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Aghoris

Aghoris are a feared and revered by masses in India. It’s primarily because of the way they live a secluded life and their fierce temperament. Aghoris are the followers of left path of Tantra. They live very secluded life and secretly perform their sadhanas.

Most of the time when the word Aghori is mentioned most people identify it with a man who lives in filth and other related impurities in Shmashan. People who know deeper about them agree that some aghori’s deliberately convey that picture, but it’s not necessary to find the aghori in an unapproachable form. The major reason for aghoris to portray such a picture is to avoid unwanted conversations and disturbances.

The urge to converse always is a result of one being uncomfortable with oneself. As speech is an inferior form of communication which is subjective to the bodily existence, a person who is accustomed with fierce aghora discipline easily sacrifices it to achieve higher modes or methods of communication. In any white discipline/Right path, we always practice for enlightenment or advancement to newer spiritual level with moderation. Or in other words, we are patient. But an Aghori embraces the darkness, sacrifices everything and extremely induces pain to burn of his karmic debts to return back to the source.

Aghora practices are extreme in regard and hence only suited for people who have high temperaments. Aghoris are famous for hurling abuses. People consider their abuses also as their blessings.

Usually Aghoris live in and around Shmashan-The cremation ground. They also indulge into eating dead corpse as a part of their sadhana rituals. They are supposed to eat a human corpse at least once an year to retain their powers obtained from their sadhanas.

They smear ash from cremation pyre. This is called ‘Bhasma snan'(Ash Bath). Aghoris also perform sadhanas with corpses. It may seem very odd to most of the people. But the people. The underlying philosophy behind this is that the whole cosmos is non real, so nothing is permanent and death is also allusion while soul is eternal.

While eating dead human flesh might repulse to the ordinary person, Aghoris rely on corpse brought to cremation ground only to perform their sadhanas. They do not kill anyone and essentially harmless. Their behavior appear unpleasant and they might seems asocial but if someone approaches them for help they do offer the help to right people.

Their rude behavior works in their favor to keep distance from society and secure aloofness for them. It allows them indulge in their penance rituals of sadhanas and quickly scale their spiritual ascension.

It s believed that the progress in spiritual path is faster in Aghor sadhana as it requires great level of concentration, merit and perseverance and fearlessness to perform Aghor Sahdana.

Aghor word consists of two words of Sanskrit, ‘अ (A)’=Which is not(A is used as negation prefix in Sanskrit & Hindi) ‘घोर (Ghor)’-Difficult, combining these tow it becomes One which is not difficult or which is easy way to spirituality. When you don’t have any other obstructions to your sadhana and live as determined and secluded life as an Aghoris , things would become easy for sure. Fortunes favors those who are brave . Thus the fearless Aghoris do find the favor from mother Mahamaya which leads them on the path of salvation.

The philosophy of aghora is about being devoid of unreal worldly pleasures. The real heart of this philosophy is the true love for “Cosmic Mother- Mahamaya” – the Sosmic Shakti. Aghori loves everything with the same intensity like his/her love for Cosmic Mother. It is like unconditional love to all beings equally as he/ she sees the world as the manifestation of the Cosmic Shakti. Nothing is pure or impure for an aghori. Every thing around him is Cosmic Mother in some form or other and he passionately embraces it.

Aghora is the height is Vama Marga Tantra in its essence. But it also is a way of life in true sense. All the white disciplines presume ‘Maya’ as the reality and work towards realizing the uniqueness. But, Aghora from the start believes in leaving everything behind, totally without relationship with the mundane world.

Aghoris believe that everyone is born Aghori. As a child doesn’t hate or disgusts or fear anything. He doesn’t distinguishes between his toys, feces, or his clothes . He starts distinguishing only when the elders start teaching him. A child is equally at ease with everything , same way Aghoris are at ease with everything and do not hate anything or anyone. Their belief is that anyone who hates something is cannot connect with supreme power freely and cannot achieve salvation.

Aghoris revere God Shiva and are considered as the living for of Lord Shiva.

An Aghori perceives the world devoid of attachments. For him the world is also like his favorite dwelling place-the Shmashan(cremation ground). He considers the world as the Shmashan, the one which belongs to one who are already dead or the one who will be dead at a future period of time.