Aghor Dattatreya sampradaya

[Guest guest]

Aghor an Introduction

'Aghora' means 'a+ghora' i.e., 'that which is not ghora (fierce)', that which is not difficult or complex. The meaning is clear that aghora is that which is extremely easy, facile, sweet and easily assailable and is worthy of all and Sundry. means 'a+ghora' i.e., 'that which is not ghora (fierce)', that which is not difficult or complex. The meaning is clear that aghora is that which is extremely easy, facile, sweet and easily assailable and is worthy of all and Sundry.

It is not limited to any religion, sect, tradition, cult etc. It is in reality, a state of being, a mental state. It is the foremost mental level of spirituality, attaining which person escapes the cycle of life and death and merges completely into the supreme power that has created this universe.

It is a via media between all existing religious order. It is not bound inherently in Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, or Christianity. It cannot be constrained within boundaries or belongs neither to Shaivism alone, nor to the cult of Shakti worshippers alone. It is not even constrained within the aghoree of Vaishnavite boundaries. It reflects eternal truth.

Regarding of the religion or cult one belongs to if one does not stray from the path prescribed by one Guru, and keeps moving forward on the spiritual path while studiously remaining free from petty egotism-a feat possible only through the guru's grace-then one comes to occupy the aghora state of consciousness right before he/she gets liberated from the cycle of rebirth forever. That is why in different places a person firmly stationed in this consciousness has been described differently e.g. Aughar, Avdhar, Avadhoot, Kaapalik, Sankulya, Videha, Paramhansa, aulia, malang etc. All these are different names of the same state.

It is the state of supreme non-discrimination. Duality is born from the intelligence attached to one's body; non-duality arises from the eternal wisdom inherent in the soul. Non-duality is the root of liberating- knowledge, whereas duality is the root of ignorance. It is knowledge that bestows freedom from the cycle of rebirth. Action and knowledge are like the two wings of the person seeking liberation. They help the person to fly easily in this immense sky represented by the world. Action helps to keep the fickleness of mind under control and knowledge provides liberation. Both are complimentary. One 'wing' is action, and the other is knowledge.

To become indifferent to eating habits, dress, lifestyles caste, physical appearance etc. is to go forward on the path of non-discrimination. Inability to see the difference between Gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Shiva, Shakti, the Formless God or the God-with Form, or a Shivalinga is the basic non-discrimination. Everything is but different manifestations of the same supreme power. This cognition is the zenith of the aghora sate of consciousness.

Aghora

In the beginning of time aghora was the easy lifestyle of all humans, the culture of all humanity. All thinkers are agreed that some invisible and unknown power lies behind all creation. In the sequence of this perfectly ordered creation, as far as sentient beings can perceive the truth. First appeared vegetation on earth followed by insects, birds and animals. After these came the human monarchy, because of their intelligence. Upon coming into existence the intelligent man get down to satisfying his basic needs. After gaining security from hunger, thirst, fear of attack etc. the human mind threw forth some fundamental questions who are we ? where have we come from ? why have we come ? What is the purpose of our coming on this earth, etc. As a result, thinkers got busy trying to find answers to these questions and finally, all agreed that

some single unknown power like behind this world and the purpose of human life to merge back into it after having fulfilled one's duties. People active along these lines of thinking and action became emotionally tied together. Their emotional bond was replete with supreme bliss and it kept being handed down slowly from generation to generation. Consequently, later in time this unbroken trend came to called 'human culture.'

Contrary to it an opposing lifestyle also emerged. It was based on brute strength and force and power relationships. It came to be reorganized universally as an inhuman culture. The first lifestyle, because of being based on the truth behind life came to be reorganized as a spiritual beacon. The either lifestyle being based on the pleasures of life, came to be called 'material lifestyle'. The spiritual lifestyle came to be reorganized as the lifestyle of Gods and a lifestyle based on carnal pleasures and brute force came to be called the demon culture, but both arose one power that has created them both, and that was 'Sadashiva, Sadashiva is said to have five functions-creation, sustenance, annihilation urging humans to go into yoga with its eight-fold path, and moksha (liberation). In later eras these five functions came

to be symbolized as the five faces of Shiva and each face received a name. The face that constantly nudges human beings to go into yoga came to be addressed as aghora. From supreme giver Shiva Himself right down to the supreme Avadhoot Sukadeva Ji, Khangunath (the guru of ParshuRam) etc. all belong to this stream of Shiva-consciousness. The extremely renowned yogi and aghoree guru Khangunath, who was a manifest form of the Primordial guru Lord Dattatreya, was the guru of the sage ParshuRam. Aghora is the state of actual Shiva - consciousness. Whoever came to this earth in that elevated state of consciousness is but a manifest form of Sadashiva Himself.

Whatever Lord Krishna said at the end of this earthly life-when He was in the aghora state of consciousness-is enshrined in Chapter 3 of the book 'Sukh Sagar' under the heading Avadhootopakhyan. The sage Rishabha too had made numerous attempts to climb upon this exalted state of mind so as to get liberated from the life and death cycle. Baba KeenaRam of the 16th century and Aghoreshvar Bhagwan Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram of this century were both forms of Sadashiva Himself