Coleman Barks: Rumi, Grace, And Human Friendship

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Tami Simon speaks with Coleman Barks, a leading scholar and translator of the 13th-century Persian mystic Jelaluddin Rumi. Coleman’s work was the subject of an hour-long segment in Bill Moyers’s The Language of Life series on PBS. He has published numerous Rumi translations, including with Sounds True the audio programs I Want Burning: The Ecstatic World of Rumi, Hafiz, and Lalla; Rumi: Voice of Longing; and his three-part collaboration with cellist David Darling called Just Being Here: Rumi and Human Friendship. In this episode, Tami speaks with Coleman about the extraordinary friendship between Rumi and his teacher Shams Tabrizi, and how translating Rumi requires entering a trance state. Coleman offers insights on grace as he and Tami listen to selections from Just Being Here.
Books by COLEMAN BARKS:
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Sounds True was founded in 1985 by Tami Simon with a clear mission: to disseminate spiritual wisdom. Since starting out as a project with one woman and her tape recorder, we have grown into a multimedia publishing company with more than 80 employees, a library of more than 1500 titles featuring some of the leading teachers and visionaries of our time, and an ever-expanding family of customers from across the world. In more than three decades of growth, change, and evolution, Sounds True has maintained its focus on its overriding purpose, as summed up in our Mission Statement.
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[@MG-eh8xi]

I have read and listened to Rumi in farsi and practiced Rumi's teaching over 20 years now. Also, have listened to coleman translation and compared it to farsi. That is why I have introduced him to people who are in need of true love in their life. Job well done Coleman, love you❤

[@chrispecora6223]

Coleman I love you man

[@verasmith5831]

So elated and crying at the same time... been a follower of Coleman for 30 years now... I met his guru Bawa in Philadelphia at the Sufi Order center 1977.... I had no idea what to expect ...I was invited by my Sufi brothers.. There was a period of silence before Bawa appeared and sat lightly as a feather on his cushion... no words just absolute LOVE was there, I felt like dropping to my knees.... became dizzy, he looked translucent, I questioned is he really here? So much light I almost could not see. Years later I was given the cassette set of you and Robert Bly, then a friend gifted me a beautiful book " The Illuminated Rumi" and there was picture of Bawa! So much Love and so much Light emanating off the page....Thank you Coleman !!!!

[@peacelovejoy8786]

Thank you sister for sharing this - it's important!❤

[@chrispecora6223]

You did you part and I'll hold the touch till the next come

[@zmanreads]

This is absolutely amazing to hear. I have been a fan of Coleman for 20 years. Coleman I love you and your work is a contiuous inspiration and source of awe to my humble being.

[@bettinazwerdling9158]

Me, too!

[@munchingyong906]

A deep and honest sharing by Coleman.. Very touched hearing it.

[@andrewkendle3251]

Just a tremendous conversation between two great minds helping each of us to understand the deeper things of our Soul. Pure Light lifting our thoughts to new heights of understanding and broadening our thoughts of who we truly are. A very beautiful evening.

[@higherlove8886]

This was the perfect way to start the day 💛🙏🔥💃

[@gailvinson1226]

Thank you so much Coleman and Tami. I melt when I hear Coleman's translations of Rumi's poems. It wakes up something in me that I didn't know existed.

[@chrispecora6223]

This is beautiful it's how I feel hanging out with my teacher in the family that took me in💪🌹

[@jumpingship3001]

Beautiful insights on Love, friendship, an the heart.

[@jk1540004]

This is so hauntingly beautiful. So nice to listen during lunch break amidst lockdown.

[@suzannemorrow1073]

Thank you for beautiful Translations Colman. I am so happy to have bought and listened to Rumi and the sacred experience. I am not sure this will reach you but I couldn’t hold my appreciation and not sure where else to send this. 🙏

[@deb2319]

Loved hearing this...thank you.

[@Chap17]

Thank you for All your interesting content, you have such a soothing voice!

[@Sahasrara1008]

Great

[@chrispecora6223]

I'll keep it up my true English teachers

[@mariabyrne1954]

Thank you so much for this❤🙏🏻(Forty Rules of Love)

[@ElisPalmer]

Thanks so much ~🌟

[@jylyhughes5085]

Sublime Jalal-ud-Din and Shams ........ and Coleman.

[@kimdenn4379]

Thank you

[@mardishakti]

My favourite quote: *~ In sufi circles they say: “There’s prayer, and a step up from that is meditation, and a step up from that is sohbet, or conversation.” Who is talking to HU! (The pronoun for divine presence.) Lover to beloved, teacher to disciple. The Friendship of Rumi and Shams became a continuous conversation, in silence and words, presence talking to absence, existence to non-existence, periphery to center. Rumi’s poetry may be heard as eavesdropping on that exchange.” ~* Coleman Barks

[@mardishakti]

"Like This" is one of my * favourites *... Point * here * 🌹

[@cosmicrose8222]

🌹RUMI & Coleman Barks🌹❣️

[@thewonderchildblog]

I love this so much--but holy smokes the commercials! Like every 5 minutes! Ugh

[@muhammadmachalie4213]

Just beutiful, can't say a words

[@TheMetroGnome]

Like this ☝🏼

[@jeenymaltese3623]

🙏♥️♥️♥️

[@chrispecora6223]

What day I was born in 1986🫣🤫💧🌊🧿🌹

[@williamoarlock8634]

Became aware of Barks via the vacuous celebrities quoting his Rumi 'translations'.

[@elhaamjani115]

How Rumi Destroyed My life He captures the imagination and directs them toward a self-destructive path of giving away material pleasures and physical comfort through periods of fasting to cause hallucinations and dread and preys on your conscience and uses the guilt to guide people towards depression and hopelessness Rumi is a hiding behind dark love directed towards the divine He claims to represent tolerance and universal love He claims that the spirit of his love dwells in every human heart His teachings lead to intense hallucinations especially during periods of hardship such as physical pain or dehydration He hides behind faith and spirituality but his teachings are full of hubris. This is evident in his teachings through a lack of any sort of acknowledgement of mistakes He captures the imagination of poor and innocent souls and directs them toward a self-destructive path of giving away material pleasures and physical comfort through periods of fasting to cause hallucinations and dread and preys on your conscience and uses the guilt to guide people towards depression and hopelessness Some might remember a bearded Uber drive in the DC area who introduced people to Rumi in ignorance. Saed Wasim Hashimi

[@elhaamjani115]

How Rumi Destroyed My life He captures the imagination and directs them toward a self-destructive path of giving away material pleasures and physical comfort through periods of fasting to cause hallucinations and dread and preys on your conscience and uses the guilt to guide people towards depression and hopelessness Rumi is a hiding behind dark love directed towards the divine He claims to represent tolerance and universal love He claims that the spirit of his love dwells in every human heart His teachings lead to intense hallucinations especially during periods of hardship such as physical pain or dehydration He hides behind faith and spirituality but his teachings are full of hubris. This is evident in his teachings through a lack of any sort of acknowledgement of mistakes He captures the imagination and directs them toward a self-destructive path of giving away material pleasures and physical comfort through periods of fasting to cause hallucinations and dread and preys on your conscience and uses the guilt to guide people towards depression and hopelessness Some might remember a bearded Uber drive in the DC area who introduced people to Rumi in ignorance. Saed Wasim Hashimi

[@mardishakti]

"Where there is ruin there is hope for treasure."