Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 24

2301. My simplicity and my sincerity

```

My simplicity and my sincerity

May not live together

In the same aspiration-house,

But they are immediate neighbours,

And they love each other deeply.

```

2302. My purity and my oneness

```

My purity and my feeling of oneness

May not live together

In the same aspiration-house,

But they are immediate neighbours,

And they love each other deeply.

```

2303. My realisation and my God-satisfaction

```

My realisation and my God-satisfaction

Always live together

In my aspiration-house.

They need each other,

They love each other

And

They immortalise each other.

```

2304. You can realise Me today

```

My child,

You are giving Me all the reasons

Why you will not be able

To realise Me today.

I tell you, My child,

You are wrong, absolutely wrong!

You can easily

Realise Me today. ```

2305. God's Time

```

If you think and feel

That you belong to God,

Then you have to think and feel

That your time also belongs to God.

Such being the case,

You have no right to waste

God’s Time.

```

2306. First become a follower

```

First become

A perfect lamb-like follower.

Then only can you become

A perfect lion-like leader. ```

2307. A relationship

```

A relationship:

In your outer life

And

In your desire life,

What is it?

Is it a chain or oneness?

In your inner life

And

In your aspiration-life,

What is it?

Is it your oneness or a chain?

```

2308. Faith means

```

Faith does not mean

That you should

Close your eyes to reality.

Faith means

That you should

Open your eyes widely and soulfully

So that you can dance with reality.

```

2309. Supreme truths

```

Not yesterday but today

The world has discovered

A supreme truth:

You are a true God-lover.

Not today but tomorrow

The world will discover

Another supreme truth:

You are destined to become

A perfect God.

```

2310. Discipline yourself!

```

Discipline yourself,

Discipline yourself!

Your disciplined life

Will glorify your capacity

And multiply God’s Confidence in you.

Discipline yourself,

Discipline yourself!

```

2311. Do not surrender to struggles

```

Do not surrender to struggles.

Your ultimate and only goal

Is peace in joy

And joy in peace.

Do not surrender to struggles.

```

2312. The light is waiting

```

What are you waiting for?

The outer light is eagerly waiting

To show you the way.

The inner light is unconditionally waiting

To help you reach

The transcendental Goal. ```

2313. You have not failed!

```

He is an unpardonable liar

Who tells you that you have failed.

She is an unpardonable liar

Who tells you that you have failed.

No, you have not failed!

You have only acquired

A necessary experience

While walking along Eternity’s Road. ```

2314. Two Gods

```

The God in Heaven

And the God in man

Have the same Reality-Existence.

The God in Heaven

Sees, knows and wills.

The God in man

Grows, becomes and transcends.

```

2315. No excuse

```

My Lord’s sleepless Forgiveness-Assurance

Is no excuse

For my careless,

Thoughtless

And

Senseless living. ```

2316. Two soulful prayers

```

My Lord Supreme,

This morning I have

Two soulful prayers to offer You:

My Lord,

Let my aspiring, loving and self-giving heart

Speak to You

For the entire day;

My Lord,

Let Your Blessing, Compassion and Forgiveness

Speak through my mind

For my entire life.

```

2317. Peace above all else

```

O my soulful peace,

O my fruitful peace,

Even if you are going to last

For only sixty fleeting seconds,

I shall value you and treasure you

Above all else. ```

2318. Expectation and frustration

```

Expectation and frustration

Are two inseparable existence-realities.

We cannot accept one

And reject the other.

We have to either accept both

Or reject both. ```

2319. Your own unparalleled reward

```

O my body’s stupidity,

You do not need any other punishment.

You are your own pounding punishment.

O my vital’s impurity,

You do not need any other punishment.

You are your own pounding punishment.

O my mind’s insincerity,

You do not need any other punishment.

You are your own pounding punishment.

O my heart’s insecurity,

You do not need any other punishment.

You are your own pounding punishment.

O my soul’s luminosity,

You do not need any other reward.

You are your own unparalleled reward.

```

2320. My life's oneness

```

My Lord, my Lord,

My mind’s greatness

Cannot satisfy me.

My heart’s goodness

Cannot satisfy me.

Only my life’s oneness with Your Will

Can satisfy me,

For my life’s oneness with Your Will

Transcends at once

My mind’s greatness

And

My heart’s goodness. ```

2321. The return-journey

```

Greatness is a matter

Of a moment.

Goodness is the work

Of a lifetime.

Oneness is the return-journey home

Of Eternity. ```

2322. You win God's Crown

```

When you show no interest

In ego-competition,

You at once win

God’s Crown and God’s Throne. ```

2323. A true God-seeker

```

A true God-seeker

Is above using his divided life

Against his fellow seekers.

What he has for them

Is his soulful love,

And what he is to them

Is his fruitful oneness.

```

2324. Conscious self-examination

```

Conscious self-examination

Is the most auspicious beginning

Of God-realisation.

```

2325. When the vital challenges

```

Only when our dynamic vital

Challenges the wild emotional vital

Can our soul erase

Our deplorable past mistakes.

Only then, in our life of aspiration,

Shall we feel continuous success

And continuous progress.

```

2326. The Supreme likes

```

The body likes

Convincing idlers.

The vital likes

Convincing flatterers.

The mind likes

Convincing doubters.

The heart likes

Convincing seekers.

The soul likes

Convincing followers.

The Supreme likes

Convincing self-givers. ```

2327. Cheerfulness is progress

```

Cheerfulness is progress.

Progress is satisfaction.

Satisfaction is God Himself.

```

2328. Disobedience is destructive

```

There is no such thing

As harmless disobedience

In the inner world.

Disobedience, in its very nature,

Is harmful and destructive,

And obedience, in its very nature,

Is beautiful, soulful, peaceful and fruitful.

```

2329. To please my Lord Supreme

```

In order to please my Lord Supreme

In my outer life,

I have liberated myself

From the doubting mind.

In order to please my Beloved Supreme

In my inner life,

I have liberated my heart

From the nightmare of uncertainty. ```

2330. Beauty from Heaven

```

Beauty from Heaven

Descends

Only when purity from earth

Ascends. ```

2331. I have nothing to tell

```

I have nothing to tell the world,

For the world never understands me.

I have nothing to tell God,

For I am all ignorance. ```

2332. My beautiful eyes cannot see

```

My beautiful eyes cannot see

The flood of Delight.

Do you know why?

Because my doubting mind

Does not allow my beautiful eyes

To see the flood of Delight. ```

2333. My beautiful heart cannot feel

```

My beautiful heart cannot feel

The sea of Delight.

Do you know why?

Because my impure vital

Does not allow my beautiful heart

To feel the sea of Delight. ```

2334. My beautiful life does not know

```

My beautiful life does not even know

That the sun of Delight exists.

Do you know why?

Because my sleeping body

Does not allow my beautiful life

To know that the sun of Delight exists. ```

2335. Three enemies to conquer

```

Not one, but three enemies

I have to conquer —

My sleeping body,

My impure vital

And my doubting mind —

If I really and truly want to grow

Into infinite Satisfaction-Delight.

```

2336. Each prayer

```

On earth

Each prayer is a beautiful flower

Inside my heart-garden.

In Heaven

Each prayer is a powerful weapon

In God’s Omnipotence-Armoury.

```

2337. O earth, O Heaven

```

O earth,

I do not know

And I do not want to know

The answers to your questions.

O Heaven,

I do not know

But I am most eager to know

The answers to your questions. ```

2338. My three teachers

```

I have three teachers:

My soul, my heart and my mind.

My soul-teacher tells me

That it is not a difficult task

To love God.

My heart-teacher tells me

That it is not a difficult task

To love mankind.

My mind-teacher tells me

That it is absolutely

The most difficult task

To love myself. ```

2339. Three rare achievements

```

You are the possessor

Of not one, not two, but three

Rare achievements:

Eternity’s aspiration-seed,

Infinity’s service-tree

And

Immortality’s surrender-fruit.

```

2340. Do you want to be happy?

```

Do you want to be happy,

At least temporarily,

On the practical plane?

Then try to do the things

God is asking you to do,

Starting with your body,

Vital and mind.

```

2341. Start struggling with your body

```

Do you want to be happy?

Then start struggling

With your struggling body.

Do you want to be happy?

Then start serving

With your serving body.

```

2342. Start tormenting your vital

```

Do you want to be happy?

Then start tormenting

Your tormenting vital.

Do you want to be happy?

Then start blinding

Your blinding vital.

```

2343. Start doubting your mind

```

Do you want to be happy?

Then start doubting

Your doubting mind.

Do you want to be happy?

Then start questioning

Your questioning mind.

```

2344. Start crying and loving

```

Do you want to be permanently happy

On the spiritual plane?

Then start crying

With your crying heart,

And start loving

With your loving heart. ```

2345. Start smiling and flying

```

Do you want to be permanently happy

On the spiritual plane?

Then start smiling

At your smiling soul,

And start flying

With your flying soul. ```

2346. My heart's peace

```

My mind’s excellence

Cannot be my heart’s peace.

My life’s dedication-flood

Is my heart’s peace-sea. ```

2347. One second of hope

```

One second of hope embodies

Eternity’s infinite joy

And

Immortality’s satisfaction-life. ```

2348. If your mind is thought-bound

```

If your mind is thought-bound,

Then beauty-flower will not blossom

And purity-day will not dawn

Inside your heart-world. ```

2349. A kind of strength

```

Each desire

Is a kind of strength.

But we cannot trust this strength

For it quite often fails us.

What is worse,

At times it even strangles us. ```

2350. My first aspiration

```

My last desire:

I shall not expect anything

From God.

My first aspiration:

Mine will be the life

Of surrender unconditional.

```

2351. His Master's unwritten message

```

His Master’s unwritten message:

The human life is only

A series of humours and rumours.

His Master’s unmanifested message:

Only the divine hunger

Satisfies God.

```

2352. The same boat

```

O my cheerless body,

O my hopeless vital,

O my goalless mind,

O my soulless heart,

We are all sailing

In the boat

That is plying

Between

Nothingness-shore

And

Destruction-shore.

```

2353. A new affair

```

For many years

He has been having an affair

With his temptation-vital.

But today is the beginning

Of a new affair,

An affair with his dedication-life. ```

2354. An unfamiliar hope

```

I love God.

Therefore

God will give me

Whatever I want.

This is a familiar hope.

God loves me.

Therefore

God will give me

Only the things that He wants.

This is an unfamiliar hope.

```

2355. Your peculiar realisation

```

Because of your peculiar realisation —

“Progress-life is limited” —

Today you are doomed

To a life of abysmal failure. ```

2356. God gave me instead

```

I prayed to God

To grant me His Thunder-Foot

For my life-purification.

God gave me instead

His Compassion-Eye

For my life-liberation. ```

2357. The balloons of your pretence

```

Finally

The balloons of your pretence

Have all burst.

Before long

Your silver sincerity will multiply

Your achievement-trees.

```

2358. Your volcano-aspiration

```

God will forgive you

If you suspect

His Compassion-Sea.

But God will not forgive you

If you suspect

Your volcano-aspiration. ```

2359. Your Himalayan self-command

```

A loving past you had,

An aspiring present you have,

An inspiring future you will have

By virtue of your

Himalayan self-command.

```

2360. No failure is final

```

No failure is final.

Therefore,

I shall try once again.

No despair is destined.

Therefore,

I am bound to succeed.

```

2361. His mind is now really happy

```

His mind is now really happy.

Do you know why?

Because a stream of silver faith

Is flowing sweetly. ```

2362. His heart is now really happy

```

His heart is now really happy.

Do you know why?

Because a most beautiful gratitude-flower

Is lovingly blossoming. ```

2363. Success is action

```

Success is action.

Therefore,

I am smiling at God.

Progress is action.

Therefore,

God and I are dancing together.

```

2364. His life's unexplained mysteries

```

His life’s two unexplained mysteries:

Why did he sing so powerfully

With ignorance-day?

Why did he dance so openly

With ignorance-night?

```

2365. He knows when to fight back

```

Nothing can permanently defeat him,

For he knows when to fight back.

When?

In the immediacy of today.

Where will he get help?

From God’s own two beautiful Eyes

And God’s own two powerful Arms.

```

2366. A symphony of prosperity

```

His mind is enjoying today

A symphony of prosperity.

How can it be true?

Look,

His mind has surrendered

To his heart,

And his heart has transformed

His vital and his body. ```

2367. The company of silence

```

I enjoy the company of silence.

It is at once

Soulful and fruitful.

I enjoy the company of sound.

It is at once

Meaningful and powerful.

```

2368. Sincerity rises

```

Sincerity rises

After each fall.

Purity listens

To the inner call.

Humility is

God’s own fond doll. ```

2369. The dependence is mutual

```

The dependence is mutual.

My mind depends on my heart

For its soulfulness.

My heart depends on my mind

For its alertness.

```

2370. A perfect leader

```

A great leader

Is a great servant.

A good leader

Is a good slave.

A perfect leader

Is earth’s perfect smile. ```

2371. Dreamers and lovers

```

As a dreamer,

He is loved by God

Constantly.

As a Lover,

God is loved by him

Unconditionally.

```

2372. A tomorrow that never comes

```

A tomorrow that never comes

Shall come to him alone,

For he is determined

To transcend himself

Within and without.

```

2373. He will never suffer from defects

```

He will never suffer

From abiding defects,

For every defect he takes

As a pure and sure

Strengthening experience-light.

```

2374. Simplicity has solved my problems

```

Two problems I had.

My simplicity has at last

Solved them.

My simplicity has transformed

My hesitating mind

Into a daring mind.

My simplicity has transformed

My fearing heart

Into a cheering heart.

```

2375. The vision-light of Heaven

```

The vision-light of Heaven

Is subtle but not obscure.

The manifestation-might of earth

Is obscure but not subtle. ```

2376. My Self-Transcendence-Height

```

My Lord,

If I obey You

The way You want me to obey You,

What will You give me?

My child,

I shall give you

My Wings to reach

My Self-Transcendence-Height. ```

2377. Two sure homes

```

Do you know

What my mind is?

It is the sure home

Of hopeless thoughts.

Do you know

What my heart is?

It is the sure home

Of my blessingful God. ```

2378. Worries of the mind

```

Three most deplorable

Worries of the mind:

In the morning

It knows too little.

In the afternoon

It knows too much.

At night

It either forgets everything

Or misuses everything.

```

2379. They never fail

```

A Satisfaction-God

Never fails.

A perfection-soul

Never fails.

A purity-heart

Never fails.

A gratitude-life

Never fails. ```

2380. The hour of patience

```

Surprisingly beautiful

Is the hour of patience.

Amazingly fruitful

Is the power of patience. ```

2381. Question your mind dauntlessly

```

Question your mind dauntlessly,

Search your heart carefully.

You will be able to fathom Heaven

Inside your dedication-life. ```

2382. God's Compassion-Heights

```

God’s Forgiveness-Depths

Cover my littleness

Secretly.

God’s Compassion-Heights

Magnify and multiply my greatness

Openly.

```

2383. Saviour of the mind

```

How can the mind forever remain imprisoned

Even if it scatters darkness

All around?

Who does not know

That its saviour

Is its own all-forgiving soul? ```

2384. My heart's sacred thoughts

```

My sweet Lord,

Quickly and proudly You lead me,

But only when I tell You

My secret heart’s

Sacred thoughts.

```

2385. Three special freedoms

```

My mind enjoys

The freedom of speculation.

My heart enjoys

The freedom of perfection.

My soul enjoys

The freedom of satisfaction. ```

2386. Titan eyes

```

His is the mind

That has

The titan eyes.

But

His is the heart

That has

The sun-melting rays.

```

2387. A smile on his blue-gold face

```

When a smile crept over

His blue-gold face

At last,

It immediately quenched

My long-tormenting thirst.

```

2388. An armour of proof

```

What my mind needs

Is a strong armour of proof.

What my heart needs

Is a sweet ripple of belief. ```

2389. The grand palace of will-power

```

O mind,

O my poor, blind mind!

Nobody can force you

To live inside

A dark, deep thought-cave,

Nobody.

Why not start living

From today on

In the grand palace of will-power?

```

2390. When I look at him

```

When I look at him,

I see in him an earthly host.

When I think of him,

I feel in him a Heavenly guest. ```

2391. More changeful than the tide

```

It is not your mind

That is more changeful

Than the tide.

It is not even your thoughts

That are more changeful

Than the tide.

It is your love of God

That is more changeful

Than the tide.

```

2392. The gates of laughter wild

```

The gates of laughter wild

Opened themselves wide

When I promised that

My mind would visit God

Every day

And my life would invite God

Every day.

```

2393. A flower in his life

```

His mind has now become

A withering flower

In his life.

His heart forever remains

A blossoming and glowing flower

In his life.

```

2394. When I unconditionally meditate

```

When I do not soulfully meditate,

My mind becomes self-deceiving fears.

When I unconditionally meditate,

My heart becomes God-winning tears. ```

2395. If your heart is empty

```

If your mind is empty of desires,

Then God Himself will feed you

His morning manna.

If your heart is empty of insecurities,

Then God Himself will feed you

His evening manna.

```

2396. A poor beggar-singer

```

His heart’s blue bird flies away

The moment he starts singing.

Helpless as he is,

He has no other choice.

Alas, none can sympathise

With this poor beggar-singer. ```

2397. If your mind surrenders

```

If your mind surrenders

To even one intruding thought,

Then you will, without fail, be caught

In the snare of ignorance-sleep. ```

2398. The perfection-dawn

```

What is doubt,

If not an imminent disaster?

What is faith,

If not the perfection-dawn

Of a satisfaction-day?

```

2399. Silence succeeds

```

Silence succeeds

Quickly.

Silence-light proceeds

Steadily.

Silence-delight prevails

Eternally. ```

2400. One idol, one hero

```

I have only one idol

And that idol is my crying heart.

I have only one hero

And that hero is my smiling soul. ```

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the twenty-fourth 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 presents Rafael Hernández-Colón (then Governor of Puerto Rico) with several gifts, including the straw hat, at a special function held in the Governor’s honour.

Governor Hernández-Colón said to Sri Chinmoy, “In all my imperfections I can only say that to be beside you and to feel and contemplate your spirituality and your holiness is a great source of inspiration, of light and of guidance. I only wish that you could guide me and help me to grow in spirituality so that I may be of service to my people and mankind everywhere.”

Since then Sri Chinmoy and Hernández-Colón have met together several times, both in New York and Puerto Rico.

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-2321: FFP 103 (revised version).

FF-2388: FFP 102 (revised version).

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 24, Agni Press, 1982
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ff_24