New perspectives on death – a look at the Aghori sect

The way we think about death impacts the way we live our life. “It seems,” write Daniel B. Pitchford and Rochelle Suri, “that people live inauthentic lives because the fear of death has a compelling grip on people and most choose to avoid engaging its impact.”

It doesn’t have to be that way. In a paper now available at The New Existentialist’s library, Dr. Pitchford and Dr. Suri write about the perspective on death of the Aghori sect in India. Understanding other paradigms of death, they suggest, provides the human being with a more nuanced perspective on the significance of death in one’s life.

Three main themes are explored: first, a theoretical engagement of the concept of death based on the (Western) philosophy of existentialism, second, a review of the historical origins and philosophy of the Aghori sect, and third, a depiction of the Aghoris as a living example of vigorously accepting death as an inevitability of life. On this basis a brief comparison of Western and Eastern attitudes towards life and death will be offered.

Take a look by downloading it below – or browse other papers in our library.

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