Giving and becoming

1. What I shall tell

```

I know what I shall

Have to tell the world:

"I have cried."

I know what I shall

Have to tell myself:

"I have failed."

I know what I shall

Have to tell Heaven:

"I have smiled."

I know what I shall

Have to tell God:

"I have succeeded."

```

2. A human being's story

```

To be a human being

Is to have a story.

The story I have

Is the story of my sad

Self-forgetfulness.

To be a human being

Is to be a story.

The story I am

Is the story of my glad

God-forgiveness.

```

3. What he now needs

```

The story-teller in me

Needs a good audience.

The story-listener in me

Needs a good story.

The creator in me

Needs a new creation.

Imagination-wings he had:

He now needs

Aspiration-bird.

```

4, Giving and becoming

```

You are of God

When you want to give and become.

You are for God

When you become and give.

What do you give?

Love-seeds.

What do you become?

Oneness-fruits. ```

5. What I have discovered

```

The poet in me has discovered

The gracefulness of aeons.

The singer in me has discovered

The sweetness of aeons.

The philosopher in me has discovered

The emptiness of aeons.

The seeker in me has discovered

The fruitfulness of aeons. ```

6. I was, I am, I shall be

```

I was

The world's blind greed;

Unfortunately I was.

I am

The world's great hunger;

Unmistakably I am.

I shall be

The world's good food;

Unconditionally I shall be.

```

7. What I knew and what I know

```

Desire-life

Is a life of useless waste.

I knew it.

Aspiration-life

Is a life of shelter-nest.

I knew it.

Surrender-life

Is a life of perfect rest.

I know it.

Perfection-life

Is a life of supreme test.

I know it.

```

8. My Lord Supreme spoke to me

```

In the morning

My Lord Supreme spoke to me

With His Compassion-Heart.

I did not care;

Therefore

In the afternoon

My Lord Supreme spoke to me

With His Attention-Eye.

I did not care;

Therefore

In the evening

My Lord Supreme spoke to me

With His Justice-Hands. ```

9. An invitation from God

```

You have received

Not once, not twice, but thrice

An invitation from God.

The first time you ignored it.

The second time you declined it.

The third and last time you misused it.

Indeed, in you

God is unmistakably

Unfortunate.

```

10. Truth's failings

```

True, Truth is as old as God;

But one thing we needs must know:

Truth is not as charming as God;

And unlike God, Truth fails

To surrender smilingly

To man's limitations,

Teeming and undying.

```

11. When I think

```

When I think of my past:

Nothing but devouring doubts.

When I think of my present:

Nothing but glowing faith.

When I think of my future:

Nothing but climbing aspiration. ```

12 Duty, beauty, necessity

```

Duty

Is God's Heaven-Hands.

Beauty

Is God's earth-handwriting.

Necessity

Is God's Perfection-building. ```

13. My outer and inner home

```

Do you want to visit

My outer home?

Perhaps you already know

That my outer home

Is power-demonstration.

Do you want to visit

My inner home?

In case you do not know,

I will tell you

That my inner home

Is God's eternal Choice. ```

14. What I love and treasure

```

The joy of my earth-voice

The human in me loves

And

The animal in me treasures.

The Heaven-voice of my joy

The divine in me loves

And

The Supreme in me treasures. ```

15 Delight-seed, delight-plant, delight-tree

```

You are the delight-seed

That never germinates.

He is the delight-plant

That never grows.

I am the delight-tree

That never dies. ```

16. Surprise

```

My earth-cry

Is Eternity's surprise.

My Heaven-smile

Is Infinity's surprise.

My God-perfection

Is Immortality's surprise. ```

17. Invitations and good-byes

```

I extended

My invitation to all

Save and except vital power.

I said

My good-bye to all

Save and except psychic love.

```

18. To starve or feed

```

When

I starve my outer ignorance-night,

God proudly shakes hands with me.

When

I feed my inner aspiration-flame,

God triumphantly embraces me,

My heart, my all. ```

19. Time

```

The noise that time makes

I have already heard;

It is nothing new to me.

The voice that time has

I have already heard;

It is nothing new to me.

The rejection-choice that I have made

Time has already heard;

It is nothing new to time.

```

20. They have listened to God

```

You have listened to God;

Therefore

God has made you

An eternal dreamer.

He has listened to God;

Therefore

God has made him

A universal lover.

I have listened to God;

Therefore

God has made me

An immortal seeker. ```

21. Try to believe

```

Believe it or not,

My morning meal

Is freedom-sky.

Try to believe;

Who knows,

You may succeed today.

Believe it or not,

My afternoon meal

Is love-sun.

Try to believe;

Who knows,

You may succeed tomorrow.

Believe it or not,

My evening meal

Is peace-moon.

Try to believe;

Who knows,

You may succeed

In the near future

Someday.

```

22. My dog and my Master

```

I had a dog.

It followed me

No matter where I went.

I have a master.

I follow him

No matter where he goes.

Do you want to know

My dog's name?

My dog's name is ego.

Do you want to know

My master's name?

My master's name is love,

God-love. ```

23. The birth of your self-indulgence

```

The birth of your self-indulgence

Is the death of God's indulgence-game

With you.

I warn you!

The birth of your self-indulgence

Is the death of God's preference-choice

For you.

I warn you! ```

24 Thank you, my daughter

```

Father, I have brought You

My soul's willingness.

"Thank you, My daughter.

Anything more?"

Father, I have brought You

My life's usefulness.

"Thank you, My daughter.

Anything more?"

Father, I have brought You

My heart's love.

"Thank you, My daughter.

Nothing more do I need.

Your love is what

I eternally need." ```

25 Yesterday, today, tomorrow

```

Yesterday

You were a desire-thief;

Therefore

You suffered.

Today

You are a pleasure-lover;

Therefore

You are suffering.

Tomorrow

You will be a God-seeker;

Therefore

You will be

Smiling,

Singing

And

Dancing. ```

26. A doubter's prayer

```

God, I pray for faith.

You know, God, why I doubt You.

I doubt You

Because

My life is jealous of You:

My vital is jealous of Your Height;

My mind is jealous of Your Light.

```

27. A seeker's prayer

```

God, I pray for joy.

You know why I seek You.

I seek You

Because

You have been seeking me

Long before I was born.

I seek You

Because

You will be loving me

Even after I leave the earth-scene. ```

28. What they feel

```

The body feels

To live without sleep is impossible.

The vital feels

To live without ambition is impossible.

The mind feels

To live without information is impossible.

The heart feels

To live without love is impossible.

The soul feels

To live without God-Light is impossible. ```

29. God-necessity

```

O body,

Do not give up purity.

Your purity is God-necessity.

O vital,

Do not give up intensity.

Your intensity is God-necessity.

O mind,

Do not give up sincerity.

Your sincerity is God-necessity.

O heart,

Do not give up beauty.

Your beauty is God-necessity.

O soul,

Do not give up integrity.

Your integrity is God-necessity.

```

30. His outer and inner life

```

His outer life

Is harmless and noiseless;

Therefore

He is good, very good.

He is attempting to reach God-Height.

His inner life

Is loveless and Godless;

Therefore

He is bad, very bad.

He is returning to his animal life.

```

31. God will forgive

```

Don't worry!

God will forgive

Your lethargic body.

Don't worry!

God will forgive

Your somnambulistic vital.

Don't worry!

God will forgive

Your unrealistic mind.

Don't worry!

God will forgive

Your unsympathetic heart.

Don't worry!

God will forgive

Your non-idealistic life.

```

32. Humanity's destiny

```

In you,

Humanity's destiny

Is sleeping, sleeping in vain.

In him,

Humanity's destiny

Is dreaming, dreaming in vain.

In me,

Humanity's destiny

Is waiting, but not in vain.

```

33 Who were you?

```

Who were you?

A diseased ambition.

Who are you?

A deceased aspiration.

What shall you be?

A released flow of God-Compassion. ```

34. Why they loved you

```

Earth-prosperity loved you

Only to charm you

And

To harm you.

Heaven-prosperity loved you

Only to increase your God-love

And

To decrease your self-love. ```

35. Two fools

```

You received

But did not appreciate.

You are an ungrateful fool.

I appreciated

But did not receive.

I am a helpless fool.

```

36. Succeed and proceed

```

You will succeed

Because

Yours is the life

Of an energetic ant.

You will succeed and proceed

Because

Yours is the heart

Of a sympathetic saint. ```

37. My substance and essence

```

What is my substance?

Earth-transformation for God.

What is my essence?

God-perfection in me. ```

38. Hastening to the God-Beginning

```

My earth-bound minutes

Are hastening to their helpless ends.

My Heaven-free hours

Are hastening to their God-Beginning. ```

39. Becoming young

```

Running makes the body young.

Striving makes the vital young.

Smiling makes the mind young.

Serving makes the heart young.

Loving makes the soul young.

```

40. They die, they live

```

All that is tempting dies with man.

All that is unaspiring dies in man.

All that is crying lives in God.

All that is smiling lives with God. ```

41. World plans

```

His is the vital

Of world-shaking plans.

God says: "Try them, My son."

His is the mind

Of world-illumining plans.

God says: "Try them, My son."

His is the heart

Of world-serving plans.

God says: "I shall do them for you, My son."

```

42. My ways

```

Cry and climb;

This is my earth-way.

Smile and dive;

This is my Heaven-way.

Love and become,

Become and love;

This is my God-way.

```

43. Burials

```

The burial of love

Is our animal-height.

The love of burial

Is a universal reality

And an undying Experience-necessity.

```

44. Your mind

```

Deeply skeptical

Your mind was.

Openly critical

Your mind is.

Soulfully accepting,

Unreservedly loving

And

Unconditionally serving,

Your mind will be.

Just wait and see. ```

45. Who is the cause?

```

Alas!

Who is the cause

Of this world-depression?

Not he, not I, but you.

Alas, alas!

Who is the cause

Of this world-frustration?

Not you, not I, but he.

Alas, alas, alas!

Who is the cause

Of this world-destruction?

Not you, not he, but I. ```

46. By serving and perfecting

```

By serving the divine,

I govern the human in me.

By perfecting the human in me,

I conquer the animal in me. ```

47. He is

```

He is pure who serves.

He is brave who watches.

He is divine who surrenders.

He is supreme who is. ```

48. I love and serve

```

If I want,

I can love the animal in me.

If I need,

I can love the human in me.

If I can,

I shall without fail serve the divine in me. ```

49. Promise and hope

```

Promise feeds the brave;

Therefore

I have become God-promise

To the aspiring humanity.

Hope feeds the weak;

Therefore

I have become God-hope

To the suffering humanity. ```

50. Everest-height

```

Yesterday

My mind was the Everest-height of fear.

Today

My heart is the Everest-height of tears.

Tomorrow

My life shall be the Everest-height

Of my human transformation

And

My divine perfection.

```

From:Sri Chinmoy,Giving and becoming, Agni Press, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/gvb