Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 4

301. Love before you serve

```

Love before you serve.

Serve before you smile.

Smile before you soar.

Soar before you declare.

What will you declare?

God-perfection in man. ```

302. Therefore I discover

```

My heart cries,

My soul wishes,

My Lord sanctions.

Therefore

I discover.

Therefore

I prosper.

Therefore

I offer.

```

303. More than ready

```

You are now more than ready

Because your aspiration-bird

Is flying high above your mind’s

Binding and blinding

Confusion-clouds.

```

304. Yours is the victory supreme

```

Yours is the victory supreme,

For you have already started flying

Soulfully and unconditionally,

Phoenix-like,

From the dead ashes of repentance-torture.

```

305. My choice

```

Aspiration is my choice.

Dedication is my choice.

Perfection is my choice.

Therefore God has allowed me

To hear His Voice

Here, there, all-where. ```

306. What is the matter with you?1

```

What is the matter with you?

Why don’t you apply

Your volcano-mind

To conquer

Your undying wolf-thoughts?

```

FF 306-320. These fifteen poems were written on 28 October 1979 on a plane ride from Calcutta to Hyderabad.↩

307. A marathon run

```

A marathon run

Is not fun.

It is an unspeakably

Serious matter.

A marathon run

Turns me into an orphan-life:

No father, no mother,

Helpless and hopeless. ```

308. I go to God twice a day

```

I go to God twice a day.

In the morning I go to my Beloved Supreme

With the surrender of a tennis ball.

He tells me I am on my way to perfection.

In the evening I go to my Beloved Supreme

With a basket of gratitude-flowers.

He tells me I am all perfection.

```

309. Destination

```

Man’s destination

And

God’s destination:

Man’s destination is God’s

Satisfaction-Smile,

God’s destination is man’s

Perfection-smile.

```

310. Give your heart a chance

```

Your thoughts have made

Your breath impure.

Your deeds have made

Your life insecure.

But your heart’s mounting cry can easily make

Your breath pure

And

Your life secure.

Just give your heart a chance.

```

311. A free pass to Heaven

```

Since I am no longer

A disciple of ignorance,

God, the real God, has accepted me

As one of His true disciples

And is now offering my aspiration-life

A free pass to Heaven. ```

312. The grip of attachment

```

The grip of attachment may please me

For a fleeting second

But

The grasp of detachment

Can surely and easily please me

For my entire life. ```

313. Even God is a disciple

```

Who is not a disciple?

Even God Himself is a disciple.

He is a disciple of my tiny gratitude-flame

And I am, indeed, a disciple

Of His own Eternity-Infinity’s

Immortal Perfection-Sun. ```

314. A great secret

```

You want to conquer

The perpetual fever of jealousy?

I will tell you a great secret:

Just love and become one

With your oneness-heart.

```

315. To steal a look at God

```

To steal a look at God

Is to realise sooner than at once

The pangs of your thorny present

And the ecstasies of your flower-future. ```

316. I am fulfilled twice

```

I am fulfilled twice:

Once when I stand up

For poor humanity,

Once when I stand up

For the unfulfilled God.

```

317. Why am I so tired?

```

Why am I so tired?

I am tired

Not because I work very hard,

Not because I sleep too little,

But because I think too much.

```

318. Don't take a late start

```

Don’t take a late start.

You may lose the race altogether.

Keep your love-devotion-surrender

Always on the alert.

Then you cannot have a late start.

```

319. To see his Compassion-Feet

```

To see the Compassion-Feet

Of your Lord Supreme

Is to end the undying game

Of your ignorance-dream. ```

320. Inside I live

```

Inside I live

Soulfully and sleeplessly.

Outside I give

Generously and unconditionally. ```

321. A mistake-proof life2

```

His is a mistake-proof life.

All life’s questions

He has perfectly answered.

To him, his God is no longer

A forgotten Face

But

An extremely familiar Face.

```

FF 321-335. These fifteen poems were written on 28 October 1979 on the plane from Hyderabad to Madras.↩

322. No real reason

```

There is no real reason

Why you cannot make

Your mind peaceful,

Your heart blissful,

Your life restful,

Your soul successful,

Your God blessingful.

Just replace your venom-doubt

With your sterling faith.

```

323. A life of indecision

```

Yours is a life

Of a hundred indecisions.

How do you expect

An iota of God-Vision? ```

324. Great strangers

```

Because you and tension live together,

Transformation-light

And

Perfection-delight

Prefer to remain great strangers to you.

```

325. The power of your sound-life

```

The power of your sound-life

Fascinates my soul.

The power of your silence-life

Feeds and fulfils my soul. ```

326. My needs

```

Silence I need

To sow the vision-seed.

Sound I need

To grow the mission-plant.

Surrender I need

To climb the perfection-tree. ```

327. Human mind, human heart

```

What is a human mind?

The unreality-fear that lengthens

Our journey’s course.

What is a human heart?

The reality-cheer that shortens

Our journey’s course.

```

328. The Tent of my Beloved Supreme

```

Inside the Tent of my Beloved Supreme

Everybody and everything can gladly stay

Except the old and unhealthy habits

Of the unprogressive mind. ```

329. The real reality

```

The real reality

Is a simple simplicity,

And not a complexity.

Complexity has never been related to reality. ```

330. Time for Heaven to descend

```

It is time for Heaven to descend.

Him to greet,

Fly with your soul

Bravely and immediately.

Him to serve,

Dive with your heart

Prayerfully and soulfully.

```

331. A doubting mind

```

A doubting mind

Is responsible

For a sinking life

And a dying heart. ```

332. Only one sad thing

```

My Lord Supreme

Will definitely arrive.

Only one sad thing:

I do not know

The exact hour

Of His arrival. ```

333. Each body dies

```

Each life sighs

Unmistakably.

Each body dies

Eventually.

Each soul flies away

Immediately. ```

334. Nothing to equal

```

In our desire-life,

Nothing to equal hope-tower.

In our aspiration-life,

Nothing to equal promise-power. ```

335. O descending Blue

```

O descending Blue,

I love you.

O ascending Green,

I love you.

O divine Gold,

I love you. ```

336. Nothing compels you3

```

Nothing compels you to shiver

In helpless slavery.

Just don your God-given

Aspiration-bravery.

```

FF 336-365. These thirty poems were written at the Hotel Savera in Madras on 28 October 1979.↩

337. Different names

```

You call it hesitation

And

I call it confusion.

You call it confusion

And

I call it suspicion.

You call it suspicion

And

I call it perdition.

```

338. Earth is the teacher

```

Earth is the teacher

That teaches us how to be

Experience-tree.

Heaven is the teacher

That teaches us how to become

Realisation-fruit.

```

339. My sweet Lord's Satisfaction-Delight

```

Not because

Of my aspiring consciousness-light

Has my sweet Lord granted me

His Satisfaction-Delight.

No, no, that is not true!

He has granted me His Satisfaction-Delight

Because He does not have anything else

To do with my life. ```

340. What can your Master do?

```

When he withdraws

His outer sound,

You cry.

You say he does not care for you.

When he withdraws

His outer silence,

You say he simply hates you.

You tell me,

What can and what will he do,

Your poor Master? ```

341. Do you need a pure heart?

```

Do you need a pure heart?

Then daily make your mind clean.

Do you need a smile from God daily?

Then keep your heart aspiring ceaselessly. ```

342. Bitterness unspeakable

```

You are now ready for the divine life.

For you, the false sweetness of your desire-life

Has turned into real bitterness

Unspeakable. ```

343. Lost heritage

```

The desire-life desires to regain

Its lost heritage:

Ignorance-night.

The aspiration-life longs to regain

Its lost heritage:

Immortality-Shore.

```

344. Loss and gain

```

Loss is gain,

Gain is loss.

Doubt-loss, faith-gain;

Desire-gain, perfection-loss. ```

345. I am watching

```

I am watching my past.

It is simply awful.

I am watching my present.

It is not at all hopeful.

I am watching my future.

It is soulful, plus fruitful. ```

346. I see a garden

```

I see a garden

In your face.

I see a rose

In your heart.

I see celestial beauty

In your eyes. ```

347. Playmates of the soul

```

Three are the playmates of the soul:

Simplicity-life,

Sincerity-heart,

Purity-breath. ```

348. I thought of doing something

```

I thought of doing something great.

God said: “Good, My son!”

I thought of doing something good.

God said: “Excellent, My son!”

I thought of becoming a selfless server.

God said: “Perfect, My son!” ```

349. Just sing a soulful song

```

Just sing a soulful song

Together with your oneness-heart.

Lo, you have far surpassed

All the barriers of confusion-night. ```

350. A caged success

```

What does a desire-life get?

A caged success.

What does an aspiration-life become?

An uncaged progress. ```

351. God's favourites

```

Only those are God’s favourites

Who are supremely just

And offer others

Their rightful earnings. ```

352. Oneness-peace

```

To have oneness-peace

Only with the strong

Is your cleverness-height.

To have oneness-peace

With all human souls

Is your inner sun’s wisdom-light.

```

353. Your home

```

Your ignorance-night tells you

There is no home for you,

There is no home.

Your wisdom-light tells you

The entire universe is your home,

The entire universe.

```

354. Peace

```

Peace, what is it?

God’s favourite boon.

Peace, where is it?

In God’s Self-giving Infinity. ```

355. What you have

```

What you have

Is a vain thought.

What you are

Is a selfish aim.

Do you think

That God will grant you

His Satisfaction-Bliss?

No, never! ```

356. I love three dreams of mine

```

I love three dreams of mine:

The dream that tells me

My mind shall succeed,

The dream that tells me

My heart shall proceed,

The dream that tells me

My soul shall always precede.

```

357. Do give me another chance

```

O my soul, do give me another chance.

This time I shall definitely

And unconditionally become obedient.

My new obedience

Will breathe in an eternal breath.

```

358. O my foolish body

```

O my foolish body,

Are you not ashamed

Of your most deplorable conduct?

Because of your lethargy,

Because of your unwillingness,

I am falling,

Falling all the time;

I am failing,

Failing everywhere.

```

359. The only way to go

```

The only way to go

From passion to perfection

Is by illumining the lower self

And feeding the higher Self. ```

360. Your God-ordained task

```

Try not to put others right;

That is God’s task.

Try to put yourself right;

Indeed, that is your God-ordained task. ```

361. Aspiration tells me

```

Aspiration tells me that my God is

Compassion-Mother.

Realisation tells me that my God is

Liberation-Father.

God-oneness tells me that my God is

Perfection-Friend. ```

362. The same sad story

```

An uninspired mind,

An unenlightened heart,

An unrealised life,

An unmanifested soul,

An unfulfilled God

Together tell the same sad story. ```

363. His vision-eye

```

His vision-eye is a constant prey

To his teeming imperfections.

Therefore,

Someday, somehow, somewhere,

He will dance with perfection-sun

In the world of Infinity’s

Silence-Sound.

```

364. A moment of inspiration

```

A moment of inspiration

Powerfully feeds my aspiration-flames.

A moment of aspiration

Unmistakably expedites my realisation-sun. ```

365. I am crying

```

My body is sleeping.

Therefore

I am crying.

My vital is fighting.

Therefore

I am crying.

My mind is doubting.

Therefore

I am crying.

My heart is hesitating.

Therefore

I am crying.

```

366. One thing haunts me4

```

My heart is burdened with many things,

But one thing haunts me

At each hush-gap,

And that is the mountain-burden

Of world-sorrow.

```

366-375. These ten poems were written during a car ride from Madras to Pondicherry on 29 October 1979.↩

367. Perfection

```

My soul conceived perfection.

My heart has achieved perfection.

My life will offer sleepless perfection.

```

368. Friend and foe

```

In Heaven and on earth

I have only one friend:

The same old God.

Within and without

I have only one foe:

The same old Chinmoy.

```

369. What is new?

```

What is new?

Nothing is new.

Indeed, this is a common answer.

But there is something new:

God is watching you

With His Infinity’s Compassion-Heart. ```

370. Don't blame God

```

Don’t blame God.

He is sincerely trying

To help you out.

Don’t blame yourself.

By blaming yourself

You cannot arrive

At the perfection-satisfaction-door.

Just love God a little more;

Just think of yourself a little less.

Lo and behold,

All your untold problems are solved. ```

371. Bitterly crying

```

My life is fooling me.

Therefore

I am bitterly crying.

My soul is ignoring me.

Therefore

I am bitterly crying.

My Lord is not arriving.

Therefore

I am bitterly crying.

```

372. Love is

```

Human love

Is sickness.

Divine love

Is completeness.

God’s Love

Is selflessness. ```

373. Light enlightens

```

Darkness deepens

When the doubting mind triumphs.

Light enlightens

When the aspiring heart

Unconditionally surrenders.

```

374. They will cure you

```

Do not be afraid of temptation.

Your introspection-mind,

Your meditation-heart,

Your vision-soul,

Your Benediction-God

Can and will cure you

Of your bad disease.

```

375. A secret source

```

Self-conquest

And

God-quest

Love each other deeply

And live together happily.

O world, hear it

From me, a secret source.

```

376. Reveal your insecurity-life5

```

Do not conceal,

But reveal

Your insecurity-life.

Lo,

God’s Compassion,

God’s Illumination,

God’s Perfection

Are eagerly waiting

To receive your insecurity-life.

```

FF 376-400. These twenty-five poems were written on 29 and 30 October at the home of Sri Chinmoy's family in Pondicherry.↩

377. Start doing this immediately

```

Have you reached your soul’s height?

If so, then start doing this immediately:

Fight against falling down.

```

378. Every time you love unconditionally

```

Every time you love unconditionally,

A winged angel flies down

And tells you:

“Sit down on my wing quickly.

The Lord Supreme is waiting for you.”

```

379. God has stopped his game

```

Be soulful, be careful!

Be fortified against

The entrance of ignorance-night.

Look, God has totally stopped

His Game of hide-and-seek.

```

380. Face your lower nature

```

Face your lower nature

Bravely.

Your higher nature

Is about to reach you

Happily

Plus proudly. ```

381. Not you

```

Who despairs because of failure?

Not you, the hero-prince.

Not you, the truth-server.

Not you, the God-lover.

No, no, no!

```

382. Known by another name

```

If you want to be known

As your heart’s oneness-responsibility,

God will make you known

By another name, too:

God’s Infinity.

```

383. No more

```

No more

Act like a fool.

Start studying

At the God-realisation-school. ```

384. Your soul-victory's crown

```

Your soul-victory’s crown

Depends on how powerfully

You frown at the clown

Of ignorance-night. ```

385. Your old desire-cry

```

Your old desire-cry

Must pass away

Long before your new aspiration-cry

Can bless you with its presence. ```

386. We know

```

You know who God is.

He knows where God is hiding.

I know when God will appear.

```

387. Yours is great resolution

```

Yours is great resolution.

Yours is brave determination.

Lo, the total surrender of temptation!

```

388. Nothing else God wants from you

```

Arouse the body.

Cleanse the vital.

Correct the mind.

Open the heart.

Nothing else God wants from you.

```

389. Yours is a deplorable failure

```

Yours is a deplorable failure

Because

Your mind is not pure,

Your heart is not sure,

Your life is not willing to endure.

```

390. Not ready to learn from God

```

Easy to forgive

But

Not easy to forget.

Ready to teach God

But

Not ready to learn from God. ```

391. Every aspiration-day

```

Every aspiration-day

Begins with new possibilities.

Every aspiration-day

Ends with new achievements. ```

392. What you are within

```

What you are within

Is perfection.

You will be mirrored accordingly.

Just pray and see.

Just meditate and see.

```

393. Past, present, future

```

My past had its deplorable starts.

My present has its new starts.

My future will have its gold medals.

```

394. A life of exalted purity

```

You are living a life

Of exalted purity.

Do you know why?

Because your impurity-life

Is completely exhausted.

```

395. Look who treasures you

```

Pardon world-pressures.

Abandon sense-pleasures.

Look who treasures

You: God Himself! ```

396. Before you start thinking

```

Before

You start thinking,

Look at others

Who are sinking.

Before

You start doing,

Look at others

Who are enjoying. ```

397. I am sick of my aspiration

```

Dear Lord, I am really sick

Of my aspiration.

It has become a fountain

Of speedy exhaustion. ```

398. I shall not fail

```

I shall not fail

Although

I am in my mind-jail.

I shall succeed.

So has my Lord decreed!

```

399. To God I have surrendered

```

To God I have surrendered

My aspiration-choice.

To man I am offering

My ignorance-freed voice. ```

400. A very busy day

```

Yesterday

I was trying all the time

To correct human nature.

Therefore

I was having a very busy day.

Today

I am trying to perfect

My own nature.

Therefore

I am again having a very busy day.

But tomorrow

I shall be swimming in the sea

Of my Lord’s Compassion-Forgiveness.

I am sure tomorrow

I will have an easy day.

```

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the fourth 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

Some poems in this first edition were later selected by the author for a special collection of 207 Flower-Flames (FFP). The author also chose to revise some of his original poems for this anthology:

FF-335: FFP 27 (revised version).

FF-361: FFP 28 (revised version).

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 4, Agni Press, 1979
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ff_4