The Aghoris, a sect within Hinduism, embark on a profound and often misunderstood spiritual journey, seeking to transcend the conventional notions of purity and impurity. Rooted in ancient Hindu spiritual traditions, Aghoris challenge societal norms and embrace practices that are considered taboo by mainstream society. At the core of their philosophy lies the belief in the ultimate unity of all existence, where distinctions between good and bad, pure and impure, dissolve in the face of the divine. To achieve this transcendence, Aghoris engage in extreme rituals and practices that push the boundaries of conventional understanding. One of the most striking aspects of Aghori philosophy is their willingness to confront and embrace that which society deems impure or repulsive. They believe that by directly confronting these aspects of existence, one can attain a deeper understanding of the nature of reality and the self. This often involves rituals such as meditation in cremation ground...

A woman (Jessica Lal) murdered a few years back gets around 1 hour daily on so called National News Channels. Three woman murdered (Dalit killing in Maharashtra ) a month back was first ignored, then forced to report and then sidelined. In normal course, the three dalit woman murdered should get precedence but our channels find Jessica Lal case more interesting. Any idea why? Prime time of most national news channels (better call them metro channels) in India these days are reserved for Jessica Lal and Ram Jethmalani. Much of the time is spend on discussing what Ram Jethmalani should have said, should not have said and finally what he will say. The net result - all people take a high moral ground and attack Ram Jethmalani. Then we have a set of news anchors who are more aware about the proceedings than the judges and lawyers. Most of the time viewers are left guessing what these people are discussing. I don’t know if anybody is keeping tr...

The teaching of Aghoris, a sect within Hinduism, revolves around the belief that everything in the world is an aspect of the One, or the ultimate reality. This philosophy stems from the concept of Advaita, which emphasizes the unity of the individual soul (Atman) with the universal soul (Brahman). Aghoris are often perceived as unconventional or even controversial due to their practices, which involve seeking spiritual enlightenment through extreme rituals and breaking societal taboos. However, at the core of their belief system lies the idea of non-duality, where there is no distinction between the self and the divine. This perspective leads them to view all aspects of existence, whether perceived as positive or negative, as manifestations of the same underlying reality. According to Aghori philosophy, embracing the totality of existence, including its most challenging and seemingly repulsive aspects, is essential for transcending the illusion of separateness and attaining liberat...

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo , New York , one of the world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary art, will deaccession antiquities and other historic works in a series of auctions at Sotheby’s over the course of 2007. Highlighting the March 23rd sale of Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art will be a Magnificent and Rare Granite Figure of Shiva as Brahma or Mahesha, Chola Period, circa 10th /11th century. The life-size sculpture, which entered the museum’s collection in 1927, is estimated to bring in the region of $3 million. The present four-faced sculpture depicts Shiva as the omniscient deity from whom the two other great Gods, Brahma and Vishnu, are born. The iconography of this work is both fascinating and complex and depictions of the deity in the present form, particularly of this quality, are extremely rare. Anu Ghosh-Mazumdar, specialist in Sotheby’s Indian and Southeast Asian Art Department said, “This work is wit...

The journey of an Aghori is often depicted as a profound exploration of the extremes of existence, symbolizing the path from darkness to enlightenment. Aghoris are a sect of sadhus in India who are known for their extreme practices and unconventional way of life. They are often associated with rituals that involve dwelling in cremation grounds, consuming human flesh, and using cremation ashes as part of their spiritual practices. These practices, though shocking to many, are believed by Aghoris to be a means of transcending societal taboos and accessing higher spiritual truths. The descent into darkness for an Aghori can be seen as a metaphorical journey into the depths of human experience, where they confront and embrace the aspects of life that many would find repulsive or frightening. By immersing themselves in these taboo practices, Aghoris seek to transcend conventional notions of good and evil and attain a state of non-duality, where all distinctions between self and other, l...

The 35-foot- high temple is located at Kuansh village near Bhadrak town in Orissa. Julian Parker, who hails from Los Angeles, built the temple at an estimated $56,500. More than half of the money was contributed by Parker himself. Rest of the money was donated by devotees of ISKCON, foreigners and others. Why the new temple? Because foreigners and non-hindus are not allowed into the Jagannath Temple at Puri. The three idols - Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra - in the new temple are seven feet tall. Daily schedules and rituals are similar to the temple at Puri. Parker has rechristened himself as Jahnava Nitai Das after becoming a devotee of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He has also founded the Bhaktivedanta Ashram .

The book, titled The Divine Anjaneya, is written by Rama Bhat, who is Associate Dean, Graduate Programs and Research, in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science in Concordia University , Montreal Canada . Barbara Black writes in Concordia Journal: Bhat relates in his introduction, he went to Nanjing in 2001 with his colleague in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Ming-yuvan Chen, who subsequently gave him a book on Chinese mythology called Journey to the West . A mythological novel written in the 16th century, it tells of a Chinese Buddhist priest who travels to India during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) to acquire Buddhist scriptures.   Bhat was intrigued because of the resemblances of the Indian figure Anjaneya to a Chinese monkey-god called Sun Wukong. He decided to write his book in English, and another colleague, Professor Chun-Yi Su, is having it translated into Mandarin.   The Divine Anjaneya is about the d...

The profundity of Hindu wisdom encompasses a vast array of philosophical insights, moral teachings, and spiritual guidance. Among its many contemplations, the notion that "destruction and sorrow leave not a single being untouched" stands as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of existence and the inevitability of suffering. At the heart of Hinduism lies the concept of karma, the law of cause and effect governing the universe. According to this doctrine, every action, whether good or bad, generates consequences that reverberate throughout time and space. Thus, the principle of destruction and sorrow touches every being, not as an arbitrary act of fate, but as a manifestation of the intricate web of karma. In Hindu tradition, the deity Shiva embodies the dual nature of destruction and creation. As the destroyer of worlds, Shiva represents the cyclical process of dissolution that paves the way for new beginnings. While destruction may evoke fear and despair, it is ...

Openly Gay Hindu Man becomes minister (priest) in Unitarian Universalist Church . Firstly, about Unitarian Universalism It is a liberal religion -- They believe that personal experience, conscience and reason should be the final authorities in religion. They are a "non-creedal" religion: They do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. Now the Hindu Gay Man is Manish Kumar Mishra, aged 35, from Tampa , Florida . He is Harvard-educated, openly gay and former diplomat. He also has a Bachelor degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and speaks seven languages. The reason to choose the new religion is - Hinduism renounces homosexuality. St. Petersburg Times reports: Mishra, who identifies his religion as Hindu, which renounces homosexuality, said the church gave him a religious home. It is high time Hindu communities discussed about sexual minorities. I feel Hinduism should accommodate sexual minorities. Such people shou...

Sandeep’s blog on Hindu Holocaust is true. No community has been slaughtered like this in history. But let us not rub salt in old wounds. The number of Hindus wiped out by Muslim invaders is equivalent to the population of several smaller countries in Europe . But didn’t Hinduism survive in spite of that? Why did it survive? Gandhiji says: If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: search the Truth through non-violent means. A man many not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth. ( Hindu Dharma, Orient Paperbacks, Published 1991, page 18 and 19. ) We cannot go back into history and correct all the wrong deeds. Similarly, we cannot blame the present day Muslim brothers for the wrong doing of their forefathers. It must also be noted here that after independence Muslims have never attacked Hinduism and its beliefs and teachings. (I am not talking about riots created for political and ...