Wednesday 28 March 2018

CLEARLY DEFINING THE PATH

Where would you start on this vast ocean that is called spiritualism? You go knock a door. You watch what goes on. You decide that is not what you seeked. You leave. You arrive at another door and find that that too is not to your liking. You move on searching for an ideal home where your spirit could rest in bliss. Soon you exhaust yourself seeking out the ideal and perfect path. It dawns on you that there is no ideal or perfect path. After much soul searching you come to a halt only to realize that rather then search for a path of your hearts desire you are then willing to settle for one that is drawn up by the divine for the divine knows all.

After much reading of spiritual garbs that brought me nowhere nearer to the realization of Erai, and with the timely intervention of Lord Shiva through a dream, I dropped all seeking and forms of worship.

When my seeking stopped, Erai moved in, not immediately but after all that I had read earlier had settled and no new spiritual nor religious junk was collected. The divine arrived to guide me after 14 years, bringing me a mantra for Lord Vishnu; bringing me the worship of Lord Dhakshanamurthy; and Mother in her forms of Dhurga, Lakshmi and Sarasawathy.

A year later I am lead to read the sacred oracle or Nadi that is both mind boggling and amazing. The blueprint is shown to me. I am given options and choices to either pursue in the path of my hearts desire or to listen and adapt the Siddhas advice. I opt for the latter. The following year, I place my feet in the soil of my father and forefathers land, mystical India. I am greeted by the Siddhas through many forms and at many venues. I am shown the mystical side of spiritualism - one that was beyond the sense of logic and general understanding. I am shown my Guru and the fire of devotion is rekindled in me by Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai. He showed me the magnificence of Gurus.  

Back home I am shown my second Guru who leads me on on the path of the Siddhas. Taking the recitation of the names of the Siddhas in one hand and charity in another hand I walk alongside Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram. Armed with these two earth shattering cannons I began my journey on a path less known and even less traveled. Just as mentioned "And then the true adventure began" for Sarah Macdonald author of "HOLY COW! - An Indian Adventure", Tavayogi mentioned exactly the same as we embarked together on an adventure tracing the path traveled by the Siddhas. 

The Siddhas came to my aid, guiding me through the only medium of communication in those years - the Nadi. Today they deliver their messages through people whom they chose. Knowing that one cannot possibly swallow the whole ocean of spiritualism and partake its nectar and ambrosia the Siddhas have clearly defined the path for us at AVM. It is a relatively easy path; that of a householder but yet maintaining a relationship with the divine. It is not taxing. It is simple to follow. It can be done in the confines of the home. It is not dependent on a medium or middleman. It gives results proportional to one's efforts.

This is the worship of Siddhas. By serving mankind in need and prayers for the welfare of all of his creation, these two means are the stepping stones to much bigger and grandeur states to come. 

POTHIHAI THARMA CHAKKRAM

Pothihai Tharma Chakkram prepared and distributed 500 plus food parcels yesterday in and around Kuala Lumpur City premises.
















While Pothihai Tharma Chakkram targeted the homeless Thondu Seivom picked up the food parcels to serve at a home for the aged in Semenyih.





Monday 26 March 2018

GIVING BACK




Meanwhile, the Gunasekaran family carried out their monthly feeding programme at a home in Semenyih yesterday evening.





Sunday 25 March 2018

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR TO SPIRITUALISM

When I came to the spiritual world I was in for a surprise. I thought all the back stabbing and enmity for material gains was only prevalent in the material world. Oh boy little did I realize that it was even worst in the spiritual world.

Along this journey I have learnt to become aware of people with vested interest. I became cautious of people who came along and began to complain or bad mouth their previous guru or establishment. I do not fancy degrading people we had been with and used for our needs only to belittle them later. I told myself that it won't be long before they would find fault with me or our establishment too. These are people who will never find satisfaction in any place or in any way. 

We need to learn to move on taking the experiences, both good or bad, pleasant or bitter as a teaching and a learning process and move on with life. Our lives are definitely not dependent on others. Erai decides on all matters eventually.

When I sat with Tavayogi and listened to learned devotees questioning him, I saw through them that they knew pretty well what they were asking about. It was a way of telling others that they knew much. Others would take up a matter that they had either read or discussed with another guru and dished that out to him waiting to hear his opinion. 

This would go on for hours, for they would counter his answer with another question. This would go on for days, nay even for years.

I have learnt to be equally cautious about gurus who manipulate their students. I was surprised to know that a guru had envied his students quick advancement and put a block/stop to his progress. I believed that all gurus would do good and be happy that his student is progressing well, until then. 

I saw the risk involved in receiving teechas or initiations from any Tom, Dick or Harry. There are numerous gurus dishing out mantras and giving initiations. But the student must remember the risk they take in receiving them. Teechas are not awards of achievements that we pin on our chest. Teechas should be adhered and followed to the word. 

I had an email from someone in Delhi who asked if Tavayogi could help heal him. I told him that I had not seen Tavayogi heal anyone. He was a student of various martial art forms and a disciple of several gurus. The energies awakened in his body began to do havoc. Sadly non of his gurus could help him lead a normal life. After 8 years his thought came to my mind and I inquired through email about his condition. It had not improved!

Another devotee had energy shifts in his head and he had to stay away from work for a year. I asked him to see his guru to which he replied his guru had gone cuckoo too. 

All these initiations and practices given has to be closely monitored by the gurus and the student guided accordingly. Sadly it does not happen. The student has to be under the watchful eyes of the guru through out the entire practice. Sadly it does not happen. Students learn through online lessons, long distance teaching, video conferences and YouTube channels these days. 

I was surprised to learn that there are gurus waiting to zap the positive energies of their students and devotees. There are many who comfortably use us in our times of distress, sorrow and depression. There are many who use our ignorance on spiritual matters to manipulate us too. 

I realized that we do not know spiritualism in its pure form. All we have is an opinionated knowledge about various spiritual matters. We depend on translations of spiritual doctrines, text and literature. These would have the translators opinion added most subtly between the lines. It would have been read and digested by the translator first before projecting it into words again. The reader on the other hand would read and assimilate it and might understand it differently. So where is the original content and intent of the author of the text?  It is lost within these translations. It is for this reason that Agathiyar has advised a devotee who was told to pick up an original text of the Thirumanthiram without any translations and read it. As he keeps reading it Thirumular will come within him and make him understand and comprehend his text. Who is better than the author himself to explain his text and theory?

THE DIVINE

The divine is not limited in speech or acts. When a brother of mine suddenly went into a trance and started addressing the Chinese devotees gathered at a temple fest we were stunned. He never knew how to speak or read the language. He never spoke a word in Chinese till then. But it happened in broad daylight, right before our eyes. How was that possible?

When the late Hanumathdasan Aiya voiced out that it was rather difficult to read and comprehend Agathiyar's writings in the Jeeva Nadi in his possession due to the high standard of language used and spoken by Agathiyar, he asked that Agathiyar relay it in the language used in present times. Agathiyar, although voiced concern that Hanumathdasan Aiya was asking him to bring his standard down, but out of compassion for the present generation agreed to come down to the level of understanding of the layman, giving him the revelation in his colloquial language. Hanumathdasan Aiya reveals in his collection of stories based on the Nadi and published as "Nadi Sollum Kathaigal", that Agathiyar continued to appear in the Jeeva Nadi in simple spoken Tamil of the day, after that request was put to him. 

Agathiyar never asked to part with the Nadi or hand it over to another in all his forty plus years of reading the Jeeva Nadi. But there were exceptions. The Nadi had to be giving to a temple priest for keep for several days once. Then again, Hanumathdasan Aiya mentions that Agathiyar made an exception when he asked him to pass the Nadi to a seeker, a Malaysian Tamil who came for a reading. As the Malaysian could not comprehend Tamil, the reading appeared in the Malay language which the Malaysian read and understood for himself! Amazing! So when Lord Muruga while revealing the Nadi chooses to utter a word in English, it comes as no surprise to us.

The realm of the Siddhas has always amazed and intrigued us. We await the day when we can fully comprehend the doings of Erai and the Siddhas.

THE GURU & THE DIVINE PART 2 - DIRECTION

I have read far too many spiritual literature and books. I have listened to far too many spiritual talks. I have spoken and debated over petty issues pertaining to the spiritual world far too long. This only brought further confusion and led me into a deeper state of illusion and depression. All that stopped when Lord Shiva came in a dream and asked me to pull the brakes and put all things on hold. It was a 14 year period of hibernation for me. When the time was right he sent his messengers to convey the news and bring me back into the spiritual realm, instructing me this time rather then me searching for things and ideas that would make me look and feel spiritual.

Agathiyar paved the way for me to come to his path through a mantra initiation by my nephew and a year later through the Nadi. He showed me two wonderful Gurus - Supramania Swami of Thiruvannamalai and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram. While Agathiyar rekindle the fire of devotion in me, Supramania Swami showed me pure, dedicated devotion and tapas towards Erai. Tavayogi showed me the world of the Siddhas. He brought me to do charity, the very first time at his Kallar Ashram in 2005.

When I asked Tavayogi for further direction in 2016 he told me what was there to direct us at AVM for Agathiyar had taken rein of all matters and shall lead us. True to his words, both Agathiyar and Lord Muruga are giving us direction through their Nadi and vision and dreams to certain AVM family members.

This is the moment to go into action, giving life to their directives.

AVM is going through a re-engineering phase. It is going to be a inner circle of devotees who believe in and carry out the two tasks and objectives that both Agathiyar and Murugan assure will lead to sitthi and mukti (liberation). These are dharma and tapas. They have simplified the way and the means to achieve this state that is considered sufficient for this birth.

Hence AVM has begun a drive to encourage seekers to start prayers to the Siddhas if they haven't yet and try to do charity in their locality and whenever they are out. There need not be a plan or a big event. Looking around, opportunities to do charity will be presented. Serve as we go along with our daily routine. That will suffice. Allocate some time from our busy schedule to join both Thondu Seivom and Pothihai Tharma Chakkram who are aggressively engaged in doing charity in the Klang Valley. Amudha Surabhi supports financially, reaching out and distributing funds to both this groups and others towards their feeding and other programes.

Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia, Pothihai Tharma Chakram, Thondu Seivom and Amudha Surabhi is continuously mentioned in the Nadi and both Agathiyar and Lord Muruga are guiding us. The Nadi has become an instrument of communication between us and Erai. We look upon it as the spoken word of Erai. We do not see the messenger but only the message.

Similarly both Agathiyar and Lord Muruga have repeatedly asked us to continue doing charity without looking for reasons to do so. Just keep going they say. The answers will be revealed in due time.

Rather then figuring a way to tackle the whole world and all of its problems we have been directed to be focused on dharma and tapas that would serve as a vehicle for us to move up the ladder of spirituality. We are more focused now. We abide by the Siddhas and their spoken word in the Nadi.

Saturday 24 March 2018

THE GURU & THE DIVINE PART 1

Agathiyar asked to have his abhisegam or libation at the Adhikumbeshwarar temple in Kumbakonam first before he was flown to Malaysia. Varadaraj of the Bronze Creative in Swamimalai performed it on our behalf after he made Agathiyar's statue in bronze. 

On arrival at our shores we conducted abhisegam with 9 items, the number mentioned by him, during his Guru Puja. Later when Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar furnished me with a list of abhisegam items and relevant songs totaling 23 in numbers, we opted for 16 based on the availability of the items. 

Hence we carried out abhisegam with 16 items singing the songs pertinent and according to the items used. When Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar performed the abhisegam at AVM he rushed through the whole process without interval of any sorts. When I was present at the Agathiyar Ashram at Anuvavi, I noticed Kumarsamy Aiya perform the abhisegam rapidly too without any delay. When he performed the 108 Muligai Abhisegam for Eco City Agathiyar in Malaysia, he did the same too stating that we should not keep the deity waiting, hence the reason for rushing through.

Then when we least expected, Ambal asked for abhisegam at AVM. The divine intervened midway and personally carried out the abhisegam with 3 items namely 1. Kumkum, 2. Sandhanam and 3. Vibhuthi. 

Then Lord Muruga in a Jeeva Nadi reading asked for abhisegam too with 7 items listing it too. 

1. Cooked rice 2. Curd 3. Turmeric powder 4. Tender Coconut water 5. Sesame oil 6. Flour 7. Sandalwood powder

Today the divine surprised me further when Lord Ganapathy asked for the garland I had in my hands. To our surprised he garlanded my granddaughter with another. The florist asked me to get one for each deity. I told him that placing a single garland would encompass the whole pantheon of Gods and Goddesses to which he agreed too, to my surprise. Standing at Lord Ganapathy's sannadhi the priests came up to me and asked if the garland was for Ganapathy. Although I had purchased it to garland Lord Muruga after my climb up to the cave temple at Batu Caves, since the priest raised the question I handed the garland to him. 

We are amazed how the divine is guiding us directly.

THE MOST COMPASSIONATE GURU

When Bakta was about to enter the Sathya Gnana Sabai at Vadalur, he caught sight of the caution statement placed at the entrance to the hall, written on the walls of the temple complex. As he read, "Only those who have renounced meat and murder should enter", he drew back and stood affixed and felt disappointed that he could not enter the divine premises, having come all the way from Malaysia. Then there came an old man limping along and stood in front of him at the entrance to the hall. He looked at Bhakta and told him that he could enter if he took a vow and pronounced that he would refrain from taking meat that instant. Bhakta became a vegetarian that day. Agathiyar reveals later that Nondi Siddhar met him that day and brought the change in him.


When Tavayogi requested me to bring along my family in the evening, the day I met him for the very first time in Malaysia, he offered to give my wife teecha or initiation into Agathiyar's mantra too provided she turned vegetarian. She agreed to instantly and we both received an initiation together with eight others. 

I soon understood that if we are willing to change now, in the present, they are willing to forgive and forget our past too.

It is easier to migrate from this present body to the body of light if we refrain from taking meat. The transformation that one undergoes to achieve the body of light involves expelling all the remnant memories of having taken the meat throughout the ages and our lives. The duration taken in purifying the body is henceforth shortened and there is less suffering during the alimentary and excretory process that takes place in a vegetarian.

Similarly the recital of the names of the Siddhas is in actuality a cleansing and purifying process that  prepares the body for the divine to come and life within. The Guru comes ahead of Erai to do the ground work and prepare the potential body to serve as an abode for Erai to reside and prepare it for a uplifting and energizing experience. He moulds the disciple to receive the grace of Erai.

The grace of the Guru goes beyond births. Agathiyar has revealed to many that their relationship with him was nothing new and that it dates back to several births in the past. He lists out these births to them and the reason to take birth again.

When an AVM family member's sister consulted the Jeeva Nadi read by Tavayogi while in Malaysia, Agathiyar reveals that her Guru in her former birth was asking Agathiyar to help end her sufferings and bring cheer and happiness to her!

Agathiyar brought us into his path. Tavayogi showed us the basics of Siddha worship, stepping aside to let us deal with Agathiyar directly. Soon Agathiyar and other Siddhas guided us further on the rituals and meditation techniques. We brought his worship to other homes of the AVM/ AUM family. Then he brought us out from the confines of our homes and entrusted us to conduct rituals and prayers at temples. We are deeply obliged and blessed to receive these opportunities to serve him.








































BRINGING CHEER & APPEASING HUNGER

Pothihai Tharma Chakkram helped distribute food to the hungry in the city yesterday.


















Meanwhile Dr Jana visited the home and treated a person needing followup medical attention and financial assistance. He was referred to us by a doctor who saw and treated his eyesight and brought his condition to our attention.



Although these deeds are very minute in nature but it brings great joy and satisfaction in helping others.

We shaved my seven month old granddaughter's head bald at Batu Caves this morning. Taking this opportunity to distribute food to the devotees at the temple, we prepared and packed some food to take along.

Just as I was bringing the freshly fried noodles to the car, the garbage truck came along. We passed some food parcels and bottled drinking water to these great souls who served to keep our neighborhood clean and disease free by their periodic collection of household trash. It brought instantaneous joy in seeing the smiles on their faces.

Once at the temple grounds we fed the birds and fishes too. Suren joined us in prayer and doing charity. While coming down the steps of Batu Caves Murugan temple, I receive a call from the Rajah family who were on their way to distribute food parcels to the hungry in Kajang town. Beautiful thought and deed!

When I returned from the mini mart after purchasing some groceries, I had two 10kg packets of rice with me. As I parked the car, the foreigners who were contracted to clean the drains were taking a break in the shade of the trees. I asked if they wanted a packet. They did not mind carrying it all the way to their rented premises some 2.4 kms away. Soon each time I purchase rice for the family I get an extra packet to donate. These small acts of charity brought immense joy and happiness to me. I understood that although I could not possibly change their fate, but a small contribution can go a long way in reducing their burden.

The idea in sharing these acts is to give simple ideas to others who have an intent to give but do not know where to start and not to boost the individual ego.

Wednesday 21 March 2018

CAREY ISLAND MURUGAN

Devotees of Agathiyar from Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia and Pothigai Tharma Chakkram made our way to Carey Island again to fulfill Lord Muruga's desire for a libation or abhisegam that came as a dream to GK and later was confirmed in his Nadi reading. 




Agathiyar

Agathiyar
Agathiyar

Agathiyar

Agathiyar

Muruga

Muruga

Muruga