Guru's teachings regarding spiritual practice and not try to modify or dilute them. In Aghor Yoga the Guru instructs the seeker in the basics of sadhana (cultivation of a daily personal practice) and seva (their selfless service in the world). By incorporating the practices of sadhana and seva into everyday life, the student seeks to achieve a sense of peace and fulfillment through becoming better equipped to meet the challenges of modern life with calmness, grace and skill. The Guru starts the practitioner on the path of Aghor Yoga through formal initiation by giving a personal mantra (a sound, syllable, or group of words that, with repetition, become spiritually transformative). In Aghor Yoga, one's mantra is regarded as a personal friend with its own personality, presence and characteristic. A mantra is also a thread that connects the practitioner with the spiritual powerhouse of all the enlightened beings from the Aghor lineage, thus the practitioner gains a sense of belonging to the family of enlightened beings. It is said, "You are never alone after receiving a mantra." Developing a friendship with one's mantra becomes the preoccupation of the practitioner. Concepts and terminology Students of the Aghor Yoga tradition seek to attain Aghor, a state of consciousness in which one does not experience fear, hatred, disgust, discrimination, or hunger. One who achieves Aghor does not view the world in dualistic terms such as "dead" and "alive" or "edible" and "inedible", and so does not cast judgment upon themselves or others. A person who conscientiously practices these virtues is called an Aughar. With constant practice, when one is established unwaveringly in the state of Aghor consciousness, a person becomes an Avadhut – a spiritually realized human being. Anyone from any religious, spiritual or ethnic background who has come to abide in the state of Aghor consciousness, regardless of the path that led to this state, is an Avadhut. History The term "Aghor" has ancient origins which likely precede written history. One of the five faces of Shiva was known as Aghor. In the Shiva Purana, one of India's oldest legends, there is a hymn to the glory of Shiva by Pushpadanta, head of the Gandharva clan, called the Shiva Mahimnah Stotram. One of its Sanskrit verses reads: The translation is: The very name of Aghor (Shiva, or the one who has attained the state of Aghor) is a mantra that is above all