Barks, Coleman
1937-
aka: Professor Barks
1937-
aka: Professor Barks
well known as an authority on the Sufi mystic Rumi
American, born Tennessee
US college professor, PhD. retired. taught poetry
and creative writing
became known as a translator of Rumi poetry--gives
readings of it also.
visited Osho Commune in Pune II, c. '88, during
Rinzai series of talks by Osho, during which Osho
elevated Zen over Sufism as a religious path.
doesn't actually know Persian (original language of
Rumi), but bases his "translations" on other English
translations, in collaboration with other Persian
language scholars.
visited Afghanistan in 2005 on a US State Dept. tour,
post US military actions.
American, born Tennessee
US college professor, PhD. retired. taught poetry
and creative writing
became known as a translator of Rumi poetry--gives
readings of it also.
visited Osho Commune in Pune II, c. '88, during
Rinzai series of talks by Osho, during which Osho
elevated Zen over Sufism as a religious path.
doesn't actually know Persian (original language of
Rumi), but bases his "translations" on other English
translations, in collaboration with other Persian
language scholars.
visited Afghanistan in 2005 on a US State Dept. tour,
post US military actions.
| YouTube video of Coleman Barks reading a Rumi poem Love Dogs--03:50 |
| A question from Coleman Barks to Osho, and Osho's answer: Osho, I feel very grateful for your enlightenment, your wisdom, your daring experiments, your life. Thank you! Rumi said, "I want burning, burning...." What is that burning? Shams said, "I am fire." Do you have any word on Shams? From Shams? What do the burning and the fire have to do with my own enlightenment? Coleman, you have asked a very dangerous question! – because burning has nothing to do with your enlightenment. On the path of enlightenment there is no question of burning. But because you are in love with Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi... I also love the man. But you have to understand that Sufism still depends on a hypothetical God. It is not free from the hypothesis of God. And particularly Sufism has the concept of God as a woman. Love is their method – love God as totally as possible. Now you are loving an impossible hypothesis, and totality is asked. You will feel the same kind of burning, in a more intensive way, as lovers feel on a smaller scale... --Osho Rinzai: Master of the Irrational, ch. 2 |
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