Tuesday 31 October 2017

TRYING MOMENTS IN LIFE

What is It that created us, is sustaining us and will one day leave us causing this physical body to drop? Is this physical body attached to It in some way? Moving in a little further, we realize that we are not this body, but an entity that survives beyond this physical realm. On dying, It breaks the limitations of this physical body and material world and moves back into the spirit world. 

We then step back into the 4th dimension or astral plane, we are told.

Then the question as to which came first? It or the physical body? "Udambu Uyir Yedutthathaa? Uyir Udambu Yedutthathaa?"

When Tavayogi was hit by a passing bus while riding a motorcycle, many years ago, it took him some time to recover. I confronted Agathiyar, asking him if it was proper for him to stand aside and watch, letting that accident take place. I could accept it if it happened to me but how could something so terrible happen to one who carried Agathiyar in his heart and soul, I questioned. When I asked Tavayogi he gave a rather simple reply, hardly raising an eyebrow. "It was my Karma, Son."

Many have asked me the same question now that Tavayogi was recovering from a coronary artery bypass surgery. Agathiyar says even Erai if he chooses to take a physical form will have to go through all the miseries in life, the torment and pain of growing old and will have to face death. That is the dictates of the physical form, that no one is exempted from.

The ego in us drives us to think that we are in control of our lives and everything that comes along. When after all our efforts and attempts have been exhausted, neither having reached our goal or overcome our problems, we tend to rethink, realize and accept that there is indeed a power source beyond us/within us, that dictates the flow of things and determines the outcome or results of all our efforts.

This entity can be called and identified by any name or form. But we all agree that It exist. The Siddhas call It Erai. When It takes form It is Eraivan. When It carries It's qualities It is Erai tanmai.

The divine or Erai is very much a part of us as It is also manifested in all the things around us. To one who has attained the knowledge to control and manipulate the entities in nature nothing is impossible. He can draw the holy ash in his palms, he can materialize anything from thin air etc. Although he is able to perform these feats, he is limited to things that are already in existence. He could assemble a new thing from existing things but cannot create anything anew.

Only Erai has the nature to create, help sustain, and destroy besides veiling and showering its grace. If we work in accordance with the will of Erai all things sail smooth. If you find obstacles on your path, know that it is placed by you and your karma. At times the forefathers' and ancestors' or pitrus karma tags along too, standing in your way. Take the hand of Erai and he shall lead you across the obstacle or show you an entirely new and different path. Look for signs on your journey. Follow them rather then bulldozing through like a mad rampaging elephant and ending up bruised and hurt.

But take note that one has to put in the effort and at the same time pray that Erai works with us in reaching our destiny and goal. If the path or decision we choose might not be appropriate for us then Erai most wisely might guide us accordingly.

Working in cohesion with Erai brings positive results. Work with Erai for the good of humanity and all creation. Erai loves to assist you if your thoughts, deeds and efforts are towards the upliftment and betterment of the society. Rather then asking for personal desires to be fulfilled ask that you would want to serve others. When we choose to become a tool of Erai, Erai takes care of all our other needs. Rather then worship Erai for personal gains, worship and pray for the good of all. Then Erai comes into you to carry out his divine work. You become an apostle of Erai. But always let it be reminded that you are only It's tool and not It. The moment you consider yourself as It, ego steps in. Ravana and many others from the Indian epics and myths met their downfall because they began to equate themselves with the divine and used all the Siddhis, forces and powers given to them as gifts and boons for the extreme devotion and austerities they showed, performed and undertook, against the very giver or Erai. 

Erai can only be realized by breaking away from self-centeredness and seeing It everywhere. A priest who has served Erai for years might not necessarily be humbled through his service and might not be willing to lift a hand in bringing aid and help to a fellow human, instead a man who does not pray or frequent temples might rush to the aid of another. Who is a better person now?

Note that the head of a family and his partner caring for the family is a responsibility and does not constitute or cannot be equated as serving another.

When a temple priest was called in to do the pre-marital rites at the home of my daughter's long time schoolmate, the priest hauled up her parents and chided them for placing the altar in the living room, we were puzzled. Although he gave a lengthy explanation and reasons to them, in the midst of all the invitees, on why the altar needs to be in a separate room, my wife pointed out to me that her aunt had no option but to place the deities paintings and other items on a shelf in the living room too. She was living in a tiny two room government quarters and had to care for her eight children. How could she afford a separate room to house an altar? She did not have that luxury.

When Sue Perkins of BBC One and Joanna Lumley took a walk along the streets of India, covered in two separate but wonderful documentaries, "The Ganges with Sue Perkins" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05kpsp7) and "Joanna Lumley's India" (https://mywatch-seriestv.com/joanna-lumleys-india-season-1-episode-2.html) they meet many homeless people and people segregated by society. Among them was a girl who grew up on the platform in India and now has a child of her own and was still living there. Another family of three lives in a single spaced home where they stayed, cooked, ate, prayed and slept. A boy who came to Delhi when he was 12 years old lived and grew up in the open grounds for the past 38 years. He still stays here (https://mywatch-seriestv.com/joanna-lumleys-india-season-1-episode-3.html).

When AVM family members arrived at the hotel in Palani, tribal indians staying in tents pitched on an open ground next to the hotel, caught out eyes and attention. Taking a walk to the temple later, we realized there were two more spots where a number of these indigenous peoples had pitched their tents. We later packed some food parcels at a hotel and distributed to them.


All these souls have hardly a proper roof, shelter or shed over their heads, how then can they allocate a room for the altar? 

Let us be practical. Let us not push onto others our thoughts, opinions and ways. What is practical for one might not work out for another. We need to adapt all matters, be it religion, spiritualism, traditions, cultures or normal daily norms and practices, accordingly to situations and current times. There is no hard and fast rule to living. Live within your means. Find peace within yourself.

A well known radio DJ who at times argued with his listeners on air, stopped me and my family once on the busy streets of Brickfields one hot afternoon and chided us on the way my daughters had anointed the bindi on the forehead. They had a tiny sticker bindi. He asked them to follow and uphold and upkeep the Indian tradition and culture. He did not approve a modernized look.

I did not need that lecture from him especially as I had just come out of a lengthy Nadi reading where Agathiyar had told me to cool down and stop becoming angry unnecessarily. He had given me a course on anger management thanks to my mother reporting to him through her daily prayers. My mother knowing that I would only listen to Agathiyar prayed to him daily asking him to help me with my anger. Tell me which God doesn't listen to a mother's prayer? Agathiyar chose to put it to me in a rather diplomatic way, telling me that I would lose all the merits gathered through my tapas by losing my temper and getting angry. I listened quietly and finally bid farewell to Agathiyar. As I was with my family, and it was one in the afternoon, we decided to go for lunch. It was a Sunday. The streets of Brickfields were rather empty. There were numerous parking bays available. Yet as I stepped out of Nadi Nool Aasan T.Ramesh's apartment, I find to my disappointment and ANGER a car double parked against mine. Now who and why would someone in clear mind want to park his car in such an inconsiderate manner as to block me from coming out of my parking bay. God, it was a Sunday and there were ample parking bays available!I honked for a while but no one came to move the car. He had pulled up his car handbrake that made matters worst. I came around the car several times wondering what to do. It was a hot day and my body temperature too began to move up the scale. My family was having a field day though laughing away at my expense. They began to look towards the sky and were asking if the Siddhas were monitoring our every move through CCTV's?

I tried to give the car a push and luckily it moved! I took my car out of the parking bay. After lunch we wanted to purchase some groceries before heading back home. That is when we chanced upon the DJ!

When he began advising us about failing to uphold our tradition and culture, my temperature rose again. His idea of a traditional bindi was one large round bindi that fully covered the forehead. Tell me which teenage girl would want to spot a bindi that large on her forehead and roam around the streets these days? People tend to go overboard holding on to tradition and culture not understanding that these two aspects of life will eventually change on its own accord, accordingly to the times and the situations, adopting new trends and mediums into it, and keeping up with changes as an outcome of new levels of understanding in the society. I blew my top that moment. I told him off, saying it was a matter of choice and that it was their wish how they wanted to decorate themselves, as long as it was decent and within legal and moral boundaries. I then asked him to wear the dhoti rather than the pant if he was so obsessed with tradition and culture. If in event he passes away was his wife willing to jump into the burning pyre or sati as our ancestors did in the past, I asked? I told him to uphold all that he said first before advising another. He immediately left the scene in a hurry.

I had failed miserably in keeping my cool that day. I am sorry Agathiya!

Be grateful for everything given to us till this moment. Our mantra should only be a simple note of appreciation, a thank you to the divine that moves in us as the breath. If till this moment we took the breath for granted, from now on be aware of the breath that automatically goes in and out of us. Together with it send a simple thank you note. By bringing our awareness to the breath we begin to live in the present. Time and space stops. Misery and worries stop. Karma freezes in time. The body begins to rejuvenate. It replenishes itself. What other tool or master do we need than our own self to lift us up to higher levels of spiritual achievements where it receives the grace of the divine. The divine then comes down to greet us on our journey of inner exploration. So start with a simple prayer asking the divine to come within us and lead us on. Sit quietly and observe the breath. We shall come to know all.

Monday 30 October 2017

WALKING THE PATH

Srinatha Raghavan posted the following meaningful piece on fb some hours ago.
When you follow a certain spiritual discipline sincerely, one that promises you Self Realisation, know for certain that it will shake the very foundation of your existence, before it grants you entry into the promised land.
Many spiritual aspirants who are excited to walk the path, do so for a while and when they face "Karmic Cleansing" as I call it, they get shit scared and abandon it midway. Serious Spiritual Disciplines can bring out the latent Karmic residues from deep within and can express itself as unexpected diseases and troubles. This is an undeniable and unavoidable fact. You can't escape your Karma?

I can vouch for the above statement, that there comes a time in every sincere Sadhaka's life, when his/her world is turned upside down, by a stroke of Fate, just to test his/her Faith. He/She becomes so strife with difficulties, that many questions crop up in their minds, as to what did they do so wrong to deserve it?
Well, wrongs happen to make you right!
Certain paths demands the highest personal sacrifice to reach the apex of realization. Just like climbing a Mountain, it will get harder and harder with each step and a time will surely come, when you will be forced to make a choice, either to unburden the cargo you are carrying on you or to abandon the trek midway, for the lack of strength to carry on with the load.
Spiritual Disciplines are very tough to carry on singularly, for prolonged periods of time, hence many choose to walk different paths at different times, as they are unable to face the extreme challenges of walking one path till the end of time.
Many embark on the journey, but very few actually walk it and even amongst that few, only a handful manage to considerably stick with it and maybe one or two, through their sheer dint of determination and devotion manage to reach the end.
Alas! The rest who walk, either do out of desperation or out of exaggeration and very few out of silent inspiration.
Walk if you must, but walk till the end...that's the real deal!

FEEDING

Do a search on the net and you shall come across many individual's helping the unfortunate in their own small way. Their deeds need to be applauded. Here are a few videos that capture the smiles on the faces of the poor and hungry on receiving food and clothing.














MEDICAL CAMP

Dr Jana had the opportunity to serve at a refugee school in Sunway that houses Myanmar and Sri Lankan refugees, recently. Together with other doctors, they held a medical camp there. 










Sunday 29 October 2017

BRINGING CHEER TO THE KIDS

If Captain Ariva and Arul brought cheer and joy to the inmates of a home in Kampong Sireh, Semenyih some time back (https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.my/2017/09/bringing-cheer-to-home.html), today this siblings brought joy and happiness to the hearts of 21 children at a children's home also in Semenyih. The duo organised games and fed the children besides distributing stationary; but most importantly brought a smile to these young faces.














Meanwhile Bala Chandran Gunasekaran's family hosted an annadhanam at the Kampong Sireh home today which marks their 18th occasion of feeding the unfortunate. 








Sunday 22 October 2017

HOW REAL IS AGATHIYAR?

A senior netizen who ran a popular blog that had a huge following used to share the afternoons with me on Google Hangouts many years back, till he was slowly forced to withdraw due to his ailing health. We both used to compliment each others blogs. I was blessed to receive from him a lot of revelations and information about the Siddhas that was not published. Touching on the subject of how he began his blog, he told me it all began under a very mysterious circumstances. When his friend passed away, he was saddened to the extent that he found it difficult to come out off the sadness. 

His friend became a role model to him of how a devotee of Agathiyar should live his life. He was there to watch the countless problems his friend had to face trying to uphold all the good and noble virtues in live. Full of admiration for his friend and his contributions, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his late friend who sacrificed his life for the good of the world and upliftment of mankind. Wanting to serve and further the fame of Agathiyar among the people, and wanting to fulfill the desires of his late friend, he brooded over what he should do thereon. 

It was during one of these sad moments when he was sitting all alone in seclusion, that he sensed the presence of two beings beside him. When he questioned them about their presence and their attempt at bringing him out of the sadness, they replied that death was inevitable and that there was no point in brooding our it.

When he questioned them as to how he was to come out of the state, they replied that he would get the answers in a couple of days. He was to get the blessings of the Siddhas and work towards it.

He put forth his desire to share the enormous amount of teachings of the Siddhas for humanity, with the world. He soon forgot about it. As he sat for meditation in the evening, Agathiyar gave him his consent and blessings to write. Agathiyar gave him the title of the blog and the days he should post too.

That is how his blog came about.

When a true devotee of Agathiyar who craved to merge with him was told to go into solitude and isolation, Agathiyar specifically told her to stop following the social medias for it would intrude into her sadhanas. She immediately de-activated all her accounts. Before her isolation when she visited AVM she surprised us with many revelations of how Agathiyar came to her.

Similarly the seekers in an established ashram were prohibited to read, follow the news and happenings around them. In event there was a need for them to know what was happening in the outside world, the head of the ashram would brief them.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar once had mentioned that it would be difficult to achieve progress in meditation in current times due to the enormous amounts of waves that we are bombarded with daily.


How real is Agathiyar?

He acknowledged the fact that I had garlanded him in a temple just minutes before my Nadi reading in an office space some distance away.

He acknowledged that I had gone to all the places stipulated in the Nadi with Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal. He specifically listed all the places including age old temples, caves and jungles, where he would show himself or his substance or a miracle beforehand. He did throw in many surprises too at the least expected moments.

He has come into the homes of his devotees, AVM family members in many forms - as a Padharatchai or sandal; as a Vaasi kol or staff; in the form of a lime and other prasad or offerings; and in the form of bronze and granite statues.

He has literally walked into the homes of his devotees, visible to some, sensed by others. He has come unto others and left on his own accord.

He comes through the medium of the Nadi to all those who seek him out.

How real is Agathiyar? Is he of this world? Or is he traveling between different planes and dimensions?

Speaking about dimensions, https://www.consciousawareness.info/dimensions brings us many interesting and amazing facts and information regarding the 12 plus 1 number of dimensions. Here are some highlights. 
The planes are neither above nor below one another, but interpenetrating and existing in the same space.
The first dimension is the realm of the mineral kingdom and is the slowest in terms of vibratory rate.... The Ancients knew how to prepare stone for storing knowledge. The builders of temples used natural geomancy and energy flow of a location to store the total for what they knew...stones are the bones of the Earth Body.... When you visit Ancient Sacred sites you experience formulas for higher consciousness. You often pick up what you left there thousands of years ago to reclaim. By journeying to these places, your body is exposed to these energies and accessed the blueprint along which to evolve.
A relative came to know some time back that the statue of a deity that she was worshiping currently was exactly the same piece that was worshiped by her in one of her past births.
The second dimension is the plane of plants, trees, animals and insects. Animals are brilliant and much smarter than humans, they know they do not end when they die. They hold there connection with source. When you approach a plant or animal, it knows if you are coming in Peace.
The third dimension is the dimension of self-awareness and self-consciousness. It is the consciousness that directs the autonomic nervous system to regulate and maintain life support functions... in the third dimension, we consciously experience linear time - the past, the present, and future - yet we know that other times are accessible. We touch other times through the use of divination tools, to predict the future or recall past life memories.
The fourth dimension is a gray, polarized plane, housing the forces of Light and Darkness. Many times in a Near Death Experience, a person will travel thru a long tunnel. The tunnel traverses the darkness (the Fourth Dimension) and ends in a bright opening of Golden or White Light (the Fifth Dimension), this is the Birth Canal of the Soul and the doorway to "Heaven". 
A staunch devotee of Agathiyar of many previous births, narrated her experience in seeing herself stand over her body at the hospital bed. She was screaming to her body and jerking it asking it to wake up. Seeing the futility of her effort, the next moment she saw herself at her home with her small child. All the thoughts about how her husband was going to bring up their child since she was no more, bombarded her at that moment. The next moment she found herself at the gates of Batu Caves. Some strange grey forms approached her and coaxed her to follow. A light form suddenly appeared and dispelled the dark forces. The light form led her to the bottom steps of Batu Caves temple and asked her to continue up to the sannadhi of Lord Murugan and plead to him mentioning that only he can bring her back alive. The next moment she is pleading to Lord Muruga who appears and grants her wish. She finds herself regaining consciousness back at the hospital immediately.

Another devotee of Lord Shiva sees himself traveling along the light tunnel. From afar he sees a speck of light that on nearing him he recognizes at Lord Yama, the angel of death. But contrary to common belief he was not dark-skinned nor was he scary and did not mount a buffalo as depicted and shown to us. He was in the light form, muscular and well built, and was mounting a golden lion. He did sound authoritative though demanding that the soul follow him. The devotee's soul immediately seeked out for Lord Shiva, chanting Siva's mantra. The next moment Lord Shiva appears as is portrayed to us, huge and majestic, but only showing his face partially. He takes the soul by the hand and with the other hand pushes on the chest of Lord Yama, sending him to the very place he came from. The devotee recovers consciousness and sees the hospital staff working hard to revive him. 

A non-believer who happened to follow his son to the cave temple in Sungai Siput  thought that he would while his time sweeping the fallen leaves that formed a thick canopy on the cave cum temple floor while his son attended to the prayers. He soon took up this task of sweeping and cleaning the temple daily although he never lifted his hands in prayers while inside the temple. One day he was admitted into the hospital and after the medical team failed to revive him, declared him as dead. The temple priests and several others headed for the general hospital and began chanting hymns for Lord Muruga. The man regained consciousness and was there at the temple to greet us during our visit some time back.

A close relative of a man who was bed-ridden for five years, referred to the Nadi and carried out all the instructions on his behalf. But the man died. The relative was ridiculed and abused verbally by others for having so much faith on Agathiyar and his Nadi asking why Agathiyar had let him down. Soon the relative was summoned for a Nadi reading. Agathiyar never has a reading for a dead man but this was an exceptional case. Agathiyar mentions, "What am I to do for he has given up hope." In each reading seeking parikaram Agathiyar had repeatedly mentioned that the man must be strong and willing to fight his illness. But sadly his soul had pleaded that enough was enough, that he could not bear to see his family care for him all those years. Agathiyar had to give in to the souls request. 

We continue the journey through the dimensions as mentioned in https://www.consciousawareness.info/dimensions
The fifth dimension is the dimension of unity, the individuality of consciousness merges harmoniously with the group identity of the collective unconsciousness. In the Fifth Dimension, one simply duplicates herself to her destination(s).
The sixth dimension is the realm of geometry...According to traditional occult principle, in order for anything to exist in the material world, it must first exist on the astral plane.It's pattern, it's basic components, must be fashioned from the geometry of light in the sixth dimension. All form precipitates down from the sixth dimensions, through the diamond of Shamballa in the fifth dimension, to the astral archetypes of the fourth dimension, to physical forms in the third, second, and first dimensions.
It is believed that once a critical mass of people reaches a level of ascension, then the rest of the species can automatically ascend in what is called a global ascension.
As we enter the higher dimensions beyond the sixth, we lose shape and form. The dimensions become more abstract and less easily described in human language.
The seventh dimension is the realm of cosmic sound – not the vibratory patterns that we hear in the physical dimension.. On this cosmic creative scale, the cosmic-sound dimension creates, or “weaves” together, the structure and reality of our universe.
The eighth dimension is the realm of the Divine Mind....A Group Soul which is a collection of entities that work together as ONE unit reside in this dimension. As a Group Soul we can channel into other forms in other dimensions once we know and hold their specific vibration. Prayer and healing groups are based on this Magic interaction of Souls.... And an entire rain forest could be the vehicle (body) of a Group Soul.
The ninth dimension is ... the transition from formless to form.
The tenth dimension... is like the outer shell of the Universe. Beyond it is the void.
From an eleventh dimensional perspective, we can see billions of these cosmic eggs blazing in the Nothingness of the Void.
It is not possible to envision the Twelfth Dimension.
And finally,
Our divine hologram activation is a ceremonial experience that takes place on the 13th plane of Resonance known as the Cosmic Womb. 

BRINGING DEEPAVALI CHEER


The Kugen family from South Africa organised a treat for the kids in a home and needy families in conjunction with the Deepavali festive season recently. 
A very good morning from a warm, sunny Johannesburg. I hope you and everyone at AVM are doing very well.

The family and I did some feeding at a Children’s Home over last weekend in anticipation of deepavali. Together with some friends we also delivered deepavali food hampers to 54 needy families.
This is only the beginning and I have been overwhelmed by the support and interest our efforts have received. It was beyond my expectation. Initially Kugen and I set out to reach out and do this by ourselves, however once people had heard of it they were calling to participate and contribute. Many people were disappointed that they had found out too late and had missed the opportunity. I snatched the moment to advise that there would definitely be other opportunities. With more interest and more people involvement we can reach further and wider.

Our efforts to spare a thought, to share and bring some relief to the needy before deepavali was successful. It was certainly a result of Agathiyar’s blessings and support which I am immensely grateful for.

15 October 2017

Deepavali Hampers


As a team of approximately 10; we set off on Sunday morning to deliver deepavali hampers to people in need, at one of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs. The hampers consisted of regular food items, such as rice, tea bags, etc. and given that deepavali was approaching; some delicious biscuits were included. 54 families were provided with these hampers. Many of the people we encountered were elderly and sick but were found caring for others without having the means to do so. One struggling family had recently taken in two disabled siblings after their parent’s recent death. A cancer patient with little precious time living at a temple. A warm, friendly 90-year-old mother, living alone with many cats, struggling to get around with the help of a walker. An elderly lady who has lost her husband two weeks ago. Several other struggling, destitute families and individuals. It was also wonderful to see that some able families in that community had taken in destitute people and have provided them with a place to stay and food, either within their homes or on their property.


16 October 2017

Children’s Home Feeding


My family, including my young nieces and nephews, spent last Saturday night under the stars, sharing dinner with approximately 90 children, aged between 1 and 17 years, at a Children’s Home in Midrand, Johannesburg.

Dinner was a hot hearty meal, with a cool salad, a juice and a delicious serving of ice cream.

The kids were warm, friendly and very inviting. They enjoyed their meal and literally sang their appreciation and gratitude afterwards. We had a wonderful evening under the stars with these amazing stars. 





Meanwhile Thedal Ulla Thenikalaai (TUT) and AVM served food last evening at the Vallalar Sathya Gnana Tirusabai in Guduvancheri. 




Thursday 19 October 2017

TAKING THE WALK

There is so much hype about becoming spiritual nowadays. We take a portion from the exhaustive ocean and begin marketing it to others often commercializing it. Sadly it is at the expense of other forms of spiritualism. Then there are others who are eager to bring us to the promised land. I would accept his hand provided he has returned from there himself. For one who would truly want to share what he has gained he would not ask anything in return, be it monetary or in kind, but instead genuinely pass it on to another. Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai was one such soul.

Besides spending hours rolling his rudraksha bead and chanting his Guru's name and that of Lord Shiva, he loves to go to his Guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's samadhi temple and the Annamalaiyar temple. He would sit and watch the pradosham performed on Nandhi and Lord Shiva (Yogi too) for the whole duration without removing his eyes from the ritual nor moving his body. He would be froze in devotion. He would leave soon after that with no interaction with the public. He would continue his chants in the confines of his home and altar once back.

We either read about it or are told to drop all the vices, ego, likes and dislikes, and numerous other things while stepping onto the spiritual path. Are we prepared to let go of all these and yet stay in this material world? The body that was made to be fully dependent on the senses, that collapses the moment it falls ill, the body that ages and eventually is considered and regarded as a burden, needs to be prepared for a bigger challenge and to house the divine. Are we prepared for an enormous task and transformation? Ramalinga Adigal mentions a twelve year period where he underwent much turmoil. Later he mentions in detail the transformation in his body that took place before he became the light body. Jnana Jhotiamma too went through a transformation internally. 

Then we fail to realize the amount of responsibility one has being spiritual. I can make mistakes and move on for no one will take notice but not one who is an icon, especially a spiritual icon.

In their eagerness to promote their ways there are others who degrade the very practices that our forefathers took up. There are movements who make themselves present at rituals, and temple ceremonies not to take part but to distribute pamphlets that preach their way as superior. I consider this practice as rude. Sanadhana Dharma never converted anyone but on the contrary took them along a journey of self discovery, without force or fear, neither pushing them to the limits nor promising a total change or transformation in a single lifetime. That is the reason it has survived till now, amidst all the attacks and blunder upon it.

The idol and temple worship is a required element on the spiritual path. Energies prevailing in the temples help a devotee gain access to the world of the gods. The temple becomes a portal to the other world. Similarly we could also create our own temple in our homes. With daily prayers and offerings our altar turns into the inner sanctum of a temple. We could also keep chanting the Lords name continuously in the altar that is within our heart. There are numerous ways to it. No single way is superior. Each is catered for a particular devotee. We could not possibly explain all the abstract and formless concepts in devotion to a child as even we as adults do not know much about it. It is only those who have been there over the other side, whom can explain and describe it. All else is a just a transfer of book knowledge and not an individual's experience. This is the reason one goes to a Guru, one who has walked the path and attained a particular state, to sit and listen to his experiences. If he decides the Guru either takes us on the same walk or brings that experience within us at the very spot.

The Nayanmars visited every single temple on their spiritual round of pilgrimage and sang padhikams or songs of praise to the Lord, praising his traits and the leelas he performed in that town. Arunagiri was asked to go to all the abodes of Lord Muruga and sing his praise there. Ramalinga Adigal visited the temples daily and sang songs of devotion, describing the deities at these temples. They could have continued sitting at one spot and churning out these wonderful songs from the soul, but it had to be their experiences or anubhuthis that had to be delivered to the masses. Agathiyar brought me immediately to India so that I could be present at the very places the Siddhas had walked the earth. Similarly a child has to be led into spiritual realm by taking his hand and bringing him on a journey. This journey is usually to the local temple in the neighborhood, explaining to him that that was God's abode. Simultaneously he is led into prayers at the altar in the family home too. From being shown God externally he can move on to see god internally in due time when he has had an understanding of the finer concepts in worship and devotion. An avatar too, is still raised by a family where worship is a daily ritual. His life too starts with external worship.

I had my fare share of experiences with these energies at numerous temples, things that I could not comprehend neither was the happenings under my control. But it was blissful. I became immersed in the powerful surges of energies that consumed me. Soon after I wanted very much to share these moments of bliss with others but did not know how. Later I figured that I should hold hands with others and let this energies flow through them too, hopefully bringing them too to feel and partake the bliss. These energy transmissions took place in temples, in caves, and in homes too. It took place in the midst of the crowded temples, in the midst of a vizha or fest, and also in solitude. Space and time were not a criteria for the energy to flow throw. Neither was personal hygiene nor cleanliness a criteria for the energy to come in. It could happen in a latrine or a rubbish dump too. And it all started with temple worship.

By bringing me to perform rituals in my home, Agathiyar slowly took me by the hand to do charity. Agathiyar brought together a cohesion of individuals each asked to perform a particular task. When one is frustrated and feeling down, they turn up at AVM and leave with hope. Sri Krishna through his Pothigai Meals on Wheels brings hope and food to those on the streets. Bala Chandran Gunasekaran and Shanga Manikam bring hope to those in the orphanages and homes. Rakesh through his teammates at Thedal Ulla Thenikalaai (TUT) bring hope to many on the streets in Chennai. Agathiyar has gathered a good team behind these good souls to do his work.

Agathiyar through Sanadhana Dharma introduced us to idol worship and temple worship, then brought us to the Siddha worship and through his guidance brought us to see the divine in all the souls equally. He did not put us through a tough regime of practices, austerities or tapas or tavam but instead allowed us continue to enjoy the many offerings of both mother nature and the pleasurable offerings of the modern world; only asking us to allocate a small portion of our time in devotion and charity. The most compassionate father has catered a wonderful path for us to realize our oneness with the divine. 

Wednesday 18 October 2017

BRINGING A CHANGE IN OUR PERSPECTIVE

There is a very famous koan or saying from Ch'an or Zen that provokes and brings a beautiful understanding of all things around us if pondered and meditated on. It goes as follows,
Before you study Zen,
mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers;
while you are studying Zen,
mountains are no longer mountains and rivers are no longer rivers;
but once you have had enlightenment
mountains are once again mountains and rivers again rivers.
Rev. Nonin Chowaney, a Soto Zen Buddhist Priest, and Abbot and Head Teacher of the Nebraska Zen Center / Heartland Temple, Omaha, Nebraska, USA at 
First seeing mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers means seeing them as fixed and solid entities in and of themselves. 
Later seeing them as not mountains and not rivers means we understand that neither mountains nor rivers exist in and of themselves, that they are empty of inherent existence and made up of other beings that are also empty of inherent existence.
For instance, there is nothing within a mountain that we can pull out and say, "this is mountain," or, "this is what makes a mountain a mountain." Mountains are made up of rocks, trees, grass, snow, water, rivers, ponds, lakes, insects, birds, animals, etc., etc., etc., and all of these things are made up of other things. So, there are no mountains and no rivers. 
When we continue to practice, and our wisdom eye is fully opened, we realize that mountains are indeed mountains, and rivers are indeed rivers, for there is a mountain there and a river over here.
However, we deeply understand that both "mountain" and "river" are merely words that we use to describe the conditioned phenomena in front of us. Neither phenomena is a fixed nor permanent entity that exists in and of itself and possesses inherent existence as "mountain," or "river." In other words we experience and understand their true nature, and the true nature of all beings.
(Source:  https://terebess.hu/zen/qingyuan.html)

Agathiyar says he is in the prapanjam and the prapanjam is in him. Take away the labels and nothing exists on its own. Stop labeling things and all is seen as one, a cohesion of several things that takes a form.  

Similarly the moment we condemn another's faith, belief and practice we begin to differentiate and stay alienated. Stop differentiating and all is seen as one, a cohesion of several things that takes a form.  

It is thus that the Siddhas too after attaining a trans-formative state live among us, neither alienating themselves nor differentiating themselves from others, nay they do not see others as inferior nor condemn another's faith or practice but take everyone into their fold. They stay aloft yet with it just as the drop of water on the lotus leaf stays.

Just as the koan goes, the temple is a temple initially, then a temple is no more a temple and finally upon attaining the correct understanding we realize that the temple is once again a temple. Many who have progressed spiritually begin to shun idol and temple worship. There is nothing wrong with going to the temples upon attaining enlightenment. The temple remains a temple but the change is internal, in our perspective, in our understanding. The moment we reject temple worship, our spiritual path would not be one of inclusiveness. The prapanjam is inclusive. That is the way to come to advaita from dwaita.

Tuesday 17 October 2017

FEEDING

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks quotes a saying, “Many people worry about their own stomachs and the state of other people’s souls. The real task is to do the opposite: to worry about other people’s stomachs and the state of your own soul.” How true.

He quotes another, “Someone else’s material needs are my spiritual responsibility.” 

Let us bring cheer and joy to others in ways that would fulfill their needs of the moment. The needs of the poor is very little. Almost always it centers upon food. Knowing this Ramalinga Adigal started the Satya Dharma Salai to feed the hungry at Vadalur in 1867. This activity continues till this day. This noble act has been picked up by many individuals and associations throughout the world. Sadhu Janagiraman and Sadhu Saravanan are among them. They run the Vallalar Mission in Thiruvannamalai. They feed the sadhus and hungry daily and on a large scale during the Karthigai Deepam season. Both sadhus are very passionate about their work and the teachings of Ramalinga Adigal.


Locally Sri Krishna and his family have taken up the call of feeding the hungry and poor. Many noble souls seeing him go live on the streets, have called him up to offer themselves in service. This has been very encouraging and serves as a motivation for him to do further. 



















Sri Krishna expanded his service to all fields, reaching out to the poor, old, young, disabled, hungry and unfortunate both locally and abroad.









Just as we light a wick from another flame, while Sri Krishna took the cue from Sadhu Janagiraman and Sadhu Saravanan, Thondu Seivom and Amudha Surabhi took the cue from him and began serving and distributing food to those in the homes and food parcels to the homeless too. The flame from Satya Dharma Salai in Vadalur now is lighted in all these souls in Malaysia.