In the tradition of the Bauls of Bengal, India, an itinerant sect of ecstatic singers, dancers and lovers of God, the revered teacher Monaha Khepa deliberately kept the road to his hut so full of ruts that even a skilled bicyclist could not take it. As one of his disciples described, the dirt floor of Monaha's dwelling was so uneven that it was not possible to place down one teacup without spilling it. The Bauls have typically refused to commit their

dharma

(doctrine, practice) to writing, preferring to keep it in the oral tradition and "in the body," as a way of keeping it from harm. Only by initiation from a Baul guru could the would-be aspirant receive the truth.

Regina Sara Ryan, Praying Dangerously