi in 2005.
"By Her Grace which held me up, I saw the presence of Natarajar, O mother, I saw the presence of Natarajar! The boon I received on going into His presence, God knows it, O mother, God knows it. In the Hall of prime gold, the sights I saw, wonderful sights they are, O mother, wonderful sights they are."
All these sharing is not to boost my ego or have readers assume or think that I am special. It is out of love for the divine that we share as Swami Kriyananda says in the video.
When I started off with my home puja solo in 2002, after some years those moments with our personal God became so blissful. I used to come out of my prayer room in a daze and tell my wife if only I could touch her and share the exalted state I was in. In later years after Agathiyar and the Siddhas started speaking to us through others in 2019, Agathiyar would hold the hands of all gathered and share this bliss with us. Ramalinga Adigal would draw the energy from the cosmos and have us feel the bliss. When I saw the above video of Swami Kriyananda telling his audience that he wanted to share his bliss, standing in front of them close to tears and many a time on the verge of breaking down, I could connect with him. I felt the bliss in him as we have had the same experience. When Gowri Arumugam and her husband were at Kallar Ashram recently, they connected me to Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar and streamed live the ashram. I could connect with the ashram by just watching the video. A stream of energy/current kept passing through me throughout the streaming. I did not know that we could feel this energy by merely watching videos. But it is happening.
Dr. Swami Shankardev Saraswati wrote at https://bigshakti.com/my-personal-journey-into-the-chakras/
"Having graduated from medical school at Sydney University I had the opportunity to write several books on Yoga Therapy under the guidance of Swami Satyananda. Swami Satyananda instructed me to look after his library and to write books on various medical and yoga therapy topics, along with editing many of the early books from the Bihar School of Yoga. While writing these books I had several powerful experiences. One of the most profound was the experience of direct transmission from my guru. It was while writing the books that I would often fall into a trance and feel a kind of dissociation. I felt knowledge streaming into my brain, like a current or flow of understanding that I could translate into words in my mind and transmit onto paper. At the same time, I could see my pen writing the words onto paper (there were no computers in those days) but it was as if I was reading them for the first time as I wrote them. I believe that this was a direct transmission from Swami Satyananda via third eye chakra activation."
It gives me comfort and assurance that the divine was moving my thoughts and my hand on the keyboard too. I had strongly felt that it was his writings having given me the subject and the content and surprising with the relevant references either from my collection of books, the internet, or stories shared in a timely manner by my wife and others who call or drop by. It was pretty exciting each time I began to write for as Swami Shankardev says indeed "it was as if I was reading them for the first time as I wrote them." I used to read and reread the post as it was new to me too. It was as if I too was a reader of the blog taking in the gist and message given in these posts. I became more knowledgeable about the subject with each reading be it my post or after reading the references. Agathiyar was educating me and at the same time asking me to share what I came to know and experience with readers.
I had not shared many intimate and personal readings from Agathiyar's Nadi following in the way of my guru Tavayogi who did not share many secrets for what I believe was that he did not want us to have high expectations and become frustrated in the event what was told did not work for his students. I saw the dismay and disappointment in a couple of friends and devotees of Agathiyar who messaged me after reading the blog and communicating with me hinting and asking if Agathiyar includes them in all the messages given to me and related in the blog. At that juncture, I told myself that henceforth I shall not share further my experiences and the messages and contemplated bringing an end to the blog. days later Agathiyar comes through a devotee and tells me that I had written enough praising him and he asks that I write about the inner experiences that were flowering within me so that those who worshipped the light and yearn to become it shall know of the trials and tribulations and also the bliss and enchantment in treading the path and the way and the methods. So you now see me typing these words again. I guess this blog is a means for him to keep in touch with his devotees. It is assuring to know that these are his words as I do not want to say or write the wrong things as I am pretty new to the subjects discussed in this blog. Only those with these said experiences can truly write or talk about them. A gathering of information from numerous sources is purely academic. That is why we stay at the feet of a guru for 12 years learning from watching him. His experiences become ours too. We can fully understand our own experiences when the time comes for us to engage in living out his teachings.
In engaging in all the previous activities that we were directed to carry out, we never for a second looked within for salvation. We thought that all the good deeds that we did would automatically grant us salvation and a place in the kingdom of God. Both Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal told us that we had to place the effort in the many practices given first. In faithfully putting into practice the many Yoga techniques given we sort of felt that we had hit a wall. We were not moving further and became frustrated expecting the much glamorized and spoken about results that we have read all these years and heard people speak about it. It was not to be. We failed to understand that the changes were happening in a very subtle manner and not as advertised in books, the internet, and by masters. The time had to be right for us to progress further. The Pilgrim's Progress was halted just as Agathiyar had halted all our external activities in the wake of the pandemic.
Though what we did all this while was purely of external in nature that was packed with much activity, the worship of the Siddhas, the many pilgrimages undertaken to their abodes and temples and samadhis, the Homams done at home, and the Yagams at temple grounds and the charity that was done all unknowingly contributed to enhancing the soul power to a certain extent. But the all-knowing Siddhas had us do it without given explanations. It all came as directives to us either through the numerous Nadi readings or through our gurus in physical form. We abided by their directives. Soon they began to explain the subtle and far-reaching consequences of all these actions that began to amend and doctor our past karma and traced a new destiny, utterly changing our fate.
Having us pick up on the Yogasanas and Pranayama techniques given and shown, a new journey emerged that of focusing on the body and its inside. From the external, we moved within.
The torment that came by way of the new tenants who moved next door as my noisy neighbors frustrated my attempt at going within as directed by Agathiyar during the 2 1/2 years of the pandemic. Lamenting it Ramalinga Adigal tells me that all these inconveniences were preparing me to reach the state of Gnana. I asked myself how could that help me attain Gnana? அவைகளை உமக்கு இன்னல்கள். அவைகளை உமக்கு ஞானம். பொறுத்துக்கொள். தனது முயற்சியால் உமது ஐம் புலன்களை அடக்கிடுவாய். அது நடக்கும் வண்ணம் இவைகள் உமக்குத் தொந்திராவு வழங்கும். Ramalinga Adigal in asking me to stomach all the inconveniences that I faced as soon as Agathiyar asked me to go within tells me that they were hindrances placed by them. The experience gained will bring about Gnanam. Effort (in going within) is needed to overcome the troubles. It shall exist until we are lost within ourselves.
Veronica Hope in walking us through each Chakra at http://veronicahope.com/hope/index.php/muladhara-chakra/ writes that,
"The Root Chakra is the seat of the unconscious. All our fears “live” in our first chakra. All memories about wars, hunger, or any disasters that threaten the survival of humanity, are imprinted in the energy of the Muladhara Chakra. The wise regard all fears as valuable and beneficial experiences. When one learns from them and begins to work on him/herself, one makes progress in the spiritual development."
"நீ என்னிடம் கேட்டது ஞானம். ஞானம் என்பது நான் தருவதல்ல. நீ கற்பது. ஒருவன் தனக்குள் உள்வாங்கி அவனுள் பயணம் துவங்கும் நேரம் அப்பயணம் தரும் பாதிப்பே ஞானம். அவை ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் மாற்றம் பெரும். ஆகையால் அவை நான் இதுதான் என்று சொல்ல இயலாது." Agathiyar says of Gnanam that, "Gnanam is not gifted but has to be earned and experienced. When one goes within, as the journey brings upon subtle experiences these shall translate into and become Gnanam. It defers for each person. As such I cannot possibly define it."
This is the final journey cutting oneself completely off all actions both physical and mental. Here a thorough cleansing takes place. Eknath Easwaran in "Dialogue with Death - A Journey Through Consciousness", Jaico Publishing House, 2002, suggests that, "If we can learn not to act on a samskara by severing the connection between stimulus and response, that particular chain of karma will no longer have a hold on us." So in sitting alone oneself, the stimulus is shut off. Hence there is no need to respond to anything. This breaks the chain. What we go through in these silent moments is the remnants of our past karma that still lingers. Watching it take place or happen within will bring an end to even these last vasanas, roasting them in the fire of meditation, depriving them of germinating forever. If earlier we had exhausted all external means to rid karma, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in "Merging with Siva - Hinduism’s Contemporary Metaphysics", Himalayan Academy, 2005 enlightens us further as to how meditation does wonder in ridding us of the last vestiges of karma.
"When we cause a traumatic disruption within ourselves or within others, the action is imprinted in the memory patterns of the Muladhara chakra. The seed has been planted and will remain vibrating in the depths of the mind even though consciously forgotten. We carry it over from life to life, from birth to birth until one day it blossoms into the fruit of our action-reaction. There are thousands of things vibrating in the Muladhara chakra, and from those memory patterns, they are going to bounce up into view one after another, especially if we gain more Prana by breathing and eating correctly. When meditation begins, more karma is released from the first chakra (Muladhara chakra). Our individual karma is intensified as the ingrained memory patterns that were established long ago accumulate and are faced, one after another, after another, after another. In our first four or five years of striving on the path, we face the karmic patterns that we would never have faced in this life had we not consciously sought enlightenment. Experiences come faster, closer together. So much happens in the short span of a few months or even a few days, catalyzed by the new energies released in meditation, and by our efforts to purify mind and body, it might have taken us two or three lifetimes to face them all. They would not have come up before then, because nothing would have stimulated them." I guess they wanted me to have it done and over with hence these troubles that cornered me in my home.
Equally frustrated that I had not achieved a thing in the 2 1/2 years of us living in fear of the dreaded killer virus, as the restrictions came to be lifted so too were the bunds of the pond that had collected the energies, a result of all my practice, gave way and the water was released making its way, in our case upstream to higher chakras in the body. True to what Tavayogi said the guru came to take us by the hand, beyond the second chakra.
True to what Yogi Ramsuratkumar said, "All the rituals and religious practices prescribed in the Vedas should make one reach the feet of the Guru if these rituals and religious practices are done with all sincerity. Once you attain the feet of the Guru, then you need not worry about your spiritual growth. You need not do any rituals also. It is enough to listen to your Guru and remember your Guru. Your Guru will take care of you and he will take you to the destination" the guru unleased the hidden dormant power that is much spoken about without my least effort. My effort in doing worship, rituals, dharma and Yoga, as Tavayogi says brought me to the second chakra. Taking on the Yoga asanas and Pranayama practice as shown by Tavayogi in 2007, Agathiyar in the Nadi reading on 9.8.2010 tells me that உண்டான ஞான கனல் மிகுந்த காலம் உயர்வான காலம் இது இந்தக் காலம், the heat of the tapas or austerities had peaked in me. Weeks later seeing my agony in having pulled a nerve that gave me excruciating pain in my lower back right till the right toes, Agathiyar on 17.10.2010 gives me the good news and consoles me on the bad too. அடையோகம் தன்னில் கிட்டும் சித்தி அவையனைத்தும் தவமொடு வழிபாட்டில் பெறுவாய். ஆனதொரு ஆரோக்கியம் மட்டும் சோடை. ஒளடதமும் பிடகனை அறிந்து ஏற்க்கவே மாற்றங்கள் ஏற்றம் கிட்டும். என் அருளால் பூரணமாய் பரிசுத்தம் காண்பாய். What is generally achieved through Hathayoga is now possible through Tapas and Puja. But he points out to my health that was declining. He asked to see a physician who can bring it back to its former state. With his grace, I shall recover well. He came again on 16.1.2011, வாகடன்கள் தேகத்திற்கு மட்டும் வளத்துடனே அரை மண்டலாம் எடுத்துக் கொள்ள தேகமத்தில் குறை வாரா. Agathiyar who continued to monitor my situation assured me that all shall be fine. He asked me to continue taking the prescription for another half a mandalam.
I was referred to the Orthopedic Specialist at the general hospital who put me on physiotherapy. In the நடைமுறை பிரசன்ன ஆசி நூல் read on 26.11. 2011 Agathiyar addressed the issue clearly. தரணிதன்னில் எங்கள் வழி மார்க்கத்தில் தப்பாது பூசையும் தவமும் செய்து தான் உயர்வு அடைந்திட்ட பாலகன் உனக்குத் தரணியே உயிர் பிணி ஏது சொல்வோம் உடல் பிணி ஏதுதான் அச்சம்கொள்ள. பாரிச பீடைகளும் வந்து நிற்கும். உற்றதொரு மூலாதார சக்கரமும் உயர் விதமாய் உட்டனங்கள் அடைந்ததனாலே உரைக்க வரும் சோர்வும் தேகம் தன்னில். உரைக்கலாம் முக்கூற்று திருப்பும் இப்போ முறையாகச் சம நிலையில் இல்லாதிருக்க சோதனைகள் வந்து நிற்க்கும் அச்சம் மிதந்து. சிறப்பு தரும் வாகடமும் செப்பலாம். செப்பலாம் தவம் தன்னை நிறுத்திவைக்க. சிறப்பு இருக்கு வழிபாடும் முறையே மாறாது சூரிய வழிபாடும் செய்ய வழிபாடும் வேலவர்க்கும் முறையே செய்யப் பங்கம் ஏதும் வந்திடாது கலக்கம் கொள்ளா. Agathiyar spelled out the reasons and the solution in the form of several Siddha herbs and prayers. He classifies my agony as Paareesa Peedai or உடலின் ஒரு பக்கம் that was external and "superficial, existing or occurring at or on the surface and appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely." He says the Muladhara chakra had attained intense heat resulting in my condition leading to immobility. The three dosas too have gone haywire. He asked to consume Amalaki and Triphala. He asked that I stop all forms of tapas and yoga practices for the time being. He asked that I pray to the Sun God and Lord Murugan to bring relief.
On 15.2.2012 the physiotherapist asked me to show her the exercises, she had taught me and that I had put into practice over the past seven months. As I moved into position to began to raise my right leg behind me and stretch my back, there was something like a latch released, a dam burst, a knot that was untied or loosened, as if something gave way, and it brought instantaneous relief and joy to the extent I shouted out and cried in joy. The excruciating pain left magically and mysteriously just as it had come on upon me. All was well as Agathiyar had said.
Agathiyar tells me that the energy from the Muladhara chakra that was activated back then in 2010, had ponded at Svadishthana collecting moss. This was revealed in July 2020.
இத்தருணம் உமக்கு மூலாதாரம் திறந்தது, ஸ்வாதிஸ்டானம் திறந்தது. இப்பொது மான் மூச்சி குளத்தில் இருக்கிறது. அவை திறக்கும் தருணம் வந்தது. இப்போதுதான் நீ உமது பயிற்சியினை தொடங்க வேண்டும். இந்த நிலையில் அச்சக்கரம் முற்றும் திறந்துவிடும். உடலில் பல மாற்றங்கள் கண்டறிவாய். பயம் கொள்ள வேண்டாம். இச்சக்கரங்களில் புணர்ச்சியால் உன் உடலில் ஏற்படும் மாற்றங்கள் துர் நாற்றம் வீசும், மலச்சிக்கல் ஏற்ப்பட்டு கழிவு ஆகும், சிறுநீர் அதிகம் வெளியேறும். அன்று நீ உண்ட குழம்பினாள் உன் உடலிலிருந்து வாதம், கபம், பித்தம் சற்றே அகன்றது. இன்னும் இருக்கிறது. அவை அகலும். Currently your Muladhara and Svadhisthana is open. The breath is currently lodged in Svadhisthana. The time of its opening is near. Now is the right time to start your practice. This would open up the chakra completely. You will see many changes take place in your body. Don't be afraid. In activating these chakras your body shall smell foul, you shall have constipation, and you shall urinate often. The Agathiyar Kuzhambu you consumed earlier (on 27 June 2022) helped stabilise your Vata, Kapha and Pitta. Yet these Dosas need to be expelled further.
Layer by layer as in an onion, our prior understanding of all things was peeled away and we were shown newer perspectives and standpoints. The numerous veils were drawn aside and we had a better and clearer understanding and vision. Layer by layer we accumulated newer experiences moving from the physical body inwards and equally moving to the outer reaches of the body and beyond. We began to understand slowly the subjects and the theory behind the occult sciences that go hand in hand with spiritualism and the journey within. But there is much to be learned as Ramalinga Adigal told us and as the grand old lady and saint Avvai has said. We are only on the first rung of the ladder that reaches into and disappears into the clouds.
