I Cannot Live Without You by Keith Hill

I Cannot Live Without You by Keith Hill

Wild and passionate, Mirabai is India s greatest poet of devotion and love. Married at a young age, after her husband s premature death she dedicated her life to worshipping the flute-playing Krishna. It was a decision that led her parents-in-law to evict her from their home. Mirabai spent the rest of her life travelling from village to village, singing and dancing to celebrate her love of Krishna. The rapturous lyrics she wrote enthralled worshippers then and continue to be sung in India today.

Kabir was a controversial figure. An illiterate weaver, Kabir celebrated both Indian and Muslim spirituality, while criticising each religion s blinkered believers. Yet his straight talking, his wit, and the continued relevance of his cutting insights, ensure his often knotty poems still resonate powerfully for contemporary readers.

Superbly translated into English-language poems that reflect their original imagery and forms, this collection shows why Mirabai and Kabir have enchanted devotees for five centuries. Their poems are accompanied by new versions of two of the key Upanishads that laid the foundations for Indian spirituality. These engaging versions will delight readers new to the work of two of India s greatest mystical poets, and surprise those already familiar with their playful profundity.

MIRABAI: I SHALL DANCE

I shall dance in the presence of Krishna, my lord.

Purely to please, my bare feet will caress the floor.

So solemn and enticing, I shan't be ignored,

and as I turn, closer-to examine him-will I draw.

Yes, love's tied bells to my ankles, tinkling, so small.

And who knows? Perhaps, as I dance, all my veils will fall.

What do I care for customs and the world's joyless laws?

When he arrives, I shall silently close the door.

Yes, Mira will share her lover's bed, embraced and warm.

They'll laugh and sip love's wine-she knows she won't be bored

KABIR: ON THE COMPETENT GURU

No competent gurus nor pupils I found,

just players of greedy games.

All sank in maya's sea,

for they sailed boats made of stone.

I say, cut off that guru's beard whose

teaching doesn't scythe doubt,

for not only does he sink but

he drags his pupils down.

An incompetent guru means

the pupil is incapable:

grasping pupil, profit-seeking guru,

and both are in trouble.

Without a competent guru

you'll remain an illiterate fool.

Dress like a saint, inside you're an idiot

begging from door to door.

Hill, Keith: - KEITH HILL is a New Zealand writer whose work explores the intersection of mysticism, history, science, religion and psychology. His books include The God Revolution, Striving To Be Human and Practical Spirituality, each of which won the Ashton Wylie Award, New Zealand's premiere prize for spiritual writing. Since 2008 Keith has been working with fellow channeller Peter Calvert to present a range of teachings and practices designed for today's spiritual seekers, which originate from spiritual identities who were themselves previously human, and now exist at a non-embodied level.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780995133334
ISBN 10	0995133336
Title	I Cannot Live Without You
Author	Keith Hill
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Attar Books
Year published	2021-01-11
Number of pages	122
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.