2001. What I need most

What my mind needs most
Is a satisfaction-smile.

What my heart needs most
Is a satisfaction-cry.

What I need most
Is satisfaction-surrender.

2002. A disciplined life

A disciplined life
Is a favourite instrument
Of God.

2003. What is an accident?

What is an accident
If not an incident?

What is an incident
If not an experience?

What is an experience
If not the beginning
Of my realisation?

2004. Ask your heart

Do you want
To conquer your mind?
Then ask your heart
To befriend your mind.

2005. Anything worth having

Anything worth having
Is worth sharing
As well.

2006. Each experience is an improvement

Each experience
Is an improvement.
Each improvement
Is an inspiring, aspiring and encouraging
Stride towards God.

2007. Realisation-sun

Realisation-sun is given
By God to man.
It cannot be earned.

2008. I implore God

I implore God
Not for His Miracle-Forgiveness
But for His Miracle-Power
So that I can conquer
All my human weaknesses.

2009. What you need

You do not need a new start;
What you need is a new heart.
You do not need a new heart;
What you need is a new God.

2010. God receives my poor life

God receives my poor life
Because my rich heart
Believes in Him.

2011. If criticism frightens your heart

If criticism frightens your heart,
Then praise, without fail,
Will weaken your life.

2012. Too good, too bad

If you are too good,
Then why do you need God’s Love?
If you are too bad,
Then how do you expect God’s Love?

2013. You can be always happy

You can be always happy
If you believe like a child
And behave like a gentleman.

2014. Why do you forget?

Why do you forget
Again and again
That your doubtful mind
Brings you darkness
And
Your soulful heart
Brings you light?

2015. If it is true

If it is true
That Jesus is coming again,
Then it is also true
That I shall go to meet Him
And welcome Him
At the halfway point.

2016. God's Compassion, God's Forgiveness

God’s Compassion
Reads our weak hearts.
God’s Forgiveness
Registers our clever thoughts.

2017. Because I love God

Because I fear God,
I do not have to fear any man.
Because I love God,
I have to love all human beings.

2018. My prayer and my meditation

My prayer
Is my endless hope.
My meditation
Is my birthless and deathless joy.

2019. Useful talks

I see that it is quite useful
When I talk to the atheists.
I see that it is
Infinitely more useful
When I talk to God
About the atheists.

2020. An emptiness-fount

If you always extol yourself
To the skies,
Then you are nothing but
An emptiness-fount.

2021. God tells us to love him

God tells us to love Him
With the same thing that loves us.
And what is that thing?
Ignorance-night.

2022. I shall never try to comprehend you

My Lord,
I shall never try to comprehend You.
Therefore,
I shall never lose my searching mind.

My Lord,
I shall never try to deny You.
Therefore,
I shall never lose my aspiring heart.

2023. You must choose!

You must choose, you must!
The deliverer within you
Or
The destroyer before you.

2024. Demotion or promotion

Before God-realisation
If you die,
It will be a demotion.

After God-realisation
If you die,
It will be a promotion.

2025. Nothingness-futility

If your mind is looking
For nothingness-futility,
Your life will soon be caught
By nothingness-futility.

2026. Duet

O my mind’s sound,
O my heart’s silence,
I am so glad
That you are not having
A duel,
But
A duet.

2027. A God-lover

A God-seeker prays to God
For himself.
A God-lover prays to God
For humanity.

2028. No future in your heart

There is no
Sweet smile on your face.
There is no
Clear focus in your eyes.
Do you know why?
Because there is no future
In your weak heart.

2029. You have to do your part

God is not going to do your part.
You shall have to do your part
Yourself.
What are the things that you must do?
You must receive God’s Lessons
Today
Unreservedly.
You must achieve Peace, Light and Bliss
Tomorrow
Unmistakably.
And the day after tomorrow
You must become
Supremely perfect.

2030. God cherishes me

God punishes me
And my conditional prayers.
God cherishes me
And my unconditional meditations.

2031. Obedience is blessing-light

Obedience is blessing-light.
My heart feels it.
Disobedience is penalty-night.
My mind knows it.

2032. My last day on earth

What shall I do
On my last day on earth?
I shall change my name to gratitude.
Earth will receive gratitude from me
For offering me to Heaven.
Heaven will receive gratitude from me
For accepting me from earth.

2033. Now is the time

Now is the time
To make good use of time.
Today is the day
To begin a perfect day.

2034. God will stand starving

If you are serving the God in man
Only for money,
Then God will unmistakably
Come out of His human frames
And stand starving
Right in front of you.

2035. God's favourites

God’s favourites are those
Who have kept their heart-books
Wide open
For God to read
At His sweet Will.

2036. Your aspiration-life

Your aspiration-life
Can easily reject doubts
Even if your desire-life
Willingly accepts them.

2037. Live only for God's Love

You do not have to prove
God’s Love for you.
Just feel that you live
Only for God’s Love.

2038. Where are you standing?

Where are you standing?
If you are standing on a lower ground,
Then think of God.
If you are standing on a higher ground,
Then think of man.

2039. Why do you climb?

If you really do not want
To taste the doubt-fruits,
Then why do you still
Climb up the mind-tree?

2040. Hope-flower, hope-fruit

Because there is a hope-flower,
There will definitely be
A hope-fruit.
Just wait and watch.

2041. The code of your life

If you are a true disciple,
Then the code of your life
Should be
“Renounce.”

If you are a true Master,
Then the code of your life
Should be
“Accept.”

2042. Everything is good

Everything is good,
Even the worst possible fear,
If it drives the seeker
Straight towards God.

2043. Destructive forces in disguise

Preachers who pray for you
Only for money, money, money,
And not for anything else,
Are nothing but
Destructive forces in disguise.

2044. God's only interest

God is never interested
In my competence.
He is only interested
In my constant willingness.

2045. God compassionately asks

God compassionately asks me,
“Will you be available?”
He never asks me,
“Will you be able?”

2046. God's position

My Lord,
My mind wants You
To be in my position
And judge.

My Lord,
My heart wants me
To be in Your position
And judge.

2047. Never start a day

My Lord,
I pray that
I never start a day
Without
Aspiration-leaves,
Dedication-flowers
And
Surrender-fruits.

2048. Improve your self-esteem!

Improve your self-esteem!
This is the only thing
That God wants to have from you
Right now.

2049. I am not lost

I am not lost,
I shall not be lost,
I shall never be lost,
For God is not only within me
But also for me
Always.

2050. The way

My gratitude-heart
Always knows
The way.

My oneness-perfection
Always is
The way.

2051. The unusual capacity

I have all along known
That my mind has
The unusual capacity
To throw off the doubt-disease
And heal itself completely.

2052. What I want

What I want to have
Is a forward-moving greatness.
What I need to have
Is an upward-climbing goodness.

2053. Independence and dependence

I declare
My total independence
From intellectual scholarship.

I declare
My total dependence
On soulful worship.

2054. God is in full control

Let your heart
Tell your mind
That God is in full control
Of your life.
You will immediately see
That your tension has ceased
And your confidence
Has powerfully returned.

2055. Relax

Relax,
Relax soulfully,
Relax powerfully.
You are bound to feel
An inflow of creative energy
And constructive enthusiasm.

2056. Since I can begin again

Since I can begin again,
Why does my heart
Have to cry,
And why does my life
Have to die?

2057. Make up your mind

Make up your mind
Once and for all!
Do you really want to come out
Of your insecurity-prison?
Indeed, you have reasons!
But your reasons are incorrect.

2058. Only the chosen

Everybody can begin.
Only the chosen
Can continue and succeed.

2059. I am at your door

My Lord,
I am at Your Door,
Although You do not care
To invite me in.

2060. Simplicity you have lost

Simplicity
You have lost.
Therefore, you are no longer
A God-child.

Sincerity
You have lost.
Therefore, you are no longer
God’s friend.

Purity
You have lost.
Therefore, God does not
Want you any more.

2061. Don't forget one thing

You can forget everything
If you want to.
But don’t forget one thing:
You are God’s child,
God’s very, very own.

2062. If you want me to think of you

If you want me to think of you
In your own way,
Then you are
The most worthless human being.

If you want me to think of you
In my own way,
Then you are
A most perfect Truth-seeker
And God-lover.

2063. Together let us go back

Together let us go back
To our Heavenly Father.
It is neither too late
Nor too soon.

2064. The doorkeeper

Silence
Is the doorkeeper
Of my inmost
Aspiration-room.

2065. Learning is not enough

Learning is not enough.
Becoming is not enough.
Self-giving is enough,
More than enough.

2066. Purity is wanting

What a shame!
Your success
Has turned out to be worthless.
Perhaps you do not know the reason.
The reason is,
Purity is wanting in your intention.

2067. Scholarship and God-worship

Scholarship
And
God-worship
Are never eager
To see each other.

2068. I shall never escape

I shall never escape
From anything.
No, not even from
Excruciating pangs.

2069. An unbowed head

What he has now
Is an unbowed head.
What he is now
Is a dead man
Spiritually and otherwise.

2070. Desire-pain

Desire-pain
I was.
Aspiration-gain
I shall become.

2071. When I renounce

When I renounce
My desire-life,
God will announce
His Satisfaction-Heart.

2072. An incompetent fool

Your mind is
An incompetent fool.
Always stay with your heart’s
Myriad accomplishments.

2073. The one who knows

The one who knows,
And wants to know more,
Cheerfully and soulfully
Bows.

2074. A oneness-heart

I may be a
Forgetfulness-mind,
But I am also a
Oneness-heart.

2075. You are great

You are great
Because you can speedily succeed.
You are good
Because you can confidently proceed.

2076. I shall reclaim

Yesterday I failed.
Today I have failed.
But tomorrow I shall definitely
Reclaim my divine life.

2077. Self-awareness

Self-awareness,
I shall always treasure you.
Self-centredness,
I shall always disown you.

2078. O my stupid mind

O my stupid mind,
Don’t try to be independent
Of my wisdom-heart.

2079. A seeker knows

A seeker knows
That each destructive thought
Is a sad failure
In his life.

A seeker knows
That each constructive thought
Is God’s God-Victory
In his life.

2080. Self-awakening

Self-awakening
Means
God-flowering
In and through me.

2081. Since limitless is the Source

Since limitless is the Source,
The unlimited we can unmistakably
Expect.

2082. My mind's intensity

Alas,
My mind’s own intensity
Is against me.
Yet
I shall not only be saved
But totally illumined
Because my heart’s intensity
Is all for me.

2083. Truth will recognise you

Truth will recognise you
And accept you
Only after you have eliminated
Falsehood.

2084. You will excel

Cancel your past mistakes
Immediately.
You will excel in everything
That you do
And
That you grow into.

2085. What I can become

My Lord,
Now that You have told me
What I actually am,
Will You not tell me
What I can eventually become?

2086. Existence

Existence
Is my home.
Consciousness
Is my room.

2087. How can we succeed?

How can we succeed or proceed
When our faith in ourselves
Is so short,
Weak and
Inconsistent?

2088. If love is reborn

If love is reborn,
The Christ will be reborn;
If not, never!

2089. Forgiveness is happiness

Forgiveness is happiness.
Therefore,
My Lord has forgiven
My mind.

Forgetfulness is happiness.
Therefore,
I shall forget
My doubts.

2090. A soulful heart

A soulful heart
Deserves
A prayerful mind.

2091. Each innocent thought

Each innocent thought
Is a blessing-flower
From God Himself.

2092. God needs me

God wants me.
I mean,
My life.

Gods needs me.
I mean,
My heart.

God loves me.
I mean,
My inner cry.

2093. One and the same

With my Lord,
My accomplishment
And
My relinquishment
Are one and the same thing
Constantly.

With my Lord,
My aspiration to give
And
My aspiration to receive
Are one and the same thing
Invariably.

2094. No difference

No difference between
The Universal Oneness
And
Omnipotence.

2095. Loneliness and unawareness

Loneliness,
My mind can never
Appreciate you!

Unawareness,
My life can never
Appreciate you!

2096. Unless you are brave

Unless you are extremely brave,
Do not cry for
God’s Greatness-Power,
For it may frighten
Your entire being.

Unless you are extremely pure,
Do not long for
God’s Goodness-Light,
For it may confuse
Your mind astonishingly.

2097. A divinity-ocean

A divinity-ocean
Minus
Humanity-waves
Can alone satisfy man
In his search
For perfection-crown.

2098. O purity of my surrender-life

O purity of my surrender-life,
Nothing can precede you.
O beauty of my gratitude-heart,
Nothing can succeed you.

2099. A liberated smile

Since you are
A liberated smile,
You can definitely give me
A liberating cry.

2100. One desire and one aspiration

O my Supreme Lord,
I have only one desire:
Do give me the thing
That pleases me for a fleeting day.

O my Supreme Lord,
I have only one aspiration:
Do give me the thing
That Pleases You forever and forever.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the twenty-first 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

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-2015: FFP 90 (revised version).
FF-2058: FFP 100 (revised version).
FF-2092: FFP 92 (revised version).