"Kabir's poems give off a marvelous radiant intensity. . . . Bly's versions . . . have exactly the luminous depth that permits and invites many rereadings, many studyings-even then they remain as fresh as ever."
-The New York Times Book Review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Kabir Book,
By Iconoclast (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Kabir Book: Forty-Four of the Ecstatic Poems of Kabir (Paperback)
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!
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ecstasy... and Agony,
By
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This review is from: The Kabir Book: Forty-Four of the Ecstatic Poems of Kabir (Paperback)
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.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Moving Spiritual Experience,
By
This review is from: The Kabir Book: Forty-Four of the Ecstatic Poems of Kabir (Paperback)
When I was younger I lived in an ashram for 5 years. Our holy book was the Guru Granth Sahib. It mainly contains the writings of the 10 Sikh Gurus. However, among the non-guru writings were those of Kabir. Ironically, I enjoyed his the most. We had a practice of maintaining a continuous reading of the holy book. That meant I would often end up reading for two hours in the middle of the night. That vigil was sometimes hard, but I would always feel joyful when reading Kabir's passages. Sometime after I left the ashram, Robert Bly released this work. I found that it captured the essence of Kabir's spirit. Whenever I read it, it touches a space in me that expands my spirit. This is a very special book that I have given to many friends.
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