Maitreyi Paradigm- The Art and Science of Being Happy
  • Home
  • Maitreyi
  • Ancient Wisdom
  • Inner Healing
  • Wellness
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Inspired Living
  • Contact Us
    • Terms & Condtions

How are Aghoris different from regular Lord Shiva devotees?

3/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Aghoris are the very special and also a small sect of Shiva devotees. They are known not only for their unconventional ways of praying but also at times, their scandalous spiritual practices like meditating while seated on a dead human body. Aghoris have a unique set of beliefs that differ from those of regular Shiva devotees. 
​
Aghoris believe that everything in the universe is interconnected, and that the divine can be found in everything, including the impure and taboo. They believe that by embracing the dark and impure aspects of life, they can 
overcome them and attain spiritual enlightenment and obtain ultimate liberation, i.e. moksha. Aghoris follow the left-handed tantric pathway called Vamachara, where they embrace the dark habits to rise and transcend beyond them.

Regular Shiva devotees believe in the worship of Shiva as the supreme deity and follow traditional religious practices to obtain his blessings and attain moksha (liberation). They believe that true and deep devotion will help them tarry over the mystery of life and attain ultimate liberation, i.e. moksha through the grace and blessings of their Lord Shiva. Regular Shiva devotees follow the right-handed tantric pathway called Dakshinachara, where they conduct their spiritual actions and practice in conventionally accepted forms such as mantra-chantings, abhishekams and so on.

They are many differences between an Aghori and a regular Shiva devotee...

Here are some of the key differences that you will observe between an Aghori and a regular, conventional Shiva devotee, i.e. a regular Shaivite:

1. Unconventional Spiritual Practices: As mentioned above, Aghoris are known for their unconventional ways of spiritual sadhana, i.e. spiritual practices. Their spiritual practices often involve the use of human ashes, animal sacrifices, and consumption of taboo substances such as human flesh. 

Aghoris believe that the divine energy is everywhere and in all things. It is easy to embrace that which is appealing, but by embracing the dark and impure aspects of life, one can overcome them and attain spiritual enlightenment. 

Aghoris challenge all that one typically finds unappealing and fearful, such as death and decay. They embrace these aspects of life, by facing them in the eye. They tend to live in cremation grounds and conduct their spiritual practice in the presence of dead human bodies. 

Where as, regular Shiva devotees follow traditional religious practices, such as worshiping Shiva Linga in temples and performing puja, i.e., various worship rituals such as Shiva Linga abhishek, chanting Shiva mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya and so on.

2. Rejecting Commonly-held Societal Norms: Aghoris reject societal norms and conventions and choose to live a life of asceticism. They often live in cremation grounds or remote areas and wear ash-smeared clothes, symbolizing their rejection of commonly accepted ways of living. 

Regular Shiva devotees, on the other hand, follow societal norms and do not reject them. They live their life and conduct their spiritual practice in a manner which is not only accepted but also extolled by the society.
3. Focus of Prayer: Aghoris focus on the inner self and seek to attain spiritual enlightenment and liberation, by going beyond the physical realm. They believe that the divine can be found in everything, including death, cremation grounds, and taboo practices. 

On the other hand, regular Shiva devotees seek to attain spiritual enlightenment by following traditional rituals and practices like mantra chanting, saying aartis and seeking the blessings of Shiva thru these religious austerities.
4. Praying to different forms of Lord Shiva: Aghoris typically worship the more fierce forms of Lord Shiva such as Lord Bhairav and Lord Mahakaal. They also tend to chant the more fiery mantras of Lord Shiva such as the beeja mantras of Haum and Hum.

Regular Shiva devotees typically worship the calm form of Shiva in this meditative state. They also chant simple and extremely beneficent mantras such as Om Namah Shivay.
​
In summary, Aghoris differ from regular Shiva devotees in their approach to spirituality, rejection of societal norms, and unconventional practices. However, both groups share a devotion to Shiva and seek spiritual enlightenment.
​
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    ... also check out
    ​our main Blog

    Picture

    Vedic Wisdom

    Categories

    All
    Aartis And Chalisas
    Festival Celebrations
    Gods And Deities
    Help From Vedas
    Inspiring Quotations
    Jyotish For Ascension
    Myths And Beliefs
    Practical Ayurveda
    Prayers And Sadhanas
    Rishis And Sages
    Shloka For The Week
    Stories And Legends
    Tantra Mantra Yantra
    The Bhagavad Gita
    Thought Bytes
    Tools And Methods
    Vedic Archetypes
    Vedic Arts
    Vedic Living
    Vedic Maths
    Vedic Science
    Vedic Sounds
    Vedic Symbolism
    Vedic Technologies
    Vedic Texts
    Vedic Tradition
    Wisdom Bytes

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Vedic Culture, which   is the culture of the original Himalayan Masters,    is one of the most advanced ancient civilizations.  It is a tradition which has given mankind several treasures such Yoga, Meditation, Conscious-Living and Vedic Sciences such as Ayurveda, Vedic Physics & Vedic Mathematics.

    It was always a scientific culture that understood the very mechanics and workings of this Universe. Their deities, their gods and goddesses were all a way of expressing and explaining these energies and their inter-working. Modern Quantum Mechanics is just starting to understand string theory, dark matter etc. which have all been fundamental to the Vedic understanding. Because of this, they developed ways and methods which allowed one to best tap into life-energy itself.

    Vedic Culture, as it was practiced by the Himalayan Masters, was always a "way of life" and not a religion.

    Their basic view was that, there is only ONE Supreme God-head (God as our creator) and each one of us can find our path to it- experience union with that divinity (Yoga) in their own way.

    Because of this, anyone with any religious affiliations and beliefs can still benefit from their knowledgeable ways of Vedic Wisdom.

    Our attempt here is to present this ancient wisdom in a modern light, so our readers can interpret the true, essential meaning more easily and then extrapolate it to their own specific scenarios and enhance the quality of their life and being-ness.
    Check out Maitreyi's latest books...
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
© Copyright 2023 Maitreyi Gautam, Sandhya Bhat & ​Macro2Micro Media *** ALL RIGHTS RESERVED *** See Terms & Conditions for details on this site usage.