Namadeva, the Marathi saint and the Bhaktha (devotee) of Panduranga (a form of Vishnu/Krishna), had his ego pricked by a child, Mukta Bai in Gora Kumbar's house. (Read the story here). He was later instructed by the divine to find a Guru. He was asked to go and find Gorakh Nath. He finally finds Gorakh Nath in an old Shiva temple. Gorakh Nath was an Aghori.
Aghoris follow Vama Marga (the left path). The common Hindu philosophies that people know about is Dakshina Marga (the right path). Yoga (Ashtanga, Jnana, Bhakthi, Karma), Purva Mimasa, Uttara Mimamsa all follow Dakshina Marga. There is a murkier Vama Marga. Tantra & Yantra are part of Vama Marga. Aghoris would do things that would appear odd & disgusting to a casual onlooker. However, they are a valid, yet different path to realization. Aghoris themselves would recommend Dakshina Marga to most folks, which is the slow & steady path to the divine. They would initiate only a select few who are inclined towards Vama Marga.
When Namadeva arrives, he sees an extremely old & frail Gorakh Nath, sleeping resting his feet on the Shiva Linga. This is sacrilegious to anyone following Bhakthi Yoga (the path of devotion to God). Namadeva was a Bhakthi Yogi, singing several songs in praise of the divine. Disgusted, he initially turns back. Then, he decides to at least correct this old man.
He addresses Gorakh Nath and asks him to remove the feet that he has on God. Gorakh Nath awakens, and responds that he's very old and frail. He requests Namadeva to help move his feet. Namadeva obliges. Wherever he moves his feet, to Namadeva's astonishment, a new Shiva Linga pops up to rest his feet. The entire place is now full of Shiva Lingas, for every attempt of Namadeva to move Gorakh Nath's feet.
Now, Gorakh Nath questions Namadeva. "You'd stated that I had my feet of God. Now, where do I move my feet? Where does God not exist?" Namadeva responds that he now understands. Requests Gorakh Nath to be his Guru. Gorakh Nath refuses, saying that Namadeva was still very egoistic. Namadeva pleads. Finally, Gorakh Nath relents. But with one condition.
"Put my feet on a place where there is no God. Then, I'll accept you as my sishya (disciple)".
Gorakh Nath had just shown Namadeva that God is everywhere. What is this riddle now? Where will Namadeva find such a place?
Namadeva thinks for a while. He then picks up Gorakh Nath's foot. Then, he says: "Where ego exists, God doesn't exist. The only place is my heart, so full of ego." And he keeps Gorakh Nath's foot on his chest. This becomes his Pada Deeksha, and he's accepted as Gorakh Nath's sishsya, and the Deeksha dispels his ego, and he becomes enlightened.
Jnana Yoga of Hinduism teaches that the sense of I, which comes from the ego, is what prevents all of us from knowing the true self (Jivatma), which is divine in nature. When a true Guru arrives (will take several lives for most of us), there is one point where the Guru enlightens a sishya through a Deeksha. Deeksha is a type of touch: in most cases physical, in some cases non-physical as well.
References:
Haridas Giri's upanyasam (sishya of Gnanananda Giri)
Aghora by Robert Svaboda
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