Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 12

1101. When I go beyond

```

When I go beyond myself

I see everything in God,

Everything for God

And, finally,

Everything as God.

```

1102. Self-reliance

```

Self-reliance is a

Human pressure,

Divine pleasure

And

Supreme treasure.

```

1103. I am right

```

Because I think of God,

I am right.

Because I am right,

I think of man. ```

1104. Your suffering-world

```

Do not overvalue

Your suffering-world.

Lo, it will vanish

Even faster

Than you can open your eyes.

```

1105. The powerfully wise man

```

The powerfully wise man in me

Sees the world as it is.

The pitifully stupid man in me

Sees the world as it appears. ```

1106. Towards my new perfection-life

```

Doubt is a big and poisonous thorn!

Let me cast it aside

While walking along the royal road

Towards my new perfection-life. ```

1107. Any negative thought

```

Any negative thought

Can intimidate you.

Any negative feeling

Can destroy you. ```

1108. Remain cheerful!

```

Remain cheerful!

I tell you,

A silver sky you will soon see.

Remain soulful!

I tell you,

A golden sun you will soon become.

```

1109. Willingness to learn

```

In the outer world

Willingness to learn

Is a good start.

In the inner world

Willingness to learn

Is a splendid victory.

```

1110. God will come to you

```

You may not go

As far as you want to go.

You may not dive

As deep as you want to dive.

You may not fly

As high as you want to fly.

But God can and will

Come to you immediately

The moment you soulfully long for Him,

Only Him,

To visit you.

```

1111. God has given you

```

God has given you a pure heart

To do good for yourself

And to do good for Him.

God has given you a sure life

To do good for His

Entire creation. ```

1112. I still care for God

```

In spite of having many things divine

You still cherish secretly

The pleasure-life.

In spite of having many things undivine

I still care for God

And the complete fulfilment of His Will.

```

1113. My real nature

```

My usual nature

May make many, many mistakes.

But my real nature

Cannot and will not

Make any mistakes.

```

1114. Your humility-life

```

Your outer pride-life

Is always in danger

And full of accidents.

Your inner humility-life

Knows not danger-frown

Or accident-cry.

```

1115. The right thing

```

My mind gets inspiration

Only when I choose

The right thing to do.

My heart gets aspiration

Only when I choose

The right thing to become.

What is the right thing to do?

I shall love and serve God

Unconditionally.

What is the right thing to become?

I shall become God’s

Most perfect instrument. ```

1116. Each thought

```

Each thought is hopeless and useless

When I am in my unclear mind.

Each thought is prosperous and generous

When I am in my clear mind. ```

1117. What is confidence?

```

What is confidence?

Your love for your real nature.

What is confidence?

The destruction of your negative thoughts.

What is confidence?

The transformation of imagination

Into reality.

```

1118. Study and give

```

Do you want to be wise?

Then study the responsibility-subject.

Do you want to be happy?

Then give your life a new chance. ```

1119. Keep your inner life sacred

```

Keep your inner life sacred

And not secret.

Keep your outer life soulful

And not powerful. ```

1120. The art of self-encouragement

```

Do you want to be always happy?

Then give up fighting

For negativity

And learn the beautiful art

Of self-encouragement.

```

1121. Since I stopped meditating

```

Alas, since I stopped meditating

My soul-bird has been crying

On my dead life-tree.

```

1122. You are bound to suffer

```

Because your friends

Are sleepless doubts and tireless suspicions,

You are bound to suffer

For centuries

From inner strife.

```

1123. The heart of luminosity

```

We see the face

Of liberty

Only when we become

The heart of luminosity. ```

1124. My God-oneness tells me

```

My ego tells me

That I can become surprisingly great

If I want to.

My God-oneness tells me

That I am supremely and eternally great

Already.

```

1125. My life-tree crumbled

```

My life-tree completely crumbled

Like an old ruin

The day I discontinued my old friendship

With my heart’s aspiration-cry. ```

1126. Cherish the American way

```

Cherish, cherish the American way

Of freedom-life.

If not, you will fall

Into the slavery-life

Of incurable frustration.

```

1127. When I invite

```

When I invite doubt-volcano,

An indescribable confusion accompanies it.

When I invite faith-flame,

An indescribable illumination accompanies it. ```

1128. An unfinished creation

```

Man, because of your merciless ambition,

You will forever remain

An unfinished creation.

```

1129. No real power

```

O my discouraging mind,

O my disheartening heart,

I shall never, never attribute

Any real power to you two.

Because you are weak,

You are discouraging me.

Because you are poor,

You are disheartening me. ```

1130. A soulful wish

```

I tell you

The supreme secret:

If you soulfully wish

To see the Face of God,

Your very wish

Will attract God’s Heart.

Just wish!

Lo and behold,

The reward supreme!

```

1131. A new kind of prayer

```

From today on

I shall try to have

A new type of success.

My conscious surrender

To the Will of my Beloved Supreme

Will be my only success.

From today on

I shall have

A new kind of prayer.

To gladly accept God’s Proposal

To guide my heart and lead my life

Will be my only prayer. ```

1132. God-awareness transforms

```

Self-investigation embodies

Self-newness.

Self-newness embodies

God-awareness.

God-awareness transforms

My yesterday’s total nothingness

Into my today’s complete fulness.

```

1133. Aspiration-efforts

```

Aspiration-efforts

Always supply satisfaction-results.

It may take time, at times,

But the results are unmistakably

Sure.

```

1134. Wisdom-light

```

Wisdom-light is

Perfection-delight within

And

Protection-might without. ```

1135. An orderly life

```

An ascending mind

Is a powerful instrument.

So is an orderly life.

```

1136. When the heart-plant is changed

```

When the heart-plant is changed,

The life-tree will change,

And everything around the life-tree

Is bound to change. ```

1137. Think only of those

```

My Lord Supreme,

What shall I do with those

Who do not listen to me?

“My child,

Think only of those

Who listen to you cheerfully

And who love you unreservedly.” ```

1138. When I see the Face of God

```

When I see the Face of God,

I know what I can do for God.

When I feel the Heart of God,

I clearly see that God has already done

Everything for Himself.

Something more!

He has done everything

For me, too. ```

1139. To see God in a God-lover

```

To see God in a God-lover

Is an easy task.

And I have already performed

That task.

To see God in a non-believer

Is the most difficult task.

Alas, I do not know when

I shall dare to accomplish

That task.

```

1140. My heart sees the Infinite

```

My heart sees the Infinite

In the finite.

My soul sees the Absolute

In the fulness of the Infinite

And

In the nothingness of the finite. ```

1141. God cries

```

I cry for God’s

Compassion-Feet.

God cries for my

Perfection-life. ```

1142. My heart needs God

```

My heart needs God

To transport it

Into the higher and inner worlds.

My mind wants God

To support it

In the outer world.

```

1143. What shall I learn ultimately?

```

My Lord Supreme,

What shall I learn ultimately

From my prayers?

“My child,

What you will ultimately learn

From your prayers is this:

You will someday possess Me,

My universal and transcendental

Existence-Reality.”

My Lord Supreme,

What shall I learn ultimately

From my meditations?

“My child,

What you will ultimately learn

From your meditations is this:

You are My Eternity’s own,

My Infinity’s own

And my Immortality’s own,

Very own.” ```

1144. If you do not know

```

If you do not know

What to do with yourself,

Then try these two simple things

That will give you boundless joy:

Think of the beauty

Of your self-knowledge,

Think of the duty

Of your God-knowledge. ```

1145. Your heart's desire

```

Your mind’s confusion

May not change,

But your heart’s desire

Can change and will change

To become the aspiration-mountain.

```

1146. I shall not try

```

I shall not try

To save my life any more.

I shall only try

To save my heart-flower

From my life-thorn.

```

1147. Anything that is right

```

Anything that is right

Quite often surprises

The human in us.

And if we do not execute it,

We embarrass

The divine in us. ```

1148. Where is happiness?

```

Happiness,

Where is happiness?

Nowhere.

Misunderstanding,

Where is misunderstanding?

All-where,

Plus, at every moment. ```

1149. Do not trust your mind

```

Do not trust your mind,

Never!

It will be careless

With your life

The way it is careless

With its own thoughts. ```

1150. God loves me

```

O my mind,

I see God in a different way.

I see that He loves me

Even when I do not love

His Heart

And do not care for

His Eye.

```

1151. Do not distort

```

Do not distort anything.

If you ever distort anything,

Then remember,

You are torturing

Your own universal Reality-breath.

```

1152. A supreme discovery

```

Once we master the art

Of going beyond ourselves,

Nothing any longer

Can create any problem.

Indeed, this is a supreme discovery.

```

1153. An iota of doubt

```

Do not play

With even an iota of doubt.

It will hit you deliberately

And hurt you badly. ```

1154. A human being is deceived

```

A human being is deceived

By many other human beings,

To the same degree as

A divine being is helped

By many other divine beings.

```

1155. How do you expect to sail?

```

As long as your self-opinions

Are frail,

How do you expect yourself

To sail

In your life-boat,

Which is longing to take you

To your destination,

Without being capsized? ```

1156. When I pretend

```

When I pretend to be

Other than what I actually am,

I prevent the birth

Of the reality-blossoms in me. ```

1157. How can you own self-perfection?

```

How can you own self-perfection

Unless and until you have disowned

Your own self-deceptions?

```

1158. Why am I always frustrated?

```

Why am I always frustrated?

I am always frustrated

Because I cannot change my doubtful mind

Into a soulful heart. ```

1159. The supreme glory

```

When my mind becomes

The echo of my heart,

I grow into the supreme glory

Of my inner sunshine. ```

1160. You can be aware of two things

```

You are tired of one thing:

Self-deception.

That is very good.

You can be aware of two things:

Self-perfection

And

God-Satisfaction.

```

1161. Your division-illness

```

Money-power cannot cure

Your division-illness.

Your division-illness needs

The fragrance-rose of oneness-smile. ```

1162. Stupidity's ultimate height

```

Your stupidity has reached

Its ultimate height,

For you want to change

Your own outer conditions

Without being inwardly changed

Even for a fleeting second. ```

1163. I pray to my Lord

```

In the morning

I pray to my Lord

To grant me newness in life.

In the evening

I pray to my Lord

To grant permanence to my prayer. ```

1164. What I need

```

I do not need God.

What I need

Is God’s Compassion-Sea.

I do not need God’s Compassion-Sea.

What I need

Is God’s Forgiveness-Sky.

I do not need God’s Forgiveness-Sky.

What I need

Is God’s Oneness-Sun.

```

1165. I can find fault

```

In so many ways I can find fault

With my inner life.

But alas, I have not discovered

Even one way to appreciate

Either the beauty or the purity

Of my inner life. ```

1166. A tiny negative thought

```

He is not afraid

Of an atomic bomb,

But a tiny negative thought

Can kill him.

What is that negative thought?

“God does not care for me.” ```

1167. Your purity-life

```

If your purity-life

Is glowing,

That means your gratitude-heart

Is growing. ```

1168. Soulful sincerity

```

Soulful sincerity is something

That your heart

Does not need

And your vital

Does not accept.

```

1169. Aspiration-heart, dedication-life

```

Let your aspiration-heart

Be enduring.

Your dedication-life will automatically

Be assuring. ```

1170. What is this earth?

```

What is this earth?

This earth is a place where

Great men are bound

To struggle and suffer

And good men are bound

To fail and perish. ```

1171. Ask your own heart

```

Simplicity is a straight road.

Sincerity is a straight and sunlit road.

Purity is a straight, sunlit short-cut.

If you do not believe me,

Ask your own heart.

```

1172. Because you are soulfully submissive

```

O my heart, I love you,

Not because you are

Singularly important,

Not because you are

Strikingly impressive,

But because you are

Soulfully submissive

To the Will of my Beloved Supreme. ```

1173. My realisation-life

```

My desire-life weakened me.

My aspiration-life is strengthening me.

My realisation-life will satisfy me.

```

1174. God's God-Gladness

```

Awareness, awareness!

In awareness is our newness.

Newness, newness!

In newness is our soulfulness.

Soulfulness, soulfulness!

In soulfulness is our fulness.

Fulness, fulness!

In fulness is our God’s

God-Gladness.

```

1175. Be not discouraged

```

Be not discouraged

When you feel in your heart

Emptiness-chill.

Change your name into patience-sky.

Before long, fulness-thrill

Will completely fill

Your heart.

```

1176. Opportunity-delight leads man

```

Opportunity-delight leads man

To wisdom-light.

Wisdom-light leads man

To Satisfaction-God. ```

1177. A God-satisfying heart

```

You are not the doubting mind.

You are not the strangling vital.

You are, indeed,

A God-satisfying heart. ```

1178. The faultless choice

```

I can listen

Either to my terrestrial mind

Or to my celestial heart.

God has given me ample time

To make my own choice.

O my Lord Supreme,

Do give me the wisdom-light

To make the faultless choice. ```

1179. Self-imprisonment begins

```

Self-imprisonment begins

The day we start playing

With expectation-snare,

And never, never before. ```

1180. Do you need protection?

```

Do you need constant protection?

If so, then ask your purity-heart

To lead you

And your sincerity-mind

To follow you.

Most amazingly, they will protect you. ```

1181. The fantasy-prison

```

Be careful of the fantasy-prison!

If once you enter there

Out of sheer curiosity,

You may end your life

In life-long imprisonment.

```

1182. Revelation, revelation!

```

Revelation, revelation!

Reveal your doubting mind

To your loving heart

For the transformation

Of your mind.

Reveal your loving heart

To your all-knowing soul

For the perfect perfection

Of your heart.

```

1183. Liberate yourself immediately

```

Liberate yourself immediately

From the snare of fixed ideas,

If you want to make

Most satisfactory progress

In the inner and outer worlds.

```

1184. Do you want to be perfectly happy?

```

Do you want to be peacefully happy?

Do you want to be perfectly happy?

Then liberate others

From your constantly commanding autocracy. ```

1185. What you are

```

What you are unmistakably

Determines the quantity

Of your real thoughts

And the quality

Of your sure mind.

```

1186. Do you want to return home?

```

Do you want to wander

Or do you want to return Home?

If you want to return Home,

Then ask your mind

To conceal its thoughts,

And ask your heart

To reveal its feelings.

```

1187. The divine always wins

```

It is said that

Either the animal in us

Or the divine in us

Will ultimately win.

But it happens that

The divine always wins

At the end of our journey’s course.

```

1188. God blesses me

```

In the morning God blesses me

With pure motives.

In the afternoon God blesses me

With clear ideas.

In the evening God blesses me

With rare rewards. ```

1189. Artificiality and sincerity

```

Artificiality

Can and should be detected.

Sincerity

Can and should be appreciated,

Applauded,

Adored

And manifested.

```

1190. To rise above ourselves

```

To rise above ourselves

Is a supreme task

That God secretly performs for us.

But we openly and bravely

Take the credit.

```

1191. My final goal

```

Yesterday

Imitation was my goal.

Today

Repetition is my goal.

Tomorrow

Transformation will be

My final goal.

```

1192. The supreme discovery

```

You are telling me

That something is wrong with your life,

But you do not know

What it is.

I tell you what you must do now.

Just be happy

And remain happy,

For the supreme discovery

You have already made:

The front door and the side door

Are already kept open.

By whom?

By God Himself.

He is desperately looking

For your return.

```

1193. I have sincerely prayed

```

I have sincerely prayed.

Heaven has not given me anything.

I have soulfully prayed.

Heaven has mercilessly deceived me.

I have silently meditated.

God has not given me anything.

I have cheerfully meditated.

God has deliberately ignored me.

Alas, I need Heaven

To smile at me powerfully.

Alas, I need God

To love me sleeplessly. ```

1194. I do not know

```

I do not know

How great you are.

But I do know

How good you are.

Your goodness is my life’s

Only salvation-light. ```

1195. My willingness to love God

```

My willingness to love God

Begins my love-life with God:

The transformation of my life

And

The satisfaction of my heart.

```

1196. My self-giving way

```

I am thinking

Of the joy of loving God

In a totally new way.

It is called

My self-giving way.

I tell you,

O world,

I shall definitely succeed. ```

1197. Grasp the golden vision

```

Grasp the golden vision

To succeed.

Clasp the diamond reality

To proceed. ```

1198. We love our doubtful minds

```

We love our doubtful minds

Infinitely more

Than we care to cure them

With our faithful, soulful

And powerful hearts.

```

1199. To change the world

```

Who wants to change the world

Outwardly?

Everybody, with no exception.

Who wants to change himself

Inwardly?

Nobody,

No hyperbole! ```

1200. Mine is the way

```

Mine is not the way

To follow the world.

Mine is not the way

To lead the world.

Mine is the way

To walk along with God. ```

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the twelfth 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

Fred Lebow, a veteran marathon runner and President of the New York Road Runners Club, presents a New York Marathon Medal to Sri Chinmoy during a reception for world-class runners held at the United Nations on 22 October 1977. Known throughout the world as the father of the New York Marathon, Fred Lebow has turned that race into America’s largest, and one of the world’s most prestigious, road races. Sri Chinmoy has dedicated a most soulful song to Fred Lebow and always speaks extremely highly of him for his extraordinary service not only to the American runners but to all the runners of the world.

Editor's note

Some poems in this first edition were later selected by the author for a special collection of 207 Flower-Flames (FFP). The author also chose to revise some of his original poems for this anthology: FF-1179: FFP 63 (revised version).

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 12, Agni Press, 1981
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ff_12