Filth, death and enlightenment; The Aghori.

An Aghori in meditation.

Chances are, this is not the first time you've read about the Aghori. You've heard the tales of self-mutilation, chronic drug abuse and ritualistic cannibalism all before, on the television, the Internet or in passing conversation. You have, like myself, also probably wondered how much truth there is behind all of these stories and whether or not these people are truly as they are portrayed in the media. Are the cremation sites of India and Nepal really haunted by wandering Shaivite ghouls and are they really bound to the dark sacraments we've come to associate them with? Due to the Sadhu lifestyle, it's hard to tell exactly how many Aghori there are and how far the sect extends outside of India and Nepal, but after further reading and a little bit of research, it is fair to say that the Aghori, and their grim customs, are very real.

The Aghori are a sect of the Shaivite Hindu (Those who regard Shiva as the supreme being) religion and hold the belief that everything material is imbued with the energy of Shiva. Shaivites believe that Shiva is the creator and destroyer of all things, and so all creation and destruction is intrinsically good. With these very base beliefs in mind, the ideals and reasons behind the actions of the Aghori begin to take shape. As all things are good, there is no reason to fear, so it is the Aghori mission to become fearless and to cleanse one's soul of the "Astha maha pasha" (Human passions, fears, pleasures etc.) in order to prove their devotion to Shiva and thus break the circle of reincarnation and ascend to a higher plane of existence.

The Aghori are also largely associated as a Sadhu religion. The Sadhu are those that have rejected social norms in favour of living a life solely dedicated to their religious enlightenment ("Moksa") through choice homelessness, long bouts of meditation and by depriving themselves of most human comforts and pleasures. This extreme dedication to their religion has them hanging in a kind of social limbo, they are seen as both outcasts and the martyrs by those who live more traditional lifestyles.

Now that we have these terms unpacked, we can relate them to the Aghori twist on Shaivam. Because all things are inherently good, the Aghori choose to prove their fearlessness to Shiva by living in constant squalor, because to the Aghori, there is no such thing as squalor. By living a completely wretched lifestyle, they are accepting that all of Shiva's creations are good and that there is nothing to be afraid of because fears and passions corrupt meditation. The Aghori believe that we are all born into this mode of thinking, that a child is born without the concepts of right or wrong, and that over time, socially constructed norms teach them to fear. The elimination of fear through experience is perhaps the most important of Aghori beliefs, that one must rid themselves of the bonds of fear and shame by desensitizing themselves to them. So it is that the Aghori seek to enter into a new state of consciousness by hurling themselves into harms way and embracing the most dangerous and repulsive of taboos.

The Aghori are perhaps the most feared of the Sadhu due the dangerous manner in which they conduct themselves. Though they are known to pose little threat to those around them, some Aghori choose to keep themselves in a constant state of intoxication (Fearlessness) through drug and alcohol abuse, and this can make their actions unpredictable and thus something to be avoided by the general public. It is perhaps this abuse that renders them immune to the pain of the extreme acts of self-harm that they have become synonymous with.

Cremation Ground at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, India.

Though they are known to wander, the Aghori are more often to be found living on the cremation grounds of India and Nepal. These cremation grounds are found close to water, where bodies can be disposed of and remains are scattered easier. It is on these cremation grounds that the Aghori find their means of living, food, clothing, shelter and the ash with which they paint themselves white in the image of Shiva. All of these things are abundant on the cremation grounds.

During the Aghori initiation period, the initiate must spend years living on a cremation site. There they will clothe themselves with the dead, feed on the dead and meditate for 12 years. It is during this time that the Aghori will also forge themselves a begging bowl from a human skull and it is this bowl that they will use to feed themselves for the rest of their lives. When this period is finished, the Aghori initiate will be free to roam as he or she pleases, though meditation on the cremation grounds will still be a must.

The ritualistic consumption of human flesh is one of the most taboo of Aghori traditions and is perhaps the reason they are so feared by other religious sects. Though there have been no reported instances where an Aghori has murdered in order to obtain flesh for their ritual, their grave robbing is a well noted fact. As Shaivism dictates that all things are made from the power of Shiva and that we are all one in primordial kin, the Aghori partake in the consumption of human flesh without shame because to them, they are eating their own flesh also. This act of spiritual cannibalism is a symbol for all that the Aghori hold to be true, that we are all one and that we must not fear.

The Aghori are perhaps the most survivalist of the Sadhu in that they are unafraid to partake in waste foods found in rubbish bags, animal feces and carcasses. As it is a large part of their religion to accept all that Shiva has put before them, they relish in that which most would find disgusting. As previously stated, the large quantities of drugs and alcohol (often mixed with human or animal urine) that some of them ingest could be responsible for their sickly diets and ability to make a bed of any surface. It is not unusual to find an Aghori smoking hashish and opium, though how they acquire these drugs without the money to pay for them leaves little to the imagination.

Sometimes found drunk and nodding-off in the streets, covered in human ash and remains, it is easy for their beliefs to be dismissed as simple barbarism without cause. Though repugnant, when studied closely, there is a deep theology behind the Aghori that sees them as equal to that of any other Sadhu sect. It is the manner in which they attempt to reach 'Moksa' that most find questionable, not their conceptualization of such enlightenment.

What do the critics matter, eh? What have we learned today?

The Aghori are fucking insane, out of control and utterly brilliant. Thank you for existing.

Further reading;

The Gift of Life; Death as Teacher in the Aghori Sect.