Camp Gagnon - Cannibal Hindu Aghori Monks That Rub HUMAN Ashes On Themselves

Episode Date: August 10, 2025

Who are the Aghori, and why do they rub human ashes on themselves? Today, we take a closer look at the misunderstood beliefs of one of the most unique religions. We’ll talk about who the Aghori’s are, their obsession with death, Baba Keenaram and the beginning, everyday life of an Aghori, and other interesting topics...WELCOME TO Religion CAMP! 🏕️Shoutout to our sponsor: OdooTry Odoo with a 14-day free trial at: http://Odoo.com/CAMP✝️☪️✡️🕉️☦️ Religion Camp Merch: https://religion-camp.com🏕️ Get Today In History Email Here (Free): https://camp.beehiiv.com/🎟️ 🎫 Comedy Tour Tickets Here: https://markgagnonlive.comTimestamps0:00 Intro3:15 Who Are The Aghori’s?5:40 Baba Keenaram And The Beginning9:04 Concept of Non-Duality, Aghori Cremation Ground, Symbolism in Human Skull and Ashes14:20 Everyday Life Of An Aghori & Impurity17:41 Cannibalism In Aghori Life and Deep Engagement With Death20:23 Meditation in Aghori Life, Sahasha Samari, Modernization 29:30 Aghori Philosophy, Medieval Christian Monks Philosophy, Memento Mori35:06 Conclusion on The Aghori’s

Today, we're talking about the agorri, barely clothed. His skin is like smeared with this white ash taken from the cremated bodies of the people in the funeral fires. In his hand, he has a human skull, this ritual object that's central to the agorri practice, part of one of Hinduism's most unconventional and most misunderstood spiritual order. One of the rarest and most extreme practices associated with the agorri is the consumption of human flesh. Shiva is typically seen as the god of destruction and transformation. The Agori are taking this idea of destruction and transformation to its most radical or maybe the shocking end. And when they smear ashes from these cremation grounds on their bodies, it's not just a ritual, it's a way to break down the ego. Who are the Agori actually?

That's what I want to figure out today. What's up people? And welcome back to Religion Camp. My name is Mark Gagun. Thank you for joining me in my tent where every single Sunday we explore the most interesting and fascinating and controversial stories from every religion, from every faith tradition, and divine philosophy from around the world throughout all the ages of time. As always, I'm joined by a dear friend of mine. Who do we have today? Oh, Gabe. How are you, pal? No, no, no, no, dude. I know one, look, it's nice to chat with you, okay, but we don't have time to just every single day be going back and forth because today we're talking about the agorri. Now, if you never heard of the agorri, it's a pretty fascinating,

I guess you could say like a religious subset that exists in the South Asian continent, specifically in India. And their story is pretty remarkable. I mean, maybe you've seen these guys. I mean, if you haven't, imagine this. You're just chilling. You know, you're out in India. You're in the, you know, an ancient little valley in Veronnesi, which is like a small city in India.

The sacred Ganges River is just flowing silently past, you know, this river that's been revered for millennia. You know, you got these funeral pyres that are just burning through the night. Flames casting these flickering shadows on stone steps. And the air is thick. There's incense. You can smell it. There's smoke. And then there's just a low hum of just mantras being repeated over and over.

And then in the distance you see a figure appear. He's like barely clothed. His skin is like smeared with like this white ash taken from the cremated bodies of the people in the funeral fires. In his hand, he has a human skull. this ritual object that's central to the agorri practice. And it serves as this reminder of impermanence. This man is an agorri. Part of one of Hinduism's most unconventional

and maybe most misunderstood spiritual order. Many people, specifically in America, will hear about the agorri, and they'll hear about these crazy people that, you know, are obsessed with death. And sure, you know, they do have a fascination and a ritualism around, you know, death. But, you know, it's not just only stories of cannibalism

and these dark rituals and shocking images. Who are the Agori actually? That's what I want to figure out today. Now, let the record show. I'm not a gory. I'm not. I'm just a white guy that grew up in Florida. I'm not even Hindu.

I'm not Indian. So, if I miss anything about this episode or something I get wrong, I apologize in advance. Please feel free to drop a comment. below, I don't know if there's that many agoris that are going to be watching this. But if you guys are out there, shouts out to y'all, pouring out for the dead homies. And yeah, let me know what you think.

So, where do the igori come from? All right? Their roots, they go all the way back, deep into, you know, longstanding Hindu traditions, specifically in the worship of Shiva in his more fierce forms. So we got to go back to the, you know, historical and spiritual. paths that shape how this sect of people view the world. Now, of course, the dedication to Shiva, you know, will make more sense than a little bit, but it's just important to remember, I know, obviously, depending on the, you know, the philosophy of Hinduism, Shiva is typically seen as

the god of destruction and transformation. So the Agori, as a result, are taking this idea of destruction and transformation to its, you know, maybe most radical or maybe most shocking end. So the The agorian tradition becomes clear in what they would refer to as the early modern period. Basically, like 17th century, 1600s, specifically in a city called Veronnesi. And the tradition takes much of its inspiration from earlier Shiva-like sex, you know, like the Capulikas, who were known for meditating in cremation grounds and using human skulls as, you know, in their rituals. So both the Kapalikas and the Agori revere Shiva, you know, this fierce, you know, transformative face of the divine, you know,

that's typically tied to destruction and that through death comes new life. So the word Agorri itself comes from the Sanskrit word that means, you know, or the word agorra, which translates to not fearsome or not terrible. That's basically the close translation, like, you know, nothing to be feared or something to that effect. And this reflects kind of the belief that they generally hold that nothing in existence is truly, you know, worth being feared, you know, perhaps God itself. But there's nothing that's truly impure or truly dreadful because all things are expressions of the divine. So what others see is frightening, the agoris see as sacred. So Baba Kinaram is a central figure in the history of the agoris.

He's credited with bringing the sect together in the 17th century in, in Varanasi and establishing basically creating their main monastery, you know, the Kenaroms Thal, which remains an important center for the agorri practitioners even to this very day. And his teachings continue to guide the agoris in their belief and their practices and have been ever since, you know, he kicked it all off. So, you know, Kinoram's approach was pretty bold amongst, you know, Hindu ascetics. And obviously there are many, the agorri just being, you know, one of a couple. So while many sought some type of spiritual purity through discipline or fasting or strict dietary guidelines, he taught that true freedom comes from embracing all parts of life,

you know, birth, but also death, decay, and even some social taboos. So his philosophy combined the, you know, non-dualism of advetta Vedanta with, you know, tantric practices. focusing on, like, unity that connects all the things. So the agoris have been deeply influenced by tantric traditions, specifically the left-hand path or the vamakata. And this includes practices like, you know, eating meat or, you know, potentially drinking alcohol or, you know, holding ceremonies in these cremation grounds.

So for the agoris, these are not acts of indulgence, but again, just spiritual exercises meant to break down social, and mental barriers. So by putting yourself in these, you know, socially impure situations, you're able to exercise your spirit. And we'll get more into what that really means. But throughout history, the agorre have often been kind of pushed to the fringes of society because of the stuff that they did. I mean, to general society, this was crazy. So they have survived mainly on, you know, in like these small little secluded communities near these cremation grounds and these pilgrimage sites, keeping their numbers pretty small and living apart from mainstream Hindu society.

But during British colonial rule, the Agori drew some fascination from the Brits, but also a lot of fear from the officials and the scholars that would go there, leading to some of the first written records about them ever. However, these accounts often focused on the shocking, more radical parts of Agori life, ignoring the philosophy that lies at the heart of the tradition. And a clear pattern runs through their history, a dedicated few practitioners choosing to embrace what society rejects, seeking this spiritual truth by facing the harshest reality of life directly

that ultimately we will all die. Their survival, even while being marginalized socially, shows the strength of that belief that the freedom that their seeking this spiritual freedom comes not from running away or trying to avoid or ignore, you know, the difficult questions about life, but rather by facing them and going directly into them with open eyes. So at the heart of this agorri practice, that is found in a lot of Hindu practices and many Eastern philosophies is this concept of non-duality. It's effectively a belief that everything in existence is a part of one undivided reality that all things that exist that could exist,

that will exist, or have existed are a part of this one singular reality. And, you know, this shapes a lot of their practices and how it manifests. So the agorri teachings say that what we see as differences like pure or impure or sacred and ordinary are just labels created by our minds to sort of compartmentalize things and put them into silos that we can understand. However, their path is about breaking down what they see as, you know, mental walls so that they can see the oneness that connects all human life. And this belief comes alive in their devotion to Shiva as Barava. And, you know, this is the transformative sort of more fierce face of the divine. So in the stories, Barrava lives in cremation grounds and often is wearing reminders

of death. So for the Agoris, Barrava holds. holds the power to help them face their fear of death and let go of the ego that is, you know, ultimately going to lead to the biggest spiritual change. So the Bayrava shows them that creation and destruction are just two sides of the same coin. Just as life comes from death, spiritual freedom comes from dissolving the ego, a journey reflected in their deep, you know, respect for Bayrava's, you know, terrifying form. I mean, this term of ego death and what comes comes after death is, you know, a rebirth or transformation. So now from every ego death, there is an ego rebirth. So for the egotis, the cremation ground is the place where truth is

impossible to ignore. You are confronted with the most blunt reality of all existence. There, all social identities and statuses vanish, and the reality of impermanence is reigned from you. So in this kind of in-between space, the role and labels of society fall away, and it reminds them that we are here for a limited amount of time and all things are temporary. And they choose to live in cremation grounds not to shock people or to be edgy, but to ground their spiritual practice in a place where the fragility of life is all around you. It's impossible to forget. And the human skull or the kapala, as they would call it, used in agorri rituals,

is not just a symbol of death. It's an object for reflection. And it reminds them that identity is also temporary. and that the self, you know, this idea of the ego, the consciousness that existed within this skull is also just temporary. And that the self is, you know, ultimately empty at the end of the day. And when they smear ashes from these cremation grounds on their bodies, it's not just a ritual, it's a way to break down the ego and the idea of separateness that, you know, there is life and then there is death and these things are somehow distinct and not connected. And so as a result, they mark themselves with this reminder that life is short and all forms return to one universal essence. You know, think of an ocean where, you know, drops of water fly up and they go back down.

When the drop of water is in the air, that is life where, you know, it's for a short period of time, disconnected from the hole, and it exists separately and distinct. I mean, imagine if that drop of water, when I went up in the air was like, I am my own being. you know as someone that sees the whole ocean you'd be like dude you're not you're just part of the ocean that's in the air for like the smallest amount of time ever maybe that's how god sees us so you know because of this belief agorries will you know break caste and dietary and social rules not to just rebel or you know piss off you know the general hindu majority but to again overcome these divisions and show that these rules that human beings make are just that. You know, they don't matter in the face of spiritual unity. So despite these

practices that they do, the Agori lived by a code of honesty and compassion and nonviolence. And, you know, their deliberate breaking of rules is not meant to create chaos socially, but to help them. And, you know, other people to see beyond the fear and separation that society creates. So I think the takeaway of understanding what exactly the Aguori believe, I think it is. I think it's, if you remember anything, it is to remember that there is a confrontation of, you know, going towards what most people try to avoid. And by choosing to encounter what is considered taboo or repulsive or terrifying, they try to dissolve the habits of aversion and see the unity beneath all experiences.

So for them, it's not about finding suffering or being, you know, fearsome or terrifying, but just embracing a transformative, you know, discipline, rooted, in this fundamental ideal of non-duality, that all things are truly one. So what do they do on a regular basis? The agori, in their everyday life, basically, they take these practices and they flip them up. So where many traditions are focusing on purity and cleanliness and washing your hands a thousand times and careful rituals, the agoris choose to engage in impurity. And they're almost going the exact opposite.

So at dawn, many igories begin their day on the cremation ground. using, you know, this space to meditate. They're surrounded by ashes and, you know, this reminder of death. And they try to observe how their mind reacts to this fear or to this disgust or this shame and this feeling of impermanence. And they'd watch these thoughts as they go across their mind. And, you know, they use this as a part of their spiritual training. So unlike typical meditation practices, the focus on, you know, calmness or, you know, lightness or positive thoughts. The Agori meditation centers on this idea of decay and, you know, temporality of the body and the fact that all things will go away. What's up, guys? We're going to take a break really quick because you own a

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you don't need it. But Odu is going to make your life so much easier. Everything you need, all in one place, save time, make more money. Let's get back to the show. So through this philosophy that they have,

that they refer to as the remembrance of death in the traditional Sanskrit. It's the Marana Samrana. I'm sure my pronunciation is terrible, so forgive me. But this idea of the remembrance of death, they are using this, you know, sort of practice to reflect on how the body breaks down, how things in our body eventually will just, you know, turn into dust, how they'll get burned and then our essence just goes and smoke in the air. Or, you know, they'll meditate on symbols like the human skull or different bones or the

heart, helping themselves let go of attachment and habitual fears, just remembering that they are effectively a brain inside of a skull underneath skin attached to appendages, that this human body that we exist in is just a piece of what, you know, what, you know, it actually means. It's not really us in our own right and kind of calling into question if there even isn't us in the first place or just an observer that sits in our consciousness and watches our thoughts go by. So by chanting these mantras, especially those invoking Shiva, this is, again, essential to the gory rituals. Often they will chant these powerful sounds throughout the night in the cremation grounds, believing that these utterances hold the energy to transform oneself and the mind to

this deeper awareness of how the universe is actually created or oriented, that, again, all things are one. Their dietary habits also challenge a lot of traditional rules. So they'll include meat, you know, where some Hindu sex or, you know, Jains, for example, won't do really any meat. They'll sometimes eat, you know, like beef, you know, alcohol, other substances that are considered impure in Orthodox Hindu practices. And these acts, again, are like I said before, not rebellion, but they're to confront and move beyond the taboos that create fear and division. If you are saying, I don't eat that, and I'm afraid of eating this, or I'm afraid of doing this, that is ultimately the things that we should put ourselves closer to in order to, again, test our spiritual energy.

So one of the rarest and most extreme practices associated with the agorri is the consumption of human flesh. And when this happens, it's not done again as an act of cannibalism where you're finding someone and killing them just to eat their body. But it is seen as this deeply ritualistic and spiritual act. You're basically consuming flesh from bodies given to the funeral fire as Prasad, which is sort of like a sacred offering to God. and then distributed to the devotees. You know, this is typically, you know, animal meat or some other type of food product or bread, non, etc. And at times, human bodies. And this practice is meant to destroy aversion completely and to affirm that all existence is united.

It is basically the most radical expression of, you know, this idea of non-duality, that we're going to confront the thing we're repulsed by. And as a result, we will test our spirit and we will also reinforce this idea. that all things are one, that death is not the end. You know, there is ultimately a on oneness to all existence, this nonduality we keep on mentioning. And the practices of the agorries, no matter how shocking they may seem, are not seen as, you know, internally as some type of, you know, edge lord, you know, rebellion to try to get people riled up. they are seen as these advanced spiritual tools and they're you know not meant for other people but just for the practitioner themselves so they also will study you know tantric and shiva scriptures but they focus

on personal experiences rather than you know general like hindu cosmological or divine theory so what they learn in text is constantly tested and deepened through their lived experience the things that they do every day this direct spiritual practice And even though the agoris often live apart from society, they continue to interact with people in some capacity, often serving as healers or spiritual advisors. And many who are facing hardships or who are pushed to the edges of society will seek them out or find them just for help or guidance. And sometimes the agoris are invited to lead, you know, death rituals or, you know, funeral processions or purifications. And their deep engagement with death. And, you know, that transition period brings a lot of, you know, special weight or status to them and their presence at these ceremonies.

Again, just reminding all people that maybe exist in, you know, the broader sort of contingent of regular Hindus that just live in India. It reminds them just by the Agorri's presence that, you know, life and death are realities and that all things are temporary. And a core part of agorri practice is this constant observation of the self. They watch the mind closely. They sit, again, like we said, to meditate and look at all the things crossed in their mind, and they notice when fear or desire or ego just arise. And the extreme environments that they choose to live in, again, intensify this practice. And again, the goal of the agorri, the ultimate end, is the Sahaja Samadhi.

and this is a stable sort of natural absorption in awareness that all things are one, that is ultimately trying to reach this state where not only do you know that all things are one, but you truly can feel it and know it in your core, in your essence, that this non-duality is the truth, that all things are one. And it is not a fleeting experience, but a lasting realization that goes beyond the divisions that our mind tries to create for ourselves. And in today's India, the Agori hold a unique and kind of layered sort of place in society, right? They are, again, rooted in ancient traditions within Hinduism, the Shiva Tantra, yet they live within a society that is rapidly modernizing and changing.

And some people revere them, other people are afraid of them, other people are disgusted or misunderstand them. And again, I think this kind of mirrors the broader struggle in India as it tries to balance modern life, you know, and trying to, you know, modernize. and create these massive sprawling cities, but also the deep spiritual heritage that many of the people there have in some capacity. So it's estimated that fewer than 200 formally initiated agoris still even exist in India, making their community very small,

one of the smallest sects that exist within Hinduism throughout India. And most of them actually live near Veronisi in the same place where they were basically started around Crim Kund, a sacred historic monastery founded by Baba Kinaram. And a few smaller groups live in remote parts of northern India or Nepal, but you know, clear information about them is kind of hard to find because they live as such an aesthetic lifestyle. So for many everyday Indians, the feeling about the agorio are kind of mixed. You know, some see them as these powerful kind of spiritual figures that are able to heal people

and they can predict events and they have these sort of miraculous powers. And that draws a lot of people from not only India, but around the world, who seek them out either for blessings or for guidance or even for mentorship. Whereas at the same time, the, you know, a gory sort of projection of, you know, traditional Indian society and caste rules and, you know, their obviously radical sort of appearance in the way that they actually, you know, deal with death. As a result of this, some people are uneasy and they try to keep them a distance and they, you know, again, feel mixed feelings throughout the country. And the mainstream, you know, media also, you know, adds to the confusion a lot, I should add, by focusing on the most shocking

parts of the Agori, kind of like, you know, this podcast where we talk about some of the shocking stuff, we're also trying to add the nuance. But oftentimes for, you know, some people on YouTube or sometimes the, you know, the news media, they'll just focus and say, like, look at these people. All they do all day is just kill people and eat their flesh. It's like, all right, well, you've completely missed the whole point. You know, there's a deep spiritual connection that they believe is tied in with this behavior. And as a result, this keeps a lot of the misunderstandings alive. So the legal status of, you know, some of the things that they do within India, like, you know,

using bones and rituals or consuming human flesh in specific cases, is a little unclear. You know, there are a few direct laws against these acts, obviously, but, you know, concerns about public health and, you know, respect for human remains and, you know, what it actually means to bury some. someone or have someone pass on, sometimes causes tension between the agorri and, you know, the general part of, you know, Indian or the global community. And so most of the time, authorities allow these practices under India's protection for religious freedom and they step in only every once in a while if they feel like things are getting out of hand or there's an undue attention. And the agoris have a complicated relationship with, you know, the Orthodox Hindu authorities, you could say. Some see them again as heretics or, you know,

blasphemers that are taking the ideas of Hinduism and warping them or changing them. And some even just see them straight up dangerous. While others, again, recognize that they're rooted in these same deep Hindu roots and traditions that all practicing Hindus sort of follow. And this idea of non-duality fits squarely into the broader Hindu philosophies, which, again, allows them to hold a fragile but ongoing place within India's spiritual landscape. What's up guys? I'm on the road. That's right. I'm going to Burlington, Vermont, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, and a bunch of other dates that I will be adding to my website, Mark Agnon Live.com. I would love to see you guys there. Obviously, if you don't know, I'm a stand-up comedian, and stand-up comedy is my passion. It's the thing I love to do. And seeing you guys all come out to the shows truly makes my life. I hang out after the show and say what's up to everybody. So if you want to come through, check out the show, say what's up to me. It would mean the world. You can see me at all these dates and more on my website, Mark Agnon Live. and I'll see you guys on the road.

And among some modern spiritual thinkers and even progressives, the agoris are seen in a positive light as guardians of an unfiltered Indian spirituality that's not watered down by the British or modernity or any other force that tries to change the fabric of what India was. And so to them, the agoris represent a fearless search for truth that has long been a part of India's spiritual heritage and kind of a rejection of the, you know, spiritual heritage and kind of a rejection of the, you know, sort of staunch, upright purity that, you know, the colonial peoples try to put on to the Indians. And finally, the agorries are often facing hardship in many ways.

They don't have organized support systems that a lot of larger sort of monastic groups will have. And their extreme practices make it hard for them to receive a ton of widespread support, you know, they're not like, you know, six that are just feeding people all the time, right? Like, they're living in these funeral pyres and as a result, people get freaked out. So they have to rely on some small donations from pilgrims and every now and again an occasional big benefactor. But this financial struggle, again, keeps their numbers low and often pushes them to live in very secluded remote places. And in recent years, some Agori teachers have started to engage more with the public and actually going to people and giving interviews or lectures to clear up a lot of the misunderstandings that people have about their way of life. And they also try to distinguish the true practitioners from those who are falsely claiming to be. a gory just for attention. So changes in society have also affected them. So, you know,

electric crematoriums, which is, you know, an interesting issue, right? Because most, you know, cremations back in the day, and I should say also very many Hindus, I mean, most, if not all, are ultimately cremated upon death. But, you know, the way they would do these cremations back in the day is they would have these funeral pyres, so they would cremate people outside in a giant fire. However, now there are electric sort of cremation devices. and, you know, there's urban expansion that takes over entire areas and swaths of land where these funeral pires used to be. And as a result, the cremation grounds that were at one point sort of these vast sprawling sort of, you know, different fire pits are now kind of changing. And this has forced some agorri communities to move or find new places and then find new places again and, you know, potentially even just find brand new places to, you know, brand new countries potentially go to Nepal just to continue.

their way of life and their rituals. But despite some of these challenges, the Agori continue on this path, continue sharing, you know, the teachings that they believe are needed in today's world. And, you know, again, if there's anything to take away, the central message is that freedom comes from facing the things you fear most, facing the deepest truths of life, and by understanding that all things are one. And again, I think this idea speaks to a lot of seekers and people around the world that are looking for a path beyond the conventional, traditional, religious frameworks. And I don't know.

I think it's interesting because the igori, again, have a sort of fixation with death in some ways that, you know, terrifies the rest of the world. But I think about, you know, the, I'll be honest, I think about death a lot. I think it's a fascinating concept. I think it's important to think about it. I always just think of like, oh, man, we're all going to die.

I might as well do all the stuff I want to do. I don't have that much time here. I should probably hang out with my family more. I should see my baby more. I should do all the stuff I've ever wanted to do that I was too afraid to to because this is such a short little window. And so in a way, the agorri philosophy is alive in me. And maybe I get this from even medieval Christian monks that used to practice this idea of

memento mori, which maybe you've heard of, which is, you know, memento meaning remember and mori meaning death. So, you know, remember that you will die. And this was a Christian philosophy that was, you know, sort of used and meditated on Christian monks and by keeping, you know, skulls nearby or skeletons as symbols of the impermanence, in a way these Christians are also sort of participating in the same philosophy that the Agori kind of take to the ultimate end. So you would have Capuchin crypts in Rome that were filled with human bones. And there's actually churches that you can see that are made purely out of

human bones and the catacombs of Paris where there's just these sprawling, you know, pathways of just human skulls and skeletons and femurs and arms, just all laid out, again, that serves as this visual reminder of mortality. Again, much like the Agori's presence in these cremation grounds, help them confront the truth of impermanence. So the desert fathers, actually, I was talking about Macusker about these guys. These are, again, early Christian aesthetics that sort of wander around and remove all material obsession and try to draw themselves closer to the father and, you know, they chose to just live alone in caves and they step away from society, just as the Agorri have. And for both of them, the deep spiritual change comes from stepping

into the discomfort and leaving behind, you know, the comfort and the convenience and the distractions of the world to focus on the one thing that truly matters, which is God. I mean, even, you know, Seneca and Epictides, the ancient Stoic philosophers of Greece taught that thinking about death and impermanence can help people grow in wisdom and break free from attachment. You know, both the Stoics and the Agorri see fear of pain and loss as an inhibiting barrier for spiritual growth. And I'm pretty sure even like Tibetan Buddhist monks will meditate in like basically like graveyards to, again, reflect on this notion of life's impermanence.

And, you know, the Tibetan teaching on the bard. or the state between death and birth are based on this idea that facing death with awareness is a path to ultimate spiritual freedom to escaping the everyday samsara that we're existing in, the everyday hustle and bustle of life and that that is enlightenment.

And again, this aligns closely with the agorri. And then there's even, you know, ancient shamans that would include death in their rituals, which again is very close with the agorri. I mean, even like, you can even say like the work of Carl Jung, like, you know, this shadow work, this idea of like the shadow self that, you know, exists within all human being. That philosophy kind of encourages people to face parts of themselves that they would try to avoid, right? Like the dark, true essence that

exists within all people. It's something that most people don't want to think about. But again, even this idea of going into the thing you fear the most reflects the agorre belief in transformation through confrontation. And new research even into psychedelic therapy also shows how face psychological discomfort can bring healing. This is, again, a process that, you know, I think every a gory practitioner would probably agree with. So all that to say, throughout all of these traditions, there is a common threat that, you know, spiritual growth comes from facing fear, from not ignoring the fundamental reality about life, and that ultimately death is inevitable, whether it's on an Indian cremation ground or, you know, a Christian, you know, ermitage or a monastery or in, you know,

know, just a philosophy class talking about Carl Jung. And the Agori focus on non-duality also connects with a lot of mystical traditions, right? Like those of, you know, Meister Eckhart, who spoke about moving beyond mental categories to experience this unified reality. The Adveita Vedanta philosophy that shapes a lot of the Gory teaching, like I mentioned before, has influenced a lot of Western spiritual seekers and, you know, teachers of these ideas as well. You know, seen in this light, the agorri are part of a bigger sort of human journey, that they are just sort of stumbling across what, you know, many different scholars and philosophers have already, you know, or I shouldn't say already, but have also come across, is that all things are one and confront the thing that

fears you the most, that scares you the most. And across culture and across time, people have come to the same conclusion. So we can look at the agorri and say, you know, what they do is crazy, sure. But the philosophy behind it, you could say exist through almost every religion that exists. And the agorri show us that true freedom comes from going into the things that we're afraid of. And by crossing boundaries of purity and caste and social rules, the agorri can, again, illustrate that these divisions are made by society. They're not rooted in a deeper, fundamental, moral truth, but it's just a thing that human beings have done to try to help us organize our brains. And their bold embrace of divinity in every part of their life, even

what some people see as impure, they say, no, this is actually divine as well because it is a part of the same one reality. You know, I think that can teach us to sort of stay open and sort of recognize that, you know, there perhaps is a beauty in all things. And, you know, the good times, but also suffering as well. So for the agorries, you know, thinking about death every day, it doesn't lead to sadness or fear. Instead, it brings an awareness and appreciation for the present moment. That the present moment is all that truly exists, that it's all that ever will exist. the future in the past are fictions of our mind that the only thing that has ever been is right now. And this belief that, you know, for the agorri, the principles like the impermanence and the non-duality

have to be lived at every moment. And it's not just a thing that you can kind of understand, you know, in your brain. It's the thing that you actually have to do all the time. So if we take anything away from the agorri today, for me, it would just be to, you know, sort of think about the question of what would it mean for me to live in full acceptance of reality, to welcome and sort of just accept all things as they came to me, that death itself is a teacher, that, you know, suffering is a teacher, and that, you know, euphoria and happiness and joy and freedom are also teachers, and to, you know, sort of see the things that scare me and try to go towards them

to see what I can learn to be on the other side, to test myself spiritually, and to, you know, see this brave meeting of fear as the, you know, true starting point of freedom. Is it possible that I could do that? What does that look like in my life, right? So in the end, the agoris are kind of living examples of this ancient philosophy. You know, they are explorers of consciousness who remind us that facing reality directly, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, is the root of all transformation and spiritual growth. So, shout us to the agorri.

I mean, it's a pretty radical way to live. But at the same time, I think the underpinning is actually not as crazy. That I think if someone asked you like, hey, what are the agorri? What are these people that eat human flesh? Just be like, hey, just, have you ever thought about momentum more? Have you ever thought about this idea that you're going to die? So, you know, trying not to run away from death, but accept death and suffering and all things that come from it. And that, you know, ultimately we will enter into some type of afterlife, a great unknown,

perhaps something that's all connected, a reunification with God, and then at the end of days, whether you're Christian or Muslim or Jewish, all things will be accepted back into God itself. Maybe not hell. But everything else. Again, it's this idea that, you know, at the end, you know, all things are unified. And, you know, I think that idea of Momentumori, something I've thought about a lot, is not that controversial to me.

And it's like, all right, DiGori just take that to the craziest. degree. But assuming they're not hurting people, it's like, all right, go do you. You know, cover yourself in ashes. I don't give a shit. And yeah, if anyone is watching this or, you know, is listening that is a gory, I would love to know what you think. Like, did you grow up with this type of tradition? How common is it? Is it possible to be a gory outside of India or the local laws just shut you down? I would love to know how it actually functions in the everyday life of an agorri person. But Gabe, what did you think? Did you take away anything from this episode? I'm going to start eating flesh, dude.

Yeah, respect, start eating flesh. I mean, that's fire. You've got to think, like, this is not like, they didn't, like, saute it. It's from the funeral piles. It's from the actual, like, cremation sites itself. So it's probably, like, burnt a little bit. So, I mean, I don't know exactly.

Maybe it's fire. I just couldn't imagine just, like, cooking a bunch of meat just in a open flame would actually taste that good. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'll go to Varanasa and, you know, and take a bite. We'll see. But anyway, I'd love to know what you guys think. What did you learn?

Is there something you took away from this? Is there a connection? and, you know, to your own faith background, do you find is, you know, applicable here? Drop a comment. I read all of them. So please be nice. Whether it's YouTube, Spotify, I'll be getting all up in that. And again, I'll see you next Sunday because we are here every single Sunday doing new episodes of Religion Camp all the time forever and always.

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