trust: “… Where your trust resides, it is there that you will find your God …” ~ Kabir
“… God … may best be found in the here-and-now: in the normal …” ~ Songs of Kabir
Kabir is renowned for his mystical poetry that is in the same “genre” as Rumi, Hafiz, and other mystics … who saw the Divine everywhere and in everything …
Today we offer 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. Crowe selected 65 of the 100 Kabir poems in Rabindranath Tagore’s translations (1st time in English) Songs of Kabir … “… interpreting and rendering them into a contemporary framework and language, making them accessible to a modern-day readership looking to non-Western spiritualities for inspiration …” …
The above words are from Thomas’ Introduction … where he continues with:
“… And at this time in which traditional gender roles are being examined ever more critically, I took particular care to make the poems accessible to women, in part by using feminine pronouns for God in the entire second half of the book.
The poems I have chosen for this book are the more mystical, and one might also say the more self-help-oriented, poems …” …
The book can be best summed up in Crowe’s own words from the same Introduction:
“… I have … tried to emphasize an ecstatic mystical message that has meaning and practical applications for all people. When Kabir writes,
You won’t find me in shrines or in stupas;
Not in masses, nor with legs curled around my neck,
Nor in some fancy restaurant.
If you are really looking for me, I am not hard to find—
You will find me in some tiny house of Time.
Kabir says: O student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath of wind inside the wind.he is telling you exactly what he thinks, what he thinks you should be thinking, and where you should be looking to find yourself on the higher road to self and spiritual awareness and consciousness. …” …
We offer the poem Faith in this part 1 of a 2-part series preview of the book based on chapter excerpts. For the purpose of this post only, we’ve taken literary liberty and adjusted the title …
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.
Real Gift Of Trust?
Where are you looking for Me?
I am with you, my friend.
Not in prayers or meditations.
Not in fasting.
Not in yogic postures.
Not in renunciation.
Not in New Age books or even in the body.
And not even in infinite space.
Not in the womb of nature.
Not in the breath inside the breath.
So seek and search sincerely.
It will only take you a second.
Kabir says: Listen to what I say:
Where your trust resides, it is there that you will find your God.
Stay tuned for … more from Kabir in this 2-part series on Crowe’s book …
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 see … the Divine … everywhere in your everyday life … and …
May you remain safe and healthy.
2nd opening quote from Songs of Kabir by Kabir (Author), Rabindranath Tagore (Translator).
Images (edited & Logo added): Header: Annapurna mountains by saiko3p, 1 & Featured) Street view of the medieval town of Spello in Umbria, Italy by RPBMedia, 2) Painting from the Palette of Love: The Mystical Poetry of Kabir cover image from Shambhala. 3 & 4) 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, & 4) generously provided by Shambhala Publications with permission to be used on our website and other digital assets.
