The Golden Boat, part 11

1. Give and surrender

```

Give!

Grasp not!

You will reach far beyond

Your grasp.

Surrender!

Demand not!

Your achievement will far surpass

Your imagination-sky. ```

2. When all else has passed away

```

When all else has passed away

Your imagination-dreamer

Will remain with you.

When all else has passed away

Your inspiration-runner

Will remain with you.

When all else has passed away

Your aspiration-climber

Will remain with you.

When all else has passed away

Your realisation-diver

Will remain with you.

```

3. My ancient promise

```

Lord, You are with me;

Therefore,

I am not afraid

Of the darkening and frightening clouds

In my mind.

Lord, You are with me;

Therefore,

I am ready

To brave the storms

In my heart.

Lord, You are with me;

Therefore,

I shall be worthy

Of my ancient promise to You:

Love-manifestation

In the core of my body-life. ```

4. God's Dream-Reality

```

I think

I am an animal,

And I mean it.

God declares

I am another God.

Who is right?

We both are right.

God lives in the Dream-Reality

Of His Perfection-light.

I live in the reality-dream

Of my destruction-night. ```

5. Slowly and quickly

```

Slowly

Descend to the level of dust.

Quickly

Ascend to the heights of Heaven.

Carefully

Run to the farthest corner of the outer world.

Smilingly

Dive into the deepest depths of the inner world. ```

6. Because of you

```

Lord, You love me proudly;

Therefore

You are on my lips

Always.

Lord, I love You devotedly;

Therefore

I am on Your Lips

Always.

Lord, because of me

Your Boat may sink.

“Son, because of you

My Boat will sail

Steadily,

Unerringly,

And

Supremely.” ```

7. Accept what comes

```

Don’t pick, don’t choose;

Accept what comes!

If you devotedly

Accept what comes,

Then in the heart of your world history

You unmistakably shall become

What God eternally is.

```

8. Progression

```

What isolates, divides.

What divides, tempts.

What tempts, frustrates.

What frustrates, destroys.

What destroys, fails.

What fails, conceals.

What conceals, is exposed.

What is exposed, surrenders.

What surrenders, becomes

The future God. ```

9. Manifestation

```

All manifestation

In the outer world

Is an imitation-fool

And

A limitation-cave.

All manifestation

In the inner world

Is a perfection-light

And

A satisfaction-smile.

```

10. Express and sublimate

```

Express, do not suppress.

If you suppress,

Your destruction will be drawing nigh.

Sublimate, do not eradicate.

If you eradicate,

You may die before you reach

Your Perfection-Goal. ```

11. What they tell me

```

My desire-night tells me

What I can easily do.

My aspiration-light tells me

What I can eventually become.

My Realisation-Perfection tells me

What I eternally am. ```

12. Love, serve and surrender

```

Love God.

You will be able

To go to God.

Serve God.

God will definitely

Come to you.

Surrender to God.

God will offer you

Unmistakably

His transcendental Throne. ```

13. Who am I?

```

Who am I?

A poor singer.

Who am I?

A poor poet.

Who am I?

A poor seeker.

Who am I?

A rich lover of God. ```

14. Pure thinking

```

Pure thinking is not escaping

But

Self-offering.

Pure thinking is not observation

But

Self-transformation.

Pure thinking is not experimentation

But

Self-perfection.

Pure thinking is not God-fearing

But

God-becoming.

```

15. Which Master do you need?

```

Which Master do you need?

The one who advises you?

Which Master do you need?

The one who instructs you?

Which Master do you need?

The one who transmits Light?

Which Master do you need?

The one who liberates you?

Which Master do you need?

The one who makes you another God?

Make your own choice.

You are at perfect liberty. ```

16. Help me, Lord

```

Lord, I am short

But You are very tall.

I long to reach Your Height;

So, help me, Lord.

Lord, I am weak

But You are very strong.

I long to plumb Your Strength;

So, help me, Lord.

Lord, I have a low role

But You are a very high Goal.

I long to become the Goal;

So, help me, Lord. ```

17. I am now so proud of you

```

O my heart,

Since when have you freed yourself

From the strains and stresses of life?

I am now so proud of you.

You are really great.

O my mind,

Since when have you freed yourself

From doubt and pride?

I am now so proud of you.

You are really great.

O my vital,

Since when have you freed yourself

From dust and din?

I am now so proud of you.

You are really great.

O my body,

Since when have you freed yourself

From fear and indolence?

I am now so proud of you.

You are really great.

```

18. My love of God

```

My morning love of God

Liberates me from the frets

And fevers of life.

My afternoon love of God

Protects me from world-dangers

And world-tragedies.

My evening love of God

Inspires me to stand

On the battlefield of life

To distribute the Breath of God. ```

19. All show

```

A simple heart knows

All show is a faded flower.

A sincere heart knows

All show is a deceased truth.

A loving heart knows

All show is a forgotten God. ```

20. Four death blows

```

Insecurity is slow death.

Pride is quick death.

Doubt is sheer death.

Ingratitude is all death. ```

21. What am I going to do with you?

```

You love noise-sea;

You fear Silence-sky.

What am I going to do with you?

You want the power-world;

You need the Love-God.

What am I going to do with you?

You shirk duty;

You want God-perfection.

What am I going to do with you?

```

22. I serve three flags

```

With my love-smile

I serve the flag of humanity.

With my devotion-concern

I serve the flag of divinity.

With my surrender-oneness

I serve the Flag of the Supreme. ```

23. Learn, love and become

```

Learn more.

Grow quickly

In the Heart of God.

Love more.

Glow divinely

In the soul of man.

Become more.

Flow supremely

In the Perfection-goal of the Supreme.

```

24. I tell you

```

Don’t be in anguish.

I tell you,

God does care for you.

Don’t be in travail.

I tell you,

God does love you.

Don’t be in despair.

I tell you,

God does need you.

Don’t be in stupidity.

I tell you,

God does live for you,

For you alone. ```

25. Human nature

```

He loves

What he ignores.

He utilises

What he refuses.

He glorifies

What he challenges.

He blesses

What he breaks.

He becomes

What he devours. ```

26. Silence

```

Silence frightens your heart.

I feel sorry for you.

Silence awakens his heart.

I am proud of him.

Silence widens his heart.

I am all gratitude to him.

Silence illumines his heart.

I am all surrender to him. ```

27. The place

```

My heart is my secret place

To treasure God.

My soul is my sacred place

To welcome mankind.

My life is my perfect place

To flower in Divinity. ```

28. Mind and heart

```

Where is my mind?

Inside the wide hunger

Of one thousand miles

Of wild clouds.

Where is my heart?

On the top of Mount Everest.

What is it doing over there?

It is singing the song

Of my Lord’s Compassion-light

And

My life’s ingratitude-night.

```

29. My life carries the sunrise

```

You want to know

What my life of hope does.

My life carries the sunrise.

You want to know

What my heart of despair does.

My heart carries the sunset.

You want to know

What my mind of doubt does.

My mind carries the night.

```

30. My life's Reality-shore

```

My life’s sunrise sings,

My life’s sunset clings,

My life’s Heaven beckons me,

My life’s earth constantly needs me,

My life’s dream-boat sails,

My life’s Reality-shore smiles. ```

31. What can God do?

```

A thousand lives

And no aspiration!

What can God do?

A thousand bodies

And no service!

What can God do?

A thousand souls

And no promise!

What can God do?

```

32. Everywhere

```

Everywhere

My heart cries.

Everywhere

My mind flies.

Everywhere

My vital tries.

Everywhere

My body sighs. ```

33. Morning dream and evening reality

```

My morning dream:

I can and shall see God today,

I can and shall fulfil God today,

I can and shall become

Another God today.

My evening reality:

I am the emperor of depression,

I am the king of frustration,

I am the prince of destruction. ```

34. I see the boatman fast approaching

```

O orphan-boat of my heart,

Do not stop;

Sail on.

I see my Lord, the Boatman supreme,

Fast approaching you.

O orphan-cave of my life,

Do not cry,

Do not sigh.

I see my Lord, the Saviour supreme,

Coming to visit you.

```

35. Bird of Perfection

```

O bird of Time,

When were you born?

O bird of Life,

Where were you born?

O bird of Light,

How were you born?

O bird of Night,

Why were you born?

O Bird of Perfection,

Will you ever be born? ```

36. Are you sure?

```

Silence, are you sure

That you are the seed of my life?

Aspiration, are you sure

That you are the plant of my life?

Realisation, are you sure

That you are the tree of my life?

Revelation, are you sure

That you are the flower of my life?

Perfection, are you sure

That you are the fruit of my life? ```

37. Living for hope

```

When I was living

For the body of hope,

I doubted God’s Compassion.

When I was living

For the heart of hope,

I doubted God’s Concern.

When I was living

For the soul of hope,

I doubted my own aspiration.

```

38. I am really concerned

```

I have seen the black wings of death.

Believe me, I was not frightened.

I have seen the white wings of Heaven.

Believe me, I was not elated.

I have seen the red wings of earth.

Believe me, I am really concerned. ```

39. Do you want happiness?

```

Do you want happiness?

Then step out of your life’s proclamation,

Your life’s shameless procession,

Your life’s thoughtless protestation,

Your life’s purposeless procrastination.

Do you want happiness?

Then step into your life’s imagination,

Your life’s silver inspiration,

Your life’s golden aspiration,

Your life’s diamond dedication.

```

40. Each soul has wings

```

Each soul has wings.

It won’t stay long on earth.

But you effectively delay its departure

With your aspiration-light.

Each soul has wings.

It won’t stay long in Heaven.

But you can easily delay its earthbound journey

With your Realisation-might. ```

41. Enough

```

My body declares:

A little is enough.

My vital declares:

What is enough?

My mind declares:

Where is enough?

My heart declares:

Here is enough.

My soul declares:

Nothing is enough.

My God declares:

My child, for Me

You are more than enough.

```

42. To see the dance

```

I have returned

To the confines of the world.

Why?

Just to see the dance

Of my Infinity’s Height

In the chasm

Of mortality’s futility-night.

```

43. Therefore I am on earth

```

Heaven-beauty feeds me;

Therefore

I am on earth.

Earth-duty employs me;

Therefore

I am on earth.

God-necessity perfects me;

Therefore

I am on earth.

```

44. O bloom of dawn

```

O bloom of dawn,

You are so beautiful.

O gloom of evening,

You are so doubtful.

O boom of night,

You are so meaningful.

O doom of death,

You are so baneful. ```

45. All that we are

```

O Lord of Compassion,

All that we are

Is because of You.

O Lord of Concern,

All that we are

Is for You.

O Lord of Love,

All that we are

Is You, is You.

```

46. Follow them

```

Follow the stars;

They will inspire you.

You do need the stars.

Follow the moon;

She will feed you.

You do need the moon.

Follow the sun;

He will guide you.

You do need the sun.

```

47. Your silence

```

Your silence proves

That you are either

An ignorance-sea

A Knowledge-sky.

If your silence indicates

God is for others’ use,

Then you are an ignorance-sea.

If your silence indicates

You want God and God alone,

Then you are a Knowledge-sky. ```

48. Her life is a sea

```

In the morning

Her life is a sea of silence-love.

The world sits at her feet.

In the afternoon

Her life is a sea of silence-light.

The world sports in her heart.

In the evening

Her life is a sea of silence-bliss.

The world sleeps in her eyes.

```

49. The essence

```

The essence of my yesterdays:

Old bundles of sleep.

The essence of my today:

New bundles of hope.

The essence of my tomorrows:

Heavy bundles of uncertainty. ```

50. When freedom embraces me

```

When the freedom of Heaven

Embraces me,

Speechless I remain.

When the freedom of earth

Embraces me,

Consciousness I regain.

When the Freedom of God

Embraces me,

Perfection I attain.

```

From:Sri Chinmoy,The Golden Boat, part 11, Agni Press, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/gb_11