Between the Serpent and the Rope: Ashrams, Traditions, Avatars, Sages and Con Artists

Between the Serpent and the Rope is a candid reckoning of some of the most notable spiritual movements in south India today. If it is on the one hand a deeply personal journey, on the other, it is an inquiry into the meaning and significance of spirituality in modern-day India. The book examines notions of enlightenment, freedom, wisdom and peace through multiple perspectives and spiritual traditions. Many writers, spiritual aspirants and monks have traversed this difficult, often mystifying territory, but Mukunda Rao brings to bear his critical bent of mind, the skills of a novelist and spiritual quest on it. His evocative yet deceptively simple prose allows for penetrating, startlingly fresh insights into the working of traditional ashrams and the culture of spiritual search. Moving from Kaladi to Thiruvannamalai to Pondicherry and to other spiritual centres, the narrative is a treasure trove of fascinating stories and an illuminating study of the lives and teachings of spiritual masters such as Sankaracharya, Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, the Mother, Jiddu Krishnamurti and U.G. Krishnamurti. It is also a scathing take on the modern-day avatars and gurus that include Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Kalki Bhagavan, Sri Sri Ravishankar and Mata Amritanandamayi. Large hearted yet questioning, Between the Serpent and the Rope is as inspiring as it is challenging.