The Golden Boat, part 12

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1. Waiting for you

O body, my body,
    Don’t sleep any more.
Look, Vision-God is waiting for you!

O vital, my vital,
    Don’t remain spiritless any more.
Look, Energy-God is waiting for you!

O mind, my mind,
    Don’t doubt any more.
Look, Perfection-God is waiting for you!

O heart, my heart,
    Don’t cry any more.
Look, Satisfaction-God is waiting for you!

2. Three lessons

Self-abnegation teaches me
    I do not need earth-life.

Self-purification teaches me
    I need God’s living Breath in Heaven.

Self-realisation teaches me
    Earth-life I need to please God;
    Heaven-life I need to please myself.

3. I hate those liars

I hate my yesterday
    Because
She told me a dark lie.
She told me that God-life
Is not meant for me.

I hate my today
    Because
She has told me a serious lie.
She has told me that God-realisation
Is not meant for me.

I hate my tomorrow
    Because
She is telling me a stupid lie.
She is telling me that there is
And there can be
    No God
For an idle fellow like me.

4. You alone know what love is

Lord, Your Speech is simple.
    Therefore
I like You.

Lord, Your Philosophy is sublime.
    Therefore
I love You.

Lord, Your Sacrifice is constant.
    Therefore
I adore You.

Lord, You alone know what love is.
    Therefore
I need You, only You.

5. Light is precious

Precious,
Light is precious.

    Spacious,
Life is spacious.

    Gracious,
Truth is gracious.

    Voracious,
Falsehood is voracious.

    Sagacious,
Heart is sagacious.

    Glorious,
Faith is glorious.

    Dangerous,
Hate is dangerous.

    Conscious,
Love is conscious.

6. Her presence

Her presence
Is always treasured.

    Her smile
Is always adored.

    Her silence
Is always garlanded.

    Her compassion
Is always crowned.

7. My ego, my love

My ego feeds
    Earth-reality.
My ego binds
    Heaven-dream.
My love pilots
    Earth-aspiration.
My love manifests
    Heaven-realisation.

8. God is all for you

Are you a fighter?
Then God’s Banner is for you.

Are you a dreamer?
Then God’s Arbour is for you.

Are you a sacrificer?
Then God’s Nectar is for you.

Are you a lover?
Then God is all for you,
    Only for you.

9. If you are supreme

If you are great,
Then show me your face.
I want to examine your face.

If you are good,
Then show me your eyes.
I want to examine your eyes.

If you are divine,
Then show me your heart.
I want to examine your heart.

    But
If you are supreme,
Then examine me.
I shall definitely
    Equal you.
Just give me a chance,
    That’s all.

10. Do me a favour

If you are the Earth-Mother,
Then do me a favour.
Give me, please, Your patience-tree.

If you are the Heaven-Father,
Then do me a favour.
Give me, please, Your Knowledge-fruit.

If you are the Saviour-God,
Then do me a favour.
Give me, please, Your Oneness-banner.

11. Lessons you have learnt

Life is beautiful.
This lesson you have learnt
From your temptation-teacher.

Light is beautiful.
This lesson you have learnt
From your aspiration-teacher.

Delight is beautiful.
This lesson you have learnt
From your perfection-teacher.

12. Beggars

Yesterday’s beggars:
Man and his greed.

Today’s beggars:
God and His Needs.

Tomorrow’s beggars:
God the Perfection-lover,
    And
Man the ignorance-devourer.

13. My gifts

Yesterday
I gave You, Lord,
My life’s bitter defeat.

Today
I give You, Lord,
My soul’s glorious victory.

Tomorrow
I shall give You, Lord,
My heart’s oneness-goal.

14. The height and depth of earth-life

I touch the feet
    Of Silence-light
To scale the height
    Of earth-life.

I touch the head
    Of sound-pride
To plumb the abyss
    Of earth-life.

15. My different friends

Doubt, do you know
Who you are?
You are my fleeting friend.

Faith, do you know
Who you are?
You are my bleeding friend.

Life, do you know
Who you are?
You are my searching friend.

Love, do you know
Who you are?
You are my illumining friend,
You are my eternal friend,
You are my God-Friend.

16. Her heart

Green as young grass
    Her heart is;
Therefore, she runs to the farthest Beyond.

Blue as the vast sky
    Her heart is;
Therefore, she flies into the farthest Beyond.

Red as the morning sun
    Her heart is;
Therefore, she illumines the world without.

White as Himalayan snow
    Her heart is;
Therefore, she feeds the world within.

17. When I love

When I love desire-night,
    I fail God.
When desire-night loves me,
    Truth-love forgets me.

When I love aspiration-light,
    God-Beauty envelops me.
When aspiration-light loves me,
    God-height claims me.

18. Two things he does

Two things, only two things,
    He does:
He breathes in the perfume
    Of God-promise
    To Mother Earth;
He breathes out the odour
    Of frustration-reality
    To Father Heaven.

19. Perfection-banner you offer

Truth-banner you own;
    Therefore
You are great.

Light-banner you hold;
    Therefore
You are great.

Perfection-banner you offer;
    Therefore
You are great,
You are good,
You are divine,
You are supreme.

20. My Lord God is missing

If you are wakeful
Then look around with me,
    Help me.
My Lord God is missing.

If you are soulful
Then look within my heart,
    Help me.
My Lord God is missing.

If you are blissful
Then look up with me,
    Help me.
My Lord God is missing.

21. My evening song

My morning song was:
    How far to go?
    Far have I to go!

My afternoon song was:
    Can I reach my Goal?
    I can and I shall
    Reach my Goal!

My evening song is:
    Have I reached my Goal?
    I have not only reached my Goal
    But
    Far transcended my Goal!
    I desired to touch His Feet
    But
    My Lord has made me feel His Heart.

22. How is it?

Soul, my soul, how is it that
Your power is so mysterious?

Heart, my heart, how is it that
Your power is so soulful?

Mind, my mind, how is it that
Your power is so immense?

Vital, my vital, how is it that
Your power is so intense?

Body, my body, how is it that
Your power is so dubious?

23. What I call it

Some call it evolution,
While others call it man-transformation.
I call it God-perfection.

Some call it aspiration,
While others call it man-cry.
I call it God-smile.

Some call it realisation,
While others call it reality-life.
I call it God-satisfaction.

24. Where are you?

Oblivion, stay where you are.
    Don’t come near me!

O my remembrance-friend, where are you?
    I need you immediately.

O my aspiration-friend, where are you?
    I need you constantly.

O my realisation-friend, where are you?
    I need you eternally.

25. O morning of Eternity

O Morning of Eternity,
I love your silence-face.

O Morning of Infinity,
I love your sound-arms.

O Morning of Immortality,
I love your perfection-heart.

26. The call

Yesterday
My vital enjoyed
The tempter’s call.

    Today
My mind enjoys
The doubter’s call.

    Tomorrow
My heart shall enjoy
The lover’s call.

    The day after tomorrow
My body shall enjoy
My Father’s Call.

27. Two swords

Aspiration-flame
Is the sword
That separates Knowledge-Light
    And
Ignorance-night.

    Realisation-sun
Is the sword
That unites the cry of the finite
    And
The Smile of the Infinite.

28. Our devotion

Your devotion-seed
Loves a holy face.

His devotion-tree
Salutes a holy life.

My devotion-fruit
Becomes a holy heart.

29. Pay more attention to it

God loves your earth-body;
    Therefore
    Pay more attention to it.

God loves your Heaven-soul;
    Therefore
    Pay more attention to it.

God loves your Immortality-goal;
    Therefore
    Pay more attention to it.

30. You are perfect, too

Are you calm?
Then you are confident, too.

Are you confident?
Then you are progressive, too.

Are you progressive?
Then you are instrumental, too.

Are you instrumental?
Then you are perfect, too.

31. Silence and sound

Silence, silence,
My Lord is coming.

Sound, sound,
My Lord is going.

Silence, silence,
My Lord is returning.

Sound, sound,
My Lord is perfecting.

Silence, silence,
My Lord is enjoying.

Sound, sound,
My Lord is becoming.

32. Fire and water

O march of fire,
My heart longs for
Your determination-blood.
Do share with me
Your aspiration-height.

O march of water,
My vital longs for
Your expansion-flood.
Do share with me
Your consciousness-light.

33. I salute

I salute earth
    Because
She tries and cries.

I salute Heaven
    Because
He dreams and smiles.

I salute man
    Because
He sows and grows.

I salute God
    Because
He divinely has,
He supremely is.

34. They long for silence

My body longs for
Loving silence.

My vital longs for
Daring silence.

My mind longs for
Thoughtless silence.

My heart longs for
Soundless silence.

My soul longs for
Worldless silence.

My God longs for
Breathless Silence.

35. The dance

The dance of the sea
Inspires me to be dauntless.

The dance of the sky
Inspires me to be sorrowless.

The dance of the moon
Inspires me to be guileless.

The dance of the sun
Inspires me to be selfless.

The dance of the earth
Inspires me to be sleepless.

The dance of Heaven
Inspires me to be thoughtless.

The dance of man
Inspires me to be soulless.

The dance of God
Inspires me to be deathless,
    Also soundless.

36. You will be happy

Speak without words.
You will be happy.

Dedicate without proclaiming.
You will be happy.

Love without being loved.
You will be happy.

Surrender without being subjugated.
You will be happy.

Become without being known,
    without being caught,
    without being sought.
You will be happy.

37. I stand on the balcony of Light

I stand
On the balcony of Light
To brave Satan’s death-dart.

    I stand
On the balcony of Peace
To devour the hungry, war-mad world.

38. They listen to me

The morning-silence
Listens to me;
    Therefore
I am so pure.

    The noon-sound
Listens to me;
    Therefore
I am so sure.

    The evening-light
Listens to me;
    Therefore
I am never obscure,
I am never neglected,
I am never rejected,
    And
    My heart-love has become
    What my soul-life eternally is.

39. I am proud

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your servant.
You allow me to touch Your Feet.

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your child.
You allow me to dine with You.

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your comrade.
You allow me to sport with You.

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your lower self.
You allow me to worship You.

40. My bonds are broken

My earth-bonds are snapped;
    Therefore
I can go to Heaven
And rest and dream.

My Heaven-bonds are severed.
This realisation has dawned on me
In my own way;
    Therefore
I can go to earth
To please my Lord Supreme —
To please Him
In His own Way,
Unlike the Heaven-hungry souls.

41. Cry

O Compassion supreme,
I cry
When I see You.

O Tyrant supreme,
I cry
When I cannot avoid You.

O Nectar supreme,
I cry
When I love You.

O Indifference supreme,
I cry
When I cannot love You.

O Awareness supreme,
I cry
When You love me.

O Forgetfulness supreme,
I cry
When You do not love me.

42. O my patience

O my patience-heart,
    Because of you
Today I own Liberation-sky.

    O my patience-life,
    Because of you
Today I own Perfection-world.

    O my patience-God,
    Because of You
Today I own Satisfaction-goal.

43. Freedom

Freedom burdened:
    Indeed,
This is what
My poor mind enjoys.

Freedom unburdened:
    Indeed,
This is what
My serving heart enjoys.

Freedom birthless and deathless:
    Indeed,
This is what
My wise soul enjoys.

44. Promise blue, promise green

O earth-kingdom,
Don’t suffer.
To you I offer
My promise blue:
My heart shall help you ascend
And touch God’s
Transcendental Height.

O Heaven-kingdom,
Don’t suffer.
To you I offer
My promise green:
My soul shall help you descend
And feel God’s
Bottomless Depth.

45. Earth-door and Heaven-gate

Earth-door
Naked we knock.

    Heaven-gate
Nameless we knock.

    Earth-door
Offers us its peerless treasure:
    A ceaseless cry.

    Heaven-gate
Offers us its ceaseless treasure:
    The dream of the Beyond.

46. All are eager (I)

My deer is eager
To win for me.

My horse is eager
To dive for me.

My bull is eager
To fight for me.

My dog is eager
To wait for me.

My cow is eager
To illumine for me.

My lion is eager
To roar for me.

My God is eager
To smile for me.

47. All are eager (II)

My rabbit is eager
To jump for me.

My tiger is eager
To devour for me.

My giraffe is eager
To reach for me.

My turtle is eager
To die for me.

My monkey is eager
To climb for me.

My swan is eager
To realise for me.

My cat is eager
To cry for me.

My camel is eager
To carry for me.

My elephant is eager
To brave for me.

48. For my sake

O restless mind,
When will you stop
    Beating your wings?
Stop for my sake at least,
    Please.

    O heedless heart,
When will you start
    Unsealing your ears?
Start for my sake at least,
    Please.

49. When she smiles

When she thinks,
Teeming stars dance
With Light.

When she wills,
The Supreme sports
With His highest Height.

When she smiles,
The Creator and the creation
Are at once fulfilled.

50. A cave of my own

O my heart,
I have a sky of my own.
I want you to fly
From end to end.

O my mind,
I have an ocean of my own.
I want you to swim
From end to end.

O my sweet Lord,
I have a cave of my own.
I want You to walk
From end to end.

Editor's preface to the first edition

All the poems in this volume were written on 4 June 1974.