Baul Philosphy & Sadhana
Baul is a song of universal love.., mystic expression.. and spiritualism...
A song of Universal Love:
One of the main tenets of Baul cult is love for humanity-irrespective of their caste and creed, faith and religion, colour and custom. They believe, their love for man is the path leading to the love for the Divine. True love, according to the Bauls, is incompatible with any kind of compulsion and love is the supreme power.
A song of Mystic expression:
Baul speaks about the universal mysteries of life is simple words to touch the heart of common man and a Baul singing and dancing in ecstasy with an "Ektara" (single string instrument) in hand represents the finest specimen of folk song tune to the soil of Bengal and its culture.
A song of Spritualism:
Bauls do not believe in any conventional mode of worship, still spiritualism forms the main root of their philosophy. What need, they say, have we of temples and churches when in this body of ours, the supreme spirit has his abode? The human body despised by most orthodox religions in thus for them the holy of holies wherein the divine is intimately enshrined as the "Man of Heart".
The Baul is the wandering minstrel, journey from place to place (or village to village), dance in ecstacy and sing songs joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. Their language is simple and their deep thoughts and mystical experiences are clothed in home spun words and metaphors of village folk. They are free thinkers, performers whose livelihood depends entirely on donations which used to be freely given.
