The Dance of Life, part 7

301. His knowledge and his understanding

```

He knows everything.

He knows everything

And understands nothing.

He understands everything.

He understands everything

And knows nothing.

To be in the world of the soul

Is to know everything.

To be in the world of the mind

Is to understand nothing.

To be in the world of the vital

Is to understand everything.

To be in the world of the body

Is to know nothing. ```

302. Nobody's business

```

Nobody’s business

Is everybody’s necessity.

Nobody’s business

Is everybody’s duty.

Nobody’s business

Is everybody’s depth of realisation.

Nobody’s business

Is everybody’s sense of universal perfection. ```

303. Two different things

```

Love is one thing,

Possession is another.

Possession is one thing,

Happiness is another.

Happiness is one thing,

Accomplishment is another.

Accomplishment is one thing,

Perfection is another. ```

304. I can't follow

```

I can’t follow God

Because

He wants, instead, to follow me most faithfully.

I follow man

Because

He wants to lead me constantly.

Staying behind,

God inspires me

To reach my sun-world.

Staying ahead,

Man instigates me

To ignore my aspiration-world.

```

305. When I live

```

When I live in the vital world

I find it easier to break than to build.

When I live in the physical world

I find it easier to sleep than to work.

When I live in the mental world

I find it easier to doubt and suspect

Than to love and embrace.

When I live in the psychic world

I find it easier to build than to break,

I find it easier to work than to sleep,

I find it easier to love and embrace

Than to doubt and suspect.

Unlike in other worlds,

In my psychic world

I want what I need,

I get what I want. ```

306. When

```

When I smile,

I make everything out of nothing.

When I love,

I make everything out of nothing.

When I offer,

I make everything out of nothing.

But

When I hesitate to smile,

I make nothing out of everything.

When I delay in loving,

I make nothing out of everything.

When I calculate in my offering,

I make nothing out of everything.

```

307. God depends on you

```

God’s arrival-appearance

Entirely

Depends upon your divine audacity

And

Divine tenacity.

Claim Him as your unconditional slave;

He will be exceedingly pleased.

Stick to your realisation and assertion;

He will offer His Heart-Crown to you.

```

308. She and he count differently

```

She counts God’s Blessings.

Therefore

She is happy.

He counts his failings.

Therefore

He is unhappy.

She counts devotedly God’s divine approvals.

Therefore

She is happy.

He counts greedily his achievements only.

Therefore

He is unhappy.

```

309. He is great

```

He is hopelessly great.

In the vital world

He pushes the door marked Pull,

In the mental world

He pulls the door marked Push.

In the psychic world

He neither pulls nor pushes

But waits for the hour to strike.

He knows that at the choice hour

God Himself will open

The door for him

Quietly,

Proudly,

Unconditionally. ```

310. Death and God

```

Only two persons

On earth and in Heaven

Do not contradict.

These are Death and God.

Death-hush knows not

How to contradict.

God-Wisdom feels

It is not worthwhile to contradict. ```

311. She and he

```

She is very rich

Because

She always gives,

She always gives.

He is very poor

Because

He always needs,

He always needs.

She is always beautiful.

She is always beautiful

Because

Her surrender divine

Drinks the Beauty of God.

He is always ugly.

He is always ugly

Because

His undivine autocracy devours

the freedom of man.

```

312. Do you need?

```

Do you need peace of mind?

Then think that the world does not need you.

Do you need peace of mind?

Then feel that the world

Is not nearly as useless as you think.

Do you need peace of mind?

Then see that you do not make

The same mistakes

That the world quite often makes. ```

313. When he is

```

When he is in the soul

He speaks nothing.

He quietly listens,

He cheerfully agrees.

When he is in the heart

He speaks very little.

He tries to listen,

He tries to agree.

When he is in the mind

He speaks constantly.

He never listens,

He totally disagrees. ```

314. When I

```

When I imitate God

To please Him,

He feels quite uneasy.

When I love God

To please Him,

He feels quite uneasy.

When I serve God

To please Him,

He feels quite uneasy.

When I become another God

To please Him,

He feels divinely happy;

He feels supremely fulfilled. ```

315. My human confidence and my confidence divine

```

My

Human confidence

Is

The proud feeling

Of knowing everything,

Of understanding everything.

My

Divine confidence

Is

To identify myself with the heart of everything,

See God and the world

With the soul of everything,

And

Become one with God the Aspiration-Light

And God the Realisation-Delight of everything.

```

316. Two conductors

```

Man the conductor

Sees the players

And

Sees not the audience.

His hunger for growing appreciation

Is

Half fed.

God the conductor

Hears the aspiration-music of the cosmic gods

And

Becomes the appreciation-applause of the divine audience.

His hunger for the joy-distribution

Is

Sumptuously fed.

```

317. His doubt and his faith

```

His doubt dares to solve

All his problems

Save and except

The unemployment problem

For faith, which it so maliciously creates.

His faith faithfully solves

All his problems

Created by his morning doubt-clouds

And

Nourished by his evening doubt-storms.

```

318. Machine and man

```

When a machine

Wants to think like a man,

God feels proud of His Dream-Boat.

He starts singing and dancing.

When a man

Wants to think like a machine,

God feels sorry for man’s unevolving life.

He buries His Mind and Vital

In the soil of despair-night

And

He drowns His Heart and Soul

In the giant bosom of failure-sea. ```

319. Fear and doubt

```

Fear of truth grows on his hope tree

To weaken him.

Doubt in God grows on his hope tree

To poison him.

His self-doubt grows on his hope tree

To destroy him. ```

320. Before Columbus discovers you

```

Don’t sleep,

Get up at least.

Don’t stand still,

Walk a little at least.

Before Columbus

Dares to discover you,

Fly your wings

Into the unknowable Beyond

Where

Your doubt-Columbus,

Your fear-Columbus

Shall have no access.

There you can reign

Unseen,

Unchallenged,

Unfathomed,

Sovereign,

Absolute,

Supreme.

```

321. Transformation

```

“Everyone thinks of

Changing the world, but no one thinks of

Changing himself.”

— Tolstoy

I tried to change myself;

I badly failed.

I tried to change the world;

To my wide surprise,

The world had achieved

Its perfection-light long before

I made my surrendered attempt.

I failed to change my life

Because

I mixed too much

With my Master, Ego,

With my Disciple, Doubt.

```

322. How do we use English?

```

Stephen Leacock said:

“Canadians use English for literature,

Scotch for sermons,

American for conversation.”

I use English to betray my roaring stupidity.

I use English to ignore my doubtful capacity.

I use English to reveal my soulful divinity.

I use English to manifest God’s glowing Authenticity. ```

323. Expectation and attainment

```

Love is what we expect;

Hatred is what we get.

Concern is what we expect;

Indifference is what we get.

Union is what we expect;

Division is what we get.

Triumph is what we expect;

Defeat is what we get.

Transformation is what we expect;

Frustration is what we get. ```

324. Communication-problems

```

O Telephone,

You have solved

My communication-problems;

Between

North and South,

East and West.

Therefore

To you I bow and bow.

But

Alas, who will solve

The age-long communication-problems

Between

My doubting mind

And

My crying heart,

Between

My restless vital

And

My joyless body?

```

325. My family in action

```

My heart practises

The Truth,

My mind preaches

The Truth.

My heart achieves

The Truth,

My vital distributes

The Truth.

My heart treasures

The Truth,

My body discards

The Truth.

My heart becomes

The Truth,

My soul is

The Truth. ```

326. Being American means

```

Mr.

Heinrich Böll, West Germany’s

1972 Nobel Laureate in literature, declared:

“Being American means the chance to be what you want.”

I asked my God two small questions:

What is the meaning of chance?

What do Americans want to be?

“My son, you are a God-lover.

For a God-lover there is no such thing as chance.

My dictionary does not house that particular word.

What you and I call Grace, others call chance.

“My son, here is My answer

To your second question:

Americans want to be perfect slaves to their freedom.”

Father, what do You mean?

I don’t understand Your answer.

Please be a little more explicit.

“What I mean is this:

Americans are not profitably,

Consciously and unreservedly

Using their freedom-soul

To reach the acme of their Freedom-Goal.”

```

327. Back to my desk

```

Mr.

Boll said:

“I am travelling too much and I want to go

Back to my desk.”

Since I have the same problem,

Although in an infinitesimal measure,

I sought my God’s advice.

God said: “My son, to Me your bed is your perfect desk.

To Me, your car is your perfect desk.

To Me, a jet plane is your perfect desk.

“Inspiration

Is in your heart.

Aspiration

Is in your soul.

Revelation

Is in your eyes.

Manifestation

Is in your hands.” ```

328. I came, I saw, I conquered

```

Caesar thundered:

“I came,

I saw,

I conquered.”

Satan thundered:

“I came,

I conquered,

I saw not.”

I thundered:

“I came not,

I saw not,

I conquered not.”

God thundered:

“I came,

I was seen,

I was conquered.” ```

329. When I drive

```

When I drive

I never feel

I own the car

Or

I own the road.

I feel

God’s Protection

Owns the car

And

Man’s sympathy owns the road.

```

330. I studied

```

I studied in three schools

That do not believe in failure:

My first school was the school of

Aspiration,

My second school was the school of

Transformation,

My third school was the school of

Satisfaction. ```

331. Comedy and tragedy

```

In life’s comedy

False fear dies.

In life’s tragedy

False hope dies.

Through life’s comedy

God reveals His Grace.

Through life’s tragedy

God perfects His Face. ```

332. God and I smile

```

God gave me a smile,

I gave Him a smile.

His smile made me feel

That I am not yet

Past correction.

My smile made Him feel

That I am still a lover of

Perfection. ```

333. When I am

```

When I am

In the hands of a doctor,

Fear and Death

Quietly think of me.

When I am

In the hands of a lawyer,

Anxiety and deception

Bravely think of me.

When I am

In the hands of a Spiritual Master,

Confidence and joy

Constantly think of me. ```

334. One sows and another reaps

```

The cook laboriously cooks;

The waitress gets the immediate appreciation.

Nature and Fate cure;

The doctor demands the fee.

God’s Grace illumines and fulfils mankind;

Man feels it is all due to his own personal effort. ```

335. Peace

```

God’s Grace

Wants to offer man the soul’s eternal Peace.

Man’s cry

Wants to acquire the heart’s immediate Peace.

The United Nations

Wants to offer the mind’s universal Peace.

Divorcing couples

Want to give birth to the vital’s demanding peace. ```

336. I am lucky and fortunate

```

I am lucky

In my outer life:

Success ascends

Before labour.

I am fortunate

In my inner life:

Grace descends

Before success. ```

337. He is lucky

```

He is lucky,

He did not get what he deserved.

He is lucky,

He did not say what he intended.

He is lucky,

He does not find anything wrong with the world.

He is lucky,

He does not know when death will knock at his door. ```

338. I was a fool

```

I was a fool,

I depended on my personal efforts.

I was a fool,

I depended on man’s assistance.

I was a fool,

I depended on God’s Grace.

But

Now I have become a wise man

Since I revised the order.

I now depend on God’s unconditional Grace first,

Ninety-eight and a half per cent.

And then I depend on my puny personal efforts,

One per cent.

Finally I depend on man’s conditional assistance,

One-half of one per cent.

```

339. Three examinations

```

I have

Three examinations to pass:

Death, Life and God.

I must say,

These are all most difficult examinations.

I have

Two examinations to pass:

Life and God.

I feel I shall fare well.

I have

One examination to pass:

God.

It seems I have already passed it. ```

340. They say

```

They say, “After middle age

The days go two at a time.”

I wholeheartedly

See eye to eye with them.

I just want to add

A few things:

After middle age

The mind-deer wants to run faster,

The vital-horse wants to run slower,

The body-bull wants to enjoy rest. ```

341. Two teachers

```

As a dance-teacher,

God teaches me

How to dance soulfully

Before the cosmic gods.

As an ignorance-teacher,

I teach God

How to cry pitifully

Before the human multitudes. ```

342. In my past, present and future

```

There was a time

When I lived to eat.

I ate and ate and ate.

Now

I eat to live.

I regularly eat,

I devotedly eat.

There shall come a time

When I shall eat

At God’s Will,

At God’s Hour;

From God’s Kitchen,

With God’s Smile. ```

343. Because

```

Because

I am unsuccessful,

My desire suffers.

Because

I am unsuccessful,

My aspiration suffers.

Because

I am unsuccessful,

My life suffers.

Because

I am unsuccessful,

My goal suffers.

Alas, there is someone

Who constantly suffers for me.

He is my God,

He is my Lord,

He is my All.

He suffers for me

Not because I am unsuccessful,

But because

I have deliberately kept myself

Out of employment. ```

344. Fortune or misfortune

```

Lord, a woman’s beauty:

Is it her fortune or misfortune?

Son, it is her fortune.

I gave her the beauty,

I am that beauty.

Lord, a man’s duty:

Is it his fortune or misfortune?

Son, it is his fortune.

I gave him the duty,

I am that duty.

Lord, a Yogi’s heart:

Is it his fortune or misfortune?

Son, it is his fortune.

I gave him the heart,

I am that heart.

```

345. I don't pray

```

I don’t pray.

Why?

Because God does not need my prayer.

I don’t pray.

Why?

Because man does not understand my prayer.

I don’t pray.

Why?

Because my enemies don’t believe in my prayer.

Finally I have come to the conclusion that

I don’t have to pray.

Why?

Because my friends believe that I always pray. ```

346. The story of my failure

```

When I failed

In man’s examination,

God came to my immediate rescue.

He explained

Emphatically

Why I had failed:

Because the examination was very difficult.

When I failed

In God’s examination,

Man deeply enjoyed my failure

And whisperingly said:

You rightly deserved it

Because

Your rich ignorance beggars description.

```

347. Three seekers

```

A beginner seeker

Is he who has started

The art of believing.

An advanced seeker

Is he who has started

The art of believing, loving, serving.

A realised seeker

Is he who has started

The art of surrendering:

Surrendering cheerfully to God’s Will,

Surrendering helplessly to man’s ignorance.

```

348. Experience, realisation and manifestation

```

Experience

Gives me no vacation.

Realisation

Gives me no frustration.

Revelation

Gives me no uncertainty.

Manifestation

Gives me no futility. ```

349. Two advisers

```

God’s advice to Man:

“Don’t lie!”

Man’s advice to God:

“Don’t sigh!”

God’s advice to Man:

“Don’t hide!

Are you a thief?”

Man’s advice to God:

“Don’t chide!

Am I a thief?”

```

350. Underestimation and overestimation

```

When I underestimated

My Power,

God placed me on His throne of Bliss.

When I underestimated

My Light,

God offered me His Garland of Victory.

When I overestimated

My Power,

Satan demanded and confiscated my passport.

When I overestimated

My Light,

Death mocked my height

And

Deported me into the Land of Destruction-Night.

```

Editor's preface to the first edition

The 50 poems in this collection were written by Sri Chinmoy on 15 May 1973.

From:Sri Chinmoy,The Dance of Life, part 7, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1973
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/dl_7