2401. The inner game

When the inner game begins
The player knows
That he does not play the game,
For he does not know the rules.
What he knows how to do
And what he spontaneously does
Is offer the beautiful surprise-smile
Of a witness-soul.

2402. My adamantine determination

Who can whitewash
My filthy and ugly mind?
Nobody!

What can whitewash
My filthy and ugly mind?
My adamantine determination
And my silver sincerity.

2403. Each new start

Each serious problem
Intensifies my God-loving heart,
Believe it or not.

Each sad failure
Purifies my God-serving life,
Believe it or not.

Each new start
Strengthens my determination
And
Lengthens my aspiration,
Believe it or not.

2404. A life of fulfilment-tree

I love you
Because yours is a heart
Of silver oneness-fountain.

I need you
Because yours is a life
Of perfect fulfilment-tree.

2405. The fire of wild separativity

Unless and until you extinguish
The fire of wild separativity,
You will never be granted
The moon-white feeling
Of oneness-love.

2406. How can he be alive?

How can he be alive
When his faith is not alive?
How can he be perfect
When his aspiration is not perfect?

2407. Fruitfulness triumphs

Madness-noon is contagious.
Sadness-night is contagious.
Soulfulness is spacious.
Fruitfulness is precious.

2408. His Child-Heart-Smile

Of all the things
That I have borrowed
From my Beloved Supreme,
His Eternity’s Child-Heart-Smile
I value and treasure most.

2409. To span the yawning gulf

To span the yawning gulf
Between God and man,
He has given up both
The seeds of his desire-life
And
The fruits of his aspiration-life.

2410. Live with a union-heart

Live with a division-mind.
You are bound to tremble
With a fear-filled life.

Live with a union-heart.
Lo, you have already started dancing
With a fear-free life.

2411. God gave me his Mind

Something new happened
This morning:
I came to realise
That God still loves me.

Something new happened
This evening:
God gave me His Mind
And took away mine
In exchange.

2412. Something new happened

Something new happened
This morning:
I meditated on the Supreme
Unconditionally.

Something new shall happen
This evening:
My life shall grow into
A gratitude-heart.

2413. His future friend

His ex-friend
Is ignorance-night.
His present friend
Is knowledge-light.
His future friend
Will be wisdom-delight.

2414. Hope is brightness-dawn

Hope is brightness-dawn.
Faith is fulness-noon.
Surrender is transcendence-day.

2415. His life as he sees it

His life as he sees it
Is a shivering fear.
His death as he sees it
Is a frightening tear.

2416. Only two things I do

Only two things I do:
I ask my heart
To obey my Lord,
And I ask my eyes
Not to fear to dine
With His Himalayan Glory.

2417. An Olympic seeker

If you claim to be
An Olympic seeker,
How can you bow before pain,
How?
Unbelievable!
Impossible!

2418. My golden future

Ever new, ever new!
My past is all dust.
My Lord does not want me
To enter into my animal past.
My Lord wants me
To enter into my golden future.
And what is my golden future?
My perfection-life
Inside His Satisfaction-Smile.

2419. They are all wrong

They are all wrong.
You are not stupid.
You just do not want
To understand life
The way they understand life.
And I tell you,
You do not have to!

2420. My soul and I

O my soul,
You and I
Shall go up together
To give Heaven
Earth’s tearing cry.

O my soul,
You and I
Shall go down together
To give earth
Heaven’s immortalising Smile.

2421. You make your own choice!

You make your own choice!
If you want to
Walk through the valley,
Then accompany your soul.
If you want to
Wallow in the valley,
Then accompany your vital.
You make your own choice!

2422. Do not weep for me

O Mother Earth,
Do not weep for me.
I shall someday and somehow reach
And sit at my Lord’s Feet.

O Father Heaven,
Do not weep for me.
I shall definitely come back to you
And bring all success from earth
For your satisfaction,
Even beyond your expectation.

2423. My communion with God

From my inner communion with God
I know that God wants me to be
As beautiful as He is.

From my outer communication with God
I know that God wants me to be
As powerful as He is.

2424. Minus is good

Minus is good.
Plus is also good.
Minus means emptiness.
Emptiness means readiness.
Plus means self-awareness.
Self-awareness means God-fulness.

2425. What do I mean?

What do I mean when I say
That I want to go?
When I say that I want to go,
It means that I want to fly
In my Lord’s transcendental Sky.

What do I mean when I say
That I want to stay?
When I say that I want to stay,
It means that I want to rest
Inside my Lord’s universal Nest.

2426. Someday

Someday God will forgive me.
It may be soon.
Someday I shall satisfy God.
It may take a little time.

2427. God will always come first

If God is what you want,
Then He can never come second.
He will always come first.
He will come
As your Confidant.
He will come
As your Advisor supreme.
He will come
As your only Friend.

2428. Yes or no

Yes or no.
Insulation?
Yes!
Isolation?
No!

Yes or no.
Perfection?
Yes!
Hallucination?
No!

2429. In the new hour ahead

In the new hour ahead
My heart shall cry for God.
In the new day ahead
My life shall smile with God.
In the new year ahead
I shall finally satisfy God.

2430. In the new year ahead

In the new year ahead
I shall start loving God
Unconditionally.

In the new year ahead
I shall not forgive myself
Under any circumstances.

In the new year ahead
I shall change my name
To a sleepless aspiration-cry.

2431. I learn from man

In my attachment
I learn from man
And his ignorance-night.

In my detachment
I learn from God
And His Compassion-Sun.

2432. Prisoners in my world

There are only three prisoners
In my world of consciousness-light:
My unaspiring morning,
My torturing noon,
My blighting night.

2433. God's transcendental Paradise

Tell the truth:
You love God only.
Feel the truth:
God loves you infinitely more
Than you love Him.
If you do not tell this truth
And if you do not feel this truth,
Then you will never be allowed
To make a trip
To God’s transcendental Paradise.

2434. Immortality's Oneness-Love

If you believe
That what God has for you
Is His sleepless Concern,
Then you can receive from God
What He eternally is:
His Immortality’s Oneness-Love.

2435. Too late to change

Too late to change
God’s unconditional Love for me.
Too late to change
God’s Forgiveness-Sun for me.
Too late to change
God’s faith in my
Complete transformation.

2436. To make yourself really happy

Two things you can do
To make yourself really happy:
Feed your faith daily
And
Starve your doubt permanently.
Do it,
Even if unconsciously,
But do it
Unmistakably!

2437. No orphan

Who says that I am an orphan?
I am not!
My soul is my wisdom-father.
My heart is my compassion-mother.
They are alive
And will forever remain alive.

2438. Don't make it too easy!

Don’t make it too easy!
Otherwise, nobody will value
The spiritual life;
Nobody will have a special hunger
For God-realisation.

Don’t make it too easy!
Otherwise, nobody will value
The work of nature’s transformation;
Nobody will value
The art of God-manifestation.

2439. Unless you unburden yourself

Unless you unburden yourself
From your conscience-guilt
You will never be allowed
To be in the presence of angels,
And your return journey
To your Abode of Peace
Will be indefinitely delayed.

2440. Self-confidence

Self-doubt is not sincerity.
Self-confidence is not only sincerity
But something more:
The perfect start
Of the self-perfection race.

2441. My life-transcending cry

My heart’s mounting,
Life-transcending cry
Shall no more tolerate
The indignities of time.

2442. Each step of purity

Each conscious step of purity
Is a precious milestone-victory
Along my heart’s aspiration-road.

2443. Barren thoughts

The barren thoughts
Of a doubting mind
Can totally destroy
The beauty-blossoms
Of your heart’s satisfaction-garden.

2444. Tired of thinking

Because his mind has now become
Tired of thinking,
He can easily untie
His lifelong ignorance-bonds.

2445. In love with a sweet dream

To be in love with a sweet dream
Is the beginning of a
Blossoming,
Illumining
And
Fulfilling
Reality.

2446. I shall arrest my thoughts

I shall arrest my thoughts
So that my body and soul
Can cheerfully and lovingly live
In my Lord’s fond Satisfaction-Nest.

2447. A trouble-free life

Do you want to have
A trouble-free life?
Then end self-deception
And begin self-perfection
Sooner than at once.

2448. His vital froze to stone

His vital froze to stone
With fear
When his mind rebuked it mercilessly
For befriending the temptation-snake:
Ignorance-night.

2449. Frequent meetings

Simplicity and sincerity
Every day meet.

Purity and humility
Every hour meet.

Surrender and gratitude
Every minute meet.

2450. Drop a tear

Drop a tear.
You will know
Where God is right now.

Drop a tear.
You are bound to know
Who God is eternally.

2451. Cosmic energy

Cosmic energy is Infinity’s Delight
In Eternity’s Source.
He who discovers this truth
Himself becomes the truth.

2452. Revolving memories

Revolving memories
Are purifying his mind,
Strengthening his heart
And
Heightening his life.

2453. Breathe a prayer

Breathe a prayer
From your tearing heart.
Lo, God’s Compassion-Flood
Is carrying you
To your satisfaction-shore.

2454. Wrongs and shames

Teeming wrongs
And damaging shames
Have totally destroyed
The soul-beauty of his heart-garden.

2455. What my sleeping eyes need

What my sleeping eyes need
Is a sweet dream.
What my crying heart needs
Is a soulful giver.

2456. I kneel for forgiveness

I kneel for Heaven’s forgiveness.
Alas, no forgiveness, no forgiveness!
I kneel for Heaven’s compassion.
Alas, no compassion, no compassion!
I kneel only for God.
Lo, He is here,
He is there,
He is all-where.

2457. Do not love despair

Do not learn to love despair.
If you do that,
Never will you be able to repair
The painful damage
To your poor life.

2458. A short-lived passion-smile

A short-lived
Passion-smile
Can easily and unmistakably give birth
To a long-lived, bitter
Frustration-cry.

2459. How can I be happy?

How can I be happy
When I see that the heights
Of my incapacities
Are unmistakably manifested?

How can I be happy
When I see that the heights
Of my capacities
Are floating in the sea of sleep?

2460. For transient fame

Just for a little transient fame
He tortured his silver purity-breath
And destroyed his golden humility-life.

2461. When I cry

When I cry,
I cry for the land
Of unlimited hope-opportunities.

When I smile,
I smile at the sky
Of unlimited achievement-realities.

2462. Man's descending dove

Do you know
Who man actually is?
Man is God’s climbing monkey.

Do you know
Who God actually is?
God is man’s descending dove.

2463. A oneness-song only

Not ancient riches,
But a oneness-song only
Can satisfy
His sleepless and treasured
God-hunger.

2464. Owing to outer pressures

Owing to outer pressures,
He forgot to touch
The Heart of God.

Owing to inner pressures,
He forgot to feed
The hunger of mankind.

2465. A fading name

A fading name
He has now become.
Why?
Because he has not offered
His gratitude-heart
To either earth-cries or Heaven-blessings
For his stupendous victory.

2466. An act of God's Will

The mind calls it
A revelation.
The heart calls it
An experience.
The soul calls it
An incident.
And I call it
An act of God’s Will.

2467. No other credential

When you love God soulfully,
You need no other credential
Save your own heart-flower.

2468. The sprinter of success

Aspiration is
The sprinter of success.
Dedication is
The runner of progress.

2469. Be not afraid of death

Be not afraid of death.
See it, take it
And treat it
As a return home.

2470. An aspiration-tree

What is an aspiration-tree?
A giant
Among the dwarf desire-plants!

2471. A pure thought

A sincere and pure thought
Is self-confidence —
Unshakable, inviolable and perfect.

2472. The breath of morning

What does the breath of morning do?
It awakens my sleeping mind.
What does the breath of evening do?
It strengthens my loving heart.

2473. Unburden yourself

Tell Him!
Unburden yourself!
If you tell Him your hidden thoughts,
He will make you independent
Of your misery-loaded fate.

2474. My Lord's blue-vast Eyes

When I see
My Lord’s blue-vast Eyes,
My pains melt
Into morning songs
And my joys melt
Into lasting memories.

2475. Human friendship

What is human friendship?
It is something that needs
Constant repair and constant care.

2476. Pray soulfully, meditate calmly

Pray soulfully, meditate calmly.
Otherwise,
The sickness of your impurity-mind
Will totally ruin
Your entire being.

2477. No work to do

I have no work to do!
A desperate situation,
A total destruction-battle within.

2478. The harvest of leisure-life

The harvest of leisure-life
Is destruction-death.
So have I heard
From the awakened mind
And the illumined heart.

2479. A spiritual surprise

Attention, America!
A spiritual surprise:
God has chosen you.
Accept cheerfully His Perfection-Delight.

2480. The sea of Illumination-Delight

How can your life
Be conversant with transformation
Unless your heart
Bathes in the sea
Of Illumination-Delight?

2481. If you have peace

If you have courage,
You will succeed.

If you have joy,
You will proceed.

If you have peace,
You will become.

2482. The giant progress

Love you give,
Devotion you feel,
Surrender you become.
Lo, yours alone
Is the giant progress.

2483. Doubt me not

Doubt me not
Once I leave this body.
It is you who will make me
The president of your aspiration-heart.

2484. If you fear not

If you fear not the roarings
Of the unknown tempest,
Then the unknowable Omnipotence
Will unfurl itself in your life.

2485. Every day set sail

Every day set sail
On a new imagination-voyage.
Sweet, rich and profound
Will be all your new discoveries.

2486. Becoming is liberating

Seeing is not liberating.
Feeling is not liberating.
Challenging is not liberating.
Becoming only is liberating.

2487. The inner sunshine

Purity is the seeker’s
Inner sunshine
To cure his outer life
Of its division-malady.

2488. An illumining experience

You call it
A shocking experience.
He calls it
An agonising experience.
I call it
A punishing experience.
God calls it
An illumining experience.

2489. Unmatched delights

Past defeats,
Past pains
And
Past humiliations
Can never match the delights
Of your present victory-crown.

2490. Yet I love you

I suspect you
Because you do not do what you say.
I suspect you
Because you are not what you say.
Yet I love you
Because someday you will be
As perfect as God.

2491. An ego-thrill

Since what your vital has
Is an ego-thrill,
How can you feel
The pure ecstasy
Of self-realisation?

2492. A face can reveal

A face can reveal
A secret thought.
A heart can reveal
A sacred soul.
A soul can reveal
A perfect God.

2493. Each positive thought

Each negative thought
Is the beginning of today’s
Unbearable self-torture.

Each positive thought
Is the beginning of tomorrow’s
Unimaginable God-rapture.

2494. If you hesitate to see

If you hesitate to see
Through others,
You will not be wise and secure.

If you hesitate to see
Through yourself,
You will never be perfect and happy.

2495. Meditation longs to give

The difference between
Prayer and meditation
Is this:
Prayer wishes
To receive and become,
Meditation longs
To give and become.

2496. I know that I can receive

I do not know who has given me
A tricky mind.
But I do know that I can receive
A pure heart,
A determined vital
And a smart body
From God.

2497. Your real strength

Now that you see through
Your real weakness,
Volcano-pride,
You are ready to discover
Your real strength,
Oneness-love.

2498. O my mind-guide

O my mind-guide,
You are just as lost as I am.
But my sincerity
Will someday find the way
Which leads to my destined goal,
Whereas your insincerity
Will, before long, lead you
To your destined grave.

2499. I can be smart

O my tricky mind,
You think you can fool me.
Do you never think
That I can be smart?
To my joy,
So I am already.

2500. My life's beauty-hunger

My life’s beauty-hunger
Is a secret paradise-soul.

My heart’s gratitude-feast
Is a sacred paradise-goal.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the twenty-fifth 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 enjoys a warm reunion with Lakhan L. Mehrotra, who had been his boss at the Indian Consulate in New York when the Master first came to America. When this photo was taken in 1978, Mehrotra was India’s Consul-General in San Francisco. At one of Sri Chinmoy’s concerts which Mehrotra had recently attended, he offered the following spontaneous message: “… Sri Chinmoy belongs to that stream of thought and sentiment which has shown us the Light for ages… I consider those blessed who sit in his presence and who seek his presence and I know that even after I and you and everyone is gone, his voice and his message will be with us, for that is the Message Supreme to which I bow.”

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-2411: FFP 106 (revised version).