Aghoris are ascetics that practice Left Hand Tantra (Followers of Kaula tantra, Kapalika, Kashmiri Shaivism and Shakti Sadhakas). They follow extreme austerity in order to attain Self Realization. They are engaged in worship of Shiva, Shakti, Dasha Mahavidyas, Ghosts and Ghouls, etc., depending on their path of sadhana. They live in crematoriums as they consider it as the most sanctified place. We are spooked with the sight of Crematorium or with the thought of going there as it reminds us with loss of loved ones and it is believed to be residence of ghosts, dead bodies and evil spirits. But for Agoris this place gives them many siddhis and peace. They consider this as home and become one with the place. Can a crematorium be so sanctified and holy to worship God and can some human really eat flesh of the dead. When you look at these questions with our eyes it may sound strange but when we look at it with the beliefs of an Aghori this is certainly possible and not taboo.
As per Tantric Texts Lord Shiva is considered to be Lord of crematorium - Shamshanadhipati, in his form of Shamshan Bhairava he resides in the crematorium along with his consort Shamshan Kali. Thus residing in Shamshan is considered auspicious according to Aghoris. Shamshan (Crematoriums) is the place where the five elements of which our body is made (earth, water, fire, air, ether) are present in their original form and they go back to their original state when a body is cremated. When a sadhaka sees continuous cremation he realizes that this body is destructible and He should rise above the bodily plane to spiritual plane.
He also understands that death is inevitable anything that is born has to die and it is this lifetime that he can strive for enlightenment so that he does not take birth again and is freed from cycle of birth and death. Birth can be controlled but if one is born one has to die, and thus realizing the truth the fear of death is overcome and you develop detachment for material pleasures and sense gratification. Etymologically 'Sam - Shan' can be said as the place where everyone's status is equal, a king is also cremated there and a pauper is also cremated there, giving a sense of equality in vision. You see the world as same and do not differentiate.
With a vision of equality you see all flesh as flesh, Aghoris eat all sorts of flesh be it human or animal. Unlike us they do not fall for the taste as taste is also temporary and material . We have lots of recipes to make chicken, mutton, fish, or any other flesh. we see each flesh different bearing different taste but Aghoris consider chicken, mutton, fish, human flesh as flesh. They do not differentiate. Also they do not kill for food. We kill chicken, goat, lamb, etc cause we prefer fresh meat.we wold not eat meat of someone who is already dead. But Aghoris are not like that they are not hunters but scavengers. Their way of eating is they would spot a fresh body being cremated and when the pyre is lit and their relatives leave after the funeral is complete it is then with their tong aghoris would pick a thigh part of the dead body from the burning pyre and eat it. Just as the animals such as vultures, crows, dogs, etc scavenge eat the remnants of the dead the same way Aghoris eat the remnants. They are not cannibals as they are no hunters , they just live on the dead.
Therefore we should not consider them cruel or inhuman. Actually we are cruel and inhuman as we go to a nice restaurant and order some fantastic chicken and lamb, and because we ordered chicken and lamb the chef or the butcher would slaughter a fresh chicken or lamb. If the hotel would serve a lamb that got killed in a road accident you would just go and sue the restaurant for not serving fresh meat, killing for food does not seem cruel only scavenging seems cruel. When Killing is cruel or scavenging that is up to the readers to decide. When we come out of the bodily platform we forget taste, disgust, beauty, and all the modes of the sense gratification given to us by our senses, we just see everything as same.
The moment we start differentiation of tasty or bland, beautiful or ugly, comfort and discomfort you still are in the bodily platform. Living in bodily platform by wearing saffron and living a life of comfort does not make you qualified to be enlightened. There has to be detachment , austerity, sacrifice and the most important the realization of true self. The lifestyle of Aghoris seems difficult to understand but they are truly realized souls as the amount of Austerity they perform can not be performed by anyone.
We need to also try to know Aghoris well before we make assumptions and accuse them of cruelty and inhuman behavior, there are also lot of Myths surrounding them as people out of fear or neglect create stories around them. We need to uncover the Stories and try to peep into the reality.
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