Speaker 1 (Aghori Arnibana):
There's a connection between us and Muslims—those of us who follow the Sanatan Dharma and practice Aghora, and those among them who do the same. They practice formless meditation; they have no image. Formless means Brahma. They meditate on Brahma, which means they are essentially meditating on Lord Shiva (Bholenath). We also meditate on Bholenath. We are Nathpanthis. According to our Guru's command, which we cannot deviate from, being a Nathpanthi means we must wear black clothes; we are Aghoris. They are also Aghoris. They perform Aghora, they dwell in the profound, and they practice rituals in that state. They visit mosques and shrines, wearing black clothes, and practice formless meditation. Formless is Brahma, and Brahma is indeed Lord Shiva. Har Har Mahadev! That's the essence.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
The one who is in the sky, the radiant, immortal Being—He is in the sky, the formless Brahma. We are all meditating on Him. Currently, many forms like Kali, Tara, and Durga have emerged. These are human creations, nothing else. We are meditating on that same radiant, immortal, and auspicious Being in the sky, whom we have worshipped eternally. Not just Aghoris, but those of high spiritual caliber also perform this same meditation.
Speaker 2:
In no state do they practice any other meditation. There is a superficial aspect—Kali, Tara, Durga, this sect or that sect—but those who are spiritually advanced say only one thing: "The Master of all is One; there is no second." If there is no second, as the Vedanta says, then we are meditating on that immortal, radiant, and auspicious Being in the sky. The Aghori does it, the dweller of the profound does it—it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2:
People often don't understand this. Let me tell you, meditation is essentially one thing: "The Master of all is One; there is no second." If the Master is one, then what Muslims, Christians, and we Hindus do eventually merges into one. Only the paths are different.
Speaker 1:
The paths may be different, the communities may be different, but the destination is the same.
Speaker 3:
We go through different paths but meet at one point.
Speaker 2:
Everyone has maintained their identity—Muslims, Christians, and we Hindus. But if you consider their essence collectively, everything is one and inseparable. There is nothing else. That is my point.
Speaker 1:
I completely agree with him.
Speaker 3:
Brother, I had one more question. When you first entered the temple, we ordinary people usually bow (pranam) directly in front of the Mother (Deity). We look at her face and feet. But I saw you do the opposite. You prostrated sideways, almost perpendicular to the Deity. Why is that?
Speaker 1:
What you saw is actually the rule. Whether it's our Guru, our parents, or the Deities we worship, the rule is to keep them on our right side and prostrate (Sashtanga) lengthwise. This is to receive their grace and seek a touch of their feet. Bowing directly in front is not the rule. In the Sanatan Dharma, we keep our Deities, Gurus, or parents on the right when we prostrate. Even if I were to bow to my father, I would keep him on my right. This is our culture.
Speaker 1:
Today, many don't follow or value this. People just bow and leave. In the Brahma Samhita, it is mentioned that if you bow with only one hand, the sins of your past seven births will not be washed away. You must bow with both hands, and if you can't, at least lower your head.
Speaker 2:
We say "Sapta Janma Paap Kshayanti"—to wash away the sins of seven births. This is why we call upon God and seek the dust of the feet of great souls. In the current age (Koli-kaal), Tantra Sadhana is the best for this reason. We have had seven sets of parents over seven births. It is our duty to liberate them.
Speaker 2:
There is only one way: through Tantra Sadhana, these seven generations can be liberated. Whether one is an Aghori or not doesn't matter; if someone practices Tantra, their parents from the past seven births achieve liberation. This is why Tantra is supreme in this age.
Speaker 3:
One last question. You mentioned you haven't seen the Guru for a long time and that you've come seven times before meeting him today. How did you find him?
Speaker 1:
I saw him on YouTube—his Tantra rituals and his worship of the Mother and Baba Bamdev. I came here six or seven times to see him, but perhaps it wasn't the Guru's command or grace yet.
Speaker 1:
Today, I received the command of Mahakal and the Guru's order. I came and finally got to see him. I consider myself very fortunate. I've come many times to this cremation ground to see him, but never succeeded until today.
Speaker 1:
We had no prior acquaintance.
Speaker 2:
Perhaps we knew each other in a past life; otherwise, how could we meet like this today? This was a pre-planned meeting. It had to happen. It's the result of past life connections. We might have sat together or eaten together in a previous life.
Speaker 3:
Friends, as we can see, there was no prior meeting between this Aghori seeker and the Guru. Yet, there was such a soul connection that they finally met after seven attempts. If there is true devotion, one eventually meets a good soul.
Speaker 2:
People from all over—Assam, America, Canada, France, Germany, Britain—come here to seek initiation (Diksha). I must have been their Guru in a past life. Everything depends on timing, and today was the right time. Even though he lives nearby and I am always here, we never met until now. This is the moment.
Speaker 3:
Friends, we witnessed a beautiful moment today, like a reunion of a teacher and disciple from a past life. Remember the Guru and the Mother. Thank you, and pranam to the Guru.
Guru:
Jai Maa.
Spiritual Insight
This beautiful encounter reveals the essential unity underlying all spiritual traditions. The Aghori practitioner Arnibana and Gurudev recognize that whether through Sufi formless meditation or Nathpanthi Aghora practice, both paths lead to the same formless Brahma—the radiant, immortal Being in the sky. The technical detail about proper Sashtanga prostration (keeping the deity on one's right side) reminds us that spiritual practice has precise traditions for a reason—to properly receive grace and wash away the sins of seven births. Most profoundly, the meeting itself, occurring only after seven attempts, demonstrates that past life connections and divine timing guide our spiritual journeys more than we realize.