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).
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