Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 37

3601. Obedience is the fruitful goal

```

Obedience is the blessingful seeker.

Obedience is the hopeful journey.

Obedience is the soulful road.

Obedience is the fruitful goal. ```

3602. My obedience

```

My obedience

Has God the eternal Purity.

My obedience

Is God the immortal Duty.

My obedience

Shall become God the infinite Beauty. ```

3603. The divine capacity and inclination

```

The human capacity and tendency

Is to confuse and complicate the truth.

The divine capacity and inclination

Is not only to unravel the truth

But also to keep it always straight, direct,

One-pointed and God-revealing. ```

3604. God-manifesting Light

```

In the outer world,

Light replaces darkness

And darkness replaces light.

In the inner world,

Light is replaced by more light,

More light is replaced by infinite Light

And infinite Light is replaced by

The ever-transcending

And God-manifesting Light. ```

3605. I have no time

```

I have no time to govern others’ lives.

Therefore, I secretly cry.

I have no time to govern my own life.

Therefore, I openly and untimely die. ```

3606. If you do not glow

```

I know

If you do not glow,

You will not allow me to grow.

I know

If you do not grow,

You will not allow me to sow.

I know

If you do not or cannot sow,

You will consider me your eternal foe.

```

3607. Your body annoys you

```

Your body annoys you because

It is blindness incarnate.

Your vital annoys you because

It is aggressiveness incarnate.

Your mind annoys you because

It is meanness incarnate.

Your heart annoys you because

It is weakness incarnate.

And you annoy them because

You have no real concern for them,

You have no time to transform them,

You have no eagerness for their perfection. ```

3608. Immediate neighbours

```

Self-examination and life-deception

Are always perfect strangers.

God-realisation and truth-revelation

Are eternally immediate neighbours. ```

3609. The inner conquest

```

The outer conquest makes you feel

Dubiously and, at most, partially happy.

The inner conquest makes you see

The beauty of happiness,

Makes you feel

The purity of happiness

And makes you one with

The divinity of happiness. ```

3610. We have undivine thoughts

```

We have undivine thoughts

Because we give them

Undue and undivided attention.

We lead undivine lives

Because we are afraid

Of the fire-pure transformation

That the divine life

Is graciously and anxiously

Waiting to grant us.

```

3611. Why cry?

```

Why cry,

Since you know how to smile?

Why smile only,

Since you know also how to sing?

And while singing,

Try to remember that dancing

Definitely and considerably adds

To the soulfulness and fruitfulness of singing. ```

3612. Your task, God's Task

```

Your task is to manifest God

Here on earth sleeplessly.

To His infinite Sorrow,

You are not doing it.

God’s Task is to inspire you

And energise you constantly.

To your wide surprise,

He is doing it constantly,

Cheerfully and self-givingly.

```

3613. If you are an unaspiring man

```

If you are an unaspiring man,

Then you are bound to spread two things:

Anxiety and fear.

If you are an aspiring seeker,

Then you are bound to spread two things:

Your heart of love

And

Your life of concern. ```

3614. If you know how to think properly

```

If you know how to think properly,

Then you do not have to attempt

To perfect others constantly.

If you know how to think properly,

Then your thought-perfection

And their life-perfection

Will always go together.

```

3615. The trouble-shooter knows

```

The trouble-maker thinks

That he can destroy the world.

The trouble-shooter feels and knows

That God’s Grace is always with him

And God’s Satisfaction is always for him.

```

3616. Remember what you said

```

Remember what you said to God:

“My Lord, I shall always

Fulfil You unconditionally.”

Remember what you said to man:

“My friend, I shall always

Help you unreservedly.”

```

3617. You can easily feel the truth

```

You cannot understand the truth

If you do not listen to the truth-knower.

But you can easily feel the truth

Even if you do not understand the truth. ```

3618. Divinity does not know

```

Humanity knows;

Divinity does not know.

Humanity knows how to hide

Its stark ugliness.

Divinity does not know how to hide

Its perfect beauty. ```

3619. The divine heart proceeds

```

The human mind succeeds in experiencing

Only what it sees.

The divine heart proceeds through experiencing

Only what it is. ```

3620. My mind's confusion

```

My life’s imperfection

Is nothing but my mind’s confusion.

My mind’s confusion

Is nothing but my heart’s

Lack of communication

With the Compassion-Flood

Of my Beloved Supreme.

```

3621. Delight is an unlimited capacity

```

Delight is an unlimited capacity

Which our heart has

And our soul eternally is.

```

3622. To say something deeper

```

To say something deeper,

Be someone higher.

To be someone higher,

Have something purer.

To have something purer,

Sleeplessly and unconditionally

Remain a self-giver.

```

3623. The highest progress

```

The highest success

Is to put an end

To teeming self-conflicts.

The highest progress

Is to transform the mind’s brooding night

Into the heart’s blossoming day. ```

3624. Try to belong to your heart

```

Try to belong to your heart.

Perfection-flood will be all yours.

Try to belong to your soul.

Satisfaction-ocean will be all yours. ```

3625. Do you want to win?

```

Do you want to win

In the battlefield of life?

Then, for God’s sake, do not run away!

Stay at least where you are now

Until the beauty of a new inspiration

Shows you the most powerful sun

Of eternal Day.

```

3626. Resist the power of darkness

```

Insist on bringing to the fore

What you inwardly have.

Resist the power of darkness within and without

That tells you

Yours is the long, longer, longest way

To reach the fulness of Perfection-Shore. ```

3627. One more way

```

If all the other ways have failed,

There is one more way to solve

All our teeming problems,

And that is by outlasting them

Once and for all.

```

3628. One way to win

```

There is only one way to win

In the battlefield of life,

And that is to surrender

To the express Will of the Lord Supreme. ```

3629. You will no longer tolerate

```

Tell your vital

That you will no longer tolerate

Its outrageous demands.

Tell your mind

That you will no longer tolerate

Its poison-doubt.

```

3630. No match for you

```

Do you want to show your strength?

Then prove to the world

That your own negative thoughts and ideas

Are no match for you. ```

3631. To know more

```

To know more,

Dive deep more.

To dive deep more,

Try to feel constantly

That sooner or later, without fail,

You will be able to make

Your unconditional surrender to God’s Will.

```

3632. What the world has for you

```

What the world has for you

Is nothing but artificial concern.

What the world promises to give you

Is nothing but superficial love.

Therefore, be wise, be careful!

```

3633. What the mind needs

```

What the mind needs

Is a powerful faith

To control its wild thoughts

And its doubtful pleasure-life. ```

3634. When unaspiring seekers meet

```

When an unaspiring seeker

Meets with another unaspiring seeker,

They have only one thing to say:

“God never cared for us

And will never care for us.”

```

3635. Preparing for a new game

```

An insincere seeker demands

That others think of him

As sincerity incarnate.

A sincere seeker pays no attention

To what others think of him.

Even when others say that

He is false,

He is treacherous,

He will not succeed,

He thinks it is all a joke.

He feels that God is playing

His transcendental Music

In a new way

So that he can make himself ready

For a new game.

```

3636. Imagination tells me

```

Imagination tells me

That God is infinite Power.

Aspiration tells me

That God is an eternal Cry.

Realisation tells me

That God and I are one,

Inseparably one.

God enjoys my repeated attempts

At self-perfection,

And I enjoy God’s Self-Satisfaction. ```

3637. We do not know

```

We do not know

Why we spend our time

Mercilessly speaking ill of others

Rather than divinely examining our own lives. ```

3638. You can conquer

```

You can conquer the outer world

With what you know

And by doing what you say.

You can conquer the inner world

Only by becoming a faithful instrument

Of your lofty ideal.

```

3639. No difference whatsoever

```

What is the difference

Between

Death and living in ignorance?

No difference whatsoever.

What is the difference

Between

Speaking ill of others

And helping yourself to go insane?

No difference whatsoever.

```

3640. The way to conquer

```

O my seeker-friend,

I am giving you a piece

Of unsolicited advice:

The way to conquer anything in life

Is either to conquer it powerfully

Or to surrender to it unconditionally. ```

3641. You can expect nothing

```

Since your vital is sense-ridden,

You can expect nothing

From the world of joy.

Since your heart is grief-stricken,

The world of satisfaction

Can expect nothing from you.

```

3642. Doubt fools the doubter in us

```

Doubt fools the doubter in us.

Torture fools the tormentor in us.

But pure love

Loves the sure lover in us. ```

3643. Live up to your Himalayan heights

```

Live up to your Himalayan heights.

Let the world criticism

Bark at you and bite you.

You will not be affected.

Before the world barks at you and bites you,

You will be carried by God Himself

To the remotest and safest haven.

```

3644. Stand against your lower self

```

If you do not

Stand against your lower self vehemently,

Then who can and who will?

But if you do stand against your lower self,

Then victory’s crown will be all yours

In a twinkling.

```

3645. A sea of silence-night

```

You have become a sea of silence-night.

Your illumination can never be

The real illumination,

Because your mind

Is forcefully suppressed

And your heart

Is unreservedly subdued.

```

3646. Uncover and discover

```

I do not have to invent anything

To see the Face of God.

I just have to uncover and discover everything,

Not only to see the Face of God

But also to see the Forgiveness-Heart of God

And treasure the Salvation-Feet of God. ```

3647. The world does not trust you

```

When you are in command of truth,

The world does not trust you.

When you are in command of peace,

The world does not trust you.

When you are in command of satisfaction,

The world does not trust you.

What can you do?

Just try to be in command

Of your heart of gratitude to your Pilot Supreme

For what He has given to you

And what He is to you.

Lo and behold,

The world will start trusting you.

Not only that, it will unreservedly love you. ```

3648. Absolutely mistaken

```

Just because my mind is not clear,

You think that my Lord

Will not answer my humble prayer.

I tell you, you are absolutely mistaken.

Just because my heart is not pure,

You think that my Lord

Will not fulfil my sincere prayer.

I tell you, you are totally mistaken.

Just because my body is not strong,

You think that my Lord

Will not answer my soulful prayer.

I tell you, you are utterly mistaken. ```

3649. God will definitely blame you

```

If you have not done

Anything remarkable for yourself,

God will not blame you.

If you have not done

Anything soulful for God,

God will not blame you.

But if you have not done

Anything meaningful for the world,

God will definitely blame you,

For this was the promise

That you made to Him in Heaven

Before you left for this world. ```

3650. You enjoy doubts

```

You enjoy doubts

Because you like

Your superficial mind.

You enjoy separativity

Because you like

Your artificial vital.

```

3651. Although I fail

```

Although I fail,

I try to love God in His own Way.

Although I fail,

I shall be happy only when

God fulfils Himself in His own Way

In and through me. ```

3652. Make no haughty demands

```

Make no haughty demands;

You will regret them later.

Make no lofty promises;

You will regret them later. ```

3653. The stillness of the mind

```

Unless and until you can really enjoy

The outer stillness of the mind,

Yours will be a life

Of worthless uncertainty. ```

3654. If it is too late

```

If it is too late

For your mind to unlearn,

Then it is undoubtedly too late

For your heart to become happy. ```

3655. It can never be too late

```

It can never be too late

To free your mind

From the meshes of doubt.

It can never be too late

To free your heart

From the prison of fear.

It can never be too late

To free your life

From the fetters of ignorance.

```

3656. My hope tells me

```

The difference between my hope

And my enthusiasm is this:

My hope tells me

That whether I am ready or not,

God is coming to visit me.

My enthusiasm tells me

That God is all expectation to see me;

Therefore, I shall have to run hurriedly

Towards His Palace.

```

3657. The human mind

```

In the morning

The human mind runs after

Worthless uncertainties.

In the evening

The human mind runs after

Useless realities.

```

3658. When I live in the heart

```

When I live in the mind,

I can never hope to own

Triumphant confidence.

When I live in the heart,

God helps me to see

The barrenness of possession

And

The fulness of renunciation. ```

3659. What is active devotion?

```

What is active devotion?

It is the beauty of inspiration-flow.

What is active devotion?

It is the purity of realisation-glow. ```

3660. Weighing your faults

```

You cannot weigh the faults of others

Unless you have learnt the art

Of weighing your own teeming faults.

```

3661. Unless you believe

```

Unless you believe in the unknown,

How can you eventually

Successfully grow into the unknowable?

```

3662. Saying good-bye

```

Either you are saying good-bye

To Mother Earth unconsciously

Without fulfilling your task on earth,

Or Mother Earth is saying good-bye to you

Consciously and deliberately

Without caring for your meagre contribution. ```

3663. Self-investigation

```

Self-investigation

Is a necessary light.

Self-criticism

Is an unnecessary burden. ```

3664. Willingness and readiness

```

Willingness

Is what your heart needs.

Readiness

Is what your Master’s hand needs. ```

3665. Something equally distributed

```

Fruitfulness is something

That God distributes equally

Between the Master and the disciple.

```

3666. Your obedience will teach you

```

Your cheerful and soulful obedience

Will teach you two things:

Your fruitfulness in God

And

God’s closeness to you.

```

3667. I appreciate your heart

```

I appreciate your mind

Because it has a sincere need

For self-mastery.

I appreciate your heart

Because it loves and needs

Only one thing: God-discovery.

```

3668. Totally lost

```

My vital wants excitement

But does not need it.

My mind needs enlightenment

But does not want it.

Such being the case,

I am totally lost between

The fruitlessness of the vital

And

The unawareness of the mind.

```

3669. The pretence-wings of the mind

```

You do not have to long for ecstasy.

Ecstasy will someday permeate

Your entire being.

Just do not remain under

The pretence-wings of the foolish mind.

```

3670. Do you want to be happy?

```

Do you want to be happy?

Then do not overestimate

The power of your mind,

And do not underestimate

The light of your heart.

```

3671. Your heart's oneness-role

```

Do you want to be a victor

In the battlefield of life?

If so, then tell your mind

That its division-role is about to end,

Since your heart’s oneness-role

Has already begun. ```

3672. If you can see the beauty

```

If you can see the beauty

Of God’s Compassion-Light

In God’s Eye,

Then God also will see the purity

Inside the heart

Of your gratitude-smile. ```

3673. Your worried morning

```

Your worried morning

Is the result of

The inadequacy of your aspiration-life.

Your defeated evening

Is the result of

Your constantly unwilling attitude

Towards your self-perfection. ```

3674. I do not deny

```

I do not deny

That you have a scholarly mind,

And you cannot deny

That you are an uninspiring life. ```

3675. Doubt is powerful and destructive

```

Doubt is powerful and destructive

When you cherish it.

Doubt is painful and blighting

Even if you do not cherish it. ```

3676. Two things almost unconquerable

```

Two things are almost unconquerable:

An indifference-mind

And

An interference-vital. ```

3677. Three things I desperately need

```

Three things I desperately need:

An enthusiastic heart,

An unsceptical mind

And

A realistic vital.

```

3678. An exceptional privilege

```

It is an exceptional privilege

To have the beauty of a serene mind,

The purity of a loving heart

And

The divinity of a humble life.

```

3679. A new form

```

Inspiration is a new form

Of aspiration.

Dedication is a new form

Of manifestation. ```

3680. The seeker who lives a hidden life

```

The seeker who faithfully lives

A hidden life

Will ultimately see revealed

The Satisfaction-Smile

Of the Absolute Supreme.

```

3681. You are lonely because

```

You want to know why you are lonely?

You are lonely because

You never want to hear

Your heart’s oneness-song. ```

3682. Refuse to surrender

```

What threatens you?

An impure thought.

Refuse to surrender to its voice.

What frightens you?

An impure thought.

Refuse to surrender to its choice.

```

3683. The secret of satisfaction

```

The secret of satisfaction

Is in knowing

Not what you think of yourself,

But what God feels about you. ```

3684. He who aspires

```

He who does not aspire

Sees every day as a new uncertainty.

He who aspires

Knows that every day

Is not only a new certainty,

But also a beautiful smile

Of God-manifesting divinity.

```

3685. I shall not avoid you

```

I shall not cleverly avoid you,

O my impurity-mind,

For I know what I should do

To transform you.

I shall not unconsciously avoid you,

O my insecurity-heart,

For I know what I should do

To strengthen you. ```

3686. Why do you listen?

```

Why do you listen

To your demanding vital,

Why?

Why do you listen

To your suspicious mind,

Why?

Your demanding vital and your suspicious mind

Are intimate friends.

Let them go in their own way.

You listen only to your soul’s inner dictates. ```

3687. Two perfect strangers

```

Two perfect strangers:

The earth-bound mind

And the Heaven-free soul.

Two immediate neighbours:

A self-giving heart

And a God-becoming life.

```

3688. The brightest dawn resides

```

The brightest dawn resides

Neither inside the darkest night

Nor outside the nearest night,

But inside the dearest Light. ```

3689. An earthly gift

```

Illumination is not an earthly gift

That we try to get, but fail.

Illumination is a Heavenly boon

With which we definitely succeed

And eternally proceed.

```

3690. Do not ignore your doubting mind

```

Do not ignore your doubting mind.

It fears no defeat.

Something more,

It will reach and destroy

Your satisfaction-heart

Unless you make brave attempts

To nip it in the bud.

```

3691. Not like you

```

I am glad that I am not like you:

The owner of self-preoccupation.

I am glad that I am not like you:

The lover of perfection-procrastination. ```

3692. A child's sweet hopefulness

```

A child’s sweet hopefulness

And God’s immediate fruitfulness

Are always found together

In a beautiful perfection-satisfaction-garden. ```

3693. A golden shower from Above

```

If you have a young mind

And if you have a vigorous vital,

Then every day you will be blessed

With a golden shower from Above. ```

3694. Our inner stillness

```

Our inner stillness

Helps us enjoy God’s Life-Breath.

Our inner stillness

Helps us manifest God’s secret Eye

And sacred Heart.

```

3695. What can poor God do?

```

What can poor God do

When man makes unreasonable claims?

What can poor man do

When God justifiably demands his gratitude? ```

3696. The question of questions

```

Here is the question of questions:

What is of more immediate need,

Earth’s receptivity-life

Or

Heaven’s Compassion-Flood?

```

3697. As I prefer knowledge-light

```

As I prefer knowledge-light

To ignorance-night,

Even so, I prefer my heart’s insecurity

To my mind’s ignorant security. ```

3698. An isolated and deserted life

```

An isolated and deserted life

May cause the heart to lose some of its fragrance,

But it cannot produce

An ultimate failure-reality

In God’s Cosmic Plan.

```

3699. The rising of my soul-rainbow

```

Painful yet beautiful

Is the sinking of my life-boat.

Powerful and blessingful

Is the rising of my soul-rainbow. ```

3700. Your heart's gratitude-plant

```

Give what you truly

Never want to give:

Your heart’s secret and sacred joy.

Keep what you truly

Never want to keep:

Your heart’s tiny, innocent gratitude-plant.

```

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the thirty-seventh 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 greets David M. Thomas, the Liberian Ambassador to the United Nations, at a programme on 3 November 1978 commemorating the twenty-third anniversary of Liberia’s joining the United Nations. During the programme Ambassador Thomas said, “In my opinion, the period that is observed by the Meditation Group at the United Nations offers a good opportunity for spiritual communion. Man is no less spiritual than physical and therefore needs some time to commune with God, the divine Creator of the universe. This is most desirable.”

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 37, Agni Press, 1982
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ff_37