Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 23

2201. I need three things

```

Every morning I need

Only three things:

A heart of soulfulness,

A mind of willingness

And

A life of readiness. ```

2202. My promise I keep

```

My promise I keep,

I keep.

Never in ignorance-night

I sleep. ```

2203. My life needs guidance

```

Attention, —

My body needs attention.

Encouragement, —

My vital needs encouragement.

Inspiration, —

My mind needs inspiration.

Aspiration, —

My heart needs aspiration.

Guidance, —

My life needs guidance. ```

2204. To pray

```

To pray sincerely

Is better than to receive.

To meditate soulfully

Is better than to achieve. ```

2205. Because you are great

```

Because you are great,

You belong to the world.

Because you are good,

The world belongs to you. ```

2206. Ambassador of concern

```

My Lord,

Do make me an ambassador

Of constant concern

To all the nations. ```

2207. Every right

```

As you have every right

To live in this world,

Even so,

The world has every right

To teach you and perfect your life.

```

2208. God I can become

```

Earth

I can see.

Heaven

I can feel.

God

I can become. ```

2209. To be in God's company

```

If you do not have

A sense of humour,

Then God will not choose you

To be in His close company. ```

2210. My mind has surrendered

```

My mind has completely surrendered itself

To my heart.

Therefore, I am not only pleasing

My Beloved Supreme unconditionally

But also treasuring

My mind unprecedentedly. ```

2211. I am divinely proud

```

I am divinely proud of myself

Because I know how

To identify myself

With my soaring hopes.

I am supremely proud of myself

Because I know how

To identify myself

With my nourishing dreams. ```

2212. When I think too much

```

When I think too much,

I bind my mind,

I imprison my heart

And

I torture my body.

```

2213. My sleeplessly open heart

```

What I need

Is an open mind

To follow implicitly

My sleeplessly open heart. ```

2214. You have touched God's Feet

```

Do the best you can

Cheerfully.

Accept the worst

Calmly.

Lo, you have touched God’s Feet

Triumphantly. ```

2215. You will win me!

```

My God says to me:

“Attempt, My son, attempt!

You will, without fail,

Win Me.” ```

2216. You have constant faith

```

You have constant faith

In God.

Therefore, God loves you

Sleeplessly.

God has tremendous faith

In you.

Therefore, I love you

Unconditionally. ```

2217. Common sense

```

What is common sense?

Aspiration.

What is aspiration?

A blessingful gift from God.

What kind of gift?

It is God’s Love for you

In a most tangible form.

```

2218. One medicine

```

Man’s mental diseases

Must respect one medicine,

And that medicine

Is sincerity. ```

2219. My heart yearns to please You

```

My Lord Supreme,

My heart yearns to please You

In Your own Way.

Alas,

Jealousy-giant is obstructing

My path. ```

2220. My desire-night is long

```

My Lord Supreme,

I know my desire-night

Is long.

Do tell me, my Lord,

That my aspiration-day

Will also be long. ```

2221. May my gratitude-plant grow

```

May my aspiring and loving heart’s

Gratitude-plant

Grow upward every day,

O my Lord Supreme. ```

2222. May my surrender-flower blossom

```

May my serving and smiling life’s

Surrender-flower

Blossom petal by petal every day,

O my Lord Supreme. ```

2223. I daily apply

```

I daily apply my prayerful heart

To my Lord’s Satisfaction-Smile.

I daily apply my forgiving Lord

To my mind’s confusion-deception. ```

2224. Two humble God-seekers

```

Two humble God-seekers:

He who feels

God’s Compassion-Sea,

He who acknowledges

The imperfection-flood

Of his mind. ```

2225. A seeker's service

```

A seeker’s small measure

Of soulful and devoted service

Can easily produce

A large measure

Of God’s Satisfaction-Smile.

```

2226. Do not postpone!

```

Do not postpone,

Do not postpone!

If you do not unburden

Today’s light burden,

It will add to

Tomorrow’s heavy burden. ```

2227. How long can the mind carry?

```

How long and how far

Can the stupid mind carry

Its heavy impurity-load?

I am sure, before long,

It will drop dead.

```

2228. Patience means

```

Patience means

Prayerfully meditating

On God the fruitful Giver

Without doubting

God the blessingful Lover.

```

2229. Love your Master

```

Love your Master.

It is the short way

To spiritual progress.

Have faith in your Master.

It is the shorter way

To spiritual progress.

Obey your Master.

It is the shortest way

To spiritual progress.

```

2230. The doleful garland

```

If you want to learn

How to deceive,

Then the world will teach you for free

How to weave the doleful garland

Of venom-night.

```

2231. If your heart loves

```

If your heart loves and loves,

Then you will leave

An inspiring mark

On the world.

If your mind doubts and doubts,

Then the world will leave

A disgusting mark

On you. ```

2232. When I pray

```

When I pray,

I tell my Lord

To keep me from teeming

Worries and anxieties.

When I meditate,

I tell my Lord

To be in my teeming

Worries and anxieties. ```

2233. My imprisoned life

```

When my imprisoned life

Cannot find a way out,

I look up

With an open heart,

And I dive deep

With an open mind. ```

2234. What saves me

```

In the morning what saves me

Is God’s cheerful Face.

In the evening what saves me

Is God’s fruitful Grace. ```

2235. An ancient story

```

You must realise

That your love of God

Is an ancient and ever-inspiring story

And not merely a current event. ```

2236. In spite of my feeble faith

```

In spite of my feeble faith,

I shall love God the Saviour.

In spite of my uncertain love,

I shall obey God the Commander. ```

2237. At long last

```

At long last

My unaspiring mind

Has discovered the supreme truth

That my life is full

Of wasted opportunities.

```

2238. My desire

```

In the morning

My desire to pray to God

Comes from God Himself.

In the evening

My desire to realise God

Comes from God Himself.

```

2239. When I think of God

```

When I think of God,

Even my doubting mind

Becomes faithful.

When I pray to God,

Even my uncomely vital

Becomes beautiful.

```

2240. A wise forgetfulness

```

A wise forgetfulness

Is as good and as fruitful

As a pure remembrance.

```

2241. Give me a heart that pounds

```

My Lord, my Lord,

Give me a heart that pounds

Not when I am frightened,

But when I do not aspire. ```

2242. God does not chasten us

```

God does not chasten us

When we disobey Him.

He just does not

Care to help us

Hasten our inner journey.

```

2243. I am waiting

```

What am I waiting for?

I am waiting for

A soulful smile from my heart

To save my hopeless

And goalless life.

```

2244. You are divinely great

```

You are divinely great

And supremely good.

Do you know why?

Because your heart has grown

Into an ever-increasing faith.

```

2245. Your foes

```

Your past foe

Was self-indulgence.

Your present foe

Is self-torture.

Your future foe

Will be self-aggrandisement. ```

2246. His Master's silence-tears

```

His Master’s silence-tears

Stabbed his mind

And

Captured his heart. ```

2247. Her Master's silence-tears

```

Her Master’s silence-tears

Her life could not believe

And

Her soul could not endure. ```

2248. Meditation and manifestation

```

Meditation and manifestation:

One without the other

Is imperfect and incomplete.

```

2249. A God-realised soul

```

A truly God-realised soul

Must cheerfully descend

Into the earthly human affairs.

```

2250. Advantage-flower

```

Every disadvantage-thorn

Has its

Advantage-flower.

```

2251. A seeker's fruitful thought

```

A seeker’s fruitful thought

Knows the world.

A seeker’s soulful dedication

Owns the Supreme. ```

2252. No match

```

Our reality’s capacity-voice

Is no match for

Our Divinity’s quality-choice.

```

2253. If you are climbing

```

If you are climbing to reach

The highest branch

Of your heart’s aspiration-tree,

Then you are bound to reach

At least some of

The higher branches. ```

2254. The real in you

```

The real in you

Gets the supreme chance to enjoy you

Only when you do not tempt anyone

To look at you. ```

2255. The Master's Justice-Light

```

The seekers can make

Very fast progress

If they are afraid

Of the Master’s Justice-Light. ```

2256. The Master's Wisdom-Light

```

The seekers can make

Very fast progress

If they can take

The Master’s merciless scoldings and insults

As the Master’s blessingful Wisdom-Light.

```

2257. The Master's withdrawal

```

The seekers can make

Very fast progress

If they can feel

In the inmost recesses of their hearts

That the Master’s withdrawal

Is their immediate spiritual death. ```

2258. The power of Eternity

```

The seekers can make

Very fast progress

If they can value

The power of a fleeting second

The way they value

The power of Eternity. ```

2259. Money-power

```

The seekers can make

Very fast progress

If they have already discovered

The undeniable truth

That money-power

Is infinitely less significant

Than a speck of dust.

```

2260. The Master's heart

```

The seekers can make

The fastest progress

If they can dare to feel

That the Master’s heart

Sleeplessly cries for them

And the Master’s soul

Loves their lives

Infinitely, infinitely more

Than they can ever love

Their own lives. ```

2261. Somebody has placed a flower

```

Somebody has placed a flower

Before you.

Accept it with your heart’s purity

And your life’s beauty. ```

2262. Why I am happy

```

Two are the reasons

Why I am happy:

I remember not

What I have said to ignorance-night;

I remember

What I have said to wisdom-height. ```

2263. Self-command

```

Self-command

Illumines me,

Perfects me

And

Fulfils me.

Self-demand

Frustrates me,

Tortures me

And

Destroys me.

```

2264. So that I will become perfect

```

Yesterday

My Lord Supreme loved me

So that I would become good.

Today

My Lord Supreme loves me

So that I will become perfect.

```

2265. You are your goal

```

You are not

Your likeable ideas.

You are not

Your respectable ideas.

You are

Your adorable goal. ```

2266. A Vision-Reality

```

There is a Vision-Reality

That loves us far better

Than we can ever

Love ourselves. ```

2267. When God thinks of you

```

You can easily know

When God thinks of you:

When you go on doing

The right thing. ```

2268. My mind will not understand

```

As confusion

Cannot understand confusion,

Even so,

My mind will not understand yours. ```

2269. Self-transformation

```

Self-transformation is possible

Only through self-realisation.

No other way, no other way!

```

2270. Yours is the mind

```

Yours is the mind

That has the capacity

To switch from the animal hunger

To the divine feast. ```

2271. An unawakening sleep

```

His heart has not seen

The smile of morning.

His life is an unawakening sleep.

```

2272. Let us all thank the Supreme

```

Let us all thank the Supreme

That we are still walking

Along the right road,

Eternity’s Road,

Which leads to Immortality’s Shore.

```

2273. I have saved my heart

```

I do not need anybody else

To save me

For I have already saved my heart

From my life. ```

2274. The firmness of a Master

```

The firmness

Of a good spiritual Master

Is another name

For his compassion-oneness. ```

2275. Your mind embodies

```

Forget not

That your mind embodies

Its own atmosphere

And your body embodies

Its own weather.

```

2276. To love more

```

To love more

Is to discover the truth

Sooner.

```

2277. The beauty of God's Life

```

Become the purity

Of your heart.

Lo and behold,

You are now the Beauty

Of God’s Life.

```

2278. Two things I love

```

Only two things I love:

My heart’s unremembered generosity

And

My life’s nameless gratitude. ```

2279. Every day

```

Every day

My surrender-life and my gratitude-heart

Touch and greet each other

Spontaneously,

Soulfully

And satisfactorily. ```

2280. Lose and gain

```

Lose what you have:

The information-mind.

Gain what you are:

The illumination-heart. ```

2281. A oneness-heart

```

A oneness-heart

And a satisfaction-life

Can be neither hidden

Nor stolen. ```

2282. Surrender your mind

```

Surrender your mind

To your heart,

And then do

Whatever pleases you. ```

2283. Love-power can be measured

```

Love-power

Can be measured

Only with the heart-cup.

```

2284. Two mirrors

```

Two excellent mirrors:

The purity

Of your aspiration-heart

And the beauty

Of your dedication-life.

```

2285. Is he your friend?

```

Is he your friend?

Then he has to become

A perfect stranger

To neutrality. ```

2286. Is he your true friend?

```

Is he your true friend?

Then you must not ignore

Even his most trivial

Shortcoming. ```

2287. Sweet and secret quarrels

```

The sweet and secret inner quarrels

Between my Lord Supreme and me

Have tremendously strengthened

Our secret love affair. ```

2288. Do not try to understand

```

Do you want to understand?

Then try to love.

Do you want to love?

Then do not try to understand. ```

2289. Smile once only

```

You do not have to smile soulfully twice.

Once only is more than enough.

Lo, you have totally emptied

Your life-sea of tears. ```

2290. Love the souls of your enemies

```

Secretly love

The souls of your enemies.

Openly their heads

Will touch the dust of your feet. ```

2291. I like my mind and my heart

```

I like my mind and my heart

Tremendously

When they look at each other.

I love my mind and my heart

Unreservedly

When both of them together

Look in the same direction,

Towards the self-same goal. ```

2292. Remember only three things

```

Remember only three things:

Your generosity will make you great;

Your sincerity will make you good;

Your purity will make you perfect. ```

2293. If you live in the heart

```

If you live in the mind,

A forced mutual admiration

May give you some joy.

If you live in the heart,

A spontaneous mutual admiration

Will definitely give you

Infinite joy. ```

2294. God-messengers

```

Aspiration

Is the God-messenger of love.

Dedication

Is the God-messenger of peace. ```

2295. Because you are always just

```

O my mind,

Even though you are quite often unjust,

I like you.

What else can I do?

O my heart,

Because you are always just,

I love you dearly and constantly.

And nothing else have I to do! ```

2296. Satisfaction takes birth unseen

```

Satisfaction takes birth

Unseen within.

We see it only

When it dies without. ```

2297. Love and lose

```

Love,

If you do not want to lose.

Lose,

If you want to be loved. ```

2298. The satisfaction-distance

```

The satisfaction-distance

Can be measured only

By the heart-tape.

```

2299. An unforgivable liar

```

My mind

Is an unforgivable liar.

It tells me that often

It dines with my heart

In my life’s satisfaction-diner.

```

2300. I know

```

I know, I know,

Because I love God

The clouds of confusion

Will disappear today.

I know, I know,

Because I obey God

The skies of adversity

Will clear tomorrow. ```

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the twenty-third 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

Governor Luis A. Ferré welcomes Sri Chinmoy back to Puerto Rico, home of the Master’s first spiritual centre. In this photograph, taken during a meeting on 11 October 1972, Governor Ferré and Sri Chinmoy are autographing and exchanging copies of books they have written.

The Governor said, “You are most welcome to our island to infuse your wisdom and inner knowledge into our people so that they can raise their consciousness to the level where they can find true happiness and self-expression in a fulfilling and creative life.”

Sri Chinmoy replied, “I see in you a most dedicated heart and and a most illumined mind at the service of your people.”

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 23, Agni Press, 1982
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ff_23