About

About the Title

मधुशाला Madhushala literally means honey house and is a term for a bar or tavern. It is made famous in the poem by Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

The poem has quite a few Sufi overtones, many drawn from Qawwali music and the style also draws from  the Rubiyat of Omar Kayyam and other Persian poets. The theme is multiple but revolves around the concept of intoxication.  The lifespan is outlined as one going from one intoxication to another from limited happiness, pain, anger, joy, dejection, loneliness. As well there is a constant desire to escape the suffering of ordinary life and the loneliness of separation from everything else particularly the entirety. There is also the search for an ultimate intoxication (or bliss) which in Sufi poetry and music is metaphorical for immersion in and merging with the divine. The whole text in Hindi is here.

All this intoxication and the title Madhushala represent the world of samsara in Buddhist terms. We’re all intoxicated with various appearances, ideas, ourselves, others, the world sometimes to the point of drunkenness. Clarity is rare.

Here is some of the poem sung by the great Manna Dey

The poet tries to explain the complexity of life with his four instruments, which appear in almost every verse: madhu, madira or haala (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup or glass) and of course madhusala, madiralaya (pub/bar)….

About the Author

Been involved with Buddhism for about 30 years both academically and as a personal practice. Studied Buddhism in Taiwan, Thailand and India, having lived most of the last 10 years in the Himalayan region of northern India.

This blog is personal opinion and general analysis of stuff that comes my way. Varieties of religious experience around the world are facets of behavior I find interesting especially in terms of anthropology and psychology which I also studied academically. Used to work in Information Science and Tech also. Though that comes down to:

I HAVE NO REAL AUTHORITY OF ANY KIND.

I blog on socio-cultural and political stuff at Memeo

Some of what I write appears on The Buddhist Channel

I used to blog at Smiling Buddha Cabaret and I’m keeping all those old articles up there since some people have linked to them and the comments are so great, I don’t feel right erasing your work.