7701. The First Divine Rule

He knows the first divine rule:
Love God, only God.
He knows the last supreme rule:
Love God sleeplessly
Plus unconditionally.

7702. An Insincere Seeker

A sincere seeker will not mind
If God does not speak to him.
An insincere seeker will not be satisfied
Even if God does speak to him.
He will be furious that God
Did not speak to him sooner.

7703. The God-Tree

All religions are part of one God-Tree.
This God-Tree has many branches,
Flowers and fruits.
If you climb up a tree
And rest on a particular branch,
Will the tree be displeased?
Similarly, if you take a flower or fruit,
No matter from which branch,
The God-Tree will be pleased,
For each branch is part and parcel
Of the tree itself.

7704. Too Much Heavenly Food

When you eat too much earthly food,
The world tells you that you are greedy.
When you eat too much Heavenly food,
God tells you
And the whole world tells you
That you are an absolutely
Choice instrument of God.

7705. Your Hovering Failure-Sigh

If you fail in your aspiration-life,
In the evening of your life
You are bound to see
Your own failure-sigh
Hovering between earth and Heaven.

7706. Invade And Conquer

Before fear invades your heart,
You must invade and conquer
Your own insecurity-life.

Before doubt invades your mind,
You must invade and conquer
Your own impurity-thoughts.

7707. My Self-Sacrificing Friend

If I can always have
A childlike confidence,
Then my Lord Supreme
Will, without fail, become
My sleeplessly self-sacrificing Friend.

7708. Even My Own Mind Misunderstands

Misunderstanding is
The order of the day.
Therefore, even my own mind
Misunderstands my own infallible heart.

7709. Since God Has Killed Me

Since God has killed me
With His Love,
I am going to kill Him
With my gratitude.

7710. Why Worship Fear?

Fear, why do I have to worship you?
You are not going to
Make me happy.
You are not going to
Make me immortal.

7711. The Only King On Earth

I am totally convinced
That a pure heart
Is the only king on earth.

7712. Why Do I Have To Believe?

Why do I have to believe him
Who tells me
That my heart is not of God
And that my life is not for God?

7713. Each Divine Thought

As each evil thought
Is a problem-maker,
Even so, each divine thought
Is an immediate problem-shooter.

7714. My Falling Tears

My falling tears
In no time are captured
By God’s descending
Compassion-Concern-Smile.

7715. A Stepping-stone

I stumbled only to realise
That my stumbling itself
Was a stepping-stone
Towards my speedy God-realisation.

7716. My Prayers

I do not know where
My prayers have disappeared to.
Alas, my life is strewn
With deathless sorrows.

7717. Craving For Rich Comfort

O my vital,
You are craving for rich comfort.
But alas, do you not see the death-dart
Fast approaching you?

7718. Its Daily Appointment With God

Human life
Will not meet with disappointment
If it keeps
Its daily appointment with God.

7719. Everybody Misunderstands You

O my mind,
Everybody misunderstands you,
But not my loving heart
And my illumining soul.

7720. A Stupendous Inner Loss

One tiny inch
In any wrong direction
May be the cause
Of a stupendous inner loss.

7721. What Do I Expect From You?

What do I expect from you?
A soulful love
And a powerful promise.

7722. The Most Difficult Task

The most difficult task
Is to bring to the fore
The best you have within you.
But this most difficult task
Is not impossible,
For God is always ready to help you
With His open Heart.

7723. Not In Vain

The soul does not come and go in vain.
At the end of each earthly sojourn
The soul strengthens its determination
To manifest the Supreme infinitely more
In its future incarnations.

7724. To Satisfy My Lord Supreme

To satisfy my Lord Supreme
I must treasure my heart’s aspiration-cry
And my life’s dedication-smile.

7725. Faith And Beauty

Faith is beauty’s
Climbing cry.
Beauty is life’s
Glowing smile.

7726. My Mind's Telephone Number

Only one thing
God hesitates to take from me,
And that is
My mind’s telephone number.

7727. God's Compassionate Rainbow-Lustre

God’s compassionate Rainbow-Lustre
Can be safely treasured and preserved
Only by the inner purity
Of aspiring hearts.

7728. Only When Faith Is Afraid

Doubt inserts its poisonous knife
Only when faith is afraid
Of challenging doubt’s audacity.

7729. The Ultimate Fact Of Life

You can deny and ignore everything
Except the ultimate fact of life:
Death.

7730. All My Wise Decisions

O my stupid mind,
From now on
I shall not receive from you
But I shall direct to you
All my wise decisions.

7731. My Lord, Run With Me

My Lord,
If You care for me,
Then at least run with me
If You do not want
To run for me.

7732. Why Are You So Angry?

My Lord,
Why are You so angry with me?
“I am not angry with you.
I am angry with Myself.”
Why?
Why?
“Because still I have not been able
To perfect you.”

7733. Past Weakness, Present Weakness

Loving myself alone
Was my past weakness.
Not loving God alone
Is my very strong present weakness.

7734. My Mental Hallucinations

God’s Oneness-Heart
And my newness-life
I once upon a time thought
Were my mental hallucinations.

7735. At Last My Heart Has Challenged

At last my heart
Has challenged my mind,
Not to defeat it
But to transform it.

7736. Nobody Hears Anything

Nobody hears anything.
Nobody wants to hear anything.
Nobody needs to hear anything.
But who can avoid hearing
The fast-approaching footsteps
Of death?

7737. His Self-Giving Heart

Your great penance has gratified you alone.
That’s all!
But his self-giving heart for mankind
Has not only thrilled my heart
But also illumined my life.

7738. Only To Catch A Glimpse

I live on earth
Only to catch a glimpse
Of my Lord’s Compassion-Eye
And Forgiveness-Feet.

7739. Each Undetected Desire

Each undetected desire
Has the unthinkable capacity
To strangle our snow-white aspiration-life.

7740. The Increase Of Self-Indulgence

The increase of self-indulgence
Is the immediate decrease
Of beauty’s purity and duty’s divinity.

7741. A Saint Knows And Feels

A saint knows and feels
That he is inside
The Satisfaction-Eye of God.

A sinner does not know
Or dare to feel
That he is inside
The Compassion-Heart of God.

7742. A Flood From His Thought-Sea

A flood from his thought-sea
Has totally destroyed
The life-illumining music
Of his soul.

7743. When I Am In My Master's Heart

When I am in my Master’s heart,
I see everything
Save and except one thing:
Death-dart.

7744. Nothing Is More Illumining

Nothing is more illumining
Than my silver faith.
Nothing is more fulfilling
Than my golden surrender.
Nothing is more satisfying
Than my diamond gratitude.

7745. Showing Me The Way

My heart’s hope
And my soul’s promise
Are showing me the way
To God’s Omniscience-Light.

7746. The Outskirts Of Hope

To live on the outskirts of hope
Is not enough.
Cultivate a hope-life
Inside the very breath
Of your moment-to-moment existence.

7747. Eternity's Shortest Road

Eternity shows its shortest road
To him who does not want to wait
For ignorance-prince.

7748. A Better Name

There is a better name for earth:
Permanent hospital.
There is a better name for man:
Incurable patient.

7749. The Self-Proclamation-Game

Now that I am not playing any more
The self-proclamation-game,
My Lord Supreme is so happy with me
And so proud of me.

7750. To Cultivate A Diamond Heart

If you can have a clear awareness
Of what is happening
In your aspiration-life,
It is an easy task
To cultivate a diamond heart.

7751. Excellence

Excellence is the sweet permanence-life
Of self-transcendence
In God’s Beauty and Duty unknowable.

7752. Comparison

My Mother India commands me
To learn that comparison
Is not a nice game.

7753. Her Ancient Beauty

My Mother India commands me
To learn that her ancient beauty
Far transcends the capacity
Of Western curiosity.

7754. Her Body And Soul

My Mother India tells me
That her body may be meant
For a silence-life,
But her soul is definitely meant
For the direct manifestation
Of God the Sound.

7755. Honour Patience

My Mother India commands me
To unreservedly honour
One of her main virtues:
Patience.

7756. Life's Divinity

My Mother India commands me
To learn that life’s divinity
Is founded upon oneness-purity.

7757. Beyond The Soaring Imagination-Flight

My Mother India announces to me
That by virtue of my heart’s
Constant cries,
I can go beyond the soaring imagination-flight
Of the modern world.

7758. When Your Heart Returns To God

When your mind returns to God,
He may not even say hello
To your mind.
But when your heart returns to God,
The first thing He will do
Is embrace your heart.

7759. A Dance Of Hope

Unless your heart
Is a dance of hope,
How can your life
Be a song of peace?

7760. Ready To Lose Everything

My Lord Supreme,
I am ready to lose everything
Save and except two things:
My heart’s beautiful hope
And my soul’s powerful promise.

7761. I Try, Only To Fail

My Lord,
I try, only to fail.
“My child,
Do not give up.
Soon you will try,
Only to succeed.”

7762. I Just Want To Know

My Lord,
I do not want to know
When I will be able
To please You.
I just want to know
If ever I will be able
To please You.

7763. A Complicated Mind

A complicated mind wants to see
God’s Vision-Eye.
A simple heart wishes to feel
God’s Compassion-Heart.

7764. Your Perfection Immediate

O my mind,
I am for your
Perfection immediate.
But I am not with
And I shall never be with
Your imperfection.

7765. Those Who Will Save Humanity

There will always be
Some people on earth
Who will save humanity
From total insanity.

7766. The Mind That Enjoys

His is the mind that enjoys
Sleepless struggles.
His is the life that enjoys
Useless unrest.

7767. A Soulful Glimpse

A God-lover knows
That each pure thought
Is a soulful glimpse
Of beauty’s height.

7768. Destiny's Cancelled Injunctions

His ceaselessly and unfathomably
Happy heart
Has cancelled all the injunctions
Of his fateful destiny.

7769. Who Practises Truth?

Who practises truth?
Certainly not you,
Not he, not I,
Not earth, perhaps not even Heaven.
Only Eternity’s hope
Practises truth.

7770. My Only Treasure

Lord, since You have opened
My heart’s door,
I am now going to give You
My only treasure:
My life’s gratitude-smile.

7771. He Does Not Hide Anything

He does not hide anything,
Not even his shameless unwillingness
To surrender to God’s Will.

7772. Life Has Denied Me

Life has denied me
My Lord’s Face,
But I am sure death
Will never do that.

7773. Practical Fears

Practical fears
Are very rare experiences.
Theoretical fears
Are daily occurrences.

7774. The Blue Bird Inside My Heart

Alas, the blue bird
Inside my heart
Instead of singing Heaven-free songs
Is hearing earth-bound sighs.

7775. The Gulf Of My Incomprehension

Each time I speak
To my foolish mind,
I enlarge the gulf
Of my incomprehension.

7776. A Hallowed Dawn

With my heart’s obedience-flames
I have created a hallowed dawn
To welcome God, the Beautiful One.

7777. My Lord Wants

From my life my Lord wants
One service-tree.
From my heart my Lord wants
Seven gratitude-fruits
And nothing more, nothing more.

7778. Always Misunderstood

My heart,
You do not often misunderstand
But you are always misunderstood.
I feel simply miserable
That I can be of no help to you
In spite of my soulful intention.

7779. My Constant Longing For Peace

My constant longing for peace
Is bravely captured
By strong despair.

7780. Unless We Purify The Mind

Unless we daily and faithfully
Purify the mind,
We will be forced to live
Inside the thick jungle
Of ignorance-night.

7781. Your Unlimited Patience

Your unlimited patience
Will earn for you
The unlimited Joy of God.

7782. Unless My Heart Takes Care

Unless my heart takes care
Of my conscience,
How can my conscience take care
Of my complicated life?

7783. My Heart's Deathless Hope

My heart’s deathless hope
Is that someday
In this lifetime
I shall please my Lord Supreme
In His own Way
At least for a fleeting second.

7784. Farther And Nearer

The farther away you are
From inner light,
The nearer you are
To your spiritual death.

7785. To Please God

O my mind,
Cry to please God.
O my heart,
Dream to please God.
O my life,
Smile to please God.
O my soul,
Do not leave my body.
I have yet to please God.

7786. His Final Decision

He has made his final decision:
No more world-deception;
Only a self-giving life of dedication.

7787. My Vital Never Learns

My vital never learns.
It is so stupid!
My mind never unlearns.
It is equally stupid!

7788. To Gain The Comradeship

To gain the comradeship
Of God the Transcendental
Is to claim the ownership
Of God the Universal.

7789. The Capacity To Whisper

God has given my aspiration-flames
The capacity to whisper secret truths
Into His sacred Ears.

7790. Only One Ideal Fragrance

There is only one ideal fragrance
That can come to the seeker’s rescue,
And that is the Fragrance
Of the yet-unknown God-Flower.

7791. High Above There Is A Voice

High above there is a voice
That commands him to love
God the Transcendental Beauty.

Deep within there is a voice
That commands him to serve
God the Universal Purity.

7792. Every Day My Lord Asks Me

Every day my Lord asks me
Not to hide His Vision-Beauty
But to carry it and spread it all-where
Soulfully and sleeplessly.

7793. Progress-Light

The human mind does not know
Where progress-light abides.
The divine heart knows
That there is no place on earth
Where progress-light
Cannot be seen and manifested.

7794. God Tells Us

God tells us
That there are limitless opportunities
For us to love Him
And become His perfect instruments.
He also tells us
That the cosmic gods are descending
To show us the only way
That leads to His supreme Vision-Height.

7795. The Inner Sun

The outer sun makes him feel
How insignificant he is.
The inner sun makes him see and feel
That for aeons he has been admiring
And adoring
Its divine vision
And supreme perfection.

7796. God Will Not Disappoint You

You do not have to know
About tomorrow.
You do not have to know
Even about today.
You only have to know one thing:
God will not disappoint you.

7797. The Best Short-cut

In the inner world
The best short-cut
Is to soulfully give
And unconditionally become.

7798. A Sea Of Love

Your heart must become
A sea of love.
Your mind must become
A river of detachment.

7799. The Future Holds For You

The future holds for you
Only one thing:
Your complete satisfaction
Within and without
In God’s own Way.

7800. The Capacity To Remember You

My Lord Supreme,
I am not asking You to receive me.
I am praying to You only to give me
The capacity to remember You
And feel You are my Eternity’s All
In both the world of earthly hope
And the world of Heavenly promise.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the seventy-eighth 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 meets with tennis star Pancho Segura in California in June 1979. The two played tennis and discussed the sport.