Aghori
 An Aghori with a human skull, c. 1875 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 70[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Varanasi, North India |
The Aghori (from
Their practices are sometimes considered contradictory to orthodox
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Beliefs and doctrines
Aghoris are devotees of
Aghori rituals, which are performed precisely to oppose notions of purity commonplace in orthodox Hinduism, are typically
Another unusual Aghori belief is that they attribute spiritual and physical benefits, such as the prevention of aging, to the consumption of human flesh. While they claim to eat only those who have voluntarily granted their body to the sect upon their death,[15] an Indian TV crew witnessed one Aghori feasting on a corpse discovered floating in the Ganges[1] and a member of the Dom caste reports that Aghori often take bodies from cremation ghats (or funeral pyres).[7]
Aghoris are not to be confused with Shivnetras, who are also ardent devotees of Shiva, but do not indulge in extreme, tamasic ritual practices. Although the Aghoris enjoy close ties with the Shivnetras, the two groups are quite distinct, Shivnetras engaging in sattvic worship.
Aghoris base their beliefs on two principles common to broader
Aghoris believe that every person's soul is Shiva, but is covered by aṣṭamahāpāśa "eight great nooses or bonds", including sensual pleasure, anger, greed, obsession, fear and hatred. The practices of the Aghoris are centered around the removal of these bonds.
History
Although akin to the Kapalika ascetics of medieval Kashmir, as well as the Kalamukhas, with whom there may be a historical connection, the Aghoris trace their origin to Baba Keenaram, an ascetic who is said to have lived 150 years, dying during the second half of the 18th century.[17][18] Dattatreya the avadhuta, to whom has been attributed the esteemed nondual medieval song, the Avadhuta Gita, was a founding adi guru of the Aghor tradition according to Barrett (2008: p. 33):
Lord Dattatreya, an antinomian form of Shiva closely associated with the cremation ground, who appeared to Baba Keenaram atop Mount Girnar in Gujarat. Considered to be the adi guru (ancient spiritual teacher) and founding deity of Aghor, Lord Dattatreya offered his own flesh to the young ascetic as prasād (a kind of blessing), conferring upon him the power of clairvoyance and establishing a guru-disciple relationship between them.[19]
Aghoris also hold sacred the
An aghori believes in getting into total darkness by all means, and then getting into light or self realizing. Though this is a different approach from other Hindu sects, they believe it to be effective. They are infamously known for their rituals that include such as shava samskara or
In Hindu iconography, Tara, like
, and others.Barrett (2008: p. 161) discusses the "charnel ground sādhanā" of the Aghora in both its left and right-handed proclivities and identifies it as principally cutting through attachments and aversion and foregrounding primordiality; a view uncultured, undomesticated:[20]
The gurus and disciples of Aghor believe their state to be primordial and universal. They believe that all human beings are natural-born Aghori. Hari Baba has said on several occasions that human babies of all societies are without discrimination, that they will play as much in their own filth as with the toys around them. Children become progressively discriminating as they grow older and learn the culturally specific attachments and aversions of their parents. Children become increasingly aware of their mortality as they bump their heads and fall to the ground. They come to fear their mortality and then palliate this fear by finding ways to deny it altogether.
In this sense, the Aghora sādhanā is a process of unlearning deeply internalized cultural models. When this sādhanā takes the form of charnel ground sādhanā, the Aghori faces death as a very young child, simultaneously meditating on the totality of life at its two extremes. This ideal example serves as a prototype for other Aghor practices, both left and right, in ritual and in daily life."[20]
Lord Aghora, an antinomian and annihilater form of Shiva closely associated with the cremation ground, who appeared to Baba Keenaram atop Girnar Mountain in Gujarat. Considered to be the adi guru (ancient spiritual teacher) and founding deity of Aghor, Lord Dattatreya offered his own flesh to the young ascetic as prasād (a kind of blessing), conferring upon him the power of clairvoyance and establishing a guru-disciple relationship between them.[21]
Adherents
Although Aghoris are prevalent in cremation grounds across India,
Spiritual headquarters
According to Devotees, Baba Siddharth Gautam Ram is reincarnation of Baba Keenaram himself. Apart from this, any cremation ground would be a holy place for an Aghori ascetic. The cremation grounds near the
Medicine
Aghori practice healing through purification as a pillar of their ritual. Their patients believe the Aghoris are able to transfer health to, and pollution away from, patients as a form of "transformative healing". However, according to Aghori belief, this pollution must be moved into another person. In some cases, Aghoris make the claim that human or animal sacrifice is necessary to successfully complete a healing. Some aghori scholarship calls this process the transfer of karma. Such practices are in decline and not commonly seen.
Modern Aghor practices
The Aghor tradition, which originated as confined and reclusive, has transformed since Baba Bhagwan Ramji's reforms to Aghor Yoga practices. By changing practices that have traditionally been shunned by conventional norms, Aghor Yoga now has entered mainstream society. Today, Aghor Yoga focuses upon forming a balanced personal practice, placing importance on both sadhana (one's own spiritual practice) as well as seva (selfless service).[22]
Recognizing the need for change within his society, Baba Bhagwan Ramji renewed the socially conscious spirit of Baba Kinaram when he established a new ashram named Awadhut Bhagwan Ram Kusht Sewa Ashram (The Awadhut Bhagwan Ram Leprosy Service Ashram) at Parao, Varanasi.[23] Baba Bhagwan Ramji dedicated Parao Ashram to helping the poor and the afflicted, and included a leprosy hospital within the ashram grounds. By shifting Aghor Yoga's focus to helping those who are suffering within society, Baba Bhagwan Ramji modernized the ancient Aghor tradition.
In order to maintain the continuum of the Aghor tradition, Baba Bhagwan Ramji initiated one of his disciples, Baba Siddharth Gautam Ram, to be the head of Krim Kund and of the Aghor lineage. The Krim Kund and Parao ashrams are situated on the opposite sides of the Ganges River in Varanasi, India.
Baba Bhagwan Ramji also established Sri Sarveshwari Samooh Ashram, a secular social service organization that has worked throughout northern India.[24] The Aghor lineage now includes many Ashrams in various locations in India and a number of centers and Ashrams in other countries.
During his life, Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji also guided the reform of ancient Kina Ram Aghori practices.[3]
Ashrams
All of the ashrams started by Baba Bhagwan Ramji and his disciples around the world are continually dedicated to service. Contemporary Aghor practices focus especially on providing help and services to those who are downtrodden.
Sri Sarveshwari Samooh Ashram remains invested in social issues, notably working to eliminate the dowry system, offering free leprosy treatment, and providing free schooling for impoverished children.
The Sonoma Ashram in Sonoma, California, founded in 1990, is the current seat of Aghor Yoga in the United States. The mission of Sonoma Ashram is to foster spiritual growth in individuals.[22]
The Sonoma Ashram's sister ashram, Aghor Foundation, was established in 2001 on the bank of the Ganges River in the Varanasi, India and offers a safe home for orphaned and abandoned children.[22] The Aghor Foundation also operates other social service projects, including the Anjali School, a tuition-free school for neighborhood children living in poverty and Vision Varanasi, a free eye clinic.[25] Notably, The Aghor Foundation also runs Project Shakti, which offers vocational training for underprivileged women in Varanasi.[26] The Aghor Foundation recently began to construct the Amrit Sagar Environmental Center, "a working model of the best environmental practices and a teaching center demonstrating… sustainable practices."[27]
See also
References
- ^ The Associated Press. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ OCLC 1224279234.
- ^ ISBN 9780520941014.
- ^ JSTOR 10.1525/j.ctt1pp4mm.9.
- ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8.
- ^ a b Staff Reporter (9 March 2014). "Westerners Flock to Join Indian Cannibal Sect". International Business Times.
- ^ a b "Aghoris". Encounter. 12 November 2006. ABC.
- ^ John Bowker, The Meanings of Death, Cambridge University Press, p. 164.
- ^ "Shiva: The Wild God of Power and Ecstasy" Page 46, by Wolf-Dieter Storl
- ^ S2CID 24887302.
- ^ Rebello, Lara (11 March 2017). "Hindus outraged as CNN's new series shows Reza Aslan eating human brains with India's Aghori sect". International Business Times.
- S2CID 164957487.
- ISBN 978-0904674330.
- ISSN 1461-6688.
- ISBN 9781475938463.
- ^ "Aghori". True Hindu. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ Roy, Ananya (11 March 2017). "Mystical or magical? Who are the Aghoris who feed on human brains and mate with corpses?". International Business Times.
- ^ Parry, J. P. (1994). Death in Banaras. Cambridge University Press.
- ISBN 978-0-520-25218-9. Source: [1](accessed: Sunday February 21, 2010), p.33.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-25218-9. p.161.
- ^ Barrett, Ron (2008).
- ^ a b c "Sonoma Ashram, an ashram in California for personal retreats, yoga and meditation". 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- OCLC 85766398.
- OCLC 46378226.
- ^ "Sonoma Ashram, an ashram in California for personal retreats, yoga and meditation". 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Project Shakti". 9 June 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Amrit Sagar Environmental Center". 9 June 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
Further reading
- Patel, Rajan (2016). Feast of Varanasi. Raafilms.
- Dallapiccola, Anna (2002). Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-51088-1.
- McDermott, Rachel F.; Kripal, Jeffrey J. (2003). Encountering Kālī: in the margins, at the center, in the West. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-23239-6.
- McEvilley, Thomas (2002). The Shape of Ancient Thought: comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies. Allworth Communications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-58115-203-6.
- Parry, Jonathan P. (1994). Death in Banaras. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-46625-3.
- Svoboda, Robert (1986). Aghora: At the Left Hand of God. Brotherhood of Life. ISBN 0-914732-21-8.
- Svoboda, Robert (1993). Aghora II: Kundalini. Brotherhood of Life. ISBN 0-914732-31-5.
- Vishwanath Prasad Singh Ashthana, Aghor at a glance
- Vishwanath Prasad Singh Ashthana, Krim-kund Katha
- Howard, John R (2018) The Aghorī: Modern Myth or Ancient Truth, https://www.academia.edu/42043486/The_Aghor%C4%AB_Modern_Myth_or_Ancient_Truth
External links
Media related to Aghori at Wikimedia Commons- "Conversation with an Aghori Baba" videotaped in Varanasi archived at Ghostarchive.org on 18 Jun 2022
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