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Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul was born into the 'only lineage of Vaishnava Tantric Baul in the village of Suri Birbhum, W Bengal. He is the Eldest Grandson of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Brajabala Dasi, they raised him from birth.
If anybody is name dropping OSHO and Baul, they do not know what they are talking about, Babu Kishan is the only one other than Nabani who knew Osho personally and did some music projects for him. Why would anybody mention Osho as if they knew something is beyond the imagination, trying to be authority on Baul?? Babu Kishan is the only Baul ever other than Nabani the only way one can know is through reading this blog and then name dropping.
Babu spent many hours privately talking to OSHO about Baul and Nabani. It is laughable, that people are using this connection with Baul and Osho to name drop, acting as if they are experts, trying to act like they actually knew?
This is name dropping to the highest degree. If you knew Osho talk about that, if you never met him and are not a Baul, stop poaching and name dropping? As a matter of fact Babu Kishan does not know you, never met you? Baul stories are very specific.
Babu was left right after he was born by his birth parents Manju and Purna Das Baul (the eldest son of Nabani's). Babu Kishan was not supposed to survive, however, when you are left with an adept Tantric grandfather Guru Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Brajabala Dasi, they mades sure he survived against all odds under their care.
Nabani named his little tiny grandson 'Krishnendu' now KD Babu Kishan. Krishnendu was born with premature and crooked limbs. He was not expected to live so his parents left Suri went back to Calcutta and had 2 other boys without looking back, they left him when he needed them most?
Thank Goddess for Nabani who took Babu to Tarapith and Tara Ma, Nabani was an adept Tantric initiated into Tara Sadhana by Bhama Kepa in the burning grounds. Nabani, had Krishnendu blessed by all the Guru's, Yogi's, Nath's, Swami's of the early 1960's, he made sure that his first Grandson was given the chance to survive.
Osho met Nabani when Osho was visiting Birbhum with his college friend Abid Surati a painter, cartoonist, journalist, environmentalist (water) activist who Babu Kishan had met many decades ago in Bombay!
In Bombay Babu became good friends with Abid considering the age difference. Babu always associated with older people, many in their 80's and 90's his mother used to ask, what is the matter with you, do you not have any friends your own age.
Babu heard all of the stories of Osho's journey's from Abid including Osho's life college years, it was interesting to know that as college students Abid and Osho had traveled to Birbhum Bengal and had met Nabani Das Khyapa Baul. Abid was there through the whole story with Osho, he is now well into his 80's.
Abid loved Babu and found his wise beyond his years, he used to show up at Babu Kishan's home in Mumbai with students only to listen to Babu give talks on Baul philosophy and other topics.
Babu Kishan met Osho and told Babu Kishan when he was with CBS Indian and Osho wanted his recorded lectures turned into CD's. Babu was not seeing Osho for a Guru, he was a Guru himself but found Osho intellect interesting. Osho would tell Babu that he was passionate about 'Nabani Das Khyapa Baul' after meeting him in his college years he could not stop thinking about him. This is why he wrote 3 books on Baul but Babu had told him, they were not accurate.
He told Babu, he learned a lot about Nabani from articles and stories. Osho told Babu that it was a great opportunity to meet him because he was Nabani's eldest grandson.
He told Babu he felt carried the true essence of Baul.
Like many who met Nabani, they became fixated on Nabani because his Baul essence (Shakti) was alive. People felt something they had never felt before. Allen Ginsberg felt the same about Nabani Baul essence and he always wanted to be around Babu when he came to New York. Ginsberg called him Babooo. The first time Ginsberg met Babu first when he was a baby on Nabani's lap in 1962. Ginsberg and Babu were long time friends from 1980 until Ginsberg passed in 1997.
No other Bauls ever had anything to do with Ginsberg, it was Babu who introduced his parents to Ginsberg again in America.
Osho wrote 2 books on Baul and tried to emulate much of what Baul teaches but not completely accurate.
More about Babu and Osho's work:
Osho knew Babu Kishan personally, Babu was working at CBS India - as a Music Producer, Creative Director India, promoter, of artist such as Cindy Lauper, Micheal Jackson, New Kids on the Block, Pink Floyd, Gypsy Kings and others, Event Planner.
Osho wanted all his talks to be produced into tapes/CDs and at the time this was also, part of Babu Kishan's job. Babu gave him many idea's he never considered including an album.
Babu Kishan idea for Osho was to record lectures and Babu Kishan composed music for Osho through CBS India with Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Shivkumar Sharma, Hari Prasad Chaurasia for an album that was called (Then, Now and Tomorrow).
All trance mediation released by CBS/Soni produced by Babu Kishan. Osho gave free tickets to listen to his lectures at anytime for free.
Therefore, Babu Kishan came to the ashram in Pune, he was the first and only Baul Osho met other than meeting his Grandfather Guru "Nabani Das Khyapa Baul" he was surprised and delighted that Babu was Nabani's eldest Grandson.
Osho did not know any other Bauls, but like most people he was deeply inspired by the Bauls of Bengal. So if you hear Bauls talking about Osho, they had nothing to do with Osho, just more name dropping?
In one of their many conversations Babu Kishan, asked Osho to re-edit the books on Baul because he felt they were too generic and not completely accurate. Osho agreed, he said, I will change them to be accurate, however Osho passed away in 1990 at only the age of 58, before these books could be changed and to this day the books were never corrected. This is the story of Baul, everybody has a different speculation, they never ever thought to contact a real Baul.
Many did their thesis research with Babu's help, but when it came to the finished product (a book) they didn't understand and many contacted fake Bauls in the end and twisted it to their own mental image of what would sell. Even his close friends. There is a huge problem in Academia and with book writers who do not understand Birbhum Bengali language of Culture and can not understand or hold a thought long enough to tell accurate descriptions.
Osho wrote 2 books on Bauls that were rather generic, but still in print today. Babu found Osho to be really intelligent although he never agreed with his ways.
Babukishan spent many, many hours with OSHO talking about the Bauls of Bengal. While he worked producing most of the music and tapes that are for sale today.
The books on Baul Osho wrote are way too simplistic with many assumptions made about who and what the Bauls of Bengal are, you must remember Osho is not a Baul, he is not from Bengal.
Osho said Bauls were not philosophers, that is not true authentic Bauls were the biggest of philosophers, not only do they study all of India's philosophies they have their own Philosophy called Baul philosophy, Bauls are great philosophers and which each song they have discourse after discourse. A Baul who does not know Indian Philosophy is Not a Baul.
Some added thoughts!
Most Bauls are poets, they are taught from an early age who wrote the poetry. Yet, strangely some of the ashram builder, social media fake fame are making up lineages are lying, to include themselves in stories that have nothing to do with them.
Today new Bauls are singing use the poetry from this lineage the Lineage of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and never name who wrote the poetry, they just take the songs that has been previously recorded and was a super duper hit of Purna Das Baul's. Most of the music was recorded and produced by Babu Kishan for his father. Just as Babu designed the patch work dress for his father and all Bauls copied?
Lalon Fakir's is a Fakir some call him Lalon Shah and most recently Lalon Sai? He did not do Baul Sadhana, Lalon was a poet not a Baul, not all poets are Baul, they may write Baul like poetry but that does not make one a Baul. Baul is Hindu Sanatan Dharma not aul, Sai, Fakir, Shah or Muslim Sufi?
Lalon Shah's poetry which nobody knew until this lineage Babu's family went back to Bangladesh in the 1970's. Babu Kishan brought a whole contingent of Bangladesh singers to Calcutta inviting them so he could record then singing Lalon Fakir poetry which Babu loved.
Thus Baul became associated with Lalon Fakir, he had his father sing some of Lalon Songs and then everybody thought Lalon Fakir was a Baul. Some even made movies about it, without even consulting Babu or his father suggesting it was a movie about Baul?
Just because Bauls sing Lalon Shahs poetry, or Bhaba Pagla as an example of other poets, does not mean they are Bauls. Bauls today sing all sorts of songs, Baul is extinct, it has been extinct for decades? Babu Kishan knows because he is the only one who preserve his whole lineage songs from 1960 to today.
Yes, Rabindranath Tagore liked Lalon Fakir poetry as did Babu Kishan, but Lalon was not a Baul he did not do Baul Sadhana, he was a poet and as Tagore appreciate Lalon poetry he was not initiated into Baul by Lalon, he was initiated into Baul only by Nabani Das Khyapa Baul.
Manju Das, (Babu's birth mother) was from Bangladesh before Partition when it was India, her fatherJogesh Dash was a Sanskrit Professor (With 3 Masters Degree's) at Dhakha University, in 1952 they had to flee for their lives because Jogesh Das spoke Bengali and Sanskrit and at the time Bangladesh was being Islamized by the Pakistani’s.
If you didn't speak Urdu you were either dead or you had to flee for your life. There were no Bauls in Bangladesh in those day or very few, their however, Dervish, Fakir, Sai,and Shah which somehow got lumped in as Baul but they are not they are all Sufi. There is no such thing as Muslim Islamic Sufi Baul, it does not exist.
Baul for thousand of years has been based on Indian Philosophy Vedas Upanishads Yoga and Tantra aka Vaishnava Tantric Baul.
Baul accepted all people who were rejected by other groups including Sufi.
As Sufi and flowed into Bengal the rejected Sufi came to the Bauls, this is when Baul learned the juice of Sufi but that does not mean they became Sufi.
As the Buddhist’s flowed into Bengal ,the Bauls accepted the rejected people and embraced their philosophical gems but again this does not mean Bauls are Buddhist.
Baul sahaja does not come from Buddhist Sahaja it comes from Krishna.
Bauls are based on the ancient Sanatana Dhrama of Birbhum Bengal India.
Bauls are Vaishnava Tantric Bhakti Yogi's and this lineage is based on Vaishnava. The difference between other Vaishnava in Bengal is that most are orthodox while the Bauls are not they are Tantrics out o the lineage of Nityananda from Ekachakra Birbhum Bengal. Bauls are Sanskritists who sang in vernacular Birbhum Bengali to the villagers.
Tantric Vaishnava based on pure love and respect not the pedantic type that has incarnated to the West .
Vaishnava Bauls were sweet and ‘humbler that a blade of grass’, they have survived the British, the Muslim invaders, disease, famine and now in 2012 are extinct watered down and reduced in every way. Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and his wife Brajabala Dasi are the last authentic Bauls to walk on earth and all Bauls follow them. There is no such thing as another lineage?
Bauls talked about all sects and religions and honour all.
You will not necessarily find that with Sufi or other groups doing that, others talk about Allah or their own Gods.
Bauls always accepted all, they are the original Peacemakers of the planet and have something to teach the world at this time.
In 2005 UNESCO said, The Bauls are a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible History of Humanity.
It is really too bad that the man a UN official who put this together used Baul and made Baul about Islam Muslim Baul, and now a documentary film maker is trying to do the same. So many use Baul but do not even know what Baul means. now can only copy Babu’s description or make up something new?
Many students at the University of Dhakka were killed during the 1952 student protests Wikipedia only mentions 4 there were many others including Jogesh Das's ( Babu Kishan’s grandfather a Sanskrit Scholar Professor on his mothers side) brother was beheaded.
Baul is simple if you grew up with the Guru and spoke oral sanskrit, learning all the philosophy from birth it is really easy if you are from the lineage.
It is a Guru parampara tradition, too many people write inaccuracies about he Bauls because Bauls do not give out information easily.
Babukishan also knows most of the scholars who have written books about the Bauls and he himself has written 3 books about the Bauls back in the 1980's, the real Bauls are basically extinct they need accurate preservation not speculation and a rewriting of what is already inaccurately written.
This below statement made by Osho is accurate is some ways and in some ways if you take this literally it is totally inaccurate and over simplified.
What Osho said regarding the Bauls of Bengal is just fluff he never knew any Bauls other than Babukishan and had met his Grandfather Nabani Das Khyapa Baul in Birbhum with one of Babu’s now good friends in Mumbai. Thus Babu knows all the stories.
Osho had written his books on Baul before has met Babu . Osho passed away before he could fulfill his promise to Babukshan to change the books on Baul to reprint a more accurate description of Baul.
Worldwide Copyright all rights reserved 2012 as this is all being written about and will be in our book "Baul Unplugged.
The true story of The Bauls of Bengal written by a living lineage holder by Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul
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"To be a Baul nothing is needed.
In fact, the moment you need nothing, you become a Baul.
The moment you are unburdened and you don't possess anything, any past, you are a Baul.
No, things like that are never originated. Nobody creates them; they happen.
They are part of nature.
Source - Osho Book "The Beloved, Vol 1" .
Here is a perfect example at the level of appropriation that goes on. This is 100% Nabani Das Khyapa Baul poetry but there is no name given. This has been recorded and the poetry is Nabani's I don't understand how people use and never give the poets name?
Secondly, Baul is not a beggar, he does not and never lived like a beggar and no one touches a Bauls feet as a Baul women recently created a video, showing herself entering villages and people touching her feet, talk about intention to be a famous Baba or Maa, this is NOT BAUL? asking for donations to preserve Baul, when it has been preserved?
I will have more to say about this later, she has also, recorded a Nabani Das Khyapa Baul song and put some other poets name on?
None of this is Baul, the first tenant of Baul is truth.
I found a Osho Ashram in Nepal they were using a picture of Nabani, one that Rabindranath Tagore had taken, yet they did not know who it was, again as usual Baul was being randomized.
Another time a Baul singer went to Delhi to represent Baul for an Osho Group, he was singing Babu Kishan's Lyrics but saying he was from some other lineage of Baul that does not exist?
A blind Baul has also, been saying he is from a lineage, he hangs out a Tarapith, people gushing, as he is singing Babu Kishan's Lyrics a song that he composed for his father and again saying he is from some other lineage.
This is the tip of the iceberg, and all will be listed not to destroy them, but to get them to stop using Baul and making up lineages.
I do not understand why and how people think they can just use, yet give me credit, but everything they do is copyright, I find this with most westerners too, they take and take, copyright what does not even belong to them, they make the lineage holders small and water down and destroy the essence?
Yes many who are trying to be Baul are stealing from this lineage all the time, trying to be saviours of Baul??
They look good though, big smiles, innocent looking, all acting.
Mind you there are some who are really humble and authentic, those are the ones we will promote and help.
Updated 2022 more updates to come.