The Bauls have no character. They are men of consciousness, but not of character. In fact, a man of consciousness never has a character. Character is a fixity, character is an obsession, character is an armor. You have to do only that which your character allows. Character can never be spontaneous. Character is always imposed by the past on the present. You are not free to be, you are not free to respond; you can only react.
The Baul believes in the SAHAJA MANUSH, the spontaneous man. The Baul says the spontaneous man is the way to the essential man. To be spontaneous is to be on the way towards being essential. Every child is a Baul. So as I see it, in the beginning — if there was, any beginning — the whole humanity must have been like Bauls: true, authentic, sincere, mad, deep in love, rejoicing — rejoicing the opportunity that God has given, rejoicing the gift.
