The Dance of Life, part 15

701. More is needed

Intention is good,
But
Something more is needed.
And what is that thing?
Action.

Action is good,
But
Something more is needed.
And what is that thing?
Realisation.

Realisation is good,
But
Something more is needed.
And what is that thing?
Perfection.

702. Three supreme things

Three supreme things
Have made him immortal:

His Aspiration,
His morning Aspiration.

His Vision,
His afternoon Vision.

His Liberation,
His evening Liberation.

703. Two sides to every story

Indeed,
Two sides to every story!
But
Quite often
One side is of God-realisation
And
For God-manifestation,
The other side is of ignorance-hunger
And
For ignorance-feast.

704. God is still my boss

Darkness, you want me
To help you.
Therefore
You have come to me.
Alas,
You have more freedom
Than I have;
I have no freedom at all.
God is still my boss.

Ignorance, you want me
To serve you.
Therefore
You have come to me.
Alas,
I tell you my only secret:
I have no freedom at all.
God is still my boss.

705. I need you

O deathless Beauty’s Core,
I need you.
Oh, I need you.

O sleepless Divinity’s Door,
I need you.
Oh, I need you.

O blue Infinity’s Shore,
I need you.
Oh, I need you.

O red Eternity’s Roar,
I need you.
Oh, I need you.

O green Immortality’s Life,
I need you.
Oh, I need you.

706. A hundred empty cries

A hundred empty cries
His heart is.

A hundred barren smiles
His soul is.

A hundred useless duties
His life is.

A hundred deathless necessities
His will is.

707. Do not give up

O my clouded efforts,
Do not give up.

O my frustrated defeats,
Do not give up.

O my unrealised centuries,
Do not give up.

O my untransformed lives,
Do not give up.

708. I command and I obey

I command
My will,
I obey
My thought.
Why?
Because my will
Is brave,
Because my thought
Is helpless.

I command
My heart,
I obey
My body.
Why?
Because my heart
Is pure,
Because my body
Is insecure.

709. The proud sons

The proud sons
Of Father Heaven:
Where are they?
They are dreaming.

The proud sons
Of Mother Earth:
Where are they?
They are striving.

The proud sons
Of Father Eternal:
Where are they?
They are illumining.

The proud sons
Of Mother Eternal:
Where are they?
They are fulfilling.

710. My tasks

I have only four tasks
To perform:
Smile, fly, dive and run.

I have only three tasks
To perform:
Smile, fly and dive.

I have only two tasks
To perform:
Smile and fly.

I have only one task
To perform:
Smile.

711. When I play

When I play
In the physical world
With sleep,
I lose.

When I play
In the vital world
With depression,
I lose.

When I play
In the mental world
With doubt,
I lose.

When I play
In the psychic world
With fear,
I lose.

712. She listens

She listens to her sincerity.
Therefore,
She is great.

She listens to her purity.
Therefore,
She is good.

She listens to her duty.
Therefore,
She is divine.

She listens to her reality.
Therefore,
She is immortal.

713. The hour came

The hour came.
I was not ready.

God descended,
Smiled
And
Departed.

The hour came again.
I was not ready.

God ascended,
Pushed
And
Barked.

The hour came not.
I was ready.

God slept.
I cried.
Ignorance sang.
Satan danced.

714. His mind and his heart

His mind thinks
God-realisation
Is something
Necessary,
But to long
For it
Right now
Is too soon.

His heart feels
God-realisation
Is something
Indispensable,
But to cry
For it
Right now
Is too late.

715. In the assemblies

In the assembly
Of the lower gods,
His love-presence
Was welcome.

In the assembly
Of the higher gods,
His devotion-presence
Was necessary.

In the palace
Of the absolute Supreme,
His surrender-presence
Was indispensable.

716. In me

God saw in me
A poet.
Therefore
I loved nature’s beauty.

God sees in me
A real man.
Therefore
I fulfil life’s duty.

God shall see in me
A divine lover.
Therefore
I shall become Truth’s Immortality.

717. I am smiling today

Centuries of my totally
Forgotten hopes
Are reborn.
Therefore
I am smiling
Today.
My God is the witness;
My despair is the witness.

Centuries of my unconsciously
Sealed inner treasures
Are unsealed.
Therefore
I am dancing
Today.
My God is the witness;
My inner penury is the witness.

718. My mind and my heart

My mind is my life’s
Slowest train
Because
It carries black doubts,
Red jealousies,
Grey fears
In boundless measure,
Along with me.

Alas, God alone knows
If ever we shall reach our destination.

My heart is my life’s
Fastest train
Because
It carries none
But me alone.

Lo, I have reached my Goal.

719. Tears

I like the tears
That flow from the depth
Of my helpless despair.

I love the tears
That flow from the depth
Of my dawning aspiration.

I adore the tears
That flow from the depth
Of my Liberation-sea.

720. He sings

He sings and sings and sings
In the physical world.
He sings with his snoring nose.

He sings and sings and sings
In the vital world.
He sings with his biting tongue.

He sings and sings and sings
In the mental world.
He sings with his suspicious eyes.

He sings and sings and sings
In the psychic world.
He sings with his orphan heart.

721. I saw, I felt, I clasped

I saw the Face
Of the Suffering Christ.
I cried and cried.

I felt the Heart
Of the Forgiving Christ.
I smiled and smiled.

I clasped the Soul
Of the Illumining Christ.
I danced and danced.

722. O Rama!

O Rama!
O Rama!
Tell me,
Why
Were you so unkind
To Sita, your consort?
Why?
Why?

“I wanted
To prove
To the world
At large
That my Sita’s
Sacrifice-Light
Far surpassed
My morality’s
Judgement-Might.”

723. O Krishna!

O Krishna!
O Krishna!
Tell me,
Why
At times
Were you so cruel
To Radha, your partner divine?

“I wanted
To show
Humanity
That my Radha’s
Unconditional Love-Light
For me
Far surpassed
My Examination-Right.”

724. O Buddha!

O Buddha!
O Buddha!
Tell me,
Why
Were you so cruel
To Yashodhara, your beautiful wife?
What made you
Escape
From her sleeping net?

“I wanted
To tell the world
That I was totally
Unfulfilled
In my human life.
I escaped from my wife’s
Love-Prison
Because
Her larger self, the world,
Needed
My immediate service.”

725. O Ramakrishna!

O Ramakrishna!
O Ramakrishna!
Tell me,
Why
On very rare occasions
Were you a little unkind
To Sarada Devi, your devoted wife?
She wanted to accompany you
To various places.
What made you offer her
Reluctance and rejection?
Why?
Why?
Why did you torture her?

“Stop!
Stop!
For my Kali’s sake, at least!
Public mockery
Is merciless.
I wanted
To avoid it
Always.”

But it was you
Who instructed
Your disciples:
“Man or worm.”

“I see, I see.
Now listen,
Once and for all.
My wisdom
Did not permit me
To help the puny ignorance
Of the tiny worm
Grow into elephant-ignorance.
Therefore, I avoided
Sarada’s and my joint appearances
In the assembly
Of lightless society.”

726. I know what you need

O perishing pleasures
Of man,
What you need
Is
The Wisdom-Sun.

O lasting joy
Of man,
What you need
Is
The Confidence-Sea.

O illumining Compassion
Of God,
What You need
Is
The Transformation-Man.

727. Because of his fear

Because of his fear
His black ignorance became blacker,
In the physical world.

Because of his fear
His red fight became redder,
In the vital world.

Because of his fear
His heavy darkness became heavier,
In the mental world.

728. I love

Strong is the day;
I love his arms.

Sweet is the night;
I love her heart.

Bright is the noon;
I love his eyes.

Soft is the evening;
I love her feet.

729. Silence, power and light

Silence is Bliss,
And I have it
In boundless measure.

Power is Creation,
And I have it
In measureless measure.

Light is Perfection,
And I have it
In endless measure.

730. Be Thou

Be Thou
My hands,
That I can give.

Be Thou
My ears,
That I can receive.

Be Thou
My eyes,
That I can dream.

Be Thou
My heart,
That I can achieve.

731. The samadhis

What is savikalpa samadhi?
Savikalpa samadhi
Is
The experience
Of Purity-sea
And
Integrity-sky.

What is nirvikalpa samadhi?
Nirvikalpa samadhi
Is
The experience
Of loftiest
Self-transcendence.

What is sahaja samadhi?
Sahaja samadhi
Is
Reality’s message simplified:
Ignorance lost
Forever
And
Immortality won.

In the Cosmic Game
You discover
That you eternally and supremely are
What all along,
From time immemorial,
You have been
Helplessly and desperately
Aspiring to become.

732. When

When
I look through
The eyes of life,
I feel cheerful.

When
I look through
The eyes of death,
I feel peaceful.

When
I look through
The eyes of earth,
I feel meaningful.

When
I look through
The eyes of Heaven,
I feel soulful.

Finally,
When
I look through
The Eyes of God,
I feel fruitful.

733. Touches

God-Touch
Has given me
The wings of morn.

Man-touch
Has given me
The wings of eve.

Faith-touch
Has given me
The breath of life.

Doubt-touch
Has given me
The buffets of death.

734. Worry

Worry!
Worry!
Why do you worry?
Just pray in the morning,
Concentrate at noon,
Meditate in the evening,
Contemplate at night.
That’s all!
Look, your worries are buried
In oblivion-hush.

Worry!
Worry!
Why do you worry?
Turn around:
Look, God is looking at you.
Enter into your mind:
Look, God is devotedly thinking of you.
Enter into your heart:
Look, God is all for you.
Enter into your soul:
Look, God has already done
Everything for you.

735. Unafraid

Unafraid
Of fear:
Therefore, cheerfully I feel.

Unafraid
Of doubt:
Therefore, effectively I think.

Unafraid
Of darkness:
Therefore, clearly I see.

Unafraid
Of death:
Therefore, bravely I live.

Unafraid
Of life:
Therefore, supremely I enjoy.

736. He is surprised

He is surprised
That his ignorance
Is still alive.

He is surprised
That his vital life
Is still strong.

He is surprised
That his inner cry
Is still feeble.

He is surprised
That his God
Is still unfed.

He is surprised
That his God
Is still compassionate.

737. When he died

When he died,
Both earth and Heaven
Held condolence meetings.

Earth-Children said:
“Alas, we shall miss
Our sweet brother,
The real God-distributor
Whose heart cried to illumine us.”

Heaven-Members said:
“Alas, he is coming back,
The real rascal, the shameless
God-seller on earth.
Let us protest his arrival
At the inner Palace
Of our Heaven.”

738. Head or heart

The hour has struck.
You are obliged
To make your final choice:
Head or Heart.

If you choose the head,
Then get ready.
For you there is no transportation
To God’s Palace.
I must warn you:
God’s Palace is farther
Than the farthest point.

If you choose the heart,
Then rest assured
That God has already started flying
On His divine Jet Plane
To reach you
And
Embrace you.

739. Wait a while

Wait a while.
Don’t risk a big mistake;
Don’t go back to your old life.

Wait a while.
Your heart is going to win;
Your mind is going to surrender.

Wait a while.
Your inner cry is the divine magnet;
It will draw and draw everything divine
Towards you,
Towards you.
Wait a while,
Wait a while.

Wait a while.
Your sad failure is ending;
Lo, God-Light is descending.

741. Somewhere and someone

Somewhere
There is someone
To think of you.

Somewhere
There is someone
To love you.

Somewhere
There is someone
To please you.

Somewhere
There is someone
To claim you.

Somewhere
There is someone
To inherit you.

742. Six little ones

Two
Little ears
Hear the news
Of the whole world.

Two
Little eyes
See the beauty
Of the whole world.

One
Little heart
Houses the love
Of the whole world.

One
Little head
Understands the meaning
Of the whole world.

743. Bless me

A sky of frustration
I have.
A sea of turmoil
I am.
An island of peace
I need.

O world, present me not
With your garland of constant frowns.
O Lord, bless me, bless me
With your sunny summits.

744. The old road and the new road

At the end of the old road
He was warned by God:
“No entry!
One way only!
Go back, go back!”

At the beginning of the new road
He was inspired by God:
“Son, run,
Always run.
Prove your worth.
If not, the Goal Itself
Will come and touch you
And thus embarrass you.”

745. When I was a prophet

When I was a prophet
I made four
Proud prophecies:

I shall have to touch
The feet of man.
I shall have to treasure
The dust of his feet.
I shall have to destroy myself
To grant man a new life.
I shall have to transform him
Into tomorrow’s God.

My prophecies are coming true.
At least,
So I think.

746. I am following you.

O good intentions,
I am following you all
With good deeds.

O good deeds,
I am following you all
With a good life.

O good life,
I am following you
With God-Manifestation.

O God-Manifestation,
I am following you
With God-Perfection.

747. O God, try to understand me

O God,
Try to understand me
When I go away
From You.
I do not think less of You,
I do not assail You,
I do not wish to dethrone You.

Now
Let me tell You
Why I leave You.
I leave You
Because
I feel that Your
Other children
Also
Must be given a chance
To love You,
To please You,
To claim You.
You, only You.

748. When they near their end

When December-life
Nears its end,
Christmas comes.

When Doubt-fight
Nears its end,
Faith blossoms.

When Fear-night
Nears its end,
Courage roars.

When ignorance-sea
Nears its end,
Perfection glows.

749. Each day

Each day
Is
The birthday of either my fear
Or
My courage.

Each day
Is
The birthday of either my doubt
Or
My faith.

Each day
Is
The birthday of either my failure
Or
My victory.

Each day
Is
The birthday of either my vital Satan
Or
My psychic God.

750. One day

One day
Everybody will turn against him.
He knows it,
Yet he loves them.

One day
Everybody will hate him.
He knows it,
Yet he loves them.

One day
Everybody will leave him.
He knows it,
Yet he loves them.

One day
Everybody will try to end his life.
He knows it,
Yet he loves them.

One day
Everybody will destroy his breath.
He knows it,
Yet he loves them.
And after that
Everybody
Will love him dearly,
Adore him unreservedly
And
Claim him soulfully.
Alas, this is the common story
Of this uncommon world.

The Sri Chinmoy Library