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The family had turned this Baul down, but Kanai remembered the name of the ashram – a kind of religious hermitage – where he could sometimes be found. He resolved to find the Baul and dedicate his life to singing. This art form would allow him to live the “life of the heart.” Kanai was shadowed by a thunderous storm for much of his journey. Using his bare feet to feel his way along roads and through fields, he was soaked when he finally found the ashram. He expected to be turned away. But when the old Baul laid eyes on him, he welcomed him, saying that he had been expecting his arrival. Today, Kanai lives the wandering life of the Bauls. This life, he told the author, can be lonely, but it is also fulfilling. When villagers in the rural communities that Bauls visit spot one of these “madmen,” they are overjoyed, crying out, “now we can take the day off and have some fun!” In return for a little fish or rice, Kanai sings for them. Often, these pieces mock the rich, tease Brahmins for their hypocrisy, and praise universal brotherhood. Above all, though, they seek to help common folk find their way toward the divine. Nine Lives by William Dalrymple Book Review A Jain monk struggling to come to terms with the death of her friend, a Buddhist monk who went to war, a Dalit who incarnates the gods, and a boy who turned to spiritual singing after a family tragedy. What do these stories have in common? Well, they show that faith in contemporary India is about much more than scripture and theological doctrine. Behind every story, there is a human struggling to square their beliefs with a world shaped by inequality, paradoxes, and distant historical forces.