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AGHORA PRACTICE
Typically, followers of the Aghora path try to cultivate a state of mind and social practice which is totally non discriminatory, just as fire does not discriminate whether something put into it is pure or impure. It is the nature of fire to either burn or purify, and Aghora does the task of absolute purification for the seeker, making his mind and spirit so clean that he is able to see a glimpse of the divine within him, and then extends it to the divinity resident in all beings of this creation. Once the seeker begins to see the same divine element in all beings, even the thought of such mentally and socially generated constructs as high and low, purity and pollution, pure and impure, or male and female, do not taint his mind or modify his behaviour.
Since Lord Shiva is thought of as an itinerant ascetic inhabiting cremation grounds, indulging in intoxicants, ruling over spirits, ghosts, and every other class of terrifying spirit, Aghora seekers also try to mould themselves on the imagined behaviour of their deity. They live in cremation grounds, they are ascribed power over all kinds of ghosts and spirits, and they are supposed to use (and, indeed, to be immune to the effects of) intoxicants. Chaturvedi cites some common practices recommended for Aughar seekers, such as touching the earth as soon as one wakes up in the morning, because the earth is treated as mother, and this action allows her energy to infuse the seeker; to mumble mantras on sitting up in bed; to meditate on nothing, but to repeat one’s mantra as much as possible; and to strive for nothing, yet to not remain inactive. To attain an absolute focus onto their own spirit, Aughars can perform a special mode of meditation called ‘the meditation of the cremation ground’. Five kinds of cremation grounds are enumerated a peepal tree (ficus religiosa) outside the village, a cot made of moonj string, a prostitute’s bed, one’s own wife’s bed, and the cremation ground. On special occasions, Aughars also use panchamakar in their meditations. Normally, the seekers wear a red loincloth because it signifies the feminine creative energy. During their penance period they wear blue or black clothes because it protects them from many troublesome forces. On transcending the period of penance, the Aughar seeker is advised to wear white clothes because it represents a pure and clean consciousness.
As will be evident from out discussion, Aghora is known to be an ancient tradition for seeking enlightenment, one that has been influenced by many other streams of spiritual thought from within Hinduism as well as from Buddhism. What is socially important is that Aghora tradition believes in interacting in a noon discriminatory manner with all beings and things; in more recent times, the demand of social service from realized Aughar saints has been given a new and comprehensive form through Baba Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram. This new turn to the Aghora tradition makes it much more accessible and useful for the common people to interact with (and to identify with) Aughar seekers, and derive physical as well as spiritual benefits from their actions. Before Baba Bhagwan Ram relinquished his body, he established Baba Siddhartha Gautam Ram as the abbot of kinaram Sthal, the temple where he himself had received initiation in 1951. Readers will recall that it was to this place that Baba Kinaram was led by his guru Baba Kaluram, the place where a sacred fire lit from the wood brought from cremation grounds has been burning constantly for more than 400 years. The society for social service named Shri Sarveshwari Samooh, founded by Baba Bhagwan Ram, still carries on social work under Baba Gurupad sambhav Ram. Baba’s other disciples have opened ashrams in other parts of to continue social work, such as Baba priyadarshi Ram’s ashram at Banora (chhatisgarh), and Kapaleshwar Baba Singha Shawak Ram (1st disciple of Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram who has been named ‘Shudharma’ by him) His Ashram at Mussoorie, Uttaranchal and many other places of India and in Nepal where he has send his favourite disciple our Gurudevajee Avadhoot Mangaldhan Ram Baba. . Some of Baba Bhagwan Ram’s disciples have started ashrams internationally as well, such as Baba Harihar Ram’s ashram in Sonoma, California, and Guru Baba’s ashram in Mezzago, in Milano (Italy).
Baba Bhagwan Ram is credited to have changed the place that Aughar ascetics occupy society. While earlier they were regarded as being, literally, on the social fringe, inhabiting cremation grounds, today they have become a part of the mainstream of religious life in Banaras and elsewhere, using the powers of their spiritual practices for social benefit.
Typically, followers of the Aghora path try to cultivate a state of mind and social practice which is totally non discriminatory, just as fire does not discriminate whether something put into it is pure or impure. It is the nature of fire to either burn or purify, and Aghora does the task of absolute purification for the seeker, making his mind and spirit so clean that he is able to see a glimpse of the divine within him, and then extends it to the divinity resident in all beings of this creation. Once the seeker begins to see the same divine element in all beings, even the thought of such mentally and socially generated constructs as high and low, purity and pollution, pure and impure, or male and female, do not taint his mind or modify his behaviour.
Since Lord Shiva is thought of as an itinerant ascetic inhabiting cremation grounds, indulging in intoxicants, ruling over spirits, ghosts, and every other class of terrifying spirit, Aghora seekers also try to mould themselves on the imagined behaviour of their deity. They live in cremation grounds, they are ascribed power over all kinds of ghosts and spirits, and they are supposed to use (and, indeed, to be immune to the effects of) intoxicants. Chaturvedi cites some common practices recommended for Aughar seekers, such as touching the earth as soon as one wakes up in the morning, because the earth is treated as mother, and this action allows her energy to infuse the seeker; to mumble mantras on sitting up in bed; to meditate on nothing, but to repeat one’s mantra as much as possible; and to strive for nothing, yet to not remain inactive. To attain an absolute focus onto their own spirit, Aughars can perform a special mode of meditation called ‘the meditation of the cremation ground’. Five kinds of cremation grounds are enumerated a peepal tree (ficus religiosa) outside the village, a cot made of moonj string, a prostitute’s bed, one’s own wife’s bed, and the cremation ground. On special occasions, Aughars also use panchamakar in their meditations. Normally, the seekers wear a red loincloth because it signifies the feminine creative energy. During their penance period they wear blue or black clothes because it protects them from many troublesome forces. On transcending the period of penance, the Aughar seeker is advised to wear white clothes because it represents a pure and clean consciousness.
As will be evident from out discussion, Aghora is known to be an ancient tradition for seeking enlightenment, one that has been influenced by many other streams of spiritual thought from within Hinduism as well as from Buddhism. What is socially important is that Aghora tradition believes in interacting in a noon discriminatory manner with all beings and things; in more recent times, the demand of social service from realized Aughar saints has been given a new and comprehensive form through Baba Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram. This new turn to the Aghora tradition makes it much more accessible and useful for the common people to interact with (and to identify with) Aughar seekers, and derive physical as well as spiritual benefits from their actions. Before Baba Bhagwan Ram relinquished his body, he established Baba Siddhartha Gautam Ram as the abbot of kinaram Sthal, the temple where he himself had received initiation in 1951. Readers will recall that it was to this place that Baba Kinaram was led by his guru Baba Kaluram, the place where a sacred fire lit from the wood brought from cremation grounds has been burning constantly for more than 400 years. The society for social service named Shri Sarveshwari Samooh, founded by Baba Bhagwan Ram, still carries on social work under Baba Gurupad sambhav Ram. Baba’s other disciples have opened ashrams in other parts of to continue social work, such as Baba priyadarshi Ram’s ashram at Banora (chhatisgarh), and Kapaleshwar Baba Singha Shawak Ram (1st disciple of Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram who has been named ‘Shudharma’ by him) His Ashram at Mussoorie, Uttaranchal and many other places of India and in Nepal where he has send his favourite disciple our Gurudevajee Avadhoot Mangaldhan Ram Baba. . Some of Baba Bhagwan Ram’s disciples have started ashrams internationally as well, such as Baba Harihar Ram’s ashram in Sonoma, California, and Guru Baba’s ashram in Mezzago, in Milano (Italy).
Baba Bhagwan Ram is credited to have changed the place that Aughar ascetics occupy society. While earlier they were regarded as being, literally, on the social fringe, inhabiting cremation grounds, today they have become a part of the mainstream of religious life in Banaras and elsewhere, using the powers of their spiritual practices for social benefit.
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