The Aghori

[lagopus]

Now, the Aghori (name means "non-fearing") sect of Tantrik Hinduism is often looked down upon by most hardcore Hindus, because it's very extreme. Its practitioners use the most extreme methods to reach enlightenment, because their tradition (and even Brahmanical Hinduism) states that Everything Is God/dess--the genderless Brahman. Thus, they are often vilified for it, because Brahmanical Hinduism, in its contradictory way (the Vedas are as contradictory as any other religion's holy scriptures), has its taboos.

So, the Aghori even eat human flesh, cooked and fresh from funeral pyres. I find them intriguing, because taboo-breaking and non-dualism and the fact that God Herself is everywhere in the cosmos, even the most "dirty" things. I'm paraphrasing Starhawk: "when we eat, shit, make love, we manifest the Goddess".

And now, FINALLY, I managed to track down a documentary I saw on the Discovery Channel about Indian Sadhus (i.e. ascetic holy men and women). This particular Sadhu practices Aghori.

The documentary can be found on YouTube, split into six parts:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWgW9kh_NjQ

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkMpZ1uszNs

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXFwzqE28ZI

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjscXcrTdbQ

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG0Vra5cDw0

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLCpNQGIMzY

I haven't watched it in ages. I might just watch it after I've finished this post. I won't spoil it for you, but I'd love to hear your comments on it.