Songs of Kabîr (Cosimo Classics; Middle Eastern Literature)

Songs of Kabir, translated into English and published by The India Society in 1914, is a selection of songs from the Hindu mystic Kabir which promotes his teachings of love, joy, and beauty. A progressive thinker for his time and a married man who lived a common life, Kabir sang of harmony between all peoples and attaining oneness with God. Considered heretical by Hindus and Muslims because of its rejection of organized religion, the Songs of Kabir give an interesting look into mystic ideals and culture. KABIR (1440-1518) was a Hindu mystic, poet and saint, blessed with the name of God as a baby by his teacher, the bhakti saint Ramananda (Kabir is the 37th name of God in Koran, meaning "The Great"). Influenced by both Hindu and Muslim theologies, Kabir's teachings produced solutions that were said to put believers of both religions in harmony, creating a path that all could follow. Kabir authored dozens of poems and songs, the most famous being Bijak, or "The Seedling," espousing his view on universal spirituality. Today, he has almost 10 million followers known as kabir panthis who spread his ideologies throughout India.