Baul
The Baul are a group of mystic minstrels of mixed elements of Sufism and Vaishnava Sahajiya from different parts of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley and Meghalaya. Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect of troubadours and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Gaudiya Vaishnava Bengali Hindus and Sufi Bengali Muslims. They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. Lalon Shah is regarded as the most celebrated Baul saint in history.
Although Bauls constitute only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the "Baul tradition of Bangladesh" was included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Etymology
The origin of the word Baul is debated. A common view is that it may be derived either from the Sanskrit word vātula, which means "mad, crazy", or from vyākula, which means "impatiently eager, upset". A recent scholarly research suggests that the Bauls may be descendants of a specific branch of Sufism referred to as ba'al. According to philosopher Shashibhusan Dasgupta, both of these derivations are consistent with the modern sense of the word, "inspired people with an ecstatic eagerness for a spiritual life where one can realise one's union with the eternal Beloved". Another theory is that it comes from the Persian word Aul.History
The origin of Bauls is not known exactly, but the word "Baul" has appeared in Bengali texts as old as the 15th century. The word is found in the Chaitanya Bhagavata of Vrindavana Dasa Thakura as well as in the Chaitanya Charitamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja. Some scholars maintain that it is not clear when the word took its sectarian significance, as opposed to being a synonym for the word madcap, agitated. Bauls are a part of the culture of rural Bengal. Many attempts have been made to ascertain the origin of Bauls but there is wide disagreement among scholars. But they agree that no founders have been acknowledged either by Bauls themselves or others. Bauls are divided into several named groups, each following a named Hindu or Muslim guru. Besides, there are other communities who later identified or affiliated themselves with Bauls, like Darbesi, Nera and two sub-sects of Kartabhajas — Aul and Sai. The Bauls themselves attribute their lack of historical records to their reluctance to leave traces behind. Dr. Jeanne Openshaw writes that the music of the Bauls appears to have been passed down entirely in oral form until the end of the 19th century, when it was first transcribed by outside observers.Ahmed Sharif says about history of Baulism in his book “Baul Tattva”, “A mixed sect has been formed by the cooperation of Brahmanism, Shaivism and Buddhist Sahajiya sects, called Nathpanth. Their goal is physical pursuits. people of these two sects were once converted to Islam and Vaishnavism, but since it was not possible to abandon the old beliefs and reforms, they continued to practice religion in the old traditions even under the auspices of Islam and Vaishnavism, as a result of which the Baulism, a combination of Hindus and Muslims, emerged. Therefore, there is no obstacle in accepting the Muslim vows of a Hindu guru or the Hindu vows of a Muslim guru. They have broken the barriers of Brahmanism and Shariat Islam and have paved the way according to their own mind. That is why they say, “Kali Krishna is God, there is no barrier to any name. Say Kali Krishna is God.”
There are two classes of Bauls: ascetic Bauls who reject family life and Bauls who live with their families. Ascetic Bauls renounce family life and society and survive on alms. They have no fixed dwelling place, but move from one to another. Bangladeshi men wear white lungis and long, white tunics; women wear white saris. They carry, shoulder bags for alms. They do not beget or rear children. They are treated as. Women dedicated to the service of ascetics, are known as "service slaves". A male Baul can have one, who is associated with him in the act of devotion. Until 1976 the district of Kushtia had 252 ascetic Bauls. In 1982-83 the number rose to 905; in 2000, they numbered about 5000.
Those who choose family life, live with their spouse, children and relations in a secluded part of a village. They do not mix freely with other members of the community. Unlike ascetic Bauls, their rituals are less strict. In order to become Bauls, they recite some mystic verses and observe certain rituals.
The bauls from India dress colourfully in orange and red and have a somewhat different way of getting together. In Bangladesh, Bauls mostly dress in white which symbolises purity. There is a big yearly gathering called Jaydeb Mela, taking place in Januari in Kenduli, near Bolpur, which attract bauls and followers in large numbers.
Concepts and practices
Musical asceticism
Baul music celebrates celestial love, but does this in very earthy terms, as in declarations of love by the Baul for his bosh-tomi or lifemate.With such a liberal interpretation of love, it is only natural that Baul devotional music transcends religion and some of the most famous baul composers, such as Lalon, criticised the superficiality of religious divisions:
Physical esotericism
Their religion is based on an expression of the body, and an expression of the mind. Some of their rituals are kept hidden from outsiders, as they might be thought to be repulsive or hedonistic. Bauls concentrate much of their mystic energies on the four body fluids, on the nine-doors, on prakṛiti as "energy of nature" or "primal motive force", and on breath sādhanā.Women were given the highest honor in Tantra as well as Baulism. One of the Panca-tattvas or Pañcamakāras that is considered essential for Tantric sadhana is the lady, whom they used to call ma, which they also adrresses their wives as. Some Tantras claim that even a prostitute might be a Tantric devotee's companion. A person's mother is their best teacher. Because a Sadhaka's success in Sadhana is solely dependent on his Sadhan Sangini, she is seen as superior to the man in terms of Sadhana. Instead of calling their spouses strī, many Baul males used to refer to them as sangini. While some Vaishnava Bauls engage in regular social weddings with a Hindu priest and a dowry, others exchange garlands under the supervision and blessings of a guru, a practice known as mālācandan or mālābadal. Since this kind of exchange is performed in front of one's guru, whom pupils are required to obey, some Bauls believed it to be more binding than a typical social wedding. However, there is considerable disagreement and disagreement on the durability of Baul weddings performed in this manner. As a practicing partner, fornication or other's wife is preferable for Vaishnavi Bauls. However, Muslim Bauls typically make his own wife as partner.
Impuristic occultism
According to Bauls, using narcotics promotes achievement, happiness at work, and mental clarity. For nearly the same reason, this nation's saints, monks, Bauls, and fakirs use marijuana, siddhi, and bhang as the primary supplements for their sadhana and meditate while intoxicated. They also use narcotics like hashish and cocaine.To get rid of all diseases, they make a substance called Prembhaja/Premvaja /Prem Bhoja by mixing four substaces called by them four moons , Garala Chand or venom moons, Rohini Chandra or ascending moons and Mohini Chandra or seductress moons or Nij Chandra or self moon and eat it in Rohini Yoga, which is frequently mentioned in Baul songs and Lalon songs. It is derived from the ritual called Panch Pavitra of tantric community, also performed as Panchan Rasa in Sufi Fakir community. In another explanation, this practice is called as a form of "Gayatri Kriya" to achieve immortality.
Music
The music of the Bauls, Baul Sangeet, is a particular type of folk song. Their music represents a long heritage of preaching mysticism through songs in Bengal.Bauls pour out their feelings in their songs but never bother to write them down. Theirs is essentially an oral tradition. It is said that Lalon Fakir, the greatest of all Bauls, continued to compose and sing songs for decades without ever stopping to correct them or put them on paper. It was only after his death that people thought of collecting and compiling his repertoire.
Their lyrics intertwine a deep sense of mysticism, a longing for oneness with the divine. An important part of their philosophy is "Deha tatta", a spirituality related to the body rather than the mind. They seek the divinity in human beings. Metaphysical topics are dwelt upon humbly and in simple words. They stress remaining unattached and unconsumed by the pleasures of life even while enjoying them. To them we are all a gift of divine power and the body is a temple, music being the path to connect to that power. A consistent part of Bauls' lyrics deals with body-centered practices that aim at controlling sexual desire. The esoteric knowledge of conception and contraception is revealed in the lyrics of the songs through an enigmatic language that needs to be decoded by the guru in order to be understood and experienced.
Besides traditional motifs drawn from the rural everyday life, Baul songs have always been inclined to incorporate change and keep pace with social and economic innovations. For instance, modern Baul compositions discuss esoteric matters by using the terminology of modern, urban and technological lexicons, and it is not unusual to hear Baul refrains containing mobile phones, radio channels, football matches and television.
Bauls use a number of musical instruments: the most common is the ektara, a one-stringed "plucked drum" drone instrument, carved from the epicarp of a gourd, and made of bamboo and goatskin. Others include the dotara, a long-necked fretless lute made of the wood of a jackfruit or neem tree; besides khamak, one-headed drum with a string attached to it which is plucked. The only difference from ektara is that no bamboo is used to stretch the string, which is held by one hand, while being plucked by another. Drums like the duggi, a small hand-held earthen drum, and dhol and khol; small cymbals called khartal and manjira, and the bamboo flute are also used. Ghungur and nupur are anklets with bells that ring while the person wearing them dances.
A Baul family played on stage in London for The Rolling Stones' Hyde Park concerts in 1971, '72 and '78 in front of thousands.