7901. Do First Things First

Do first things first.
Do not try to prove to the world
That God exists.
Just try to see your total existence
Inside God’s Compassion-Heart.

7902. If You Have Inner Poise

If you have inner poise,
You will be able to see
Immediately
How much pretence
Not only the world around you
But also you yourself enjoy.

7903. God Is More Than Ready

If you are ready
To correct your life,
Then you are bound to see
That God is more than ready
To direct His Dream-Boat towards you.

7904. You Want To Change The World

You want to change the world.
The world wants to change you.
Neither of you succeed
Or will ever succeed
Unless you invoke
A third party, God,
To transform both of you.

7905. Temptation-Love

Do not be a fool!
The divine Love of God
Is not going to satisfy you
Since you are already so satisfied
With the temptation-love
Of the human life.

7906. When You Defend

When you defend the animal in yourself,
Do you not realise that you offend
Not only the divine in you
But also the human in you?

7907. The Source Of My Joy

The ever-mounting flame
Of my heart’s aspiration-cry
Is the source of my life’s
Ever-increasing joy and delight.

7908. This Can Never Be The Message

“I am not responsible
For what I say and do.”
This can never be the message
Of the illumined,
Divine reality in me.

7909. The Clever Human Mind

Look at the clever human mind.
Outwardly it sneers at
But inwardly it admires
The beauty and purity
Of the heart.

7910. The Art Of Deceiving Others

Since you have learnt so well
The art of deceiving others,
I am sure you will perfect your art
Until you can deceive yourself as well.

7911. My Soul Is Always Grateful

My loving soul is always grateful
Because it is a living portion
Of my Beloved Supreme.

My aspiring heart is always grateful
Because it has established
Its inseparable oneness
With my soul.

Alas, my useless mind
Has not established its oneness
With anything.
Therefore, my mind’s gratitude-life
Has a fleeting breath.

7912. Even If My Mind Believes

Even if my mind believes
For a fleeting second
In the existence of my soul,
It may not be willing
To accept the soul’s dictates.

7913. You Will Become Strong

If you pray and meditate
Soulfully,
You will become strong
In the inner world.

If you pray and meditate
Sleeplessly and unreservedly,
You will become stronger
In the inner world.

If you pray and meditate
Unconditionally,
Only to please God in His own Way,
You will become stronger than the strongest
In the inner world.

7914. To Transform The Vital

The fastest way to transform the vital
Is the way of wisdom:
Think of the vital
As rarely as possible
Or, with tremendous determination,
Do not think of the vital at all.

7915. The Inner Assurance

If you want to conquer the vital,
Feel that you have already conquered it
Or will conquer it sooner than at once.
Then you will have the inner assurance
That the victory-capacity is yours.

7916. No Wonder

First you think of your vital,
Then you bring it to the fore,
Then you feed it generously.
No wonder your vital is now
Destroying your inner life!

7917. As Long As You Remember

As long as you remember
That you came
From the Infinite Consciousness,
That you are of the Supreme
And for the Supreme,
You will automatically have
Inner and outer confidence.

7918. Something Divine Within

If you have something divine within,
It is only a matter of time
Before it will manifest itself
And be received,
Consciously or unconsciously,
By the entire world.

7919. The Presence Of A Spiritual Master

The very presence of a spiritual Master
Is unconsciously received
By the unaspiring world
And consciously received
By the aspiring world.

7920. No Sunlit Frontier

There is no such thing
As a sunlit frontier for the mind.
There is only a pitch-dark fortress.

7921. I Would Rather Embrace

I would rather embrace a quick death
Than gradually befriend
Lethargy-night and impurity-sky.

7922. The Result Of My Meditation

O Lord Supreme,
You are the object of my meditation.
You are my meditation itself.
You are the result of my meditation.

7923. The Beauty Of A Satisfaction-Dawn

If your heart’s likes
And your mind’s dislikes
Keep you constantly angry with the world,
How can you see the beauty
Of a satisfaction-dawn
Along the road of your life’s
Birthless and deathless journey?

7924. India Is The Celestial Music

India is not just a place.
India is not just a people.
India is the celestial music,
And inside that music
Anybody from any corner of the globe
Can find the real significance of life.

7925. India's Tolerance

India is not Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist.
India is India.
Its tolerance is more than ready
To freely house all religions.

7926. A Special Charm And Beauty

India holds and will forever hold
A special charm and a special beauty
For all spiritual seekers:
The illumining and fulfilling message
Of the soul.

7927. See India With Your Aspiring Heart

See India with your aspiring heart.
Then inside even its outer weaknesses,
Inside its helplessness and hopelessness,
You are bound to feel
Its heart-illumining
And soul-fulfilling uniqueness.

7928. A Perennial Vision

To feel what India has and is
You must have
What you do not yet have:
A new vision, a perennial vision.

7929. The Heart Of India

The body of India
May be discouraging.
The mind of India
May be disheartening.
But the heart of India
Still maintains its pristine beauty and purity
Which will forever remain
Untouched by human ignorance.

7930. We Have Only To Start

We have only to start our inner journey.
Even those who start
Out of curiosity
May someday become great seekers.

7931. If You Want To Receive

If you want to receive
Inspiration and aspiration
From God’s creation,
Then always try to see
Only its best aspects.

7932. When God Observes His Children

When God observes His children,
He does not think.
He only cries and cries
Because so many are lost.

7933. A Treasured Gift

Only one gift of yours
God will forever treasure,
And that gift
Is your inner and outer obedience.

7934. Your Permanent Address

If “future perfection”
Is your permanent address,
Then your life of complete satisfaction
Will always remain at a distance.

7935. A Permanent Rejection

Since you want to reject
Your doubtful mind,
Why not make your rejection
A permanent one?

7936. Today's Unwilling Obedience

If you find it difficult
To offer God your unreserved
And unconditional obedience,
Try to offer Him
Your cheerful obedience.
If that too is impossible,
Then try at least to offer Him
Your unwilling, reluctant obedience.
Today’s unwilling, reluctant obedience
Will eventually be transformed
Into tomorrow’s unreserved
And unconditional obedience.

7937. Outer And Inner Obedience

Superficial and artificial
Outer obedience
Will never be able to give you
Natural and spontaneous
Inner obedience.
But inner obedience in its pure form
Is bound to give you
Outer obedience.

7938. Tomorrow's Giant Failure

Yesterday’s little disobedience
And today’s little disobedience
Add up, over the years,
To tomorrow’s giant failure.

7939. On God's Team

On God’s team
Every member has to play his role.
If one member does not do his part,
It becomes the bounden duty of others
To do it for him.

7940. The Life Of Promise

The life of promise
Never disappoints us.
It is the life of hope
That not only disappoints us
But at times destroys us.

7941. Death Came From Hell

Death came from hell
To shake hands with him
And say:
“Your heart of bounty
I will not be able to house.”

7942. The End Of His Inner Journey

Curiosity took him to see
How bad the Master was.
Lo, many years have passed by
And still he is sitting
At the feet of the Master.
Idle curiosity was the start
Of his inner journey.
Illumining oneness will be the end
Of his inner journey.

7943. Messages Of The Material World

The first message of the material world:
“Have more, have more, have more!”
The last message of the material world:
“Since you have so much,
Why not enjoy more, enjoy more, enjoy more?”
These two messages are nothing short of
The complete ruin of your life.

7944. Totally Different

As darkness is totally different
From light,
Even so, man’s desire-hunger
Is totally different
From man’s aspiration-feast.

7945. Until Purity Takes Possession

Until purity takes full possession
Of the human mind,
The higher worlds
Cannot do anything properly
In and through the human mind
For God-Manifestation on earth.

7946. God's Transcendental Consciousnes

Even as the world
Is progressing and transcending,
God’s Transcendental Consciousness
Is ever-transcending.

7947. Who Has Abundant Enthusiasm?

Who has abundant enthusiasm?
Only those who feel they are
The chosen children of God.
Every day God is trying to act
In and through these children
With His own boundless Enthusiasm.

7948. My Soul Exists Only For God

My soul exists only for God.
My heart exists for God and myself.
My mind exists for itself alone.

7949. Earthly Days Advance

Earthly days advance
Only to make us feel
The serenity and purity
Of the departing nights.

7950. He Who Sees You Praying

He who sees you praying and meditating
May not immediately follow you.
But someday when he is full of misery,
He will remember that he saw
Something very special in you.

7951. Pristine Peace And Poise

Soulfully and powerfully invoke
Pristine peace and poise
During your daily meditation.
Once you have their tremendous
Inner strength,
The life of worry and hurry
Will be totally unknown to you.

7952. When I Long To See

I weep a fountain of tears
When I long to see
My Lord’s Compassion-Feet.

I smile a fountain of smiles
When I long to see
My Lord’s self-transcending Dance.

7953. Your Eternity's Quest

God is your Eternity’s quest.
You are His Immortality’s nest.
Only your heart’s peace
Can declare and guarantee this.

7954. A Child-Heart

If you cannot feel
That you have a child-heart,
Then you are no better
Than a fossilized human being.

7955. To Please The Supreme

There is not even one person
Who does not know
What he must do
Inwardly and outwardly
To please the Supreme.

7956. Your Golden Heart

It is not your broken heart
But your golden heart
That can play with the Smile
Of God’s ever-transcending Beyond.

7957. His Eternity's Compeer

His mind is no longer
A slave of fears.
His life is no longer
A slave of tears.
Therefore, he now has God-Satisfaction
As his Eternity’s unparalleled compeer.

7958. Inner Awareness

Inner awareness
Brings enthusiasm
And enthusiasm
Brings more inner awareness.

7959. You Value Only Those

My Lord Supreme, I know, I know,
You value only those
Who value Your Vision
And Your Mission.

7960. Songs And Dances Of Self-Offering

An easy way to love God,
An easier way to satisfy God
And the easiest way to become another God
Is to sing and sing, dance and dance
The songs and dances of self-offering.

7961. If You Want To Satisfy God

If you want God to satisfy you,
Then you are not even a truth-seeker.
If you want to satisfy God,
Then you are not only a truth-seeker
And a God-lover,
But also a God-fulfiller.

7962. Everything Is Important

In the spiritual life
Everything you do
Is important,
Every second of your life
Is supremely important.

7963. Try To Please God For One Day

Ask yourself every morning
How many things
God has asked you to do
And how many of these things
You have actually done.
Then feel that this day
Is the last day of your life,
And try to please God
At least for this one day.

7964. Surcharged With Divinity

When your entire being
Is surcharged with divinity
By virtue of your meditation,
Your very presence will inspire others.

7965. He Carries Divinity Within

No matter what he is doing,
He carries within him
Solid and powerful divinity
Which is freely available
To the entire world.

7966. God Is Very Strict

Those who consciously do the right thing
Will always get
Immediate appreciation from God.
Those who consciously do the wrong thing
Will always get
Immediate retribution.
For their own good
God is very strict
With His spiritual children.

7967. God's Punishment-Illumination

If you cannot cheerfully receive
God’s Punishment-Illumination,
Then your spiritual death
Is fast approaching you.

7968. The Inner Victory

Each day you get up early
To pray and meditate,
You are running very, very fast
In your inner race.
Each day you are unwilling
To get up early,
You are walking slower than the slowest.
The inner victory is only for those
Who run with the fastest speed.

7969. The Day You Get Up Early

The day you get up early
To pray and meditate,
You will see and feel
The progress you make.
The day you do not get up early
To pray and meditate,
You will feel and become
A sea of misery.

7970. A Perfect Oneness-World

As the countless drops
Of the boundless ocean
Or the myriad leaves
Of a huge banyan tree
Peacefully remain side by side,
Even so, all human beings
Will someday live side by side
In a perfect oneness-world.

7971. You Create Receptivity In Others

You create receptivity in others
By becoming spiritually strong yourself.
When others see your inner strength,
Naturally they want to follow you.

7972. A Tape Measure Around Your Heart

If you keep a tape measure
Around your heart,
You will immediately see
How much your heart expands
When God receives your gratitude.

7973. When You Offer Gratitude

When you offer gratitude,
You give your most precious possession
To your own highest Self: God.

7974. The Joy That We Get

The joy that we get
From our body’s indulgence
Can never be real.
The joy that we get
From our soul’s victory
Is not only real
But also sacred.

7975. Do Not Separate Yourself

If you do not separate yourself
From your Source,
The world will eventually see
That you are a drop
Of God the Ocean,
Part and parcel of His vast Existence.

7976. The Fragrance Of Your Gratitude

When you feel deep inside you
Something very beautiful
Which you have never felt before,
You will know that God has received
The sweet and charming fragrance
Of your heart’s blossoming
Gratitude-flower.

7977. Your Soulful Self-Offering

Your soulful self-offering
Is your immediate hotline
To the very depths
Of God’s Heart.

7978. Inwardly You Can Talk To God

Inwardly you can talk to God
As long as you want to.
Therefore, talk, talk, talk!
Give Him all your sadness and frustration
As well as your love and joy.
He will keep them all for you
Inside His divine Heart-Safe.

7979. He Who Shows Sympathy

He who shows sympathy
Towards your aspiration-life
Must needs also be
A true truth-seeker.

7980. To Help A Seeker-Friend

How to help a seeker-friend?
Meditate on your heart-flower.
Then as silently as a divine thief,
Very carefully place that flower
Inside his heart.
There it will blossom
Into beauty, purity and oneness.

7981. When You Offer Anything To God

When you offer anything to God,
Your immediate joy
And God’s immediate Acceptance
Always go together.

7982. An Aspiring Heart

An aspiring heart
Is a grateful heart,
For an aspiring heart
Knows and feels
What the soul is doing for it.

7983. Your Inner Light Will Be Revealed

The sun may be covered by clouds,
But eventually its full light
Will be revealed.
Similarly, if you become
Bright, brighter, brightest
In the inner world,
Your inner light will not be able
To remain hidden.

7984. An Opportunity To Meditate

Every moment can be
An opportunity to meditate,
No matter where you are
Or what is going on around you.
It is all a matter
Of where your consciousness is.

7985. Touch And Receive

When your good qualities
Go and touch others,
Their good qualities come forward
To receive from you.

7986. When You Do The Right Thing

Always remember the joy you get
When you do the right thing.
This joy will give you
The inspiration, aspiration
And determination
To continue doing the right thing.

7987. Remember Your Yesterday's Happiness

Yesterday
By virtue of your determination,
You did the right thing
And made yourself happy.
Remember your yesterday’s happiness
If you don’t want lethargy-night
To destroy today’s new determination.

7988. Flames Of Purity

If you need intensity
In your aspiration-life,
Just feel that countless flames of purity
Are burning inside the very depths
Of your heart.

7989. To Illumine The Jungle-Mind

The earth-bound mind
Cannot and will not forever remain
A confusion-jungle.
The aspiration-flames
Of the Heaven-free heart
Will eventually climb high, higher, highest
And illumine the lightless jungle-mind.

7990. The Tears Of Your Soul's Joy

The psychic tears
Of your soul’s joy
Can secretly touch
The inmost recesses of others’ hearts.
Then only time will tell
What miracles they will work there.

7991. An Inner Award

Even when we do not receive
Any outer appreciation,
We may receive an inner award
Which we can value infinitely more.

7992. Creation Means Self-Giving

Creation means self-giving.
From one
God became many
By freely giving Himself.
When you create,
You give yourself
And become your larger Self.

7993. The Successful Ending

Unless God can bring His children
Up to His own highest Height,
Where will be the successful ending
Of His Manifestation-Story?

7994. One Life, One Message

For a genuine truth-seeker
The outer life and the inner life
Are one,
And that one life
Has only one message:
God comes first,
Spirituality comes first.

7995. The Outer Life Is The Body

The outer life is the body,
The inner life is the heart.
What can one do without the other?
Wherever one goes,
The other has to follow.

7996. We Constantly Cry To God

We constantly cry to God
To give us this or that.
But the moment we can say,
“Let Thy Will be done”,
Our heart becomes
A flood of gratitude.

7997. We Free Ourselves

We free ourselves
From the temptation-net,
Only to be caught
By the expectation-net.

7998. He Was Such A Fool!

He enjoyed the pleasures of this world
To his heart’s content,
Thinking that in the evening of his life
He would be able to discipline himself
And make spiritual progress.
He was such a fool!

7999. Do Not Delay A Moment!

Do not delay a moment!
Right from today
Start running along the path of aspiration,
No matter where you are now.
How do you know
You will be inspired tomorrow?
How do you know
You will even be alive tomorrow?

8000. My Only Cherished Goal

My Lord Supreme,
The Pinnacle-Height
Of Your Transcendental Consciousness
Is my only cherished Goal.
To reach that Height
Will be the culminating achievement
Of all my past and future lives.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the eightieth 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

Sri Chinmoy meditates with Muhammad Ali on the morning of his heavyweight championship fight with Earnie Shavers on 29 September 1977 in New York. Afterwards the boxing star said, “My goal is to be like you one day — to be peaceful and out of this sport, working for humanity and for God.”