Final part: conversations between Aya and Bhakta

[Guest guest]

Bhakta: I am confused.

 

Aya: Why the confusion?

 

Bhakta: You have told many things, though they make sense but we have

guidelines also.

 

Aya: What guidelines.

 

B: Guidelines that are done by priests, swamiyars and others.

 

Aya: How do they draw these guidelines?

 

B: They quote religious scriptures. And thereafter they refer to

other scriptures also.

 

Aya: Have you read these?

 

B: No, I have not.

 

Aya: Why?

 

B: I have no time. They are in Sanskrit also.

 

Aya: Why? Don't we have it in Tamil? Is not Tamil spoken by many, is

it not a living language?

 

B: I don't know Tamil.

 

Aya: Then find it in the language you understand. There are many in

English.

 

B: But some say we shouldn't read a lot.

 

Aya: Can one gain initial knowledge without hearing, reading or

listening?

 

B: I don't understand.

 

Aya: When you were asleep, did you understand anything?

 

B: No.

 

Aya: When you were dreaming? Did you learn physics, mathematics and

any other thing?

 

B: No....not really in that sense.

 

Aya: The power (shakti) of buddhi lacks in dream. Hence you didn't

understand much and the dream is more of a fantasy. In deep sleep it

goes to the 'moolam' altogether. Hence they say sleep is moo-devi.

Here devi is the shakti. When you get up it shines. Hence it is sri-

devi. Sri is shining or flowing. When we get up don't our awareness

flow out through the five senses?

 

B: Yes.

 

Aya: But a baby has a mind too. Why can't it understand things like

you?

 

B: Its power of buddhi lacks. Hence it doesn't understand much.

 

Aya: Without this power even if you are aware of a thing, will you

learn anything?

 

B: No, I will not.

 

Aya: As such know that the arumugam (six faced one - buddhi) is the

true teacher. Without it merging into OM (kundalini) and reaching the

top (sahasaram/sindhu), none will become realized. Without the use of

it in the world also, none can understand the world too. The manam

(shakti) once waking up from layam shines through. Thereafter one

becomes aware through the five senses. Who is depicted as the five

senses.

 

B: Vinayagan.

 

Aya: Only after becoming aware can one think of the thing, is that

not so? So the thinking Murugan comes after the Vinayagar. As such

both are the children of Shakti and Vinayagar is elder to Murugar for

having arose earlier than him. Is this not so?

 

B: Huh..you mean they don't exist like this as deities?

 

Aya: Ha,ha,ha..wait,wait. Iraivan exists in all. In life and death.

In animate and inanimate. The unfolding of Iraivan is that which you

have meant as deities- which is a part of Iraivan. It has

corresponding states in our own selves also. It is for that reason

that siddhars say, 'ingu irupathu engum undu, ingu ilathathu engum

kidayathu' (what is here is everywhere, what is not here is nowhere).

 

B: I am becoming more confused.

 

Aya: Listen, none can get the grace of Vinayagar without aiming

(concentrating) his mind. None can get the grace of Murugan without

using his own buddhi. And when you use it for the purpose of

selfishness thereafter you will come back in a form which lacks this

shakti. Then they will say the grahams are in the wrong positions for

you, ha,ha,ha.

 

B: Are they?

 

Aya: When one is born as the animal, will one seek to go beyond

nature and achieve this and that? One merely lives according to one's

genetic makeup and thereafter dies. Only man tinkers with the genes

which make him. So understand the moving force as shakti. One cannot

know in detail about karmam and Mayam. But the anavam is the string

which holds one to this. The anavam is in oneself alone. Break it and

see the rest crumble. Without doing it you are trying to destroy the

string which is latched beyond your means and reach to break it. But

this string is knotted to you by the latch of anavam only. Break it

and be free. Hence the sacrifice to Kali as the animals. The animals

denote the qualities one has to be free of. It is the greed (cat),

jealosy (chicken), illussion (sheep), blinding passions (goat), anger

(buffalo) and pride (man).

 

B: Why these animals?

 

Aya: The siddhars lived during the agricultural period, as such they

observed these qualities and symbolized them thus. These animals

without man's care will perish in nature. But in those days the food

was not wasted. Today many eat meat everyday and on top of it

slaughter these animals unnecessarily also. Unless the Iraivan

accepts this, then sin of it will go to the sacrificer alone. Without

its blessings can the soul of it incarnate as human? As such know

when a place has the manifestation of Iraivan's shakti it is known as

pitham, and in these places it were done. Ramakrishna allowed it.

Hence many ape to follow him. But he is a lion and many are wolves

alone. Let me ask you, must Iraivan ask this and that from you before

granting you favors? If it wills, then nothing can stop it. It is our

own doing (karmam) which is the reason for our suffering. One causes

much nuisance to others killing one's conscience, thereafter one is

reborn and suffers without knowing the reason for it. Such is the

decree of Yama. To escape one must attain the shivan (sindhuvil

irupavan). If not the Yama will crush one and throw one to the world

of Maya again. By attaining Iraivan, the vehicle of Yama is broken

and lays at the feet of Durgai. Durgai as Iraivan has all the weapons

of all the deities.

 

B: But why these animals?

 

Aya: The cat is always greedy, it steals for more. The jealous cock

guards its harem. The large sheep once shorn of its coat cuts a tiny

figure, hence the illusion. The goat makes love in public. The

buffalo in anger will run over its own master. And who can symbolize

pride better than man himself?

 

B: Why not the dog for lust?

 

Aya: Because the dog is the 'nandri ule jivan'. It has the quality of

loyalty. What I have said is the symbolization. According to one's

culture and background the truth is expressed. But understand that

all have these qualities regardless of race. As such these qualities

should be sacrificed.

 

B: But Yama comes on the buffalo, why not on other animals?

 

Aya: If you get greedy and if you burn in passion without fulfilling

it what will happen?

 

B: We can get depressed.

 

Aya: And what is the culmination of it?

 

B: Anger?

 

Aya: What happens when you are proud and get slighted?

 

B: Anger?

 

Aya: When you are overtly jealous?

 

B: Yes, i understand. All these qualities when carried to their

extreme culminate in anger. As such finally they will lead to the

buffalo.

 

Aya: Yes, and this is the reason why we are ignorant of the presence

of Iraivan. My child, iraivan is to be seeked in oneself. Not through

going into trance. The sadasivan in dhyanam teaches us this fact

only. Understand this and strive. Truly the mind is one's guru. What

the mind intends it will do. It will pretend if it doesn't like it

and is forced to do a thing. It has been our friend in Mayai. Now

pray to the Iraivan. It will become our friend towards attaining the

truth. Without its help none can reach the truth. It is the

dakshinamoorthy.

 

B: But is not the guru outside?

 

Aya: Yes, he is too. He is known as the upadesa guru. He shows the

way to Iraivan just as he has treaded it. But only you can do it

(achieve what is taught). In deep sleep can you do this? Without deep

thinking and living life recklessly will you be able to achieve? Can

anyone give you realization? If anyone can do this then what is the

need for sadhanai? Why need to do dhyanam at all? Just go to the

person and ask for the mukthi. Remember that only Iraivan can give

you this. And for that you have to give yourself to it. Hence you

will merge with Iraivan. Thereafter coming down you will remember

this state. Then the change in you is not artificial. It is the mind

coming down from merging with Iraivan that is showed as pouring milk

on the idol. The milk flows from the head only. In human body this

happens with kumbhakam. Hence the meaning of kumbhabishegam and the

human body is designed as the temple. The mind merging in Iraivan

knows the Iraivan. None can achieve this state without the kumbhakam

(stopping of breathe). It is where the Kali holds your pranam from

flowing out of your head. This prana shakti is mixed with our blood

and from the air one breathes only. Herein lies the secret. It is the

chidamabra ragasyam. Not some secret in some place outside. It is the

hidden thing. And the key to this secret is grace from Iraivan. The

key for this grace is love towards Iraivan. Davam will not bear fruit

without bhakti and a clear conscience. Hence the two poles of Kavadi

one carries to Murugan. (long silence)

 

The mind reaching Iraivan is known as 'samathi nilai' or the state of

samadhi. In it one's mind becomes samam (same in quality) with

the 'athi'. This athi is the foremost and primary thing - it denotes

the Iraivan only. It is the moolaporul (base support). It is the

Iraivan. The moolastanam is in oneself alone. It is the abode of

Iraivan. It is where one knows the satyam-sivam-sundaram. It is to

experience one's existence beyond the body as the deathless atma,

this is the satyam. It is to experience the supreme bliss inherent in

oneself and no need to hanker after this and that. This is the

sundaram. And the sivam is the knowledge by which one knows the

secret to enter the akala vasal in oneself and reach sindhu. The

akala vasal is the door to OM only.

 

But the true upadesa guru is hard to be found. Once found learn the

truth from him and attain the beautitude.

 

B: How to know if he is genuine?

 

Aya: Such a one will not treat you as inequal. He will treat you as

equal only. He will not hanker after name, fame and money. But today

we have many masters of portrayal.

He will not have hidden motives in knowing you. He is not after your

money, donations or adulations. He is there to share with you only.

He will not make use of you and exploit you for his own benefit. And

always remember that the true guru wants you to know the tatwam more

than him, that you should outdo him - in jnana vidya (spiritual

knowledge) . Is this not parents want?

 

B: How do we repay a kindness of such a soul?

 

Aya: By doing what is supposed to be, realizing Iraivan. It is not by

donating huge sums of money and giving dakshinai. If men could think

that god can be bribed like them and offer sacrifices, then where are

we mere mortals?

 

(Laughter)

 

The end.