Tuesday 8 November 2016

TAKE YOUR PICK

When Bala Chandran Gunasekaran went for a Nadi reading Agathiyar told him to carry on and focus on helping the unfortunate and let others build temples when he enquired about a temple in his vicinity that was about to see a refurbishment. This was also what Bala loved doing having started his Thondu Seivom movement, gathering his past schoolmates and other friends together to provide assistance to the needy. Sri Krishna and his wife were directed by Agathiyar to help those seeking to perform atonements or parikarams. This dynamic duo with their children love doing it. Master Gowri Varadhan, now Acharya Gurudasan, too was blessed to carry on teaching Babaji's Kriya Yoga in a reading from the Jeeva Nadi. Yuvaraj was instructed to teach the martial arts while Master Arunan was asked to teach Varmam by Agathiyar. Khru Pedro was blessed by Agathiyar to continue teaching Muay Thai, all in their respective Nadi readings. These came to them easy as they were already exponents in their respective fields and they loved what they were doing. I was asked to perform rituals, that initially I frowned upon, but later loved doing and attend to both blogging and vlogging, that I loved very much. Here we realize that no two person end up doing the same thing. Each is assigned a particular task; but are all brought together for a common purpose, that of propagating the Siddha teachings. 

When Agathiyar asked me to do rituals he told me that it was for the good of humanity and all of Erai's creation. The Siddhas have tirelessly dedicated themselves to bringing joy and peace to mankind, teaching him to life in harmony with nature, reminding him that nature and he can never be separated. By laying down rules of sacrifice, man gradually learnt to regard himself as part of a whole and that they were all dependent on each other. This understanding was required for him to further himself on the path to Sanyas. Man owes pretty much to nature that had protected and nourished him. Man is not an isolated creature but is dependent on nature. Cooperating with nature results in a steady evolution of all of Erai's creation. The scriptures have designated several duties to mankind towards working towards achieving unity with the cosmos or prapanjam. 

Yogis like Ramsuratkumar and Bhagawan Nithyananda at their deathbed consoled their followers that they could indeed work better in their subtle and astral forms after leaving the physical body, bringing good to humanity and all over a larger space and span. The most compassionate Siddhas, although in their Jhoti form, lend a hand to all those who come seeking them.  

As Hans-Ulrich Rieker states in his HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA OF SVATMARAMA, the Aquarian Press 1992, (Rieker, Hatha Yoga Pradipika Of Svatmarama, 1992), “Since there is a path to liberation, there also must exist the means to pursue it to the end. And all the means that we require to reach our ultimate goal, however high it may be, lie within us. The problem is only how to release them.”, the Siddhas have shown these means towards liberation. The Siddhas had taken birth as humans and eventually through research into the mysteries of the body and soul, evolved themselves into the ultimate. The Siddhas strived to achieve Godhead or Erai as they name it, by means of performing austerities together with living a life of discipline. They had searched the nooks and corners of this universe for Erai and finally realized Erai in them. Towards this, they perfected means to enable the body to remain alive for generations and eons and to this date are believed to be living amongst us. They then taught their disciples this path. Together they then laid them out in writings for the future generations to cherish and follow. It is wonderful indeed of the Siddhas that they had documented every finding and discovery and till this day guide humans through their writings and the Nadi. Having achieved deathlessness, they render their knowledge to humanity encouraging them to follow suit.

However, since not everybody can realize Erai in them immediately, as each person is an individual soul having gained experiences through several births and advancing spiritually at their own pace, and understanding this, the Siddhas drafted four stages on the path of the soul’s evolution. Therefore, the Siddhas paved the path where one would have to go through the four divisions of Yoga towards realizing Erai in a systematic way. They are namely: Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam and Jnanam. Man confirms to any one of this path according to his temperament and nature; beliefs and thoughts; and upbringing and faith.

The four paths to Sivahood or Godhead or Erai are revealed in verses 270 to 274 of the SHIVAGNANA SIDDHIYAR SUPAKKAM.

If you prefer to sweep and clean the temple grounds; make garlands to decorate the Lord; cook for and serve both the Lord and his devotees; chant the glories of the Lord; light the sacred lamps; tend to the gardens and flower beds; serve the visiting devotees of the Lord and attend to their needs, you would qualify to be on the path of Sariyai or Taatamaargam. By serving thus, you live in the world of the Lord. This first path is also known as the path of the servant.

If you prefer to offer flowers, incense, the sacred lamp, and articles for the ritual ablution of the idol; offer food to the Lord; perform purification and offer a seat for the deity; invoke the Lord by bringing life into the idol; invite the deity; worship with pure devotion; eulogize the Lord with love and all these offerings; light and keep alive the sacrificial fire; and if you prefer to perform all these rituals on a daily basis, you shall abide close to the Lord. This ritual worship of the Lord, that of Kriyai or Sarputramaargam, is known as the path of the son.

If you prefer to control your senses; regulate your breath; realize the essence of the six Adhara Kundalini Chakras; worship the presiding deities of each Chakra; ascending to Brahmarandhra and induce the lotus bud to blossom; stimulate the sun Mandala there and absorb the resulting ambrosia throughout the body; worship and meditate on the effulgent Lord; and observe the Ashtanga Yogam, you get the form of the Lord. This third path, Yogam or Sagamaargam where you attain the form of the Lord is known as the path of companionship.

If you prefer to read the sacred text and scriptures; elucidate all and reject the falsehood as untruth; accumulate knowledge of the Lord; and merge with the Lord without any differentiation among knowledge, knower and the object of knowledge, you qualify on this path that acquires greatness and attains Godhead. This final path, Jnanam or Sanmaargam is known as the true path.

Now take your pick.