Part 3 (conversations between aya and bhakta)

[Guest guest]

Bhakta (B): I want to ask about a particular gesture peculiar to Aya?

 

Aya: Yes, why is this?

 

B: This is because you have said that the way of Ayan is the way to

attain mukthi. And not solely to be a 'sami adi'.

 

Aya: It is up to oneself. As one sows, one will reap. Gaining

anything in this world we will one day lose it with death. Gaining

Iraivan is to not lose it forever. As such it is up to the people how

they would like to realize the Ayan. If you see the samiadis what

have they done? They will give arul vakku to the people.

 

B: But this is not bad. Many have benefitted thoroughly. Sickness

have been removed, some have passed exams.

 

Aya: Yes they have achieved worldly success. This is what the people

desire from Iraivan. It is to get worldly success only. As such that

is what they get. But truly they have not loved the Ayan, therefore

is the reason they ask such.

 

B: No..I've seen many with bhakti and love to their aya.

 

Aya: It is because of deeming the Ayan to be a superior being able to

fulfil their desires and wants. They will quote this and that miracle

which pertains the worldly state such as getting children, getting

cured of illness, overcoming a tragedy, accident, children's marriage

being consumed, attaining god job and so on.

 

B: But is that not to be desired?

 

Aya: Have I said it is wrong?

 

B: No, you haven't said such but you sound as if this need of

uplifting oneself to be inferior.

 

Aya: Friend, you don't listen closely to what I say, hence you deduce

thus. Listen to me!! All beings are born in this world in Maya alone.

As such they die in the opposite of Yama and are reborn again. The

Iraivan has masked the inner state with Irul (darkness). As such men

feel pleasure derived from the five senses. Thereafter they conceive

jealosy, greed, anger, passion, shame, fear, disgust and pride. This

is the reason for ignorance of one's true state.

They feel happiness by getting their ambition and pain by not gaining

it. They feel pride in their achievements and are attached to it.

Slighting their pride, they will retaliate in anger. Some feel

jealous at others yet want to attain a life which is envied by many.

Men don't think when they direct their anger to others, they feel joy

when they crush their enemies yet feel hurt when others direct the

selfsame anger to them. Which is the praise people value more, is it

the praise from a low laborer or a influential person?

 

B: Some do appreciate the praise of the higher one.

 

Aya: Most do,some just have lesser inclination. The difference is of

a degree only. At the same time it is easier to direct anger to

someone we perceive as weak or inferior, will you dare to do the same

if the person in front of you is more powerful?

 

B: Most will shrink.

 

Aya: As such know that it is the anava which stems from mayai which

causes one to behave thus. It is difficult to root out the anava. It

can only be done by Iraivan's grace. As such the Indhu Matham is to

teach one to realize Iraivan proper. I am not saying that one should

not achieve in the world. Yes, one should achieve by honest means.

But deep inside know that Iraivan is the highest truth. When one

initially sits in dhyanam what happens?

 

B: Well, after some time my mind runs hither and tither.

 

Aya: Can you tell your mind to sit in a place. When its teeming with

anger or when passions pull at it, can you direct it to sit still?

 

B: No, it takes time. We just suppress it, but internally the tumult

is there.

 

Aya: As such one can't even control one's mind, yet seek to control

the others. Likewise do you in truth know who you are?

 

B: I am Ara..

 

Aya: Did you exist with this birth or before?

 

B: They say I might have existence before and I am the atma?

 

Aya: Have you experienced yourself as the atma?

 

B: No

 

Aya: Don't you want to?

 

B: How?

 

Aya: Ha,ha,ha. You see. Can something which has no existence come

into existence in between. If you were non existence before and came

into the picture with this birth, and thereafter cease with death,

might not you have existence again? This if you were to to

the dictum of one life only. For that one can't have existence before

birth, then how did one come to be? Yet if one goes to the same state

of non existence with death..will not one come into existence again?

But one can't remember one's past birth? Is this not true?

 

B: Yes.

 

Aya: Likewise also is reading about oneself as the deathless atma.

One doesn't crave to know one's true self. Yet with the help of the

unknown soul in the body one strives to know and acquire everyother

thing in the planet, is this not so?

 

B: True.

 

Aya: So understand what I say my boy. The way of Indhu Matham is for

realizing Iraivan only. Indhu and Sindhu are the same. The matham is

the matha which is the Sakthi and mind. Only joining it in sindhu

will one get jnanam.

 

B: Is not Sindhu mispronounced by muslims as they can't pronounce the

word 's'?

 

Aya: No, it is our language alone. The muslims can pronouce many word

which start with 's' such as solat, syariah, salala alai wasalam

(saw), syawal and the prophet's favorite wife is siti aishah only.

Moreover islam itself has the word 's' in it.

 

B: But what is wrong in asking Aya for worldly things?

 

Aya: This is because the love is there due to perceiving the capacity

of Aya to grant one's worldly wishes.

 

B: Huh?

 

Aya: If two people come and see you to seek to be your friend. And

now let's say you are a powerful person. Lets assume one comes to see

you, brings much gifts yet begs this and that from you. The other

comes to see you for your sake only and bring gifts without seeking

any return, whom will you love more?

 

B: It is the one who came seeking true friendship without any

expectation of gains.

 

Aya: As such only we say. Love Iraivan for Iraivan's sake. How many

go to Ayan and ask to know him only? All ask for this and that

through him alone. Have not the white man created many things using

his god given buddhi? The roads you travel on, the car, the computer,

the shirt and jeans you wear, even the form of government, the

professions like doctor, pharmacy, lawyer etc and almost all one

engages is due to the invention of these alone. The advance of

medicine and surgery which saves many lives throughout the world is

man's ingenuity by using the buddhi. Is not the buddhi 'arumugam' as

in aru arivu. Only man has this aru arivu.

 

B: Yes.

 

Aya: As such know that by merging the buddhi in the world one comes

to know the truth of the world, merging it into Iraivan, one knows

the truth of Iraivan. To know this one must enter OM, just like the

mind must enter the senses to know the world. Use your buddhi! Do not

be a slave to superstition. None can stand the unslaught of buddhi as

such none can stand in from of the Kartikayan (Murugan). His might

comes from the unification of Sakthi. Is not Murugan the child of

Shakti. The elephant is much much more stronger than man.

Yet none can stand the unslaught of men. Through the use of buddhi he

has created guns and warplanes which are no match for these animals.

But if one uses the god given buddhi for the destruction of others

one will thereafter be reborn into lower wombs and will not have this

shakti anymore. As such know that the shakti comes from Iraivan

proper. If damage happens to the brain, none can think. The world

belongs to Iraivan only. It is nature. Yet it hides itself from the

eyes of men. It is its play only.

 

(Long silence)

 

B: Can you explain the gesture of ayan. In this he kneels with one

leg. But with another he puts a step. In one hand he holds his waist.

In the other he is carrying a sword. He has a big moustache. He

smokes cerut and drinks liquor. Moreover they serve him non

vegetarian food also. They tie a crown on his head called talapa.

 

Aya: Yes there is deep meaning in this gesture. Usually we kneel to

the deity. It is to show respect. We equate Ayan with Iraivan itself.

It is because Aya has merged with the Iraivan. But Ayan also kneels

to you. This is to tell you that the self same Iraivan is in you

also. But we kneel with two legs, he kneels with one. With the other

leg he puts a step. This is to tell you that in order to realize the

Iraivan you have to take this step. It is an effort to realize

Iraivan. Thus it is called sadhanai. A sadhanai is what one gains by

effort. The one thing worth gaining is Iraivan only, all others are

secondary. Thereafter you attain the same state as him (of one

realizing Iraivan, not becoming Iraivan).

 

B: Oh..

 

Aya: The gesture of holding one's waist with one's hand is a gesture

of provoking. This is a cultural thing. Yet this shows the gesture of

standing up to one's enemies. That is to stand up and fight and face

the challenge. Likewise also one must face the challenges in the

world boldly. In the path of dhyanam one must face one's shortcomings

and anava. Such is the meaning. For this the vaal (sword) is

beneficial. The sword is the buddhi. With the help of buddhi one

realizes one's desires and ambitions. One protects one's status,

family and possesions. As such it is likened as the sword which

protects and with its help and deft use one gains victory. It is only

by having the buddhi (enna arivu), that one can do mananam

(reflection of one's deed and actions) and as such root out the

anava. For example only I know why I am talking all these. Is it to

show off or to genuinely share the knowledge with you? Only I know.

As such I will pass on as according to my deeds. We judge others

easily, turn the sword of judgement upon oneself, one will easily

uproot the anava.

 

B: The moustache?

 

Aya: The moustache is also a cultural symbol. But we must know what

it symbolizes to know its significance. The moustache is a symbol of

a brave man. The brave man fears nothing, not even death. One who has

realized one's state as the deathless atma can truly be said as one

not fearing death, such is the meaning. The cerut and drink is to

show that real purity is purity of the mind (mana suddham) only and

not purity of food. One must go beyond this outward purity. But it is

not a call to smoke and drink. One can get many diseases overdoing

it. But to show that purity of mind is that which should be strived,

not external purity like observing 'tithu', non touchability and all

such nonsense. Outward purity helps for the sake of cleanliness. But

it pertains to the physical (jadam) state only. It is this same thing

which is expressed through the ritual of pancamagaram and the

consumption of five polluted things in Shakti worship.

 

It is due to this also that Jesus has said - it is not that which

enters one's mouth which pollutes (food) but one which comes out of

it (deed and words from heart) alone.' So understand the same truth

which is expounded in different ways by those who have realized due

to different languages and cultural backgrounds only. But the truth

is the same only. By knowing Iraivan only one is said to get the

crowning success. And the door to this is present in one's own head

only. As such the 'talapa' is tied to one's head.

 

B: You have talked about tithu. So does it mean a menstruating woman

can go to a temple?

 

Aya: Is Iraivan present in the temple only or everywhere? Can you

stand in a place Iraivan is naught? Iraivan pervades everywhere. For

that reason it is known as paramatma and parabrahmam. The para is

paranthirukum (one which fills the whole expanse). Brahmam is the

Great Unfathomable, it shows Iraivan only. The presence of Iraivan is

only masked in your mind. The temple is a place built by man to think

of Iraivan. That is all. As such does the menstruating woman exist

outside Iraivan? Moreover below your skin is blood. It is the same

blood which comes out with menstruation. If a thing is said to be

polluting to Iraivan, by hiding it can it become less so? You are

going to the temple with blood, urine and faecaes which is in your

body also, the only thing is that it is inside your body at the time

and not coming out. Is this not so? Understand that the real thing

(tithu) which shuts the door to Iraivan is the unclean heart which

prompts one to exploit and manipulate others for the sake of one's

selfish desires. When carried further it pushes one to steal, cheat

and lie even kill. So this is the real tithu.

 

B: Maybe it is for observing cleanliness, I mean preventing the

menstruating woman from entering the temple.

 

Aya: You are a fool. Do you mean to say the menstruating woman can't

take care of herself and thereafter goes around dripping blood here

and there? Moreover we have idol of Amman also. She is a woman. When

does she menstruate? Are you going to throw her out from the temple

once a month. Understand that without deep understanding only all

this have come to be and fools still want to carry this on in order

to deem oneself superior to the other only.

 

(to be continued)