The Kabir Book: Forty-Four of the Ecstatic Poems of Kabir (English and Hindi Edition)

When I discovered the Kabir Book, it was like a breath of fresh air. Is this a spiritual book? Sure, yes. But it is also hilariously funny and entertaining, if you ask me.Finding Kabir was great. This ancient sage skewers all kinds of religious dogmas and funky practices. It is comforting to know that he pursued his path and still snickered at stern, narcissistic people who shaved their heads and wore uncomfortable burlap. Kabir's sarcasm and satire is especially timely in light of recent corrupted interpretations of yoga, Buddhism, Sufism and other spiritual/religious approaches.In essense, Kabir offers something of a "Newage Treatment Plant." If you like metaphysics without a bunch of gunk polluting it, then Kabir is for you.I have one concern. Robert Bly states that he has changed the wording and content of poems to make them understandable to a contemporary audience. I've heard that much is lost and possibly even corrupted with such a translation. I'm not sure where Kabir ends and Bly begins.

Read it for your spirit, or for your heart, or for your soul. Or, even if you simply wish to study non-western poetry. Kabir never fails!

I believe Robert Bly has done an excellent job of capturing the spirit of Kabir, the 15th century mystic, and presenting it in modern language and outlook. There's a real edge to this work that is compelling.

An ecstatic poet similar to Rumi and Hafiz. I love and am inspired by Kabir!

I would imagine that Kabir's poetry is probably too complex for one single, authoritative translation or "transliteration" -- so my response to some of the very negative/critical reviews here is that, yeah, Bly's take on the poetry may be not to your taste, but why slam him for it? it's another voice -- and it is a very sincere and respectful voice -- added to the mix of scholarship and interpretation and response that may help the English-speaking person access the poetry and experience the power and insight of Kabir. I don't think ANY sincere voice ought to be shouted down and shut out of the conversation around this fascinating poet.Robert Bly's versions of Kabir -- in a thin little pamphlet, not even a book yet -- was my introduction, so very many years ago, to mystical, for lack of a better word, poetry. So many of its lines will spring to my mind throughout the years... very memorable... as to complaints about the stripped-down language, simple english can be as nuanced and rife with meaning as more formal english... an obvious example: check out the King James Bible for instances where, in passages of pretty simple language, a whole world of meaning unfolds... I was lucky-- maybe, god, like 25 or 30 years ago -- to be in a packed auditorium to hear Bly read from this stuff. the spirit that filled the room was so palpable, moving, absolutely unforgettable. I don't remember Mr. Bly, I couldn't even tell you what he looked like or what his voice sounded like -- but I do remember the poetry. So I think he must have been doing a pretty good job.If you love poetry, read this book -- if you aren't a fan of poetry written in sort of minimalist English, you may not like all of it -- you may not like it at all -- but I can almost guarantee there will be a line or two that will stay with you...

We all have our various standards in choosing spiritual poetry. My own approach is decidedly non-academic; the test for me is whether it resonates inside me. (A tuning fork will begin to resonate when another with identical pitch is struck near it. I read widely in spiritual literature, and wait until I begin to feel that "tuning fork" or God-Self inside resonate with the God-Self that is outside.)I have read this book many times and still tears fill my eyes to the point that I can't see. I have heard Kabir's metaphors quoted by other spiritual teachers - for example, the fish swimming in the ocean that believes it is thirsty - but never knew the source. Now I have a whole book of metaphor and poetry from someone who apparently experiences life as I do:"When my friend is away from me, I am depressed; nothing in the daylight delights me, sleep at night gives no rest, who can I tell about this?...."Robert Bly has written a short section in the back of the book titled "Some Rumors About Kabir," which is written in an accessible way--his language is never inflated or difficult. This is quite appropriate considering the opinion Kabir himself expressed regarding "religious academics" who have an outward religious appearance while having "deep inside, a loaded gun." I especially like the story of how Kabir blasted the 1500 meditators for refusing Mirabai's female presence at their gathering. "You know what I see in this hall?" Kabir asks. "1500 male egos!"I have learned that not all poetry attributed to Kabir was actually authored by him. Apparently there was a practice in which later poets would write poems and attribute them to Kabir. My other Kabir books (those with hundreds of pages) have plenty of poems in them that do not resonate. For me, a very high percentage of the Robert Bly translations resonated."What Kabir talks of is only what he has lived through. If you have not lived through something, it is not true" (Poem 28)Roberty Bly wrote in his afterward that he did not translate some of Kabir's poems for which he did not have correlative experiences. He also wrote "I love his poems, and am grateful every day for their gift." Perhaps it is this honesty, and genuine appreciation as a like-hearted seeker, that makes this little book of 44 poems so powerful.This is a great book of poetry written in very accessible language. You will like it!

gave as gift and he loved it

Awesome