“… Kabir encouraged his followers to “go within” and to consider oneself as being part and parcel of God …” ~ Thomas Crowe
“… God is inside every person and every thing …” ~ Swami Ramananda via Thomas Crowe
The opening quotes express the essence of Kabir … who saw the Divine everywhere and in everything … so much so that he ridiculed any “… need for religion, citing many of the religions of his day …”
Today’s poem is a sampling of Kabir’s unwavering belief that Divine is indeed here, now, and everywhere … and if we do not “find” him/her now – in this life, while we are still alive – then we will never find him/her.
And, it is the concluding post of a 2-part series offering a glimpse into Thomas Rain Crowe’s rendering of Kabir … via his recent book Painting from the Palette of Love: The Mystical Poetry of Kabir …
… in Part 1 we offered the poem Faith that was yet another take on Kabir’s core principle of Divine everywhere …
This post is part of our ongoing Shambhala Publications series that offers substantive previews of selections from Shambhala Publications new and classic titles …
All italicized text here is adapted from Painting from the Palette of Love: The Mystical Poetry of Kabir by Thomas Rain Crowe, © 2003 by Thomas Rain Crow. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.
You can purchase the book at Shambhala Publications or Amazon.
Kabir & The Beloved: The Face of Fulfilled Desire
O friends, search for the Beloved while you are still alive.
Jump into this experience!
And be mindful—while you are still alive!
What people sometimes refer to as “salvation”
All happens before you die.
If you don’t break these worldly ties while you’re alive,
Who do you think is going to help you when you’re dead?
The idea that the soul will unite with God
Just because the body has decayed is all fantasy.
What you know now is what you’ll know then.
If you know nothing now,
You will simply end up with an empty apartment
In the City of Death.
But if you make love to the Beloved now,
In your next life you will have the smile of fulfilled desire.
So dive into that stream of wisdom
And find who the true Teacher is,
And believe in the song of Truth.
Kabir says: O student, when searching for the Beloved,
It is the intensity of your longing that is doing all the work.
Just look at me and you will see a slave of that intensity.
Stay tuned for … more from … other luminaries in this Shambhala Publications series …
All italicized text here is adapted from Painting from the Palette of Love: The Mystical Poetry of Kabir by Thomas Rain Crowe, © 2003 by Thomas Rain Crow. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.You can purchase the book at Shambhala Publications or Amazon.
And, may you … find the Beloved … while you are still alive … and …
May you remain safe and healthy.
Images (edited & Logo added): Header: Annapurna mountains by saiko3p, 1 & Featured) Wildlife in tropic Costa Rica. Two bird sucking nectar from pink bloom flower. Hummingbirds Green-crowned Brilliant , Heliodoxa jacula, flying next to beautiful red flower. Tinny bird fly in jungle by OndrejProsicky, 2) Painting from the Palette of Love: The Mystical Poetry of Kabir cover image from Shambhala, 4) Empty modern interior by paulprescott. 3 & 5) Shambhala Publications logo. All images (except ones from Shambhala Publications) purchased from depositphotos or 123rf. All are for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post). 2, 3, & 5) generously provided by Shambhala Publications with permission to be used on our website and other digital assets.
