Baul Tantra, Mantra, (Gopi Yantra) vs Neo Tantric Sex?
From the Oldest Lineage of Vaishnava Tantric Baul, where Baul originates in Birbhum Bengal. All Bauls follow this Lineage.
http://www.sutrajournal.com/vaishnava-bauls-of-birbhum-bengal-by-trishula-das
*Baul is extinct, there is only one Lineage of Baul and Babu Kishan is ready to speak out with the release of his new book, he has always helped and inspired new Baul singers but there is a limit and what he see’s today is ‘blatant cultural mis-appropriation’ of his lineage, reducing Baul, when a person or group takes advantage and ‘rides on the coat tails’ of a marginalized group taking their names off of history and her-story making claims that are not true, that is Cultural Appropriation.
https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/cultural-misappropriation.html
Baul is both Radha/Krishna, Kali/Shiva & MahaVidyas, Tara Maa of Tarapith - the real Tarapith, the burning grounds not just for visits and tours as a spiritual tourist attraction, so you can post video's and tell stories that you were the one, many used to hang out here just to dupe the unsuspecting fools, many fakes still do.
I was having a conversation with Babu Kishan this morning about this description of Bauls that says,
“Many of them ( Bauls) practice a type of psycho-physical manipulation or tantric yoga which emphasizes control of sexual union, the purpose of which is to enable the couple to achieve a break with phenomenal existence, to escape the endless cycle of death and regeneration, and to achieve a state of eternal stability or samadhi. This practice involves the retention of semen during intercourse and the ingestion of bodily secretions…”
This is not the focus of what Baul is?
There is nothing wrong with this description of Sacred Sexuality, however, you will see this over and over like a broken record as if this is the only focus, of what Baul is, it is not.
People from all over the world and India flock to Shantiniketan searching for this freedom and wanting to meet Bauls. This can prove to be dangerous for many unsuspecting fools. Listen Baul is extinct do not waste your time, many fakes (nakal) are taking advantage.
There are many false things written about the Bauls, it is really difficult to get to the truth or to know who is a real Baul. If sex is all writers seem to write about Baul, then Bauls will be extinct faster than thought actually it is extinct. If men sitting around smoking ganja (cannabis) is all they can display as Baul, you are going up the wrong road too. Cannabis is legal around the world now, Grandma's use cannabis, it really is not that cool anymore?
Baul is a huge tradition a long long lineage of not just one or two generation or 3 or 4, a Baul should be like lightening and a genius in all matters. There are new Baul singers using Baul and this lineage duping people into thinking they are Bauls, it they say lineage? There is only one lineage of Baul and they have never pushed lineage if anything they hardly mention it, but in today's world and because Baul is extinct, we must be specific.
These new comers are changing this beautiful ancient ‘Lineage of Vaishnava Baul’ that originates in Ekachakra Birbhum Bengal to the point that it is not recognizable, an oral Sanskrit lineage that has inspired all Baul and all people. Their styles is legendary, their songs were sung by all and everybody especially the Bauls knew who the poets were. Today, intentionally New Baul singers take the poets names off, put new poets names on, change the songs, water down and reduce everything intentionally so that they can look like the ones who created all.
The only problem with the new Bauls lies is that Baul has already been preserved since the 1960's by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das. His Gurus are Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Brajabala Dasi, and the rest of this Legendary Baul family that all Baul follow, including their dress, Nabani's style Ektara, Baya Nupoor, Babu Kishan's style dress the colourful patch work Guduri, and all their songs, but they sing this lineages poetry Nabani's songs, Babu Kishan's songs Lyrics and tune and never mention, it is as if they are the creators. Really it is comical again because all has been recorded and some are even collecting donation to preserve Baul, it has already been preserved by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul decades ago since the 1960's?
Youtube, is the biggest way to fake people out and act like an authority, duping people, but one day people will see, that you have watered down, reduced Baul and Fake famous only last so long?
There is no other Lineage of Baul, (period) and that should be your first clue to fake. Nobody ever used Lineage in regards to Baul until I started to write about Baul. Babu wrote 3 Books on Baul in the 1980’s about this lineage, back in the day he was way more liberal, nobody knew about Baul and he was just so excited that anybody was interested, who would have known what would have transpired after that?
Ask Babu questions he will tell you who is who? It is better to ask than waste your time, he used to answer, today he has no interest, why should he give away his tradition with all the fakes that have manifested. Most people are afraid of Babu Kishan, he can see right through your intention in a second.
(Brajabala Dasi) Babu kishan’s beloved Grandmother raised him until he was 8 but remained a steady in his life, throughout his life, she was the mother he bonded with and Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was the father he bonded with.
When Nabani Das Khyapa Baul his Guru and Grandfather passed away in 1969, Brajabala sent Babu to Calcutta to be with his birth father and mother Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi. His mother and father sent him to the Ramakrishna Mission orphanage as if he were an orphan. He lived it, he has many incredible stories.
Brajabala Dasi knew all the stories as she spoke oral Sanskrit as did Nabani who was born in Ekachakra Birbhum. Brajabala passed on much of the lineage to Babu from birth until Brajabala Dasi (Grand Ma) passed when Babu was about 40 years of age. Nabani had his little Krishnendu until he was 8 with him by his side and on his lap all the time.
Brajabala Dasi was very much a Guru to Babu Kishan as was Nabani Das Baul and Purna Das Baul. Babu had many Guru’s including Sitaram Das Omkarnath, Anandamayi Ma, and all the Swami’s at the Ramakrishna Mission ect… and his Indian Cinema and Indian Music Gurus, he always gave respect, a respect that is rare today. His Bollywood Music Guru was RD Burman whom he spent 13 years with in Mumbai.
Baul is a beautiful ecstatic mystical Bhakti Tantric lineage and most of the PHD holders took their research from this lineage (Babu Kishan) in which they have been given only a very limited point of view, but still got it wrong. This is an oral Sanskrit tradition first and Birbhum Bengali vernacular dialect, it is almost impossible for an outsider to try to teach what Baul is because it is way more indepth than what appears to the eye? Things that look easy often look easy because the original Baul was an adept, not a beginner trying to figure it out, "the fake it til you make it Bauls" who latched onto Baul because what else were they going to do. They changed the narrative.
Baul can only be taught by a lineage Baul. It takes years and years if not a lifetime to learn Baul philosophy, Baul songs, Baul poetry, it is not simple or easy.
There is one ‘new Baul women singer’ that says it only takes women 3 years to learn Baul, that is not the truth, there is much watering down and reductionism going on, and hey today Baul is extinct, many are making up Baul Guru’s to show they are initiated and legit but dancing Nabani Das Khyapa created style, Ektara, Baya around the waste and Nupoor style ankle bells that ONLY Nabani and Purna Das Baul worn, singing the songs from this lineage but putting other poets names on?
If Brajabala Dasi, Radharani Dasi or Manju Dasi and all the women for hundreds if not thousands of years (Baul Lineage Ancestors) were alive they would shut down this craziness, it is crazy that an outsider is making up stories and using this tradition, but taking the names off and replacing them with other names, not only that has made up a lineage that never existed?
She has said, Baul is from Buddhism, is from Turkey and now she is archiving Baul? This is another long story but just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cultural appropriation and twisting of Baul to suit the new Baul singers (tourist Bauls) Babu Kishan calls them circus Baul and how far they will go?
Baul has already been archived by Babu Kishan decades ago.
He started archiving Baul as a Lineage Holder back in the late 60’s and 70’s why the hell is anybody collecting donations for Baul when they are fake? You can not be a lineage Holder from a so called Baul Guru that was not a Baul Guru??
The New Baul singers may look exotic, but that does not mean they are a Baul. If they say there are 4 or 5 types of Baul, they are NOT Baul. This watering down and reductionism has gone on far too long?
Baul is archived decades ago by Babu Kishan, there is no need to archive Baul, Baul was preserved long ago since the 1960's by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, Nabani Das Bauls eldest grandson, Babu's Guru, he is the silent eldest son of Purna Das Baul, the guy behind the camera of all Pictures of Purna Das Baul through the 1970 through to 2000, he is also, the Music Composer, Producer and Marketing Manager for Purna Das Baul for more that 30 years and Pioneer of traveling outside of India.
How could you seriously appropriate Nabani Das Bauls poetry, his songs and his style Ektara Baya Nupoor, your were right no one was looking, everybody was busy but now it is so obvious and has become more insidious and viral as if on steroids. No one will know you are thinking and as you make it up as you go, you do a huge disservice to Lineage Baul watering down and reducing with each ignorant remark.
How could you appropriate Babu Kishan’s designed patch work colourful dress called Guduri and then say you from another lineage which has been self created. Oh you didn't know Ektara Baya Nupur was Nabani Das Khyapa Baul styles but your so called Baul Guru only followed Nabani? Oh you didn't know, you were singing Nabani poetry but putting other poets names on or saying Baul does not care who the poets are? That is the biggest lie, a Baul always knows who wrote the poetry? Babu knows, why don't you, because you are not from a lineage, you made up your whole story?
Another one is saying he is the creator of 'Baul Fusion' when Babu Kishan created 'Baul fusion' 2 decades earlier and was consistent with creating Baul fusion with the likes of Bob Dylan, The Band, George Harrison, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and many many famed Bollywood playback singers from the 1970’s onward? What kind of joke or over stating your importance, again duping people, into thinking you and "Your fake it til you make it" Bauls smoking ganja in every picture are the real. Trying to be Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, never ever will you even come close.
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Brajabala Dasi — Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul’s Guru’s and Grandparents who raised him, until he was sent to Calcutta at age 8 to be educated, his birth parents sent him to a Ramakrishna Mission orphanage?
Just as real Yoga is not simple or easy, but instead today we have fitness teachers, who are really just revamping Jane Fonda Fitness classes with a bit of exotic.
The Tantra Bauls practice has nothing to do with the Neo Tantra of the West or the Yoga and Bhakti Yoga of the West. Baul is a mystical shamanic tantric sadhana not sexo magic.
Baul is an internal sadhana not the same but in line with Qigong, mystical inner, it is not outer show off. It is about learning what is inside, a sort of Daoist qigong, energetic mystical tradition, the path of Radha where Radha and Krishna reside in the heart of the beloved.
I hear people focus on the sex part over and over, the four moon practice, deha sadhana, is not the focus of what a Baul is. Yes, there are practices but they have not been released, because of all the fakery and users who use Baul to try to build an ashram they now call Akhara and teach people false teaching.
This is one of the reason Babu Kishan does not talk about Baul much anymore. If you he talks they will steal and use, it is a secret tradition, he preserved it and when he feels he will release it. We live in a dangerous time for indigenous peoples and practices, so many fake people who do not care because it is not their family, nothing to loose.
This one and only Lineage of Bauls is the ‘The Rasa Lila Mystics’ because they capture the (Rasa) or juice and hold it inside of themselves, they distill or grind this juice into Love, they keep what works and grind and polish it into a beautiful play. The Rasa Lila Mystics, and Windcatchers is a name Babu Kishan coined, just watch now.
Bauls are poets, philosophers, singers, dancers, they are not ‘afflicted by the wind,’ as in repeated over and over and comes from a western scholar Edward Dimock who Babu Kishan met and knew. Bauls are wind catchers, they practice what they call ‘vayu dharma’ or pranayama, nobody has used the tern Vayu Dharma not watch? It is becoming a huge joke the amount of appropriation that is going on.
Bauls are only mad wild crazy for the divine, they worship Radha and Krishna in their heart, in their soul.
Then there is the Baul Avadhut which is way above, Nabani is the only Baul Avadhut and the last Baul Avadhut, yet watch this too, someone will soon call themselves Baul Avadhut as they have called themselves Nabani's name Khepa Baul and Khepa Baba all self titled?
Do you think Nabani has any care of this world, he cared about healing people, he cared about humanity, that is why during the famines in Bengal he used his siddhi’s and invisible friends to manifest food and take care of people, he did not tell anybody, these are stories told by the people who loved Nabani the people of the villages in Birbhum.
These kind of people do not exist today. People are too selfish and think that you are mental case if you give everything away. This is what has happened to Baul, they never knew that people would appropriate Baul, but it is too late so many have and they have ruined Baul, distorting what Baul is, watering down the songs, reducing Baul to dust. Thank Goddess Babu Kishan preserved it and now we need to protect it for future generations.
People mostly only do for themselves or for others to show how saintly they are? Posing on video's of coming into villages and people coming to touch your feet, no no Baul was never like that, they were like the wind, they came and went like the wind, touch your own feet, do not touch a Bauls feet, that is NOT Baul??
A message from Babu Kishan below!
Guru (Grandfather) Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Babu Kishan. Babu called Nabani Boro Baba.“People love Baul songs and Baul Kirtan due to my family and our dedicated lifetime work of pioneering Baul around the world for over 90 years before there was Facebook, can you even imagine how difficult it was.
Before my family nobody knew who and what Baul was, we are the only lineage of Baul going back thousands of years. They followed us, we did not follow others.
We have always been around and in the villages of Bengal as Guru’s and teachers the spiritual newspaper before the newspaper.
The original Das and Dasi Hare Krishna Vaishnava singers and dancer, Tantric Bauls of Birbhum the birth place of our lineage in and around the villages around Ekachakra Birbhum Bengal.
My Grandfather and Guru Nabani Das Khyappa Paul was part of the Freedom Movement in India singing before Nehru gave his speeches as Paul has always been known as the biggest attention intoxicating through the honey of their song.
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul sang for Nehru before all his talk all over India, as the opening to draw people to come and listen to his lectures
Nabani Das Kyapa Baul is the last authentic Baul, he passed in 1969, when he passed away all of Birbhum closed down.
Then my parents (Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi) and myself (Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babu Kishan) did the same for Indira Gandhi and her son’s Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi, we opened as a cultural program before they gave their speaches.
We sang on thousands of stages all around India hundreds of times.
My parents and the women in my lineage were legendary, they are the first and we are the only Lineage of Baul. Nobody in Baul every said Lineage except me and now there are others making up stories that are not true. “So please go in a smooth flow like a trance of river and sing for Moner Manush, just saying because I am watching someone’s youtube who is singing my Grandfather poetry but naming a different poet? Don’t be fake, we know you are, don’t make people stupid or saying and setting up for preservation. Baul is already preserved my dear, that is why you are singing the songs from my Lineage.
Even though people are liking but they mostly do not have any training in Baul music or musical ability, of course they screwing the wonderful lineage of Baul! We didn’t have internet back then and it was so difficult to communicate and travel around the world.
The hard time we had a hard time we had was to make was to make a road very easier for new \comers!! From what I hear they (the new Baul singers) are not Baul Masters and need voice lessons, beyond voice lessons, development of voice quality, you cannot even sing in a cord or track!
Just singing Sakhi re…… then what, or trying be more tourist attractions spinning hair around and theatrical Bauls then Sadhana?
The new Baul singers, the one that follow everything we do, dress like us, sing our songs and copy Nabani and Purna Das Baul style, need more and more practise, all my life I have composed music for World’s top musicians and recorded singer like Lata Mangaskar and Asha Bhosle and many other. BabuKishan.org
You can call me egotistical but it is my lineage I am an award winning music composer. I know tone and pitch and you are way, way out of tune. Be a Baul do great work, help people and inspire people but don’t make up 4 generations and sing the songs from my lineage giving other poets names it has already been recorded and documented before you were born.
If someone gave you miss-information that is not my problem it is yours.
Please do the practise and don’t makeup stories and drama, just be true Baul!
Love u all, my blessing with all my brothers and sisters, don’t try to be Nabani Das Khyapa Baul or Baul Samrat Purna Das just salute them have a great respect for them they are the one who gave you a chance to be Baul!
Joy Guru!!
Don’t even try to be them, you cannot even dream!!
You don’t even know how was hard to making this Baul from a village to International platform!! Not easy, and of course only are one which is the last oldest Baul Lineage in Bengal and World!!
Don’t make stories, first learn how to sing and do Sadhana of Baul!
Just keep focus on what you are doing!
Who can never sing like Purna Das Baul, Manju Dasi, Radharani Dasi, Brajabala Dasi or any of my lineage? We are the only lineage, I can tell you who everybody is and where they came from except for the new Bauls who are young, and now I am seeing these bizarre stories.
The end Babu Kishan !
Baul Saint, Avadhuta Nabani Das Khyapa BaulSri Nityananda of Ekkachaka Bengal India is part of this lineage of Vaishnava Baul, lineage of the Baul Avadhuta. This Lineage of Baul is the only lineage of Baul there is no other. Nityananda of Ekachakra is where they come from.
The lineage Bauls from Birbhum are the origins of Vaishnavism in Bengal India. They are the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers of Bengal India thousands of years before this new Vaishnava movement began.
Baul is about ‘Love and Devotion’ Bhakti Yoga and deep sadhana, the real Bauls spoke Sanskrit as this is the way the oral traditions are transmitted, they sing their songs in Bengali so the villagers can understand, because the villages did not necessarily speak sanskrit.
The Vaishnava Bauls appear very simple but in actual fact they were way more intelligent than any western British educated scholars, their memories were astronomical as they had recorded in their minds all the stories of yoga, upanishads, stories of Krishna and Radha.
Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul and Grandfather Guru Baul Saint the Avadhuta Baul Saint, and Baul Guru Sri Nabani Das Baul, he is the Baul who inspired Rabindranath Tagore and initiated Tagore into Baul giving Tagore the name Ravi (Robi) Baul.
They have a huge history and that story is for another time
Sri Nityananda also called Nitai was a Baul, an exalted Avadhuta, history was rewritten by modern day writers who were mostly orthodox or scholars who were not from inside the tradition. The stories of this lineage are within the songs of the lineage this is what an oral living lineage is, it is not a book translated lineage.
Book translations are usually distorted because most writers have a personal opinion or are on a mission for something, be it devotee’s, preaching, temples or money from the sale of the books?
We are writing books to preserve all that has already been preserved by this lineage. We need to set the record straight but it is not an easy task and will perhaps take years. It should be noted that Baul does not need to be preserved by outsiders who are “now fundraising” in the name of Baul.
Baul is already preserved all it only needs translating into English. The songs have already been recorded going back into the 1950’s. I have no idea why new Bauls are now fundraising to preserve Bauls, oh my goodness what is going on.
Our personal mission is to translate as much as we can into English of our tradition and keep it as close to the truth of what a Baul is. This can only be done by someone actually in the tradition not by a new comer who has already taken Nabani Das Khyapa Bauls songs and attached other poets to Nabani’s poetry. It is very strange to an owner of the tradition to have a new Baul singer making up stories, making up lineages.
The Bauls message is for all people and is especially necessary to today’s world but that does not mean the message should be watered down or distorted. Of course Baul also changes to adapt to the world but it is in desperate need of being preserved accurately.
Anytime you hear someone associate Baul with neo tantric
sex, you can be guaranteed this person or group does not have a clue what Baul is about. Or fundraising on behalf of Baul I warn you ahead of time they are not of any lineage. Baul has nothing to do with Bangladesh, I can qualify everything coming out of the fundraising team from Bangladesh and any of the new Baul tourist attractions. Fundraise for your own cause not for the cause of Baul, making people stupid.
Many call Baul Traditional Folk songs because the Bauls did not speak english and this was a category that foreigners could understand and people outside of Bengal.
Please understand that Baul songs are not folk songs, their songs are spiritual songs and this particular lineage is a lineage of Baul kirtan, many of their Baul kirtan’s have been taken and used by others saying they are songs of their made up lineage but that is not so and we are archiving all the songs that belong to the Bauls, this should at least be credited to them.
Krishna as Kali, Baul kirtan is both Radha/Krishna and Kali
Writers are focused on sex as sex sells easily and attracts curious people, there is a freedom this implies and it looks attractive to become a Baul, tantric sex all day, smoking ganja all day, singing, dancing and begging for money, no sadhana? This is definitely not Baul this is another huge distortion making the Lineage Bauls extinct.
Also, many have become a tourist attraction with long dreadlocks (jata), this is not Baul. Bauls are free birds in that they are seeking ecstatic union (yoga) with their beloved Radha/Krishna, Shiva/Kali.
This takes place through their lineage songs which are seeds of higher philosophy, this is where their union comes from, you can feel it, you can hear it and if you do not you are not listening to a Baul.
The body has the God and Goddess in the altar of the heart. The body is the temple of the soul, this is the tantra, this is the technique, this is their samadhi, this is their God/dess intoxication comes from, they know the technique. Baul is about high level philosophy it is not about the mundane. The lineage Bauls I am talking about and there is only one lineage of Bauls.
Baul songs are not folk songs, they are seed songs of higher philosophy, one must know the discourses that go along with the song. Babu listens to what Bauls are singing they are either singing his family lineage songs or are singing folk songs, some sing his lineage songs but shorten them thus destroying the meaning.
Babu has also heard Bauls singing Bollywood songs that have nothing to do with Baul, in and of itself there is nothing wrong with this but to call the songs Bauls songs is wrong? A real Baul usually will not tell you anything, therefore, this is a good opportunity for the new Bauls to dress like Bauls and when a scholar or a reporter comes to Bengal they usually have interviewed a new Baul on the, “philosophy of Baul” or the reporter and scholars usually focus on one aspect.
My question who owns the truth about the Bauls ‘a scholar’ or a New Baul singer who has created a tourist attraction and a fake lineage, OR ‘a lineage Baul from within the lineage’, who is the authority? ‘Wikipedia or a lineage Baul?’ or ‘PhD’s’ or a tourist attraction making up a lineage?’
Should the authority on Baul be the lineage, or should it be the scholars, the problem is Baul is almost extinct there are only a handful of lineage Bauls left. I can tell you this family is the only family of Bauls who brought Baul to the world. Others just copy and follow, go where they go, do what they do.
Tantric Avadhuta Nabani Das Khyapa Baul 1954, his Grandson Babu Kishan aka Krishnedu Das Baul
It is a huge task to try to preserve this lineage, so in the meantime this leaves the door open for all sorts of nonsense. These neo Bauls like the neo Tantrics and neo Yogi’s of the east and west only tell the person a very limited view of Baul from copy and paste, they repeat the same thing over and over, copy, paste, copy, paste, singing only folk songs saying they are Baul songs. The roots of Baul are in Sanatan Dharma the Bhagavad Gita, Radha and Krishna, the roots of Baul are not in Buddhism or Islam. They accepted Buddhist and Islam Sufi into their fold, because Bauls are the biggest peacekeeper. That does not mean they became them.
“Lineage Bauls are the origins of Vaishnavism in Ekachakra Birbhum Bengal, they are the original Rasa Lila Mystics. They are an oral (Sanskrit) tradition as all Indian Traditions were, they are not a book tradition of modern interpretations and personal opinion. What the Lineage Bauls know has been passed down through Sanskrit, many new age Vaishnava reformers have distorted the truth about Vaishnavism in Bengal and created cults which have done more harm to the Bauls.”
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul 1954
It is surprising to Babu that even people he has known write the wrong stories about Bauls. Even more surprising the number of people he has taken to Bengal, talked about his lineage who have either made films or wrote books and they do not even thank him, cut him out completely and thank the western scholars.
There is one professor from the USA who had him sign papers to get university grants for her to study Bauls only to cut him out completely, everybody wants funding and what a great thing to do get the funding through a lineage Baul then interview Neo Bauls who have a very limited knowledge of the Bauls?
This is very disrespectful and is creating such a distortion in the history of what Baul really is, watering down and reductionism. There are NO real Bauls left, they are extinct. I mean really must you keep using lineage Bauls of India in a way that is a lie, distorting truths and making up stories, taking the poets names off and telling people Baul does not care who the poets are, bold faced lying.
Tantra is shakti sadhana, tantra is the science of light, the science of life. Tantra is technique, on how everything is put together. Tantra Mantra Yantra, formula, for instance Babu is an expert of the Tantra of Indian. Music and sound the technique using a scientific formula to bring the Dieties to life through sound.
Same with the Bauls their songs and Baul kirtan are their sadhana, their tantra is through their songs this is why so many people are mesmerized with the Bauls because of the thousands of years of sadhana or Lineage of having the Lineage passed on from one generation to the next through Sanskrit.
How Baul got stuck on sex is perplexing? Baul is Vaishnava Tantra but also, Kali Shiva and the MahaVidya, there are elements of sexual tantra but that is so advanced and not even for regular people and it is mystical.
They do have mystical sadhana’s but people have made it so dirty with all the fake Bauls taking advantage.
Babu is also a master the smashan grounds, tantra, mantra, yantra, as he was born into this sadhana from his grandfather (not all Bauls are this kind of Tantric, only the avadhuta are.) Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was initiated by Bhama Khepa among others at Tarapith. He traveled all over India, Nepal and Tibet. If you can breath under water for 12 hours you can not even come close to who Nabani was, he was rare. He was a Baul Avadhut not a regular Baul either.
When talking Tantra in the west it is always about sex, why, because sex sells. Sex is not Tantra and selling it as such is misguided, call it sacred sex. It is really disrespectful to the Indian people when Tantra is only referred to a sexual sadhana’s, Tantra is technique. Tantra is a Sanskrit word, it originates in India, so Tantra is Indian. If one wants to be a Tantric learn jyotish, sanskrit, ayurveda, mantra..Shakti Sadhana.
If one wants to learn sacred sexuality, do not call it Baul or tantra, so many have used Baul to attract people back in the 1960’s when the hippies came to Bengal and through the 70’s and 80’s they turned Baul into a tourist attract for sexual secrets?
Hard work and sadhana does not attract people, 12 years of sadhana with a Guru does not attract anyone. And if anyone tells you for women only 3 years, this is not true, it takes lifetimes. Brajabala Dasi, Radharani Dasi were Sanskrit scholars it comes from the soul and soil of Birbhum.
They never would be stealing the poetry of Nabani and this taking whatever they wanted from this lineage to collect or attract others, making up stories and lineages that are not true.
There are many Bauls smoking ganja as if it is cool, why do they even talk about it or write about, I am sure they know it is legal in most parts of the world and not that cool anymore when Grandma and Grandpa are using cannabis for pain relief. Nabani was a sadhaka the kind that does not exist today, he worshiped cannabis and did mantra with it, it was not used by other, they it became cool?
It is making most fakes stupid and dumb instead of laser intellects, they are just regular their power and knowledge are gone because the ganja is smoking them. There was a time when ganja was a sacred herb it was used to cure all sort of ailments and the real authentic Avadhuta Bauls in deep sadhana smoked ganja, however, the ganja did not smoke them. Ganja was used for sadhana, one never depended on it.
Yes sacred sexuality is part of certain Baul practices but this is only a drop of what is real Baul, just as asana and meditation are part of Baul.
A Baul does not reject anything, they embrace all knowledge yoga ect. This practice as described as being Baul at the beginning of this article is meant to be between only sadhaka and sadhika, it is only meant to be between husband and wife who are both adepts and soul mates never shared with others, who are regular and it happens sometime that one may marry a incompatible mate, depending on ones karmas, it happens.
It is private practice in a committed relationship of soul mates and really is not central theme of what Baul is? Babu’s grandfather the legendary Sri Nabani Das Khyapa Baul used to generate so much spiritual heat he used to meditate under water on the bottom of a pond. As Babu say’s don’t try to be Nabani Das Baul or Purna Das Baul, especially make up stories and lineages, when I know 100% who is who in the older crowd especially.
Fakir, Aul, Sai, Dervish, Shah are NOT Baul.
Baul is different it is NOT Muslim or Islamic, it is based on ‘Indian Tantric Yoga’ This lineage is the ;Das Baul and Dasi’ Lineage.
We are not and never were Fakir, Sai, Dervish or Shah, this are Muslim and Baul accepts them, but they do not become them, Baul are not Muslim Sufi.
I have recently seen a Baul Women giving a talk at Berkeley University in California through a video that was on Academia,org but has been taken down,and she said, there are 4 types of Baul, she is completely wrong?
This needs to be called out, because this person say’s she is going to archive Baul asking for donation for something that already has been archived, yet she is teaching wrong teachings?
How is this possible when Baul is already archived and this only adds to the watering down and deconstruction of who and what the Bauls are.
It may appear harmless but it is like gossip it starts with something and ends with a completely different drama. This is the problem, this cause reductionism and the destruction, people posing and teaching who do not even know who Bauls are? Fundraising that they are going to archive Baul when Baul is already archived and has been archived decades ago by Babu Kishan.
In the past many different groups were wandering around Bengal and they were lumped together under ‘Baul’, they were not Baul, however, the British had a huge disdain for all wandering people, they were treated badly and they all were called Baul, at the time even the British educated Bengalis did not understand, they were too busy trying to please the British and gain some sort of respectful life.
Fakir, Sai, Aula, Dervesh and Shah are not Baul but were lumped together with the Baul for terminology sake, however the Bauls are a unique and distinct sect, the oldest lineage being the Vaishnava Bauls who were sanskrit speaking people, they are Brahmin but rejected Brahmanical rules and regulations. Baul is educated in the oral tradition and this Oral tradition is Sanskrit.
Baul is like modern Yoga described as Asana, gymnastics ect.. The Body is not the sole organ of all experience and knowledge Parampara is, the Guru is but first of all the Guru needs to be from Baul. If your Baul Guru is not really a Baul Guru and he is not, do not fake it til you make it, you are doing more harm to something you are not from.
Yes, Baul is from family and to say the only way you can become a Baul is through initiation is a complete lie. Baul was always from family and others were adopted into those families, but then the Baul Guru has to be a real Baul Guru.
The Guru to the Baul is the greatest but let me tell the Guru must be a Baul Guru and this is very difficult to get because the ones that are calling themselves Baul Guru are NOT they are performers or follow this lineage but never say because they are trying to do something, create something new, when it is sad to say Baul is extinct.
Babukishan, say’s, “why come to Baul, go to sex education, why even come to Baul, do not destroy Baul by the misconceptions, mostly all Phd on Baul are completely wrong or they only have an aspect and they beat that aspect to death. “
Baul is inner connecting to the divine in a ecstatic mystic way, it is not about outer, grab a partner try some Psycho physical manipulation, this is such a gross misconception and it is really boring and a huge insult to the authentic Bauls. To a Baul the Guru is the path, the Guru passes on all knowledge through the oral living lineage that is thousands of years old. You can feel the universe inside of you that is Baul, as above so below. The original authentic Baul will never tell you their sadhana, only parampara.
Bauls were the newspaper before the newspaper, singing Hare Krishna every morning to the villagers as a wake up call.
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Babukishan Das Baul and Trishula Das
‘Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul’
Born into Lineage Baul Sampradaya,
Sanskrit Scholar, 12 years as a Vedic Monk @ the Ramakrishna Order. BA Indian Philosophy, MA Indian Music Calcutta University.
40 years traveling worldwide promoting his ancient and only Lineage an Oral Living Lineage.
Master of Indian Classical, Folk, Baul & Bollywood Music
This lineage and family are the only Bauls who have associated with, when you read Bauls associated with Bauls did not only Babukishan and family did. Bauls in general as posted on the internet did not. I t should read Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das or Purna Das Baul or Nabani Das Baul associated with:
Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Indira Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Tara Shankar Bandhypadhya,
Kavi Nazrul, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Pankoj Mollick,
R. C. Boral, S D Burman, RD Burman, Bimol Roy,
Sakti Pado RajGuru, Uday Shankar, Nitish Mukherjee,
Nitin Bose, Shantidev Ghosh, Ajit Ganguly,
Deben Bhattacharya, Pahari Sanyal, Timir Baran,
Allauddin Khan, Dr. Amartya Sen’s Grandfather Kshiti Mohan Sen,
Ram Kinkar Baij, Sita Ram Omkarnath,
Ravi Shakar, Anandamayi Ma,
The Past President of India Pranab Mukerjee,
Sonja Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy,
Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta,
Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster,
Director General of India Radio.
Dr Bhupeen Hazarika,
Mithun Charabhorty,
Bapi Lahari, MF Huissen,
Chuni Goswami, Shyam Benegal,
Amitabha Bachchana,
Satyajit Ray,
Mrinal Sen,
Zakir Hussain, and many others…
Links:
eage-vaishnava-tantric.html