Shaivite ascetics or
worshippers (bhakta) of the deity Shiva, a now-extinct monastic group.
Although no written records of the Kapalikas have remained,
other ascetic organizations and dramatists of the period, such as Bana (7th
century) and Bhavabhuti (7th century), have written about them (8th c.).
The Kapalikas are described as worshiping Shiva in his
wrathful form as Bhairava and emulating Bhairava's characteristics, such as
wearing their hair long and matted, smearing their bodies with ash (preferably
from the cremation ground), and carrying a club and a skull-bowl, according to
the sources (kapala).
The Kapalikas are accused of consuming wine, eating meat,
using cannabis and other narcotics, making human sacrifices, and engaging in
orgiastic intercourse, among other things.
Needless to say, the majority of the accessible sources are
against them.
Despite the criticism of their contemporaries, David
Lorenzen maintains that all Kapalika rituals must be seen in the context of
tantra.
Tantra is a hidden religious practice centered on rituals
that its adherents think is considerably more powerful and effective than
traditional religious devotion.
The ultimate oneness of all that exists is one of its most
important ideas.
To proclaim that the whole cosmos is one principle—often understood
as the action of a certain deity—means that the adept must reject all
conceptions based on dualistic thinking from a tantric perspective.
One method to achieve this is to indulge in the "Five
Forbidden Things" (panchamakara), which involves purposefully breaching
society standards that prohibit illicit sexuality, intoxication, and
non-vegetarian food intake.
This is usually done in the context of a well-defined
ritual, with the intention of sacralizing what is generally banned.
The Kapalikas' conduct is surprising when seen in this
light, yet it becomes more comprehensible.
Lorenzen further speculates that the Kapalikas were
associating themselves with their chosen god, Bhairava, by engaging in such
activities (which may have only occurred during religious rites).
Bhairava is noted in Hindu mythology for his wild behavior,
notably for chopping off one of the deity Brahma's heads, for which he must
undertake terrible penances (prayashchitta).
In this view, the Kapalikas' rituals are driven by a desire
to resemble their chosen god rather than hedonistic self-gratification.
The Kapalikas and the Kalamukhas, by David Lorenzen, is the
sole established source on the Kapalikas.
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