FILLING THE GAP

Karl Hagström writes, "I have developed this app (Easy Photo Organizer - A simple and really efficient Windows program that lets you go through thousands of photos to decide which ones to save and which ones to delete) to help me with the enormous task of organizing huge amounts of photos fast and efficient". He goes on to explain the reason for doing so. "For years I have been searching for a program to help me with this task (tried lots) but found nothing that suited my needs so I finally gave up and made my own. I couldn't find a good and efficient program to help me with this task, so I developed this program which turned out really helpful and fast. I have been developing this app for over a year now and it turned out way over my expectations so I decided to share it."

Just like when evil uprises the good souls gather to form legions and groups to combat them, frustration in a sense leads us to get to the ground, soil our hands and get our feet wet, and come up with a solution to address, counter, improve, or uplift the situation. So did I, having felt frustrated after searching and finding that no individual or any organization could show me how to worship the Siddhas as ordained in the Nadi reading in 2002 where Agathiyar asks me to do so, I began gathering whatever little I was shown, had read, and had listened to and came up with my own formula of worship. I need to thank Nadi Nool Aasan Senthilkumar for leading me on a brief recitation of the names of the Siddhas that formed a part of the ritual "Naadikku Dhanam" that Agathiyar had instructed me to do. Senthilkumar passed me the book containing the names of the Siddhas too. Hungry for more, I knocked on the door of the local affiliate of Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar's "Sri Agathiar Sanmaarga Sangam, Ongarakudil" based in Dengkil. Here I laid my hands on several materials that help enlighten me further. Moving on I knocked on the doors of the  "Sri Agathiar Sanmarkam Gurukulam Malaysia" in Batu Caves. If the former were focused on doing charity and feeding the latter had shifted to "Jothi Vazhipaadu" taking on Ramalinga Adigal's teachings. As I am one to follow strictly what is told, and as Agathiyar had instructed specifically that I worship the Siddhas besides the other main deities in the spectrum, I could not align with both groups and began a personal journey of worship of the Siddhas at my home. I compiled all the songs in praise of the Siddhas that had their source in the numerous Siddha texts and songs that were scattered in numerous books and online and many tiny booklets released by various organizations in the name of Agathiyar. I had to sieve through the massive literature to reach those that I figured were appropriate for my home puja. Thus "The Siddhargal Potri Thoguppu" came to be published and shared online in 2007. 

But as it was entirely in Tamil, and as there was a need to cater to those not proficient in reading the language, I added on a transliteration in English. This came to be published in 2013 as "Agathiyar Pusai" which was revised and updated and renamed in 2016 as the "Complete Book of Prayers to Siddhas".

Later observing that many did not have the time to sit through these long sessions of recitations, I published yet another book online "24 Minutes Siddha Puja" for those on the go.

Recently I published a mini version of the lengthy compilation "The New Book of Praise to the Siddhas" as I began to reinstate the ritual of performing a daily homam in my home for the benefit of all of the divine's creation as Agathiyar had purposed it.

I was truly delighted that many used these books at their home and temple puja sessions besides using them in our group prayers at AVM. Now as I spent time with my grandchildren I see a need to publish a simple version for these children to follow. I pray that Agathiyar shall guide us on this task.

MATAJI IN TOWN

Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar of Kallar Ashram is in town. She arrived on 1st June and shall stay tentatively till 25th June. She has several programs lined up for her by her sponsors and devotees of Agathiyar including the reading of the Jeeva Nadi in her possession.

LIFE (MIS)UNDERSTOOD

Life is still a mystery even after treading the path of the Siddhas for close to 20 years. Just days ago I thought there was nothing called fate or destiny. We make choices in our lives and pay the price of our actions. It was so clear then. I started to believe there is no fate nor destiny waiting to happen. Instead, life is akin to a plain white paper waiting to be written on. Every move is decided in real-time based on the pros and cons of the situation. I was contemplating writing regarding it having drafted a piece on it as follows.

While waiting at the hospital for my daughter's checkup I saw a lady walk up to a young man sitting in the same row as we did. She approached and pointed out to him his wallet on the floor that I presumed had slipped out from his shorts pocket as he sat down. He picked it up and without even a word of thanks nor a look or glance or a nod of thanks to her. Instead, he turned to his partner and gave a sheepish grin. This had me put on my thinking cap. Here was one scenario. All was fine for him since someone discovered that he had dropped his wallet and was good enough to bring it to his attention. What if no one realized nor alerted him? What if someone else had lifted the wallet off the floor and kept it to himself. He would have only realized later when he is called up to make a payment and would have gone into a panic mood. Imagine. So life is full of possibilities in each moment. This has been depicted in many movies like "Sliding Doors", and its Tamil remake "12B" and "Maanaadu" where the lead character tries to prevent certain events from happening. Similarly, we too have choices. Whether we make a wise choice after pondering for days on end or decide a choice spontaneously, the results of our decision-making shall set another chain of events corresponding to our choices. 

So is there really something like fate and destiny waiting to happen? I have begun to doubt that now? Rather I tend to believe that fate and destiny take shape accordingly to our choices. 

But there are other times when we are pushed to a corner according to the circumstances that arise due to our interactions with family, community,  society, the nation, and the world. Here we are left choiceless but to submit to the will of the circumstances. Is this then what is meant by fate and destiny? 

As the above draft lay unpublished, I was given a knock on my head waking me up from my deep slumber. I was given a blow in my face and to be more specific "in my eye". As I was playing with my grandchildren, a book comes flying to my face and hits my right eye. My vision in that eye became blurred instantaneously. As it was 5pm last Saturday, I called up the "Eye Surgeons" where I had my lens in both my eyes replaced a year back after I was diagnosed as having cataracts. The nurse told me that they were closing for the day but as it was an emergency, they were willing to stay open till I arrived. I hit the road with my daughter behind the wheels. But "Waze," told us that it would take us an hour to reach. I called them up and they put me to the doctor. The kind Dr. Asokumaran told me that he would send his nurses back but would wait on me. Upon arrival, he checked my eye and assured me that luckily the "flying book" missed the pupil and iris. My scelera though was bruised. He gave me an ointment and hydration drops to apply and assured me the patch of bruised tissue will heal in a couple of days. Returning home with much gratefulness to the divine and the doctor, I asked a devotee through whom Agathiyar speaks to sit in meditation and see if Agathiyar had something to say. I feared I had erred somewhere and hence was punished. Agathiyar showed the extent of the injury to him in meditation and asked that I see Dr. Asokumaran which I already did. He assured us that all shall be fine. He did not speak about the reason or cause for the incident to take place though. True to the doctor's diagnosis and Agathiyar's words of comfort, my vision is back to normal. In fact, I believe I see better now. Was there then some good waiting to happen behind the whole episode?

Dr. Asokumaran had attended to my daughter's eye previously and referred us to his colleagues at the Selayang Hospital who specialize in Retina Detachment. Read about it at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2021/04/amazing-stories.html. My daughter carried her story on video too at https://youtu.be/P3vlCux0Rug

So it made me put on my thinking cap again. If we made the choices in life, how would we explain this and the following real-life instances?

A student gets a blow in his face from his bully schoolmates that injure his eye. He then meets with a road accident while driven to the hospital by his father. He passes away shortly. 

How do you explain a road user who escapes injury in a road accident at a traffic signal, but passes away in another accident at the next road intersection just moments later? 

How do you explain a man driving along when a motorbike from the opposite lane flies into his path? We understand that the rider had applied emergency brakes as a pedestrian crossed before him in the dark. He had let go of his bike before hitting the tarmac. 

How do you explain when a 4 wheel drive hits a car that has stalled on the fast lane and collides into a couple of cars on the other lanes before hitting a lady biker who kept to the very edge of the highway?

How do you explain an old man who was so careful that he used to walk on the grass or pavement beyond the road and its shoulders, away from traffic, is hit by a lorry that goes off the road?

How do you explain injuries sustained when an idle dump truck at a construction site atop a hill rolls down and crashes into waiting cars, parents, and schoolchildren before a school?

How do you explain when a grass cutter who goes about cutting the grass across the road causes a stone to fly and hit a mechanic attending to a car in his workshop smack in his face?

I guess what Tavayogi told us through a devotee makes sense now. He said that life is not a maths equation to be solved but lived and lived well too. The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to experience. Life is a process that cannot be understood by coming together in Satsang, or discussing or deliberating on stage. We need to give way for life to flow in its own accord and time. The process has to take place with or without our participation. It might hasten things if we chose to join it and flow with it rather than work to stall or correct it which might place further obstacles on the way. Even my hold on this opinion shall change with the progress of time and the expansion of space. Let us keep an open mind and accept everything that comes our way.

For instance, take the Agathiyar murthy at AVM for instance. Who knows the destiny of this statue? Will my children carry on the legacy of taking care of him after my demise or shall he change hands and end up in another individual's home or perhaps move into a public place like a peedham or temple as he had originally wanted. Agathiyar initially wanted to move to the Jegathguru Sri Raghavendra Swamigal Mrithiga Brindavanam in Ipoh. He also wanted to stay at my home during transit while awaiting the completion of the newly built Brindavanam. Upon arrival in Malaysia on 2nd January 2010, he made several visits to the homes of devotees who invited him over. There was no mention of him moving into the Brindavan then. We soon found out that he changed his mind along the way and decided to stay put in my home and have another devotee place another murthy of his there. When Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal and Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar came visiting us we brought them and Agathiyar's murthy to the homes of devotees who invited them over. Then for reasons only he knew he dictated that his murthy was not to be moved henceforth. Recently after a lapse of 2 1/2 years, he has asked to be taken to the homes of devotees who invite him over. What's his play? Who can understand the workings of the divine? 

Leaning Towards The Young

It is time we trained the young rather than gather the oldies around. I guess Agathiyar making his rounds this time around after a lockdown just as the world faced numerous lockdowns the past 2 1/2 years, is to get the young to perform his puja rather than alienate them and have elders run the show. I had my grandchildren perform a small homam, libation to Agathiyar's statue, and sing his praises today. As a toddler and kid, the elder had assisted in the puja rituals in the past too. Now the younger joins her in these moments of fun, play and devotion.

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 10

It was on a hot late Saturday afternoon in 2001 that my nephew dropped in on me in my home with a message from his gurus. I was hibernating then, staying away from all forms of worship taking what Lord Shiva had told me in a dream in 1988 to the extreme and ending all my readings, home puja, and temple worship. Lord Shiva seeing my torment at not getting answers to the sufferings others went through was merciful and compassionate enough to ask me to drop and shed everything I did then. That is when after 13 years my nephew Thayalan drops by giving me a message and a Vasudeva mantra that sets me back on track after the long absence. Later he passes me a painting of Lord Dhakshanamurty to worship telling me that I shall meet my guru soon. The following year Agathiyar comes as my guru in the Nadi reading and sends me off on a pilgrimage of Indian temples and finally to meet my very first guru in physical form, Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai on my last leg of the pilgrimage. Only did he reveal the source of the initiation a couple of years later. It was from Agathiyar. He used his network of gurus, Annamalai Swami and Gopal Pillai to convey the message in a trance through a devotee of theirs. As I believe the medium is not important but the message is I took on what was told to me and it set the path ablaze and removed all obstacles and simplified my journey. He gifted me a photo of Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli after whom Agathiyar had asked me to commission his statue when he visited the temple. He and his family and friends were on hand to receive Agathiyar later in 2010 as Agathiyar entered my home as a bronze statue and invited him over to his home too.

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 9

No puja is complete without a session of bhajan or songs in praise of the Lord. Jegan has always lifted our moods and elevated us to a state of ecstasy many a time with his singing during our prayers. Often his buddy Hari would accompany him with the beat. Jegan has lent his voice to our in-house production with Raagawave Production - "Agathiyar Geetham". 

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 8

I am grateful for the calling that came through the Nadi reading, my first in 2002. It set the ball rolling getting me to seek to know more about Agathiyar and the Siddhas. Taking his word as the Gospel, I made my first pilgrimage to India the following year in 2003. As promised in the Nadi I met Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai. Three years on I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram during his visit to Malaysia. As promised he groomed me on the ways and teachings of the Siddhas. I am indebted for life to these two wonderful souls who showed me the many forms of the divinity that is in and around us, with names, images, tags, and labels attached and given by us. After their demise, the whole pantheon of Gods together with the Siddhas came to reveal further and take our hands. What more can one ask for?

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 7

Next in line is my family. I should have placed them at the beginning for they had been with me from the very start helping me with the preparations, during, and after the rituals conducted for the Siddha puja done in our home. Agathiyar tells us that we had all been together in a past birth too. He tells me further the reason I came to the Siddha path was because of them. Then came along many strangers seeking Agathiyar and sent by him to my home. They soon became family too. My family has grown in numbers since then.

Of course, I cannot possibly repay my parents who brought me into this world.

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 6

Next in line in this series of "Souls Who Came By In My Life" is Surendran. Though he is mentioned 6th in line, he was one of the very first devotees of Agathiyar who came by my home as early as 2010 and has since then remained an ardent devotee of Agathiyar. He was chosen by Agathiyar I guess to bring in the news, latest developments, interviews, visuals, and audios that I have used extensively in my YouTube videos. He would get messages from Agathiyar regarding AVM and its direction through his numerous Nadi readings and convey them to us.

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 5

Life is akin to going on a tour. We stop at places meet with others and take leave. We do some sightseeing and some purchasing and off we go on to our next destination. Meanwhile there are several others with whom we travel in the same compartment or vehicle. These are the family and friends who spend more time with us. And so many souls came by on my life's journey too. Most came to make my life pleasurable and memorable. Some came as a thorn that hurt. But we choose to recall the good memories and regard the bad experiences as things to avoid in the future.

Along this journey Mahindren came along in 2013 together with several other youths introduced to me by Bala Chandran. I would rather choose to see him as sent by Agathiyar himself to anoint and decorate his bronze statue at my home. He volunteered and took up the tasks of bathing and dressing up Agathiyar's statue to his hearts content and the satisfaction of Agathiyar himself. Today he carries on the rituals in the confines of his home with his family and occasionally drops by at my home and performs the rituals before Agathiyar at AVM.

SOULS WHO CAME BY IN MY LIFE - 3

The reason I moved on to start another blog Siddha Heartbeat 2.0 was that there began to appear a lot of anomalies or inconsistencies in my writings on this original blog, which covered a part (since Sunday, 28 July 2013) of my journey of 20 years (2002 to 2022) on the path of the Siddhas. I did not want readers to become confused and question why observations made in the earlier posts defer with the latest. A reader had questioned me in my earlier days of writing this blog as to why I had deferred on the subject of karma. The young student had written to me in 2015, having followed my posts,

"saw ur blog when i searched "siddha heartbeat charity". charitable thoughts come only when u have done good deeds. what does  that "only" mean? i thought we could reduce our karma by helping others...i thought it was voluntary. does agathiar mean that u r fated to do charity?"

On another note, she wrote, 

"did agasthiar himself say that one is fated to read the nadi. if it is so then u r fated to change your fate. in short fate rules. this cant be right. and also in another writing on ur blog u mentioned that agasthiar told that 3 peoples karma was dissolved. and they would go to a temple as per fate. how is fate prevalent even after karma is dissolved? i m asking these questions with a sincere approach and humbly to know more about the siddhas. please reply dad."

"i would like to ask in which nadi reading has agathiar mentioned that he has taken birth many times?( i was reading age of siddhas 2)is it d same one where he said that he and ramalingam adigal r one? what was the wording? was it 'me and ramalingam are one' or ' i took birth as ramalingam adigal'?i mean when he said we r one he might mean that they are of same type...both in the form of light."

"i emailed tavayogi ji and asked him some doubts. he clarified and i think there should be an article on siddha heartbeat on these topics. he explianed that god is nothing but nature. god is not a person at all but just nature. and hence we are also part of him. thus none of shiva brahma or vishnu are god but all three are parts of god. this is what he told me...and this knowledge should be availble for all. it wud b grt if u could write a article on this.he also said that when agathiar says that we all are one it means that we all are of the same type...aathmas. it does not mean that we are one soul...but it means that we r all souls...same in all aspects." 

She eventually came around to understanding many things and dropped in a note.

"thank you...it was lovely conversing with tavayogi ji by email and also on phone. u have been forever supporting...cant thank u enough. thanks agasthiar also. wherever he is i know he is listening to me. i started with confusion and ended in bliss. it was a tough journey but the end couldnt be more perfect. thanks for writing ur wonderful blog and for replying to my every mail and comment. i know i have been very rude sometimes...and i am extremely sorry for it. my best wishes with u n anyone and everyone related to kallar ashram AVM and siddhas. i will pray for everyone always. thanks for the 24 min short potri. it worked! ...immediately. i listen to the moola mantra everyday on youtube. it is pacyfying and beautiful. u may not reply to this mail....as i know u r forever by my side. and i have agathiar standing behind me to catch me if i fall..thank u again."

Indeed someone had questioned Osho too as to why he said something earlier and was saying something else now. Ramana too had praised music to someone who performed before him and asked another to do something useful with his life rather than taking up music. Tavayogi too had explained the need to handle oneself with care and control if he was to carry the sacred Rudraksha on his body but soon turned to me and said "We do not need this, son." Why the difference in approach to each soul?

As a result, though I was very careful not to confuse readers I had to deliver the numerous messages that came across regarding even my earlier understanding of things and happenings. I pointed this out as a message in the cross-column HTML/JavaScript that was carried on each post. This message was only visible to readers viewing the web version and not the mobile version though.

We have moved. Please do follow us at Siddha Heartbeat 2.0. at https://gnanakottam.blogspot.com henceforth. As we step into the twentieth year of worship on the path of the Siddhas, we have had new insights, perspectives and understanding of many subjects taught and followed by the Siddhas. Our understanding, approach, practices, and even the tools have changed. Much of what was written at the beginning of this blog, except for the biographies, has been corrected, modified, enhanced, or made to drop by Agathiyar. Looking at the readership pattern, very few readers follow the current postings, keeping up to date with these changes. Many readers go back to review previous postings, or new readers might have dropped in on these past postings in their search for answers on the net. I fear that they then shall read and understand, and believe and adopt that as the gists and substance of the matter when it has gone through many changes. Hence there is a need to bury the earlier and past understanding and arise anew. This blog shall be public for a couple of days before it goes into oblivion. We shall continue the journey with Siddha Heartbeat 2.0. Thank you for following us all these years. Please do follow us at Siddha Heartbeat 2.0. at https://gnanakottam.blogspot.com henceforth.

This is a journey of evolution. Concepts, thoughts, ideas, knowledge, learning, practice, etc change over time as we gain more experiences on this journey. Much of what we had upheld earlier has been shattered by both Tavayogi and Agathiyar over time. Concepts do not hold water. Experiences wash away all the illusion that we have come to build around us over time. This is the time I believe Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal should be around in the physical form for me to check and verify the numerous changes both in thought and the body that is taking place. I really need him now. But though he is not with us in the physical form he comes through others to convey his messages regularly. So do Agathiyar and the other Siddhas too, not excluding the pantheon of Hindu Gods. It has been an exciting journey to this day. 

When Kalaichelvan dropped by at my home, AVM recently after the numerous lockdowns that disabled us to come together, he told me that he had observed that I had started Siddha Heartbeat 2.0 now. I went on to explain the reason as mentioned above. But he told me something that made me realize that though we have come some distance there are many who need to start somewhere. Hence the need for readers to read the earlier posts too. It made sense to me. 

There is no shortcut on this path. Each and everyone has to go through the regime of Soul advancement. We have to learn from our experiences. We have to get soiled and dirty. We have to burn ourselves. We have to make enemies. We have to make friends too. All these will make us mature and wise person. This is what Ramalinga Adigal told me that even the bitter experiences will bring on Gnanam or Jnana in us and asked that we bear with it.

So I shall take Kalaichelvan's word as that of Agathiyar and stay with this blog, the original. I shall bring in the several posts that I had aired on Siddha Heartbeat 2.0 and continue henceforth posting on both blogs.