from www.murugan.org

A rare and illuminating book in English on the life and works of the great siddhas of ancient and modern times, with particular reference to Sri Agastiyar, the archetype of all siddhas and gurus, was published in Canada recently, entitled Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga tradition, written by Marshall Govindan, an advanced Kriya Yoga sadhaka of Los Angeles and a keen scholar, who had carried out extensive literary and spiritual research in India and Sri Lanka for twenty years under the guidance of Yogi S.A.A. Ramaiah.

In the hierarchy of siddhas or perfected human beings, or Initiates of the White Brotherhood as they are called in the West, who have guided the destinies of nations on our planet Earth for the past 12,000 years of recorded history, the ageless legendary siddha Sri Agastiya Maha Muni stands out as the senior-most guru who initiated a galaxy of eminent gurus and siddhas down the ages, and who had established and nurtured the ancient Dravidian civilization lasting several millennia. He is also acknowledged, in occult circles, as the head of a representative group of rishis entrusted with the guiding of the destiny of India and other nations called the Sapta Rishis as disclosed in certain ola leaf manuscripts called rishi vakyams and also in theosophical writings. Sri Agastiyar is also considered the author of several Rig Vedic hymns in Sanskrit connected with the Aryan civilization of the North.

Sri Agastiyar’s role in the Ramayana

In the Ramayana saga, which is deemed by historians to have taken place about 9,000 years ago in the Treta Yuga, Sri Agastiyar is reported to have appeared before Rama himself on the day before the final victorious termination of the war with Ravana, the hitherto invincible King of Lanka, and initiated Lord Rama with a special divine mantra to counter the effect of the powerful boons that Ravana had earned from the gods by his great tapas.

It is significant to note that, according to geo physical research based on the movement of the continental plates, the Lanka of Ravana was situated in the continent of Lemuria, also known as Kumari Kandam, which was a land mass, connecting the Deccan plateau in South India and the island of Ceylon, with intervening straits to be crossed, with Madagascar in the West, Australia on the East and Antarctica on the South, until it sank into the Indian ocean in stages over 3,500 years ago, as mentioned in the writings of the German geologist Wagner anti the eminent Indologist Sir T.W. Holderness.

The research done by Fr. Heras and Sir John Marshall the archaeologist and other scholars into the archaeological finds at Mohenjodaro and Harappa point to the existence of an earlier highly developed Dravidian civilization in the deep South which, had influenced the Indus-Valley Aryan civilization of the North.

The available historical evidence referring to the Dravidian civilization commences with the records that have come down to us of the Tamil literary writings during the past 12,000 years, which have been divided by historians into three periods, called the First Sangam period from 9600 BC to 5200 BC, spanning the Satya and Treta yugas, the Second Sangam period from 5200 BC to 1500 BC spanning the Treta and Dwapara yugas, and the Third Sangam period from 1500 BC to 600 AD spanning the Dwapara and Kali yugas.

According to the present cycle of four yugas, namely Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali yugas, in their descending arc of 12,000 years and ascending arc of another 12,000 years, as stated by Sri Yukteswar in his famous treatis called ‘Holy Science’, we are now in the ascending arc of Dwapara yuga completed the Kali yuga period lasting from 600 BC to 1800 AD.

The Mahabharata war, where Lord Krishna propagated the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, is reckoned to have taken place during the Second Sangam period about the year 3100 BC.

After the commencement of the gradual inundation of the Lemurian continent, it is reported that Sri Agastiyar led a migration of Dravidians to Java and Cambodia and Central and South America. The legends of the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs of South America regarding the founding of their cultures by tall beared white-robed teachers confirm the tradititional view that the Lemurians, under the guidance of their siddhas, colonized North and South America, as well as the Nile Valley, when they founded the Egyptian civilization.

It is significant to note that Edgar Cayce the well-known ‘sleeping prophet’ of America, had in the course of his recent voluminous psychic messages given out by him while in a state of trance mentioned a similar sinking of the continent of Atlantis in stages into the Atlantic Ocean over a period of several centuries between 12,000 BC and 10,000 BC, before the sinking of the Lemurian continent.

Sri Agastlyar the Archetype of all Gurus

Maha Avatar Kriya Babaji of the Himalayas, the lineal Guru of Paramahamsa Yogananda, Yukteswar and Lahiri Mahasaya, who is well nigh 1,800 years old today, still retains a young physical body of a 16 year old youth, as a result of his divinising the cells of his physical body, after receiving initiation from two of the greatest siddhas of all time.

Siddha Boganathar instructed him in the higher Kriya yoga techniques, for six months at Kataragama in Sri Lanka in the year 214 AD and sent him thereafter to his own Guru Siddha Agastiyar at Couttalam in India, where Babaji had the final initiation in Kriya yoga, after he had practised severe austerities for 48 days to invoke the grace of Agastiyar, who finally appeared before him in his physical body emerging from the adjoining forest; and showered his full blessings on him.

These facts were disclosed by Babaji himself in 1952 to two of his disciples V. T. Neelakantan, a Theosophist of the early days, and Yogi S.A.A. Ramaiah, when he materialized in physical form from his abode in the Himalayas in the shrine room of V.T. Neelakantan at Suramma1 Lane, in Egmore, Madras. In.turn Babaji is known to have initiated among others the famous Hindu reformer Adi Sankaracharya into the mysteries of Kriya yoga about the year 800 AD.

Among the several Siddhas initiated directly by Sri Agastiyar were, according to certain sources, (1) Tirumoolar, the author of Tirumanthiram described as one of the greatest texts of yoga and mystic truth ever written, who lived for over 3,000 years in the pre-Christian era, and (2) Tiruvalluvar the author of the world famed classic scripture the Tirukkural, who lived 2,000 years ago.

It was the immortal Sri Agastiyar who originally taught and transmitted to several of his disciples over the ages the Kriya yoga techniques of divinising the cells of the body and:

1. rendering the physical body deathless for centuries, (as in the case of the 18 Siddhas and Kriya Babaji), or
2. enabling the physical body to disappear completely and resurrect in a glow of light into a subtler vibrational field, (as in the case of Adi Sankaracharya and the four great Saiva saints namely the Nayanmars and Kabir of medieval times and Ramalinga Swamigal as recently as 1874), or
3. enabling the physical body to be placed in a tomb in jeeva samadhi at will, in a state of suspended animation, where the blood circulation and the breathing have stopped but a luminous pranic energy keeps the body-cells alive, with the possibility of the siddha dematerializing the body in the tomb and materializing it outside in a completely different locality and living out an extended span of life for several years (as in the case of three well-known siddhas of modern times, namely Sri Raghavendra Swami about whom a popular film had been made recently, Sri Kulandaj Ananda Swami whose last jeeva samadhi is in Madurai city and Sri Muthukrishna Swami whose jeeva samadhi is in Vallioor).

The writer of this article had the opportunity to view and pay homage at the shrines, where the latter two jeeva samadhis are situated.

from Initiation, Human and Solar - By Alice Bailey and Djwhal Khul

The Work of the World Teacher, the Christ

Just as the Manu is occupied with the providing of the type and forms through which consciousness can evolve and gather experience, thus making existence in its deepest sense possible, so the World Teacher directs that in dwelling consciousness in its life or spirit aspect, seeking to energize it within the form so that, in due course of time, that form can be discarded and the liberated spirit return whence it came. Ever since he left the earth, as related with approximate accuracy in the Bible story (though with much error in detail) has he stayed with the sons of men; never has he really gone, but only in appearance, and in a physical body he can be found by those who know the way, dwelling in the Himalayas, and working in close cooperation with his two great Brothers, the Manu and the Mahachohan. Daily he pours out his blessing on the world, and daily he stands under the great pine in his garden at the sunset hour with hands uplifted in blessing over all those who truly and earnestly seek to aspire. To him all seekers are known, and, though they may remain unaware of him, the light which he pours forth stimulates their desire, fosters the spark of struggling life and spurs on the aspirant until the momentous day dawns when they stand face to face with the one who by being "lifted up" (occultly understood) is drawing all men unto himself as the Initiator of the sacred mysteries. [45]

From Alice Bailey

The Master Djwhal Khul, or the Master D. K. as he is frequently called, is another adept on the second Ray of Love-Wisdom. He is the latest of the adepts taking initiation, having taken the fifth initiation in 1875, and is "therefore occupying the same body in which he took the initiation, most of the other Masters having taken the fifth initiation whilst occupying earlier vehicles. His body is not a young one, and he is a Tibetan. He is very devoted to the Master K. H. and occupies a little house not far distant from the larger one of the Master, and from his willingness to serve and to do anything that has to be done, he has been called "the Messenger of the Masters." He is profoundly learned, and knows more about the rays and planetary Hierarchies of the solar system than anyone else in the ranks of the Masters. He works with those who heal, and cooperates unknown and unseen with the seekers after truth in the world's great laboratories, with all who definitely aim at the healing and solacing of the world, and with the great philanthropic world movements [58] such as the Red Cross. He occupies himself with various pupils of different Masters who can profit by his instruction, and within the last ten years has relieved both the Master M. and the Master K. H. of a good deal of their teaching work, taking over from them for certain stated times some of their pupils and disciples. He works largely, too, with certain groups of the devas of the ethers, who are the healing devas, and who thus collaborate with him in the work of healing some of the physical ills of humanity. He it was who dictated a large part of that momentous book The Secret Doctrine, and who showed to H. P. Blavatsky many of the pictures, and gave her much of the data that is to be found in that book.

Djwhal Khul, said to have been a Tibetan who started out with the unlikely name Gai Ben-Jamin. Believers tell the legend of his incarnation on Lemuria where he assisted in rescuing valuable knowledge before the sinking of that continent. He is said later to have transmitted this information to channeler Alice Bailey.

Alice A. Bailey (1880 -1949), writer and lecturer on neo-theosophy, was born in England in 1880 as Alice LaTrobe Bateman. After spells as an evangelical Christian and a member of the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society, Alice Bailey founded the Arcane School in 1923. Her 26 books popularized notions such as the coming New Age and the New Group of World Servers, whose triangles she initiated in 1937. They include the mantram known as "The Great Invocation" used by thousands of esoteric groups all over the world. Today the seeds of her service are continued in the work of the Arcane School and Lucis Trust.

According to Alice Bailey, almost all of her books were dictated to her by the Tibetan, Djwhal Khul. The teachings contained therein are written in an unusually lucid style though the subjects are at times abstruse. These are textbooks on occult science, astrology, white magic, meditation and general occultism. It has been said that A.A.B.'s books are more inspirational than informational as the works themselves are occult artifacts which have a definite effect upon those who read them.

Metaphysics

Djwhal Khul is also a Master of the Second Ray of love and wisdom.

His teacher is Master Kuthumi.

He is known as "The Tibetan".

Previous Incarnations:
- Confucius
- Tibetan Lama overseeing a large monastery in the Himalayas.

In the 1900's he achieved his sixth Initiation and ascended.

He can materialize, dematerialize and bilocate.

He works to balance energies to make them easily accessible to all. He is responsible for making much of the formerly hidden esoteric knowledge widely available through the writings of H.P. Blavatsky, Alice Bailey, among others. Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul

Shortly after leaving the physical plane in the late 1800's Djwhal Khul began working with El Morya, Kuthumi, and St. Germain to assist them in the research of Helene Blavatsky.

from Initiation, Human and Solar - By Alice Bailey and Djwhal Khul

from Initiation, Human and Solar - By Alice Bailey and Djwhal Khul

The Master Jesus, who is the focal point of the energy that flows through the various Christian churches, is at present living in a Syrian body, and dwells in a certain part of the Holy Land. He travels much and passes considerable time in various parts of Europe. He works specially with masses more than with individuals, though he has gathered around him quite a numerous body of pupils. He is upon the sixth Ray of Devotion, or Abstract Idealism, and his pupils are frequently distinguished by that fanaticism and devotion which manifested in earlier Christian times amongst the martyrs. He himself is rather a martial figure, a disciplinarian, and a man of iron rule and will. He is tall and spare with rather a long thin face, black hair, pale complexion and piercing blue eyes. His work at this time is exceedingly responsible, for to him is given the problem of steering the thought of the occident out of its present state of unrest into the peaceful waters of certitude and knowledge, and of preparing the way in Europe and America for the eventual coming of the World Teacher. He is well known in the Bible history, coming before us first as Joshua the Son of Nun, appearing again in the time of Ezra as Jeshua, taking the third initiation, as related in the book of Zechariah, as Joshua, and in the Gospel story he is known for two great sacrifices, that in which he handed over his body for the use of the Christ, and for the great renunciation which is the characteristic of the fourth initiation. As Appollonius of Tyana, he took the [57] fifth initiation and became a Master of the Wisdom. From that time on he has stayed and worked with the Christian Church, fostering the germ of true spiritual life which is to be found amongst members of all sects and divisions, and neutralizing as far as possible the mistakes and errors of the churchmen and the theologians. He is distinctively the Great Leader, the General, and the wise Executive, and in Church matters he cooperates closely with the Christ, thus saving him much and acting as his intermediary wherever possible. No one so wisely knows as he the problems of the West, no one is so closely in touch with the people who stand for all that is best in Christian teachings, and no one is so well aware of the need of the present moment. Certain great prelates of the Anglican and Catholic Churches are wise agents of his.

PS: according to the esoteric tradition and the theosophical teachings, Jesus and the Christ are two different masters. The incarnation known as Jesus the Christ would have been a merging of these two beings or the expression of the Christ through Jesus of Nazareth.