The Dance of Life, part 14

651. No such thing

```

I took a closer look.

There is no such thing as ignorance.

Ignorance is nothing

But my limited knowledge.

I took a closer look.

There is no such thing as defeat.

Defeat is nothing

But the inspirer

Of my increasing will.

I took a closer look.

There is no such thing as death.

Death is nothing

But my strengthening

And

Dreaming rest. ```

652. Self-defeat, self-control, self-realisation

```

Self-defeat is but

A human child of self-deceit.

Self-control is but

A divine man of self-will.

Self-realisation is but

An eternal representative

Of the Absolute Supreme.

```

653. Time

```

I have some consideration

For my time.

Therefore, I am happy.

I have much consideration

For others’ time.

Therefore, I am happier.

I have most consideration

For my Lord’s Time.

Therefore, I am happiest.

I have no consideration

For ignorance-night.

Therefore, I live in Eternal Day.

```

654. Why am I so unhappy?

```

Why am I so unhappy?

I am unhappy

Because I am ungrateful to my highest Self,

God.

Why am I so unhappy?

I am unhappy

Because I am not willing to teach my lowest self,

Temptation,

How to swim in the Sea of Illumination.

```

655. He forgets

```

He forgets.

He forgets that anger

Is a passer-by.

He forgets.

He forgets that doubt

Is a passer-by.

He forgets.

He forgets that jealousy

Is a passer-by.

He forgets.

He forgets that bondage

Is a passer-by.

Alas, he touches their feet

And asks them to be

His bosom friends.

```

656. Six confidants

```

The body takes comfort

As its confidant.

The vital takes arrogance

As its confidant.

The mind takes pride

As its confidant.

The heart takes happiness

As its confidant.

The soul takes calmness

As its confidant.

God takes Oneness

As His confidant. ```

657. To err is human

```

To err is human:

You knew it yesterday.

Therefore,

God blessed you yesterday.

To err is human:

He knows it today.

Therefore,

God is blessing him today.

To err is human:

I shall know it tomorrow.

Therefore,

God will bless me tomorrow.

To love is divine:

You knew it yesterday.

Therefore,

God embraced you yesterday.

To love is divine:

He knows it today.

Therefore,

God is embracing him today.

To love is divine:

I shall know it tomorrow.

Therefore,

God will embrace me tomorrow. ```

658. Three incorrigibles

```

Who asked you, O World,

To find fault with me

Constantly?

Who asked me

To make mistakes

Repeatedly?

Who asked God

Not to illumine us

Compassionately?

You, God and I:

Indeed,

Three incorrigibles.

```

659. Something quite extraordinary

```

Nowadays I do

Something quite extraordinary.

I bless my head

And feel that I am blessing

The entire creation of God

Most compassionately.

I touch my feet

And feel that the entire world

Is adoring me

Cheerfully,

Devotedly

And

Unconditionally.

```

660. Thank you

```

The world knows

How to ask me

For favours.

God immediately

Tells me:

“Thank you.”

The world’s helplessness

Makes me feel

That I am supremely great.

God’s loving gratitude

Makes me feel

That I am divinely good.

```

661. Two serious defects

```

He has two serious defects:

Weakness and wickedness.

His heart is weakness;

His vital is wickedness.

His body says to his heart:

“I am your eternal slave;

I am at your command.”

His mind says to his vital:

“I am your eternal friend.

I shall feed you,

I shall please you.” ```

662. Don't be afraid

```

Don’t be afraid of doubt.

Doubt is just temporary defeat.

Don’t be afraid of fear.

Fear is just a weak force.

Don’t be afraid of jealousy.

Jealousy is just a slow riser.

Don’t be afraid of insecurity.

Just take a closer look;

There is absolutely nothing in it to fear.

```

663. Gossip

```

Gossip, gossip, gossip!

What is it?

A wild jungle.

Gossip, gossip, gossip!

What is it?

A poisonous ocean.

Gossip, gossip, gossip!

What is it?

A deliberate reputation-killer.

Gossip, gossip, gossip!

What is it?

A shameless ignorance-grower.

```

664. Why did he fail?

```

He failed to reach his Goal.

Why?

Because he did not know

That such a thing existed.

He failed to reach his Goal.

Why?

Because he never cared for it,

Even unconsciously.

He failed to reach his Goal.

Why?

Because he forgot

To stretch out his hand. ```

665. Three things God and I take for granted

```

Three things I take for granted:

God’s infinite Compassion,

Earth’s ceaseless patience,

Man’s sleepless surrender.

Three things God takes for granted:

Earth’s thoughtful life,

Man’s helpless life,

My shameless life. ```

666. He is a critic

```

He is a critic

Who knows absolutely nothing.

He is a critic

Who hates practically everything.

He is a critic

Who thinks that perfection

Is his sole monopoly.

He is a critic

Who thinks that he alone

Can be the Teacher of mankind.

```

667. O earth, O Heaven!

```

O earth!

For God’s sake,

Do not throw your ignorance-weight around.

I want to proceed.

O Heaven!

For God’s sake,

Do not throw your indifference-weight around.

I want to succeed. ```

668. Three fragile things

```

Only three things

Are fragile

On earth:

Human love,

Human appreciation,

Human success.

Knowing this,

He handles them

With utmost care.

```

669. Three bridges

```

Not one, but three bridges

He burnt behind him.

He burnt the first bridge:

Lo, God stood before him.

He burnt the second bridge:

Lo, God blessed his devoted head.

He burnt the third and last bridge:

Lo, God embraced his surrendered heart. ```

670. The divine China Shop

```

Simplicity

Sincerity

Humility

Purity

He sells in his divine China Shop.

His prices are very low.

Alas,

Doubt, the cosmic bull,

Very often

Upsets everything,

Breaks everything,

Destroys everything. ```

671. Two things I kill

```

I kill two things to survive:

My useless doubt

And

My hopeless fear.

God loves two things to survive:

His ceaseless Compassion

And

His sleepless Forgiveness. ```

672. Touchy subjects

```

After all,

These are all touchy subjects:

What God does

With my vital emotion.

What God does

With my mental depression.

What God does

With my psychic frustration. ```

673. He is a dreamer

```

He is a dreamer.

His vital dreams of constant success.

He is a dreamer.

His heart dreams of lasting progress.

When success dawns on him

His soul sweetly smiles at him.

When progress touches his life

His soul proudly dances around him. ```

674. They all export

```

My heart exports

Delight

To my mind.

My mind exports

Light

To my heart.

My vital exports

Determination

To my body.

My body exports

Enthusiasm

To my vital.

My God exports

Pride

To my soul.

My soul exports

Gratitude

To my God.

```

675. His mind

```

His mind has squeezed

The enthusiasm of his vital

So hard

That there is no inspiration

Left in it.

Alas!

His mind has squeezed

The joy of his heart

So hard

That there is no aspiration

Left in it.

Alas!

```

676. The greatest man

```

Is the strongest man

The greatest man in the world?

No!

Is the purest man

The greatest man in the world?

No!

Who then is the greatest man in the world?

The greatest man is he

Who sleeplessly

Loves and claims God

As his very own.

```

677. Before the dawn of achievement

```

Before the dawn

Of achievement,

Everything is fruitful.

Before the dawn

Of achievement,

Everything is invaluable.

Before the dawn

Of achievement,

Everything is indispensable.

After the achievement,

Everything is useless.

After the achievement,

Everything is common.

After the achievement,

Everything is unnecessary. ```

678. Two different moments

```

The unguarded moment

Secretly

Dragged me to hell

And

Prevented my return.

The guarded moment

Openly

Carried me to Heaven

And

Offered me God’s eternal Throne.

```

679. When

```

When my desires

Were not fulfilled,

I thought my world-boat would sink.

When my aspiration

Was not fulfilled,

I thought my world-plane would crash.

When my realisation

Was not fulfilled,

I thought my world-goal would perish.

```

680. My right hand and my left hand

```

When my left hand

Wants to do something,

I deliberately do not inform

My right hand.

When my right hand

Wants to do something,

I immediately inform

My left hand.

Why?

Why am I so unjust?

I am not unjust, I tell you,

I am not unjust!

I and my justice

Are eternal friends.

To you I offer my realisation:

My left hand just talks and talks;

My right hand devotedly and constantly acts.

```

681. My five teachers

```

My poetry teacher taught me

How to cry.

My philosophy teacher taught me

How to dream.

My religion teacher taught me

How to bind life.

My yoga teacher taught me

How to find Love.

My liberation teacher taught me

How to create Peace. ```

682. He will reach and manifest

```

He will reach the Goal,

Not because he knows

How to reach the Goal,

But because

He wants to reach the Goal.

He will manifest God,

Not because he knows

How to manifest God,

But because

God wants him

To manifest God. ```

683. Quiet, please!

```

Quiet, please!

I wish to listen to Heaven.

Quiet, please!

I wish to speak to earth.

Quiet, please!

I wish to worship God.

Quiet, please!

I wish to love humanity, ```

684. Four times I prayed

```

I prayed to God four times.

First time I prayed

For my liberation.

He most compassionately granted my prayer.

Second time I prayed

For God’s Revelation.

He most cheerfully granted my prayer.

Third time I prayed

For God’s Manifestation.

He most proudly granted my prayer.

Fourth time I prayed

For man’s consideration.

He most vehemently denied my prayer.

```

685. He

```

He cried;

He was denied.

He smiled;

He was rejected.

He threatened;

He was ridiculed.

He failed;

He was acknowledged. ```

686. When he says

```

When he says,

“I am sorry,”

He unconsciously cherishes

The idea of repeating

The same mistake.

When he says,

“I beg to be excused,”

He insincerely offers

Condemnation to his mistake.

When he says,

“From now on I am determined

To do only the right thing,”

His determination

Is immediately blessed

By Illumination. ```

687. He tried

```

He tried.

Therefore,

God gave him

Another chance

To discover the Truth.

He tried.

Therefore,

God granted him

Another weapon

To fight against ignorance.

He tried.

Therefore,

God made him

Another God

To take part in His Cosmic Play.

```

688. Who learns?

```

Who learns?

He who knows;

He who knows something.

Who knows?

He who gives;

He who gives something.

Who gives?

He who is;

He who is something.

```

689. As

```

Humanity’s instrument,

I aspire.

Divinity’s instrument,

I offer.

Immortality’s instrument,

I inspire.

```

690. Conversations human and divine

```

Human conversations

Are

Usually

The tireless recitals

Of the heart’s insecurity,

The vital’s restlessness,

The mind’s uncertainty

And

The body’s stupidity.

Divine conversations

Are

Always

The actual performances

Of the heart’s love,

The vital’s determination,

The mind’s intensity

And

The body’s willingness.

```

691. Progress

```

He makes no progress.

Why?

Because he wants to change

The Face of Reality.

He makes constant progress.

Why?

Because he surrenders

To the Heart of Reality. ```

692. They all disappear

```

Darkness disappears

When dawn appears.

Hate disappears

When love appears.

Ego disappears

When oneness appears.

Ignorance disappears

When perfection appears. ```

693. Master or slave

```

Time, are you my Master

Are you my slave?

Seeker, I am your powerful Master

And

I am your devoted slave.

I am your Master

When you surrender to me.

I am your slave

When you utilise me. ```

694. They talk

```

He talks.

He talks to others;

He does not listen.

He talks.

He talks to himself;

He does not listen.

The world talks.

The world talks to him;

He does not listen.

God talks.

God talks to him;

He does not listen.

Doubt talks.

Doubt talks to him;

He unconditionally listens.

```

695. His expectations

```

He expects others

To work for him.

Alas,

He sees that nothing is being done

And

Nothing will ever be done for him.

He expects his surrender

To work for him.

Lo,

Everything is already done

And

Will always be done for him. ```

696. His ego and his reality

```

His personality

Feeds his ego.

His individuality

Betrays his reality.

His integrity

Illumines his ego.

His universality

Immortalises his reality. ```

697. Cautious, conscious and constant

```

He is cautious.

Therefore,

Nobody can deceive him.

He is conscious.

Therefore,

God utilises him.

He is constant.

Therefore,

He fulfils God.

```

698. His correction and his manifestation

```

He corrects

His countless shortcomings

By thinking of God’s Perfection.

He manifests

God’s Transcendental Perfection

By becoming the Soul of God’s Aspiration.

```

699. His three teachers

```

He has three teachers:

Doubt, jealousy and fear.

Doubt has taught him

How to judge

Ruthlessly.

Jealousy has taught him

How to kill

Immediately.

Fear has taught him

How to die

Helplessly.

```

700. My three weapons

```

I shall use

My three ultimate weapons:

Love, Devotion and Surrender.

With my Love-weapon,

I shall cheerfully love

My Lord’s human life.

With my Devotion-weapon,

I shall devotedly serve

My Lord’s human life.

With my Surrender-weapon,

I shall unconditionally fulfil

My Lord’s human life.

```

From:Sri Chinmoy,The Dance of Life, part 14, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1973
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/dl_14