the "fake" aghori baba turns out to be "real"

ok. I wrote this blog a few years ago. the moment was one of December 2008- so a while back.
I was up early, sunrise, just me and the monkeys and the pilgrims and the babas and the chai-wallas...and i guess yeah, it's normal to be up at sunrise in Varanasi, despite the fog, despite the cold- or maybe precisely BECAUSE of these things. No point staying in bed. The monkeys wake us up anyway and it's goddamn freezing, so let's get a warm, energizing chai, and let's pray that we get out of this suffering called life- where it's cold, foggy, and the annoying monkeys steal our bananas.

So I was on the lookout for this type of dude. I had written my dissertation at uni (SOAS, amazing SOAS!) about these kind of babas, admittedly not existent anymore in India, but in Nepal, in the Pashupatinath, yes. I had been told by my Hinduism professor that yes, some of them did still exist in Benares, eating dead flesh, and doing their weird laughing. I love it! How weird and creepy can it get, religion, philosohpy? How absolutely bizarre is the desire for union with GOD??? Well, I tell you, I know how bizarre it is. We keep on struggling, day by day, to survive, to make money...to b HAPPY...and one day it's all gonna end anyway. So might as well be WEIRD, have fun, do crazy things, eat dead flesh, and pray all day, no?

I found him and I loved him. He was so sweet, so tender, so gentle.
Later the same day, some boys were laughing at me when I told them that I had met a rel Aghori baba in the morning. They said "real" Aghoris don't exist anymore. What do I know, a little Scandinavian student. I just don't know. But I was super eager to find out!

But yeah, this is what I saw, and this was who I met, and he was really sweet, actually.
I posted the blog about him http://lindadreams.blogspot.com/2011/02/linda-meets-real-sadhu-on-banks-of.html which has been the most ever read post on my blog. Daily, many people search this topic, and end up in my blog about this dude. I'm, obviously not the only one who wants to know more!!!

And then a few days ago, this happened:



Hare Ohm Linda,

one has found and read your blog about your experience with Aghori Baba in Benares. I really like the pictures you have taken of Guru Jee. Could you tell me when you took these pictures exactly and did you see him only twice, do you remember anything else he said or where he is going or where he could be. Are you in India now? I got back in november after 13 months, and in that time i haven't seen Guru Jee. Are you into Hatha Yoga?

Hare Hare Mahadev

Kailash Ram

Namaskar Kailash Ram
thank you for your email!
and thank you for your interest in my blog!

i took the pictures in december 2008, near the burning ghat. i only saw him twice, yes, but he was hanging out with all the other babas, especially under the bridge (you know where i mean, under the main ghat, towards the ganga, there is an "under"-part of the bridge, where a lot of the babas sit and sleep and eat)

do you know this baba?

best wishes

Hare Ohm Linda,

Yes one knows the bridge. Somewhat peaceful since few people even venture that way, most will pass by the two sets of stairs above. One is glad you took these pictures of Guru Jee. He is the ONE that has taken me form darkness to light in simple words through his initiation at Harischandra Ghat two years ago. One is glad you have met him.

keep on shooting

hare hare mahadev

kailash ram

This Kailash Ram has a hotmail address. it's zeroego@hotmail.com.
Note how he doesn't say "me" or "I". Coz he ain't got no ego no mo'.
And according to him, this baba, that I was considering to be a "fake" one, was the "one" to bring him from darkness to light.

(GU_RU) means dark_light and the Guru is the dude that helps his disciple realize his "self" (or in Buddhism.."no-self"?) ...anyway, in the indian traditions, one (one!) needs a guru-dude to help oneself to go from the ego-existence (dark) to the heart/soul/no-self existence (the light)
FUNNY. if it's true, I bow to my baba, who I really liked, but couldn't really honestly take seriously. Maybe that's my Scandinavian scepticism, or a severe academic damage, inherited by SOAS.