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every human being. The tenets of Baul sadhana, if upheld by all, are
designed to accomplish the welfare of humanity, for it is through them
that man becomes able to turn truly human. And to bring over the
message revealed through the Saul's quest is the prime intention of this
book.
The Baul tradition comprises four branches representing different
approaches to the spiritual search: Aul, Baul, Sai and DarudiS. The
present account outlines the tenets relevant to the Baul gharana, to the
Baul branch of thinking. What is the essence of these essentials? The
English title of the book, Baul philosophy, may appear rather
straightforward. This title, however, has emerged as a more or less
inadequate attempt to translate our Bengali heading baul atma dariana
for the English-speaking reader. Baul atma. darfana in fact implies much
more than can be expressed in a bluntly translated 'Baul philosophy1. In
its literal meaning, the term dariana generally employed to denote
'philosophy1 signifies Vision1. Atma darsana hence is the vision of
atman, the vision of one's own self - the vision of one's own inner
being.
And it is this which constitutes the quintessential quest of Baul
philosophy: to obtain the vision of one's own inner being, to obtain the
vision of the divinity that rests at the core of man's inner being - in the
human heart. The Bauls therefore strive for attainment to the Supreme
Divinity within themselves, for attainment to die divine within man: ah,
where am I to find Him, the Man of my heart... The Man of the Heart
represents the Baul's sought-after truth, and it is man, it is the human
being whom the Baul worships as his most revered divinity.
In what manner does the Baul approach his spiritual search? On
which routes does he proceed, to what methods of questing does he
resort? - the present book should provide an answer to these queries.
Beginning with an introduction into the basics of Baul sadhana, the
course of the spiritual journey is followed up systematically and step by
step, offering insights into the fundamental processes and procedures of
the sadhana. Most importantly, these insights are for the first time
provided in published format from the insider's point of view. The
account thus should be of use to anyone eager to learn about the Bauls1
spiritual concepts, about their sadhana and philosophy of life - a
Ill
Contents
Chapter 1.
Chapter 2.
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4.
Chapter 5.
Chapter 6.
Chapter 7.
Chapter 8.
Chapter 9.
Chapter 10.
Chapter 11.
Chapter 12.
Chapter 13.
Chapter 14.
Chapter 15.
Chapter 16.
Chapter 17.
Chapter 18.
Chapter 19.
Chapter 20.
Baul
Baul
Man
Baul
sadhana: introduction
sadhana: sadhana tattva
and his personal attitudes
sadhana: attaining the inner vision
1
17
55
79
117
153
185
205
225
253
287
309
331
357
365
395
429
465
493
517
(1)
Baul sadhana: introduction
The word 'baul, in popular interpretation, is generally equated
with singing: with folk song of Bengal or, more concretely, with Baul
songs. The assumption that lbaul and BIul song' are simply synonyms
is so widespread that it has even found its way into language
dictionaries. Thus, the Sainsad Bengali-English Dictionary defines%baul
as 'one of a class of Hindu stoical devotees singing songs in a special
mode illustrating their doctrine; their song and mode of singing*
Notwithstanding further shortcomings, this dictionary definition suffers
from the same principal error that surfaces time and again in both
common language and current literature on the subject: it identifies the
Bauds only and alone with their songs,
Baul, however, is a complex philosophical concept that contains
much more than merely singing, mere song. The core signification of the
term %bauf is not music, but sadhana: the quest for self-realization, the
search for spiritual accomplishment. 'Baiif implies essentially sadhana,
and sadhana is the prime object in the life of a Baul. The Baul, of course,
does pursue the path of singing, but in reality that means he proceeds on
the path of sadhana through singing. What is visible - or rather audible -,
however, is the music, the song, while the sadhana does not enter the
consciousness of the outside observer. The listener perceives the
phenomenal reality - the tune, the song, the play of the musical
instruments, and the dance -, but he is not aware of the spiritual
substance at the heart of this phenomenal presence, because the spiritual
essence remains imperceptible for the outer senses and does not reveal
itself unless one strives for it And for this - to strive for the spiritual
essence - it needs sadhana.
Sadhana is the quintessence of the Baul's philosophical concept,
rather than music or singing as such. It is true that singing occupies a
central role in the Baul religion, yet music never becomes an end in
itself. Music is always associated with a higher spiritual goal, with a
goal for whose accomplishment music and singing act as a vehicle.
Singing therefore forms part of Baul sadhana as a prominent and
indispensable component. To reduce the concept of baul to the
phenomenon of Baul singing, however, not only represents a superficial
Baul philosophy
Baul philosophy
Today, I returned to my own country', and now I hear. I
hear his flute in my own songs.
Why then do you search, like beggars, from door to door?
You will not find him.
But come to me - look into my heart, look onto my two
eyes, and you will see him there.5
meet the Man of the Heart? - "come to me - look into my heart, look onto
my two eyes, and you will see him there1. For he is the one who has
attained the vision of the inner divinity, he is the one who has realized
the futility of striving elsewhere for that which is found right there, in
his own heart. What is his tool of realization? - experience. It is the
experience of the divine which is made through sadhana, the
fundamental experience called forth by the spiritual quest. And once the
seeker has obtained this experience, once he has seen the course taken
by the path of attainment, he qualifies as guru.
Baul sadhana is determined by three essential components. These
three basic truths or tattvas are ami - one's own self -, tumi - "you1, that
is, the Supreme Divinity -, and guru - the master. The guru plays a
central role on the way towards self-realization, hence the extraordinary
significance Baul philosophy ascribes to the gum Rabindranath Tagore,
elaborating on the acquirement of soul consciousness, quotes an ascetic
from rural Bengal defining the basic tenet of his religion: '...we have
first of all to know our own soul under the guidance of our spiritual
teacher, and when we have done that we can find him, who is the
Supreme Soul within us'6. What the village saint intuitively knows is but
echoed in scripture: 'for the sake of this knowledge, let him only
approach, with sacrificial fuel in hand, a teacher who is learned in the
scriptures and established in spiritual matters. Unto him who has
approached in due form, whose mind is tranquil and who has attained
peace, unto that person let the knowing (teacher) teach in its very truth
that knowledge about the Supreme Being by which one knows the
Infinite One17.
The Baul regards the presence of a guru or spiritual master as an
absolute necessity. Without the gum, sadhana cannot be accomplished,
because it is the spiritual teacher through whom die link between ami
and tumi, between the self and the Supreme Soul is established. The
gunis task is to illumine the path towards realization of the individual
soul, which is the prerequisite for realization of the Supreme Soul, of the
6
7
Baul philosophy
Supreme Divinity abiding in the heart of man. For this task, the guru
alone is competent, because he is the one who has already achieved
awareness of his own soul, who has already taken the vision of the
divine in himself for which the seeker is still striving. That is to say, the
gunis certificate of qualification is his experience - the experience which
the seeker is yet to attain.
From the three tattvas - the self, the Supreme Soul, and the guru -,
the path of accomplishment becomes revealed. In what way? Tumi,
which is identical with the manor manusa, is realized as the Supreme
Soul - paramatma. This Supreme Divinity exists on one level, while on
another level, there is ami - the human soul. The human soul and the
Supreme Soul thus initially co-exist as two separate spiritual entities.
This state of apartness, however, is undesireble as it separates the
human soul from its own infinite essence, hence the dividedness needs
to be overcome. How is it overcome? - through sadhana. The principal
goal of sadhana is union: to unite the human soul with the Supreme
Soul, that is, to evoke the state of oneness of ami and turnip of the human
self and the maner manusa. This union is accomplished by attaining to
the Man of the Heart, that means by realizing the Supreme Divinity
within the heart and by establishing an inner harmony between that
divinity and one's own self- a harmony from which the aspired union
with the divinity arises. And to achieve this condition of harmonious
integrity is the elementary task of sadhana.
As a philosophical concept, sadhana requires a very complex
approach involving a variety of activities to be pursued if the spiritual
search is ultimately meant to bear fruit. The preliminary stage of
sadhana, the first and basic implementation of the spiritual fundament is
known as aropa sadhana. Aropa sadhana means to instate one's own
spiritual readiness for the path ahead, and thereby to meet the
prerequisites for the onward search. In the concrete practice of Baul
sadhana, the initial requirement is vayu dharana: control of vayu, the
vital air.
In order to appreciate the full significance of breath control as the
most imperative task in the practice of sadhana, one needs to be aware of
the crucial role vayu plays as the prime sustainer of universal life. Vayu,
air, is understood as the fundamental principle by which the world is
held together, and whose persistence ensures the continuity of lifeUpanisads describe vayu as a linking thread that connects all spheres of
being and maintains the vital spirit of life in all beings: \ . .Air verily.. .is
that thread By air verily.. .as by a thread this world, the other world and
all beings are held together'8. Vayu is the medium necessary for
existence in its entirety. Without vayu, none could live or breathe, and
there would be no interaction between individuals, no flow of emotions
- no life, no existence at all. Vayu functions as the core substance of
being, as the quintessence of life, and hence must be given prime
importance in each and every spiritual effort.
Vayu - the universal spirit, the breath of the universal self - is
represented in individual beings by prana - the vital breath.9 In the same
way as vayu acts as the principal medium to sus' ain life in the cosmic
dimension, this function is taken over by life-breath in the microcosm of
the individual self. In the Upanisads it is said, fthe gods breathe along
with life-breath (prana), as also men and beasts; the breath is the life of
beings. Therefore, it is called the life of all*10. Elsewhere prana, the
breathing spirit of life, is equated with Brahma, the Supreme Being.11
Accordingly, vayu and prana dominate over any other vital principles
and thereby constitute the fundament of cosmic law: '...As breath
(prana) holds the central position among the vital breaths (prana12), so
does air (vayu) among these divinities13; for other divinities have their
decline but not air. Air is the divinity that never sets'14. Both vayu and
prana are regarded as the all-absorbent medium which encompasses the
universal energies in their entirety; and it is vayu that absorbs the
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 3.7.2 ... vayur vai...tat sutram; vayuna vai.. .sutrenayam ca
lokah paia ca lokah sarvani ca bhutani samdrbdhani bhavanti...
9
cf. Chandogya Upanisad 5*14.1 and 5.19.1
10
Taittiriya Upanisad 2.3.1 pranam deva anuprananti, manusyahpa&vaS ca ye, prano
hi bhutanam syuh, tasmat sarvayusam ucyate, sarvam eva ta ayuryanti...
11
Kausitaki-Brahmana Upanisad 2.1 prano brahmeti
12
prana denoting the five vital breaths collectively, viz. prana, apana, samana, udina,
vyina
13
the cosmic divinities, viz. earth, fire, sky, sun, water, moon
** Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 1.5.22 sa yathaisam pmnanam madhyamah pranah, evam
etasam devatinam vayuh / nimlocanti hy anya devatih, na vayuh / saisanastamita
devatiyad vayuh / /
Baul philosophy
bayu (i.e. vayu), and fri/a, meaning tula- 'to raise1. The core implication
of'batula* (or *ba-ula\ i.e. 'bauf), therefore, is 'bayu tul3: to raise, or lift
up, Ae vital spirit^The Baul is accordingly understood as the one who is
able to raise - that is, to rouse - vayu, and to obtain this capacity is the
prime object of vayu sadhana.
The second, more widely known connotation of the term 'haul,
which is derived from the literal meaning of 'batula* as a synonym for
s
pagala% fmad1), is likewise embedded in a larger philosophical concept.
The Baul does indeed regard himself as crazy - but his state of being
crazy is not caused by any material reason. The Baul is crazy for the
sake of God.
Some are mad after wealth
and others for glory.
Some go mad
with poverty,
and others with aesthetic forms,
the flavours of feelings.
Some arc madly in love.. ,18
18
Anon, quoted in Deben Bhattachaiya, The mirror of the sky (London: Allen &
Unwm, 1969), p.42
1o
Baill philosophy
bliss, they remain silent119. The Baul echoes this sentiment when he
says, fand some of those who go mad / only laugh or cry. / The glamour
of madness is great'20. Engulfed in persistent thoughts about the Man of
the Heart and knowing no other end than to attain to the Divine Being
that rests in himself, the Baul has become crazed with devotion and
pursues his goal with mad intenseness: "mad am I; for the lack of that
Man I madly run about'21. Yet without this madness, attainment were a
vain illusion, because it is the one taking his spiritual search to its
ultimate extreme who can develop the devotional intensity needed to
ensure the spiritual success.
What does spiritual success consist of? The spiritual search
becomes fruitful once oneness with the inner divinity is established,
hence the core task of sadhana is to bring about the union between the
individual soul and the Supreme Soul. And the primary rule in order to
effectuate this object is vayu dharana, which is practically accomplished
through breath-control or pranayama: 'this is the rule for achieving this
(oneness), control of the breath...' 22 . The special emphasis laid on
pranayama as an indispensable constituent of Baul sadhana is explained
by the essentiality of vayu as the vital medium of existence. Since vayu
indwells all living beings as prana, the vital breath fiinctions as the basic
law of life: 'from whom the sun rises and in whom it sets; in truth from
breath (prana) it rises and in breath it sets. Him the divinities made the
law, he only is today and he is tomorrow also"23. Therefore, if man
wishes to attain to his highest goal, he has to start his spiritual efforts
from the primal stage of sadhana, which is pranayama: \ . .therefore let a
man perform one observance only. He should breathe in and breathe
out....
19
11
12
Baul philosophy
25
13
goes beyond it. This, verily, is that' 27 . While the terrestrial tree - the
physical plant - grows with its roots inside the earth and branches
extending towards the sky, the cosmic tree of life - that is, the supreme
transcendental reality which is immaterial and imperceptible by the
senses - has its roots above and branches below: it grows upside down.
Why is it so? Because that tree which represents the cosmic order
has its roots in brahma, in the all-pervading spirit of the universe, but
these roots are unseen as is the ultimate reality itself. This metaphysical
tree is rooted in the ultimate reality, and more than that, the root is the
ultimate reality, while the branches embody the elemental forces
emanating from the supreme reality: \ . .the three-footed brahma has its
root above. Its branches are space, air, fire, water, earth etc,... 1 2 8 . The
root being the highest truth, it naturally resides on top. To realize and
acknowledge this fundamental fact as the Bauls have done is essential
for the accomplishment of sadhana.
Progress on the way of accomplishment can be attained only if the
stage of learning is properly established. This initial stage, in which the
seeker becomes fully absorbed in the role of the learner, is of vital
importance for knowledge to be imparted. In the same way as the guru,
the spiritual master, occupies the foremost position in the life of the
striver, for the latter, the stage of pupilage provides the basis upon
which the fundament of sadhana is raised. The stage of learning,
therefore, constitutes the quintessential phase of the spiritual search.
What is more, the presence of the guru is imperative, for only the guru is
competent to provide the necessary guidance. In order to turn attainment
into a feasible object, however, it requires the joint efforts of both the
learner and the master.
The practice of sadhana is carried forward by three essential
components through which attentiveness is increased: japa (repeated
muttering of prayers and sacred formulae), tapa (austere endeavor), and
mantra (the sacred formulae recited in japa). Again the function of the
guru is of utmost significance in this context: it is the guru who enjoins
27
14
Baal philosophy
on the way of japa and who imparts the relevant mantra. Concentration
on the mantra and continuous effort in the pursuance of japa lead to
inner purification and to the establishment of successively higher levels
of spiritual accomplishment. The quintessential mantra, which becomes
relevant once a state of complete purity has been attained, is the
bijamantra, or 'seed-formula1. Central to Baul sadhana, the bijamantra
contains the core substance of the cosmic reality through which the
Supreme Power is revealed. Therefore, the monosyllabic bijamantra is
regarded as the most sacred essence carrying the divine truth, hence its
key position in the attainment of sadhana.
Of what kind is the fruit brought forth by sadhana} Wholly
practiced sadhana leads to strength {sakti), liveliness (jivanata), and
dynamics (tana). Strength, both mental and physical, is the primary
result gained when sadhana is properly performed. The energy attained
through sadhana gives rise to vigor and liveliness, and moreover
furnishes the body with the needed vitality. In order to establish the vital
energy in the first place, however, it is essential to execute sadhana in its
entirety, starting from gross level, sthula sadhana, and proceeding
further to the highest and most sublime stage. Sthula sadhana - the first
and initial, hence basic sadhana - is thereby of special importance,
because it is from here on that the fundament is built upon which the
successively higher levels of realization are reached. That is to say, only
when sadhana is thoroughly pursued at gross level it becomes possible
to progress towards a higher end. And more so, it is only after
accomplishing the first stage, sthula sadhana, that strength and vitality
are obtained; it is only after establishing the fundament that the spiritual
power arises which is crucial in order to attain to the Supreme Divinity.
But what does this spiritual potency actually embody?
Spiritual power or potency - sakti - reveals itself in two aspects:
that is, hladini sakti and purusa Saktu representing the two elemental
forces epitomized in the female and male energies. Hladini iakti
basically relates to nan bhava, to the emotions and sentiments associated
with the female divine energy. In its literal meaning, hladini iakti
signifies the 'blissful energy1, and as such embodies one of the three
fundamental saktis - namely existential, conscious, and blissful emerging from saccidananda, from the three essences sat (being), cid
(consciousness) and ananda (bliss), Vaisnava theology identifies hladini
15
29
Shrivatsa Goswami, "Radha: the play and perfection of rasa", in Hawley, John
Stratton and Donna Marie Wulff (eds.), The Divine Consort (Berkley: Religious
Studies Senes, 1982), p.75
30
Shrivatsa Goswami, op.cit., p.76
16
Biai philosophy
But the core quest of the cosmic play is union - union of the two
gaktis; union between man and the Supreme Divinity, that is, man's
union with the maner rnanusa, man's union with the divinity abiding in
his very own heart. And to establish this union is the quintessence of
sidhanH
(2)
Bail! sadhana: sadhana tattva
Baul sidhana is the sadhana of mankind; it is man's sadhana.
What the Bauls have realized and what determines their spiritual
approach is in reality a basic truth of human religious pursuits: the fact
that the divinity worshiped by man rests within man. That is to say, the
deities venerated in temples and mosques, in churches, in sanctuaries in any sacred place for that matter - are but the outer extensions of the
true divinity that dwells in man's own inner being. To the Baul, this
indwelling divinity is known as the mancr manusa - the 'man of the
heart', because he resides in the heart of man. This mancr manusa
signifies the worshiped divinity, the very divinity whose service is
rendered by the faithful anywhere, in holy locations of any land. The
Baul worships this inner divinity whose abode rests at the core of the
human heart; it is this divinity towards whom he directs his
attentiveness, in whom he believes, whom he adores. Where does this
worshiped divinity, where does the mancr manusa dwell? The inner
divinity resides within the human body. Therefore, the Bauls revere the
human body as the deha-mandira9 the body representing the temple of
the inner divinity, as it is the sacred abode of the Man of the Heart. And
the quest for knowing That Man who dwells inside the human body, the
quest for realizing that inner divinity constitutes the core of sadhana.
What does the quest for knowledge of the inner divinity imply in
its essence? Apprehending the truth of the Supreme Man abiding in his
own heart, man strives to know That Man, so that he becomes able to
sustain the divinity within himself. Once his awareness of the inner
divinity is raised, man is moreover ready to inquire into the nature of his
own self and thus to recognize his own inborn personality Having
realized this- that is, having acquired consciousness of his own souf
man is sensitized to see himself in relation to the inner divinity todetect
how much there ,s difference between Wmself and T t a Man^n ordeto
tfttm to tta. goal, however, the presence of the sadgm,, of heproper
18
Ba til philosophy
19
To unite the individual soul with the Supreme Soul represents the
primary goal of sadhana. However much success is achieved in this
task^ that much one gets to taste the experience of bliss. But bliss does
not arise all by itself. To evoke the state of absolute bliss requires both
time and discipline. Discipline is an important factor of sadhana, and it is
only upon acknowledging the need for discipline and consequently
practicing discipline that the aspired goal moves within reach, hence
remains easily attainable. What is that to say? Basically, fulfilling the
object of sadhana is not an extremely difficult task, depending upon
onefs own disposition: if one approaches the divinity with sahaja bMva,
then the divinity too becomes sahaja - that means, easily accessible,
whereas when one remains strenously inclined, the Divine Being is even
more difficult to be approached. In that case, the divinity does not
become easily revealed, and divine grace is not attained
So which is the way that leads to grace? In order to partake of
divine grace, it is necessary to first of all renounce one's own selfish
propensities. Once selfishness has been abolished through spiritual
discipline, what results? As soon as the human self gets freed from the
bonds of egoism, the indwelling divine energy becomes fully released
and spreads within the human body. In consequence, man's actions
come to be guided by the inherent divinity, which assumes moreover
control over the bodily functions. Man is thus enabled to assess his
physical capacities, since it is the inner divine spirit from which
directions are received as to where which bodily functions work or
work not Through control exercised in this way, it becomes possible to
maintain one's proper physical condition by performing the relevant
asanas (postures or physical exercises) according to the concrete
requirements of the body.
The human body, however, is but a physical manifestation, a
material truth, hence it is as such not the ultimate reality. Of what kind is
the ultimate reality? It is tumi - "you1, that is, the Supreme Divinity. And
this 'you1 is who? - the maner rnanusa who resides in the heart of man.
This inner divinity, which is invoked by abstaining from selfindulgence, enters the center of human consciousness as soon as the
space has been vacated by man's own ego. Once tumi has fully
20
Baul philosophy
is the divinity revealed, how does it turn visible0 The Supreme Soul.
paramatma, indwells the human soul as the jyotirrnayi puru*a. the
Radiant Man who illumines the inner self of the human being. What is
His radiance made of? - light. Through light, the Luminous Man
becomes lustrous. It is in light that the Supreme Divinity becomes
manifest; it is as light that the Supreme Soul emerges to be seen by the
inner eye, and it is in the form of light that this Supreme Being settles
within the human self Therefore, the Upanisads say. 'now the light
which shines above this heaven, above all. above even thing, in the
highest worlds beyond which there are no higher, verily, that is the same
as this light which is here within man1",
Upanisadic knowledge occupies an important and predominant
position in Baul philosophy, and the Bauls emphasize the significance oi
Upanisadic theories even more when they saw the story oi the
Upanisads is the Baul's story. Baul philosophy carries the essence of the
four Vedas contained in the Upanisads, hence Baul thought reflects the
Vedic knowledge in its entirety. But whereas Veda and Vedanta are
theories that become accessible through thorough study, the Baul
requires more than mere reading. The Baul holds his knowledge attested
by experience, hence he is sanv jnanerjnanl - the connoisseur oi all
knowledge, that is, the one who is experienced in all knowledge -, and
this is the attribute through which he becomes a Baul. Baul means to
become completely immersed in whatever knowledge one acquires; to
become engrossed in the emotional experience of that which is
theoretically realized. And what is the essence of this knowledge taught
by the Vedas and the Upanisads, which is the Baul's core message 0 It is
the experience of the Supreme Divinity inhabiting each and every
manifest reality - the knowledge of the Supreme Man's omnipresence.
Man derives his energy but from the power of this indwelling
divinity. Once the divine spirit has settled within, man becomes aware oi
the intrinsic kinship that exists between himself and everything around
him; he becomes able to discern his own self everywhere in his
surroundings. Recognizing himself in everything means that man
Chandogya Upanisad 3.13.7 attui yadatah pan) duo jyonrdipyaic \ isvauh prsthesu.
san'atah prsthcsv anuttamesuttamesu lokcsu, idam vava tad yad idam asminn untah
puiusejyotih
21
22
Ba til philosophy
own, hence that he is meant to dwell amidst all. And this is the reason
why the Baul does not remain in just one place but takes his home
everywhere, with everyone: because that which is the true essence
resides everywhere; because humanness abides in every human being,
in every animal - in everything. The one whose soul has not been
purified may fail to acknowledge this basic fact, yet the truth itself
prevails as a fundamental cosmic law.
So what is it, this ultimate essence? It is man, it is humanness.
Rabindranath Tagore points at the supremacy of humanity as the core
universal principle when he explains The infinite personality of Man comprehends the
Universe. There cannot be anything that cannot be
subsumed by the human personality, and this
proves that the truth of the Universe is human
truth... This world is a human world... We have to
realize it through our emotions and activities. We
realize the Supreme Man who has no individual
limitations through our limitations.. .Truth, which
is one with the Universal Being, must essentially
be human. .
- and this Universal Being, this Supreme Divinity is none else than the
Supreme Man, whom the Baul reveres as the manermanusa. Man is the
highest divinity worshiped by man, even if the act of worshiping may
assume symbolic form.
Just as when we perform puja in a temple: before
worshiping, we prepare and clean up the spot, apply tulasi
leaves, flowers, Ganges water, incense, anything - thus
creating a proper environment. Once these surroundings
have been arranged, then we begin the puja in the way a
priest does. So then what deity am I worshiping? It is an
earthen image which I have prepared for worship. But who
was there in the first place to prepare this earthen image? At
first, there was man. Just like Krsna - he assumed human
form. Radha - she assumed human form. Jesus - he assumed
3
23
24
Baul philosophy
25
truth, the Absolute Being from whom emantes creation in its entirety man, vegetation, animals and birds, the oceans and mountains,
everything is Brahma's creation, everything originates from brahma.
Now, this absolute truth - brahma - rests within man in fragmentary
portions. But what man needs in order to fulfil his spiritual aspirations is
akhanda brahma - the undivided brahma. Therefore, his core task on the
way towards attainment is to establish the undivided brahma within
himself, achieving which man becomes truly accomplished. And this is
the essence contained in the key invocation gurur brahma guniT visnuh gururdevo mahevarah /
gurur ova parambrahma tasmai rigurave namah //
The guru is Brahma, the guru is Visnu,
the Supreme Master is Mahe^vara;
the guru alone is the Absolute Being to this Highest Master I bow in complete respect.
That is to say, when the guru comes to reside in the highest truth, in
parama brabma, it is then that He can be attained to.
Consequently, there must be a sadguru. The sadguru is not easily
found, and if the seeker's heart is lacking the proper ambition, then the
sadguru cannot be obtained. Once the presence of the sadguru has been
granted, however, the relationship between the master and the disciple
bears the character of a touchstone: it remains in a continuous state of
testing. Just as the disciple desirous of increasing his knowledge seeks
information from the master, in the same way the guru keeps asking
questions to the disciple in order to test whether or not the latter is ready
to understand the teachings. Therefore, the master-disciple relationship
is a very intense relationship; it is not something to be taken easy. The
nature of the association between the guru and the disciple can be
compared with the relation between the human body and its indwelling
divinity. The inner divinity - that is, the soul - and the body on top of it
differ from each other considerably indeed: if the soul departs from the
body, the body becomes useless and unable to move; it ftilfils its tasks
only as long as the vital energy dwells within. So this and that within us
- the physical body and the immaterial spirit - are so much unalike; yet
however broad their difference, both of them are mingled together in
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Rabindranath Tagore, Sadhana (London: Macmillan and Co, Limited, 1914), p.38
27
- and this is what is implied in the prayer, 'from unreality lead me to the
real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality16. To traverse the
darkness becomes feasible only for the one who is guided by the
sadguni, because the spiritual master alone is qualified to show the path
towards the light And then, before proceeding to the actual sadhana,
proper consideration has to be given to preparatory purification.
Whose purification? Pureness of the soul is not attained as long as
the soul's dwelling-place remains disorderly. Therefore, this abode - the
human body - requires thorough preparation ahead of any spiritual
pursuits. The physical dwelling-house cannot truly become the soul's
home unless it is suitably arranged and cleansed. In the concrete, that
means that the very first task of sadhana is to fully establish control over
one's bodily faculties, so as ensure their proper functioning which is
essential in order to attain the necessary concentration of mind. Once
this fundament has been built, it is only thereafter that the
accomplishment of higher spiritual aspirations can be taken up. The
human body is man's purest property, which enables him to perform any
of his actions, hence this body must be kept in a proper condition. If it is
treated carelessly, then weakness and fatigue are the inevitable results.
However beautifiilly the body is being maintained, that much pleasantly
it will appear, that much perfectly it will function.
So on the one hand, the body needs to be well-maintained, while
on the other hand, pureness of heart is absolutely essential for the
spiritual progress. The quality of sadhu - that is, virtuousness - is
determined by four factors: saccinta (good thought), satsanga (good
company), sadalapana (good conversation), and satparivefa (good
environment) through which pureness is attained. Satparivete, to be
more concrete, means Buddha parivoia - pure surroundings.
Circumambient purity is achieved through the striver's own efforts,
through the process of his own purification from within. For the Bauls,
to establish and maintain this encompassing purity represents the
fundamental prerequisite, on the basis of which sadhana can be taken
ahead. That is to say, wherever weeds are rooted, they must be
unearthed and the spot lias to be cleansed with the same thoroughness as
one would scrub in a temple. But what does this imply for one's own
asatomisadgawaya, tamasomajyotiigamaya, mrtyormamitangawaya
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29
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offering one's self unto Lord Visnu as the highest divinity -, for the
Baul, spiritual accomplishment presupposes complete surrender to the
inner divinity. Without the vital sense of self-offering, without
surrender, no spiritual end can be achieved, because it is only in this
way that the individual soul gains sufficient determination for the task
ahead. Therefore, surrender is a must; it is the quintessence of the
devotional attitude.
It comes up in all branches - just as in our Vaisnava theory,
in Vaisnava poetry, everywhere - that if one does not
surrender oneself, nothing can be achieved. The songs of
Rabindranath Tagore tell but the same story of surrender.
And whatever devoted person composes songs, in these
again all this is said: o lord, do take care of me, do take me,
do raise me up.
What does surrender imply in the concrete? Surrender means not
to retain selfish ambitions of any kind. That is to say one has to
renounce onefs ego before engaging in spiritual pursuits, and together
with the ego, the three cardinal signs of selfishness, namely hate,
disgrace and fear, must be abolished.
Once these three things are given up, a Baul acquires the title
of 'khyapS. The title 'khyapS means, when he has been able
to pass the M.A., then he obtains that title - %khyap$. But
before passing M.A., one has to study from the level of
class one onwards, to proceed very gradually. So if I do not
attend any classes, if I am merely artistically skilled - if I
have listened to the melodies, to the songs, have become
immersed in those, and then, putting on the costume, I have
become a Baul, I have started singing; I can sing well, that
31
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- and exactly this characterizes the Baul. The Baul is the one who has
completely renounced his ego; he is the one who has attained spiritual
freedom by fully surrendering himself to the divinity. That means the
BauTs inner attitude is determined by the absence of egoistic ambitions
and by absolute pureness from within - just as the small child who is
entireley free from the constraint of selfish concerns:
There are no obstacles to a child's tasks; the child is not
constrained by any knowledge, and he is indwelled by
purity. He knows to do that which gives him happiness; he
is filled with divine happiness because he is purely god-like.
That is to say, there is no ego arising within him. Whatever
the child does, God makes him do so, that means die guru of
his heart makes him act
Thus devoid of selfish intentions, the child demands only that
which is required to fulfill his immediate physical and emotional needs,
but nothing in excess. If the child feels hungry, he cries for his mother
to feed him, but as soon as his desire for food has been satisfied, his
interest turns towards some other object What is more, the child's mind
9
33
does not become thwarted worrying about the food, because he knows
instinctively that the duty of feeding him is taken care of by the mother.
In reality, this means the Creator Himself takes care of everything, for it
is Him arranging for the nourishment of the small child who, too small
to digest solid food, is being provided mother's milk during the initial
months of his life.
So when He has so thoughtfully arranged for everything,
then why should there be reason for us to worry? These
worries that we are cherishing are absolutely wrong!
However, it is only as long as selfishness remains absent from the heart
of man that he is fully guarded by the divinity. As soon as selfish
tendencies gain strength in a person, he loses his spirit of unconditional
surrender, hence moves away from the protecting cocoon of divine
pureness and becomes vulnerable.
Knowing this, the Baul's very first task is to get rid of his ego, to
free himself from the snares of selfish desire in order to obtain unspoilt
happiness:
The sadhus, the Bauls are of this kind - they have no ego.
They have abolished the ego beforehand. Once the ego has
been done away with, they dance at times, they sing, they
enjoy - whatever they do, they do it from their heart, with
happiness. That is to say, they are undefiled, free from
corruption. Once one has become uncorrupted, then one
becomes fully a Baul.
What is it that causes this unrestrained happiness which the Baul carries
at his heart? It is the feeling of complete oneness with the inner divinity
to whom the Baul has surrendered himself, a feeling which arises once
the clouds of selfishness have given way to the purified emotions of
devotion. And the germ of this happiness rests within man - within
every person, for everyone is indwelled by the latent potential of divine
pureness, by the inherent devotional energy. Therefore Baul means one person performing sadbana - yes, that too is
Baul, but the Baul of the heart dwells in everybody. How
come? The bauliya mana, the BauVs heart is of such kind that
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it arises once or twice in every person, and then, that person
turns entirely Baul. When does he thus become a Baul? when the ego is gone from within him. When he desires
nothing more for himself but surrenders fully to the divinity
- it is this which means that he has become a complete Baul.
35
10
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A similar symbolism is attached to the Raul's traditional costume guduri, a dress made of differently colored pieces of cloth patched up to
form a single garment:
The guduri represents equality of all religions, of all castes that means, however many religions, however many castes
there are, they all are brought together in one garment, any
one color representing any one religion.
In the same way as the guduri symbolizes unity of all castes, the ekatara
symbolizes unity of all notes:
Taking all of them to form a single garment - so here, all
castes are contained, and in the ekatara, all notes are
contained...
- and thereupon the song is rendered from the heart, and this is the most
important aspect: the Baul's song is the language of his heart, it is the
way in which he expresses his innermost feelings and communicates
them to the outer environment. Therefore, it is his own heart which the
Baul invokes in the very first phrase of any song, before proceeding to
the song as such. And once he becomes fully immersed in his singing,
once he loses himself entirely in the emotional stream carried forward by
the song, the Baul pays no more heed to the matters of this world; then,
the trivial concerns of being do not enter his mind any more. Because
then he has become one with That One - with the Supreme Being, with
the aspired divinity of his heart, whom to reach is the sole object of his
search. Then, the Baul gives himself fully up to that inner divinity, and it
is the Divine Being rather than himself who makes him act:
Then, whether I dance or exhibit madness, I am not aware of
it. Then whatever I do, it is That One who makes me doing
so. That means, it is That One who causes me to act like this.
That means, as much as there remains of my own self, that
much it is not my own - when I become one with That One,
then it is not me, it is Him who makes things happen. Then,
all shyness, all aversions, all fear will be gone.
The same sentiment is echoed in Vaisnava theology. The
Bhagavata Purana portrays a person inhibited by devotion as fhe whose
37
words are stammered and whose heart melts, who weeps again and
again and laughs at times; who, doing away with all bashfUlness, sings
aloud and dances, endowed with my devotion1 and adds appreciatingly
that 'such a person purifies die world'11. So what is it that characterizes a
person fully engulfed in devotion? What is it that indwells a person who
has completely forsaken his own self for the sake of the beloved
divinity? It is spontaneity - spontaneity of action out of which speaks the
overpowering influence of the divine energy. The Baul is filled with this
spontaneity, which finds its most immediate expression in the impulsive
nature of his dancing. When the Baul dances, his movements are not
constrained by fixed steps or by gestures regulated through conscious
rules; the only driving force being the Baul's momentary inspiration
arising from his inner feelings. If he is happy, he expresses his joy in
the dance; if he is sad, he translates his sorrow likewise into dance.
Thus, the Baul's dancing is purely an act of emotional self-expression,
whose object is to release the accumulated potential of feeling rather than
to entertain an audience that may or may not be watching. For as soon as
the audience factor comes in, as soon as the outside spectator becomes
more important than the inner emotional vibrations, the spontaneity is
gone - then, there will be neither bliss nor sadness to be expressed, but
the entire performance turns into a well-calculated and consciously
conducted undertaking executed for the benefit of a third party, of an
audience whose overbearingness spoils the intimacy of interaction with
the inner divinity,
Sadhana, in order to be pursued properly, calls for the usage of a
number of mantras recited as incantations. What is the meaning of
'mantra'? In conventional interpretation, the mantra is understood as
either any of several sacred hymns contained in the Vedas or, more
generally, as a sacred word or formula pronounced as an incantation.
The saint reciting Vedic and Vedantic hymns, therefore, actually recites
the mantra in its scriptural manifestation - the mantra which represents
the sacred text or magic formula. To the Baul, however, the mantra bears
yet a deeper significance. The essential constituent of the word 'man-tra*
is yman-\ meaning mana - the heart: mantra is the matter of the heart, it is
that which tells the matter of the heart. The Baul regards the mantra as
11
Bhagavata Purana 11.14.24 vag gadgada dravate yasya cittam rudaty abhiksnam
hasati kvatic ca, vilajja udgayati nrtyate ca mad-bhakti-yukto bhuvanam punati
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the holiest essence resting at the core of his heart, and it is these
innermost matters that are spelled out in the mantra formula. It is the
matter of his heart which the Baul expresses in his songs, which he
pronounces, which he speaks about, which he recites as the most sacred
of all mantras, the bljaniantra - the primary and fundamental incantation.
But of what kind is this longing which the Baul keeps in his heart
at all times? What does it signify, this mantra recited by him? The spell
of the mantra invokes the spiritual atmosphere in which the flow of
thought becomes activated, but which is the matter conveyed by this
current? It is the Baul's constant search for his most valued treasure - for
the inner divinity, for the Man of the Heart:
Where am I to find Him, the Man of my Heart?
Having lost Him, I chase through lands near and far where am I to find Him, the Man of my Heart?
Where then is that Man of my Heart? It is in order to bring
Him back through searching, it is in search of That One that
the Baul roams around, singing, playing the ekatara.
Wandering about thus is his sadhana.
The BauFs search for his inner divinity is the essence of his sadhana, yet
singing is only one aspect, one component of this sadhana. That is to
say, singing is but a single constituent in the practice of sadhana, though
an important one. The truly demanding spiritual task, however, is not the
singing as such, but the mental and physical control which needs to be
exercised behind the singing.
The chief aspect of Baul sadhana, its central and most important
component, is aropa sadhana, the fundamental process of
implementation which is accomplished by mastering the vital functions
of breath-control. This principal task of aropa sadhana is at the same
time the most difficult task, which is not easily achieved by everyone,
since its proper execution requires a high degree of strength and selfcontrol How is this basic sadhana executed in the concrete?
At that time, the backbone must be kept fully straightened,
upon which one remains sitting in the padmasana (lotusposition). Just like a pump drawing the water from the lower
39
cf. Padma Purana 1.46.154ff., where the three breath-exercises are collectively
referred to as 'pranayamd
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Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 1.5.23 ekam eva vratarn caret, prinyac caiva, apanyac
ca...
41
14
The full mantra, or mahamantra, is the principal mantra introduced by the 16th
century Bengali Vaisnava saint &ri Caitanya, which represents the most important
incantation for Caitanyaite Vaisnavas. According to the Bengali Vaisnava tradition,
the essence of the mantra is summarized in hare krsna rama.
15
the first of the four aeons
16
Srstikhanda 1.46.155ff.
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Baul philosophy
The incantation, however, is necessary. Why? Because the
beat must be continuously maintained. If it does not run
consistently - this is like our heartbeat: as long as the
heartbeat continues, one is alive; once the heartbeat is gone,
one cannot remain alive.
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two lovers holding each other's hands experience inner
peace, bliss. So if I am sitting in the posture, then it is very
much this kind of feeling that springs up: joy, bliss, and it is
in this way that the sublime experience, anubhuti, arises
within me.
45
This does not lead to any profit; in such way, both the
present and the future will be lost. Whatever good things
have been done on this side will be gone, and whatever good
things have been done on that side will be gone. That means
both will be gone if I corne in between - just as if I were
trying to reach the opposite bank in two boats at once. Two
boats to both sides going towards the shore, then what
condition arises? - death. Then there is no way left to
survive. Therefore, in order to survive, one has to sit in one
single boat...
- and just in the same manner, one needs to proceed on one single path
towards accomplishment. Attainment cannot be achieved by remaining
in between - either one strives for accomplishment with full dedication,
or one lives one's life determined by mundane ends; there is no way in
between the two. That is to say, a person whose mind revolves around
worldly objects, whose thinking is governed by greed and sensual
pleasures, such a person directs his eyes only and alone at these material
things but remains ignorant of the Supreme Reality, hence remains blind
towards the radiance emerging from die Supreme Divinity.
desires, it is for the sake of the divinity rather than for himself that he
desires it Thus being fully devoted to the divinity, yet entirety free from
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47
stream that leads to the most sublime bliss without fully delivering
herself at the feet of the Divine Being.
It is in the same manner that I am giving my heart away. If I
cannot give it away, however, then no task whatsoever will
bear fruit. Therefore, the Bauls give themselves up to That
One with full heart, without wanting to keep anything for
themselves.
Consequently, surrender represents the core of sadhana, the
fundamental attitude which is imperative if the spiritual search is meant
to yield success. The path on which the spiritual search proceeds is
essentially the path of realization through experience, and it is this
experience which the Baul articulates in his songs. In order to fully
comprehend the meaning contained in the songs, therefore, an advanced
stage of spiritual experience is needed through which one acquires
proper insight into the subtle layers of the transcendental truth. To
understand the meaningfulness of the' songs, however, is necessary
because only thus one becomes able to wholly appreciate their intrinsic
beauty - a beauty which is not so much derived from the attractiveness
of the tune or from the poetic charm, but which emanates from the
deeply devotional essence, from the spiritual truth concealed in the
songs and, what is more, from the experience of that truth told through
the songs.
Singing with proper understanding is thus an important ingredient
in the Baul's spiritual practice, yet it is not the ultimate essence of Baul
sadhana. That is to say, the most accomplished Baul saints are not
always necessarily known as the greatest singers.
Therefore my forefathers -1 am the eighth generation, so that
means my father, grandfather, and their forefathers, all of
them were very great, well-known sadhus. How did they
practice sadhanal They did not perform too much of singing.
My father did just a little singing, and me - it was me who
has more popularized the singing outside. But they did not
sing that much...
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49
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51
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53
(3)
Man and his personal attitudes
Man tends to always think that it is him himself who effects all
the good things that come about. Whatever positive task has been
fulfilled, whatever virtuous act has been performed, man likes to credit
himself with its accomplishment, whereas for bad happenings, God is
blamed This way of thinking represents a widespread human attitude.
Now, if we thus refuse to accept our own answerability for averse
occurences but hold the Supreme Being responsible instead, then the
question arises naturally as to who, truly, is it whom we accuse. If the
Supreme Divinity were merely a neutral energy, then indeed it would be
easy to direct all the charges towards that abstract divinity. But it is not
so. God is not an attributeless phenomenon, but a very much human
reality: the Supreme Being lives within man as the divine presence, as
the divine power that dwells in the heart of man. Therefore
our lord, the one whom we call our divinity, our God - that
God is me myself. If I say W , then this word fmef signifies
that which is called God. Why is it so? Because this soiil of
ours is a pure soul, and it resides in the temple which is the
human bodyThat is to say, the essence of every human being is of divine nature. The
human soul possesses all the intrinsic characteristics of the divinity - it is
immaterial, illimitable, imperishable; and what is more, in the same
manner as does the Supreme Divinity, this soul which is formless and
unmanifest manifests itself in the concrete form of the finite: it abides
within the human body.
Being the dwelling-place of the pure, infinite reality, the human
body functions in every respect like a temple, In spite of its finiteness,
this body represents the sanctuary at whose center the infinite essence is
kept, hence it needs to be cared for properly in the same way as one
maintains the purity and cleanliness of the temple. Yet in order to
comprehend this necessity, it is essential to first of all recognize the
Infinite Being as die divine within man, as the one single, undivided
truth that rests at die core of each and every manifest reality. As long as
this fundamental truth is not realized, man remains unable to discern the
divine presence within himself, and he searches here and there for his
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aspired divinity without noticing the sought-after treasure that lies in his
own heart.
If I cannot recognize my lord, then I remain searching and
inquiring in every place to find that my god is here, my god
is there. That one whom we call God, He is perceived as one
and the same reality in all castes, in all religions. Be they
Brahmans, or Vaisnavas, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or
whatever - they all acknowledge one and the same
phenomenon: namely, our God who effects all that which is
happening. And this divinity rests within us.
It is the presence of this divinity within man which enables the human
body to perform all its actions. Without the divine energy at its core, the
body by itself were useless, incapable of making even the slightest
movement. Therefore, for as long as God remains with us - that means,
for as long as the inner divinity continues to stay within the human
body -, for that long life itself persists.
Man's attitude, however, is biased towards assessing the Infinite
Reality in terms of human finitude. The result of this disposition is a
vain attempt of measuring the immeasurable, of defining the
undefinable, of delimiting the illimitable. The Supreme Divinity cannot
be captured in comparative categories of relativity, for the Supreme
Being is absolute, hence extends beyond the limits of small and big, of
good and bad, of any calculable gradation. Man's-inclination towards
balancing the weight of that absolute reality is therefore erroneous and
futile. The Supreme Soul exists as the boundless and interminable
absolute truth whose immensity is not determinable by ordinary human
means.
This soul of ours, this Supreme Soul - pararnatma - is
immense, and so are its bhava, its intrinsic emotional quality,
and the flow of thought emerging from it.
What is limitable, however, is man's power of cognizance, and it
is man himself who time and again attempts to reduce the
tremendousness of the Supreme Reality with the intention of holding it
captive within the bonds of his own restricted concreteness.
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59
who loves man, the one who devotes himself to man, who worships
man, who meditates upon man - that person is venerated as an
accomplished saint; that person embodies the greatest of all yogis. And
the Bauls are such yogis who place man in the highest seat. In order to
reach that utmost state of pureness in which the infinite essence of the
human soul is revealed, however, man needs to acquire control over his
sense faculties so as to avert any undesirable influences arising from the
six inborn evils latently resting in every individual. These inherent vices
of man, collectively referred to as the sadripu or six enemies, are desire,
anger, greed, infatuation, conceit and envy. To gain mastery over these
six cardinal passions is vital for the emancipation of the human soul,
because only then is it that man becomes entirely purified from within,
hence that the soul can unfold in its full boundlessness.
How is this control achieved?
My father Nabani Das Khyapa Baul used to say from time
to time that, look, I can go and talk to any person, small or
big, but our sadripu, the six inherent enemies - to these I
cannot speak. So in order to maintain physical well-being,
surrender yourself to the one who controls our body
movements; do it in such a way that He is pleased and
protects you well. Once under His protection, He will
sustain you properly; there will be no trouble.
Self-control, nourished by the spirit of unconditional surrender to the
inner divinity, is realized in sadham. Control of the physical senses
presupposes control over their spiritual substance, hence it is necessary
in the first place to direct one's attention towards the soul - towards the
pancabhuta atma, that is, the soul inhered by the five senses. These five
senses, according to Upanisadie theory defined as speech, life-breath,
vision, hearing and mind, need to be evoked one by one so as to
establish the control of each respective sense faculty. Sadhana therefore
aimes at the reconciliation of the five senses in such a manner that they
turn fully commandable.
So when we are performing sadhana, when we call someone
a sadhu - the sadhu is who? Sa-dhu means sa- (safcbe, !withf)
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and -dhu (dhwna, Vapor1) - the one who is acquainted with
this vapor.
That is to say, the sadhu is appreciated as the one who has attained
command over his senses. The syllable -dhu stands for dhuma, vapor or
fume, which belongs to the five constituent elements equated with the
human perceptive faculties1. The pancabhuta atma, indwelled by these
five cosmic elements reflected in the perceptive faculties, thus needs to
be awakened by way of evoking the senses one by one.
What happens once the perceptive faculties have been fully
evoked, once all senses have been reconciled?
Then, whatever one commands them to do with love, the)1
will fulfill it. Then, one cannot do any wTong even if the
heart desires to do so. Why? Because the six inherent
enemies of the body, these six adversaries have been
brought under control. The sadhana which is directed at
exercising such control - this is the Baul's sadhana.
The primary way to pursue this sadhana in order to obtain control over
the senses is dhyana, meditation. Other than dhyana, however, there is
gana, singing. The Bauls practice both: dhyana as the pnncipal mode of
sadhana needs to be observed in any case, but at those times when they
are not absorbed in mediation, the Bauls continue their sadhana through
singing. When is it that singing becomes a truly spiritual effort? When is
it that the act of singing raises its horizon beyond the limits of a merely
musico-artistie exercise? Once the singer's heart becomes satiated with
the bliss emerging from the divine presence, once joy swells up in his
heart, at that time the singer receives the inspiration that makes him utter
his tune affectionately in praise of his lord.
Of what kind is the effect music yields upon being performed
with full heart, with mind entirely engrossed in the Divine Being?
Music, if practiced with such intenseness, leads to successivly higher
degrees of spiritual perfection signifying consecutive steps on the way
towards union with the aspired divinity.
the five constituent elements, viz. earth, water, light, air, and space
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63
this kind he never demands from the divinity. He knows but one goal: to
become fully engulfed in the divine reality. Once he has reached this
goal, once he remains thus immersed in the divine presence, the Baul
renounces all other interests without cherishing the least desire for his
own sake. Because then he realizes that everything arises but from the
compassion of the Supreme Being; then he recognizes the immenseness
of that which is naturally given to him, whose vastness exceeds his own
apprehensive capacities, hence his prayer for the grace of the Infinite so
as to enable him to receive the divine gift properly - with love.
The Bauls do not regard themselves as belonging to any specific
religion or caste. Rather, they retain an innate sense of belonging to all
communities.
The Bauls are not explicitly Vaisnavas. We do not belong to
any particular caste, we belong to all castes. We are
Christians, we are Muslims, we are Vaisnavas, we are
Brahmans, we are Punjabis, we go to gurudvaras - to all
places (of worship) we go.
What is it that enables the Baul to tie the bond of intimacy with each and
every tradition of faith? It is the common ground that connects all these
religions, which is intrinsically human. Religion, no matter of what kind,
is practiced by man, and man is the Baul's highest divinity.
Our God, who is Man, goes to all (sacred) places and
performs his worship, meditates, invokes (the divinity) with
love. So we too worship these divinities: we worship the
human being who is performing their worship. Therefore,
we are not something different, we are not a separate caste our home is everywhere.
Worshiping the worshiper of God, devoting oneself to the lord's
devotee - which is likewise one of the fundamental tenets of Vaisnavism
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The Baul is actually gurumukhi- whatever the guru says, he
listens to; whatever the guru does, he does not do it.
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cauddapoyi, 'fourteen quarter measures': three and a half times the length of the
forearm, which corresponds to the approximate height of a human being
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left out, everywhere I sang, and I performed at big functions.
Thereafter, I desired to present Baul singing abroad. So I
began at first in Russia. After that, I performed in a whole
one hundred countries, and I still keep coming and going.
Thus I was thinking that, look, I am not that educated, I do
not even possess a university degree, so how could I achieve
all that?
This is what is meant by saying that through the grace of the
guru, everything becomes possible. I am saying this because
I have seen that once the guru bestows his grace, there will
be no deficiency in the world, no shortage; everything is
being fulfilled. What we regard as unaccomplishable, even
that is attained. Through retaining one's faith in Him,
everything turns real.
BhagavataPurana4,24.77 vindatepumso'musmadyadyad
su-pritac chieyasam eka vallabhat //
icchaty
asatvamm/...
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entirety, to each and every human being. Recognizing the divine spirit
which indwells every single animate entity, the one thus accomplished
reveres the divine spirit within all creatures, and his love for the
Supreme Divinity finds its outward expansion in the love with which he
approaches all beings. Love is the foremost necessity on the way
towards attainment of manfs highest quest, for love is obtained by giving
love, and once love has been obtained, man has become blessed with the
grace of the Supreme Being - a grace which comes in the guise of the
guru's grace. And this is achieved through love alone, through love
which is reciprocated with love:
However many people I have spoken to, none has ever
shouted at me or spoken angrily. They speak to me
affectionately, they act affectionately, (just as) I approach
everyone with love. There is my son - if he were not, some
other boy would be there; whoever is there, they all belong
to us. Thinking like this, and thus loving all, one remains
happy. Therefore, we keep telling people that whatever you
do, do it with love. Love the human being above all - love is
necessary. Through loving, the grace of the guru is attained.
And through the gunts grace - as we say, the grace of the
Supreme Being, God's grace, it is all the same. The guru's
appearance is God. In any one respective place He becomes
manifest to perform His tasks.
It is universal love which ties the bond that intrinsically joins
together all human beings and turns humanity into one single, large
family. Once the primal sense of belonging has been established in a
person's mind, he regards every individual as his very own, closest
companion. Categories such as known or unknown, familiar or
unfamiliar lose their significance and cease to mount up to form
untraversable walls obstructing unrestrained human interaction.
Therefore, the Bauls emphasize time and again that everyone is their
own kinsman, every person is their close relative. And anyone calling
with love will be replied lovingly; anyone approached with love is
bound to return love. In this way, and in this way alone, humankind is
apt to attain to its ultimate quest. And, what is more, in this manner
accomplishment becomes not only feasible - it becomes easy as well.
Whatever task is taken up, it is easily carried out. Once everybody
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Japa means to call: hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare
hare /hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare - like this.
Or &iva - siva iva om narno sivaya om namo ivaya om
namo ivaya ... - call Him, invoke Him, If it is directed to
Allah, call Him by exclaiming allah allah. Or if Jesus is
invoked, call out fGod, God1. But calling as such is
necessary.
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8
9
(4)
Baul sadhana: attaining the inner vision
Sadhana as a spiritual pursuit is applicable to the whole of
humanity, hence it is suitable to be performed by everyone* In order to
practice sadhana, however, a certain amount of self-discipline is required
in the first place so as to establish the needed level of concentration and
mental determinedness for the task ahead. That is to say, die mind must
be set into the proper direction, and the firmness of its aspirations be
ensured. If sadhana is meant to yield success, it is important that these
basic prerequisites are met prior to any concrete spiritual exercise. The
earlier the fundament is erected, die easier the subsequent efforts are
accomplished.
My father, who is my Baul guru, used to say upon
performing sadhana, look, sadhana is for the sake of all, of
all human beings. If you begin to practice from an early age
onwards, then it will come to you easily once you grow up.
So in order to make it easy, just as when you are playing, get
it started together with that Do not regard this as mere play;
start thinking - then, a very uncomplicated path will open up
to you. Then, you will get into it very soon, you will pick it
up very quickly. - Like this he used to say. By then I had
been studying for five years. I continued to study, while at
the same time - listening, observing, sitting together -, I was
being taught sadhana.
For the effective progress of sadhanaliom the outset, it is
essential that the initial preparation be directed at proper attentiveness of
the mind. In the concrete, this means that the very first task ahead of the
spiritual pursuance is to instate single-mindedness with regard to the
object of the search. It is only once full concentration has been achieved
that the aspired goal enters reachable distance, because then only it
becomes possible to sustain unfaltering attention throughout the spiritual
practice. As long as the determination of the mind has not been raised to
the highest degree, as long as the mental consciousness remains prone to
distraction caused by outside influences or inner unrest, no effort
howsoever stem is inclined to succeed. Therefore, it is vital to
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incantations
and austerities, perform the initial
implementation; let the mind become flawless. That means,
leave all those recitations and austerities, meditation and
recollection - assemble the mind; the mind must be
undivided. Once single-mindedness is achieved, all your
efforts will quickly turn successful. Therefore it is said,
abandon incantations and austerities, practice aropa; let the
mind become unimpaired. That means to establish
immaculacy so that your mind becomes very firmly
assembled, so that the mind does not divert to any direction
but one becomes fully engrossed in sadhana. Thus the mind
needs to be readied in the first place.
Instituting the primary fundament upon which the subtle layers of
spiritual advancement are progressively built up requires some effort to
start with, but as soon as the initial instatement has been properly
completed, the subsequent tasks are essentially facilitated and sadhana
becomes easily accomplishable. Setting up one's mind and evoking the
needed level of concentration is done in the process of the basic aropa
sadhana. That means, beginning with aropa, the striver advances
gradually from the point of origin towards the main road of his search,
which will ultimately take him to the destination. Once he has arrived on
the principal path and moves on with firm determination, where does his
journey take him? The way of the spiritual quest leads the traveler to the
shore of the river that merges into the sea of the Infinite, into the ocean
whose expansion knows no limits, whose vastness cannot be confined
within perceptible bounds.
It is just like the sea where the water knows no end, the
ocean which has no shore. I am looking out from one shore,
but to reach the other shore takes a long time, and one has to
go very far.
The illimitable sea that separates the realms of the finite and the infinite
is interminable, and its other shore is not seen until the ocean has been
fully traversed
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But what does it signify, that other shore? Why is it that the
wayfarer cannot rest until he has arrived in the land of the beyond?
Because there lies the seeker's final destination, the ultimate object of his
spiritual search, which to attain he needs to cross the sea that rests
within his inner self. It is once man becomes one with the infinite in
himself that he recognizes its infinity resembling the boundlessness of
the shoreless ocean. What succeeds once the seeker transcends the limits
of the illimitable; once he traverses Viraja, the river of infinity and enters
brahma-dete, the realm of the Supreme Reality? What is it that he
visions at that time? The Upanisad replies In the highest golden layer, Viraja, is the
undivided brahma. Pure is it, the light of lights.
That is what the knowers of self know,l
Mundaka Upanisad 2.2.10 hiranmaye pare kote virajam brahma niskalam / tac
chubhramjyotisamjyotih tad yad atma vido viduh //
2
Brhad-aranyakaUpanisad4.3.6 atmaivisyajyotirbhavati, atmanaivayamjyotisaste
palyayate, karma kurute, vipalycti.
3
k^a-karana-svavayava-samghata-vyatiriktam, karya-karanavabhasakam, adityadi
bahya-jyotirvat svayam anyenanavabhasyamanam abhidMyate jyotih (Sankara's
commentary on Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.3.6)
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whatever spot it extends its rays, that very thing becomes visible before
man's inner eye.
In order to evoke the inner vision, however, it is essential to close
down the outer sense. That is to say, the outward vision actuated
through the sense organ must be deactivated so as to open the door
towards the inside and thereby enable the inner eye to unfold its full
visual power. As long as the outward door is kept open, the inward
door remains shut, but once the inner door opens, the outer door is
locked. And as soon as the outward door has thus been closed, then,
vision from within can be obtained.
Vision of what?
From within that light I can see, just as if I select a specific
image - be it Krsna, or both Radha and Krsna conjointly,
whatever image I reflect upon, it comes forth from within
that visualization. Arising gradually out of that imagination,
the image becomes visible before the inner sight. Then, a
boundary is being created there, and within that boundary
one can see them roaming in their eternal ways, performing
their eternal play, going on in their eternal routine everything I can see within myself.
The vision thus emerging reveals the Supreme Reality to the fullest
extent; it is perceived by man in the very same manner in which he
conceives the divinity as such. That means, whatever concrete
manifestation he contemplates upon, in that very manifestation the
divinity is disclosed. And once this divine vision springs up before the
inner sight, the person thus enlightened becomes entirely engulfed in the
living experience of the divine; then, the seeker becomes completely
absorbed in his own inner self. Once engrossed to such an extent, the
outer awareness moves at far distance. At that time, the outward flow of
thought is not capable of entering the inner consciousness, and a person
immersed in inward meditation is not touched by any thought other than
the vision of his inner divinity.
In order to attain this state of immunity against outward
influences, in order that any outward touch is kept at a distance, it is
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from there, the ways of the divine image can be witnessed in their
totality, and while remaining thus engrossed in the transcendental sight,
the worshiper is inspirited through the very image in front of him to
participate himself in the divine play.
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automatically - that is, the tears of joy, the tears of bliss emerging from
the realization of the tremendousness of that sublime grace.
Whatever He has made me obtain, I have received it. I am
receiving it; as long as I desire so, it remains coming. That
means it is unending, it does not perish.
In order to sustain the imperishable nature of this divine gift, that
is, in order to retain the divine blessing as a permanent presence, it is
however necessary to exercise rigorous self-restraint. Discipline, selfcontrol is the foremost rule of sadhana, and consequently, the primary
task is to continually increase one's power of inner control. Once the
skill of self-control has been fully developed, the door to
accomplishment opens before the seeker, and whatever he desires on his
spiritual path, it will be attained. Thus is the true meaning of sadhana.
The real essence, however, can be comprehended only by those
who have acquired spiritual maturity, by those who have arrived on an
advanced level of spiritual accomplishment. Unknowing persons, and
those without spiritual ambitions, remain unaware of the fundamental
reality and are incapable of perceiving the subtle workings of the cosmic
mechanism.
Therefore, the Bauls' doctrine repeats time and again one and
the same thing: the one who does not disclose his spiritual
matters maintains cautiousness for himself. That means if I
reveal those facts to someone devoid of devotion, to
someone who is not an earnest striver, then that person will
regard me as crazy. He will call me mad, and remains
thinking all the time that I may be wrong, that means, that the
essence of what I am saying is wrong.
Objections raised by the ignorant occur but as a natural
phenomenon and are encountered by anyone striving for higher ends.
Those who are truly accomplished, however, raise their glance above the
standard of ordinariness towards the extraordinary, while responding to
controversial reactions at commonplace level with indifference.
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Other people conceive me with different eyes. Therefore, I
have to direct my own eyes upwards. Who thinks what, who
says what - this is irrelevant. What I want is that my tasks
turn successful. Who said what, who did what - all this I do
not need. I order to adopt this (attitude), however, it is
necessary to keep oneself under control. This is what the
gurus say. That means, in this manner my father used to
teach me.
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what is more, the experience itself cannot be handed down from the
master to the disciple. What can be imparted is the way that leads to the
experience, but not the experience as such. For the disciple, it is of no
value to know that his master has obtained the vision of the Supreme as
long as he himself is yet to experience it, because only then is it that he
conceives the realness of the divine presence.
The presence of which divinity? - of the divinity that rests within
man, of the divinity that abides within the human heart. To realize this
inner divinity, therefore, means to realize one's own inner self.
The divinity is me myself. I am seeing myself. In what way?
When I am immersed in meditation, when I wish to see,
when I contemplate, then I can see how That One is doing
this and that.
That is to say, then I can experience the ways in which the inner divinity
is moving. Seeing is experiencing, vision is experience. If someone
were to say, show me this divinity - it is not possible, because the divine
energy withdraws itself from the sites of display, hence any request for
expressing the inexpressible, for communicating the incommunicable,
for defining the undefmable is fundamentally inordinate. Sadhana is
based upon experience; sadhana is experience, its quintessence is
experience, hence only the one who understands the real nature of the
experience is able to proceed on the path of sadhana.
This is like eating a sweet, like tasting the flavor of a sweet:
how delicious! - to describe it is impossible.
In the same way, explaining the power of experience is very difficult.
For this task, guidance is required rather than explanation. In the
concrete, this implies that the master has to lead the learner along the
same path on which he himself has attained his experience, and if the
disciple is able to follow his guru properly and in the right manner on
this path, then he too will acquire the sought-after power of experience.
How is the experience accomplished, how is attainment helped
along? - through sadhana, and through bhajana, that is, by evoking the
divinity in song. Sadhana and bhajana are indispensable on the way
towards the highest object; they constitute the path which leads to the
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Katha Upanisad 2.1.2 paracah kamin anuyanti bilis te mityoryanti vicatasya paSam,
atha dhlra amrtatvam viditva dhruvam adhwvesv iha na priithayante
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of the divine energy, hence the vision of the cosmic light can be attained
only after fulfilling the preliminary requirements of the elemental
sadhana, and that means, pranayama.
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Therefore it is said, to determine the worth of a vessel, the
guideline is the divine vessel That means, the vessel is one's
own body. What is it that rests within that vessel? - water.
When the vessel is completely filled, then there will be no
sound arising. If the vessel is being emptied, then a bubbling
noise emerges from the water. The reason is that air and
water are mixing and throbbing from within. Once the air
escapes completely, the water pulsates on its own; there is
no more noise. Thus, for as many days as a striver is not yet
accomplished, for that many days this bubbling sound will
come, because for that long is it that the water throbs and the
" air is gradually being released. Once it is entirely set free,
then however tranquillity arises -
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essence within you which is of value. That which we call the
perishable matter, this finite substance must be upheld in
such a way as to make it indestructible. Once this has
become unbreakable, then that means that your sadhana is
rewarded with accomplishmerit
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his efforts are prone to carry success. If, however, the three basic
observances of discipline, restraint and self-control are not maintained, if
the seeker's perceptive faculties are not fully assembled, in that case
progress on the path of sadhana cannot be attained. Therefore, one has
to establish a firm determination within one's heart to always act in
conformity with the prescriptions inducted by the guru. Once this
preliminary condition has been met, the inner master - the guru of the
heart, the wishing-tree - is ready to bestow his fiill grace upon the
striven That is to say, when the guru of the heart unfolds his presence
and is properly invoked, then accomplishment turns real all by itself.
Why is it so? Because then, the emotional energy of the human
heart is joined together with the perceptive power of reason, and it is
from the marriage of heart and mind, from the union of emotion and
intellect that all beneficial action is born. As long as the ways of the
heart remain intertwined with the conscious spirit of rationality, man's
good deeds continue to prosper and bear fruit. When, however, the
association of heart and mind breaks up, when emotionality and
rationality part company, then the most evil and detestable acts are given
rise.
If man loses his intellect, then how often is it that people kill
one another; how many unholy things are being done, how
many acts of falsity are being committed! But when both
become one, when reason and feeling go together - the
function of reason is to oppose wrong actions; even if the
heart were inclined towards them, the mind blocks them out.
The mind thus acts as the controller who guides the human heart
along the standards set by the rational intellect in order to establish inner
discipline. The interactive presence of mind and heart is therefore
necessary, and, what is more, the unity of both is imperative. Man is
indwelled by a multitude of dual forces acting reciprocally to their full
dialectic effect. Thus, both the master and the learner reside within one
and the same human being. Man needs to understand this elemental
principle if he wishesto^roceed on the path of accomplishment, and for
this reason the seeker must acquire his knowledge from the sadguru,
from the spiritual master.
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away from the real nature of any spiritual endeavor. Sadhana, in order to
become successful, needs to be performed amidst all, in interaction with
everyone and everything. Therefore, the Bauls do not attribute much
significance to spiritual exertion pursued in isolation from their
surroundings.
If I am just sitting inside a house, or in the jungle, or in a
temple - if that were my task, then what am I to do in my
native land? Native land means our mother, our everything.
If I move away from all that, if I separate myself from it,
then I have become selfish.
Selfishness, however, constitutes one of the major obstacles on
the path of accomplishment. As long as selfish intentions of any kind
persist in a seeker's mind, his efforts howsoever stern are doomed to
remain fruitless. For this reason, the first and foremost requirement in
order to ensure the success of one's spiritual pursuits is to renounce all
egoistic tendencies that may arise within. Abstinence from egotism is
practiced in what way? - by making one's own spiritual search one with
the great spirit of the universe, that is, by integrating one's own sadhana
into a circumference which embraces everything and all
That means whatever I am doing in association with
everyone, I am incorporating all this into sadhana. Sadhana
has nothing to do with reclusively sitting in a house or
jungle or temple. Amidst all is it that sadhana has to be
performed; then, sadhana will yield accomplishment, that
means, superiority.
If sadhana is not practiced amidst all, then selfishness prevails.
Retreat and seclusion for the purpose of spiritual exercise are clear
symptoms of self-centricity, indicating that the striver's character has not
matured to such an extent as to qualify him for attainment to his final
goal.
That means for the sake of self-love you are disassociating
yourself - no! To love oneself is to love all. When you
remain amidst all, then you are able to love everyone. But if
you stay aloof, then it is not yourself whom you love. What
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utterly bad and harmful actions require spiritual endeavor of some sort
in order to be carried out.
If I intend to perform some wicked deed, if, with some evil
purpose in mind, I am constructing a gun in order to kill
somebody - this is but sadhana, the consideration involved
in preparing the gun. So if this thinking is directed towards a
positive end, then the output will be favorable. If the thought
goes into a negative direction, the result will be destructive.
Now, if sadhana possesses the potential to bring forth benign and
malign effects likewise, great care must be taken to eliminate wrongful
intentions right from the outset, Self-control is all the more vital since
the power of earnestly pursued sadhana is tremendous, hence the impact
of any evil evoked in this way would be downright catastrophic. In what
way are injurious tendencies averted? - through unity of emotion and
intellect, that is, by activating the function of the mind to control one's
emotional aspirations through reason so as to filter out all hurtful
inclinations. Once the controlling device embodied in the rational mind
has been switched on and is operating properly, once heart and mind,
once feeling and understanding have become one, a person is no more
able to do wrong. Why? - because his rational sense prevents him from
committing a sin. Therefore, the actions of a person thus endowed with
the capacity of self-restraint will be constructive in their nature, leading
to beneficial results. And the sadhana which is aimed at this represents
the true sadhana, the path towards genuine accomplishment.
What is the meaning of true accomplishment? Of what kind is the
fruit obtained through equitably performed sadhana? The fruit that
emerges is calmness, tranquillity - peace. And if everyone followed the
path of constructive sadhana, then this peace were to spread throughout
the human realm.
Then, peace arises within us. Peace - universal peace, peace
among mankind, divine peace, peace in the surroundings.
Everyone will benefit.
Universal peace is established once everybody directs his thoughts at the
positive essence of being, once kindness enters the heart of all humans.
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A .child is playing in the midst of the entire universe unworriedly, unconcernedly. That means when creation
began to emerge from within the great ocean, from within a
banyan leaf at first God Himself grew up and, having grown
up, began to gradually shape the world. Today's
peacefulness, all vegetation on earth, humans, animals everything is His creation. So in the beginning of this visible
creation, there was water. Within the water, what served as a
vessel? That vessel was the leaf of a banyan tree. That means
it was this which gave motherly shelter, motherly protection
out of which slowly-slowly everything came to grow. All
that which exists today is That One's offspring, that means,
every single individual has descended from That One. Who
is That One? He is the jyotirmayipurusa, the maner manusa,
the Man of the Heart.
The Radiant Man, the Man of the Heart is who? - the Supreme Divinity,
the ultimate transcendental reality, the most sublime energy of bliss out
of which all existence is born. He is the Absolute Truth, the Highest
Undefinable carrying no name and yet known by a multitude of names.
The one whom we call Krsna, or elemental strength; we call
him Narayana, we call him Rama, we call him Jesus, we call
him Mohammad, we call him anything - but for the Bauls, it
is all the same.
The Baul acknowledges no distinction between different
divinities; he does not believe in distinctness as implied in the variety of
names. For the Baul, the Supreme Reality exists as the one single,
undivided truth of which there are many aspects, which manifests itself
in a multifariousness of definite forms, yet whose essence is ultimately
one. The Bauls are thus conscious of the highest truth of unity, of the
cosmic oneness supported by the indivisible nature of the transcendental
presence. It is this primal life-giving energy from which all being
originates; it is this cosmic ocean into which all streams of existence
eventually merge - that is, the Supreme Divinity realized by the Bauls as
the Man of the Heart, the Supreme Soul about whom the Vaisnavas say,
f
of all there is just one God ... one single pure, everlasting, undivided,
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bostu
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Bauls, to establish the vital spirit of unity constitutes the foremost and
perennial effort as part of their spiritual endeavor, which becomes
reflected in every aspect of their practical approach.
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The quest for proceeding in unity is symbolized in the BauTs
costume, guduri, and in the ekatara which stands for tying
together. In this manner, everything is joined into one - into
one pitch; all notes are bound into one pitch. That means,
one has to proceed by uniting a thousand breaths in one
single note.
the tune mingles with the metric beat and both together join forces with
the power of the uttered syllable, music rises to its most poignant
emotional height And having gained its full strength of expressiveness,
music develops the capacity to act as the unifying energy that weaves all
individual aspects into one single whole.
Then everything in God's creation, in this world called forth
by the Creator, becomes one. Trees and plants, the jungle,
water, humans, animals - everything, everyone is made to
move in unity.
What is more, the positive power of music is such that it
effectively counteracts all negative vibrations, hence leads to liberation
from evil of any kind. Music, singing, if properly performed, reverses
averse currents and thereby eliminates malicious tendencies at the very
root. But how does this intrinsic potency of music arise in the first
place? It is awakened through the power of human consciousness through conscious awareness which rests in man alone. This strength of
perceptive sensibility inclosed in human nature constitutes the most
precious property of the human race; it is the Creator's unique gift to
humankind by virtue of which man stands out amongst all animate
beings.
It is something which is not given to other creatures; it rests
within us, enabled by the power of consciousness.
Therefore, if song is presented before a plant, the plant will
keep growing; very quickly the plant will grow. And if song
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sadhana.
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(5)
Bhakti bhava
The meaning of singing and music
On the universal significance of Baul sadhana
Bhakti bhava
Divine grace arises at a time when man obtains the favor of those
who are virtuous and accomplished, at a time when man partakes of
compassionate peopled kindness. The one in whom the inner divinity
has grown to full prosperity, the one within whom the Man of the Heart
thrives, such a person overflows with bliss, such a person is
exceedingly indwelled by peace, by devotion and sentiments of loving
surrender, by firm faith - that is to say, in such a person's heart the
mancr manusa has taken his permanent seat, from that person's heart the
Supreme Divinity shines forth, extremely gracefully and conspicuously.
Further it is said, if all high-minded strivers are brought together in a
single assemblage, summoned by the call of one common human quest;
if all earnest seekers join unifiedly into singing the praises of the lord,
into nama-samklrtana, into spiritual discourses and elaboration on
devotional themes, into listening to the voice of accomplished saints, one
by one - then, if all noble aspirations are thus mingled into one, in that
case attainment draws near and the human heart rises to fulfillment.
In order to lead the spiritual effort to success, however, some
preliminary requirements have to be met. Which are these prerequisites?
First of all, it is necessary to create the proper atmosphere, to set up a
suitable environment for one's spiritual pursuits. This implies the need
for good company, for virtuous conversation, for auspicious and pure
surroundings. If such an ambience is not established, then sadhana is
not meant to yield genuine spiritual profit. Why? Because without
aptness of the surrounding circumstances, the human mind remains
perturbed, and once gone astray on account of trivial interests, once
distracted by insignificant concerns, the mind cannot be gathered into
focused attentiveness. Consequently, obstacles mount up to obstruct the
path of sadhana. Constrained by hurdles, the spiritual search is
consigned to fruitlessness and can never be accomplished. Therefore,
the primary task for anyone eager to strive for the Highest is to purify
his surroundings so as to evoke circumambient constructiveness - for where there is peace, there is God, Where there is joy,
there is God. Where there is devotion, there is God.
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Therefore God, whom we call our Man of the Heart - He is
the inner divinity, He is the Supreme Being, He is
everything. In whatever manner we address Him, in
whatever aspect we perceive Him, in whatever mode we
behave towards Him, in that very way He responds.
Bhakti bhava
\ \9
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Baul philosophy
and we sing there, it is in those very places that we perform
our worship.
Bhaktibhava
121
In what way is worship rendered to the divinity of the heart? through music, through singing, through voicing the praises of the
divine. Worship through music means to evoke the presence of the
Infinite by bringing oneself in accord with the cosmic forces. How is
this harmony established? It is called forth through the unifying
potencies of the musical sound. Thereby it is irrelevant as to whether a
person actively instigates the musical current, or whether he but
consciously perceives its movement The benefit is the same for both,
because it is the musical reality as such which stimulates the emotional
experience.
Therefore, when I attend these musical gatherings - if I can
sing, well, that is fine; if I cannot sing, then I can listen. That
means I am floating amidst all. The one who listens is an
earnest striver, and the one who sings is an earnest striver.
Hence Vaisnava scripture advises the seeker !in case of deficient
capacity to sing, or if a singer more accomplished than oneself is
present, then one should listen21, the effect of which will be equally
rewarding.
It is the oneness of the musical flow, the singular direction taken
by the all-embracing stream of melodious cadences, which prompts
Vaisnava theologists to elevate raga-seva, musical worship, to the
highest rank among all modes of worship, insisting that 'the one who
performs the musical worship is blessed by divine grace, and the one
who listens to and visions the musical worship likewise obtains grace13.
Music is the form of divine service which can be directed to the
Supreme Divinity in both His manifest and unmanifest aspects - that is,
music is rendered both to venerate a temple deity and to awaken man's
inner divinity. Therefore it is said, 'in the category of notes, the
incantation prevails; in the category of incantations, the sacrificial chant
prevails; in the category of sacrificial chants, song prevails; song itself
2
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Baal philosophy
frutikoti samam japyam, japakoti samam havih J havikoti samam gey am, gey am
geyam samam vidu // - The two interpretations of this iloka quoted here anse from
the two meanings of the word ' koti\ 'class' or 'category' respectively 'one crore1 (ten
millions).
- Padma Purana, Karttika Mahatmya naham vasami vaikunthc yoginim hrdayc na ca
mad bhakia yaird gayanti taira tisthami narada //
6
Rabindranath T.igore, GitinjdliXl 'Whom doest thou worship in this lonely dark
corner of a temple with doors all shut. Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before
thee!1
Bhaktibhava
123
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Baul philosophy
Bhaktibhava
125
In Bengali, the word jibon (Sanskrit jivana), 'life', means also Vaier1, otherwise jol
(Sanskrit ja/a), in the sense of the life-giving fluid.
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Baul philosophy
there. From that sea, it is said, if we dnnk but one drop of
water, then the tasks and aspirations of all our past, present
and future lives will turn fruitful, will become attainable.
Bhakti bhava
111
128
Baul philosophy
Bhaktibhava
129
130
Baud philosophy
It comes up whenever those two eyes are left alone. They
look around desirously, and if they get to see something
temptuous, the heart instantly insists on acquiring it.
Bhaktibhava
131
132
Baal philosophy
Just as the gardener tends the flowers and awakens them to full
beauty, in the same way the task of an accomplished seeker is to arouse
the beauty, the virtues and excellence that are slumbering at the core of
the human flower - that is, to activate the divine potential inherent in
each and every human being, to animate the essence of love that
constitutes the innermost substance of the human soul. The sadhu is
thus the gardener who cultivates the human jungle and disentangles the
mental thicket so as to obtain an orderly ground blooming with fragrant
flowers. How does he approach this task? He devotes himself to every
single human being and, like the gardener who is eager to call forth the
fragrance from within each flower, the seeker intends to evoke the
positive currents from within the human heart. Guided by this intention,
he dwells together with his fellow humans, converses with them on
themes committed to pureness, behaves with them in a flawless manner,
speaks and discourses on agreeable topics - he conducts himself in
every respect in such a way as to favorably impress upon their minds.
What is the consequence prompted by such considerateness? The
one engaged in virtuous acts becomes thus tied in with the Supreme
Divinity - with the ati-manusa, the Superhuman Being, the Supreme
Man.
There are three types of humans (manusa) - minus, manus,
man-iiui. 1 1 That man who is indwelled by hugy by
consciousness, that one is the Supreme Man - and in order to reach that Supreme Man, this man needs to perfect
himself through sadhana. The relevance of sadhana persists in every
place, at all times; its imperativeness applies to all beings, hence sadhana
rests at the core of all beings. The Bauls therefore emphasize time and
again the importance of practicing sadhana. What is more, man is made
to enjoy the fruit of his spiritual effort only when he is able to sustain it
For the sake of sustaining it, just as the gardener who has
brought the flowers to bloom, if he were to just
indiscriminately pluck flowers out of that garden - this is not
what he does. Beautifully arranged flowers in a flower-vase
may give an attractive decoration - if he sees a flower
11
Bbaktibbava
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Baul philosophy
this it will remain; I will not wet my hair - in this manner, the
Baul sings, plays his musical instrument, dances; he laughes,
does everything, but at the time of sadhana he keeps himself
detached, he retains himself strong. That means he remains
immersed in the worship of his inner divinity. The Baul is of
such kind. "BauliyS means that he is free from any bondage,
he is a liberated person. Having become dispassioned, he
roams about. It is because of this attitude that the Baul can
traverse all countries, that he can make everyone his own.
Bhaktibhava
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136
^iul philosophy
Bhakti bhava
137
138
Baul philosophy
exists apart from real life, it is nothing that requires man to abandon his
day-to-day duties - to the contrary, sadhana implies that these duties be
approached with yet more dedication.
We always make this mistake that we regard sadhana as
something distinct - sadhana means that one puts on the loincloth worn by ascetics, dresses in a red ochre garment, that
means one has become different No!
Rather, sadhana signifies to acquire knowledge and to hand down this
knowledge to others. An accomplished striver is the one who qualifies
to act as the guru, as the master who instructs his disciples and thereby
assists them on the path of their spiritual journey.
Because he teaches in the way of a guru, he is a master.
Guru means he is the master; master means guru. So if he
teaches - just as when someone performs physical exercise,
if someone else teaches him to exercise methodically, then
that means he is his master, he is his guru. That means he is
his guardian, he protects him. So consequently, sadhana is
of this kind. This is sadhana. There is no separate thing
called sadhana.
And this is the core attitude which the Bauls assume for their
spiritual search: to transform each and every activity into sadhana, into
an effort that takes them closer to their ultimate objective. Like this, they
can attain to their highest goal in an uncomplicated way while remaining
amidst all, yet without being attached to anything.
The Bauls have embraced this approach easily. The Bauls
always laugh, weep, enjoy; at all times they are indwelled by
joy. Thus they could accept this attitude in an easy manner,
they do not take complicated approaches. Such is the BauTs
inclination.
Once all pursuits are given the attribute of sadhana, of a direct
approach to one's spiritual object, man's activities become truly
meaningful, and their achievement represents but a step forward on the
overall path of accomplishment. That is to say, every single effort which
has turned fruitful constitutes an attainment in itself, for its success
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Bad philosophy
through machines in various ways, allopathic drugs are
produced, and homeopathic medicines are prepared
differently. These two sub-divisions exist, and there is a
third one which uses medicines procured from the seeds and
seed-pots of leguminous plants. This is the Ayurvedic
system of treatment. So classification into these three
branches has been made.
Now in the same way as medicines are being extracted from plants whatever trees and plants and creepers are there, all of them provide the
one or other healing substance -Just like this, music too is a remedy of
its own kind.
Of what sort is music? This music, the singing through
which man's various ailments are being cured, is likewise
arranged in three categories: classical, folk, and devotional that is, bhajana and kirtana. These three types are being
distinguished. If three divisions are being made, then there
will be three varieties of medicine being produced homeopathic, allopathic and Ayurvedic. These three
remedies are current in song.
The three categories into which music is generally divided, viz.
classical, folk, and devotional, represent three approaches to the
sounding reality reflected in distinct musical settings, yet determined by
one and the same higher object. Just as the three types of medicine,
though differing in their mode of preparation and immediate effects on
the human body, serve one single purpose of providing cure for
diseases, in the same manner music, regardless of any particular form or
category to which it belongs, is dedicated to the sole aim of bringing
man closer to his aspired divinity. In what way are the three styles of
music extracted from the cosmic essence of sound? How does music
become manifest, and of what kind is the emotional substance implied in
any one concrete manifestation? Which is the impact of music on man so
as to soothe his ailments?
Folk music, if it is properly performed - folk music, loka
samglta means that which is liked by people. That which
d\veUs together with the people, this is called folk music.
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Baul philosophy
That means, however much of it you listen to, that much you
are getting well.
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Baul philosophy
hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare - the essence
of devotion contained in these sixteen names. From these
names the remedy has been extracted. The solution has been
prepared; if you are able to take in this medicine properly,
that means if you know to recite it, then you will be freed.
That means the most injurious diseases, which man is unable
to bear for even a day, these harmful diseases are being
cured
Further it is said NitaiBaku's renown is excellent Jagai and Madhai were sick;
their affliction went away
through sweetness once,..
That is to say Nitai and Gaura had a very high reputation at
that time. They propagated Lord Hari's name; doing so, they
traveled about to reach many places. Thus they were of good
repute. Moreover it is said, Jagai and Madhai were then
excessively indulging in alcohol, they kept being drunk, they
used to beat people - whatsoever evil exists, they were doing
it. Therefore it is said, they had become afflicted by illness.
So when Nitai uplifted them by giving to them this mantra hare krsna hare krsna... -, making them eat this mahamantra
remedy: it was then that they got well.
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146
Baul philosophy
people, will make them joyful. Once bliss arises, once joy
comes forth, then I can feel that here, our divinity resides.
Therefore, one has to be selective while presenting songs. It
is with this consideration that we attend to our functions:
who will enjoy what. That means, then I am rendering
worship, then I am recollecting, realizing; then I become
absorbed - at that time I become immersed in the thought of
my divinities. As long as I remain singing, they will remain
sitting there. Once I stop, they go away.
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Ba ul philosophy
Thus, there is a sanctifying grace which is obtained through
sadhana alone, something called divine grace, and this grace
I have seen, I have expenenced in my grandfather. He used
to perform but the same sadhana, but he had become
accomplished, he had come to partake of that grace. Then
there was my father who, as I said earlier, could remain
immersed in the water for twelve hours, maintaining his
position. This implementation is achieved by blocking the
tendons that direct the blow of the breath. These muscles
must be completely contracted so as to be fully drawn
inward towards the stomach; once drawn in, they become
obstructed. Now the nine doors have been shut; these nine
doors (i.e. the nine openings of the body) have to remain
locked That means the breath is kept enclosed within. So in
this manner, maintaining this condition, he used to sit; he
could sit like this for twelve hours. But when instead of
sitting he would lie down, then, lying down, he was able to
float on the water for twelve hours while keeping the breath
suspended. That means he would not sink; his body would
not submerge in the water, he stayed afloat. That means he
had become light, absolutely light. As long as the air remains
enclosed within, for that long he would remain light. But
once this condition terminates, once the air is released, he
would sink. So this aropa sadhana is practiced very
commonly among us Bauls. And this sadhana directed at the
breath is the Baul's sadhana.
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Baal philosophy
assumed many appearances. At any one time he revealed
himself as any one particular messenger by whose name he
came to be known - like this. At times he was Christian, at
times he was Muslim, at times he was Sikh, at times he was
Vaisnava, at times he appeared in the guise of the one or
other tribal person. Thus he arrived in numerous castes,
slowly-slowly. However many there are castes, however
many there are villages, however many there are localities,
however many there are humans, he presented his gift to all
of them - but taking any one manifestation in any one place.
That means there are Bauls abroad, and there are Bauls in
India. Go to any country and there will be Bauls. Of any
respective sort they are moving about there - to move about
does not happen in just one manner; it happens in many
ways. Therefore, I am saying that there are Bauls dwelling m
the whole world. Bauihood is not confined to a single place.
That which has been popularized as Baul, based on
Vaisnava doctnne, this of course has been current since
perhaps five or six hundred years, and has become known
by the name of fBaul' which represents today's Bauihood.
Before that, there were the Sufis - Muslim lustre shone
strongest at that time. Then the practice of aropa sadhana etc.
began to develop everywhere, there was Tantra sadhana,
from there came Baul sadhana. Thereafter there came the
Buddhists; before the Buddhists there were the Jains, after
the Jains the Buddhists emerged, then afterwards the
Muslims, the Sufis and so forth - it is in this manner that the
Bauls progressed.
Therefore, the Bauls do not represent anything called caste.
They acknowledge no caste. They acknowledge one single
differentiation: one is man, the other is nature. One is
woman, one is man - these two are the castes, and nothing
else.
151
13
(6)
Baul darana
Baul philosophy reflects a complex and open-minded approach to
the fundamentals of universal existence, in which numerous streams of
thought emerging from a variety of philosophical and theological
traditions are brought to confluence in one single essence called the
religion of humanity. Given the many-sidedness and intrinsic subtlety of
Baul philosophy, its comprehension represents a highly demanding
spiritual challenge, and its proper explication constitutes a likewise most
intricate task. Baul philosophy, Baul dar&ana refers not simply to a
theoretical set of tenets, but rather to a philosophy which is attested by
experience. The vital significance of the underlying experience is already
implied in the term 'dargana' employed in the Indian spiritual tradition to
denote 'philosophy'. Literally, 'dai&ana' means 'vision1 - that is, vision
leading to experience. Experience again results in knowledge, and it is
out of this knowledge gained through experience that a philosophy
ultimately crystallizes. Therefore, a philosophy qualifies as philosophy
only once its tenets have been tried on the touchstone of experience.
The most important point regarding Baul thought is its
ancientness. Notwithstanding the limited period of about five centuries
during which a specific devotional tradition from Bengal has been
current under the name 'Baul1, Baul thinking as such entered the
perceptive consciousness of man at the time when the first humans
appeared in this world, and has persisted ever since, from primeval age
to the present day. Together with the origination of mankind the Baul
too took birth, and the Baul's ageless spiritual property has maintained
its full vigor throughout human history. What is the secret of this
spiritual property that rests at the heart of each and every individual as
the core truth of being? Why is it that this most precious inner substance
has never been easily explained; what is it that makes this essence of
essences so hard to attain to? The answer holds the key to the simple
154
Baul philosophy
Bauldai&ana
155
156
Baul philosophy
to search for another man who dwells within man. This
means one has to inquire very arduously. That Man who
rests within us is not found without thorough investigation.
Who is this indwelling presence, this Man within man? The inner
person represents that reality
which is called the deha-vadl the one who 'speaks from
within the body' - this is referred to as our deha-vadl. Dehavadl is to circumscribe in very easy language that which
exists within our heart. The one who is able to extract the
message from the heart, that person will obtain everything.
"Heart1 means that place which rests at the very center of this
body.
It is upon learning of the essence of that centermost point that man
receives his own inner message wfhich returns to him in reverse
direction. Once his inward journey has taken man to the shore of the
cosmic ocean, attainment turns but easy and the seeker's spiritual
aspirations draw nearer towards reachable distance.
What is the prerequisite for accomplishment to become an easilyachievable goal? It is detachment, freedom from worldly ties.
That is then called alaga mranjana, the Unbound Pure.
'Alaga' means to remain detached from everything. That
means there is the word 'alaukik* ('unearthly') concealed
therein - that which comes in an unworldly manner.
The sadhana directed at this utmost stage of unattached immaculacy is
very hard to accomplish, and it calls for complete surrender on the part
of the striver as the most vital prerequisite. Unless the seeker is ready to
give himself fully up to the inner divinity, his spiritual search remains
fruitless because the ultimate expenence does not arise. If he is however
able to submit himself entirely, then he becomes truly liberated from
bondage of any sorts, and whatever forces impact on him - good or bad,
positive or negative, constructive or destructive -, their effect will not
adhere to him. Therefore, if a striver possesses sufficient mental strength
to firmly observe this fundamental requirement of unconditional
Baul darsana
157
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Ba ill philosophy
which key fits into which door; he has to moreover be familiar with the
procedure of turning the key into the accurate directionHow does he acquire this skill? Each respective key is embodied
in a particular bljamantra, and each respective bijamantra opens the door
to one of the respective regions1 within the human body. Being in
possession of the pertinent keys, that means having obtained knowledge
of the relevant bijamantras, the seeker's task is now to open the doors
one by one and to enter the regions that have thus become accessible,
thereby proceeding gradually and insistently from one level to the next.
Once the entire inner being has opened up before the striver's
eyes, what is it that he gets to see?
There, he obtains the precious gem of love. In everything,
there is but nothing without love. This is what one has to
retain within oneself. If this does not remain within, then the
easy path cannot be realized. To attain to the easy way, one
has to keep one's mind, one's heart, one's everything sated
with love.
Love is the most essential property of the human heart which acts as the
primal cause for all virtuous actions, which constitutes the core
fundament of all attainment. Without love, no spiritual pursuit can be
accomplished in full, because it is in love in which all accomplishment is
revealed. Once love penetrates the heart of man, a person thus filled with
the blissful essence of the divine becomes immune against any harmful
influences that may swell up in his surroundings.
Once this premamayi cidananda sakti, the power of
conscious bliss satiated with love shines forth from within
us, then there is nothing else which can affect us. No evil
remains, no anger, no affliction or grief or sorrow - all these
are bound to gradually vanish. Then, whatever wish awakes,
it will come to fulfillment. Fulfillment means, when that is
sustained, then fullness is already there -
That is to say, the bodily regions represented by the six cakias (centers of the
spiritual body), viz. mulidhira, s\'dhi$thnat manipum, anahara, riSoddha and ijM.
Bauldariana
159
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Baal philosophy
these four phases one by one in their upward succession from gross to
most subtle, that is, from the lowest level to the highest stage of
accomplishment. It is but upon having fully mastered one respective
stage that the striver can proceed to the next higher level.
Once the four spiritual conditions have been attained, all doors
towards the outside world remain shut and the seeker becomes
immersed in his own inner self. What does he obtain there? He partakes
of the most refined essence of bliss which rests at the core of the human
heart as man's innate divinity. This essence of essences, however, needs
to be sustained with utmost care and attentiveness in order not to be lost
in an instant of neglect.
An accomplished person has to be concerned at all times
about the priceless treasure within himself, that this treasure
may not be stolen. And that thief who rests within us is
passion (kama).
Passion and desire are the immanent evils always threatening to
disturb the spiritual progress, hence they need to be firmly kept at bay.
Some or other sadhus remain saying that passion needs to be
immolated. Owing to this, we have lots of rites in our Hindu
religion. The Hindu religion has various kinds of sacrifice in some place human sacrifices, in some place goat
sacrifices, in some place buffalo sacrifices; all these are
sacrificial systems that have been created. That means, those
are pretexts. The real thing to be sacrificed is passion passion and desire.
It is passion, it is desire that should be immolated rather than innocent
creatures. The Upanisad says, 'when all the desires that dwell in the
heart are cast away, then does the mortal become immortal, then he
attains brahma here (in this very body)' 2 . If passion is overcome, if
greed and desire are subdued, then all aspired ends are attained easily.
Alongwith lust and desire, anger is another inherent vice to be
restrained. Spiritual success is directly proportional to one's ability of
2
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.4.7 yadi sarve pramucyante kama yc'sya hrdi intah, atha
martyo'mito bbavati, atra brahma samainute
Baul darana
161
removing these inborn evils. The very first step, therefore, is to expel
passion and greed, together with desire.
Kama (passion), kamana (greed), basana (desire) - these
three are the biggest criminals giving rise to various
complications. So one needs to stay somewhat far away
from these three. Then I can achieve everything easily, then I
can accept everything. But if these three maintain their grip,
in that case no task can be performed, and there will be
discomfort.
For this reason, there are certain methods and modes of the
spiritual practice whose knowledge has to be acquired at the very outset
of sadhana. The seeker's task is to acquaint himself with these
fundamental requirements before proceeding to any further spiritual
ends. It is for the sake of learning these initial steps that a person
becomes a sadhu and dwells in the abodes of sages and spiritual masters
- for the purpose of knowing those basic methods and procedures upon
accomplishing which all attainment is made easy. Turning about
searching, the shiver finally arrives at the point which takes him to the
core essence of his quest. What is that?
That is the primary essence, that which is called the
progenitive substance. The progenitive substance means the
property of the guru. To hold and to protect that which is the
guru's property - this is the task. That means being a
sannyasl, being a sadhu I do not have any tasks - it is not so;
the task is there.
The task is impending, yet if one were to evade this task, if one
were to neglect one's spiritual duties, what would be the result? In
consequence, obstacles arise and hindrances are laid out to obstruct the
path towards one's ultimate aim. In order to transcend these
impediments, it is therefore necessary to leam the basics of the spiritual
search in their entirety, and to proceed in accordance with one's
knowledge of them.
And mad does one become when? - once all this has been
fully realized, has been learnt - then, everything turns easy.
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Baul philosophy
This is because upon being mad, none else is going to
disturb. Liberated from disturbances, a person goes crazy
and remains unaffected by anything. That means then he
withdraws himself gradually, sets himself apart. Thus is
such people's task.
Baul darSana
163
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Baul philosophy
Bauldarfana
165
Shammi Paranjape, "Your Creator can be Your Best Friend", in The Times of India
4 February 2002
166
Baul philosophy
the Supreme Being becomes the closest companion of the human soul.
Consequently,
why should I leave the easy path only to proceed on a
difficult course? There are many people who choose to do
so; they acquaint themselves in various ways, thus in each
respective place a particular book is brought forth.
The devotional inclination, however, yields supreme results even
and especially in the pursuance of knowledge. It is by virtue of
devotional experience that theoretical knowledge turns truly
authoritative.
Thus, Rabindranath Tagore has said in one place, the truth of
man is the highest truth. Therefore he used to write about
baul-gana and the Bauls exceedingly respectfully. And
therefore he used to love the Bauls very much. He was
involved with baul-gana in a very close manner. Likewise
Vivekananda - Vivekananda used to preach devotion as
revealed through humanity; he told the tale of man.
Once the highest truth has been realized, once the most excellent Being
has been brought to the center of all speaking and thinking, man enters
into a most proximate relation with the sublime transcendental reality;
then, complete emotional oneness of the human soul and the Supreme
Soul is achieved.
Just as when I am saying fo friend': this is something
different, and if I say 'o brother, sister1 - then it becomes
most intimate. That means, then this person has become my
own. By regarding someone merely as friend one moves
him at rather far distance, whereas by calling a person
'brother1 or 'sister1, one draws that person close.
Vivekananda used to say like this. This was thus proclaimed
by the person who established contemporary Vedanta in the
whole world and who founded the Vedantic path.
Routes towards realization are many, and every seeker naturally
selects an individual approach that suits him most in order to proceed in
search of attainment. Present-day philosophical views give equal
Bauldarana
167
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Baul philosophy
Therefore our Baul religion exists in the whole world. It is
not called Baul, though. In each respective place it has
adopted any one distinct name. Just take Santa Kavi, or
Guru Nanak, or Kabir, or Tulasidasa - all of them were very
great Baul seekers. This is because they were renouncers of
self-interests, they had abstained from everything.
Bauldaiana
169
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Baul philosophy
bija rupe krsna, i.e. the Supreme Divinity perceived as the pnme progenitive energy
cf. chapters, p. 136
Bauldargana
171
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Baul philosophy
compliant to the guru. The Bauls always regard the advice
given by the guru as supreme. It is the guru who acts as the
exclusive steersman of existence. That means whenever you
travel, there would be someone to ferry your boat across,
and the only person able to navigate the boat is the gum
That is, the guru revealed in two manifestations signifying one and the
same ultimate entity. Which are these two representations of the one,
undivided protective force? Who are the two guruf!
One is the guru in his physical embodiment who is obtained
through respect and reverence, and the other is the guru of
the heart. Both of them merge into a single reality. Once
united, they motivate all activity in a positive manner. This is
sadhana.
BauldarZana
173
Creative Unity (New Delhi: Macmillan India Ltd., reprint 1995), p.8
174
Baul philosophy
Baal darsana
175
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Baul philosophy
Meye (woman) implies ma (mother). That means, with a
mother one cannot behave wrongly. With a sister one cannot
behave wrongly. So when the woman is regarded as a
mother, when you see her with motherly sentiment, then
passion and desire will not come to you. When you call her
sister, passion and desire will not spring up. Then you can
live with her, do anything together - wrong feelings will not
arise. Whenever something improper emerges, this means
that lust and desire have taken possession of you; it means
that you have no knowledge of self-control.
Bauldargana
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Baul philosophy
Someone likes to eat, someone does not like to eat, someone
likes something upon listening, someone likes it upon seeing
- there are many possibilities. A multi-colored land - diverse
flows of thought - various sorts of people - that means,
humans are great in number, peoples1 thoughts differ, there
is no single path to proceed on.
Bauldargana
179
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Baul philosophy
Baul dargana
181
current. And it is for this very reason that the Baul, who is indwelled by
the essence of essences, can be apprehended by none else than the Baul.
To know the Baul, one has to become a Baul beforehand. To
recognize the Baul, one has to practice Baul sadhana. To
properly serve the BauFs cause, one has to be acquainted
with Baul ethics.
How is this cognitive ability activated? - by directing one's
spiritual inclination along the lines of the three most imperative mental
attitudes: duty, discipline, and devotion. These three vital components of
any spiritual pursuit must be known and entirely understood in order to
render attainment feasible. Duty represents the fundament, the initial
condition upon whose basis discipline is established. Knowledge of
duty constitutes the beginning of the spiritual search, from which the
process of questing is taken forward Thereupon, discipline forms the
second stage of the spiritual progress. Discipline implies obeyance,
abidance, observance of the requirements of duty. Devotion follows
when? - thereafter, once discipline has fully settled. Devotion is not an
easy task; it is an extremely high tenet which is attained only at an
advanced level of spiritual perfection. To acquire devotion, duty and
discipline must be accomplished first. If these two are not mastered,
devotion does not arise, hence the spiritual essence of the Baul cannot be
recognized. When is the Baul realized? The Baul is discerned once the
seeker has progressed with full faith up to the stage where he attains the
state of Baul.
The Baul as such, however, is omnipresent and universal in
nature.
Yesterday I quoted from a book which was authored by
someone who has written a doctorate about the Bauls.7 He
has written very nicely, and after communicating with many
Bauls. In the last chapter, he says that the Baul is very
ancient and his history reaches back to the Satya Age8 - from
the primeval age onwards the Baul has emerged. Further it is
7
8
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Baul philosophy
said that the Baul is not easily attained - in order to realize
the Baul, much thought and consideration is required.
Man remains always in search of one and the same object: happiness,
peace, and bliss. But when is it that these three are obtained? - once man
is able to awaken the bauliya mana, the Baul's heart, within himself:
once he assumes the BauFs spiritual attitude. It is then that the most
intensely aspired spiritual reward is attained - once the bauliya mana is
called forth, once the BauFs heart is touched by person from within.
Without this inner inclination, bliss cannot be enjoyed. The quality of
bauliya, the Baul of the heart dwells within each and every human being.
He reveals Himself once at a time, yet withdraws Himself from being
apprehended.
Thus there arises a certain time at which the bauliya mana
touches a person's inner being. Therefore, no Baul can say
of himself that I am Baul. The Baul is something which
exists hidden within everybody, which rests within
everyone's heart and soul. This is the Imperceptible Baul.
This Indiscernible Baul emerges at the very moment once a
person becomes immersed in himself, once a person
becomes blissful from within himself This Invisible Baul
appears within all human beings.
The Undetectable Baul resides dormantly in every single person,
but he has to be aroused. And in order to evoke this sublime reality,
some effort is needed.
The BauFs heart is evident within everybody, alright. But in
order to become a capable Baul, one has to perform sadhana
- not singing. Singing is fine, singing needs to be practiced
for the sake of making the Bauls' cause known to the public.
The songs are indwelled by emotion, by love, by devotion,
by delight, so singing has to be professed. But sadhana is a
must; sadhana needs to be performed. That means to practice
yoga, to exercise yoga-asanas (postures), to take the lotus
position, to recite the silent incantations, to utter the
bijamantras. In order to attain the grace of the guru, one has
to raise an appeal to the guru. If one does not thus appeal -
Bauldar&ana
that means to the child who does not cry, the mother will not
give milk. Whenever her child cries, the mother will calm
him, either by giving milk, or perhaps she will console him
by making him play with a doll - just in whatever way a
mother understands to pacify her child. - Therefore, sadhana
is the main task. It is upon performing sadhana that the
highest object is met.
183
(7)
Sadhana tattva and manusa tattva
When the Bauls wander about in search of the Man within man,
through countries near and far, through villages and towns, then their
quest knows but one object: to realize who is That Man dwelling within
us, and to discern the form, the appearance in which That Man comes
forth. In what way does That Man become visible? The Man within man
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Baul philosophy
187
Katha Upanisad 2.1.1 paraiici khani vyatrnat svayambhus tasmat paran paiyati
nantaratman, ka cid dhirah pratyag-atmanam aiksad avrtta-caksur awitatvam icchan
18 8
Ba ul
philosophy
Not even once did I see that one there is a place adjacent to my home
where a neighbor resides.
Now enclosed, unbounded water swells up;
there is no shore, nothing can hold it
I would watch out to That One for my rescue o how do I get to grasp Him!
What shall I tell of that form?
What shall I tell of that man...
- of That One who is the Man of the Heart. Further he says What shall I tell of that man ?
He has no hand, no foot, no neck, no head..,
He has no hands, no feet, that means he is an unmanifest
appearance. Further is said ...no hand, no feet, no neck, no head;
one moment he dwells in emptiness,
the next moment in the water.
That means at times He roams as air in the void, and again
He comes forth in the water, that means in matter. The
material substance, the physical matter is therefore needed but That One is an incorporeal presence. The unembodied
reality revolves in an unmanifest manner. Whenever it meets
any manifest form, it becomes visible within that
manifestation. What happens once it is seen in the concrete
embodiment? ... one moment he abides in the water. Now it
is said That neighbor, if I had touched him,
then all which is fruitless would have vanished.
However much there is fear in us, false notions, sorrow,
grief - all these would go away if I were able to touch That
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Raul philosophy
seeker may be able to see the form of the formless, but he will not be in
a position to show it to others.
If I were to say now, show me that appearance -1 will not be
able to show it. So then it is said The key to my home is in another's hands.
How can I unlock to see that treasure with my eyes?
He says, of this home of mine there are the keys to its nine
doors 2 . The keys to these doors are with another person.
Who is that? - the guru. From this guru, one has to learn in
what way to turn the keys so as to unlock the doors. Further
it is saidThe key to my home is in another's hands.
How can I unlock to see that treasure with my eyes?
My home is filled with gold..,
- there is gold abounding in my home. What is happening
with this gold?
A stranger does the giving and taking.
A stranger - that means somebody else keeps coming and
going. He comes, goes, leaves; it is him who uses this house.
In the same manner as I am utilizing my home, knowing what
is where, being able to look for anything, to store it -just like
this, that Unknown Man remains coming to my home.
Entering, he stays there, dwells there; having completed his
tasks, he leaves. Thus the Imperceptible Man roams within
me. Why then would I not want to know him, to acquaint
myself with him? Every person therefore needs to discern
That One. In order to recognize That One, one has to desire
realization with firmly determined mind, that means with
undivided attentiveness, and with faith and devotion. - Then it
is said 2
The nine doors represent the nine openings of the human body, viz. two eyes, two
ears, two nostrils, mouth, anus and genital organ.
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Baul philosophy
Patience calls for self-restraint, for inner discipline. The one who aspires
to obtain the vision of the Supreme Reality needs to sit with unswerving
attentiveness, exercising rigorous self-control. Concentration enables
mediation and realization as the two essential steps towards spiritual
perfection. Meditation, assembled attention of mind thereby constitutes
the initial prerequisite upon which realization becomes feasible. Once the
state of dhyana (mental attentiveness) has been fully established,
realization is born out of this condition in which man's perceptive
consciousness remains completely absorbed in the aspired reality.
To achieve the goal of realization through attentive contemplation
represents the core signification of sadhana. Sadhana does not imply any
separate spiritual intention, anything different from the core quest of all
humans.
Those great and famous sadhus who perform their sadhana
on hills and mountains - theirs is but one and the same
object: to know That One, to realize That One, For the sake
of this, they always remain sitting with closed eyes so as to
see the Man of the Heart, so as to see this adored divinity of
theirs.
Once the sight of the revered divinity arises before their inner eye, what
is it that they truly get to see? It is radiance, it is light, it is divine
brilliance emanating from the subtlest of all realities. Light, however,
possesses no form; light cannot be discerned as a concrete, manifest
appearance. Light is perceived as an effulgent presence, an all-pervading
yet unseizable energy. This incorporeal energy which is light, though,
assumes definite shape as soon as one contemplates upon it as a
concrete presence. In what form, then, does the light reveal itself? It
comes forth in whatever definite manifestation one thinks of it, in
whatever concrete appearance it is conceived in the mind. And this is the
meaning of attaining accomplishment: to be able to evoke the divine
energy in whatever manifest form one desires to partake of it, in
whatever embodiment one wishes to visualize it.
In order to arrive at an advanced level of accomplishment which
allows the conscious vision of the unmanifest divinity, the seeker has to
devote sufficient time to his efforts, and moreover he has to pursue his
193
search with all the patience needed for the ultimate experience to arise.
Attainment cannot be forced, accomplishment is not effected before the
path that leads towards it has been traveled in full. Sadhana, therefore,
takes time and calls for patience. Patience signifies what? - the capacity
to wait, coupled with undiminishing eagerness of efforts and unfaltering
belief in their eventual success. If the desire to reach one's destination
deepens throughout the spiritual journey, if the longing for the aspired
truth increases in the process of perseverantly continued questing, then
the sought-after reality will be attained But if the seeker's zeal decreases,
if the image of the destination begins to fade from his inner eye yet
before the destination is reached, if his patience becomes exhausted yet
before the wait is over, in that case the sublime truth withdraws itself
and turns unattainable.
This period of waiting represents the inevitable trial to be faced by
every striver to assess the strength of his patience and the earnestness of
his intentions. It is during this time of testing that the wheat is separated
from the chaff, that the true sadhaka is attested on the touchstone of
reality. Only once this crucial examination has been passed successfully,
a seeker becomes eligible for the Highest. What purpose does the trial
serve? - inquiry into the seeker's ability to retain himself fully under
control. That means, the object of examination is to establish whether
and for how long the striver is ready to pursue his aim with patience and
discipline. And this is sadhana, this is die trial of sadhana.
Sadhana is universal in its applicability, hence sadhana can be
performed in any situation and under any circumstances. Into whichever
direction the striver advances, on whatever path he prefers to proceed, in
that very manner he will approach his sadhana. Therefore, it is not
proper to regard the sadhu and his task as separate entities isolated from
human society.
We are amidst all. The sadhu exists within all sorts of
society. He moves in bad society, in good society, in
liberated society - in every place. To attain to his goal, he
needs but one thing - patience.
Patience implies faith: patience must be nourished by firm
confidence in the ultimate fruitfiilness of one's efforts in order to become
194
Baul philosophy
195
Subodha yoga, literally the 'union of lucidity1, refers to the spiritual exercise directed
at the realization of the divine light within man's inner being.
196
Baul philosophy
197
198
Baul philosophy
and
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200
Ba ul philosophy
201
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Baul philosophy
That means - afterwards, just like the poet who observes a
situation and, watching any one situation, any one
opportunity, writes accordingly.
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204
Baul philosophy
However much water arrives from whichever overflowing
drain - the ocean, however, never overflows. Whatever is
given to the ocean, the ocean absorbs it. That means this is a
mother - however many offsprings she has, they will not be
too much for a mother; she embraces them all. This is the
ocean.
So this ocean is the Baul. That is why we regard the Baul so
high - because the Baul embodies the ocean. Whatever
merges into him, he swiftly absorbs it all. Therefore the Baul
is so great.
In order to keep the Baul heritage alive, it is necessary to bring over some
teaching to everyone in society...
(8)
Gunitattva
The very first requirement for the Bauls in order to perform
sadhana is a suitable place which enables them to follow their spiritual
practice in a focused and undisturbed manner. Such a place must emit an
atmosphere whose ground tenor enhances a person's intentness to
become absorbed in^worship and contemplation and to pursue his
spiritual exercise with intense zeal. It is through the inherent mood
emanating from such a shielded location that an environment is created
in which the seeker can fully submerge in spiritual activity and in which,
upon practicing sadhana, all aspects of the spiritual search become
comprehensible and thus easily accessible. Therefore, an apt ambience
must be established in advance of the spiritual exercise so as to stimulate
realization in an easy and obtainable manner.
What characteristics does the needed location possess?
Assembled attentiveness calls for a solitary surrounding, for a secluded
place where none can interfere or cause disturbance of any kind. The
environment of the spot must be protected to such an extent that
obstacles of any sort hindering the path of sadhana have no access. It is
for the very purpose of blocking out potential impediments that the
striver, upon sadhana, retreats to a lonely place where calm and
tranquillity prevail The Bauls therefore spend much time during their
spiritual practice at the samadhi, at the sepulchers of their revered
spiritual masters and ancestors. A samadhi is erected when the guru or
his wife or another respected elder has departed from this world: then,
the body of the departed is preserved in the form of a samadhi or earthen
monument. These samadhis, raised in the middle of the house or nearby,
are treated as highly sacred spots to which the Baul retires for worship
and meditation, for contemplation and realization, for any pious activity.
Which are the deeper thoughts determining the concept of the
samadhft When a person dies, it means that his indwelling divinity has
departed from the body. Which divinity? - the Supreme Divirii$y who
inhabits the human body in the essence of the human soul.
Accomplished persons are able to sustain the Supreme Soul within their
body, and it is this very same Supreme Reality which withdraws itself
from the physical manifestation at the time of death.
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Baul philosophy
Then, this Supreme Soul of ours has gone from the body.
So that body touched by divine grace - this body is not to be
burnt. Not burning it, one entombs it in the samadhL The
reason is that thus the body is made to mingle with the earth.
Our body is constituted of these five elements: earth, water,
light, air and space. So when does this body prepared of five
substances merge into the earth? - once the samadhi is
established.
The samadhi is prepared by embedding the body in earth, in clay whatever natural substances are at hand -, thus creating an earthen
resting-place. Once the body has been enveloped in this covering, it is
venerated by the faithftil as their worshiped divinity to whom they
render service.
That is to say, the Bauls have no need for temples, or mosques, or
churches. Their sacredmost place of worship is the samadhi, the spot
where the guru dwells eternally. For as many days as the spiritual
master resides in this world, he will be revered and saluted as the living
god whose worship the disciple performs, on whom the disciple
contemplates, and through whose service he obtains accomplishment.
Once the guru has departed and his body been given samadhi, this
samadhi turns int6 the temple at which all spiritual practice is performed.
It is here that worship is rendered; it is at the samadhi that meditation is
exercised and realization attained. The samadhi becomes thus the Baul's
place of daily worship. Of worship approached with what attitude?
Just as one nourishes and rears a small child - in this very
manner the guru is attended to in the form of the samadhi: if
there is something tasty to eat, it will be offered to the guru
first; if some good thing has been acquired, it will be given
to the guru first. That means whatever beautiful object is
obtained, it will be first consecrated to the guru before one
utilizes it.
According to convention, the initial requirement in order to leam
from a spiritual master is to take diksa or initiation from the guru. Diksa
is followed by Siksa, the process of learning during which the disciple
acquires the essential knowledge that enables him to proceed to the third
Guru tattva
207
stage of the spiritual progress, that is, to the stage of spiritual growth
and emancipation. Why is it that spiritual development sets in only at a
later stage of questing? Because for spiritual advancement to take place,
the instruction provided by the guru is indispensable, and it is only upon
carefully listening and comprehending the words of the guru that the
disciple will benefit from the master's teachings.
How does the course of attainment unfold in the concrete? The
first step on the way of spiritual accomplishment is to purify one's body
through initiation by the guru. Once this step has been taken, the process
continues with iksa or instruction. Instruction implies what?
iksa means that through the instruction taken from the guru
one learns of all the various things that exist within the body.
Where, in which place rests which bodily function - in order
to know and to see all this through contemplation and
realization, the disciple must be made to understand these
facts. At times, it becomes necessary to demonstrate these
features by outlining them; that means to point to the
locations of sat-dala1, of daia-dala2, of dvadaa-dal, of
manipura, of birajS* and so on, one after the other.
Once the principal locations are apprehended, the learner needs to
understand their respective functions so as to properly evoke and
activate them. This task requires gradual progression throughout the
successive stages of sadhana, starting from gross level (sihula sadhana)
and following up to the highest stage of siddha upon reaching which the
most sublime transcendental bliss is obtained.
Continuous step-by-step performance of sadhana implies to
gradually raise the vital energy within the body in an upward direction.
Each of the four stages of sadhana, viz. sthula-pradatta-sadhaka-siddha,
the lotus of six petals which signifies the second bodily circle (svadhisthana)
the ten-petalled lotus signifying manipum cakra
the twelve-petalled lotus signifying anahata cakra
'BitajS is the term used by the Bauls to denote the topmost cafaa.
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Baul philosophy
energy in the lower three cakras up to manipura, from where the upward
movement is subsequently instigated.
The purpose of sthula sad&ana is to fully recognize the lower
portion of the body as well as the various functions present
and absent in this region and to ascertain their respective
tasks.
In the subsequent stage, pradatta, the attention remains focused at the
next higher bodily level, that is the region above the manipura cakra.
Pradatta begins properly from the chest onwards, aiming at
the identification of the respective functions that are settled
within this lotus 5 , and intending to realize which of the
functions dwelling in that lotus can be utilized to make it
flourish.
Progressing thus store by store, the aspired union with the
Supreme Divinity is attained when? - once the highest stage of sadhana
has been accomplished In the concrete, this is to say that the life-giving
current must have been entirely raised for the vital energy to reach the
uppermost region where the Supreme Divinity resides.
When one proceeds further upwards from here (i.e. from the
middle regions), one arrives at birajiL Biraja means brahma
de&a, the abode of the Supreme Divinity, upon reaching
which the union of brahma with paramabrahma, of the
individual being with the Supreme Being is accomplished.
In order to achieve this utmost stage of spiritual fulfillment, the grace of
the guru is necessary, a grace which is obtained once the disciple brings
himself fully in line with the spirit of his master.
What is more, in the same way as the highest stage of spiritual
accomplishment cannot be attained without the guidance provided by the
guru, the motivating atmosphere of a suitable spiritual environment is
likewise essential, hence the need for a solitary location so as to keep out
any perturbing factors that might distract the seeker's attention. Why is it
5
i.e. the lotus signifying the cafaa at the center of the body
Guru tattva
209
so? Because the learner must pursue his spiritual inquiry with fully
collected mind so as to correctly understand the teacher's instructions.
Just as if he were taught some basic task - perhaps a task pertaining to aropa, or to pranayama; the
pranayama exercises serve solely to sustain the body and to
ensure its proper functioning. That means the practice of
breathing-exercises helps to establish a force - the way there
is a machine to gradually increase the pressure of water in a
pipe: however much force it adds, that much the pressure
increases.
In the same manner, the object of sadhana is to increase the power of the
energetic forces by adding strength to their movement
If the goal of amplifying the energetic current is to be pursued
effectively, one needs to be acquainted with the process of adding
appropriate strength in the appropriate place where a stronger force is
required at any one time. This knowledge, however, is not acquired
quickly but calls for sadhana to be performed with patience and
persistency over an extended period of time. The striver has to advance
gradually, very slowly and steadily, if he is ultimately meant to arrive at
the envisioned destination of his journey. Sadhana is not accomplished
in a rush, and however much perseverance is invested, that much
success is earned.
Sadhana represents a highly demanding spiritual challenge, and in
order to bring this difficult task to fruition, the seeker needs to surrender
himself in his entirety. Surrender himself to whom? - to the guru. For
what reason? It is through guidance by the guru alone that attainment
becomes feasible. Therefore, the guru and the disciple have to merge
into a single spiritual entity: whatever the guru commands, exactly this
will be done by the disciple, and whenever the disciple attempts to
follow the ways cherished by his master, it is the sentiment arising in
him at that time by virtue of which his soul comes to unite with the
guru's soul.
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Baul philosophy
what way their unity is achieved - this is what one needs to
recognize. This is the Bauls1 sadhana.
The quest for realizing the mode in which guru and disciple are
made to act in perfect conformity represents one of the core objects of
Baul sadhana. Why is the harmony between the spiritual master and the
disciple of such vital significance? Without an atmosphere of
unrestricted concordance conjoining the two souls involved in the
spiritual process, sadhana cannot be accomplished. That is to say, the
guru and the disciple are by nature inseparable. Given the sentiment of
unconditional surrender upon which their relationship is based, the two
of them cannot be detached from each other to co-exist as two distinct
spiritual bodies. Their differentiation is not possible, because once two
souls merge into one, once the spiritual fusion is complete, the formerly
two entities cease to exist in their individual character and all distinctness
dissolves into unity. At that time, the notion of T becomes entirely
absorbed in 'you1:
that means, abandoning the word %ami one has to blend with
the word ttumi\ Upon entering the sphere of *tunu\ if famf
alone is removed - that will not work. Together with it, the
sadhana has to go- that is, together with the self, the sadhana too must be fully
surrendered to that reality known as ftumi\ for else the sadhana it is not
meant to bear fruit.
It is once the state of surrender has been wholly established that
sadhana itself can be taken up. Now, while proceeding on the spiritual
course, the path of sadhana is unraveled by various bijamantras
functioning like keys to access the doors to successively higher levels of
accomplishment The bijamantras and their intrinsic significations count
among the most carefully guarded tenets of the Bauls1 spiritual property;
they are kept secret and cannot be disclosed to outsiders.
In this regard it is said, not disclosing the Baul's spiritual
matters, one maintains caution for oneself.
Gurutattva
211
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Ba ul philosophy
Therefore, that which can be done by a sadhu, by an
accomplished person - a deity cannot do that much. Because
the deity says, look, I have no hands. 1 have no feet, I have
no nothing. If some disciple or devotee comes along and
offers me a flower, or some Ganges water, or some fruit or
sweet, then I accept these things by looking at them - but I
myself cannot eat; I am very far away. If. however, these
things are offered to a human being, then that person will
receive them; he will eat, he will be delighted, he will enjoy.
Gurutatwa
213
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Ba ul philosophy
of Lord Krsna6 which has settled within us, which we have
adopted. If this energy is sustained in us, then the power of
consciouness remains. But those silk-worms were not
endowed with the power of consciousness, hence they die.
What do people do? They take that thing and extract the silk.
Someone who goes for the silk throws the silk-worm and
utilizes the fabric.
In the same way as the textile maker procures the silk fabrics
bundle by bundle, a seeker's task is to gather and accumulate as much
spiritual experience as possible. Once his collection has grown to
fullness, once the spiritual wealth has been aggregated in its entirety - it
is then that the striver immerses himself to dive down to the depth of the
sea of the infinite. Descended to the ground, what sight arises before his
inner eye?
Guru tattva
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Baul ph ilosophy
iru tattva
would perform nama-samklrtana,
sing, play their
mstruments. The singing and playing would however come
afterwards. That would be whenever something to eat was
required, or when an assemblage of sadhus, of gurus, of
Vaisnavas was about to take place, who had to be served
food, for whom some festive celebration had to be arranged
- then, some money would be needed. From where should it
be acquired? This is how the Bauls would sing their songs,
in various places. They would sit at the doors of different
Vaisnava temples and sing. Or they would go to some or
other houses, collecting donations from there. Whatever was
gathered in this manner, they would put it together, and
thereafter all the sadhu-gurus would come. There are certain
directives regarding the guru-parampara, the teachingtradition as such; these directives would then be pronounced
face to face.
Voicing these concerns means that at times a disciple would
inquire, I am doing this and that, but its success does not
work out, so I want to understand its process in a somewhat
smooth, easy way. Then, the Bauls could sit together in
order to demonstrate the respective problem by means of
sadhana. Sitting together, these things would be shown whatever asanas (postures) are there, they would be
demonstrated, and then the essentials of singing would be
explained. Just as we would note things down in a diary they of course did not make use of diaries, of any written
source. Instead, they would compose songs and tell the
tenets of sadhana though these song-compositions. And
then, they would sing these songs. Singing one song, once it
was completed there would be a reply to it: if I do this, what
do I have to do thereupon? - like this. So that would then be
explained in yet another song. What was it like? - one
question, one answer; one answer, one question. In this
manner, the songs would be created.
For this reason, the mahotsavas at the spiritual meetingplaces were necessary. Mahotsava implies that however
many there are great saints, all these accomplished people
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Baul philosophy
would meet in one place; they would sit together, there
would be an assembly in which discourses were held, there
would be mutual interaction of sadhus. Some methods of
sadhana current in one spiritual tradition would be brought
over to another spiritual tradition. We have four spiritual
traditions: Aul, Baul, Sai and Darudis. These four traditions
represent four approaches to sadhana. So all these would
then be discussed; gradually, everything would be
considered and demonstrated.
Talking and discoursing, those who would get into the
matter really profoundly, they would become complete
sadhus. That means those who are absolutely and entirely
sadhus, who have no possessions, who have no children,
who have no family relations - those are the thoroughgoing
sadhus. Of them no offsprings remain; they have no
domestic life, they have no home, they do not eat. They
might eat at times whenever the desire arises; when they
come to some devoteefs door, then perhaps whatever is
offered to them they would eat, they would accept. That
means they lead a life of mendicants, of wandering ascetics.
In earlier times, the majority of sadhus were of this type.
Thereafter, the guru-parampara developed in the manner in
which it is continued in our family, that is, the succession of
gurus within the family of householder Bauls. Up to my
father, all of them had been tyagis, had been renouncers.
That means the highest stage on the course of initiation,
instruction and spiritual development implies all the features
of a complete ascetic: wearing a red ochre garment and the
kopins, putting on the sacred thread, applying foreheadmarks, seeking alms; all these have to be observed then.
Whenever some boy was to be initiated, this would be done
in conjunction with one of the mahotsavas, and the initiation
would be performed there. It was announced that this boy is
to follow, and is following, our path of striving, and he
would then be instructed in this regard. Everyone would
Gurutattva
219
For the title "khysipS, see chapter 2, fn.8.' Gosai ('gosvamf), literally 'master of cows'
but signifying master of the senses1, i.e. someone who has gained control over his
senses, is a title adopted by accomplished Bauls as well as Vaisnava spiritual leaders.
'PagaT means 'mad' in the sense of being maddened with one's spiritual object.
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have become disjoined from my seat, from the ground,
having moved upward. Now if somebody came and called
out to me, if he keeps calling loud enough, then perhaps at
some point the ear would turn to this world and pick up the
call - then one falls down. That means one dies on account
of that sound. This is what happened to my father. He used
to perform sadhana in such a way, ascending very far from
his seat while practicing. Whenever my father moved away
from his seat, he would rise so much that his head were to
reach the ceiling. My major wife did not know of all these
things. One day my father was sitting absorbed in sadhana,
and he had moved upward. Suddenly it had become nine or
ten o'clock at night, and in the village, nine or ten o'clock
means quite late night. So she went in and said to him, are
you not going to eat, and touched him with her hand. At that
my father just fell down - he fell and perished, in that very
moment he passed away. So all this happens within sadhana.
For that reason the presence of a co-sadhika is needed, who
keeps always watch on the seeker, who stays near him - a
person of that kind must be there. Leading a domestic life
these things are not essential; therefore, this is something to
be done outside the domestic life. But having become a
householder, if there are children and all sorts of people
around - then, what happens is that one has to lock the house
in order to practice sadhana. Once the doors are shut to all
sides, then one is able to sit silently. When they remain open,
though, there will be disturbance.
Being able to perform sadhana amidst all would of course be
ideal: if I have perhaps been looking after a few people, have
given them to eat, have talked to them, have been around
with them, have mingled with everyone in society, and
thereupon I would practice my own sadhana. For this, one
has to spare time at night. From three or four upto five
o'clock, at that time nobody will disturb. This is a very
convenient time, three to five. In between that period, no
people turn up, none disturbs. During that time, sadhana gets
fully done. This sadhana ideally includes some aropa tasks,
and practicing these, one can remain immersed in bliss.
Gurutattva
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pronouncing. The japa as such having been forgotten, now
as you are sitting it remains in your memory, you are
attentive towards it. Then you can see that you are
conversing with Him. You can recognize His appearance. In
whatever manner you wish to see His form, that very
manifestation comes to you. Then you sit with Him, speak to
Him, do everything. But there is no other, physical
involvement; there is no body movement at all. Then, alone
with Him - the union of the heart with the heart, the union of
the soul with the Supreme Soul: this union is taking place
then-
- and it is this union, the communion of the human soul with the
Supreme Soul, from which the most sublime, highest bliss is derived.
This bliss is cidananda, conscious bliss, that means it never
ends. And if this bliss is attained by someone, then that
person desires no other bliss. This is the utmost bliss. To
converse with Him - that means the one who has created the
universe, if I can see Him, if. I can talk to Him, and if I can
conceive myself as part of Him, it is then that I can converse
with Him. There is no question of wanting and obtaining there is nothing to be desired, there is nothing to be obtained.
17215 is the highest.
Now, when I began my life as a Baul, I took the first
initiation from my father. I began to practice Baul sadhana.
My father started me early during my childhood, explaining
what has to be done and what not, and in what way.
Continuing to practice, once I had approximately
accomplished those tasks, my father sent me to another guru.
The reason was that there were certain things which he could
not tell, certain matters about which to talk is not possible for
one's own father. Therefore he entrusted me to another guru.
He then told my other guru, Manohar Khyapa, that I had
progressed up to such and such point, and he should bring
me forward from there onwards. So I continued to practice
sadhana under the guidance of Manohar Khyapa, and from
there on I accomplished Baul sadhana by and large. At that
Guru tattva
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(9)
Manusa dharma andguruvada
The Baul's highest and most revered divinity is the guru.
Respecting the guru constitutes the fundamental commandment to be
observed by every Baul. Why is it so? The process of acquiring the
knowledge of one's body is solely dependent upon the guidance
provided by the spiritual master. The guru must be resorted to if this
task is to be accomplished, and it is from the guru that one learns of the
simple and uncomplicated routes on which to approach one's ultimate
destination. If the seeker maintains in himself an earnest and intense
desire to know as well as to learn, and if this eagerness is awakened in
such a way as to grow severe and very powerful, in that case attainment
will come easily and the grace of the guru is quickly obtained. Without
the guru's grace, no object is reachable. Therefore it is said, guru krpahi
kevalam - the grace of the guru is but everything. Partaking of this
utmost grace, even the most intricate tasks cease to be troublesome and
turn accomplishable in a straightforward manner.
Baul sadhana thus signifies contemplation on the guru.
Contemplating on the spiritual master, an unbounded energy arises, and
it is through the grace of the guru that all ends are attained by means of
this limitless transcendental energy. In order to evoke the spiritual
power, it is necessary to intensify oners state of mental attentiveness.
Dhyana must be amplified to such a degree that the infinite energy is
called forth, for otherwise spiritual strength does not increase. Without
the ability to contemplate, the spiritual energy cannot grow.
Attentiveness, dhyana constitutes the vital basis upon which any activity
of the mind is stimulated. Energy is aggregated through dhyana.
Knowledge is accumulated through dhyana. Strength is augmented
through dhyana. Sadhana is brought to perfection through dhyana - it is
through dhyana, through meditation and concentrated contemplation that
all spiritual tasks are accomplished.
The germ of dhyana rests within each and every individual.
Dhyana forms the most important tool to achieve spiritual progress,
compared to which all other modes of searching are short-lived. What
does spiritual practice through dhyana imply in the concrete? If the grace
of the guru is to be obtained, the guru must be invoked./How is he
invoked? - through nama-japa, through silent recitation of the guru's
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names. The name of the guru represents the most precious spiritual
essence, since it is the guru alone who possesses the capacity to bestow
everything. Once the guru extends his true grace, the seeker's heart
glows with unending joy, and it is this inner bliss which not only
delights the person in whom it arises, but which reaches out to a large
number of other individuals. Reaches out in what way?
This joy that comes forth is able to give joy to ourselves, and
if it can give ourselves joy, then, by means of this guru's
property of ours which is our body, by means of this body it
can grant joy to many more people.
And if these many people are in a position to confer bliss upon
yet more people, what is it that ensues? Then, humanity attains peace
through the grace of the human being. This peace reveals itself in what
manner? Whatever object man desires at any one time, if he is able to
call it forth in that very moment, then his heart remains sated with joy
and grows to full blossom. But how is this joy awakened? - through
dhyana, through contemplation on the guru. Meditating on the spiritual
master with undivided attentiveness prompts the guru to bestow his gift
in a spontaneous and easy manner. For this very reason, the BIul's
constant advice urges the striver to immerse himself in dhyana - at all
times and under any circumstances.
In whatever condition you may find yourself - pure, impure,
lying, sitting, walking - dhyana, however, has to be
sustained in every moment.
How does this dhyana become effective, how does it manifest
itself? Dhyana means to continually conceive the aspired divinity within
oneself as part of oneself. That is to say, the Supreme Reality neither
restsr outside us nor is it distinct from us. Having realized this
fundamental truth, what is the consequence? If the self is perceived as
the property of the guru, if the human body becomes identical with the
guru, then no human being is any more able to harm another human
being. Then, whenever one person is inclined to hurt another, it will
occur to him that he is about to hurt the living embodiment of his own
guru. If he loves this guru, if he places faith in this guru, man has to
contemplate on the guru. And once he contemplates on the guru, he is
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not able to hurt that guru. He is not able to despise that guru. He is not
able to treat that guru with disrespect. Neglect, disregard - all these vices
are then bound to stay away, because the presence of the guru in each
and every human being is then automatically recognized.
All humans are indwelled by our Man of the Heart.
Therefore, if I inflict an injury on someone or if I hurt
someone's feelings, this injury reflects back on me. The
reason is, if I shout into the jungle, it is me to whom the
echo returns my words.
Contemplation on the guru, veneration of the guru, confidence in
the guru, attentiveness towards the guru implies what? - service. Once
the guru is recognized as man's worshiped divinity, an urge to render
service unto that divinity arises immediately and intuitively. The ability
to serve this divinity, however, is acquired only once the human heart
adopts an attitude which allows the soul to surrender herself fully and
entirely to the beloved divinity. Of what kind is this attitude? - it is nan
bhava, the female emotional energy inherent in the human soul, by virtue
of which the human race is enabled to tie its eternal bond with the
Supreme Divinity.
Humanity as such is not divided by castes - there are but two
castes, one is women, and one is men. These two castes
have emerged, and no further caste. Within these, one thing
is of permanent relevance: perceiving oneself as a woman
enables the human being to be always drawn towards the
guru, to always render service unto him, to satisfy him, to
care for him affectionately. Such is the task performed for
the guru. In order to serve the guru, one has to assume the
role of the woman. The male manifestation on the other hand
is what? No human being in his physical body can claim to
be a man. There is but one Man: the prime procreative
energy, the elemental cosmic power - Krsna, the one whom
we call Krsna. In such a way everyone knows Krsna. Krsna
was a human being. Out of this human being, he became
Krsna, that means he became an avatara (incarnation).
Therefore he is called Krsna. The gopis are called gopis why? They performed his service. They delighted him, and
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Baul philosophy
in the same manner as one carefully maintains a flowergarden, just like this they attended to him and looked after
him. Regarding him as their object of adoration, they
worshiped him, contemplated on him, realized him in their
mind. And, if at any time he would not appear before their
eyes, then a condition of desolateness would arise in their
heart, a state of void where completeness cannot not be
attained.
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23 0
Baul philosophy
The rich build temples to Siva,
what shall I, a poor man do?
O my lord! my legs are the pillars,
my torso - the shrine;
an my head - the golden pinnacle!
Things standing shall fall,
but the moving ever shall stay!l
- hence the Bible's reminder to the human being to recognize his own
divine essence: Do you not know that you are God's temple and that
God's spirit dwells in you? ...For God's temple is holy, and that temple
you are'2.
If the divinity has been awakened in the temple of the heart, then it
is but an easy task to evoke the divinity that abides in the sanctuaries of
human society. Institutionalized religion serves but one purpose: to unite
people in their spiritual striving and to direct their individual aspirations
into a single flow of spiritual thinking.
It is for the sake of bringing all people together, for the sake
of making them commingle, for the sake of calling them into
an assembly that these temples have been created. Temples
and mosques, they are common meeting-places. Just as in a
mosque all people are jointly performing namaz, worshiping
God, in a temple, worship is rendered jointly by all In a
prayer assembly all people come together to say their
prayers, that means like in the church where people pray
together in an assembly.
When prayer, when worship, when thoughts of faith and devotion
are thus commingling, the effect of every individual prayer becomes
multiplied on account of the singular direction taken by the spiritual
current in which all thoughts come to confluence. And wherever such a
conflux is created, the location emits an atmosphere of emotional
oneness on account of which the spot ineffaceably turns into the
gateway to a higher spiritual realm.
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Baul philosophy
233
refinement is achieved that the flow of thought can grow and deepen. It
is to the extent to which man thinks that his mental capacities increase.
Therefore, thinking constitutes man's primary mode of contemplation,
his foremost and most excellent manifestation of dhyana. Dhyana means
to think, to contemplate by thinking - by creative thinking.
Take for example a computer. The one who invents a
computer contemplates on it, day and night. Thinking and
contemplating, he has achieved so much success that in
today's world everything can be obtained while just sitting in
one place. So in this way, such an inventor represents an
avatar a. The one who is able to perform such tasks is not
perceived as simply a human being. This human being
embodies a divinity.
What is it that accounts for the divine nature of the intelligent
human being? It is the power of consciousness which has been fully
awakened in such a person. Human beings are of three kinds according
to the state of refinement of their perceptive faculties: inferior, middling
and superior.
Among the three types of humans 4 - maims, minus, manhus - the one who is indwelled by conscious awareness
constitutes the ati-manusa, the Superhuman Being. Such a
person cherishes the most refined thoughts.
In order to accomplish these most sublime thoughts, the Bauls retire to
their spiritual retreats, to the akhray and become absorbed in singing, in
contemplation, in realization, thereby establishing an inner contact, an
emotional link with the Supreme Reality. The spiritual chord is essential
if the subtle mental current is meant to grow to strength and fullness.
How is the spiritual bond tied? - through meditation, through dhyana.
Dhyana enables man to interact with the Divine Being on an equal level
23 4
Baul philosophy
These are outer characteristics. Inside, there is the sadhana self-realization through sadhana. That which rests within me
- the Purna Das who is me, the inner Purna Das, the Puma
Das who speaks: once fiat Purna Das is gone, this becomes
a dead body which has no more value. For the sake of
realizing the one who has gone, one becomes a Baul. And
for the sake of knowing that one, one goes mad. Therefore,
the Baul acquires the title of'khyapS.
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That means I simply take a pitcher and fill the ocean in it this is not going to work. Why not? Because the ocean is
abound with water. At any one time I can go to fill water
from the sea. But trying to exhaust the water of the ocean,
one has to exhaust the water in the rivers that flow towards
it. Just as one speaks of seven oceans and thirteen rivers, in
23 6
Baul philosophy
the same way seven oceans and thirteen rivers rest within us.
These oceans are entered upon traversing the thirteen rivers.
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23 8
Ba ul philosophy
- an etymological play based on the phonetic similarity of 6'tfu krsna (the child Krsna)
and yisu khrsto (Jesus Christ) pronounced in Bengali almost identically
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Baul philosophy
a professor. Or a scientist, or a lawyer, or whatever. But the
knowledge is acquired by borrowing. Someone has carefully
prepared and written something new, so one reads it, and
after reading produces yet another new book. On that basis,
one would see what respective themes have been dealt with
and then writes yet again something else. But this is not Baul
sadhana. No sadhana functions like this.
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Baul philosophy
Here it is said Worship man, serve man in man, LordHari lives forth.
The roamer of the universe assuming human form,
in aeon after aeon is He revealed.
That means He is revealed but in human shape. He does not
emerge in some distinct manifestation. Now it is said As a human, Gaura Hari has become incarnate,
bestowing the gift of love on all beings.
Whenever He descends, He has come but for the sake of
accomplishing man's uplift, for the sake of gifting something
to humanity, for the sake of proclaiming His message to
mankind. He speaks to people in various ways, trying to
make them understand. It means That Man exists amidst
humans. One human manifestation vanishes and yet another
human manifestation comes forth to convey the divine
message and to make man properly comprehend. The
manifest divinity guides man so as to avert decline and selfdestruction of the human being; therefore He advises people
to follow the guru, to converse with each other; to keep
virtuous company, to always direct their thoughts at Him. So
what happens then? The one who preaches thus gradually
assumes the color of the Divine Being. This is because
whatever reality one contemplates upon, doing so again and
again one becomes very much drawn towards that reality,
and it becomes very easy to merge into that reality. For this
reason it is said about God ...in mm, Lord Hari lives forth.
The roamer of the universe assuming human form,
in aeon after aeon is He revealed.
In human association, in the gathering of humans
submit your life at the feet of man.
Attaining the Supreme Being in man
arises the vision ofRadha-Syama.
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When does man attain the vision of the Supreme Being? once he gets to know, once he realizes himself. If man is
able to find himself, to recognize that he is a human being if this can be apprehended, then man will never ever inflict
pain or suffering upon another human being. Then, man gets
to see that the same divinity who dwells in him rests in the
other person. So if I destroy that other divinity, then the
divinity within me will be destroyed. Then, what is the need
to worship my God, what is the need for contemplation, for
realization? Then, such a person has arrived among the
animals. One animal kills and eats another animal. For each
animal, there is another animal that serves as food. An
animal kills and eats an animal, and is itself killed and eaten
by another animal. This is their nature, and this is their task.
But man's task is to realize the human being, to know the
human being, to worship the human being, to contemplate
on the human being, to uplift the human being to the utmost
extent - and to be always concerned about the human being,
about man being happy, about all humans on earth living inprosperity, in joy, in peace.
Therefore, man's noblest task is not restricted to just one place.
Everywhere in the world, the Supreme Man performs His divine acts
amidst all and for the sake of all. The Ultimate Being dwells within all,
but is not indwelled by anything. So if man aspires to enter the Infinite
Reality, if man wishes to unite with the Supreme Divinity, he has to
contemplate. He has to reflect upon the Divine Being and to direct all his
thoughts towards the object of his meditation, single-mindedly and
undividedly. The divinity as such, however, rests within all, in
everything, in every single manifest reality. What man perceives as
divine, as superior, as extra-mundane is nothing but his own innate
spiritual power, the extension of the cosmic energy settled within man
and revealed as the human soul.
Our divinity whom we call God, He is Man: that Man who
exists in us - our soul. As long as the soul remains - once
the soul departs upon merging into the Supreme Soul, then
this Purna Das has no more worth. Then, that Purna Das is
walking away. So therefore one has to practice those ways
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of sadhana by which that Puma Das is kept back, is realized.
This is the Bauls1 sadhana.
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Baul philosophy
are the ones who have had the vision of their inner divinity. Those are
the ones who strive for the realization of man. Those are the ones who
discern the human being, who contemplate on man, who realize the
human essence and worship Man as their sacredmost divinity. And it is
by associating with those accomplished seekers that man becomes man,
that man turns human himself.
Becoming human, returning to humanity, what is it that arises in
the heart of man? Then, faith comes forth, devotion comes forth, love
comes forth, affection comes forth. Then, man becomes able to love - to
love from within. The capacity to love is attained when? - once passion
and desire are gone. For true love is free from desire.
It is once desire and lust do not persist any more that man is
able to love. If covetousness stays on, love does not remain.
Then, for as long as I am obtaining, love is there. Thereafter,
if I am not obtaining any more, there is mutual fighting in
many ways, mutual killing and scuffling.
Therefore, covetousness must be abandoned. Greed and desire must be
given up. Possessive intentions of any kind must be abolished.
Abolished in what manner? - through sadhana, through self-restraint
and inner control It is upon exercising complete command over one's
inner self that the notions of wanting and receiving disappear all by
themselves.
And it is once the question of desiring and obtaining has been
reduced to permanent insignificance that love is born: love emanating
from the innermost depth of the human heart, love which is pure, which
is flawless, which is genuine.
Therefore, without love, Nandalala is not attained - it is this
love which is needed, that which is called visuddha prema:
very pure, immaculate love - love which is sacred in its subtlest, most refined essence. And this
purest of pure acquires its holiness by virtue of complete absence of
possessiveness. If wanting and gaining stay nowhere near, which is the
emotion that upholds the most sublime substance of love? - adoration,
and surrender. Adoration of the holy of holies, surrender to the most
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Baul philosophy
there be again desire to possess? The Baul does not do it for
the sake of gaining.
The Baul does not perform sadhana for the purpose of obtaining.
The Baul does not love for the sake of possessing. To the contrary flawless love is selfless love, it is love determined by surrender, by an
urge to renounce everything and all only to submit oneself at the feet of
the beloved one. Therefore being a Baul, having experienced the most
sublime essence of love, one has to renounce. It is by abstaining from
desire that one attains to the object of one's love. The beloved divinity is
attained through love - and that means one has to love the human being
in whom this divinity resides: one has to love oneself, one has to
establish confidence in oneself, devotion, faith. That which is evoked
through faith cannot be accomplished otherwise.
If someone thinks to easily obtain an object of faith, if I were
to reach out to it easily - this does not work. The essence of
faith must be upheld. The property of faith cannot be lost.
None can destroy the property of devotion. Therefore, this
our property of devotion - the divinity resting within us - has
to be sustained at all times in what manner? - just as one
keeps the deity in a temple: like this, one has to maintain
one's body.
If the divinity in whom we believe abides within us, we have to
believe in ourselves. Once man has acquired faith in himself, he will riot
allow his heart to yield to suffering.
There is something which I did not obtain, hence I suffer that will not happen, One gets away from it. That thing does
not belong to me, and I am not entitled to it, because I am not
moving on the level where it is acquired. I am settled on a
higher level than that. If one thinks like this, then all worries
will go.
As long as one remains acting on a higher level than the material reality,
temptation will not arise. Why not? Because there is no question of
looking down. Moving at a certain level, one's glance has to rest on the
same level. The one who has ascended to the topmost store, therefore,
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sees nothing other than the Supreme Divinity. And to reach and sustain
oneself on this uppermost store represents the quest for which the Bauls
strive through their sadhana.
Traditionally, the Bauls may not have been able to take education
or to study, receiving knowledge thus only and alone through the
medium of their songs. Yet the knowledge which indwells the Baul
exceeds all knowledge. The BauFs knowledge is boundless, because this
knowledge is not borrowed. This knowledge is not attained by
appropriating, but by renouncing. This knowledge arises once the guru
extends his grace.
That means, guru krpa hikevalam - through the grace of the
gum, it comes. So if it is bestowed through the guru's grace,
then it is an added treasury. It is no limited store-house, but
an inexhaustible treasury. If it remains inexhaustible, then all
this taking something from here, taking something from
there, gathering some nectar from this flower, from that
flower, mixing it together into honey, straining - this is not
the way to do it. The strainer is already there, a very big one,
and there is excessive honey. There is no need to add any
more.
There is no necessity for producing what exists already in plenty.
Rather, man's efforts become meaningful once he is able to retrieve the
treasure that rests at the core of his heart, the gem which is found at the
bottom of the cosmic ocean contained in the human vessel And
therefore, the Baul immerses himself in his inner self again and again,
descending to the depth of his heart to find himself face to face with the
Man of the Heart at the shrine of the Infinite.
Therefore it is said Dive down, my heart, plunge into the sea,
searching through underworlds and nether regions
do obtain the precious gem of love.
But if you submerge in passion, love is not found. Why not?
When desire stays on, there will be no love, nor would there
be the sentiment of the Vraja gopis. The gopis of Vraja were
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not possessed by passion. They had no desire. Theirs was
but one concern: that our Krsna is keeping well; it is on
account of our Krsna alone that we are able to do everything.
So one day Lord Krsna decided for Himself, let me see
whether these gopis like me, or whether they like love.
Being women, they might perhaps be inclined merely
towards love as such, so let me see what they want physical love or pure love. Or me; let me see whom they
love. So while walking, suddenly Krsna's head began to
ache. His head was aching, and all the cowherds would say,
this headache is not going to stop, there is no remedy for it What does that mean? They said, it is severe, he will die. What? Our Krsna is going to die? Why? They say, there is
no cure. - No cure means what? Now they say, there is one
remedy - if a little dust from the feet of all the gopis is
applied to his head, then Krsna would get well. At that, the
gopis said, oh really, is it true? Yes, was the reply. So they
said, alright, take the dust, and quickly they applied dust to
make their Krsna recover. They did not worry, He is our
lord, He is God, if we apply the dust from our feet it will be
sin, our body will be destroyed and we will not obtain
deliverance. Such was not their attitude by then. Their only
concern was that their Krsna be well.
That means theirs was completely pure love - viuddha
prema, flawless love. In this, there is no passion, no desire,
no lust. They wanted Krsna. The supreme transcendental
energy - that Krsna they aspired. Thus they felt no need for
anything else. As long as this unconditional love does not
arise, God is not attained. In order to attain to the Supreme
Divinity, one has to become dispassionate like this; then, He
is attained. Because one has to relinquish one's everything in
Him. It is then that He will move about in our inner spheres
and bliss is experienced within ourselves. However many
there are shades of bliss, all these will then be aroused in us.
Then, He will try to give. Because He realizes, without Me,
that person will not go on any other path. That person will
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(10)
Manusa tattva
Non-attachment constitutes the mental basis of Baul sadhana.
The BauTs principal virtue is his unattached attitude, which enables him
to dwell amidst all while retaining his full spiritual freedom. As long as
attachment persists, Baul sadhana cannot be accomplished, because a
person entangled in worldly commitments is not able to raise his mind
above the matter to which he is tied Once attachment is overcome,
however, man is in a position to move about in the material world
unrestrictedly, yet without consigning himself to bondage of any kind
Then, a person thus emancipated can easily associate with everybody in
an affectionate, yet dispassionate manner. How does non-attachment
function in the concrete?
Just as it is said in one song:
The way my braid is, like this it will remain;
I will not wet my hair.
I shall plunge into the water, splash waterthe water, though, I won't touch
This side, that side, swimming about in the vast sea,
I come and go.
I will prepare the food, yet I will not starve to death.
I will cook, I will dish up, I will serve the food even so I will not touch the cooking-pot
Gosai Rasaraja says, listen oh skillful woman that beauty is beyond description.
I will not be chaste, nor will I be unchaste,
yet I shall not leave my lord
The essence of the entire song is to say, I shall stay amidst
all, yet I will not remain amid anything. This unattached
inclination represents the Bauls' sadhana. In the same way
as the eel dwells in the mud without any dirt or mire sticking
to his skin, Baul sadhana constitutes a sadhana of such kind
as is practiced^while living amongst all without accepting
any ties. That means a liberated person. Whatever sadhana
one takes to, whatever at all one does, if this liberated
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attitude is not maintained, then Baul sadhana cannot be
performed.
In the concrete context of the song, one gopi addresses another, hence 'skillful
woman1 (nagan) in its literal sense is used as a form of address notwithstanding its
deeper, universal implication.
Manusa tattva
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Manusa tatt\a
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Every person should perform at least two to four hours of
dhyana. That means if it is very little, it should be two hours.
If even that is not possible, then one hour - the minimum is
one hour.
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within: at the mind, at the heart, at the soul. Once the inner being is
purified, once mind, heart and soul are flawless, purity persists at all
times and under any outward conditions, hence there is no need for
ceremonial observances. Therefore, an accomplished person does note
hesitate to detach himself from his outer binding.
If I have become purified, then I can give up these clothes;
then, I shall forsake garments once and forever. Having
done away with them, no faultiness of theirs arises. For this
reason, Tailariga Svami-ji himself did renounce everything.
Renouncing, what did he say? - that he had become
childlike, a small child.
Which are the distinctive features in the attitude of a child that
qualify the state of being childlike as most proper to attain to the
Supreme? The Upanisads say, 'the nature of a child is non-attachment'3:
it is an unaffected, trustful and innocent attitude which fby nonobservance of conventions relating to the classes and stages of life'
enables man to 'acquire the state of aloneness proclaimed by scriptures'4.
And, what is more, it is the capacity to grow, which is lost in fully
maturated persons. An accomplished seeker therefore proceeds on his
spiritual path while maintaining the approach and the thinking of the
small child so as to preserve his ability to advance, to grow and mature.
Once he is grown-up, the great flow of thought does not
arise in him. In order to become eligible for the great, one
has to turn into a small child. That means you have to be
small before growing big. That is apprehended while one is
still small. Being a small child one can quickly climb up to
His lap. But if I am grown-up, He will not take me on His
lap. Then, there will be mutual giving and taking in a
different manner. Thus being a small child is the most
excellent. For the sake of growing big, one has to be small.
One grows big from small, but one does not grow small
from big.
3
4
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Reason opposes it - no, this is something wrong, you are not
going to do anything wrong; you do that which is proper,
which is virtuous. Because that pure soul and that Radiant
Man resting within you - you don't live to do anything
despicable along with them.
Manusa tattva
263
one eye comes the evil flow of thought while the other eye
says no, this is not good - that means it resists the bad
intentions.
Once these two opposing forces are gradually brought under control,
what happens? Then, the positive energies resting at the core of the inner
being are aroused, and once awakened, these indwelling powers impact
on man's inherent enemies to such an extent as to transform them into
agents of virtuousness.
The six inborn enemies, converted to positivity, grow very strong
and powerful if they are cultivated in a proper manner so as to fully
unfold their constructive potential. What does proper cultivation mean?
It implies to shape the forces immanent in the sadripu in such a way as
to make them yield to human mental strength and will-power. If man
succeeds in establishing his mastery over the inner forces, then his
inherent vices such as passion, anger and greed not only lose their
destructive impact, but the energy thus retrieved can be rechanneled to
join the stream of virtuous action. And once the forces of potential
negativity have thus been compelled to accept the authority of the human
mind, man's entire being becomes permeated by the infinitely blissful
current of unbounded divine energy.
Then the kulakundalini energy awakened within us gives
rise to the hladini Sakti - to the most sublime transcendental energy of bliss which is joy itself
while at the same time being the cause of all joy.
Once the hladini akti comes forth, a motherly sentiment
emerges within, and once the motherly sentiment has
become manifest - a mother can never ever hurt her
offspring. In the same way as every mother takes her
children on her lap, just like this accomplished seekers and
virtuous persons embrace everyone as their very own.
Making mankind one's own requires in the first place modesty on
the part of the striven Therefore, the Baul perceives himself but as a
humble servant of humanity whose noble object is to devote himself
entirely to the well-being of the human race.
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The Baul always cherishes but one and the same thought: I
am the servant of all. Everyone is mine, I belong everyone.
That means my home is in every country. To whichever
country I go, it is my very own country. Whatever humans I
see, they are akin to me; they are not distant from me. That
means theirs is no caste, theirs is no particular thinking or
conduct - there is but one code of conduct, an this is virtuous
company, virtuous speech, virtuous talking: this -
Manusa
tettva
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supreme quest of man, and it is at the same time the sole path towards
fulfillment of that quest.
The most excellent sadhana is to love everyone, to bestow
affection upon every person.
Pure love is the most refined essence of spiritual existence, it is the allpervading vital breath whose enlivening touch keeps the universe in
motion and sustains the eternal cycle of creation and dissolution.
Without love there is no life at all, for love itself is the life-giving energy
of bliss. The Upanisads say, 'who could have breathed or moved if the
sky were not filled with bliss (ananda)?'6, but Rabindranath Tagore
pronounces the deeper meaning of the statement when he translates
ananda as joy, as love: fwho could have breathed or moved if the sky
were not filled with joy, with love?17
But what is love in its true essence?
Love means nothing besides love. Love means affection - to
talk affectionately, to move about affectionately, and to keep
oneself sated with love and affection. This is love; there is
no love that exceeds this.
Love reveals itself in a multitude of emotional shades and subtle spiritual
appearances. Any one manifestation of love carries its special flavor,
and it is the connoisseur fully indwelled by love who knows to
appreciate love in all its various nuances.
Just as the child loves the mother - this is an intense love.
Like the son who loves his father - this is another variety of
love. Any one love is indwelled by any one bhava, by any
one emotional tone, by any one emotional quality.
The Bauls, for the sake of their spiritual practice, retire to their
akhra or spiritual refuge, .where they can unperturbedly engage in
spiritual exercise without being distracted by various kinds of temptation
that may arise before the eyes in a less protected environment. In order
6
7
Manusa
tettva
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Baul philosophy
animals among humans; sentiments of animality have
become very widespread, whereas the feeling of humanness
has decreased very much.
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Manusatattva
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Manusa tattva
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In that case I do not love that divinity who resides within
me. I do not worship Him, I do not contemplate on Him, I
do not apprehend Him - simply, I do not love Him.
Manusa tattva
275
In Bengali, the words jiva (a living being, the soul; life) and jiva or jihva (tongue) are
phonetically very similar.
jihva Sakti - that is, the power of life (jiva &kii)
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This service being extended, the divinity is pleased and
delighted, partaking of joy. Because one living being serves
another living being. This is service to the living being
through the living being. That means life and good fortune jiva and &Va10 - move side by side. For as long as one
extends service to a living being (jiva), exactly for that long
one keeps serving the prosperous - Siva. That means jiva
and &iva are one. That means man himself is God. And this
is what the Bauls keep saying at all times - do worship the
human being, do everything for the human being, and see
that the highest divinity rests in man. This is to say, do learn
to truly love the human being, do learn to respect the human
being, do make the human being your very closest spiritual
property. - These are the tenets of Baul sadhana.
As regards the songs, the deha-tattva songs: in one dehatattva song it is said -
You have not cultivated the human land With nothing left at last,
how will you raise the land-revenue?
That means my time is being consumed, is passing by; day
after day is being spent, but I am not doing anything for
myself Therefore it is said -
Having revolved eight million times that means having taken birth in the human race, the cycles
of birth and death have been traversed eight million times.
Having roamed about, yet again one is born in the family of
humans. This human birth is something so wonderful - why
then are we wasting it through neglect? Rather, we should
practice sadhana: invest spiritual effort for the sake of
humanity, render service to die human being, love man and
draw him close. This is the greatest -
10
Manusa tattva
277
- this is die utmost service to the divinity: to devote one's entire being to
the welfare of humanity. For humanity is the phenomenal extension of
divinity, for man is the concrete manifestation of the Supreme Being,
hence service to man is service to God, worship of man is worship of
God, love for man is love for God.
Which is the highest form of service to humanity, of divine
service? It is the service extended to the spiritual master, because the
guru represents the supreme spiritual authority by whose grace alone all
spiritual ends are attained. The function of the guru resembles that of a
switch which is turned in order to start respectively stop a machine.
He is the switch: whatever I do, it is done by the guru.
Whatever I say, it is the guru who speaks. Whatever I eat, it
is the guru who eats. Therefore, whenever I am about to eat,
I first invoke the guru - 'c^me, guru, partake of it1 -, and
having said this, then I eat.
Given the vital significance of the presence of the spiritual master,
the guru's indispensability for the success of even the most basic
spiritual pursuits is self-evident.
Nothing happens without the guru. Therefore it has been
saidIgnoring the guru, the one who worships Govinda that sinner descends to hell.
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imperative task in order to retain the guru's favor. This guru resides
where? - within the inner spheres of the human being: he dwells in the
heart of man. Avoiding his anger is vital not only for one's spiritual
progress, but for survival as such, for life itself is at stake as soon as the
guru becomes infuriated. Consequently, man must renounce all action
and all aspirations designed to hurt the master.
What is more, since the guru abides within the human body,
proper knowledge of the inner being is a most substantial prerequisite in
order to proceed on the path of spiritual accomplishment. The Bauls
formulate the essence of this knowledge in their deha-tattva songs, in
which the fundamental facts about the miracle called the human being
are expressed, and through which these tenets are taught to those
capable of comprehending their inner meaning.
Thus, there is one thing which we say:
What amazing fruit, o master, grows on that tree The tree which is of human appearance, this tree is bearing
fruit. Here it is said how the tree fluctuates:
However many unripe ones,
those are dropped.
Being ripe they stay on.
That means unripe are those who do not practice sadhana;
they remain immature. They perish very soon. And those
who are ripe, that means the sadhus and rsis - some of them
live one hundred years, two hundred years; up to two
hundred years they stay alive. Stay alive in what way? having matured. Mature fruit survives. Therefore it is said What amazing fruit, o master, grows on that tree...
This tree forms many people's abode they do not eat, they do not speak,
no breath goes through their nose;
they have renounced food and sleep:
how do they sustain life?
What amazing fruit, o master, grows on that tree...
Manusa tattva
279
the five perceptive forces and five forces of action, and the six enemies, cf. above
the soul inhered by the five senses
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recognize everything. But if you are unable to apprehend
yourself, then you won't realize anything, you won't know
anyone. You will dwell within the unknown, within the
unfamiliar. Unfamiliar means, in one and the same house
there may be snakes, fire, water, everything; I am residing
amidst all that. At some point perhaps some ordinary
incident comes by and kills me, and this is it. That means,
here it is said the soul indwelled by the five senses, these
five elements - earth, water, light, air, space - rest within us,
these are present. Nobody knows at what time they will
dissolve. So if all these exist in us, then one has to know the
path on which to set all of them forth in an agreeable
manner. One needs to know that path, and one needs to
know that ethic.
And for the sake of acquainting themselves vvith these
ethics, the Bauls dwell in their spiritual retreats. Occasionally
a mahotsava (festive celebration) would be arranged, which
would be attended by all the accomplished sadhus; sitting
together, there would be mutual communicating and
interacting. Nowadays it is very difficult to still find sadhus
of that type; their number has much decreased. There are not
that many Baul sadhus around these days, they have become
very limited. Why? Because the Baul sadhus of earlier times
are gone, and afterwards none of their like have emerged
who would be able to perform sadhana. Owing to this, there
are now many greedy Bauls, many artiste Bauls - hundreds
of thousands of them are around. They sing, play musical
instruments - that means, because of the singing people
regard them as Bauls, Therefore, these Bauls have
increasingly multiplied. As for the sadhaka Bauls - nobody
wants to look at the sadhana. Therefore nobody takes the
trouble of searching for them. And those sadhaka Bauls who
are around, they remain somehow among themselves, they
do not want to mix with the society of people. They remain
in seclusion.
Now what happens, if there would have been propagation
and dissemination of the Baul heritage earlier on, then much
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Manusa tattva
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man about the spiritual master's outer manifestations: it is the guru of the
heart who makes man choose his spiritual teacher. As long as the guru
is not attested by the heart, he cannot become the spiritual master in
terms of outward human existence, because the relationship between
master and disciple can function only once the outer and inner aspects
melt into one, once the two poles in the relationship merge to form a
single spiritual entity. This is to say, the two gurus - the guru of the
heart and the outer, manifest guru - must become one, and guru and
disciple must likewise become one for their relation to be effective.
Once the guru and the disciple regard one another with
united thoughts, once both become one, then they can realize
each other. But such oneness of master and disciple is rarely
accomplished. This, however, is the object of the Bauls'
sadhana- to establish oneness.
There is one song which was written by my father. My
father was a very well-known sadhaka, a great philosopher it is extremely difficult to find a philosopher of his caliber.
He would sing and dance, and all the while he would
become immersed in himself. He would laugh, weep - at
times he would laugh, at times he would cry, at times he
would be buoyant, at times he would dance; it was all in an
entirely spontaneous manner. Whenever whatsoever feeling
would arise, according to this, he would act. That means he
would respond to that which blossoms from within. For as
long as he kept dancing, for that long the sentiment would
inwardly persist.
In one song my father speaks about this vehicle of ours, the
train which is running. Thus he says with regard to the
human body The train moves, driven by the amazing engine this body, with organized power from earth;
from fire, water and air.
The train moves, driven by the amazing engine,..
There is fire, there is water, there is air - the vehicle moves
by means of everything. Then it is said -
Manusa tattva
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(11)
Baul sadhana and manusa tattva
The sadhana of man, the sadhana of humanity implies
enlargement of the human being: man must be made great If the human
being can be seen at maximum level of expansion, then the realization of
man turns easy. If, however, such enhancement is not achieved, then the
human truth cannot be discerned
Realization of the human being is linked with a number of
processes and prerequisites whose preliminary establishment accounts
for the success of the sadhana. Those who proceed on the path of selfrealization with firm determination, those who remain immersed in
spiritual thoughts and engage in the practice of sadhana adopt a certain
manner of life that sets their approach apart from ordinary routine.
Earnest strivers advance on their course while adhering to various
observances. Observances of what kind? Duty, being one of the
essential mental attitudes in any spiritual pursuit, requires self-discipline
with regard to time. In the concrete, this is to say the seeker must
maintain a certain timing for the spiritual practice in order to make his
efforts fruitful. Discipline calls for stability in one's activities, hence
steadiness of time is necessary. It is only once duty and discipline have
settled in a fixed and resolutely observed timing that the germ of
devotion can sprout and unfold.
To accomplish devotion, therefore, the precepts must be obeyed
beforehand so as to establish a situation and a spiritual climate of such
kind as to enable the spiritual progress. For as long as such an
environment is not created, firmness of mind cannot be achieved. Singlemindedness and concentration are obtained once the proper surrounding
is evoked, and it is then only that a striver can retreat into himself and
submerge in his own inner spheres. Embedded in apt conditions and in a
fertile environment, the spiritual effort is taken ahead easily.
A further factor essential for easy advancement is the assistance
that die seeker receives from the co-sadhika associated with him. The
principal task of the co-sadhika is to ensure the availability of all tools
and requisites needed for the performance of sadhana and to provide for
them in such a way that the seeker is not interrupted in his spiritual
exercise.
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In order to progress easily, the co-sadhika would co-operate
and supply all those things necessary for the various
components of the sadhana, so that the sadhaka does not
have to get up from his seat but remains in his sittingposture, performing sadhana.
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emotional sensor and the inward glance are directed at one and the same
transcendental presence.
In such a way, however, when is it that I can see that reality
with the eye? - once experience becomes unified. Once Him
and me become one - it is then that I get to see Him. Up to
that moment, He is not seen. If someone claims he would
show the divinity, then he talks wrongly. This is because
God can never ever be shown.
The Supreme Divinity can neither be shown nor seen in the
concrete sense of the word: the Ultimate Reality can only be
experienced What is more, this experience has to be accomplished from
within, hence it cannot be taught or demonstrated to others, but must be
individually lived through. Once experience comes forth, however, the
vision unfolds freely and grows to fullness.
Such is His form, such is His beauty, like this His appearance
ascends in ourselves - this is experience. When, amid this
experience, He touches someone, then a shiver arises in that
person's body. Trembling comes, and amid this trembling, if
he reaches near that light, then the light emerges - the light in which the transcendental form becomes revealed. Revealed
where? - before the inner eye, before the eye of the mind. It is the inner
eye which can perceive the rays emitted by the divine presence. Once the
sublime radiance permeates the inner spheres of his being, man comes to
realize that the transcendental light is shining forth. And amid the
glowing lustre, what does he get to see? - the manifestation of the
unmanifest, the form of the formless, the vision of the invisible: the
revelation of the most refined cosmic essence, the ultimate truth of being.
Once the supreme vision has emerged before the inner eye, once
the striver finds himself face to face with the unseeable reality, he
records the sight in his emotional consciousness and becomes thus able
to recount the subtle presence to himself.
Why can he give the account? He has then seen His
appearance; then he describes it all to himself.
291
Yet more, the seeker then comes to realize that the Supreme Reality rests
in himself, that the Infinite Being is talking to him. Is talking in what
manner? - indirectly, through the flow of dreams arising out of the inner
experience, stimulated by none else than the Supreme Divinity Himself.
He cannot say anything directly. Why not? He has no
capacity to speak. Why not? He does not assume any human
form, therefore He cannot speak. Hence He talks through
indications.
The divine signals are received in a state of contemplative sleep,
that is, in a condition of mental attentiveness which, once accomplished,
enables the seeker to realize the nature of the transcendental truth.
Contemplative sleep constitutes a separate state. Upon
meditating, a certain sleep arises. In this sleep the touch of
the divinity is received, and from within this state, it becomes
obvious that I get to see the appearance in its entireness:
whatever I am doing, or not doing, where I am going, what I
want to do - every single thing is then given to me through
the medium of the dream. That means, then the dream gets
accomplished, grows to perfection. Once the dream has been
perfected, then whatsoever occurs to me at any one time, it
will be revealed through the dream. Then, He is telling me on
which path to proceed, by what means to advance, what to
do and what to leave - all directives are being provided.
This is to say the guru then extends his support. That guru
who rests in us, he then assists us. Partaking of this help,
whatever thing I may desire I shall gradually obtain. Then
everything comes to me easily. So it is the divinity abiding
inside this human being - this divinity bestows those things.
Therefore, in one of our songs it is said Where will you find the ordinary beside the extraordinary?
The Unattainable Man cannot be seized the boat traversing to that one's realm
is ordinary.
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Now it is said, within the heart - meaning that which
indwells this body of ours, in what way is it it described in
the song?
The Unattainable Man cannot be seized the boat traversing to that one's realm
is ordinary.
Losing the blue-necked one,
o stupid heart, you accomplish no ends.
chasing but noises...
That means searching through forests and jungles, That One
is not found. Where then is He found? In the temple of the
heart. In the temple of the heart, That One is attained to.
293
Since the Supreme Reality abides in the temple of the heart rather
than in some remote comer of infinity, the germ of accomplishment rests
nowhere else than in man himself. Self-realization thus forms the key to
the emancipation of the human soul. In the concrete, this is to say that
sadhana must be directed towards the inner realm, towards the divinity
enshrined in the human body, so as to evoke the presence of the
boundless truth within and to attain the vision of the Invisible,
What I have said once before, ...its flower blossoms in the
sky, that means In the water dwells the lotus-bloom's heart;
its flower blossoms in the sky.
Its true translucid lover the moon, a hundred thousand miles away,
earned a cluster of lotus-blooms.
That means a hundred thousand miles above resides the
moon. This moon, what did he gain? Whom did he make his
most intimate companion? - a flower: the lotus. It is the
lotus-bloom whom he took close. As soon as the light
emerges, as soon as the moon rises, the flower begins to
blossom, opening up gradually as the light comes forth. This
is to say he did but receive his companion, defying solitude.
In the same way, sadhana is something that rests in us. In
this regard it is said, where will you find Him? Then it is
said, if you split the ocean, you will not obtain Him. The
ocean - if I turn the sea upside down, what happens? It does
not end. I will not find Him. Now it is said,
where will you find Him?
The ordinary exists beside the extraordinary.
The Unattainable Man cannot be seized the boat traversing towards that one9s
accomplishment...
spot
of
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striver or not, whether or not he really does perform
sadhana. This is then easily recognized.
That which is not being found while searching through the waters
of the ocean, the aspired reality, what does it imply? The lotus inside the
water, the inner ocean - there are seven oceans and thirteen rivers
existing within the human body. Once the kulakundalini energy turns,
the central point, the navel of that lotus-flower remains within one ocean,
Thereupon, in an advanced stage of sadhana, this core essence is
gradually raised to the topmost bodily region so as to reach the shore of
biraja. Raised in what manner? - by way of the tongue. The processes
and procedures at this stage of the spiritual practice are deeply intricate
and require an extraordinarily high standard of spiritual consciousness in
order to be properly understood and realized. Such tenets are therefore
accessible only to those who have qualified for the highest stage, and are
passed on in strict confidentiality so as to ensure the perpetuation of their
intrinsic value.
Again here it is said In three wombs I have a son the son recounts the hearts matter to all;
to me he tells not
for life's sake.
There are three women of most exceptional beauty like the son so the mother,
very clear in shape.
Without father the sons are born,
without semen, without fruit in three wombs there is a son...
These three wombs represent our body indwelled by the
kulakundalini energy, by the three arteries3 Ira, Pingala and
Susumna. In these three arteries, an offspring has taken
birth. He is reason - the mind. Reason carries an excellent
name: mind. This is the mind, which is to be born. Once it
has properly taken birth, if it flourishes well, then very much
5
tintenari ('three women') means tintenari ('three arteries"), referring to the three
principal arteries within the human body
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Say, oh virtuous one, listen by which virtue have you become human?
Having wasted your ancestral riches,
you are relmquishing your mental involvement, your intellect
and home.
Nine doors, sixteen locks which door's key have you lost?
Your real home is disorderly
as you have settled by the door of the outhouse.
Oh Hari7 says Padmalocana in state of devastation you are!
In your temple, Madhava is not there blowing conches, you have but created hubbub.
That is to say - it is very intricate; there are two or three
interpretations, I shall explain one. Its purpon is, say, oh
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That means matters of so much wisdom, such powerful and
essential things are then easily explained, I can speak about
them. This is because that presence has entered me therefore. That is to say it is not me who is speaking - He
makes me speak, hence I am speaking. My speech is His
words. Then I am visioning Him. Who is He? - our Man of
the Heart, our maner manusa.
Now why is it that the Bauls pay so much attention to the Man of
the Heart, why is it that they remain engrossed in search of Him at all
times and continue to speak of that Man of the Heart? Because it is in
man that the divinity rests. It is within the human being, at the core of the
human heart that the Supreme Being has taken His abode. The Infinite
Reality abides within the human body; therefore He is the Man of the
Heart. What is more, this Man of the Heart lives forth in all humans.
That is to say the human self, ami, is common human property, and so is
its indwelling divinity, the maner rnanusa.
That which is me - this person is but the same thing, and that
person is the same thing, and yet another person too is the
same thing.
If humanity is made of but one and the same substance, if one person is
in essence but the same as another, no distinctness remains between
humans, and the whole of humanity grows into one single, large family,
united in heart and mindThere, we retain no inward discrimination between Hindus
and Muslims, Christians, Yavans or whatever castes. Then,
all of them become one.
It is their attitude towards humanity as a homogeneous entity
which makes the Bauls express their regard for all humans alike, and
which allows them to mingle with mankind in its entirety.
Therefore the Bauls go to all places, collecting alms from
everywhere. Begging is meant to abolish the ego, it is
pursued for the sake of doing away with one's self-conceit: I
am receiving alms from a poor person, from someone who
himself has nothing, and again I am receiving from a wealthy
tettva
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inside, that must be cared for properly. And in order to set
this right, one has to perform japa and dhyana*
303
forth in any human being, but this alone does not make
someone a Baul. In order to become a Baul, one has to
perform the sadhana - it is upon practicing sadhana that a
person turns into a Baul. Up to that point he will be a Baul
artiste, who knows to sing, to dance, to earn income, to
acquire wealth, but there will be no sadhana. Performing
sadhana, he has to become accomplished - then he will be a
Baul.
Accomplishment requires a number of essentials to be fulfilled
beforehand. The most important stipulation is the presence of a spiritual
master: the seeker must obtain the support of the sadguru, and partaking
of the master's protective aid, must increase his knowledge step by step
under the guru's guidance.
Just as there are many kinds of vegetable underneath the
earth, potatoes, turnips and whatever else, these have to be
dug out by removing the earth on top of them, then they are
thoroughly washed and cleaned; thereafter they can be used
for eating. Likewise, those vegetables that rest within us,
whatever things rest in us, we have to make them clean and
tidy in that very manner and, earing that much, these things
are to be utilized. And I think upon doing so, a person will
then be able to understand the Baul's quest, and will love
and respect the Baul.
The majority of people, however, cannot proceed on the path of spiritual
effort, hence are unable to comprehend the essence of the Baul's plea.
Why this lack of perceptive power? Because they cannot realize
themselves. Self-realization, knowledge of one's own indwelling reality
is the vital fundament for all virtuous pursuits. Knowledge moreover
leads to respect, hence a person who remains ignorant and therefore
disregardful of his true inner being will never be able to show regard to
others.
If one knows one's own self, then one is able to love another
person. That means if I love myself, then I can love another
person as well.
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Baul philosophy
own eyes that the flash is released. Thereupon, that image is
automatically recorded in the heart of man. The picture
having been taken, I can see it, I am seeing it. This is
sadhana,
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In order to achieve this, sadhana has to be pursued.
Incantation, austere endeavor, contemplation, realization these need to be exercised. Thereafter yoga - that means
what is said that one should take to yoga, to ntual worship
and get along with these, this is not what I am saying. What
you can do is your own tasks, your own. Sitting here, I can
perform japa. I can recite incantations directed to Kali, to
Siva, to whomever; remaining seated I am reciting
incantations. Sitting with closed eyes, I pronounce the
voiceless incantation - ajapa. Reciting ajapa means that the
tongue which is inside does not move. It is only the mind
which utters the incantation. To do this signifies ajapa. That
means if I were to say something while alone, before I speak
I am not opening the mouth, but the statement becomes
pronounced. This is ajapa. If I continue doing it, it brings
forth some fruit. This fruit signifies the rise of
consciousness. That means awareness, the power of
perception gets increased. To amplify this energy of
consciousness, one has to keep the virtuous company of the
sadhu. He will then clear the path and enable spiritual
progress.
(12)
Nayika sadhana - rati sadhana
Car-cande sadhana
Nayika sadhana - rati sadhana
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Ba ul philosophy
On the primary level, if the vital energies are released, hence lost, their
intrinsic dynamic potential cannot be transferred onto a higher level by
converting it into mental capacity. However, if rati, if the natural impulse
unites with mati and mana, then a state of intent mental absorption can be
achieved, which again is termed rati. Once such a state is attained, an
immense spiritual energy arises, a power which exceeds all other forces in
depth and intensity. To arrive at this level of spiritual profoundness becomes
possible through ultimate spiritual refinement, and the sadhana leading to
such attainment is accessible only to highly accomplished seekers.
Just as it is said, like the moon of the first day is seen by
some; by some it is not seen. So this bindu, this bindu
sadhana- to perform bindu sadhana is not possible for all. It
is an extremely difficult sadhana, and speaking about the
penetrating glance - once a powerful glance has come forth,
like this it must be sustained with the eyes; maintaining it on
and on, then one is able to experience the radiance. Thus this
bindu sadhana constitutes a very intricate sadhana, and it
represents the Bauls* most excellent sadhana.
Accomplishment of bindu sadhana leads to the most sublime spiritual
bliss, and the fruit obtained in this manner will be permanent and
indestructible. The higher the spiritual reward, however, the more
increased is the demand on the striver, and fulfillment of the ultimate
quest of sadhana is consequently achieved only upon having reached the
utmost stage of spiritual perfection.
Once a seeker has gained complete control over his mental and
physical faculties, he gradually arrives at the level from where he can
approach the most complicated spiritual tasks, mastering which he
attains lasting spiritual success while tasting the innermost essence of
being. Bindu sad&ana is performed at the highest level of sadhana, hence
its successful execution signifies attainment to the Supreme. How
such mental achievement manifest itself in the concrete?
This having been accomplished, the seeker is able to remain
celibate, and his brahmacarya will never be lost; he will be in
a position to maintain brahmacarya in a proper manner. And
what ensues from that? If he remains imperfect, that means if
his offspring keep coming forth like this in his domestic life
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Baul philosophy
both get on together uniformly, then there will be no breach
in them. There will be no effects beneath, and the water
cannot reach the top to destroy it. If there were earth in that
place, it would be eaten into and washed off, and there
would be a landslip. But where the earth does not slide, there
they can proceed in uniformity - proceed homogeneously
and indwelled by love and affection.
In the same manner functions the sadhana based on the love
of the nayika: both proceed in conformity. He does not
nurture lust and desire, she does not nurture lust and desire.
He is not interested in bodily love, she is not interested in
bodily love. That means what is generally said that man
encounters destruction when he associates with women: his
vital energies get lost, and rati having been lost, his intellect,
that means brains - reason and knowledge whatever is there,
these get lost; therefore, one has to get away from this. Yet
the consort must be kept near; both remaining together,
sadhana has to be practiced so that I would not quickly fall
into disaster upon seeing a woman, so that I would not get
corrupted. Then she does not become depraved, I am not
becoming depraved. If this is approached unifiedly, then it
will turn obvious whether I have become accomplished. But
if I claim to be accomplished without undergoing this test,
then as soon as some nayika turns up I will throw myself
into ruin altogether. That means like this one cannot become
accomplished.
So Baul sadhana is this. What people have got to hear,
however, and what has been spread around that the Bauls Baul means on the one hand intoxication, and on the other
hand sex - both allegations are completely absurd The Bauls
do not want this, and they do not do this. But some of those
who have not practiced sadhana, they grasped many an
opportunity whenever they got a chance to do wrong.
Therefore they are responsible for this defamation.
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Baal ph ilosophy
Countless millions of divinities reside in the kopin, whereas
in the sacred thread rest nine divinities. Therefore this is
referred to as the merited thread, in which nine eligible
deities abide. And here there are millions and millions of
deities, in the kopin. So if even the least spot enters there, a
person goes straight to hell and his lineage will get gradually
destroyed. That means the kopin is something so pure, so
venerable - j u s t as one puts one's faith and devotion in a
deity, in that same manner we worship and remember that
kopin. The reason is, for wearing the kopin there is its
mantra, a purificatory mantra. With this purificatory mantra
one takes bath, reciting the mantra - then one is going to
wear the kopin. So this loin-cloth worn by the sidhus, which
is called kopin, once one ties this kopin one has move ahead
in a very stern manner, so that the kopin becomes never ever
corrupted in any way. It needs to be kept pure, and one has
to adopt virtuousness and cleanliness. That means the body
remains unpolluted. It is only when one thinks there might
be some impurity, when something like that occurs to the
mind, then again cleansing and purifying it - it cannot be
washed with soap. With soap it cannot be washed, with a
rod - that means how much respect is paid to a kopml So
this kopin can be kept by taking it to one's forehead, but it
cannot be kept anywhere else, it has to be taken along. And
the men remain always wearing it.
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no prasada. Therefore whenever wherever one accepts
whomever as guru, then this has to be done knowingly,
inquisitively. He must be assessed very thoroughly, must be
known. And what is more, this comes to be known in
connection with the sadguru: one has to look out for the
sadguru.
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Baul philosophy
there is an empty space, it is pervaded by fullness. If that
fullness were not there, the thing would collapse, We
imagine that the sky is an empty space, that there is nothing
at all - but it is not so. The sky is permeated by fullness.
This fullness is there; therefore the sky does not collapse, it
does not fall down but is being supported. This is just like
what I said once of Krsna lifting the mountain on one finger,
on one little finger. A mountain is not lifted on one finger!
That means he displays such an immense energy - brahma
sakti - that he is able to hold the entire universe on one
finger, at his will. Whatever He wants to happen, that very
thing will be. This is because He is parama-brahma, the
Absolute Being.
Car-cande sadhana
323
atma and paramatma, when the soul and the Supreme Soul
unite, and when there is joy in union with That One.
And in order to accomplish this ultimate, most excellent union,
one has to perform sadhana - sadhana in its entirety, sadhana in all its
aspects and components.
If complete sadhana is not practiced, just like taking those
principal arteries - Ira on the left, Pingala on the right, and
Susumna -, all these must be gradually evoked and brought
to functioning; thereupon, slowly-slowly activating one by
one the bodily functions, one becomes absorbed in That
One.
That is to say, union is not accomplished in a single instant, but requires
continuous and dedicated effort, paired with knowledge of the tasks to
be fulfilled in sadhana. And this knowledge is obtained in what way? through learning. Learning moreover calls for teaching, and it is for this
very reason that the necessity to point at the direction of the spiritual
search and to guide people on the path of realization becomes selfevident.
Car-cande sadhana
Ultimate attainment, the fulfillment of man's prime quest for
union with the divine not only presupposes strenuous spiritual endeavor
on the part of the seeker, but the striver must moreover accomplish a
certain level of experience and insight into the intrinsic functionings of
sadhana which makes him eligible for the Highest. Yet the more
effortful the task as such, the more precious is the fruit to be earned.
Permanence of the spiritual success, therefore, is acquired upon
mastering the most difficult parts of the spiritual practice. At this level of
highest complexity and utmost intricacy, Baul sadhana settles its
component known as car-cande sadhana or sadhana pertaining to the
'four moons', that is, the sad/iana which aims at the accomplishment of
inner prosperity by way of evoking the light of the moon within the
human body.
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Baal philosophy
The universe is indwelled by stars to four directions, in
whose middle rests the moon. In the same way there are
stars of that kind in our four directions within, amidst which
stays that moon. In order to apprehend this moon, one has to
sit concentratedly, with purified mind, purified of lust4 - then
one can obtain it. The one who is able to accomplish such
attainment will be granted permanence in every respect his
mind will persist in one and the same manner, his flow of
thought will persist in one and the same way; these will
never ever yield to decay.
So for the sake of attaining this moon, we speak of car-cande
sadhana; the effort for this goal is called car-cande sadhana.
Carcanda, 'four moons1 means the six lotuses5 within us - in
four of them, these moons rise. Once the moons extend their
light, then the lotuses begin to blossom, to bloom. As soon
as they are flowering, it means that the rays of the moon
have reached them. For as long as the ray does not come
forth, they cannot unfold. Now in order to accomplish this,
one has to resort to the sadguru so as to understand in what
manner those rays are directed to which respective lotus.
Which lotus rests in which direction, all these things must be
learnt under his guidance.
All lotuses are manifest in our lower portion; they do not
flourish in the upper portion. Therefore, if they remain
blooming in the lower portion, then from what direction
comes the ray? From where does the light enter? Does it
come from below, or does it come from above, or from
where? One has to see in what direction the face of the
flower points - it is into that direction that the ray extends;
from that side the ray comes. That is to say, the direction of
the ray becomes clear upon realizing the direction to which
the opening of the lotus turns. And this is the object of the
sadhana related to the moon, of car-cande sadhana: to
comprehend how the ray is made to enter, and in what way it
Suddha rati means that lust must be filtered out by transcending the baser impulses
and transforming them in such a way as to obtain pure love.
the six bodily circles
Car-cande sadhana
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Baal philosophy
few possess sufficient strength and ability to evoke and establish such a
state.
Therefore, the number of Haul sadhakas has decreased very
much. These days they are virtually non-existent. This is
because people of such genuineness, of such virtuousness
have become very few.
Yet such extreme purity is necessary in order to obtain fruit on the
path of sadhana, in order to ennch one's spiritual efforts with meaning.
And if attainment is aspired at the highest level, then the bond of
spiritual oneness must be tied between all those involved in the process
of sadhana- that is, the guru, the seeker himself, and his consort.
To establish uniformity, the three of them must become one
in mind and heart. Just as one speaks of the trinity Brahma-Visnu-Mahesvara: these three rest within us. Thev
reside in our inner being. That means if I say I am directing
my thoughts at Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara, then these
Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara abide in me. It is them who
keep us awakened. What sustains us in the state of
wakefulness, through warmth, through anything - this is
brahma. In this brahma rests a power of such kind that, if for
example an ant or other being can survive in a stone, then
this power extends its rays to it. If the rays were not
received, those living beings could not survive, their life
would not persist. That means His touch is received by all;
everyone is seen by Him. It is only that they cannot see HimT
the Supreme Divinity. Those who are at the bottom - us,
having fallen, we do not see Him. we do not notice Him.
To notice, to realize Him, however, will be our most urgent
task. It is the task of all humans: that we do something for
That One. For That One means for the one who has created
us. I am Him. That which is me, that much which He has
given to me, for the sake of that I will go on doing
something: this thought must become settled in all of us. If
this^ould be accomplished by everyone, then faith, devotion,
and discipline - all these would persist in the world. But if
these virtues do not survive, the world will meet destruction.
Car-cande sadhana
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Baul philosophy
such a level within themselves where the Supreme Reality
reveals to them everything, tells them everything. That means
a sadhu can talk on any theme. Just like a Sarikaracarya - a
Sankaracarya represents a living Siva. The one we refer to as
Siva - where is he? Siva is in heaven - on a mountain, it is
said, a mountain in the Himalaya. That is not Siva - it is
them who are this Siva. Because Sarikaracaryas are four of
them, extending to four directions. That means they are Siva
Ownself Whatever is blessed by them, whatever is
pronounced by them, this will happen. This is because they
remain in constant contact with the divinity, because in them,
the full power is given.
Car-cande sadhana
For the sake of transforming this darkness into light, there is
the guru - in the syllable gu- rests darkness, in the syllable
(r)u rests light. In the same way, the one who is able to
illumine our inner being with light, to wipe out darkness - he
is the guru. To apprehend this guru, there is yet another
person who is his guru; that one again has a guru of his
own: in this manner, just as one power station follows
another, like this the gurus succeed each other. The guru
represents each respective power, each energy. Now if this
energy is not properly assigned to its functions - as if I were
to install various sorts of light in a house, would connect
various appliances, run different kinds of power-operated
devices: in whatever manner I am able to run them, in that
way they will function. So the guru embodies the same
principle - however many tasks can be accomplished upon
understanding the guru, that many tasks will be achieved.
But if one were to say, let the guru give it, then he will not
give. If the child does not cry, the mother will not feed him.
Those who cannot yet eat with their hands will be breast-fed,
and therefore they will cry for the mother to feed them. A
child cries differently whether he wants to eat, or whether it
is out of some other discomfort - the mother understands all
the nuances in an offspring's behavior.
In the same manner, the guru is able to recognize how much
of what is needed by a disciple, of which thing he requires
what amount, and whether he would be able to properly
handle that thing once he gets it. Why? He has to keep an eye
on the fact that this power, if it is applied in the wrong place,
might ignite, might bum something there. Taking the power
like any other thing and just keeping it somehow in the
house - this is not the way. Any one connection must be
fitted accurately, just as if there is a switch in one place, then
the outlet must be installed exactly in that place. This is
because wherever these outlets reach, one has to see whether
that spot is suitable to hold them or not. That means if it is
damp in one place, then the connection will be doused if it is
fitted there. So if these considerations do not spring up in a
person's mind, then he is not capable of maintaining things
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(13)
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
The BauTs highest goal and his most intensely aspired object is
attainment to the Supreme Divinity: to obtain the vision of the all-pervading
transcendental presence, to become one with the Unbounded Reality. This
vision, this union is to be accomplished within, because it is in man that the
Divine Being resides as the unmanifest within the manifest, as the infinite
within the finite, as the permanent within the transitory. To apprehend Ac
uncapturable reality, the inner eye must therefore direct its glance inward so
as to recognize the limitless truth that rests at the core of the human heart
The process of looking into the inner spheres of one's own being requires
awareness of the self- a task which is accomplished through sadhana rather
than through external efforts. Since the Supreme Being dwells inside the
human body as the imperishable essence of the human being, full
knowledge of the body must be attained in order to realize the divine
presence and establish the contact with the sought-after divinity.
Throughout the practice of sadhana, therefore, the mind needs to be
guided in such a way as to perceive one by one the various spiritual centers
within the body and, having identified them, to gradually understand their
intrinsic functioning. Comprehending the respective tasks of each
component within the microcosm of the human body is essential in order to
properly evoke and awaken the bodily functions.
Just as any one lotus has its own specific task, any one
artery - from Susumna onwards, Ira, Pingala, Susumna,-, in
this manner, we have to know that proceeding from where to
where, from which one to which one we arrive.
The course of progression must follow an upward movement, hence it
is from the lower cakras - muladhara, svadhisthana and manipura - that one
proceeds in upward direction. Having traversed the lower three cakras, one
reaches anahata cakra located in the region of the heart, from where the way
leads to the upper regions in which the Supreme Reality abides.
From anahata we continue towards biraja. Settling in biraja,
what respective tasks do we have to do - that means, we
have to see the thing in its entirety so as to discern where the
Suoreme Soul. varama brahma. resides.
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Baul philosophy
birajapare by ihe bank of the transcendental river (Viraja) upon crossing which one
reaches the abode of the Supreme Being. Biraja is also the topmost cakm, the seat of
the Supreme Divinity within the human body.
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
333
the divinity at any time through experience, which grants the continual and
perpetual vision of the Invisible Reality.
That means, no transient vision. It means that I can sustain
this vision at all times within me.
It is for the purpose of being able to permanently maintain the ultimate
experience that the Bauls practice sadhana, and sadhana itself is their main
and most excellent pursuit for the sake of which they are ready to renounce
all lesser ends. Sadhana begins at gross level, from sthula sadhana onwards,
and it is in the course of progression towards the increasingly refined stages
of sadhana that all distinctness gradually ceases.
At gross level, everyone's mind acts in a different manner.
These various minds have to be traversed; going around
them one has to reach the more advanced stages. From any
one caste, one arrives there. Once one gets to that point,
starting from each respective caste, theti no more caste
discrimination will persist. Then, no selfness, no
individuality, no thinking in terms of T remains. That which
is 'me' - all this will then be forgotten.
Having reached the highest level of accomplishment, having arrived at the
abode of the Supreme, then, immersed in the vision of the Infinite,
engrossed in the company of the Divine Being, absorbed in mutual
conversation and interaction, the striver moves himself at far distance from
the present world.
For however long I am together with That One, there is
eternal bliss. And this is full bliss, undivided bliss - there is
no partialness in it.
The state of such unsurpassed, all-exceeding bliss is attained when? once man is able to completely surrender himself, to abandon each and every
worldly object and even the desire for it. Entire and unconditional
renunciation - that means, renunciation which is accomplished in mind,
heart and action - represents the most beneficial virtue on the path of
sadhana, through which attainment turns meaningful and feasible. In the
same way as a power outlet will not function for as long as the mains are
turned off, an aspired aim is not accomplished, a desired object not obtained
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Baul philosophy
for as long as man's principal and most vital goal remains unfulfilled. And
this ultimate quest is what? - attainment to the Supreme Divinity, union with
the Supreme Being. Once man directs his thoughts only and alone towards
this highest object, relinquishing even the thought of secondary matters, then
not only will his primal search be fruitful, but together with its
accomplishment, success in any of man's pursuits comes along all by itself.
Therefore - if I do not desire anything, then that which is received
without desiring it signifies the greatest gift to be obtained.
And this excellent gift rests in Him - in the Supreme Divinity.
That means if you reach up to this point in the course of
practicing sadhana, then you will not need to say anything.
He will bestow on you but everything. Whatever you are in
need of, you will then partake of it in full.
One thing, however, has to be kept in mind at all times if divine grace
is to be received: having made the Supreme Being our closest companion,
we must watch out for His needs, for His desires. It is our duty to care
about the welfare of that divinity to whom we relate ourselves in a most
intimate way; it is upon us to remain always concerned as to how He is, as
to whether He is well or not
Just like Radha says, therefore; the sakhis inquire Say, tell us of your well-being, speak you being well is us being well...
If you keep well, we will be keeping well. If your condition
is fine, then ours will be fine. If you are in good health, we
will be healthy. That means we take our share in all His
sorrows and joys. That means the one who abides within
me, the Transcendental Being, brahma, who rests in me - I
am delighting in His delight, I am blissful in His bliss.
If this feeling of complete surrender to the beloved divinity is evoked within
the heart, then sadhana can be practiced successfully. Establishing this
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
335
sentiment means to abandon all thoughts of self and thereby to fully merge
in the object of one's adoration, that is, to become mentally one with the
Supreme Divinity. Once mental oneness has been called forth, the spiritual
union can be accomplished through sadhamL
Yet there is one more factor crucial for the spiritual progress: the
presence of the guru and the firm guidance received from him.
For the sake of learning the true sadhana, it is always one
and the same thing which I keep telling: that the sadguru is
needed. Without the spiritual master, that place is not
reached Just as one needs an attorney in order to raise a case
in court - making up the case one presents it to him. In the
same way, we have to present, to offer something to the one
who rests within us. And we have to give him the thing in
full. If I were to keep something back for myself, then He
will not look into it. Therefore, we must give Him all.
Because that guru is the mother, the guru is the father - the
guru is everything. For this very reason, one and the same
thing is always said gurur brahma gurur visnuh gururdcvo mahetivarah /
gunir eva parambrahma tasmai Mgurave namah //
That means the guru is but all. The guru is the mother, the
guru is the father - everything in the world. That is to say,
without the guru there is nothing in the world.
If the guru is thus supreme and omnicompetent, he must be discerned
in a manner which pays tribute to this excellence in every respect. To
recognize the guru on the same level as an ordinary human being is therefore
an inappropriate approach. Man has to raise himself to the stratum of the
boundless if he wishes to apprehend the guru, rather than attempting to
reduce the Infinite Reality to an image which fits man's own limited mental
capacities.
If we perceive this guru as a human, what ensues? Our
human ethics, our dharma, our life as humans, all these will
be destroyed. This is because the guru is something so
brilliant - the guru who is Brahma, who is &iva, who is
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Narayana, who is Krsna, who is Durga, who is Kali, who is
God, who is everything; so if the guru is something so grand
and lofty, then, to receive Him, to imagine Him in
diminished proportions is not possible.
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
337
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Baul philosophy
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Ba ul philosophy
predominant at that time, some of the Bauls went into that
direction and became Sufis. So there were some Sufi Bauls,
and some Buddhist Bauls, some Vaisnava Bauls. Then,
among these, there are some Tantric sadhakas; through this
influence the Bauls partially adopted Tantra sadhana,
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
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Baul philosophy
As soon as a person becomes sisu (the small child), he
becomes Yiu (Jesus). Then he will be able to renounce and
keep something back to give to his motherland. Why would
he be able to do so? Because he has turned into a small child.
Being a child, then, he becomes the child Krsna, the primal
energy - that means, he then cultivates those actions
becoming of the Supreme Divinity. For his land - he loves
his native land, he loves all. Therefore he spills his own
blood for the sake of all. Just as Krsna acted for the wellbeing of everyone; therefore he subdued the snake Kaliya.
Subduing Kaliya - he knows that the black snake could
finish him off. Yet for the sake of all, he goes there and
makes everyone happy by putting an end to that snake. If, by
killing one person, ten people can be saved - it is for this
reason that he takes on Kaliya, realizing that lots and lots of
people would benefit from one person being killed.
So if the base of animality can be removed, then do away
with it! If the foundation of knowledge can be installed in
that place - of knowledge, of true knowledge, that which is
called brahma jnana, knowledge of the Supreme Reality: if
this knowledge could be attained upon destroying one
animal... - is it not Him who has brought forth creation, God
Himself? And yet He destroys it. Because He says, if five of
my sons stay well, and one son vanishes - I do not spare
any thought on that as long as the five of them are well. Five
people keeping well, twenty more may come; for the sake of
five, twenty people may enjoy well-being. Therefore, God
thoughtfully directs the world exactly in this manner.
Likewise the sadhus move about in the world performing
sadhana in this very way. The sadhus emerge throughout
aeons of practicing sadhana - through how many ages do
they pass! Just as I said a little earlier, the earth has been
developing since eighteen hundred crores of years - since
crores and crores and crores of years. It dissolves and
manifests itself anew in ever continuing cycles of creation
and dissolution. In the-very same manner, those who attain
accomplishment in their sadhana are able to survive. And
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
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are born, all that does not stay back in our mind; it is
forgotten. And it is in every life that we forget like this;
every time when we grow up after birth, throughout
childhood - exactly from die very initial stage of childhood,
thereafter step by step through adolescence and adulthood,
the older we grow, the more we forget
We forget. But there is no renunciation. However much we
could renounce, that much we would become virtuous
people, wise persons. But this does not happen. We become
unmindful. We are bound to become unconcerned. If we
were not, if all would cry for the mother at one and the same
time - a mother cannot feed all her children at once, can she?
Therefore she distracts them with various sorts of play, with
various kinds of things in order to make them forget. The
one who does absolutely not leave her, however, who,
bound by helplessness, wants truly nothing except her - it is
that one whom she will then lift up. This is her task.
So the sadhus fall into the category of those obstinate
children. Therefore I think that even if amongst crores and
crores of people this insistency does not arise, if it it can be
called forth among lakhs, then sadhana is worth being
pursued. Now, if I become accomplished upon practicing
sadhana, then I return again, die again, leave again if this is
what keeps happening to me, then what is the gain of me
performing sadhana! This is what humans tend to think But
the gain is there. It is there, that means what I have said, if
His eye does not fall on crores and crores of people, but for
as long as it comes to lakhs of people - millions of millions
are gone, alright, in millions and millions I cannot see it, but
if it can come amid lakhs, that means if it can occur to lakhs,
if lakhs can appear before His eyes, then in order to reach
before His eyes we have to practice sadhana. This is what
the great yogis, the sadhus, the rsis arc doing for the sake of
remaining near His glance. And if they cannot become His
very closest seekers, if His eye falls on them from a little
distance, even though there will be benefit. Therefore,
sadhana is a must.
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
345
Sadhana is compulsory for each and every human being. The duty to
accomplish spiritual perfection, the obligation to strive for self-realization
and attainment to the Supreme Reality is given to every single person, to
mankind in its entirety as the heritage of the human birth. Howsoever small
the amount of effort, howsoever limited in time it may be, if that effort is
earnest, it will yield fruit. And that fruit will ultimately grow for the
advantage of humanity, as each individual striver earns his spiritual profit
for the benefit of all. But some endeavor must be afforded in the first place - as I said before, if I do not have that much time at my
disposal, yet one hour I do need just for myself, so that I can
accomplish some tasks upon reaching That One.
If that much of effort could be invested, and if the readiness to invest were
moreover established in everyone, then the world would thrive and flourish
for the good of the entire human family. Then, disorder and indiscipline as
the prime causes of all-prevailing confusion would cease to exist, and
mankind came to be liberated from chaos in its multiple shapes.
Deliverance from man-made evil, however, is attained only and alone
through sadhana. What is more, sadhana can be successfully pursued and
accomplished only if it goes along with knowledge of one's own self, with
knowledge of one's own inner being - an insight which is acquired in the
process of sadhana itself. In the concrete, this is to say that man must be
aware of both his spiritual body and the functions within his physical body
in order to be able to assign these functions to their proper tasks. Baul
sadhana implies acquaintance with the human body, and the knowledge
obtained through sadhana is revealed in the Bauls' songs - specifically in
deha-tattva songs - telling about the constituent parts of which the human
body is composed, as well as about the respective tasks of any single
component.
This is expressed in any one of our songs - as many as we
sing songs, that much we pronounce in this way the facts
about that which is there within our body. In every single
song these tenets are provided: where there are bones, where
there are arteries, veins, nerves, tendons; all this is explained
in the songs, as well as the respective tasks - this artery has
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which function, that artery has what function, everything is
expounded in the songs. This is the task of baul-gana.
Self-awakening - deha-tettva
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Baul philosophy
and I am doing well at something else. Then everything
would become much more pleasing.
So if nowadays our country could get on agreeably with this
inclination, then the country would grow to greatness.
Otherwise what happens is that one person perhaps vanishes
and another person rises high; one person does nothing but
eat while another person has nothing to eat and cries, and
ultimately dies for want of food. That means then envy arises
if someone cannot have what another person enjoys, so he
becomes jealous and inclined towards doing away with the
other, killing him to rob him of something. Then, all this will
spring up - thoughts of baseness, these will come.
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350
- deha-uma
himself so as to be able to guide others on the path of accomplishment. On
^e path which leads where0 - towards fulfillment of man's ultimate quest:
^ a t is, to apprehend the Supreme Reality and to attain eventual deliverance
u
Pon merging into the blissful effusion of the Infinite.
What is it that motivates the Baul to thus ceaselessly render his
highest service to humankind0 What is it that drives him time and again to
appear before humanity and pronounce his message of hairoony and love? It
is his religion which is the religion of man, the religion whose Supreme
Divinity is the human being. To this divinity who is man the Baul performs
his worship, in this divinity he deposits his faith, to this divinity he entrusts
himself, and it is devotion to this very same human divinity which sustains
the Baul in his continuous quest for universal peace.
What is more, the Baul adores his revered divinity in whatever
manifestation, in whatever appearance, in whatever embodiment this Divine
Being is revealed. Thus, when he sits immersed in meditation at his spiritual
retreat or akhra, at the samadhi, it is man on whom the Baul contemplates the human divinity. It is Man whom he worships, it is Man on whom he
directs his spiritual awareness, it is Man whom he strives to realize. Man is
the ultimate object of the Haul's spiritual search. For the sake of worshiping
man, the Bauls maintain the samadhiwhere the human divinity is present in
the concrete manifestation of an accomplished person's pure body. The
pureness extending from that body even after its indwelling soul has become
one with the Supreme Soul is so immense as to sanctify the spot at which it
is buried, and it is for this reason that the earth thus purified is venerated
with worship, with contemplation, with realization - with all modes of
spiritual practice employed in the service rendered to a deity.
Therefore the akhra, the samadhi as the abode of the revered gurus
represents the Baul's place of worship, his temple where he expresses his
love for his preceptors, where he pays his respects to them, where he
pronounces his faith in them. And it is this very spot which the Bauls regard
as their sanctum sanctorum, as the holy of holies whose sanctity exceeds the
virtues of any other place.
It is for this reason that the Bauls do not go to temples, to
mosques. This is their perception. I myself, however, do go
to all those places. I visit temples, mosques, churches,
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samadhi spots, whatever other kinds of temple exist - 1 go to
all of them. Why do I go? Because all those divinities had
been human incarnations. So if I worship these human
beings, and if Man is my revered divinity - all those were
but human manifestations, so why then should 1 not go
there? There is no harm in that, is there? Why? Just as I
render my worship at the samadhi, contemplate, realize - if
others have created those images, then what should be
wrong with that? These too had been accomplished persons,
incarnations, avataras. Out of spiritual experience, people
have prepared images of these incarnations, Mid worship
them. Okay, let them do, there is nothing wrong in it
Therefore all religions in the world possess their own grace;
all of them are good, none is bad - no religion is bad! If I
would think that my religion is great and another person's
religion is bad, is worthless - not this way! I think that every
religion is excellent That which humans believe in, that
which humans worship, that which humans hold sacred - it
is sacred. Why? Because it is our divinity that dwells in it.
And that which our divinity does won't be wrong, will it?
What God does is truthful. Therefore all deities, all religions
- sectarian distinctions that are being made, these I do not
want to keep within me. I say, the Bauls say that there is no
need to put up differentiations of any sort. And therefore
may nobody do it! Why not? If I love the human being, if I
worship the human being, then if this human being worships
another divinity, let him do so - 1 shall worship that human
being. For this reason I have no objections against going to
those places of worship. What must be removed is the
builder who erects the different houses, so that we get to live
in one single house.
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
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have to learn it from this crane. Well, I understand - the bird
is not worried about anyone perhaps killing him and taking
his body away; this does no* even occur to him. The only
thing of interest to him is when a fish will surface to be
caught. So this single-mindedness, this continued and
concentrated insistence on one single intent, if this rests in
this bird, then that means he is my guru - one guru.
Again Caitanya proceeds on his path when he sees a woman
thrashing boiled paddy into flatted rice. She holds a child in
per lap. There is another person, an old woman who gathers
jthe grains. The corn keeps falling into the thresher, and in
between she gathers it with her hand to check whether it has
been sufficiently beaten out. At the same time the whole
thing must be heated up by means of a fire, so she feeds the
fire with wood and stirs it with one hand. And over there,
the mother breast-feeds her child, thereby bending forward
Now if for some bad luck the child would fall into the fire,
he would bum - but the woman spares no thought on that
Caitanya sits and observes at what she directs her full
attention. Meanwhile some hungry person comes, mother,
give me some paddy, take the money. So she hands the
paddy out to him, weighing it, counts the money everything she does, but her glance remains fixed at the hand
gathering the grains. The wheel keeps falling; as soon as it
gets ouf of measure, her hand will get caught and be cut off.
Therefore it is this on which she fixes her eyes while doing
all those other things besides. That means she is another
gum
In this way, twenty-six and a half gurus emerged. Twentysix and a half means Radharani. Radharani is the guru of
love. Women as gurus count half, hence twenty-six and a
half. So if Caitanya Deva could accept twenty-six and a half
gurus - he who was Caitanya, God Ownself, His
incarnation, if He could do that, then it is the guru who is but
everything. Therefore, the guru must be placed in the highest
seat. Whatever is achieved in today's world, it is achieved
owing to the guru. This guru is who? - parama brahma, the
Self-awakening - deha-tattva
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Baul philosophy
unbounded bliss is experienced. And for the sake of this most sublime
experience of the divine, no trouble should be shied away from, no obstacle
should be regarded as too difficult to be tackled, but rather, man should
proceed with single-minded determination, knowing that it is the Divinity
Himself in the person of the guru who will guide him towards his final goal.
(14)
The Bauls1 cause
Baul philosophy constitutes a vast ocean of thinking, of which to
outline even the very basic tenets signifies a never-ending task. In its
essence, Baul philosophy reflects the fundamentals of many religions, of
many philosophies, of many theological traditions and spiritual
approaches, and what is more, these various different streams are
brought to confluence in such a manner as to melt them into a consistent,
homogeneous whole whose indwelling harmony endows Baul thought
with a special grace and excellence. Baul ideology is found in the Vedas
of which Baul philosophy takes its share. Baul thinking is obtained
through the Upanisads to which it is linked as an important component;
in fact most Baul tenets can in some way or other be traced to
Upanisadic ideas. Baul sadhana, Baul philosophy thus represents a most
refined and profound flow of thought, whose noble and wide-ranging
essence unites the precious spiritual properties of humanity in a perfectly
harmonious quest.
Given its high sublimity and standard of spiritual perfection, and
given its extraordinarily extensive scope, Baul philosophy is not
apprehensible at the level of the ordinary. Therefore, many accomplished
Baul strivers reach a stage in the course of their spiritual practice at
which the tenets of their spiritual search are not meant to be revealed.
Such as my father, he was an excellent sadhu. He
accomplished the tasks of aropa sadhana very well. He was
able to remain immersed in the water for twelve hours. And
if someone would bury him in the earth, then he would be
able to keep the breath within himself for twelve hours. So in
this way, he practiced aropa sadhana. What would result
from that? What is it that one achieves through aropa
sadhanift The body becomes extremely light so that one can
remain afloat inside the water. This sadhana he used to
practice very thoroughly.
My grandfather, who passed away at the age of hundred and
ten, used appear in various places at once in subtle physical
manifestations. Thus, he would perhaps be here talking to
me, while at the same time he wouid wander about in another
place assuming a different form, and in yet another
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Baul philosophy
The Bauls'cause
Staying in hostels what happens? - the surrounding there is
somehow different. Yet they do know everything, they have
acquired the full knowledge. This is because they have been
told and taught, because they see the way we perform
sadhana. All of my sons have learnt this from a small age
onwards. My eldest son practices sadhana, sings, and is a
music director. His name is Krishnendu. He lives in Bombay
and is quite well-known as a music director. My middle son
lives in Paris. He performs baul-gana as well as sadhana,
following the Baul way of life. Both of them are welleducated, the elder one has done his M. A.. My youngest son
has completed his B.Sc. and performs sadhana as well. He
works in the computer branch, practices sadhana and
performs as a singer and instrumentalist.
So in order to keep this heritage alive, it is necessary to bring
over some teaching to everyone in society - especially to the
young people. If today's young generation can take this up
properly, then Baul sadhana will survive. The reason is, they
are particularly interested in the highly refined sadhana, and
if this genuine sadhana could be explained a little, then all the
young people will comprehend and adopt it. Why? Because
much joy is obtained in it - a joy which does not go away
that quickly, but which settles very profoundly. Therefore,
where there is peace, there is God. And peace rests only and
alone in this sadhana. Performing sadhana, this peace does
not vanish amid triviality, it does not get lost. Its longevity
persists strongly, making it last for many days. Therefore I
think that somone must bring it over to everybody, must
make it known in a simple and easily comprehensible
manner so that the sadhana in its various processes can reach
out to all. These concerns must settle in our thought Just like
my wife who is very good at practicing sadhana, and sings she is doing this, she is an excellent sadhika. And the
succession within our family - my youngest son's name is
Dibyendu, the middle one's Subhendu; they keep the family
succession alive, I think. Well, I do not know what these
boys are going to do, but I hope that the family succession
will be upheld by them.
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Baul philosophy
In order to truly get to know Baul tattva, the essence of Baul
philosophy, one has to abandon everything and live for some
time, for some days at the Bauls' spiritual retreat. Without
mutual conversation these tenets are not disclosed. Why?
What is the meaning of staying within the environment?
Then, everything becomes understood: in what way the
Bauls1 life progresses, in what manner they lead their life,
and how they approach their permanent tasks. These
processes come to be comprehended, to be known. If one
does not get to know these, what happens? One picks up
something from a distance, such as that which I may be
talking about, but what is learnt amid all, that grows to
fullness and profundity.
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Baul philosophy
The five ways of pranayama are distinguished on the basis of their functions
determined by the five vital airs of a living body, viz. prana, apana. samana, udlna
and vyana.
The Baals'cause
- once discipline is fully obeyed, it is afterwards that
devotion becomes relevant. As soon as devotion comes into
effect, we have to consign our heart to it entirely. And if one
is able to deliver oneself like this, then man will be able to
become man, to become a true human. Having thus turned
into a human being, then faith, devotion and similar virtues
enter a person, and owing to the example set by such a
person, these virtues are aroused in many more people.
Therefore I think that some classes must be held for the sake
of this object. It will be necessary, in some places, to conduct
classes and to teach. That means just as one would have said
in earlier times that it was needed to establish an akhra - like
this, I think no religious institution should be installed, no
temple should be erected, but in the one or other place, small
akhras should be created. Just as earlier on one used to learn
in Sanskrit grammar schools, if such grammar school-like
establishments could be brought into being here and there,
then this would be beneficial.
So my intention is to open an academy here. Running an
academy - that means the object remains the same: to
safeguard this culture, to preserve Baul culture. The Bauls*
philosophy has to be kept alive, their sadhana must be made
to survive - one after the other, one by one. Doing it that
way, what will come out of it? Those Bauls who may not be
able to obtain any job would find a place where perhaps they
might earn some money, and in exchange do some work.
Accomplishing this work in return, they could devote
themselves with mind and heart to that place.
Therefore, the desire that rises in my heart is to establish a
Baul institute here. I have already founded one in
Shantiniketan, It is fully functioning, but it is rather limited in
scope. A place is needed where one has to entirely dedicate
oneself. If I am not there, during those times others should
be able to run it properly. Thus some boys must be trained to
be kept there. Such is my plan, and I think that perhaps it
will be achieved. If I can accomplish this, then my task will
be successful. Why? Because in today's world, people know
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Baul philosophy
with regard to the singing that yes, there are Bauls around.
For so many days, the Bauls have been identified with Baul
singing; now it is necessary to recognize their sadhana.
Therefore I am giving somewhat more emphasis to sadhana,
so that people who come to practice baul-gana will also
practice sadhana.
And practicing sadhana what will ensue? Then emotion
arises, devotion arises, faith arises, and confidence enters a
person. Once these emerge, once confidence, once faith and
trust come forth, then one can comprehend. For this reason it
is said, through faith the object is attained, in dispute it
withdraws very far. Then, people will get away from
reasoning. Then, arguments, debate and the like will no more
surface. Then, one will see that yes, what I am obtaining is
the true thing. So we have to focus our look on that
direction. This is our task
(15)
Hxtfcti sfiffhnna - Baul Tantra sadhana
BIul Tanrra sadhana represents an extremely complex and
comprehensive s.idhana^ which constitutes at the same time the most
vital component in order to bring the sadhana as such to fruition. Baul
Tantra sadhana arises out of an immediate motive; in the concrete, its
purpose is to contain the two manifestations of nature in one single
essence. That is to say, the Bauls retain the two elemental forces - the
female and the male principles, woman and man - in complete unity
rather than setting them apart. To perceive die two fundamental streams
as one means that Baul thinking does not allow to discern them
discriminately. Why not? The reason rests in die differentiation to be
settled on a different level. In what manner? Man and woman form but
two categories, two castes within one and the same larger reality. That
which encloses these two castes, that which dwells within them is
punisottanuL, the Supreme Being - the Supreme Man who is called die
Supreme Divinity, the Lord of the World, the Master of the Universe.
This Lord of the World is one person. That which contains
Him, His receptacle is hladini- the hladinigakti, the supreme
energy of bliss.
It is for the object of awakening this hladini Sakti, the energy of
conscious bliss, that Tantra sadhana must be learnt. For as long as
Tantra sadhana is not learnt, is not accomplished, no sadhana can be
brought to perfection, because it is through Tantra sadhana that the
necessary strength is acquired With insufficient strength, deficient in
energy, no task is carried out properly. Whatever task one approaches,
the energy for its execution must be gathered beforehand. This energy is
called forth in what way? If the energy is to be aroused, it must be
formed, must be accumulated, and the required strength must be
apprehended and upheld
In order to sustain the strength, one has to see whether the
mother be defeated or the son - 1 shall see it in the battle of
sadhana. That means once the encounter starts, who will
lose, who will win in this contest - for the sake of realizing
this, it is said that no differentiation between man and
woman becomes relevant at this point; there is but one
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Baul philosophy
'
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Baul philosophy
369
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Baul philosophy
performed his divine play with the inhabitants of Vraja,
where He accomplished the unity of all religions, where He
dwelled in perfect union with all, in this place, once the
sports of Vrindavan become visible -
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Baul philosophy
the Supreme Divinity becomes able to act only upon fully surrendering
to His hladini akti
If the Lord of the Universe Himself is thus bound by the eternal
play of prakrti, of His Own immanent blissful energy, then this is but to
say that any spiritual accomplishment can be attained only once prakrti is
apprehended in her true greatness and worshiped with full knowledge
and appreciation. Neglecting prakrti, disparaging the vital principle
realized in nature, no task can be brought to perfection. If prakrti is
played down, then purusa cannot rise; if the female principle is
undervalued, then the male principle cannot grow to fullness. Therefore,
to enlarge the male branch implies nothing else than to
upraise the woman, to elevate the female branch. Treating the
caste of women, treating the caste of mothers as inferior
must be stopped once and for all; women have to be given a
high seat, and at all times they have to be made partake of
worship and of everyone's respect. It is then that the branch
of men, that those who are called men will be able to achieve
what they aspire.
It is His capacity to worship, to revere the woman - that is, prakrti
in the personification of the woman - which makes Lord Krsna
accomplish His transcendental Ilia at Vrindavan. The intrinsic
immaculacy in His relation with the gopis is thereby maintained through
the oneness of emotion, through the uniformity of thought and, what is
more, through mutual regard and surrender reciprocated in complete
devotion and love. The lila thus reflects nothing but the eternal play of
the two elemental principles, purusa and prakrti.
That means Krsna earned that respect; He was referred to as
Man. And all of them received Him with honor. One gopi
says, He will come to me, another one says, to me, yet
another one says to me... - all of them wanted Him, and all
of them attained to Him.
Attained to Him by what means? - through perfect unity of mind
and heart, through full harmony of thought and emotion. Having
373
established the union with their lord in their minds, the gopis became
thus able to evoke Krsna1 s presence through the call of their inner voice.
If oneness of mind, oneness of thought becomes evident, if
uniformity is achieved, then this can be attained - then, union with the aspired reality is easily called forth by the
emotional intenseness of the spiritual relationship.
Oneness in mind and heart constitutes the essential prerequisite in
order to accomplish the spiritual union, and to establish this oneness
signifies the core object achieved through sakti sadhana. Sakti sadhana
implies what? - to elevate prakrti; to realize the divine principle inherent
in nature and to acquire and effectively employ the full energy concealed
in this principle by means of worshiping prakrti. It is this fundamental
message delivered by Lord Krsna to the people of Vraja through the
rasa-llla of Vrindavan:
He then makes them understand that this is the way in which
you should practice Sakti sadhana. Performing the sadhana
of sakti - that means I have performed Kali puja, have
performed Durgapu/a, so my Sakti puja is fulfilled: this is
not how it works. Sakti means to perform the sadhana of
prakrti. And practicing the sadhana of prakrti refers to what?
- our Tantra sadhana.
In its essence, this Tantra sadhana, the sadhana of prakrti is
designed to be pursued and accomplished by all. Artificial division and
sub-division among and within religions, however, not only prevents
realization from being accessible to everyone, but moreover casts a spell
of ignorance under which the true tenets of the spiritual search remain
obscured. Yet such segmentation occurs as an omnipresent phenomenon
in present-day society.
We have been circumventing this Tantra sadhana in many
respects. There is a separate Saiva sadhana, a separate Tantra
sadhana; Vaisnava is different, Christian is different,
Muslim is different - like this it has been scattered into
separate fractions. What happened owing to these split-ups?
Any one person in any one society looks upon something
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Baul philosophy
specific which he regards to be the greatest. Now, that which
is the real sentiment, the genuine thought, this we keep
forgetting; these tenets we have pushed far away. Having
discarded them, we inquire into our inner being in order to
discover something new which to proclaim as the ultimate
truth, which to declare to be sadhana - not like this!
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Baul philosophy
keeping them alive, these women nowadays accomplish
tremendous tasks in this country. That means this power has
been awakened from within them. For this reason, sakti
sadhana reached out to everyone, and owing to its reaching
out, everything has become easy for today's humans.
Whatever they intend to undertake, the task is accomplished
easily, and progress is obtained.
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Baul philosophy
And sadhana, for this reason, remains the first and foremost
requirement for the Baul on his path of attainment.
He may sing, play musical instruments, travel around, mix
with all, do whatever - but sadhana is a must. He has to
practice sadhana.
For as long as sadhana is not performed, for as long as he omits
sadhana from his spiritual activities, a striver does not qualify as a Baul.
It is by virtue of earnestly pursuing and accomplishing his sadhana that
the Baul turns into a Baul, and not by efforts directed merely at the outer
image.
If he sings, then he becomes a Baul artiste. Being a Baul
artiste, what does he achieve through this? He earns money,
earns himself a name, acquires fame - all these will happen.
But the BauFs spiritual essence, the Baul's sadhana, the
Baul's duties and tasks, these will be lost. And these being
lost, what ensues? - an entire society will be destroyed, that
means will be neglected, all along the line.
Therefore, rather than neglecting it at every point, if the
practice of sadhana emerges into the visible - so that if I
believe in myself, then I will believe in someone else as well;
if I believe in someone else then I will believe in the guru;
believing in the guru I will be able to believe in the world in that case, these wars that are going on nowadays, mutual
fighting and killing, violence and hot disputes, all this which
is happening in various ways, these things however would
come to an end. Why? The BauFs sadhana says Worship man, serve man in man, Lord Hah lives forth.
The roamer of the universe assuming human form,
in aeon after aeon is He revealed.
In human association, in the gathering of humans
deliver your life at the feet of man.
Attaining the Supreme Being in man
arises the vision of Radha-Syama.
379
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Baid philosophy
They would have remained together - the onefs grief being
the other's grief; both jointly they would have faced
everything. But as soon as unbalance occurs in the one or
other of them, things like this are happening.
381
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Baul philosophy
383
3 84
Baul philosophy
would suffer. Therefore, some of those widows tried to
escape from all that by leaving for Vrindaban. Coming to
Vrindaban, they found a place to stay, and they had to recite
the name, Lord Hari's name. Doing so, they were given food
twice a day, and they remained sitting and uttering the name.
Well, they would not need anything else - they might thus
keep earning a few paise, get some cloth or garment, like
this. There was no way for them to live in peace and
happiness, so they would get along in this manner.
Therefore, however much devotion and faith had been
circulating in Vrindaban, owing to all this these qualities are
gradually disappearing, are withdrawing, because those
people are not able to take them in. They cannot properly
realize them, cannot utter Lord Hari's name properly. And
what else happens on top of it? - the women are being
suppressed there. The native people of Vraja used to never
ever oppress women; now this has begun to be the case. For
this reason, if all these things could be somehow set into the
right balance, then I think a little more peace would arise,
and faith and devotion would return to Vrindaban.
385
How much suffering does humanity impose upon itself for the
sake of trivial desires! In order that this suffering be brought to an end,
in order that the most precious property of mankind be preserved for
times to come, what is it that we have to do? - to renounce. To renouce
ordinariness, to give up all aspirations for the insignificant, to stop
making concessions to short-lived temptations, nay, to leave behind the
very thought of them.
Renunciation, thus, constitutes the primary and sole path towards
spiritual emancipation, towards liberation of the human self from the
fetters of inferiority. Without the ability to renounce, without the
strength to abstain, lasting relief from the various evils afflicting presentday human life cannot be found, because in renunciation lies the root of
virtuousness. Therefore, renunciation represents the supreme
manifestation of religion.
The most excellent religion, the most excellent sadhana: this
sadhana is renunciation. If I am able to renounce -1 am not
going to eat, and hunger, desire for food, no, these are gone
from my mind-1 will not eat, and I do not need anything to
eat. There are many sadhus who eat nothing for twelve
years. Then there are those who stay awake for twelve years,
sitting in some spot inside the earth, in some cave; they do
not eat, do nothing, yet they remain fully alive. That means
they have abandoned all needs: I do not need it, I do not
need anything.
How does such perfect renunciation become possible? - through
surrender, through complete surrender to the aspired divinity, delivering
one's entire self to the Supreme Being. If such a state of unconditional is
accomplished, then no deficiency remains, for no need is left unfulfilled
once man attain* to the Highest in which rests but everything. Hence
what is the point in cherishing desires for the partial if fullness is already
obtained? Therefore - keep for Thyself what is Thy own things: I want but Thee.
That means through contemplation one becomes fulfilled in
union with Him. One's eating and drinking is thus
accomplished, one's everything is being satisfied
386
Baul philosophy
387
That is to say whatever man needs for survival, whatever at all is needed
for the continuation of universal life, it rests in Him and is apprehended
through the properties of nature. The task of the human being hence
consists not so much in creating the means of subsistence, but rather in
realizing and knowingly partaking of that which is already there,
enwrapped in the manifest extension of the unmanifest reality.
In this very manner, it is necessary to know which root out
of the roots of any one plant can reinvigorate the human
organism and supply man for some time with sufficient
liquid. The wise persons, preceptors, Vaisnavas - all of them
would know. Why would they know this? Because they
trust their own soul.
Faith in one's own soul, faith in the infinite revealed within the
finite, faith in the Supreme Reality that rests at the core of the human
heart signifies the most imperative commandment if realization is to be
attained Once confidence in the soul has been established, man becomes
able to comprehend the speech of the divinity translated by his inner
voice, and it is for this reason alone that an accomplished person
acquires knowledge of the universal truth from within his own self
rather than by resorting to scientific wisdom which is partial in any case.
The one who trusts his own soul is therefore in a position to bring to
perfection whatever task his mind directs him to do.
This is because God Himself furnishes that person with the
necessary strength. And once he has become entirely
accomplished, then his pronouncements will be fulfilled and
things are bound to turn out the way he indicates them. Now
if I wanted to perceive this as a miracle - it is not so.
Miracles don't occur. What happens here is that the person
has practiced sadhana, has become accomplished, hence his
predictions come true. Out of this mental state, from the
388
Baul philosophy
depth of his heart he will say I am doing it like this, and it
will come out well - and so it does.
389
not properly aroused but remains undiscerned and hidden in the inner
spheres of being, humanity will not be able to grow into a homogeneous
whole. Then, distinctness and discrimination of various kinds prevail,
and universal harmony keeps itself aloof as a distant ideal Once the
indwelling forces are made to rise, however, all difference dissolves and
gives way to oneness, to uniformity, to sameness. In order to achieve
this unity, sadhana is indispensable, yet man tends to evade the vital
duty of self-realization, unwilling to sacrifice his time and to invest his
effort in the spiritual practice. Why is it so?
During this time which has to be afforded, a person would
rather think about chasing wealth. If he uses that time to
acquire money, he will earn a lot, he will be able to gain
much. Therefore, man has somehow become lazy. Some
people, having gained excessively, become absorbed in that.
Others perhaps, while already acquiring in excess, become
eager to obtain yet more. As much as they are receiving, that
much more they want; it never comes to an end. Why not?
Wealth does not stop flowing, and the one who takes can
never get enough.
Plainly speaking, such an attitude reflects what? Greed.
Covetousness. Inordinate desire and longing for inferior objects.
Submerging in triviality, man loses himself in the abyss of the ordinary
and forfeits his claim to the riches to which he is entitled by virtue of his
human birth. Therefore, in order that this most valuable human property
not be lost, it is the duty of each and every human to raise himself from
the gutters of selfish materialism and to direct his mind towards the true
essence of being. Doing so, once the sight of the real destination
emerges before the inner eye, it is then that man becomes able to
contemplate on the Supreme Being, to perceive the energy of conscious
bliss, and what is more, to surrender himself fully and entirely to the
divinity. Complete surrender requires spiritual strength, and this willforce and inner power is attained only and alone through sadhana. If
sadhana is not performed - just as I am talking about the concerns of the Bauls, it is for
every single matter that one has to practice sadhana. Of
whatever kind the seeker, for whatever task he strives, in
390
Baul philosophy
order to accomplish his spiritual effort he has to pursue
sadhana with singular dedication. And this sadhana is
necessary.
391
392
Baud philosophy
which reason the Bauls pay much attention to this element of the
spiritual practice.
The various principles and mechanisms effective within the
body must be distinguished and realized: which function
rests in which place. Thus, nine doors, sixteen locks - which
door's key have you lost? There are nine doors of mine;
now, which door out of these nine doors is it that I did not
lock, or whose key I did misplace, did lose, or where I kept
the key inside? - like this it comes. So it is said there are nine
doors within us - that means our inherent enemies, the nine
enemies: eyes, nostrils, ears; then hands and feet, if we count
all these3 there will be many more of them. But those who
can take in and release the air, these are the ears, the nostrils,
the eyes, the mouth etc.; they are able to let the air in and out,
in and out. If these can be kept clear, then no filth, no soil
will remain within us. That means like a good plumber - if
the plumber is skilled, then the area will have no problems in
water supply. The water will be able to run at any time, and
the outlet to discharge the sewage, this drain will be kept in a
proper condition, hence the continuity of the flow is
maintained intact. So in order to accomplish this, it requires
sadhana. What those plumbers are doing - our sadhana
functions in the same manner.
And for the sake of learning this sadhana, one must resort to
the guru. The gum will point out by screwing up what and
to which extent that much is achieved. Therefore it is said in
one of our songs, a song of Lai on Twisting upward, you are sitting locked up,
proceeding to the upper region...
Proceeding upward means to the top of the head, that which
is called to sit by the bank of Biraja4. So here it is said,
3
That is, the five forces of perception and the five forces of action (which add up to
sixteen together with the six inborn enemies desire, anger etc.) if counted in addition
to the nine inlets and outlets (i.e. 'doors') of the human body.
the transcendental river, Biraja, i.e. the topmost bodily region
393
3 94
Baul philosophy
The way my braid is, like this it will remain;
I will not wet my hair.
I shall plunge into the water, splash waterthe water, though, I won't touch.
That means I shall remain amid all, yet I will not become
implicated in anything. If one is able to adopt and maintain
this unattached attitude, then this is to say one has acquired
control over oneself and is making progress in onefs
sadhana. But if this ability is not achieved, if you lose
yourself in whatever you see, if you forsake your identity in
it, then nothing will be attained. What needs to be done at
this point is that you mix with everybody, do whatever; go
wherever, but keep an eye on yourself. That means retain
your control, be cautious about yourself. It is for this reason
that our accomplished strivers say, sadhu - be cautious,
again cautious, once more cautious. That means cautiousness
is demanded time and again lest your treasure inherited from
the guru be lost. Because once this has been lost, you are but
destined to decline speedily. And in order that this downfall
may not happen, one has to sit with the spiritual master, has
to associate with virtuous people, has to keep virtuous
company. What does this lead to? - the roads become clear.
Once the paths have been cleared, one is able to advance.
One is able to proceed to whatever extent - if not fully, then
at least some steps ahead can be taken. This is how it
functions.
(16)
Samgita sadhana
Sadhana is practiced in many ways, and likewise diversified are
the methods of worshiping the revered divinity. Yet within the multitude
of eligible spiritual approaches, there is one mode of worship which
excels all other practices in its intensity and spiritual effectiveness:
music. Music constitutes the aesthetic expression of universal harmony
in which sound, rhythm and speech come to confluence and proceed in
perfect oneness, united in the forceful current of most sublime human
emotionality. The superiority of music as a vehicle on the path of
accomplishment designed to outvalue accustomed ritual tools and
spiritual exercises rests in its capacity to touch man at the innermost core
of his heart and to call forth the emotional essence of humanness from
the depth of the human soul - the essence of love, of faith, of devotion
which dwells intrinsically in each and every human being as the most
precious treasure inherited through the human birth.
What is it that endows music with the ability to awaken the human
spiritual property and bring to life its inherent energy of bliss? By which
virtue does music qualify as the means par excellence to accomplish the
unity of the infinite essence with its finite embodiments and to realize the
cosquc ideal of love in the concrete incarnation of the human being? The
answer lies in the fact that music embodies the supreme principle of
oneness rooted in the Universal Being: music incorporates in itself the
manifest and the unmanifest, the bounded and the boundless, the
transient and the perennial. Representing in one single cadence both the
perceptible reality of the sound and the imperceptible spiritual energy
acting at its base, music thus turns into the ultimate expression of
consummate union between the two existential forces sustaining the
progression of life in universal dimensions, and it is in music that man
finds his quintessential quest for oneness with the Supreme Divinity
articulated in a most fulfilled, yet most immediate and spontaneous
manner.
Through its innate spiritual integrity, music moreover acquires the
strength to evoke in man the experience of unbounded bliss prompted
by the divine vision, which arises before the inner eye once the
emotional sensor of the human heart has been tuned in to the frequency
emitted by the cosmic reality. Having brought himself fully in line with
396
Baul philosophy
the aspired divinity, man becomes able to surrender his entire being to
the Universal Self, and since the spiritual bond is easiest established by
way of music, it is in music that this surrender is achieved to the utmost
extent. Music thereby substantially facilitates the easy path towards
spiritual accomplishment. Having realized the intrinsic virtues and
spiritual excellence of music as a tool to attain to the Highest, the Bauls
follow the easy path by performing their sadhana through music as the
principal vehicle to take the striver to the destination of his spiritual
journey on a direct and speedy route.
My father Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was a most excellent
sadhu. He was widely famous and had a name as a Baul
sadhaka, singer and author. Therefore, Rabindranath Tagore
used to revere him very much, and had him compose the
melodies for many of his songs. Rabindranath Tagore
himself, however, wrote songs of such exceptional beauty
which surpasses by far the charm of the original Baul songs,
and in these he surrenders himself so fully to the lord that
these songs represent something unprecedented, unexcelled that means, it cannot be described. So the family heritage of
this Nabani Das was inherited by me. The way of singing,
the instrumental play and dance which I practice were all
handed down to me by my father. My father is my iksa
guru, my teacher, and everything with regard to song and to
sadhana, including the Bauls1 various secret sadhanas, I
learnt from my father. My father used to say that svara - the
sadhana of svara, the sadhana through the melody is the
highest sadhana. This sadhana constitutes such a noble and
excellent sadhana through which God is worshiped in a
manner so spontaneous and simple as it is not achieved in
any other sadhana.
The sadhana through music opens the easiest path for man to
relate himself to the beloved divinity in a most intimate way and thereby
to establish the direct emotional contact with the sublime manifestation
of universal love settled on the transcendental plane, with the Divine
Being -
Samgita sadhana
397
- the one whom we call God, whom we call the Man of the
Heart, or whatever. He, however, is the Radiant Man, our
Man of the Heart, whom we apprehend by calling Him our
very own, closest person, and whom we conceive as our
most intimate one. Therefore, the Bauls would often refer to
Him as the Lord of life. Oh Lord of my life! - that means
Thou art the Lord of my life, and none else. For this reason,
they would worship this Man of the Heart with a wholly
female attitude.
Worshiping the Supreme Lord with the woman's attitude signifies
devotion taken to its utmost degree of intensity, and it is this very
approach that characterizes the Baul's relationship with his inner
divinity.
Veneration of the Supreme Divinity through the medium of music
and song constitutes the Bauls1 most well-known and widely recognized
path of worship. The methods and tenets of this path have perhaps not
been disclosed among all Bauls, yet a number of Bauls are familiar with
them and have succeeded in pursuing music and sadhana side by side in
a well-balanced combination. In what way does it become feasible to
maintain sadhana and music harmoniously and to make these two
essential aspects of the spiritual practice act uniformly with proper
balance? If music and sadhana are meant to function homogeneously,
music must be practiced in such a manner as to ensure that sadhana is
being executed through the musical exercise itself. How do the two
components complement each other in the concrete, and how does their
union take effect on the process of spiritual advancement?
Samgita sadhana, the sadhana through music implies to
perform sadhana while practicing the music, and singing
signifies yoga. Singing would be practiced while keeping
both aspects together. Just like uttering the initial invocation
'hholar mon* which is pronounced to intone a melody:
alongwith these syllables, pranayama would be executed.
The factor decisive for the successful integration of singing into
sadhana, of sadhana into singing rests in the inherent force of control
that governs both sadhana and the rendition of music. If this controlling
398
Baul philosophy
Saingita sadhana
399
Osho, The Dhammapada: the way of the Buddha, quoted in The Times of India,
19 January 2002
2
Rabindranath Tagore
400
Baul philosophy
everything quickly, to adopt and carry out everything
speedily.
Therefore, once true knowledge is born in the human mind, the divine
manifestation lives forth within man, and the person thus enlightened
becomes blessed with the grace of the divinity. The grace of the divinity
is whose grace? - the grace of the guru.
This grace of the guru is the grace of Krsna, the grace of
Allah, the grace of God. That means the grace of the guru is
but everything - guru krpa hikevalanh
The grace of the guru is the highest grace to be attained, the most
precious spiritual gift to be bestowed upon a human being, in the light of
which everything else turns utterly trivial and insignificant
Everything else is kept aside; that is the flow of knowledge
which can be obtained through books. But this is man's
sadhana in its entirety - the sidhana whose knowledge is not found in books as the lifeless
testimonies of rationality, but in the living experience of the allpervading emotional energy touching to the bottom of the human heart.
And it is this very experience, the most excellent reward of the spiritual
journey, which the Bauls articulate in their songs, thereby providing
clear indications as to the course that has to be taken if the spiritual
practice is meant to yield results.
It is expressed in the songs where I am, where I will go,
what I will do and what I won't do - everything is
pronounced in the songs. Thereupon it is said which lotus
rests in which place, which lotus ha& which function; these
matters are revealed through the songs. From here, one
proceeds to the kulakundalini, from there one proceeds to
muladhara, from there one proceeds to svadhisthana,from
there one reaqjies biraja - in this manner, slowly and
gradually, the path of going and coming enters the range of
the visible. Just as the course of an airplane is not easily seen
by the eye, but those who navigate the airplane, those who
are the experienced pilots, they recognize the route while
Samgita sadhana
401
402
Baul philosophy
Samgita sadhana
403
404
Ba ul philosophy
snake, the tiger, the lion, all these ferocious beats can be
tamed by way of music, through the musical melody.
Elephants are brought under control through song.
Samgita sadhana
405
406
Ba ul philosophy
Samgita sadhana
407
ibid
408
Baul philosophy
- the transcendental essence within the human being merges into the
transcendental essence which is the Supreme Being, the essence of
essences, the quintessence of cosmic life. That means the human soul
and the Supreme Soul have then become one; then, the union of atrna
and paramatma,
of the soul with the Supreme Soul has been
accomplished.
Once the supreme union of love has turned real, once the human
soul has met 'the paramatman, the supreme soul [who] has himself
chosen this soul of ours as his bride and the marriage has been
completed'9, of what kind is the experience that ensues? Of what sort is
the sentiment born in the heart of man once his ultimate quest has been
fulfilled?
Uniting with the Supreme Soul, it is then that he gets to see
the power of conscious bliss, cidananda sakti. Then, he
conceives the blissful power. Then, he realizes the energy of
bliss within bliss: the hladini iakti, the supreme energy of
conscious bliss. Once a person visions this hladini akti
within his own self, he has attained but everything; then, he
desires nothing more in the world.
Samgita sadhana
409
410
Baul philosophy
blocks out those averse forces, enclosing the striver to four
sides so as to give him proper protection in order that he not
be destroyed Like this, year after year goes by; some sadhus
live on for a hundred years, for two hundred years, for five
hundred years, for a thousand years. So if a human body can
survive for a thousand years, then the testimony for this is
sadhana, is dhyanR.
Samgita sadhana
411
412
Baul philosophy
For this reason, sadhana and music must be kept side by side in a proper
balance, and utmost care has to be taken in order to ensure that both
activities are pursued as separate constituents of the spiritual practice
without melding them into a confused compound.
Once singing and sadhana get tied into one and proceed
together, then each one of them looks after die respective
other. Entering this condition, the two of them control each
other; such is the task of both of them while remaining
beside one another. Just like the negative and the positive
currents flowing next to each other, once they are joined
together what happens? - they burn. If both of them run side
by side evenly contested, then nothing happens to them, but
as soon as they merge into each other, they get fused.
Therefore, one has to watch out that they do not fuse. One
has to check whether the fuse is fitted in the correct place,
whether it has been blown or functions properly.
The authority to verify whether or not the mechanism of sadhana
is intact and fully efficient rests with whom? - with the spiritual master.
The task of controlling is assigned to the sadguru who possesses the
sole qualification to determine the level of spiritual consistency. The
guru, therefore, represents whom? - the Supreme Divinity Ownself.
The guru himself is parama brahma, the Absolute Being.
The guru is everything. So if this guru can be contemplated
upon single-mindedly, with singular thought, then the guru
reaches muladhara. Having entered muladhara, he begins to
work therein. That means in whichever place he rests - all
gurus represent but one and the same soul. That is who? the Supreme Being, parama brahma*
Acknowledging the full integrity of the Supreme Being as the one
undivided Absolute Truth, the Bauls become thus able to realize and
revere the divine reality in each and every concrete extension perceived
by human spiritual thought. This capacity to embrace all religious
manifestations likewise with devotional fervor and faith constitutes the
basis for the religion of man, for the religion of humanity which is
man's most precious spiritual treasure upon accomplishing which peace
Samgita sadhana
413
10
Caitanya-Bhagavata, Adi-khanda 11.73-8 ... sobiri eJa iivoi //nam matro bhed kore
hinduye jovone / poromarthe ek kohe korane purane // ek uddho nityo bostu
okhondo obyoy /poripurno hoi boise sobar hrdoy //sei probhujarc jen laojajen mon
/sei mon kormo koto sokol-bhuvon // se probhur nam-gun sokol jogotc / bolen
sokol matio wjo-iastio mote //je ISvor se puni sobar bhir loy /...
414
Raul philosophy
Saingita sadhana
415
- and this is the core intent of Baul sadhana: passing through the
manifold rivers of existence to cross over to the shore of knowledge - of
knowledge of the Ultimate Reality, of knowledge which is born out of
the supreme transcendental experience attained once the boat of sadhana
has carried the striver to the sea of the Infinite, where all currents come
to confluence in one single instant of bliss.
Religion represents a phenomenon that reveals itself in a manifold
variety of shapes and appearances, yet whose essence remains the same
no matter which form it assumes outwardly. Traveling along the path of
religion, therefore, the wayfarer is inevitably taken to the one single
roundabout from which all the diverse roads lead off: it is from here that
the journey begins into any one direction, and it is here where the
destination is ultimately reached
So long I have dealt with both music and sadhana alongside
each other, in between referring to the tenets of the various
religions. This is because, as one gets on proceeding on the
road, half-way there is a place called Gol Park11, a circle out
of which many roads extend. In some place there may be
four roads, in some place five, in some place six. If I go to
Paris, there is one location where I will see sixteen roads
depart; going about that round there are sixteen roads
spreading out. Moving off like this, going on and on, about
mid-way all those religions are brought together. In this
manner, which road has to be taken in order to proceed in
which respective way, which road is which - all these facts
have been determined in writing. Therefore, talking over and
over one has to speak about all religions, and one and the
same theme recurs time and again. Why does it return?
Because at the center there is this one place where all the
different roads are being compounded. This is Gol Park, this
is the round - completing the whole round one reaches there.
This round, this rotary signifies what? - the Supreme Reality, the
undivided Absolute Being sought and realized in all religions. The roads
towards this Absolute Reality may carry different names, the routes may
11
a Calcutta roundabout
416
Baul philosophy
Samgita sadhana
417
property; it is then that he finds his most intense longing fulfilled all by
itself. Apprehending the inner divinity, no further goal remains to be
achieved, and man can turn to that which is now his immediate task
What is it that we have to do next? Now, we have to toil so
as to orderly arrange this property of ours within us, store
by store, setting things up one by one in a proper place. Just
like any one raga - out of seven notes, within the range of
seven notes, manifold ragas are created. Six ragas and thirtysix raginis had been brought forth already, and now, how
many more raginis have been constructed! Any one Ustad
creates any one raga. Why would he do so? Because he
realizes that from within those seven notes - perhaps I do
something using Pa and Ga. Then I do something from Pa
and Ni. Well, from there on maybe I could do something
between Ga and Pa. Alright, having reached here I do
something from Sa to Sa. Fine, now if from that point I
proceed from Pa to Ga, it is not going to hurt me- Applying
this note in that place, if I emphasize it, then what impression
would I get? - in this manner he moves ahead. Getting on
and on, ever new ragas come into being, one after another.
Likewise in the process of our Baul sadhana, while
continuing to practice sadhana in this manner, what do we
do? - creating any one Baul.
How is the Baul called forth from within the human reality? In
what way is the Baul brought into existence? The fundamental
substance, the potential to develop the spiritual qualities of a Baul is
intrinsically evident in each and every human being, hence man's
primary task is to stimulate and arouse the sublime spirit concealed in
the depth of the human heart. Of what kind is this emotional fluid? It is
the sentiment of the Baul's heart, the quintessence of spiritual pureness
that rests in every person's heart. This most refined inner presence must
be made to rise in man's consciousness. Awareness is achieved in what
manner? The Baul's heart dwells as a hidden force in the heart of every
human, but it remains very much a secret energy until it becomes
awakened Once this innate power is raised from the level of the
subconscious to the sphere of consciousness, what happens? Then, a
person acquires the full spiritual condition of a Baul; then, he inwardly
418
Baul philosophy
turns bauliya - that means, the BauFs heart begins to work from within
him. How does this state manifest itself?
Then he forgets. He forgets to eat, he forgets to walk whatever he had been doing for himself, he forgets it;
everything he forgets. He moves about within forgetfulness.
Therefore, before rendering a song, the melody is intoned on
the exclamation bholar mon - 4oh forgetful heart'. Why is
this to be done? This forgetful heart - this heart of ours, it is
forgetful. Why is it forgetful? So many things I am doing,
yet I keep forgetting everything. If I could retain the memory
of all these things,..
If the Bauls would have kept their memory vivid throughout
centuries of their history, then the foundation for the preservation and
propagation of their spiritual heritage would have been laid much earlier,
and the priceless treasure would have been secured for generations to
come. Immersing themselves in the stream of forgetfulness, oblivious of
anything outside their own inner being, however, the Bauls did not toil
to maintain any records of themselves. Yet for the benefit of humanity in
its entirety, it is most vital to safeguard the Bauls' ideology of
humanness and to uphold the precious spiritual property so that future
generations can partake of it.
For so many days there was no propagation, hence
generation after generation failed to make any efforts to keep
these tenets alive. Therefore - just as I am the eighth
generation, my sons are the ninth generation; if my
grandsons can sustain it, then ten generations will be
running. So up to these ten generations, the precepts were
handed down in one family. I may have said something,
which they would listen to and remember - and so on and so
forth.
In this manner, family lineages have so far acted as the only factor
to ensure the survival of Baul thinking. The Baul's spiritual gift,
however, is meant for the good of all humans, hence it must be brought
over to mankind as a whole. It is for this reason that the Bauls travel
from place to place in their endeavor to instruct people in spiritual
Samgite sadhana
419
matters, to open man's eyes for the true reality hidden at the core of his
own inner self Traversing countries near and far, the Baul is thereby
able to make every place his homeland, and no country remains alien to
him. Why is it so?
There is no country here and there; everything is near us.
Our foreign country is the backward direction: that which I
cannot see turns then into the alien land. If I can see that
which is behind me, then it won't be foreign, then it will
become my own land. However far my angle ranges into
this direction, however much I see, that much is my country.
And as soon as I turn to another direction, to the back side,
then it becomes the foreign land. Why am I saying foreign
land? - because I am a foreigner. I do not realize, I cannot
see, it is unknown to me. That means I am not familiar with
it, am I? - I do not know what is behind me. That is
unrecognized by me. Unrecognized means foreigner. And
that which I recognize is mine - is belonging to my country,
is my own. This I am drawing close to me, that means it has
enclosed me within oneness. That is to say, as far as my
eyes extend, within this boundary I reach out to it - like this.
Because of his ability to accept every person and every place as
his own, the Baul is in a position to extend his love to the entire world,
hence his message is of universal appeal. Baul thought represents a
powerful spiritual current of such kind whose relevance is not restricted
to a limited circle of strivers, whose meaningful weight does not remain
confined within the boundaries of a single country. Rather, Baul
philosophy contains the vital spiritual essence upon apprehending which
man can become human, and upon realizing which humans will be able
to establish peace and harmony among themselves and with their
surroundings. Therefore, preserving the fundamentals of Baul thinking
and propagating these most valuable tenets among human society is not
only necessary in order to make man's life more attractive and
worthwhile; it is moreover crucial for the continuation of human life as
such.
For this reason it is of utmost significance to bring the intricate
theories of Baul sadhana over to the people in an easily comprehensible
420
Baul philosophy
way, thereby supplying mankind with the essentials of human life laid
out in a properly arranged, orderly manner. If this task is approached
authoritatively, future generations will benefit and, searching for the
deeper truth and inquiring into its subtle layers, will receive the response
to man's permanent quest and will partake of its fruit. Once the Baul's
spiritual heritage reaches out to the public in a very uncomplicated and
accessible form, once the Baul's truthfulness and inner emotion, his
intrinsic virtuousness, his devotion, his faith are pronounced and
explained sensitively and with competent knowledge, then man will be
able to understand the Baul's plea. Then, the core essence of even the
Baul's most severe and powerful spiritual pursuits will begin to take
effect upon humanity in its entirety.
If this goal is intended to be achieved, however, the Baul must be
given voice. Continuing to practice their sadhana throughout ages of
their existence, the Bauls have now taken it up to a point where
propagation has become an imperative. In previous times, it was the
Bauls themselves who concealed their spiritual property lest it falls into
the hands of those not qualified to uphold it.
Therefore what did the Bauls do? For so many days they
mingled and mixed with others very little. They kept
themselves confined, and they had erected a boundary
around themselves from within which they would not
venture out. They would not speak to anyone. For this
reason their story remained secret. And out of this
consideration they would say, do not disclose the Baul's
spiritual matters - be cautious for yourself. That means I am
protecting myself - don't talk, don't reveal the tenets of
sadhana, another person will get to know them. Knowing
them, he will practice it, hence don't tell to him. But it did
not occur to them that the thing would flourish orice they
spoke about it. It is with this thought in mind that 1 do speak
nowadays, and I am talking about these things in order to
keep them alive so that people in aeon after aeon can partake
of them.
As long as the Baul's spiritual treasure is sustained through all
times and for generations to come, the Baul himself attains immortality
Samgita sadhana
421
and lives on in age after age. In what manner does he stay alive? He
lives forth through the spirit of his actions. It is the fruit of his efforts
that remains and is tasted by the children of tomorrow. Once the
spiritual essence of Baul sadftana has reached humanity, once its tenets
have settled in the heart of the people, the Baul survives in them.
Whatever else may happen, may be burnt, may be destroyed
- but these tenets, once people make them cling to their
minds; once these theories appear before the people,
descending upon them they enter the heart, and having
entered, they remain alive forever in the guise of
achievements.
Therefore, the Baul never dies because his inner essence, the reality of
his existence, is indestructible.
The Baul says, for me there is no death. The Baul says,
having died I will be gone - no, I won't be gone. I remain
within myself. The body may be transrnutabie; I may put on
a new dress, throwing the useless, worn-out cloth. That
means taking up a new vessel I have emerged once more. In
this manner once the Absolute Being, brahma, is created brahma does not dissolve. Brahma does never ever vanish.
So if the Absolute Being does not perish - I am but a
creature of this Absolute Being, how then would I meet
destruction? Hence I do not disappear. It is within brahma
that I exist, so I am undying. If I insist on saying that I have
died, I am finished - this is not the case. My deeds are alive.
It is there that I survive. Wherever I have accomplished any
works, it is in them that I live forth. In many places I am
alive. So why then would I die - 1 have no death.
The root for the Baul's deathlessness rests in his selfless
dedication to humanity, in the fact that he gives out his entire being for
the sake of serving man. Doing so, he devotes himself wholly to his
noble task, knowing that it is God Himself who will take care of all his
needs. What is more, the Baul never ever cherishes even the slightest
desire for the fruit of his actions, since this fruit is the highest offering
he has to make to his fellow humans.
422
Baul philosophy
Thus the Baul says, look, you do your sadhana - it is Him
who will carry out your tasks. If you aim at the fruit, if you
aspire the fruit, then you will fall. Obtaining the fruit, you
will not gain anything. Why not? Earning the fruit in order to
eat it, if you think that way then your task will not improveBut if you consider to uphold the fruit, to bring it forth, to
design it and make it grow so that five people will eatr ten
people will eat - thinking for the benefit often people, you
will accomplish an end which is much higher than eating the
fruit yourself. Why so? I have eaten; whatever I understood
to acquire - it is me who has understood it. But if another
five people were to understand the worth of it, then this
would be much better.
It is those who think beyond the limits of their own self, those
who are concerned about the well-being of others rather than indulging
in mere self-gratification who stay eternally alive through the spirit of
their virtuous acts. Whatever achievements man has made in the course
of his millenia-old history, whatever progress humanity has attained on
its path of development, all advancement was accomplished by those
selfless individuals who spared no pains to lead mankind on the way
towards perfection, towards realization. It is them who searched for the
truth of existence, who came forward with magnificent creations
designed for the good of humankind. And it is them to be credited with
the tremendous progress achieved by man up to the present day.
My father and mother, or my grandfather - my elders, those
who are very old, my grandparents and their parents, if I
look at them and think of them one after another, they did
not bother about computers at their time. We are able to talk
on satellite telephones, we can watch television, or transmit
speech on radio, but they never ever thought of such things.
They did not think then; it is us who think how to make
things easy and bring them yet closer. For example if I am
talking on the telephone and at the same time I can see the
other person, can see who is calling me. So if things are
coming their way that easily, that means nothing is far away.
It is us who are keeping things at distance, that is why it
remains afar. In reality it is quite simple; our flow of thought
Samgita sadhana
423
has now been able to bring things within very close range.
Therefore everything has become easy.
What is the secret of achievement? It is faith - confidence in one's
own ability to achieve. For as long as man's mind remains doubtful, for
as long &* the unattained is conceived as unattainable, it is unattainable.
As soon as one becomes convinced that an end can be accomplished,
however, it is accomplished That is to say, hope alone is not sufficient
unless it is paired with belief, with firm trust in the object ultimately
turning real, for the bud of hope cannot unfold into a flower if it is not
nourished by faith - by faith in God as the supreme mentor and protector
of the human being.
Faith is a rare gift of God granted only to humans, and it
forms the basis of human relationships... .for a seeker of
salvation, a prime requirement is faith or sbraddha in God.
.. ,faith in God must be reasoned... .Faith is beyond belief
Belief is superficial and can be easily shaken; faith is firm
and makes one steadfast. ...Faith in God is a source of
strength and hope. True faith compels even Lord Krishna
to personally come to the aid of His devotees. ...It is
possible for a human being to betray another's faith, but
God never betrays the faith of his Devotee12 -
12
424
Baul philosophy
everything is our own, nothing is distant. Everything,
everyone is close to me. This is the Baul's quintessential
thought.
How does the Baul establish and steadily maintain his inner
confidence? - through unswerving faith in the guru as the sole authority
to guide him along the path of existence. The Baul acknowledges the
guru as the human embodiment of the supreme transcendental reality, of
the Ultimate Being, hence the guru represents the Baul's highest
divinity. Thus the Baul submits himself to the guru full-heartedly with
his entire self, recognizing the divine nature and all-pervading presence
of the spiritual master.
The Bauls say that these human divinities who have emerged
these days, all of them were but humans. They appeared as
humans. Therefore we have accepted them here as gurus.
Why? Because they gave directives regarding the path. Such
as the principal at college who instructs me. He teaches me
something useful, reading from a book he makes me
understand its meaning, So if he is able to explain the inner
significance properly, then that is to say he is one guru.
Likewise, any one avatara, any one incarnation who became
manifest, they provided guidance on the path in this very
manner. That means they are our gurus. For this reason we
hold the guru in utmost reverence.
But who is he, that most capable, respectable divinity? Who,
verily, is the guru, who is the spiritual master? The Upanisad replies,
The teacher is he who knows the Eternal Wisdom,
the Veda, who is devoted to the all-pervader
Visnu, who knows no arrogance, who knows the
method of yoga, ever stands upon yoga and has
become yoga itself; who is pure, who is devoted
to his teachers and who has witnessed the
Supreme Man. He who possesses all these virtues
is called a dispeller of darkness,..
13
Samgita sadhana
425
The guru is a person equipped with divine knowledge, who has attained
the experience of the Supreme Divinity and in whom the immanent
spiritual energy has been fully awakened
Gurus are those who are avataras, who are embodiments of
the divinity, who are superhumans, who take us from
darkness to light: in the syllable gu rests darkness, in the
syllable ru dwells light - the syllable gu means darkness, the syllable ru
means dispeller: he is therefore called a guru
because he dispels darkness -
14
ibid
426
Baul philosophy
Sarnglta. sadhana
remain always saying that you are mine - guru, Thou art
everything.
The gura is but everything, the gum is man's supreme resort:
The guru is the supreme cause, the guru is the
ultimate destiny, the guru is transcendent
sapience, the guru is the supreme resort, the guru
is the final limit, the guru is the supreme wealth.
Because he teaches that - the essence of essences,
the quintessence of existence -, the guru is most
excellent.
15
ibid
427
Puma Das Baul was the first to bring the unique Bau
tradition to Indian cities and the West...
(17)
Guruvada
The Baiil's highest spiritual authority, his most faithfully
worshiped divinity and ultimate spiritual refuge is the guru. Just as
Upanisadic philosophy recognizes the guru as the supreme cause, the
final destiny, transcendent wisdom, the supreme resort, the utmost limit,
the supreme wealth1, in the same manner the Baul acknowledges the
absolute and unmitigated competency of the Supreme Master as the sole
steersman of existence. It is the guru whose all-pervading grace and
spirit of brilliance upholds the motion of the universe, whose subtle
presence shapes the form of manifest realities and fills the animate
creatures with live. Therefore, it is the guru alone at whose will all action
is accomplished. Discerning the prime energy of being resting in the
person of the guru and revealed through the power of His blessing, the
Bauls direct their first and most reverential salutation to the gum
When we make obeisance to the guru, then the very first
invocation is gurur brahma gurur visnuh gururdevo mahe&varah /
gurur eva parambrahma tasmai ri gurave namah //
Before anything else, it is stated that 'the guru is Brahma, the
guru is Visnu, the Supreme Preceptor is Mahe&vara; the
guru alone is the Absolute Being - to this highest guru I
bow in complete respect'. This means nothing else than He
is Brahma - Visnu - MaheSvara, as we call them in the
Hindu religion: all divinities rest within one - that is, the
guru.
This guru who is the Supreme Lord Ownself, the Ultimate Being,
the highest truth of existence, descends to the realm of humans in the
guise of the human being. Thus He manifests Himself time and again as
the concrete embodiment of the transcendental reality, assuming the
appearance of an accomplished striver, a wise man, a virtuous person.
What is it that prompts the guru to take birth as a human, to incarnate
Himself in ever new human revelations? It is His desire to effect the
good of humanity, to lead man to the light of supreme knowledge
Advaya Taraka Upanisad 14.18
43 O
Baul philosophy
Guruvada
431
432
Baul philosophy
Guruvada
433
434
Baul philosophy
striver fails to uphold the guru's gift through arduous endeavor of his
own, he will not be able to realize the guru. Apprehension of the guru,
realization and complete knowledge of the guru, however, is an
imperative and most essential prerequisite in order to attain any progress
whatsoever on the path of the spiritual search, for it is by realizing the
guru that the matters of the world are discerned within the guru.
That means it is the guru who represents the highest and
most excellent reality in the universe. That means there is
nothing without the guru - there is nothing except the guru, there is nothing beside the guru, for
the guru Himself is the sole truth in which all manifest and non-manifest
realities exist as outward extensions of the one, undivided Supreme
Truth,
Whatever we establish in the world at gross level, that which
is called mundane matters - these are all material things,
worldly objects that have no worth. Value rests alone in that
Supreme Power - it is this power which has merit.
To apprehend the Supreme Power as the sole object of excellence,
a striver needs to keep the company of his spiritual master who is
endowed with the capacity to evoke this power. What is more, beyond
merely associating with the guru, the seeker must respect the guru and,
placing him in the highest seat, must contemplate on the guru and
worship him as the revered divinity in a manner characterized by faith
and esteem suitable for approaching the spiritual master. If the guru is
thus venerated with an attitude of complete devotion and obeisance,
what benefit does the striver derive as an immediate outcome of his
spiritual effort? Through the guru, the Supreme Being is conceived in a
multitude of aspects and manifestations.
It is through the guru that those deities are attained. This is
because the divinities had been humans once upon a time.
Therefore all those who are able to become pure, and who
have become pure, are to be kept apart in some way; they
have to be seated on a somewhat higher level. For the sake
of this there are temples, mosques, churches - those are
elevated places. That means once these pure persons have
Guruvada
435
436
Baul philosophy
philosophers as maya, as an illusion because it
has no intrinsic reality of its own.
Man has to grow beyond his own self if he is to withstand the resistance
put up by his illusions; he has to develop the attributes of a superhuman
being in order to apprehend the true reality, in order to discern his own
infinite essence.
Superhuman in what sense? The quality of being superhuman
signifies non-respondency to the call of the trivial, indifference to the
temptations of the mundane. So what does one have to do in order to
become superhuman? - to abstain from mingling with the world of the
unrefined, to renounce the company of ordinary humans at gross level.
Yet it is exactly this what man engages in, busying himself constantly as
he chases fugitive values and momentary joys.
All the time we remain preoccupied with material objects,
with worldly things relating to our outer body: house and
home, domestic life, desire for money, car and properties everything. Whatever we see in the world, it is all prone to
burn, to collapse, to decay, to be destroyed. But that which is
the Supreme Power, this Supreme Power is indestructible.
The Supreme Power merges into brahma.
The Supreme Power emerges from brahrna and merges into
brahrna - the Supreme Power is the Absolute Being Ownself. The
Supreme Power is the sole truth, the only existent reality which can
never be lost nor transformed; it is undying and unchanging. Though
revealed in a multitude of transitory manifestations, it is this very
indwelling energy, the Supreme Power, which adds the quality of being
real to each and every temporary embodiment. Where does the Absolute
Being reside?
This brahma rests within us. To realize this inner being of
ours constitutes the most immediate concern - for 'we must know that it is only the revelation of the Infinite which is
endlessly new and eternally beautiful in us, and which gives the only
;
Guruvada
437
It is nothing but this shame and crime, the sins committed for the
sake of his separateness of self by means of which man destroys his
* Rabindranath Tagore, op.cit., p.91
Rabindranath Tagore, op.cit., p.70
43 8
Ba ul philosophy
most valuable property of self, failing to recognize that his own self is
but the extension of the universal self and that by divorcing this self of
his from the Supreme Self he eliminates his own divine essence, the root
of his being, the foundation of his life.
It has been said, by unrighteousness men prosper.
gain what they desire, and triumph over their
enemies, but at the end they are cut off at the root
and suffer extinction. Our roots must go deep
down into the universal if we would attain the
greatness of personality. It is the end of our self to
g
seek that union -
- to seek the union with the Supreme Self which signifies the sole cause
of existence. Man's self can be freed only in union with the Universal
Self, for the truth of his self is the Universal Self, is the oneness of the
individual self with the world-soul. Therefore
my own self is Him. Is Him - that means the Radiant Man
who abides in me. So if this God resides nowhere else than
within myself, then I am not going to see Him in a
diminished state; rather I will see Him magnifiedly. And in
order to vision Him from a magnified perspective, I have to
strive through the innermost spheres of the human being. I
have to realize the human being. Man himself is the purest of
all divinities.
Man himself is the most excellent divinity, for it is in man that the
Supreme Man has taken His eternal abode; it is in man, in the human
being that the Supreme Divinity is attained. Is attained in what manner?
- through worship directed towards the Divme Being, through worship
accomplished in sadhana. How is this worship conducted in the
concrete? The ways of venerating the revered divinity are many, yet
there is one medium which excels all other spiritual tools in efficacy, and
upon performing which sadhana is brought to perfection easily and
quickly. What aspect of sadhana is it, being endowed with thus superior
spiritual powers?
Gumvada
439
rama guru rama guru rama guru, guru rama guru rama guru
rama guru rama. Guru caitanya guru caitanya - everything
arises out of the guru, one by one, one after the other: guru
siva guru siva; guru krsna guru krsna guru radhe guru...;
that means the guru reaches out to every single
manifestation. This is but to say that the power which is
intrinsically evident must be emitted and perceived in such a
manner that He is not distant from me, that I am not distant
from Him - for distance to the Supreme Reality, separation from the Supreme
Being suffocates human life as it takes away the vital essence of unity7
and deprives man of the life-sustaining touch of his own indwelling
divine spirit.
If I remain isolated from Him, if I stay away from that
reality, I am dead. No sense of mine will persist, no
knowledge and intellect - nothing. Everything will vanish,
will dissolve. But for as long as He is close to me, I am
sustained by the life-giving fluid. I am conscious, and all my
spiritual properties are then preserved within me.
440
Baul philosophy
Who is He, the prime sustainer of life? He is the guru. The guru is
the highest, the most excellent, the most eligible cosmic reality - the sole
truth which is the Absolute Truth.
The guru Himself is parama brahma, the Absolute Being.
That means the Absolute Being who has created the world:
that Absolute Being, and the Absolute Being which is the
soul - atma paramabrahma.
That is to say, parama brahma and atma paramabrahma constitute one
and the same undivided reality which unites in itself the human soul and
the Supreme Soul as the one single Absolute Brahma, as the one single
transcendental substance that permeates the universe and forms at the
same time the core of the human spiritual body. Man's actuality rests in
his ultimate oneness with the Supreme Being, in the ultimate identity of
parama brahma and atma paramabrahma, hence cour self...is satyam
[true] where it recognises its essence in the universal and infinite, in the
supreme self, paramatman* . Therefore, to accomplish the union of the
self with the Supreme Self, to establish the oneness of atma and
pararnatma is most imperative for man to shake off the fetters of maya,
of illusion in which the self 'is merely individual and finite, where it
considers its separateness as absolute'10, and to enter the realm of truth.
Once the soul and the guru become one, in this respect it is
said, master and disciple are known by watching their
unified state of mind. If alongwith the mental intention there
is receptive responsiveness, if this communicative stimulus
can be obtained - that means a call, just as when one makes
a telephone call: once one number unites with the other, then
direct communication is established That is the way this
functions.
In order to evoke the direct contact with the divinity, certain
preliminary conditions must be fulfilled so as to create a spiritual
environment in which the hiunan soul can easily respond to the call of
her universal companion, the Supreme Soul. Of what kind does this
atmosphere have to be? The ideal climate for spiritual emancipation is
9
10
Guruvada
441
442
Baul philosophy
confused thoughts or chaos. ...amidst all these
thoughts, if anyone manages to achieve
solitariness in his being, then he is the most
fortunate and blessed.
That person alone can have solitariness who has
tried to know his inner self... * *
Guruvada
443
immenseness, for it is then only that one becomes able to approach the
highest spiritual authority in an apt manner. Most often, though, man
equates the guru merely with the human being whose guise He takes,
rather than discerning the guru as the manifest expression of the
Supreme Being. Failing to realize the guru, man consequently fails to
respect the guru, fails to venerate the spiritual master in a way suitable
for worshiping the Supreme Divinity.
We do not acknowledge, do not recognize this guru
properly. Having learnt from the guru, now we have learnt
how to abuse the guru. We have become ready to outvie the
guru, to kill the guru.
This, however, is not going to happen once perceptive awareness
enters the human mind and man comes to realize the intrinsic worth of
the guru as his very own spiritual property.
The truth which is the guru rests nowhere else than within
ourselves. So whom are you going to outplay, who are you
going to triumph over? Tliat means you are Him - the guru.
Whatever you do, he will do the same thing. So how then
would you do it?
Therefore, man must distance himself from all erroneous notions that
make him conceive the guru as a separate spiritual entity, distinct from
his own spiritual consciousness. That is to say, man has to abandon the
image of his own individual authority exercised independently of the
supreme spiritual authority, realizing that the inherent energy which
sustains him and furnishes him with the ability to exist is in reality the
power of his own indwelling divinity, of the guru who rests at the core
of the human self.
How is the notion of distinctness abolished? - through man's
highest sadhana which is the sadhana of the melody.
One has to submerge in that music which is the most
excellent sadhana. Doing so, sitting while singing, intoning
the melody, one has to go on singing, matching one note
with the other. Making the notes meet each other, one
becomes merged into brahma, into the Absolute Being, And
444
Baul philosophy
once this union is brought about, what is it that one attains?
Then, one is able to see consciously, to obtain the vision of
the conscious. There it is said, attaining to the Supreme
Being arises the vision of* Radha-Syama. Then, Radha and
Syama - that means the one who is Krsna: Krsna, however,
is the Highest, He is fullness. That is to say in Him there is
no discrimination, and there is no limitation, no
restrictiveness. He is entireness. Entireness means He is the
complete brahma.
The Supreme Being represents the one undivided and absolute reality
which is wholeness in itself as well as in every single of its
manifestations. Therefore, each respective embodiment, each avatara or
incarnation is as such an expression of perfect completeness.
That means however many there were avatar as, among
these, any one incarnation as such is the complete brahma, is
the Absolute Being in His entirety. Such as Narayana, such
as Rama, such as Krsna, such as Caitany a - all of them are
the full brahma: one single reality, one single personification,
one single light - and it is that power which returns time and
again in this manner.
It is one and the same cosmic reality which manifests itself over
and again in human form to accomplish the well-being of humanity, for
it is through the medium of the concrete human embodiment that man
attains the gift of knowledge from the Supreme Divinity. This gift is
handed out by whom? - by none else than the guru, that is, the guru in
the person of the spiritual master. Descending to the level of human
phenomenality in the guise of a fellow human being, the Supreme Lord
thus establishes an environment suitable for man to easily adopt the fruit
of spiritual consciousness. In this manner, entering the world of humans
in any one manifest appearance at any one time in any one place, the
Supreme Master creates an atmosphere of such kind as to enable man to
receive the transcendental message conveyed through the Divine
Messenger. Who is this Divine Messenger? He is none less than the
concrete extension of the Infinite Being: the Supreme Divinity Ownself
The Divine Messenger, the one who brings the call of infinity over to
Guruvada
445
446
Ba ul philosophy
Whatever God pronounces, that very task He makes me
pursue. Whatever God makes me say, I am speaking exactly
this. Whatever God makes me do, exactly this 1 am doing. It
is for the good of all that I take birth - that means someone
has made me eligible, a Father has prepared me so that I
lead my followers on the virtuous path in the person of a
religious preceptor, speak to them truthfully and converse
with them virtuously, perform virtuous deeds and make my
followers carry out most beneficial tasks; it is for the sake of
this that I set up everything in a well-organized manner.
Acting thus is the Christian approach.
Likewise in the Muslim tradition they say that there is one
khadim being trained; once this khadim has become ready,
he acts as the guru. It is him who is the guru. He is the
spiritual preceptor, the Father. If I call him khadim - khadim
means a Muslim scholar, a religious instructor; some call
him maulavl. So any one khadim, as he grows to greatness
his name will be increasingly high. He, however, is the guru.
If I go to the Jain seekers, there it functions in the same way:
one accomplished Mahavira takes the place of the preceptor.
That means all of them are but gurus; it is them who prepare
and train the disciples. If I look at the Buddhists, again it is
the same: the Buddha's role is that of the guru. I what
manner he had become eligible to fulfill the responsibilities
of a guru, seeing this - having renounced everything, no
attachment whatsoever remained in him; he had become
freed, a liberated person. Then, thereupon he was able to
realize in himself the fact that he could see the whole
universe there, in his own inner being. He was then able to
see it with closed eyes.
Just like this, when Krsna shows to his mother, or to
Arjuna, that the entire world is seen in his open mouth:
opening his mouth, he did demonstrate that the entire
universe rests with him in this open mouth of his, and within
his body the whole world becomes visible - however many
gods and goddesses are there, however much whatsoever,
everything can be seen. So therefore he is the guru, Krsna is
Guruvada
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448
Baul philosophy
Guruvada
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450
Baul philosophy
guru, serving the guru is very difficult, extremely difficult.
And in order to be able to accomplish this endeavoring and
worshiping, in the manner a pump raises the water, like this
drawing the water upward to the roof- that means the
transcendental energy is then made to rise. That means there
is the power of respiration which makes the energy rise by
way of inspiration and expiration. But if this is not
sustained, if the guru's power does not come forth, then he
will not be able to do this. To accomplish this is possible
only and alone if the power of the guru rests within a
person; then, that power of respiration will come. That
means he will then raise this energy in the way of a pump.
This is brahmacarya. In order to adopt brahmacarya, the
company of the guru is needed at all times. Without the guru
nothing is achieved.
rati - the mental energetic potential acquired by way of converting sexual energy into
spiritual power once kama has been filtered out
Gunivada
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452
Baul philosophy
primal energies from gross level to the most refined state of spiritual
perfection. Sublimation is achieved once freedom from desire has been
attained, once the quality of niskarna, of dispassionateness, has been
established within the emotional consciousness of man. It is once a
striver reaches this state of complete self-control that the two
counteracting forces can be maintained beside each other in such a
manner that no adverse results ensue. In their endeavor to master this
most intricate task, the Bauls resort to that which is called rati sadhana,
as well as bindu sadhana,
Bindu sadhana implies one particle of rati13 - for the sake of
obtaining this rati they strive for many days. Practicing
sadhana on and on, some fortunate one, some accomplished
person can attain it. If this is not attained - well, the sadhana
goes on; for as long as this is not achieved one remains
practicing, but once this has been attained, then that person
becomes engrossed in excitement. Thus excited, then,
whatever he desires, that very thing he obtains - that means
his power of wishing increases. Such a person, whatsoever
he aspires - whether pronouncing his wish verbally, or
whether contemplating from within that he desires such and
such thing - he will then obtain it. It will not remain distant,
it will come to him. That means he has attained
accomplishment in rati sadhana.
To accomplish rati sadhana, however, is as such not an easy task.
Rati sadhana belongs to the most exacting aspects of the sadhana whose
execution calls for a high level of spiritual strength and skill - a demand
which only few advanced and accomplished strivers are able to fulfill.
What does rati sadhana signify in the concrete? Rati sadhana refers to
the sadhana practiced in conjunction with the consort - that is, nayika
sadhana.
Rati sadhana means our nayika sadhana: man and woman sit
together to perform the sadhana jointly. Therefore, one
person is the nayika, and one person is the nayaka; it is the
nayaka and nayika, the seeker and his consort who execute
13
Guruvada
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454
Baul philosophy
Therefore they repeat time and again, do not disclose the
Baul's spiritual matters: be cautious for yourself-
- for else these matters may enter the ears of the ignorant who, unable to
apprehend the true meaning of things, fail to understand and drag the
noblest spiritual property down to the level of the ordinary, of the
vulgar.
Just as wrong interpretations have been made in many
places. There were lots of foreigners who came here; they
perhaps heard from a number of Bauls - Bauls, however,
who did not practice sadhana, and who knew these tales and
the gossip; so gossiping is what they did, having no idea
about sadhana. They said so, and those did it. Doing so,
what happened? They are all going to hell - they are gone
already. So once this sort of condition had arisen, now at last
people got a bad impression that the Bauls keep engaging in
sex sadhana. Those who have no notion what is proper, real
sadhana - it is them who destroy the whole thing. They see
various kinds of temptation; driven by greed, they try to
thrash the human being.
This is what has happened in between. The reason is, those
do not pursue sadhana; they are artistes. They know how to
sing, they do not know how to perform sadhana. Those who
do have the knowledge of sadhana, they remain very much
in concealment. Sadhana is something separate, and
practicing sadhana, the esprit of the song intensifies; the
voice does not rise. Just as the voice does not come forth in
its outward appearance, the singer's throat remaining
unmodified in one and the same manner - if the disciple is in
a position to utter the sound in the same way, with the same
voice as he is told by the guru, if both utterances become
one, that means he has become accomplished, has been able
to attain accomplishment. If one can become accomplished
like this, it is then that one can take to such sadhana.
So with regard to nayika sadhana, again there have been
wrong interpretations in our country, referring to paraklya
sadhana: paraklya sadhana meaning to perform sadhana in
Guruvada
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Baul philosophy
That means there was no expectation of gaining something,
neither with him nor with her.
15
Shrivatsa Goswami, "Radha: the play and perfection of rasa", in Hawley, John
Stratton and Donna Mane Wulff (eds.), The Divine Consort. Radha and the
goddesses of India (Boston: Beacon Press, 1986), p.83
16
ibid.
Guruvada
457
Radha personifies the supreme ideal of love, and it is for the sake
of attaining the ultimate state of flawlessness revealed in this love that
the Bauls strive to realize in humanity this highest spiritual epitome. To
accomplish the condition of absolute pureness in man constitutes
therefore the core object of nayika sadhana.
For this reason the Bauls practice this sadhana. However,
those who are the genuine seekers - such sadhakas are not
found any more. If somewhere someone stumbles over his
faults and illusions, then ignorance springs up out of this.
Thereupon, what ensues? - errors, mistakes arise.
Then, misconceptions are born, and true knowledge is gradually pushed
aside. The earnest striver, though, is the one who does not lend ear to
the voice of misleading opinions.
That means those who are the real seekers, they will not
hastily accept any nayika. This is because one has to see
properly and in the process of sadhana whether she is a true
nayika or not, whether she possesses the strength of
upholding or not. If she is not able to sustain that power,
then such a nayika cannot be adopted. However great a
sadhu the nayika, exactly that great a sadhu the nayaka will
be. Without the two of thern heing equally qualified, this
nayika sadhana can not be exe uted, and this is not going to
be parakiya sadhana either.
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Baul philosophy
does not even arise. She takes him on her lap, gives him the
breast, walks him around; in this there comes no perversion
of any sort. If one is able to assume the role of the small
child, there will be no corruption.
So if this sentiment of the small child can be called forth, it is
then that one can become a Baul. That means otherwise one
can nor become a Baul. If I call myself a Baul, that would be
wrong. It is the childlike sentiment which one has to evoke that everyone is my mother, I am her offspring. If a son goes
to his mother, if he stays with his mother for two hours, or if
he stays with her for five hours, or for ten hours - it is the
mother with whom he stays. There, he is not going to fall, he
does not die. This is sadhana.
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being. That means you have not been able to love yourself.
Unable to love myself, unable to realize myself, I am
regarding other people as small or big, as anything - but
perceiving them on the material level. If, however, I could
attain that power - the quest for power: striving for power is
but everything, there is nothing beside. For the sake of
searching for that power, sadhana is being performed.
However many seekers pursue sadhana, it is for the sake of
one and the same power.
Just as an electricity connection, once it is installed, makes
the light burn - like this I can now see that the light is lit but
through one single connection. That means something rests
in it which includes both the negative and the positive, but
they are linked in such a way that they do not fuse. If the
negative and the positive are kept together just like this, then
however they will merge and fuse, that means the line will
burn. But here the two of them do not touch each other, yet
the power comes forth. Thus it needs a skilled electrician in
order to watch out as to where to apply which power in what
manner by way of what connection into what direction. In
which direction to keep the negative, in which direction the
positive - if he is not able to know these directions, then he
cannot get the thing working. Therefore he has to be familiar
with both the negative and the positive.
Sadhana signifies this: sadhana means on what side is the
good, on what side is the bad. If one apprehends these two
things, if one is able to realize that this is darkness, this is
light - if this perception enters a person's mind that this side
of my hand is the outer face, and that side is the inner palm;
on this side there is nothing, on that side things are held;
once I have learnt to distinguish these two things, then I will
not eat from this side, then I will eat from that side - isn't it?
So in order to recognize this, what will the child do? The
child does not know; it is the mother who teaches the child
in what manner to eat - eat this way, take it up, hold this
thing, holding it, eat like this. That which she is teaching
him, teaching and teaching the mother will then show it to
Guruvada
461
the child and say, eat. The child would not be able to hold
the food properly, he would take it up and it slips down. He
cannot do it on his own, so the mother would gradually
guide his hand, showing him how to eat. Once he has grown
up, there is no point in showing any more; he then eats on
his own.
The task of showing, of demonstrating in the first place, however,
is whose task? It is the task of the guru. It is the guru who teaches us
whatever we learn. The child who acquires the basics of life from his
mother - the mother is but the guru; she is the very first guru to be
attained.
Therefore mother and father represent the greatest of all
gurus. There is no guru superior to one's parents. Thus it is
mother and father who guide us to the light of this world. So
if these mother and father are not honored with devotion,
with respect, there will be no deliverance. It is this what the
Bauls keep emphasizing: you should look upon all as the
image of the mother. Doing so, you will be able to
accomplish everything. And you will accomplish it within
all.
What is more, if the highest ideal of love is accomplished
uniformly within two people, so that the one does not persist without the
other, it is then - and then alone - that ultimate bliss can be experienced.
If oneness is thus realized within both of them - he cannot
remain without seeing her, she cannot remain without seeing
him -, then the power of love enters the two people. But if
instead the desire of passion arises -passion is short-lived;
it will be done at a stretch in no more than one or two
minutes, thereafter it is gone. That means this is not love.
That about which Mira says, without love, Nanda ys darling
is not attained - this love is needed.
This love - that is, love in its most refined essence which finds its most
perfect expression in the union of Radha and Krsna, in the confluence of
the two primal universal energies. The capacity to uphold this love rests
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in Radha alone, for she is herself the essence of love - that which is
called the hladini sakti, the energy of conscious bliss.
The one who is able to sustain the elemental cosmic energy,
Krsna - she is Radha. That means such is Radha's power.
This Radha is the guru of love. Krsna was the disciple; the
guru was Radha - for 'Radha's love made him see that the bliss of love lies not so much
in being its constant object as in experiencing what it is constantly to
give love, .. .As such she became Krishna's preceptor in love... '17 - she teaches him love. Why? She is none else than the
mother, the image of the mother. She is the elder one; she
teaches him how to love. That means she teaches him that
which is dispassionate love: a mother cannot teach him any
other love, can she? The mother's love, her affection, her
tenderness - there is no love superior to this. There is no
love greater than this. A mother's love for her son - there is
nothing more excellent than this.
There is nothing that exceeds love in its ultimate state of pureness.
And it is for the sake of experiencing this most sublime essence of bliss
that the Bauls strive through their spiritual search.
It is in order to learn this love, this affection, that the Bauls
pursue this sadhana, and it is this quest which determines
their conduct. Therefore, they have no offspring - at least
not those of earlier times. And the ones referred to as
householder Bauls, their offspring are born prior to the first
sadhana. Thereafter, just as they get to realize that this is not
in accordance with the sadhana- once the guru makes them
understand that you had to bring forth one or two children
for the sake of your family's survival, and now, from here
on you have to stop it -, that means they will stop. In this
regard it is said -
17
Guruvada
463
464
Baul philosophy
accident, that your mind has become completely unsettled,
then you have got debilitated; you won't be able to do
anything, you won't be able to get on. You will be finished.
That means one has to move ahead, to advance on the path
of progress: this is the path on which the Bauls proceed.
This is their goal. They do not want to deviate from this
object. Therefore the householder Bauls are still alive, and
they will survive. Exactly in this manner: however many
children have come forth, it is thereafter that you should get
accomplished. Thereafter you do you own tasks. So now we
have to take to these tasks.
For that reason we practice sadhana. We proceed on the path
of sadhana, and at the time of singing we sing. The singing
is a matter of propagation, of popularization; it is the path of
dissemination. Singing is sadhana on the one hand, but
publicity on the other hand - it is both. We are doing both
things together. And accomplishment in this is what? - the
most excellent sadhana of all: if I sit immersed in excitement
while singing. If you can render the song for you own sake,
for the sake of your inner Man - then you obtain the
absolutely greatest, highest sadhana in which you can
become excited in yourself. Then no other concerns of the
world will bother you any more: you are submerging in
yourself. This has to be evoked. This singing is something
separate, and the singing for outer publicity is something
separate. We keep both things apart from each other.
So this singing is needed; the Bauls practice this singing: to
make the Man of the Heart listen. Singing for the Man of the
Heart - this is what the Baul is there for.
Bhava samglta
Intricate sadhanas
Bhava sarneita
466
Baul philosophy
This ultimate joy of experience, which is most sublime and at the same
time most intense, is called forth through music. Through what sort of
music?
That which we call dhanna samgita - religious music,
spiritual music: that which reaches into dhanna - that which reaches into spirituality, which reaches into the supreme
spiritual experience and makes the sentiment of this experience enter the
human heart. Once the experience itself as well as its intrinsic emotional
essence have been awakened in man, dhanna bhava - the feeling of faith,
of devotion, of pureness and sanctity - rises. Rises how? - through selfrealization.
That is to say, the emotional experience of the Absolute is tasted
as soon as man comes to fully realize his true inner self. Once ami, once
the human self is discerned in its entirety, how does the ensuing
experience manifest itself in terms of man's emotional reaction? Having
apprehended the inner divinity that dwells at the core of his heart, man
intuitively longs to worship this divinity by means of any one
sympathetic sentiment stored in his emotional treasury.
The real nature of ami, of the self having been realized in
full, then, in order to worship this self - just as one arranges
flowers on a tray with offerings, plucking them to fill the
tray, in the same manner one collects all these various kinds
of flowers resting within the heart: faith, devotion, love,
affection - whatever is there - so as to prepare an entire
basket filled with them. Having done so, one offers these to
the divinity of the heart who abides within the heart: to this
divinity one presents them.
What does the act of offering signify? - surrender Offering the flowers
of the heart to the divinity of the heart implies nothing else than to
surrender one's entire self to the Supreme Self, to the Supreme Divinity.
This offering means - oh God, without Thee I have none
else. Thou art my everything. I can recognize Thee, but I
know none else. Thou alone art true in the world, everything
else is false.
Bhava samgfta
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Baul philosophy
compose these songs. Upon writing they would say,
whatever I have done, whatever I have said, whatever I
wish, whatever I dislike - it is all in Thee. So me - me is an
excuse. Doing away with that excuse the striver says, oh
Lord, it is at Thy feet that I am surrendering this self of
mine. My end is Thy feet, that fair-complexioned pair of
feet. Whatever deity Thou art, be Thou any deity
whatsoever: be Thou a human being, or a deity, or be Thou
whichever deity, that means be Thou a deity belonging to
whichever caste - well, if one were to think in terms of caste
then all this does not stay; yet - 1 know nothing apart from
Thee, I have surrendered my all.
Bhava samgita
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Baul philosophy
that carries the directives given out by the Supreme Divinity to guide
man on his spiritual journey and to make him find the correct path
towards accomplishment of his ultimate quest. Who is it in the concrete
who conveys the divine pronouncements from the realm of the
incapturable to the level of tangible human perceptiveness so as to make
their meaning comprehensible to the human mind9 The cosmic
messenger rests in man himself: it is his own heart that speaks, the gum
of his heart - that guru of the heart, the wishmg-tree. The guru of the
heart then tells him, do this, proceed on this path, doing so
your task will turn out most excellently; but don't do that, if
you do so you will end up on the wrong path.
Instructed thus by the guru of his heart, the dedicated stnver who
has surrendered his entire being at the feet of the divinity apprehends the
divine origination of the directive and recognizes its spiritual authority.
hence he advances fully in accordance with the advice received from his
Divine Master. Whatever the indication, exactly in this manner he will
approach his tasks, perfectly in the same way he will move ahead on his
course and proceed towards his highest goal Advancing and advancing,
where does the seeker thus arrive?
Proceeding on and on and on and on, one day he has settled
on his seat. He has settled down in such a manner that he
would not leave for anywhere, would not go anywhere. The
retreat where he settles - at whatever akhra he got to sit
down, amid this very akhra he would take his seat as in a
house. Sitting and sitting, sitting and sitting, his soul unites
with the Supreme Soul. Once this union is accomplished,
then it is said - from the melody to music, from music to
samadhi, from samadhi to nirvana: then, he has reached
nirvana. So once he arrives at nirvana - nirvana sadhana
means that there is no more need for anything else. There,
just the way the waves of the ocean sway - it is the ocean
who watches it. Their joy is witnessed by the ocean alone;
none else can see it, So the joy of the ocean, the joy within
the ocean - it is a tremendous joy. The ocean keeps talking
all to itself. The language spoken by the waves to each other,
Bhavasamgita
that language is known just to them. And it is there where
the stnver then arrives. Then, having settled right there, he
can quietly see that he is perambulating around in the vast
ocean, that means he is roaming about.
Thus once he moves within the great ocean, what is it that he
gets to see there0 Everything in this immense world he
realizes as being abound writh water. Everything is
permeated by water. In this fullness of water he can
recognize some lotus flowers blossoming. Now he has
found the lotuses. Within the lotuses, he sees any one murti;
any one image he thus obtains, perceives. That means in his
inner emotions, bhava - this is bhava samgita, isn't it, so he
can then thus evoke this vision within his indwelling
sentiments. These divinities - whichever deity I like,
whichever deity you like, whichever deity he likes, all deities
one by one can then be seen by him within that flower while
he remains sitting. The flower emerges, and within the
flower - as he gets on practicing sadhana within the flower,
he then sees the flower's blossom. He then recognizes the
location of the respective lotuses, of those six lotuses that
exist in us, and the one hundred lotuses that rest on top of
the head; here (in the uppermost bodily region) he can see
one hundred lotuses. That means immersed in this bhava,
submerged in this sentiment he can discern them as each
resting in its respective place. They expand themselves one
by one; whatever is the matter of any one lotus flower's
heart, these matters they spread out, they speak out. Within
the body, moreover within the head once all of those one
hundred lotuses come to bloom, the striver can then vision
thousands and thousands of divinities. Seeing a thoasand
deities, it is then, from within that that he watches, that
means he is then not able to perceive anything else.
Having watched the body for that long, now watching the
lotuses, it is within the lotuses that he remains. Now after
reaching the inner spheres of the body, he realizes
everything with regard to the nature of the self; he has then
become blended in it. Mingled, then he does not go
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anywhere else from there - that means the bhava, the
sentiment then roams about in him. So once arrived within
the bhava, those people's music would be of what kind? one by one, garlands are strung: the striver begins to string
the compositions in the way of a garland. That means
stringing them like a garland he then thinks of presenting
this garland to his God. Making the lord wear the garland, it
is then that he derives the benefit of extreme pleasure, of
utmost satisfaction. Prompted by this gain of highest
gratification, mahabhava - the most refined yet exceedingly
intense sentiment of spiritual experience - is attained. Then
the song of mahabhava says I see the universe pervaded byKrsna the image of the foremost companion
(adorned with) peacock feathers;
there is free commingling in the dark form.
While my eyes remain enchanted
emerges in the heart the sight ofKrsna of someone blue-necked;
an intense sentiment arises,
the witness of existence remaining engrossed.
Then, once he has become wholly engaged, once the sole
witness has become fully absorbed - who? The Creator who
has brought forth creation, He remains engrossed. The one
who has endowed the water of the ocean with the waves He is with them. He is their witness, only and alone. That
means it is there that the striver has thus reached
Intricate sadhanas
Intricate sadhanas
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Baul philosophy
Intricate sadhanas
475
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Baul philosophy
So how does one adopt an unattached attitude?
It is indicated at various points in our songs. Just as
Ramakrishna Deva says, if one is like the eel, entering into
mud without any mud sticking to the skin - if you have
acquired this ability, then you can move in the mud. And the
Bauls say The way my braid is, like this it will remain;
I will not wet my hair.
I shall plunge into the water, splash waterthe water, though, I won't touch.
This side, that side, swimming about in the vast sea,
I come and go.
I shall steep in the water, submerge the water though will not meet my skin.
That means she then says I will do everything -1 will cook, I
will serve the food, I will eat, but the cooking-pot in which
the food is being prepared, this I will not touch. So how is
such a thing possible? - this is what one would have to learn.
To learn this, you have to go to the Bauls. And this is the
sadhana which the Bauls are practicing.
Intricate sadhanas
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Baul philosophy
rests the onus of clearing the path beforehand. If a striver is himself not
eligible, then there is none else to make him eligible; there is none else
who can turn into an accomplished seeker a person unable to sustain in
himself the qualities by which accomplishment is called forth.
If he is not ready himself, then however none can make him
a sadhu. It is me myself who has to be the sadhu. It is me
who has to contemplate, it is me who has to take the trouble.
If I am not taking this trouble myself, then nobody will make
me achieve - for nobody can take man to the destination of his spiritual quest: the
ultimate goal must be reached out of any one individual's own personal
effort. That is to say, it is on our own feet that we have to complete our
spiritual journey; there is no other vehicle to give us a lift to the aspired
destination.
Which is the qualifying factor that enables spiritual progress? It is
discipline - mental discipline, steadfastness of mind, determination to
take the spiritual search ahead so as to bring it to fruition. Discipline
implies firmness with regard to the timing of the spiritual practice:
whatever time has been reserved for the execution of sadhana, it is this
timing which has to be observed and maintained unrelentingly.
You may stroll around the whole day, do whatsoever, mix
with people, do anything - you don't need time then. But
between three and five (in the morning), from three to five this time must be preserved. At night everyone goes to sleep,
everything in the surrounding goes into retreat: at this time
one has to start. So from three up to five, these two hours
one should fully dedicate to oneself.
Beginning one's spiritual exercise in the early morning so as to fit
it into the two hours between three and five o'clock suggests on the one
hand an ideal spiritual environment in which outside interference and
disturbances are kept to a minimum, while on the other hand it requires a
considerable amount of inner determination and self-discipline
alongwith readiness to sacrifice convenience to a certain extent.
Intricate sadhanas
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Baul philosophy
One has to always keep in mind that there should not be too
much sleep; too much food is to be avoided, too much selfexhaustion is to be avoided, too much enjoyment is not
desirable - that means there are many things that have to be
gradually renounced. Doing so, slowly and steadily these
things are brought under control.
Once control over one's basic needs and desires has been established,
what ensues? It is then that man's inborn enemies, the sadripu, are
gradually subdued and man is able to hold their intrinsic functioning in
check, thus maintaining the senses under full command.
That means if I say I am going to keep my eyes open, I am
not going to sleep now, then this sense of mine will be
unable to do anything else. Those senses must be properly
contained. That is to say these nine enemies have to be
restrained in such a way, just as I am now not going to
release the breath, I will hold it back: that means it comes
within control. I am not going to speak, I will not say
anything, I shall remain silent: that means this (agent of
action) listens to my order. I am telling the ear, don't listen.
The ears - there is so much fuss and uproar around,
everywhere, in all sorts of appearances, but is does not touch
within me, it does not enter. That means I have been able to
exercise control.
The stronger the perceptive force, the more powerful the agent of
action, the greater the benefit once it is brought under control. As soon
as command over the crucial bodily functions has been gained and even
the mightiest motivating forces are effectively subdued, minor
stimulative agents become controllable all by themselves. That is to say,
once the major functions are realized and mastered, a person would be in
a position to automatically control his whole body. In that case,
whenever whatsoever desire arises, he will not give in to that desire no
matter how forceful it might be, and once the most pressing urges have
become manageable, the mind is all the less prone to turn towards
subordinate impulsions.
Intrica te sadhanas
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Intricate sadhanas
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Baul philosophy
o'clock. Once I get on to proceed to the right side, then it
would be ten o'clock. From here on, one has to see from
which direction the breath comes for how long. That means
full control is achieved, comparable to the dial of a clock.
That is to say watching the breath on the dial of a clock, one
gets to recognize what time it is - twelve o'clock, or one
o'clock, or six o'clock, three o'clock; this comes up
automatically.
The dial of the inner clock is discerned in what way? - through habitual
practice, abhyasa. Abhyasa yoga, exercising one's inner controls, is
most essential in order to accomplish self-discipline and to attain
command over one's mental and physical faculties.
In our Gita it is stated that abhyasa yoga constitutes the most
beneficial form of yoga. Why? The reason is, whatever task
is not being done - cannot be done - by humans, it is this
very task which I am going to fulfill Mastering it, I wonder
why it should not be possible. This means nothing else than
sadhana. One has to get accomplished in this very aspect:
yes, 1 will be able to do this.
That is to say, faith and firm trust in one's own mental and
spiritual capacities constitute the fundament upon which sadhana is
performed and ultimately brought to perfection. More than that, faith
itself is sadhana, for no spiritual practice can be carried out as long as its
vital ingredients - sturdiness of belief, inner strength and self-confidence
- are absent.
Hence through faith the object is attained, reasoning places it
far away- if I were to argue, then the aspired ends, one by
one, one after the other are talked out and move beyond
reach.
Wherever doubt prevails, in that place, arguing and arguing the actual
goal is talked away and what remains is nothing but vain theory.
Therefore, in order to preserve one's highest quest and bring one's tasks
to fruition, doubt must be removed and faith installed. Faith signifies
what? - the conviction that whatever task one approaches, its success is
potentially accomplishable. Once a positive certainty with regard to the
Intricate sadhanas
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viability of the aspired aim has been established in a person's mind, the
task of achieving this aim turns as such rather easy. Once a striver
becomes convinced that his efforts are truly practicable, that the
destination towards which he travels on his spiritual journey is real and
reachable, it is then that he is indeed bound to reach, to succeed.
For this reason, any spiritual effort must be approached positively
and constructively, that is to say, with the faith and the knowledge that
the accomplishment of the effort in question is beyond all question. The
spiritual goal must be known as real, as true and realistic, and as feasible
once the needed control is mastered
The sages and seers of ancient times acted exactly in this
manner: very slowly, very gradually and step by step, one
after the other, they brought the various functions under
control. Just as whatever is necessary in order to drive a car:
where to operate the gear, which gear to use at what speed once this knowledge is acquired, now where to set the foot
on the accelerator, where to set the foot on the brake; once
this knowledge is obtained, then a driver's skills get
established by and large. And being an experienced driver,
one has to look after the car's sound in its entirety: from
where comes how much sound, what kind of sound; which
is the sound of the wheels - are the tyres pumped up or not,
is there enough air in them or not? - that means, one has to
gather the full experience with all this. The one before whose
eyes rests the entire car, he is the number one driver.
Who is this most competent, wholly qualified driver to take us to the
destination of the spiritual journey? He is the one who is completely
familiar with all the intrinsic workings and fiinctionings of the human
vessel: he is the spiritual master, the guru.
The guru is t^e number one driver. This driver demonstrates
in what manner a car is to be handled - when the foot is to be
placed on the accelerator, in which place the brake is applied,
into what direction the car is to be maneuvered in order to
avoid an accident, or how the car should not be overloaded,
how it should be made to run in a well-guarded manner -,
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that means the sadguru is absolutely indispensable. The one
who knows, who has already been driving, it is him who
sets the car on foot. But if I am unable to drive, then the car
entraps me and there will be accident. Therefore, one has to
go to those who are knowing, and to learn from them.
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sadhu is able to contract power like this. As much power, as
much strength rests in an electric power, a sadhu can
contract exactly that much power And that much energy
rests in him.
Now, the Baul sadhakas keep these aspects always
concealed. Many of the true sadhakas are gone; nowadays
only few are acquainted with these secret components of
sadhana. Out of thousands, perhaps some two to four are
found, but not everyone is a sadhu. These days the majority
of Bauls are artistes; their number has increased. Just
singing, instrumental play, costume, income - in these they
have drowned. That means they would not want to practice
sadhana any more. The time which is lost while performing
sadhana, during this time they could do something else compose new songs, new such-and-such, create something
new in a new fashion; this is what they would strive for.
That means they slip into the reality of creation, how to
create. Creating and creating, their glance does not turn to the
other direction, where the true essence is disappearing all the
while. Therefore sadhakas have become extremely few
among the Bauls. Baul sadhakas are not found; there are
hardly any of them around. Very wrongly, all would claim
to be Bauls, to know everything; doing this and that they
would teach. But there are lots of errors and omissions in
that. That means no accomplished person is found. In order
to encounter an accomplished person, one has to take a lot of
trouble.
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strivers will then be given a chance to see whether or not their sadhana
is progressing into the proper direction.
So which is the true essence of the spiritual practice, which is the
sadhana that reaches beyond all spiritual exercises and evokes the
contact with the aspired divinity in an immediate and most intimate
manner?
That is the sadhana, verily, which is performed from three to
five o'clock in the morning, just sitting in one place,
absorbed in meditation. One has to sit, establishing the line
with That One so that one can see the Man of the Heart. I
can see the appearance of that divinity right here on the level
of my eyes. Then from here the vision, the sight shifts
upward. Then, dwelling on it, I am able to recognize His
form at all times before my inner eye. Then, there, one has to
submerge. Once immersed, one can see that the divinity is
gracefully present at the center of one's own body. There is
no joy exceeding the joy that rests in this realization. So the
Baul's most excellent sadhana is this Dive down, my heart, plunge into the sea,
searching through underworlds and nether regions
do obtain the precious gem of love.
There is love resting in it, emotion, affection, fondness,
bliss. There is amity resting in it, loving attachment. In this,
everything is being attained - if one is able to be truly a Baul.
But not being a genuine Baul, this thing however is not
found. Therefore, if one remains always concerned about
gaining something, about earning or losing something - if
this thought persists, in that case however this joy does not
arise. For this reason, those among the Bauls who, with
heart and soul, wish to pursue the real sadhana, they have to
practice sadhana in this manner. It is a stern sadhana, yet on
the other hand it is said that this is a very simple sadhana.
Why? It is very easy to make tears flow, to cry - oh lord of
my life, reveal Thyself to me! Then, from there, He will
grant vision. This is the Bauls' sadhana.
(19)
Self-control
One of the most important prerequisites for the success of
sadhana, and the essential quality in order to approach any aspect of the
spiritual practice, is self-restraint: a striver must be in a position to
subdue his inner passions and to maintain full control over himself in
every respect and under any circumstances. Without the capacity to
retain mastery over oneself, no task can be brought to fruition. Selfdiscipline is the vital attribute that must be acquired prior to the first
spiritual aspirations, and the state of being self-possessed must
moreover be sustained at all times with utmost vigilance. That is to say
the seeker must be able to exercise control over his entire being. In order
to establish self-control, however, effortful and dedicated sadhana is
necessary. Success in this most intricate task is not attained immediately,
hence the striver has to toil patiently over a prolonged period of time
until he gathers the needed spiritual strength that allows him to keep
himself under complete command.
It is once the fruit of sadhana is obtained that a seeker turns into a
fully self-contained person. If sadhana is executed with the required
continuity and inner determination, the task of controlling one's mental
and physical faculties can be mastered within a reasonable span of time.
If one practices sadhana under firm observation of its proper
time, then self-restraint can be acquired within five years.
Within five years one can become accomplished if the given
amount of time is maintained, if one provides two hours of
time - that means just two hours out of twenty-four hours.
And at the same time Japa.
Incantation, japa is sustained throughout the spiritual practice, and
moreover during the remaining time as well
One may talk, walk about, move around, meet one's friends
and relatives, do whatever daily chores are to be performed,
but from within - without unfastening the tongue - one has
to recite the name, to practice japa. This japa implies, the
sadhu mutters the name, unknown to the tongue. That means
there are two types of tongue: one is the moving tongue, and
one is the tied tongue.
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position while keeping the senses shut by way of securing the main
door with the master key, the divine name is remembered, is recited in
the mind. The name - that is to say, whichever name is relevant to the
individual seeker's spiritual practice, whichever name has been given to
him in the form of the bijarnantra.
All those seed formulas that we have, the bija whose
intrinsic essence is handed down only and alone to the
disciple, these are to be uttered. So whichever formula whichever. Such as the sixteen-name maharnantra - hare
krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare, hare rama hare rarna
rama rarna hare hare; this may be recited, or whatsoever
name. Whatever faith one follows, one is to take the name
maintained by this very religion.
Pronouncing the name soundlessly, sustained by assembled
concentration of mind and inward attentiveness, one has to sit with
closed eyes while carrying on the silent recitation. In this manner, one
remains motionless both interiorly and on the outside, whereas all the
while the incantation progresses and the name continues to be
articulated. As the chain of divine names proceeds on and on, what
ensues?
At that time, what arises from there is hare krsna rama: the
names of the four aeons joined together in one. It is at once
that the respective names of the four ages are being uttered.
This utterance is voiced within, in the innermost spheres.
That means the tongue is not involved in any way. There is
just the heart's union with the heart. This property, coming
from the heart, is to be kept among the two hearts. That is to
say the heart's dialog with the heart happens... which I had
quoted: this dialog with the heart is always sustained
through the act of incantation.
If the silent dialog with the heart, if the voiceless recitation within
the heart is accurately executed, its spiritual effectiveness and resulting
benefit exceed the merits of any other form of prayer. In that case there
is no other path on which attainment is accomplished as easily as
through japa.
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Meditation and realization, ritual worship - all these worship
and rituals that are being practiced, leaving aside all these if
only this contemplation were performed, engaging in this
contemplation you don't need yoga, you don't need rituals,
you don't need anything whatsoever: everything is achieved
within this -
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Baul philosophy
In the manner the wish-granting cow gives milk, just like
this, whenever he desires to do so, he may ask the mother
for a little milk. Perhaps I would have placed some sweet in
her mouth, and from there I will take it up. Like this - this is
the wish-fulfilling cow.
This wishing-cow extends her favors when? - once the task of selfcontrol is mastered, once a person has learnt to successfully subjugate
his passions.
The process of becoming self-possessed constitutes as such a
most excellent sadhana. This sadhana, however, requires inner strength
and determination coupled with faith and firmness in one's spiritual
intents. Given its high demands on the seeker's mind, only few are able
to earnestly pursue this most beneficial sadhana. Those who take to it,
however, will harvest the fruit of extreme bliss not only for themselves,
but will be able to extend the gift of utmost joy to others as well
Nowadays nobody is practicing this sadhana. Performing
this sadhana, joy is cast on a handful of people, and for
oneself there will be no shortage of bliss.
What is it that makes bliss attain entireness? What is it that turns a single
spark of joy into all-pervading, perpetual delight? It is the immanent
presence of the Supreme Reality which is then awakened within the
heart. It is the rising awareness of the inner divinity, the direct contact
established with the Divine Being.
Bliss being evoked in its entirety, that means the
saccidananda purusa, the Supreme Man as the true essence
of conscious bliss, is then gracefully present in our inner
being. Then I am always able to interact with Him, to engage
in mutual giving and taking.
Bliss emerges as soon as the inner dialog is established and man
enters into mutual conversation with the divinity of the heart. Thereby, it
is the reciprocity of the conversation which enhances the bliss derived
from it: man not only delivers his own sentiments to the Divine Person,
but receives an emotional response from the divinity. It is this mutuality,
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the reciprocal character of man's interaction with his own inner being,
which turns into the source emitting unbounded joy.
If I converse like this with the interior, then wherein rests the
ultimate joy? - in the fact that together with the conversation,
He gives an answer. This answering is the greatest thing.
The answer obtained from the Supreme Divinity represents the highest,
the supreme and most bliss-bestowing gift to be attained in the process
of sadhana. In order to partake of this furthest spiritual fruit, the sadhana
aimed at establishing the mutually responsive dialog must be executed in
an extremely subtle, sublime manner.
What is more, the refined nature of this sadhana and its most
rarefied inner essence calls for a highly sensitive approach to the
spiritual practice, in which excessive talking and telling is to be avoided.
In sadhana, if there is too much parley and discussion, too
much deliberation and learned showing-off, in that case
accomplishment of sadhana turns very difficult. This is
because if I attain perfection in sadhana, having become
accomplished myself I cannot make everyone accomplished,
can I? I cannot make everyone reach perfection. But the
theories that help us to set out on this path, these can be laid
down in books, can be elaborated upon in lectures, in
sermons of the kind preached here and there by the sadhus
to reveal their truthful pronouncements.
The promulgation of the essence of truth through the proclamations of
accomplished persons is inspirited by the living experience of the
transcendental reality contained in these noble utterances. That is to say,
the one who has obtained the vision of the aspired divinity, the one who
has been able to apprehend the sublime truth at the core of his own heart
makes his experience known to others. Sharing the experience of
supreme bliss with his fellow humans, the virtuous seeker thereby
intends to guide them on the right course, on the path that leads towards
realization.
If this task is properly approached, that is, if man is made to
pursue his spiritual journey on the correct route, then the capacity to
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5 02
Baul philosophy
not come back to his mother, and our pride of
personality will be a curse to us if we cannot give
it up in love. We must know that it is only the
revelation of the Infinite which is endlessly new
and eternally beautiful in us, and which gives the
only meaning to our self.
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Baul philosophy
have no knowledge, no wisdom of my own. Then what did
he do? Having put an end to scholarship, together with that,
he was able to say, I am more stupid than a fool - do set me
off, do take me with you, show me the path; I know nothing.
He realizes that in knowledge rests what? - in the flow of
wisdom, there is only intellect, only reasoning. Read the
Veda, the Vedanta - however much one reads, that much the
knowledge increases. It is the knowledge that grows. But
within that, in so many books, if I want to obtain the real
flavor...
Therefore Caitanya Deva says, I do not want to take pride in
knowledge. Through this, the ego expands. Selfishness
rises. And however much selfishness increases, that much I
am going to gradually slide down. Now I have seen that the
scholars from all over the world have surrendered to me but what is my gain in that? I have gained nothing. That
which I want to see consciously, that which is within me,
those persons sleeping within me - these I want to arouse to
consciousness, so that they remain always awakened within
me. But where are they? They are not awaking, are they? My
esprit for the sake of competitive debate grows stronger whom am I going to defeat now, whom am I going to finish
off when? - this is the sentiment that springs up in me. This I
do not need, do I? What I am longing for is the sentiment of
sweetness - that where there is love, affection, fondness,
where there is sweet interaction. It is this which I want. So
in order to aspire this, what does one have to do? - to
renounce everything.
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505
The higher nature in man always seeks for
something which transcends itself and yet is its
deepest truth; which claims all its sacrifice, yet
makes this sacrifice its own recompense. This is
man's dharma, man's religion, and man's self is
the vessel which is to carry this sacrifice to the
altar.2
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Self-control
507
motivating force that enables man to proceed on the spiritual path, and it
is surrender, it is self-sacrifice inspired by the spirit of devotion which
makes man's actions truly meaningful.
Therefore, especially for the sake of becoming selfpossessed, one has to acquire the strength of surrender. That
means one has to bring one's acts to life. One has to create
an achievement of such kind that it will remain alive even
after one has died. This sort of deed one has to perform.
Someone perhaps does it by establishing a temple - this is an
achievement. Thousands of people come, see, and leave.
Again somebody else may construct some tall building in
America. This is an achievement, this is something which
remains. Now again some people would put an end to this
achievement - this is another deed, to destroy the tall
building in one blow; this too is an achievement. That means
these are facts that survive; they survive on the pages of
history.
But there is no creativity in this, is there? In this, the
Supreme Man is not found. That which is the formless
essence, in order to apprehend this formless essence one has
to accomplish some manifestation within the form, isn't it?
This formless essence signifies hrahma. It floats
everywhere. So this formless reality must be worshiped
within the manifest form. This is Baul sadhana. The Bauls
would always say, the indiscernible comes, the indiscernible
goes - none discerns the indiscernible. The 'indiscernible5
refers to the formless presence - that is, the unmanifest cosmic reality whose presence enables all life. It
is but for the existence of this unseen transcendental power that the
universe persists and the animate creatures are supplied with life-breath.
When it arrives it enters our inner being; it appears with the
in-breath and leaves again. That means it keeps coming and
going, it keeps continuing.
How does the continuity of the formless reality reveal itself as a
cosmic presence? The formless energy rests in the atmosphere
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universe itself would meet extinction. Air, therefore, is life itself; it is the
life-giving energy emanating from the supreme transcendental reality,
from the formless reality which is subtly present in all manifest forms as
their life-breath.
The gods breathe along with life-breath, as also
men and beasts; the breath is the life of beings.
Therefore, it is called the life of all...
The world is kept alive by air. If air were not there, then this
vegetation would not survive. Man would not survive.
Animals would not survive. Whatever exists in the world,
5
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 3.7.2 ... vayur vai... tat sutram; vayuna vai.. .sutrenayam ca
lokahpara ca lokah sarvani ca bhutani samdrbdhani bhavanti, tasmad vai.. .purusam
pretam ahuh vyasramsisatasyanganiti; vayuna hi. ..sutwna samdrbdhani bhavantlti
6
Taittiriya Upanisad 2.3,1 pranam deva aimprananti, manusyah paiavai ca ye, prano
hi bhutanam ayuh, tasmat sarvayusam ucyate, sarvam eva ta ayuryanti...
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Baul philosophy
that floats within us: he is mad on account of this. He sings,
dances, revels in delight as He gets to realize That One
dancing in front of him. The joy that arises once our dearest,
most beloved person Himself keeps on dancing, this is the
utmost joy of which we would then partake.
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Baul philosophy
the guidance of Sita Ram Omkarnath, I practiced sadhana for
a long time. And I learnt sadhana. Upon learning I saw that
he used to say, look, the name alone is true. His orientation,
however, was different; he belonged to the Ramanuja
tradition, which is referred to as Ramanuja Vaisnava school.
Sita Ram's sadhana is the sadhana of Ramanuja, So I used to
practice this Rama sadhana for some days.
Having practiced this Rama sadhana, I realized that this
again is of one and the same kind. If one gets a little into
sadhana -1 am not talking of perfect accomplishment -, just
if one gets a little into it, then it becomes obvious that all
methods are but one. Then no difference persists between
them. So I then realized that Baul sadhana is Rama sadhana.
That means if the world were to properly observe Sitaram
Das Omkamath's sadhana, then peace would descend on this
earth. The same is attained through Baul sadhana: peace
spreads in the world. Why does peace unfold? Because man
is taught to love. And Sita Ram Onkarnath used to say that
in order to grant peace to humans, one has to bestow the
name upon them: keep assembling together, perform
harinama samkirtana, dance, sing, and contemplate, realize,
practice sadhana - this is the message he used to deliver. He
was not fond of enjoyments, he did not take to items of
luxury, and - this must be said - he was an extremely stern
follower of his path. Sitaram Das Omkamath represented the
sadhana of this strict adherence. Moreover, he had some
inclination towards caste differentiation. Why? He was a
Brahman, hence he liked the Brahmans very much, he gave
prominence to them. But ultimately, I saw that he had come
to regard all in an equal manner, uniformly. Then I realized
that he did not maintain any discrimination, nothing. That
means he demonstrated that on the initial path, there is
selective differentiation and decision, observance of rules
and prescriptions, rites and conduct - all these have to be
respected and observed at the initial stage. But as soon as
you attain the union of the soul with the Supreme Soul, then
you realize that everything happens in one single place.
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Baul philosophy
however much you can, do write Lord Rama's name.
Writing and writing, on and on, the feeling for Lord Rama
will arise in you. Lord Rama will extend His grace. Like
this, Rama is the guru. The guru's grace will be attained.
So in this manner, I watched Sita Ram Omkarnath. I
watched my Baul guru, my father Nabani Das. I watched
Manohar Khyapa who is my Baul guru. Watching all my
revered spiritual masters, at one point it occured to me that I
can see, there is no difference. All gurus I did watch - one
and the same reality, and reaching one and the same place.
So initially I was worried that the Baul guru would be
different, proceeding on the Baul path would be different;
the path of Rama would be different, Tantra would be
different, and the sadhakas in the field of Baul singing
would again constitute something different. However, once I
began to fully strive for accomplishment in sadhana, once I
took up my task, at that time I realized, look, it is all one and
the same. There was difference initially. But towards the end
I saw that there is no distinction, everything is one.
What is more, if we call our divinity by the name of God,
then the divine reality is man. The human being is the
divinity; man is God. One has to love him. With love and
affection, one has to make him one's own. And - one's own
country and the foreign country, all must be made one's
own. There is nothing called one's own country or foreign
country - everything is our own. Why? It has been created
by Him. By whom? - our guru. He is God. One God has
brought forth creation. So He has created you, He has
created me, He has created a tree, a mountain, an ocean everything is His creation. So everything is our own,
everything is us ourselves, there is no distinctness in
anything. These things one has to know for oneself
Knowing them for oneself, one has to strive for them. So in
order to become self-possessed we need sadhana. Sadhana,
faith, devotion, love - all these are required.
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(20)
Niskama prema sadhana
The more intricate an aspect of sadhana, the easier it turns once it
*s Perfectly mastered. For this reason, it is the most complex and
demanding elements of the spiritual practice whose fulfillment enables
e st
nver to proceed on the path towards his ultimate goal in a direct
and uncomplicated manner. That is to say, once the preliminary
stipulations for any one component of the sadhana have been met and
the fundament for the search ahead has been laid, the process of sadhana
as such ceases to be strenuous and becomes readily accessible. The
Preliminary prerequisites imply establishment of the essential spiritual
qualities whose presence in a seeker ensures the spiritual success. Once
the needed mental attributes have been acquired through toilsome and
resolved spiritual exercise, it is then that accomplishment becomes not
nly feasible but easily attainable.
Among those highly exigent, yet - upon gaining mastery - most
simple spiritual courses, Baul sadhana includes a component referred to
as sahaja niskama prema sadhana, the sadhana of spontaneous,
dispassionate love. Niskama prema sadhana is by itself extremely
difficult and calls for a superior level of self-restraint and spiritual
advancement, because the quality of being dispassionate must have been
evoked and firmly instated in the mind before this sadhana can be taken
U
P- In order to create the spiritual fundament upon which niskama prema
sadhana is practiced, therefore, desire and gainful motives of any kind
must be rigorously eliminated beforehand. Given the high expectations
on the seeker's spiritual capacities, it is self-evident that however simple
and straightforward the sadhana of dispassionate love may theoretically
appear, to practically accomplish its tasks proves to be just as tough and
effortful. Many a striver, though eloquent in outlining the essentials of
niskama prema sadhana, falters when it comes to actually realizing those
delicate tenets.
Again it is upon creating the necessary spiritual foundation and
the required mental readiness that practical realization turns easy. Why is
it so? What is it that accounts for the intrinsic intricacy of the spiritual
processes on the one hand, and their unconstrained unfolding once the
elementary functionings are understood on the other hand? The principal
difficulty on the path of advanced sadhana consists in the fact that the
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subtle workings at the basis of the spiritual process are not easily
apprehended at a first glance. That is to say, a striver is not normally
able to comprehend the tenets implicit in a higher stage of the spiritual
practice in an effortless and impulsive manner. If understanding is
achieved spontaneously and without difficulty, it is then, however, that
even the most complex spiritual procedures become readily intelligible,
and intricacy is no more a constraint.
How is spontaneity of thought accomplished, how prompt
comprehension facilitated? The first and foremost requirement in order
to instigate the process of niskama sadhana is removal of passion,
subdual of desire. Self-discipline and will-power must be established,
and restraint must be exercised so as to regulate one's inner intents and
to clear them of any covetous tendencies. Love is not accomplished for
as long as lust prevails, because the sentiments of lust and of love are
mutually exclusive. The Bauls say, where lust dwells, love is not
attained, nor is the sentiment of the Vraja gopls, and Rabindranath
Tagore spins the same thread of thought into his prayer when he
exclaims Not for me is the love that knows no restraint, but like the
foaming wine that having burst its vessel in a moment
would run to waste.
Send me the love which is cool and pure like your rain that
blesses the thirsty earth and fills the homely earthen
jars.
Send me the love that would soak down into the centre of
being, and from there would spread like the unseen
sap through the branching tree of life, giving birth to
fruits and flowers.
Send me the love that keeps the heart still with the ftilness
of peace.1
Once greed and desire have been brought under control, a condition of
complete freedom from passion arises, a state of desireless calm in
which inner peace and joy prevail:
Joy reigns when all work becomes the path to the union
with Brahma; when the soul ceases to return constantly to
its own desires; when in it our self-offering grows more
Fruit-gathering, LXIII
519
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Baul philosophy
Bhagavadglta, or with the companionship of accomplished
seekers, with virtuous company, in that case constructive
association has been achieved. Constructive company stands
for cultivating the soil with the invigorating substance, it
stands for cultivating the body. That means discipline: selfrestraint has been accomplished.
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freedom. Off control, these inborn enemies lure the human mind into
sensuous activity, thereby dragging man into a vicious circle of evergrowing, never-satisfiable desires.
Desire springs up when the eyes see something; watching it,
that object appears beautiful, appealing. At the time of seeing
that beauty, our greed is born. This means if I do not get to
see the attractive, the nice and beautiful with my eyes, then
this sentiment does not arise. The feeling of desire within
me, this mood does not come forth.
Lustful desire, passion is inspired by the various sights that open up
before our eyes: however much the eyes stroll around, to whatever
direction they point their glance, desire enters from that very side. Once
passion has spread, anger and indignation take root; thereupon covetous
intents emerge and greed arrives.
Greed means however much a person receives, that much
more he wants. Give him a million rupees, give him a
million dollars, give him a million houses, give him riches it does not stop there. Greed increases, day by day.
Avarice keeps growing unless it is effectively controlled, and this
control can be established in no other way that by restraining the senses
through which the harmful potencies enter. To obstruct the path of the
indwelling vices and to prevent the evil forces from performing their
destructive task is therefore vital for the spiritual survival of the human
being. Because our lust, or greed, our love of comfort result in cheapening
man to his lowest value. Our desires blind us to the truth
that there is in man, aild this is the greatest wrong done by
ourselves to our own soul. It deadens our consciousness,
and is but a gradual method of spiritual suicide.3
In order that spiritual suicide may not be taken to its cruel end,
eliminating forever the dignity of the human soul, we have to thus
abolish our desires, our lust and our greed by their very roots. To
control these evils signifies subjugation of lust Rabindranath Tagore, op.dt., p. 109
523
Uttamkhanda, 5.\83Aff.
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Baul philosophy
525
5
6
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Baul philosophy
Who am I ? . . ,
.. .thus inquire within thyself, it will be of great benefit.7
Know thyself, that is to say we have to realize ourselves as our true self,
as the self which 'has an appearance as well as a truth18, as the self
'which is finite in its expression and infinite in its principle19. This self is
the human self and as such it is an extension of the Supreme Self It is
the self which rests within the human being as the infinite within the
finite, as the divine within man. So we have to become aware of this
transcendental presence at the core of our own physical being. We need
to realize ourselves as humans, to recognize the truth of our own human
existence.
First of all I have to know that I am a human being. Within
me there is another Human Being. That means the way I
love myself, the way I wear good clothes, apply pleasant
soaps and oils, eat well, in the same way I have to extend
treatment to that Human Being who rests within me.
Self-realization hence signifies what? - to know our Inner Person,
and having discerned the Inner Man, to properly maintain Him. To
know oneself is to know the other human being within one's own being.
To love oneself is to love that other human being: to sustain him well, to
understand what suits him and what does not suit him, to know what
nourishment appears tasty to him, to recognize which agreeable object
appeals to him. To love that other human being means therefore to think
towards the other person, to think for the sake of the other person.
That means atma-tattva (the essence of one's own self) para-tattva (the essence of the other) - guru-tattva: this is to
say, as soon as you are able to realize and to love that
Human Being within yourself, you will be able to realize
another person as well.
7
8
9
527
Annapurna Upanisad
1.40
upanisaa 1.4U
Shrivatsa Goswami, in an interview with Steven J. Gelberg, 12 March 1982
nt
.
11 /umapuma
1 1
>r-
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Baul philosophy
someone, then maybe this person would have won, or that
person would have won. In this manner, a challenging
atmosphere persists. But this thing does not come up if one
were to perform sadhana. To attain to the divinity - God is
not reached through challenge.
529
13
14
SubalaUpanisadl3.1
Rabindranath Tagore, Fwit-gathering, LXXXII
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Baul philosophy
Once the emotion of the small child has fully unfolded in a person
and maternal sentiments govern that persons emotional moves, it is then
that the ideal of divinity can be truly realized in humanity, for it is then
alone that man escapes from the danger of 'turnfing] something that is
lofty and sublime into something immoral and perverted'15. Why?
Permeated by the sentiment of childlike pureness, the striver remains
alert at all times so as to protect his spiritual integrity.
Whether he sings, or dances, or plays musical instruments,
or does whatsoever; immersing himself amid all, still he
would seek to retain his vital property. There is but one thing
on which he would keep his eye, and this is brahmacaiya.
Brahmacarya, the ability to preserve the vital energies through selfrestraint, constitutes a crucial factor on the path of self-realization. Yet
the strength and capacity to maintain brahmacarya is not acquired in a
single instant, but requires patient and relentless effort.
To adopt brahmacarya, one may perhaps not succeed at first
attempt. One may not make it at second attempt, at third
attempt either, yet one has to keep trying. Why? When a
child is born, a human child - they cannot jump, can they? A
child being born, all he can do is crying for his mother, that
means to make fuaahf. A calf or new-bom animal, as soon as
he emerges from the mother's womb, will try to get up - with
one foot, with two feet, again he falls down. That means
time and again he wants to get up and falls down, gets up
and falls down. Like this, getting up and falling down again
and again, he finally manages to suck the milk from his
mother. Having learnt to drink, he will nourish himself on
the mother's milk for as long as he is meant to; thereafter he
eats plants, eats food, eats other nutriments. Then the initial
sentiment is forgotten; this sort of maternal emotion does not
remain with him. That means in an animal's nature, the
maternal feeling persists Tor some time, for some days,
thereafter it exhausts itself. As soon as the animal learns to
get up and run about, the maternal sentiment gradually
decreases. It fades, but his affection and fondness live on. It
15
531
532
Baul philosophy
533
presence rather than a mere illusion. Respect for humanity, love and
affection towards the human being can be accomplished only once man
realizes his own self and, having discerned the presence of the Supreme
Divinity in the guise of the human self, learns to love this divinity. To
love this divinity in what way? - by loving his inner divinity, by loving
his own soul as the extension of the Supreme Self: of the world-soul to
which the individual souls are linked by their kinship of love making
every single creature an integral aspect of the universal whole.
But what does love imply in the concrete? What does it mean for
one human being to love another human being, to cherish friendship,
amity, affection? How is mutual love among humans accomplished?
Love means to get close to someone in an agreeable manner.
Affection, love, friendliness - love is to engage in pleasant
conversation with a person, to make that person one's own,
and to be positively fond of that person, to care about that
person. This is love, this is amicability, this is affection.
More than that, genuine love is by nature selfless and free from egoistic
intents.
This apart there is no expectation of gain. If interest to obtain
arises, then the matter slips down. Then what happens? Then
one gets to see that a human being cannot turn completely
human.
For man to become fully human, for the human being to grow
into a perfect, into a fulfilled human being, what is it that is needed? - the
ability to renounce. Renunciation - that is, abandonment of selfish
desires and impertinent demands on the part of the individual for the
sake of humanity as a whole - is essential in order to achieve harmony
and love among humans. Therefore, it is in renunciation that complete
peace is attained.
In renouncement lies supreme peace, and if one is not able to
accomplish renunciation, then this peace does not arise. But
peace emerges when? - once you love yourself.
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Baul philosophy
535
That means nothing else than the fact that the knowledge of
experience arises at the very moment of birth. Now, to attain
accomplishment in the sadhana pertaining to the human birth
- it is this accomplishment which indicates being
accomplished.
It is accomplishment in the sadhana relating to the human birth
which signifies true accomplishment. And to arrive at this supreme
accomplishment, to reach the ultimate state of attainment, there is but one
route: surrender - fall-hearted and unconditional surrender to the one
who sets us afoot on our journey. Surrender implies faith, surrender
implies reliance and confidence in the one to whom one surrenders.
Just as the small child has no pertness, that means he knows
no shame, no hate, no fear of any kind. He surrenders
himself entirely to the mother. At times he remains naked, at
times he wears clothes, at times he does not wear them; at
times he eats, at times he does not eat - everything is
arranged for him but by the mother. That means he depends
on her, relies on her. So if we could rely on somebody in
this very manner, it is then that we can attain to God. God
means that one: the one on whom we will rely, it is that one
who is God. Reliance is God: it is Him who gets everything
going.
Thereupon, accomplishment signifies darsana, the ultimate vision
of the divine presence. It is in this vision that the state of being
accomplished becomes disclosed, that attainment manifests itself as the
supreme spiritual experience. Darsana arises when the striver is able to
evoke the transcendental sight before his inner eye. How is the divine
vision called forth in the concrete?
Darsana suggests that I wish to see Him with my eyes. That
means He becomes visible by way of emotional experience
in the manner of a flow of dreams.
Now, once determined to incite the vision of the Supreme Divinity, a
seeker may resolve to ascertain the sublime energy in its apparent
revelation as the human being indwelled by the divine essence.
536
Baul philosophy
Once firmness has taken root - then perhaps you would have
arrived, so I reckon the divinity to have come to me in your
appearance. That far I can take my imagination. Why? You
are a human being, I am a human being, hence I believe that
your coming implies the arrival of the divinity in your guise.
537
not through onefs own inner eye. The Supreme Being rests in us, and it
is within ourselves that we have to search for the divinity; it is within
our own soul that we are to realize the infinite truth.
For this reason, to attain something by separating it - in that
case I would say one is bound to spend one's whole life
practicing the wrong sadhana. This will never ever be
fruitful. If someone says, I will show you God - God cannot
be shown; this is something one has to see for oneself.
Why is it so? Because the Supreme Divinity becomes revealed through
experience, because the Supreme Divinity is experience Experience of that one about whom the materialist says in
disbelief, 'show me that god of yours, let him appear in
physical form so that I can see him, hear him, touch him, or
else I will not accept his existence1. Yes, we may answer,
the Supreme Being truly manifests himself in physical
form, he is present everywhere in the material world and
can be seen, heard, touched - but only once you have felt
his spiritual touch, once you have seen him with your inner
eye and listened to his music with the ear of your heart,
then only you will be convinced of his physical existence.
That experience, however, the emotional experience of the
unexplainable, cannot be taught but requires the personal
effort of the individual - as the English say *you can take a
horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink1.16
For the horse to drink the water, for man to drink the nectar o f
sweetness that emerges from the ultimate transcendental experience, a
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Baul philosophy
charged and the machine works. And if the battery is not a
charging battery, then it runs for as long as its running time
lasts, thereafter it has to be thrown away; that means it does
not work any longer.
In the same manner, our body needs a battery. These
batteries are virtuous company, association with the guru,
and going to temples and mosques - why that? Because
going there, if I enter, if I sit down - just as here nobody
comes to disturb me, hence this room is the place in which I
perform sadhana, that means this is a temple. In the same
way temples - if I say a temple of Lord Krsna, alright, you
may call it temple where the divine presence persists; in any
case it is within experience that you attain to it. As soon as
you close your eyes, then you see that the divinity has
arrived before you. It does not take too much difficulty lighting a candle you can practice it every day, remaining
engrossed for some time, again closing your eyes, you will
see that a certain light within you begins to spread. That
means the radiant presence is gradually expanding.
If this remains happening - the light is brahma, the Supreme
Being. The whole world is the creation of brahma. BrahmaVisnu-Mahesvara: these three are one and the same reality,
not separate entities. We have divided them into three, but
there is one and the same brahma: that is, the supreme
transcendental energy, brahma sakti. So for the sake of
knowing this supreme transcendental energy, what happens
to the Baul? - he goes about striving like a mad person: in
order to see that brahma, and that brilliance. And it is in
search of seeing that Lustrous Man, saccidananda pwrusa the Supreme Man as the essence of true, conscious bliss that the Bauls traverse country after country. Through all
countries they wander about, everywhere they find That
One. Why? It is the Man of the Heart for whom they search
within man. That is to say, the one who possesses the power
of consciousness, the one in whom rests the power of
experience: it is a person of this kind whom they strive to
attain. If a Man of that sort is obtained, in that case the
539
17
540
Baul philosophy
the divine property rests in everyone, therefore that person is
the divinity. We are doing hundreds of thousands of things
for the divinity as part of worship in the temple, but we do
not provide food for a handful of people. If those five people
could be supplied with food, then That One - That Man
whose worship I am performing, He will be even more
delighted. His grace will descend upon those humans.
Generation
1st
2nd
3rd
4 th
5th
Birbhadra
Gosai
Advaita
Gosai
Rasaraj
Gosai
Khepa Chand
Gosai
Ananto
Gosai
6th
Okkur
Gosai
Triguna
Dasi
7th
Phuru Dasi
Nabani Das
Khepa Baul
Brajobala
Dasi
8th
Annapurna
Dasi
Radharani
Dasi
Puma Das
Baul
Manju
Dasi
&
Lakshman
Das
Chakradhar
Das
9th
Krishnendu
Das
Paromita
Das
Subhendu
Das
Manisha
Dasi
Laurance
Dasi
Dibyendu
Das
10th
10th
Anisha
Dasi
&
Anurag
Das
Yet to
born
Aditee
Dasi
10th
Debaditiya
Das
Alingan
Das