Monday 23 February 2015

THE GURU PART 1

Sri Raghavan posted on fb the following:
Wherever the Master went, a huge crowd followed, causing much inconvenience to the locals. The Master taking notice of this once thundered, "You fools! Follow my path and not me!"
~ There was wisdom, even in the anger of the Master.
A true master would not want devotees worshiping him but instead uphold the path shown to him. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal scolded me for falling at his feet. He wanted me to only submit to Agathiyar and no one else. His only mantra was the name of Agathiyar. He also asked us to recite the names of the other Siddhas. Agathiyar says a disciple need not live like the guru but instead should uphold the principles taught to him. 

Tavayogi trained us well. The very day he visited my home, I had a bashing from him. He killed my joy of having a saint in my home for the very first time, all for a reason, I understand now. When my family and I ended up advising devotees who came to Agathiyar Vanam, which in turn brought inconveniences to us, he bashed me again saying, "Why do you want to interfere. Show them to Agathiyar".

Tavayogi also showed us humbleness and down to earth compassion and love in many situations. He loved my children very much, always having the younger girl sit beside him. When he changed his mind and asked that we cross the Kallar river to the other bank, he went for both his sandals and mine. When I was struggling to carry the heavy sack of vegetables purchased at the Methupalaiyam market, he practically snatched the burden from my hands and heaved the sack over his shoulder and back and strode off like a magnificent warrior.

When we had both washed our clothes at the waters of Agasthiyar Falls, we laid them to dry on the boulders before we climbed the steps up to Kalyana Theertam. Upon returning, his cloths, a mere piece of linen called kaavi were dry but not my pants and shirts. I packed them back into a plastic bag and we headed for Courtallam caves to spent the night. After the overnight stay, as we headed back downhill, he snatched my bag of dirty linen and started off on the hike down the hill. 

He left his family to become a monk, a choice he made voluntarily, but not without taking care of the family first. He passed on his business to his wife and children so that they could sustain themselves.

Whatever contributions and donations that came from charitable persons and from charges for the Jeeva Nadi readings, were channeled to upgrade and maintain the Ashram; to feed devotees who frequent his Ashram for the Jeeva Nadi reading and Pornami prayers; and to provide stationery and school uniforms to the native children or Aadhi Vaasi who have come to settle around his Ashram.

At the end of our visit to Kallar Ashram in October of 2013, he honored my family and me with Agathiyar's patharatchai or footwear and these words, " I had a worry whether the seed I had sowed in Malaysia will see the light; today that worry has left me".