THE ROLE OF THE BODY IN BUDDHIST MYSTICISM AND BAUL SONG: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract

This paper explores how embodied experience mediates spiritual realization within two distinct mystical traditions: Buddhist meditation and the Baul tradition of Bengal. Drawing on phenomenological theory—particularly the foundational contributions of Edmund Husserl (1983/1913) and Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1962)—the study stresses the bodily dimension of spirituality. In Buddhism, the body functions as a disciplined locus of mindfulness, anchoring and supporting the development of insight (Shusterman, 2008). In contrast, Baul practitioners engage the body as the primary medium for the realization of the divine, esoterically articulating profound truths through dance and song (Capwell, 1986; McDaniel, 1989). This somatic orientation aligns with Csordas’s (1994) concept of a “somatic mode of attention,” in which the body is both the instrument and expression of spiritual experience. Despite differing metaphysical frameworks, both traditions reject Cartesian dualism and offer a phenomenological perspective in which spiritual insight arises through embodied perception, echoing Merleau-Ponty’s (1962) assertion that "perception is always corporeal, and the body is a precondition for any experience of the world." This comparative analysis advocates that embodiment is foundational to mystical realization. The findings contribute to discussions in social sciences and religious studies on how religious identities are shaped and expressed through physical experiences, sensory interactions, and ritual practices (Levin, 1985; Kourie, 2009).