The Golden Boat, Part 2

1. DON'T THINK, DON'T SLEEP

When he was a child,
One day
   His father said to him:
      “Don’t think, my child.
      God never thinks.”
Since then, he never cared
To learn the art of thinking.

When he was a child,
One day
   His mother said to him:
      “Don’t sleep, my child.
      God never sleeps.”
Since then, he never cared
To learn the art of sleeping.

2. INSPIRATION-SEED, REALISATION-PLANT, MANIFESTATION-TREE

Yesterday
In my soul-house
I kept my inspiration-seed.

Today
In my heart-room
I keep my realisation-plant.

Tomorrow
At my body-door
I shall keep my manifestation-tree.

3. O SEEKER

O seeker of silence-beauty,
I long to fly with you.

O seeker of soul-smile,
I long to expand like you.

O seeker of God-Reality,
I long to be
The Son-Light of the absolute King
Like you, with you.

4. TEARS

O clever tears
Of my eyes,
   Stop descending.

O secret tears
Of my heart,
   Start ascending.
God is awaiting your great arrival.

O sacred tears
Of my soul,
   I love you;
   I love you only.

Not because you have the world-treasure,
Not because you are the world-treasure,
But because you have chosen me
   As your very own.

5. ALTHOUGH I SLEEP

Although I sleep
During my morning meditation,
God appreciates my attempt.
Therefore
I thank God.

Although I sleep
During my evening meditation,
I am proud of my attempt.
Therefore
I love myself.

6. IN ONE DAY

In one day
I became old:
When earth refused to accept
      My help.

In one day
I became young again:
When Heaven offered me
      His friendship.

In one day
I fed earth’s ageless hunger:
When earth showed me
      Her sunken sun.

7. GOD'S PLANS

Music that I wish to hear,
God is planning to compose.

Love that I wish to feel,
God is planning to create.

Joy that I wish to become,
God is planning to offer.

Perfection that I wish to see,
God is planning to plant.

8. A MAN OF GOD-SUBSTANCE

What was he?
A man of fabulous divinity!

What is he?
A man of imprisoned pride!

What is he going to be?
A man of God-substance,
A man of love-essence.

9. QUARRELS WITH GOD

You quarrel with God
      Because
God has not granted you
      Realisation.

He quarrels with God
      Because
God has not given him
      Aspiration-kite.

I quarrel with God
      Because
God has not given me
      The capacity to manifest Him
         Completely on earth.

God quarrels with Himself
   Because
God feels that He could have created
   A far better world.

10. THEREFORE YOU FAILED

It was a poor preparation.
      Therefore
You failed.

It was a bad calculation.
      Therefore
You failed.

It was an abrupt depression.
      Therefore
You failed.

It was an unwarranted surrender.
      Therefore
You failed.

11. YOUR INNER WEATHER

Your inner weather
Is always foul
      Because
You do not dream
      High realities.

Your inner weather
Is always foul
      Because
You are afraid to face
      Your lifeless shadow
      Alone.

Your inner weather
Is always foul
      Because
You are fond of living
      In your puny
      Imagination-temptation world.

12. EXPECTATIONS

As long as men are mortal
I expect nothing from them.
However, one thing I expect:
Their gratitude-flames.

As long as the gods are immortal
I expect many things from them.
But perhaps one thing will do:
Constant concern.

13. DO DOUBT, DO QUESTION!

O my doubtful eyes,
When I think I am
Perfect perfection,
Do doubt my unprecedented discovery!

O my questioning mind,
When I act like a god,
Do question my authority!

14. TEACH ME

O energetic ant,
Do be my master sweet.
Teach me not to waste time.
Teach me how to walk along
The patience-road.
Teach me simple, fruitful reality,
Misnamed stupid simplicity.

15. MY FRIEND, MY FELLOW BEGGAR

When I am
With my Friend, God,
I come down
From Heaven to hell.
With my Friend
I change the face of hell.

When I am
With my fellow beggar, man,
I go up
From hell to Heaven.
With my fellow beggar
I look to see
If the sleeping God is awake.

16. YOU HAVE RUINED MY REPUTATION

Dear depression,
You have ruined my
   Inspiration-reputation.

Dear frustration,
You have ruined my
   Aspiration-reputation.

Dear delusion,
You have ruined my
   God-perfection.

17. MY COURAGE SUPREME, MY GOD-DREAM

God needs me.
Therefore,
Today my courage supreme is reborn.

I need God.
Therefore,
Today my God-dream becomes man-reality.

18. HERE THEY ARE

Truth is where you see it,
Love is where you feel it,
Delight is where you find it,
Power is where you invoke it,
Peace is where you need it,
Light is where you claim it.

19. ALAS!

Alas!
My brave Divinity-day
Has sunk in the chasm of night.

      Alas!
My years have hastened
To their destined end.

      Alas!
The Teacher of all teachers,
My inner faith,
Forgets to teach me
      Regularly,
      Divinely
         And
      Supremely.

20. WHOM SHALL I SERVE?

Whom shall I serve?
A mortal master?
   “Never!”

Whom shall I serve?
An immortal Master?
   “Always!”

But where is He?
“He is inside your heart-cave.”
      Who is He?
“He is your active partner.”
      Who are you?
“His Eternity’s sleeping partner.”

21. GOD'S ATTENTION

Fear invokes
God’s attention immediate.

Courage expects
God’s attention immediate.

Doubt invites
God’s attention immediate.

Faith treasures
God’s attention eternal.

22. THEY HAVE THE ANSWER

Was God ever born?
My heart has the answer.

Did God ever die?
My soul has the answer.

Will God ever be fulfilled?
My dream-boat has the answer.

23. NEVER GIVE UP

Your life can be
   Grown to perfection.
   Don’t give up.

Your soul
   May replace God.
   Don’t give up.

God definitely shall make you
   Another God.
   Never give up.

24. UNVISITED

Human fear
Is unvisited by God.
   Divine courage
Is unvisited by human fear.

   Human love
Is unvisited
   By the seeker’s fulfilling success.
   Divine Love
Is unvisited
   By the seeker’s animal past.

25. MY SCHOOL LESSONS

From the school
Of simplicity
I learnt:
   God is simple
   And within my easy reach.

From the school
Of diversity
I learnt:
   Incomplete uncertainty
   Is God’s entire creation.

From the school
Of complexity
I learnt:
   God is extremity’s
   Futility.

26. O MY DREAM-BOAT, O MY REALITY-SHORE

O Dream-boat of my joy,
   Ultimately
You will reach the Reality-shore.

O Reality-shore of my joy,
   Ultimately
You will make me another God.
      Therefore
You ask me
   To check my tornado-impatience,
And to enjoy
   My earth-transformed
      And
   Heaven-born
      Freedom.

27. HIS MISTAKES

He sleeps too much.
      Therefore
He desires.

He thinks too much.
      Therefore
He cries.

He fears.
      Therefore
He fails so soon.

He doubts.
      Therefore
He dies so soon.

28. GOD AND I ARE EVEN

God and I are even.
I defeated God
By outliving Him
In the world of ignorance-sea.
God defeats me
By outliving me
In the world of gnostic-sun.

29. LIFE

Harmless and noiseless life
   I accepted.

Loveless and soulless life
   I rejected.

Thoughtless and senseless life
   I protested.

Godless and truthless life
   I arrested.

30. FUTILE THOUGHTS

In the life of a desiring man
Satisfaction is a futile hope.

In the life of an aspiring man
Depression is a futile topic.

In the life of a God-realised man
Life-negation is a futile task.

31. BECAUSE

Because
Of his diseased ambition,
He is drinking pain.

Because
Of his deceased goal,
God is inspiring him
And saying to him,
“Your destiny is blossoming.
Hear the clarion call!”

32. HE HATES AND HE LOVES

He hates prosperity
      Because
Prosperity harmed his humility.

   He hates success
      Because
Success ruined his progress.

   He loves sincerity
      Because
Sincerity never deserted him.

   He loves humility
      Because
Humility is God’s universal
   Oneness-light,
   Oneness-might,
   Oneness-flight.

33. HE DID NOT APPRECIATE

He received joy
      But
Forgot to appreciate it.

He achieved success
      But
Neglected to appreciate it.

He received love
      But
Refused to appreciate it —
   Consciously
   Deliberately
   Shamelessly.

34. MY FOOD

O desire-life,
Do you want
To eat my food?
Doubt-sighs are my food.

O aspiration-life,
Do you want
To eat my food?
Progress is my food.

O Realisation-life,
Do you want
To eat my food?
Oneness is my food,
My only food.

35. O EMPTINESS

O emptiness of ages,
I eat your silence-food.
      Therefore
To you I offer my gratitude-heart.

   O silence of Eternity’s Vision-dawn,
You fulfil your sound-manifestation
Through my life’s inner cry.
      Therefore
To you I offer my certitude-soul.

36. GOD TREASURES

Your mind’s unparalleled
      Vastness,
God secretly treasures.

Your heart’s unparalleled
      Sacrifice,
God soulfully treasures.

Your life’s unparalleled
      Love,
God sacredly treasures.

37. O MY DESIRE, O MY ASPIRATION

O my scorching desire,
Are you not my shameless disgrace?
   “Yes, I am.
      But God still loves me.”

O my burning aspiration,
Are you not my fulfilling promise to God,
   My eternal Father?
   “No, I am not.
      I am the mere Grace-servant
      And Reality-son of God.”

38. ONLY THAT

Only what is permanent
   Is free.

Only what is free
   Is divine.

Only what is divine
   Is fulfilling.

Only what is fulfilling
   Is life-giving.

Only what is life-giving
   Is God-becoming.

39. TALKERS

Body, I had no idea
That you were such a useless talker.

Vital, I had no idea
That you were such a great talker.

Mind, I had no idea
That you were such a secret talker.

Heart, I had no idea
That you were such a silent talker.

Soul, I had no idea
That you have never been a talker.
God bless you!

40. WORLD PLANS

Your head houses
   World-shaking plans.

Your eyes contain
   World-devouring plans.

Your heart embraces
   World-illumining plans.

Your soul treasures
   World-surrendering plans.

41. SHE LOVES THE WORLD

She loves
The ungrateful world
   Because
She knows that
The gratitude-flower
   Is not to be found on earth.

   She loves
The imperfect world
   Because
She knows that
The perfection-moon
   Is not to be found on earth.

   She loves
The unaspiring world
   Because
She knows that
It takes time
   For aspiration to come into
      existence-life.

42. WHEN THEY ARE POOR

When education
Is poor,
Life is stupidity’s struggle.

When illumination
Is poor,
Life is necessity’s frustration.

When God-realisation
Is poor,
Life is reality’s suicide.

43. THEREFORE I SHALL

Dancing makes the soul young.
      Therefore
I shall dance.

Loving makes the heart soulful.
      Therefore
I shall love.

Offering makes the life fruitful.
      Therefore
I shall offer.

Surrendering makes the dream real.
      Therefore
I shall surrender.

44. ANOTHER NAME

Mind, don’t you know
That you have another name:
   Insatiable curiosity.

Heart, don’t you know
That you have another name:
   Destructive insecurity.

Soul, don’t you know
That you have another name:
   Dream-boat Reality.

45. UNWORTHY ONES

Your unworthy disciples
Give you their ignorance,
Their old and only friend of the past.
For God’s sake, bless them.

Your unworthy Master
Gives you what he has:
His old and only friend, deception.
For God’s sake, leave him and go alone.

46. THIEVES

O sweet thief in my heart,
Do steal away not only
What I have, but also
What I am.
From now I shall have
Only one need:
You, only you.

O swift thief of the world around
Who came to rob me,
Don’t act like a fool.
Don’t empty
My venom-cup.
Your life of light shall die
Before it begins.

47. PERHAPS THEY WILL

Since
It is a good day to die,
   Ask your old ignorance-friend
   To die for you.
      Perhaps he will.

      Since
It is a good day to study,
   Ask your knowledge-brother
   To study for you.
      Perhaps he will.

      Since
It is neither a good day nor a bad day,
   Ask your compassion-mother
   To fulfil you.
      Certainly she can and she will.

49. EXCUSES

God, we were fully awake,
But our pilot slept
   All the way.
   Therefore we are late.

God, our pilot was fully awake,
But we slept
   All the way.
Of course he had
Our inner support
   And
Outer approval
To place us
At Your Feet
On time.

50. HE SMILES AT ME

When I sleep
After my prayer,
My Lord smiles at my child-heart.

When I sleep
After my concentration,
My Captain smiles at my soldier-will.

When I sleep
After my meditation,
My Beloved smiles at my surrender-life.

When I sleep
After my contemplation,
My Friend smiles at my oneness-soul.

Editor's preface to the first edition

This book of 50 poems is part of a four-part series written by Sri Chinmoy in the 22-hour period between 12:01 a.m. and 10:01 p.m. on 2 February 1974. It was also printed on the same day by the group pictured in the photograph above the preface.

The Sri Chinmoy Library