4001. Every time I run away from You

Every time I run away from You
And come back,
I see Your Eyes
More illumining than before
And I feel Your Heart
More forgiving than before.

4002. An amazing miracle

A longing and climbing desire
Is nothing short of an amazing miracle.
Try, you too can perform it easily.

4003. You can save yourself

If you know how
To love yourself divinely,
Then you will be able to save yourself
From being loved by others undivinely.

4004. Fear ends in self-defence

Fear ends in self-defence.
Self-defence ends in life-division.
Life-division ends in satisfaction-destruction.

4005. To escape the mind-jungle

If your heart really wants
To escape the mind-jungle,
Then your life must prove
To be a perfect stranger
To destroying and disheartening blunders.

4006. Ask your body to wake up

Your body is sleeping.
Ask your body to wake up.
Your vital is shouting.
Ask your vital to shut up.
Your mind is delaying.
Ask your mind to hurry up.
Your heart is disobeying.
Ask your heart to shape up.
Your soul is brooding.
Ask your soul to cheer up.
Your goal is hiding.
Ask your goal to show up.

4007. I have time to think

When do I have time to think
Of those who block my path
To Self-realisation?
I have time only to think
Of God
Inside my prayerful heart
And of myself
Inside God’s bountiful Smile.

4008. God's Compassion-Waves

God’s Compassion-Waves
Have given me God’s universal Life.
God’s Forgiveness-Sea
Has given me God’s transcendental Life.

4009. The choice

Either you can treasure
Your life of self-importance
Or you can become part and parcel
Of God’s Life omnipresent.

4010. Your mind gets an ego-thrill

Your mind gets an ego-thrill
From victory-competition.
Your heart gets a oneness-thrill
From dedication-distribution.

4011. Cry for another reason

You think of yourself;
Therefore, you cry.
You love yourself;
Therefore, you cry.
You need yourself;
Therefore, you cry.
Can you not cry for another reason
Only once?
Can you not cry to liberate
Your crying life from your binding mind
And strangling vital?

4012. Respect the world

If you want the world to respect you,
Then respect the world in advance,
And never hurl the suspicion-lance
At the world.

4013. Do you not remember?

Do you not remember
That only the other day
You loved God unconditionally?

Do you not remember
That only the other day
You claimed God as your own, very own?

4014. Why do you blame God?

You wanted to direct your life.
You have done it.
Now why do you blame God?
How can you blame someone
Who is completely innocent?

4015. Soulfully you love God

Soulfully you love God.
Therefore, you are richly rewarded.
Unconditionally you serve God.
Therefore, your achievements are amazing.

4016. Teach what you are being taught

Teach what you are being taught
Constantly:
A forgiveness-song
Inside the richest Heart
Of your Beloved Supreme.

4017. A pure thought liberates you

As an alarm clock
Awakens you from sleep,
Even so, a pure thought
Liberates you from your undivine mind.

4018. Your mind can expose you

You have a full mind.
Be careful!
Your mind can easily expose you
And prove to the world
That you are by far
The worst fool.

4019. If you want to change your life

If you want to change your life,
Then do not waste your time
Going here and there.
Go to the right person:
Your illumining soul.

4020. The only way to arrive

A merciless self-annihilation
Is not the way to reach
God’s Door.
A breathless self-contentment
Is the only way to arrive
At God’s Apartment.

4021. Go to the garden of love-light

The physical mind
Not only has the barrier
But also is the barrier itself.
If you want to surmount the physical mind,
Then go to the beautiful garden
Of love-light inside your heart.

4022. Give up your lethargy

Life is precious.
Time is precious.
You want your life to flower.
You want your time to succeed and proceed.
Such being the case,
Hurry up, hurry up!
Give up your lethargy-loaded day
And your lethargy-loaded night.

4023. Deep inside my jungle-life

Deep inside my jungle-life
I have misplaced my sincere mind
And my pure heart.
Definitely I have not lost them.
Unmistakably I shall find them.
And then forever
I shall keep them safe.

4024. Without the beauty of a dream-boat

Without the beauty of a dream-boat
How far can you go?
Without the divinity of a reality-shore
How can you care to succeed?

4025. When you are insecure

If and when you are insecure,
Remember one thing:
Insecurity is more dangerous
Than slow poison.

4026. Take a new look at yourself

Take a new look at yourself.
Frustration-night and destruction-volcano
Are no longer torturing
Your beautiful face.

4027. Four most fulfilling neighbours

Four most fulfilling neighbours:
An inspiring mind,
An encouraging life,
A sacrificing heart
And a God-spreading soul.

4028. To please the seeker-heart in you

If you think that your life
Cannot be reformed,
Then pray to God to grant you
A new aspiration-life.
This will undoubtedly please
The seeker-heart in you.

4029. Everything ultimately helps

Since life is but a continuous
Series of experiences,
Everything ultimately helps me
Towards my final enlightenment.

4030. The brave doer

My Lord,
Why do I have to be
The loser all the time?
“My child,
If you do not want to be at times the sad loser,
Then how can you ever be the brave doer?”

4031. Do not give up!

Do not give up, do not give up!
If you give up the spiritual life,
You will not be able to see
The face of perfection,
You will not be able to feel
The heart of satisfaction,
You will not be able to know
The soul of realisation.
Finally, you will wonder
Why you ever came into the world.

4032. Every day my heart turns

Every day my mind turns
Towards the miracle-working God.
Every day my heart turns
Towards the life-illumining God.

4033. A hope-building motto

My life has a hope-building motto:
At the end of my journey’s close,
I shall not only see God’s Vision-Eye
But also sit at the Feet
Of my Beloved Supreme.

4034. Each experience of love

Each experience of love
Helps us experience more
Of aspiration-cry and liberation-smile.

4035. If you give lovingly

If you give lovingly,
Your heart will become the owner
Of an aspiration-flight.

If you give grudgingly,
Your mind will become the possessor
Of a frustration-sigh.

4036. I call it opportunity

You call it difficulty
And I call it opportunity.
You call it opportunity
And I call it a sunlit way
To succeed in life.

4037. Each experience

Each experience is a beautiful incident
Inside my heart.
Each experience is a powerful reality
Inside my soul.

4038. When I do something great

When I do something great,
I tell my Lord that it is I
Who have done it.
When somebody else does something great,
I tell my Lord that it is He
Who has done it for us.

4039. I am looking for a miracle

I am looking for a miracle
Inside my inquisitive mind.
I am looking for a spontaneous reality-flame
Inside my self-giving soul.

4040. What we have given

I am looking
At what I have given my Lord Supreme:
A gratitude-flower.

My Lord Supreme is looking
At what He has given me:
His Forgiveness-Tower.

4041. The answer I like most

Who am I?
This is a question
That has countless answers,
But the answer I like most is this:
As long as my Lord Supreme
Knows who I am,
I myself do not have to know.

4042. Your heart can change

Your mind will not change,
But your heart can and will.
Therefore, ask your heart
Not to dine with ignorance-night,
Even on rare occasions.

4043. You aspire and strive

You aspire and strive.
Finally your life grows into self-mastery.
You dedicate and surrender.
Finally your heart grows into God-discovery.

4044. Self-glory and God-discovery

The head of self-glory
And the foot of God-discovery
Can never be seen together
Anywhere in this vast world.

4045. The undivine in me

The divine in me never tells me
That something is undivine.
It is the undivine in me that tells me
That everything on earth is undivine.

4046. Wisdom-light is eagerly waiting

You may not believe me,
But I must tell you the truth.
Although you dearly love ignorance-night,
Wisdom-light is eagerly waiting
For you to accept its love.
Will you not change your ways
Even for a fleeting day?

4047. More to follow

My Lord,
Can You give me a promise?
“My child,
I shall not only give you a promise,
But also a sure heart.
And there is more to follow.”

4048. The clever invitation

The clever invitation
Of your doubting mind
Is another name for its callous
And immediate ruthlessness.

4049. I am totally obliged

Yesterday I thought
That my mind was partially obliged
To save me.

Today I feel
That I am totally obliged
To save my mind.

4050. Your prayerful sincerity

Your prayerful sincerity is the beginning
Of your perfection.
Your soulful purity is the beginning
Of your satisfaction.

4051. How Do You Dare?

You fool,
You cannot change the feeble will
Of your little mind.
How do you dare try to change
The omnipotent Will of the Absolute?

4052. I Shall Obey You Unconditionally

My Lord,
I shall obey You unconditionally
Provided You tell me
That I am Your best student.
“My child,
I shall tell the world
You are My best student
Provided I am your only Teacher
And you completely give up your other teacher:
Ignorance.”

4053. I Am So Pleased

I am so pleased
With my mind and my heart.
My mind is now sick
Of the truth-twisting game
And my heart is now sick
Of the God-forgetting game.

4054. You Have The Capacity

You tell me you have the capacity
To accept truth implicitly.
May I add something?
You have also the capacity
To reject falsehood permanently.

4055. To Conquer Self-Deception

To be conscious of and conquer
Self-deception
Is almost as difficult
As climbing the Himalayan heights.

4056. What Can You Expect?

What can you expect
From your idle body
That thinks it is very active?
What can you expect
From your ugly vital
That thinks it is very beautiful?
What can you expect
From your impure mind
That thinks it is very pure?
What can you expect
From your insecure heart
That thinks it is very secure?

4057. The Job You Alone Can Do

Do not belittle your aspiration-cry.
That is the job others are dying to do.
Love yourself more divinely.
This is the job you alone can
And you alone must do.

4058. Just Try To Regain

Do not complain.
Do not disdain.
Just try to regain
Your lost wealth: satisfaction.

4059. Most Intimate Friends

My sincerity has a most intimate friend:
Courage.
My purity has a most intimate friend:
Bliss.

4060. I Am All Admiration For You

I am all admiration for you.
You have a loving heart.
You have a generous mind.
You have a helping vital.
You have a serving body.
You also have God on your side
For everything.

4061. Alas, I Am Not Ready

My Lord is ready
With His Heart
To give.
Alas, I am not ready
With my mind
To receive.

4062. A Self-Giving, Dauntless Soul

A self-giving, dauntless soul
Is entrusted with God’s Role
By God the transcendental Pride.

4063. Lovingly Try To Give God

Lovingly try to give God
What you unconsciously cherish most:
Your helpless timidity-heart.

4064. If You Want To Sing

If you want to sing for God,
Then turn yourself into
A perfect God-server.

If you want to sing with God,
Then turn yourself into
An unconditional God-lover.

4065. To Pierce The Veil Of Ignorance

To pierce the veil of ignorance-night,
Either bring to the fore
The arrows of your soul-power
Or cheerfully pray, prayerfully meditate
And silently wait for God’s choice Hour.

4066. If You Wish To Succeed In Life

If you wish to succeed in life,
Ask your doubtless mind for help.
If you wish to proceed in life,
Ask your spotless heart for help.

4067. If You Have Nothing To Do

If you have nothing to do,
Then you can talk to beauty’s smile
In the morning
And talk to purity’s cry
In the evening.

4068. No Appreciable Difference

There is no appreciable difference
Between ability not used
And ability not possessed.

4069. He Who Loves Your Heart

He who misunderstands your mind
Is a deplorable man.
He who loves your heart
Is a profitable man.

4070. Doomed To Carry

Man does not live for Eternity,
But he is doomed to carry
Not only Eternity’s but also Infinity’s
Anxiety-load.

4071. His Soulful Prayer To God

His soulful prayer to God
Is to turn him into a tree
So that he can have a fresh and new life
Every year
To replace his old and dead existence.

4072. Hide-And-Seek

My heart’s inferior cry
And my soul’s superior smile
Quite often play hide-and-seek.

4073. A Wise Man Loves Himself

A stupid man
Does not know how to insult himself.
An intelligent man
Insults himself before he corrects himself.
A wise man
Loves himself soulfully
Before he perfects himself unreservedly.

4074. His Heart Is Praying To God

His heart is doing
What it is supposed to do:
His heart is praying to God.
But his mind is not doing
What it is supposed to do:
His mind is not slaying ignorance.

4075. Automatically They Will Gain

If your mind and heart are one,
Then they must not try to gain
From each other.
They should only try to be good
To each other.
Then automatically they will gain.

4076. God The Teacher

God the Teacher
Instructs me in the morning.
God the Father
Blesses me in the evening.

4077. If You Have A Good Desire

If you have a good desire,
Earth will cry with you first,
And then Heaven will not only smile at you
But also teach you how to smile.

4078. My Sufferings

May my sufferings
Make the world humble.
May the sufferings of the world
Make my life perfect.

4079. He Commands

He commands his mind
To stand up and cry helplessly.
He commands his heart
To sit down and smile sleeplessly.

4080. I Shall Respect My Lord

I shall reject my vital in public.
I shall accept my heart in public.
I shall contact my soul in public.
But I shall respect my Lord
Not only in public but also in private.

4081. If You Can Love God

If you can love God unconditionally,
Then only will your life-boat ply
Between the enlightenment-shore
Of your mind
And the contentment-shore
Of your heart.

4082. The Inner World Needs Him

The outer world loves him cautiously.
Therefore, he does not care for
The outer world.
The inner world needs him desperately.
Therefore, he unreservedly accepts
The inner world.

4083. Do Empty My Mind Completely

My Lord,
Let us not do the same thing
When we need each other.
When I need You,
I shall knock at Your Heart’s Door.
When You need me,
Do empty my mind completely.

4084. Do Not Be Afraid

Do not be afraid
Of speaking powerfully.
Do not be afraid
Of progressing slowly.
Be only afraid
Of remaining on earth motionlessly.

4085. When I Am In The Psychic Plane

When I am in the mental plane,
I dauntlessly do
What I am forbidden to do:
I live in perfect faith.

When I am in the psychic plane,
I soulfully do
What I am permitted to do:
I sit at my Lord’s Feet
And drink deep His Heart’s Nectar-Delight.

4086. God's Forgiveness-Height

I do not know
Where God’s Justice-Light is.
But I do know
That His Forgiveness-Height
Is only an inch above
My heart’s soulful cry.

4087. An Unsoiled And Sacred Heart

The absolute sincerity
Of a fruitful prayer
Is born in an unsoiled
And sacred heart.

4088. Each Morning Meditation

My clever mind thinks
That each morning prayer
Can be most profitable.

My aspiring heart knows
That each morning meditation
Can be most lovable.

4089. Your Mind Does Not Want To Know

Your mind does not want to know
How many times it has failed.
Your heart knows that it has succeeded
Countless times
Only because God acts in and through it.

4090. Give And Receive

Do you want to give?
Then ask your heart to have patience.
Do you want to receive?
Then ask your mind to have patience.

4091. Your Soulful Patience

Your soulful patience
Is the first rung
Of your fruitful peace-ladder.

4092. Patience Is The Purity Of Hope

Patience is the unmarred purity
Of hope
And the undamaged beauty
Of achievement.

4093. Patience Lives At The Root

Patience lives at the root
Of my Lord’s Compassion-Descent
And my own perfection-ascent.

4094. As Rich And Happy

Nothing can make me as rich and happy
Both inwardly and outwardly
As patience.

4095. Patience Is The Soul-Power

Patience is the soul-power
Concealed.
Patience is the heart-tower
Revealed.

4096. The Fragrance Of His Life-Flower

With the fragrance of his heart-flower,
He devotedly sat inside the Heart
Of God the universal Beauty.

With the fragrance of his life-flower,
He prayerfully sat at the Feet
Of God the transcendental Power.

4097. My Mind Is Heavy

My mind is heavy
When it is full of desires.
My heart is heavy
When it is empty of aspiration-flames.

4098. God Denied Me

God denied me
A tiny desire-leaf,
Only to grant me
A huge and fruitful fulfilment-tree.

4099. Do Give Me The Courage

My sweet Lord,
Do give me the courage
To confront vehemently
My suspicious mind
And
My ferocious vital.

My sweet Lord,
Do give me the courage
To comfort soulfully
My aching soul
And
My bleeding heart.

4100. How Far Can It Take Me?

My Lord,
My love of the world is unconditional,
But how far can it take me?
“My child,
It can easily take you all the way.”

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the forty-first volume in a series of ten thousand “flaming flower-poems” which Sri Chinmoy is placing devotedly, unreservedly and unconditionally at the Compassion-Feet of God, our Beloved Supreme. They stand as a supreme offering from the unfolding beauty of his flower-heart and the flaming heights of his realisation-sun. Indeed, a treasure-tower which will at once be claimed by humanity’s self-ascending cry and Divinity’s God-descending Smile.

Editor's note to cover photo

His Excellency Mr Salim Ahmed Salim, President of the United Nations General Assembly, receives a special award on 10 December 1979 at a programme commemorating Human Rights Day. Salim, who had worked tirelessly to free the United States hostages in Iran, said, “I must confess that I am extremely moved by this award and the thoughtfulness behind it.”