5401. God's life-transforming Hour

My heart-breaking misfortunes
Today shall breathe their last,
For today God’s life-transforming Hour
Has blessingfully touched the breath
Of my heart’s aspiration-cry.

5402. Live inside the Freedom-Palace

O my heart,
Reside not inside the dungeon of despair.
You can easily live inside
The Freedom-Palace of God’s Dream-Beauty.
Try, you shall succeed!

5403. A labyrinth of contradictions

The human life is but
A labyrinth of contradictions.
It does not know how to pray,
Yet it thinks it can easily realise God.
It is always full of problems,
Yet it thinks it is enjoying
Perfect perfection.

5404. God's first Hymn

God’s first Hymn:
“Secretly I shall grow.”
Man’s first hymn:
“Sacredly I shall become.”

5405. Something refuses to reveal itself

Something refuses, out of fear,
To reveal itself
Before the all-transforming Heavenly Light.
What is it?
The deathless frown of ignorance-night.

5406. Your devotion to anger

Your devotion to anger
You have already shown to the world
For a very long time.
Now can you not show
Your devotion to self-perfection?
Try, you easily can.
Lo, you have marvellously succeeded!

5407. A soaring citadel

His self-giving heart
Is a soaring citadel.
In it no fear, no doubt breathe.
It is perfect perfection
In God’s stupendous Satisfaction.

5408. The oneness of love and duty

The oneness of love and duty
Is the perfect fulness
Of a seeker’s own inmost divinity.

5409. Heaven said hello to him

Heaven said hello to him
Before he saw
The Face of God
And long before he sat
At the Feet of God.

5410. If confidence is misplaced

If confidence is misplaced,
Man sees not his inner face
And fails to run in God’s
Most precious Divinity-Race.

5411. Uncouple the soul-divinity

Uncouple the soul-divinity
From the body-ignorance.
You are bound to be free.
You are bound to be happy.
You are bound to be perfect.

5412. Bravely my mind shall contest

Bravely my mind
Shall contest with doubt.
Sleeplessly my heart
Shall contest with impurity.
Uncompromisingly my soul
Shall contest with ignorance.

5413. In the middle of Eternity

In the middle of Eternity
He felt his heart’s sincerity-cry.
In the middle of Infinity
He saw his soul’s divinity-smile.

5414. The paradise of self-compliments

If you want to live
In the paradise of self-compliments,
You can.
But do not expect others
To live with you.
Why?
Your paradise is too small,
Plus full of dangers.

5415. His heart's beauty is starving

His heart’s beauty is starving
For God’s full Manifestation.
His soul’s vision is starving
For God’s absolute Satisfaction.

5416. Two old questions

Two old questions:
How can a weakling ever realise God?
How can God care for me
When I am so bad?

5417. The dreamlessness of dust

The dreamlessness of dust
Awakens my heart,
Purifies my mind
And illumines my poor little life.

5418. O wisdom-sun

O knowledge-flames,
Can you not eclipse ignorance-night?
Try, I am sure you can.
O wisdom-sun,
Do feed my knowledge-flames
And make them exactly like you.
Since you can do it easily,
Will you not do it for me?

5419. My sound-life loves

My sound-life loves
God the creation.
My silence-life becomes
God the Creator.

5420. His life's scattering smiles

His life’s scattering smiles
And his heart’s streaming tears
Have together made him
A choice and perfect instrument of God.

5421. Time's first sunrise

I saw time’s first sunrise.
I could not believe my eyes!
It was the soul-beauty unparalleled.

5422. Where has God gone?

Where has God gone?
He has gone to Heaven
To receive your heart’s
Climbing gratitude-flames.

5423. A strange new disease

A strange new disease:
The heart is suspecting
Its own sterling faith in God.

5424. Unmistakably and completely lost

If you think that
In the outer world
Your mind does not need
God’s Forgiveness
And your heart does not need
God’s Compassion,
Then you must realise that
In the inner world
You are unmistakably
And completely lost.

5425. Mine is a smiling God

Mine is a sinking mind.
Mine is a rising heart.
Mine is a flying soul.
Mine is a smiling God.

5426. God examines every thought

With His Blessing-Eye God examines
Every sick human thought
And then cures it
With His nursing Heart.

5427. I can't stand my mind

I can’t stand my mind.
It thinks that it knows
Everything and everyone.
Yet it does not even know
How to discard its useless treasures
Even in an infinitesimal measure.

5428. O physical world, stop sleeping

O physical world, stop sleeping.
O vital world, stop pushing.
O mental world, stop doubting.
O psychic world, stop hesitating.

5429. My companions

My companions
From the beginningless Beginning:
Eternity’s beautiful cry,
Infinity’s soulful smile,
Immortality’s fruitful silence.

5430. A never-ending celebration

When my mind completely surrenders
To my heart,
And when my heart offers its victory-light
To my soul,
I shall triumphantly enjoy
A never-ending celebration.

5431. Heaven's smiles of farewell

Heaven’s smiles of farewell
Gave him the joy
Of fulfilling promise.

Earth’s tears of farewell
Gave him the satisfaction
Of fulfilled promise.

5432. The art of pure perfection

The art of pure perfection
Is not an impossible dream
But an inevitable reality.

5433. Generously erase yourself

Generously erase yourself
If you want to see
The palace of Light and Delight
Inside the depths of your own
Exquisite trance-bound heart.

5434. Every mind is a new question

Every mind is a new question.
Every heart is a perfect answer.
Every soul is a transcendental Vision
And a universal Reality.

5435. When love starts ruling my mind

When love starts ruling my mind,
Compassion shall shelter my body
And perfection shall touch my heart.

5436. A secret and sacred passage

A soulful cry and a powerful smile
Together have made
A secret and sacred passage
From my heart’s depth
To my soul’s height.

5437. An all-consuming ego-night

An all-consuming ego-night
Has enveloped his mind.
Therefore, he sees not
His soul-beauty’s gratitude-heart.

5438. Heaven and I wept together

Heaven and I wept together
When my mind deliberately
Refused to change
And my heart unconsciously
Forgot to climb.

5439. Nothing can threaten

Nothing can threaten
My soul’s silence-heart.
Nothing can weaken
My life’s gratitude-breath.

5440. The permanence of your body

Your desire for the permanence
Of your body
Is rejected by Heaven
And ridiculed by earth.

5441. In secrecy's silence-breath

In secrecy’s silence-breath
Heaven slowly descends.
In ecstasy’s sound-life
Earth quickly ascends.

5442. Simplicity has deserted him

Simplicity has deserted him.
Therefore, his eye’s beauty
Sings no more.

Sincerity has deserted him.
Therefore, his heart’s purity
Dances no more.

5443. God does not need me

God does not need me,
Not because I do not love Him
But because I feel no need for Him.

5444. Victory never comes too late

A true God-seeker knows
That victory never comes too late.
It always comes unmistakably
At God’s choice Hour.

5445. What can I expect from myself?

What can I expect from myself
When I am a bundle of desires?
What can I not expect from myself
When my life becomes
A climbing aspiration-flame?

5446. A spreading wave of anxiety

Because your mind has become
A spreading wave of anxiety,
Your heart is finding it extremely difficult
To maintain its pristine purity.

5447. The enlightenment-bird shall come

Reduce your life’s attachments.
The growing and glowing enlightenment-bird
Will come and sit on your heart’s
Soulful and fruitful detachment-tree.

5448. A never-slumbering plant

Each divine thought
Is a never-slumbering plant
In God’s Cosmic Vision-Garden.

5449. Only the right to announce

You have no right to announce
What you have.
You have no right to announce
What you renounce.
You have only the right to announce
That God is sleeplessly for you,
Only for you.

5450. God will always be found

God cannot be found,
God will not be found,
In your dark, unlit
And impure mind-cave.
He can be found
And will always be found
In your sunlit, spacious
And precious heart-palace.

5451. When I enjoy labour

When I enjoy labour,
I stand close to God.
Between us there is nothing
And nobody.
When I enjoy leisure,
No matter how close I want
To remain to God,
I always see the Satanic smile
Of an undivine force
In between God and me.

5452. I am trying to save my friend

What am I doing inside my mind?
I am desperately trying
To save my dying friend:
Sincerity.

What am I doing inside my heart?
I am soulfully trying
To save my dying friend:
Purity.

What am I doing inside my life?
I am sleeplessly trying
To save my dying friend:
Integrity.

5453. The chill winds of ingratitude

How can your mind be truly happy
When it proudly and shamelessly enjoys
The chill winds of ingratitude?

5454. To be amazingly perfect

Is sincerity enough?
No, you need determination, too.
With determination are you complete?
No, you need God’s Grace,
Without a shadow of a doubt,
To be amazingly perfect.

5455. God always chooses

God always chooses
A self-giving heart
To play His Role on earth
And a death-denying soul
To play His Role in Heaven.

5456. Each auspicious splendour

Each auspicious splendour
In the inner world
Reveals ultimately a precious wonder
In the outer world.

5457. Two invaluable gifts

From life’s dawn I have received
Two invaluable gifts:
A soulful love for perfection
And
A fruitful gratitude for satisfaction.

5458. The rapture of inspiration

Today his heart’s joy
Knows no bounds
Because the rapture of inspiration
Is marching through his silence-mind.

5459. The rarest opportunity

His heart is flooded
With immortal memories of Heaven.
Therefore, God is now granting him
The rarest opportunity
To walk closer alongside Him.

5460. Three triumphant conclusions

His mind’s three triumphant conclusions:
He saw God before God saw him.
He taught God how to show
His Compassion-Eye to mankind.
He will never fail God,
Although God has failed him
Time and again.

5461. A momentous test

Today your heart
Has passed a momentous test.
Today you sincerely and unmistakably feel
That delight is another name for self-giving.

5462. The army of ignorance-night

Teeming doubts on tip-toe
Entered into his mind
Only to destroy his mind’s silence-light
And forcefully employ him
To serve in the great army of ignorance-night.

5463. A thoughtless evil-doer

The countless deceptions
Of a thoughtless evil-doer
Cannot compel God to lose faith in him.
But his unwillingness to change can,
Unmistakably can.

5464. Why do friendships fail?

Why do friendships fail?
Because of a subtle serpentine
Ego-interference.
How can friendship ever last?
By becoming only one thing:
A birthless and deathless oneness-love.

5465. My conscience-drops

My conscience-drops made me stop.
My faith-flames made me run.
My surrender-gratitude made me win.

5466. My faith looks forward

My faith looks forward
In the morning
To see God’s Face.

My faith looks inward
In the evening
To sit at God’s Feet.

5467. His heart's devotion-stream

His heart’s devotion-stream
Flows sleeplessly and powerfully.
Therefore, he is a choice member
Of his Lord’s inner Family.

5468. Self-doubt refuses to rest

Self-doubt refuses to rest.
Self-faith refuses to fear.
Self-giving refuses to deceive.

5469. Ego-protection blocks perfection

Ego-protection blocks perfection.
Perfection missing,
Satisfaction-boat not sailing,
But sinking.

5470. To solve every problem

To solve every problem,
Solve your own problems first.
To love each and every human being,
Love God first.

5471. Lord, do give me the capacity

Two are the requests
That reach God:
Lord, do give me the capacity
To love You only.
Lord, do give me the necessity
To love You only.

5472. Sail beyond the sorrow-river

Sail beyond the secret sorrow-river
To reach the sea
Of Eternity’s infinite Delight.

5473. Awareness is a spiritual power

Awareness is a spiritual power,
And this spiritual power
Loves only one thing:
The Hour of God’s Satisfaction
Inside man’s silver dream-boat.

5474. Life's worst disaster

Life’s worst disaster
Is when life does not awaken
Or cannot awaken
When God’s God-Hour strikes.

5475. If I give God only one thing

God says to me
That He will give me three things
If I give Him only one thing.
If I can give Him
Only one gratitude-flame,
Then in return He will give me
His Compassion-Sea,
His Perfection-Sky
And His Satisfaction-Sun.

5476. Chained to an unhappy past

He is chained to an unhappy past,
Yet he thinks that someday, somehow
He will grant the world
A sky-vast delight.

5477. Opportunity does not appear

When we do not avail ourselves
Of opportunity,
Opportunity goes away.
Then the time comes when we feel
A desperate need for opportunity,
But opportunity does not appear.
Our deplorable fate
And our earthly existence
Are forced by the higher forces
To remain together and helplessly wait
For death’s hour to arrive.

5478. The most often-asked questions

In the inner world
The most often-asked questions are:
Do you want to see God?
Where is your universal passport?

5479. A soulful smile

A soulful smile
Can kindle the universe.
A breathless cry
Can feed the universe.

5480. What has experience taught me?

What has experience taught me?
Nobody has to remain unrealised.

What has realisation taught me?
Everybody is an unmanifested God.

5481. This sadness will not last

Your vital is puzzling you.
Your mind is baffling you.
Therefore, you are sad.
But this sadness will not last forever.
Wait soulfully for God’s choice Hour.

5482. A precious evolution

If you want to have
A continuous and precious evolution,
Then give up what you do not need,
A helpless cry,
And accept what you do need,
A powerful smile.

5483. Inside your flaming love

What you have now
Is a flaming temper.
What you need
Is a flaming love.
Inside your flaming love
One day, to your surprise,
You will see a growing and glowing God.

5484. In perfect silence-hush

In perfect silence-hush
My heart remains loyal
To my soul’s perfection-vision.

5485. You are more than perfect

Since your mind has penetrating
Intuitive vision-light,
Since your heart is a constant
Self-transcendence-delight,
You are perfect,
More than perfect.

5486. Love the battlefield of life

Love the battlefield of life,
For joy is always breathing
Secretly and openly
In both your victory and your defeat.

5487. When death invades you

When death invades you,
Do you not see
New sparks of wonder,
Extremely illumining,
In that experience?

5488. The flood of his remembrance

He is weeping like a helpless child.
Do you know why?
Precisely because of the flood
Of his remembrance.

5489. Consecrate your voyage

If you can consecrate
Your voyage on Beauty’s mystic boat,
Then complete satisfaction
Will be yours.

5490. A hopeless journey

I am weary of myself.
My life is but a hopeless journey
With not an iota of ecstasy.

5491. Suspect your choice

If you cannot make the correct choice,
Try at least to suspect your choice.
You will be able to keep yourself
Free from the heavy burden
Of fruitless accomplishments.

5492. Its nearest neighbours

My purity-heart has discovered
The supreme Truth:
My Lord’s Compassion-Eye
And my Lord’s Forgiveness-Heart
Are by far its nearest and dearest
Neighbours.

5493. My hesitation

My hesitation is a serious
Imperfection of my mind.
My hesitation is a dangerous
Frustration of my heart.
My hesitation is an utter
Dissatisfaction of my soul.

5494. They will die together

My mind’s impurity,
My heart’s insecurity
And my life’s futility
Stay together
And will die together.

5495. Never-ending changes

O my mind,
Be not afraid
Of never-ending changes,
For they will eventually lead you
To Perfection-Satisfaction-Delight.

5496. The world of Heavenly becoming

Let me detach myself completely
From the world of earthly knowing
So that I can grow into
The world of Heavenly becoming.

5497. Opportunity knocks

Time and again
Opportunity knocks
At our heart’s door.
Time and again
We do not avail ourselves
Of these opportunities.
Then we blame God
And curse ourselves.

5498. If your heart can love

If your heart can love
The lives of the unlovable,
Then you become a revealed jewel
In Heaven’s treasure-safe.

5499. An obedience-smile

My Inner Pilot
Can grant me abiding happiness
Only after I have taught myself
How to become an obedience-smile.

5500. Switch your loyalty to God

Switch your loyalty to God.
You have given enough,
More than enough,
To this ungrateful world.
Give God one second of your selfless heart,
And He will grant you
His Eternity’s Nectar-Smile.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the fifty-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 exchanges greetings with Surjit Singh Barnala, India’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation (_right_), at the University of California at Davis, 29 September 1978, as two aides look on. After attending one of Sri Chinmoy’s meditation concerts, the Indian Minister told the Master, “I felt you bringing down Peace and Grace from Above.”