India, May 19 -- What led you to write a book on the much-loved Drukpa Kunley, who is often described as a "mad monk" or "divine madman"?

Drukpa Kunley, who lived between 1455 and 1529, was a highly realised and unconventional master from the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. As a child, I heard stories about him. It was only in high school and college that I read stories about him. He was quite different from other saints, lamas and gurus. He lived on the fringes of society. He did not want any institutional affiliations, titles or honours. He preferred to wander alone. When people called him mad, he did not take that as an insult. He owned it with pride. I think that, from his enlightened perspective, he saw the society around h...