Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 8

701. Perfection-beauty

```

Self-giving is the quintessence

Of perfection-beauty.

God-becoming is the quintessence

Of perfection-duty. ```

702. A halfway Christian

```

If you live as a halfway Christian,

Then blindness is your sight,

Darkness is your light,

Nothingness is your life. ```

703. O Bible

```

O Bible,

The Saviour will take away

All my sins.

Can you not take away

My little, little worries,

At least? ```

704. They fear

```

My impurity fears the known.

My humility fears the unknown.

My sincerity fears the unknowable.

```

705. The Christ lives

```

Jesus died on the cross

To bear the punishment for your sins.

The Christ lives in your heart-cave

To enjoy the purity of your soulful prayers. ```

706. The Christ gave

```

Jesus gave the world

His promise-sky.

The Christ gave the world

His aspiration-sun. ```

707. We shall not see Jesus

```

Although Jesus has promised

To come back,

We shall not see Jesus.

But the Christ we shall see

Face to face.

```

708. The Christ has come

```

Jesus came to you quickly

To love you

When you were young.

The Christ has come to you unconditionally

To save you

When you are old.

```

709. I love God

```

I love God

Because He is binding.

God loves me

Because I am willing. ```

710. I pray to God

```

I pray to God

So that He can prepare me.

I meditate on God

So that He can illumine me.

I surrender to God

So that He can claim me. ```

711. At least one person

```

At least one person has to do

The right thing.

Since I do not have the time

To think of myself,

God thinks of me.

Since I do not feel like loving God,

God loves me.

At least one person has to do

The right thing.

```

712. I am happy because

```

I am happy because

God is helping me to see

Everything from His point of view.

I am happy because

God is helping me to read

Every man from His point of view. ```

713. God is not surprised

```

God is not surprised

That I do not need Him.

God is not surprised

That I love ignorance.

But

God is surprised

That I am constantly,

Constantly in love

With teeming fears

And growing doubts. ```

714. I am not willing

```

My Lord has stopped talking to me

Not because of your wild complaints against me,

But

Because I am not willing

To listen to Him.

```

715. I am happy

```

I am happy because

My heart of aspiration-flame

Is God’s ambassador.

I am happy because

My life of dedication-bubble

Is God’s supporter.

```

716. I am choosing God's Light

```

Yesterday

I quickly chose God’s Power

To fulfil me.

Today

I am quietly choosing God’s Light

To illumine me.

```

717. Advance knowledge

```

My Lord Supreme,

I am eagerly waiting

For Your great Victory

So that my earth-bound cage

Will be transformed

Into a Heaven-free bird.

What a joy to know

The result in advance! ```

718. Conversation

```

God said to me,

“Look, My son, what I

Have to show you:

A magic gaze.”

I said to God,

“Look, my Father, what I

Have to offer You:

A totally transformed face.” ```

719. The dividing line

```

Hesitation is the dividing line

Between

Promise and fulfilment.

Doubt is the dividing line

Between

Perfection and satisfaction.

```

720. Hope is born to sigh

```

Hope is born to sigh.

Faith is born to try.

Love is born to fly.

Oneness is born to satisfy. ```

721. Yesterday's God

```

Yesterday’s God

Belonged to my confidence.

Today’s God

Belongs to my promise.

Tomorrow’s God

Shall belong to my hope. ```

722. I am tormented

```

Alas, alas!

I am tormented by

Wild dreams.

Alas, alas!

I am deserted by

Lofty visions.

Alas, alas!

I shall never be energised by

The nectar-sun.

```

723. Three things I shall conquer

```

Three things I shall conquer:

My life’s cloudy weather,

My heart’s teeming fears,

My mind’s strangling doubts. ```

724. Hope-buds are wide awake

```

Hope-buds are

Eternally wide awake

Inside my aspiration-heart.

Fulfilment-flowers are

Preternaturally fast asleep

Inside earth’s indifference-reign.

```

725. What am I ?

```

What am I ?

A tiny silver boat.

Who is my owner?

God, the golden Boatman.

What is our destination?

Immortality’s Satisfaction-Shore. ```

726. An illumining thought

```

Fear is a limping thought.

Doubt is a blinding thought.

Courage is a galloping thought.

Faith is an illumining thought. ```

727. Yesterday I desired to live

```

Yesterday I desired to live

On reputation-bubbles.

Today I am longing to live

With transcendence-waves.

Tomorrow I shall be crying to live

In the very depths

Of Compassion-Sea.

```

728. Hide your cleverness

```

Hide your cleverness.

Reveal your openness.

Establish your perfectness.

Fulfil your oneness. ```

729. I can and I shall

```

Can I trust Eternity?

Yes, I can and I shall.

Can I support Infinity?

Yes, I can and I shall.

Can I love Immortality?

Yes, I can and I shall. ```

730. My prayer-wings carry me

```

My prayer-wings

Carry me up to Heaven

To see God’s Beauty.

My meditation-wings

Carry God down to earth

To see my heart’s purity.

```

731. More than a luxury

```

To have a Compassion-God

Is not a luxury.

To claim oneself as a satisfaction-man

Is more than a luxury. ```

732. A seeker's secret adventure

```

The religion of a conscious God-lover

Is a seeker’s secret adventure.

The religion of a surrendered God-lover

Is a seeker’s sacred grandeur. ```

733. When I correspond with the cosmic gods

```

When I correspond with the cosmic gods

I do not forget to send them

My heart’s gratitude-flower.

When the cosmic gods correspond with me

They do not forget to send me

Their souls’ satisfaction-fruits.

```

734. I came from God

```

I came from God

The Eternal Dreamer.

I am heading towards God

The Immortal Lover. ```

735. Nobody is idle

```

Nobody is idle.

Everybody is busy

In his own inimitable way.

Indeed, this will always remain

As an undeniable fact,

In an imperishable way. ```

736. Give what you have

```

Give what you have.

Invisible forces will love you.

Give what you are.

Visible forces will not only love you

But also treasure you.

```

737. I chose

```

I chose not to understand God.

I chose not to understand even man.

But

I chose to understand my clever mind. ```

738. A crucial difference

```

Here is the difference

Between

My thinking and God’s thinking:

I think I have something to give.

God thinks I have to become something.

```

739. Something infinitely better to do

```

I tell you,

You have something infinitely better to do

Than to surrender to your

Impurity-vital

And

Insincerity-mind. ```

740. Conceal and reveal

```

Conceal what you have,

Reveal what you are.

Conceal what you see,

Reveal what you feel. ```

741. Practical and spiritual

```

God is at once

Practical and spiritual,

So He wants us

To have a practical life

And

A spiritual heart. ```

742. Each time

```

Each time I love mankind

Unreservedly,

Each time I love God

Unconditionally,

I reclaim a part

Of my own real life. ```

743. Because I am a representative of God

```

Because

I am a representative of God,

I shall be in the world

With God’s Perfection-Satisfaction.

Because

I am a representative of man,

I shall be in Heaven

With man’s aspiration-promise. ```

744. I appeared before God

```

I appeared before God

With what I have:

An iota of gratitude.

God appeared before me

With what He is:

Infinity’s Satisfaction-Smile.

```

745. I chose God

```

I chose God to make myself

Into greatness-pride.

God chose me to make me

Into a perfection-smile. ```

746. Two things have led me

```

Two things have led me

To my God-oneness:

My heart’s soulful cry

And

My life’s fruitful smile.

```

747. How do I spend my time?

```

How do I spend my time?

I spend my time

In self-discovery.

When do I spend my time

In self-discovery?

All day and all night. ```

748. Your actual life

```

Your actual life

Plays with the animals

In the animal kingdom.

Your real life

Plays with the cosmic gods

In the unparalleled paradise. ```

749. What you need from the world

```

What you want from the world

Is a thunderous applause.

What you need from the world

Is a precious heart. ```

750. The only medicine

```

Unquestionably and speedily,

Enthusiasm-power is the only medicine

That can cure the mental, vital

And physical idleness. ```

751. The answer

```

Do you want to know why

Your life is what it is?

Your own mind

Has and is the answer. ```

752. Aspiration-silence is leading you

```

Imagination-sound led you.

Therefore, you got lost.

Aspiration-silence is leading you.

Therefore, you will reach home.

Whose home?

God’s Home. ```

753. God is waiting for you

```

God is waiting for you.

You will arrive Home.

Just keep your eyes

On the beautiful

And soulful flames

Ahead. ```

754. O my heart

```

O heart, my heart,

You are sovereignty ancient,

You are beauty imperishable.

```

755. Because of God's Justice-Light

```

Because

Of God’s Justice-Light

Our hearts can dance

Before God’s Satisfaction-Delight. ```

756. Because God is all Love to me

```

Because God is all Love to me,

He has engraved on me

His Beauty’s Eye

And

His Duty’s Heart.

```

757. God is my only Lamp

```

When I feel that I am of God,

I clearly see

That God is my only Lamp.

When I feel that I am for God,

I clearly see

That God’s Light is in me.

```

758. My mind treasures

```

My Lord, my Lord,

My mind treasures

Your Pressure

And

My heart treasures

Your Pleasure. ```

759. Fear not

```

Fear not, fear not

The foul criticism of others.

For one day

The Glory supernal will

Unquestionably

And

Unreservedly

Rest on you. ```

760. If you truly love your friend

```

How can your friend and his enemy

Stay together in your heart?

Your friend will not tolerate it.

Therefore, if you truly love your friend,

Let him alone stay inside your heart.

I am sure you know who your friend is

And who his enemy is.

Your friend is nectar-faith.

Your friend’s enemy is doubt-poison.

```

761. I pray to my pure heart

```

I pray to my pure heart

To save me.

I pray to my sure soul

To support my heart. ```

762. I depend on faith

```

I depend on faith,

Faith depends on God,

And God depends on

My cheerful willingness. ```

763. Two medicines

```

There are two medicines

To give you peace of mind:

“I am everything”

And

“This world does not belong to me.”

Use one of the two. ```

764. The game is complete

```

The game is complete

When

The heart reveals itself

To the mind. ```

765. Happiness

```

The animal happiness

Smuggles.

The human happiness

Struggles.

The divine happiness

Eternally, all-where

Is.

```

766. Is it possible?

```

I do not change

My thinking process.

Yet I want to live

My own life.

Is it possible?

```

767. Alas, alas!

```

He saw his wild mistakes

Only

To repeat them.

Alas, alas!

He saw his sad failures

Only

To repeat them.

Alas, alas! ```

768. A gigantic hoax

```

“Suffering is a gigantic hoax.”

So says my old Friend, God.

But I find it very difficult

To believe. ```

769. The celestial inspiration

```

The celestial inspiration

Is always descending.

Alas, the terrestrial aspiration

Is not always ascending. ```

770. The inner problem

```

All the world’s dire problems

Can be solved only when

The inner problem is solved.

What is the inner problem?

The inner problem is:

Who am I? ```

771. You have not asked yourself

```

If others are telling you

To lead a God-life,

It is because

You have not yet asked yourself

To do the only right thing

In life. ```

772. His resistance to truth

```

His resistance to truth

Has finally collapsed.

Therefore, from now on

He will never collapse

Before anything in life.

```

773. No problem

```

Do not allow people

To tell you what you want.

Do not tell anybody

What you need.

Lo, your life knows

No problem. ```

774. I shall not fumble in vain

```

I shall not fumble in vain

Only when I fumble in the task

Of finding my soul’s beauty,

My heart’s purity

And

My life’s duty. ```

775. When my heart's purity radiates

```

When my heart’s purity radiates,

I may not attract

Any human being,

But I do attract

My Beloved Supreme.

```

776. A rising sun

```

They tell me:

What you have

Is a suffering sky.

I tell them:

What you are

Is a rising sun.

```

777. A shining smile

```

Soulfully give yourself

A shining smile.

Quickly your haunting nightmare

Will breathe its last. ```

778. A fleeting separation

```

What you call

A weak heart,

I call a fleeting separation

From the Wisdom-sun. ```

779. My heart longs

```

My mind craves

For the prosperity

Of a sure day.

My heart longs

For the beauty

Of a pure day.

```

780. Gratitude is glory

```

Success is glory

Known and visible.

Gratitude is glory

Unknown and invisible. ```

781. How can I believe?

```

How can I believe you

When I know nothing about you?

How can I believe him

When I know so much about him?

How can I believe myself

When I do not know who I truly am? ```

782. His foundation-haven

```

There was a time

When his life was

A full-blown pride.

There was a time

When his eyes were

Bedewed with tears.

Now hope-world

Is his foundation-haven. ```

783. A perfection-man

```

A thinker may not be

An able man,

But a seeker always is.

A seeker may not be

A perfection-man,

But a God-lover always is.

```

784. My human life hangs heavy

```

Because my human life

Hangs heavy upon me,

I try to maintain my friendship

With my divine life.

Alas, my divine life

Is in constant need of repair. ```

785. A divine life

```

A human life

Is ignorance-sleep

Without dreams.

A divine life

Is surety-reality

Blossomed out of

Purity-dreams. ```

786. Heart is the child

```

Heart is the child

Of capacity.

Mind is the son

Of incapacity.

Nobody is the descendant

Of certainty. ```

787. The cave of sound

```

When I meditate on God

I see Him on

The wings of silence.

When I pray to God

I see Him inside

The cave of sound.

```

788. Each dangerous thought

```

Each dangerous and ferocious thought

In a moment

Can create a camouflage

Of ignorance-night. ```

789. Choice is opportunity

```

Choice is opportunity.

Opportunity awakens either

The man in me

To ascend

Or the animal in me

To descend. ```

790. Because you are chained

```

Because you are chained

To mortal thoughts,

Everything in your life

Is contradiction-volcano,

And soon you will be lost

In everlasting tears. ```

791. I love You still

```

My Lord Supreme,

I love You still,

Although You have not fulfilled

My desire-life.

My Lord Supreme,

I love You still,

Although You have not awakened

My aspiration-heart. ```

792. Your soft-speaking eyes

```

I know, I know,

Your soft-speaking eyes

Are the power of love.

I know, I know,

Your soft-speaking eyes

Are the tears of compassion.

```

793. An important failure

```

His mind is in

Intellectual chains.

His vital is an authority

On imagination.

Therefore, his life has become

An important failure. ```

794. His life's cloudy weather

```

His life’s cloudy weather

Is tormenting his vision —

His vision of hope

And perfection of satisfaction. ```

795. Satisfaction-sun

```

Suspicion-night

Accents the guilty mind.

Satisfaction-sun

Feeds the purity-heart. ```

796. The great conqueror

```

Because you have not

Conquered your fate,

You are lost in everlasting fear.

Because you have

Started living in realms above,

Before long you will be

The great conqueror of ill-fated fate. ```

797. A whole Eternity

```

All things, both great and small,

Are worth a whole Eternity.

And Eternity abides

With the Heart of Infinity,

In the Life of Immortality.

```

798. Mine is the heart

```

Mine is the heart

That loves all.

Mine is the life

That serves all.

Mine is the mind

That interrogates all. ```

799. Do not imitate

```

Do not imitate.

You will grow into confidence.

And what is confidence?

Confidence is the flowering

Of self-insight.

```

800. A true Master

```

A pure heart

Is imperishable.

A sure soul

Is sovereign.

A true Master

Is Infinity’s Smile

And

Eternity’s Cry. ```

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the eighth 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

Ron Clarke, the Australian runner who held 17 different world records for medium-range distances in the 1960s, meets with Sri Chinmoy in Melbourne, 11 March 1976.

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-737: FFP 45 (revised version).

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 8, Agni Press, 1981
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ff_8