501. This body

This body’s birth
Helplessly
Smiles at the fast-approaching death.

This body’s death
Ruthlessly
Roars at the fast-diminishing birth.

502. Not available

Rest-life not available on earth.
Never!
Pleasure-life not available in Heaven.
Never!
Dissatisfaction-life not available in God.
Never!

503. O my desire-life

O my desire-life,
Why do you force me
Always
To carry this heavy load
Of constant grief?
Why?
Why?

O my aspiration-life,
I am dying for you.
I really am.
Where do you hide?
How do you hide?
Why do you hide?
Why?
Why?

504. I remember

I remember with my tearful heart
My total failure-life.

I shall remember with my joyful soul
My complete success-life,
My perfect progress-breath,
My sweet Lord’s Himalayan
Satisfaction-Smile.

505. Nourish your searching mind

Nourish your searching mind.
You will be happy.
Nourish your serving heart.
You will be more happy.
Nourish your loving soul.
You will be most happy.

506. Scoffers and defamers

Scoffers and defamers:
Where are they?
They are everywhere.
Scoffers and defamers:
Who are they?
They are my own
Ignorance-loving brothers
And
Ignorance-feeding sisters.

507. O my mind-song

O my mind-song,
I have sung you many, many times.
I am now bored.
I now want to unlearn you.

O my heart-song,
I have not sung you even once.
I am now all eagerness.
I am now crying and dying to learn you.

508. Another God

Man’s birth tells the world
He can be another God.
Man’s death tells the world
He will be granted another chance —
No, chance after chance,
Until verily he becomes
Another God.

509. My dream, my reality

I am God’s supremely chosen instrument:
So runs my faultless dream.

I am God’s stark failure,
And I have been
Right from the beginning:
So runs my unquestionable reality.

510. My sound-life, my silence-life

My sound-life tells me
What I eventually can become.

My silence-life tells me
Who I eternally am.

511. I know not why

Two aimless eyes
Are torturing me.
One senseless mind
Is destroying me.
Yet I love to stay on earth.
I know not why,
I know not why.

512. No extravagant hopes

Because
You nurse no extravagant hopes,
Frustration-night will always fail
To arrive at your heart’s door.

Because
You nurse no extravagant hopes,
A life of satisfaction-bliss
Shall feed your lofty inner heights.

513. To brave the sound-life

To brave the sound-life
I sit at God’s Protection-Feet.
To brave the silence-life
I drink in God’s Perfection-Smile.

514. The mouth of my wild desires

The mouth of my wild desires
I shall boldly seal.
The heart of my high aspiration
I shall sleeplessly unseal.

515. My life-flute

My life-flute
Invites all.
My death-gong
Rejects all.
My God-silence
Satisfies all.

516. Beyond the sunrise-sky

Sail
Beyond the sunrise-sky.
Reach
The Pinnacle-Goal
Before the sunset-cry.

517. They cannot wait for me

On her way to see the Lord Supreme,
Mother Earth cannot wait for me
Because
I am too proud.

On his way to see the Lord Supreme,
Father Heaven cannot wait for me
Because
I am too impure.

On its way to see the Lord Supreme,
My soul-bird cannot wait for me
Because
I am too slow.

518. A new friend

O my body,
For you I have brought
A new friend: simplicity.

O my vital,
For you I have brought
A new friend: sincerity.

O my mind,
For you I have brought
A new friend: serenity.

O my heart,
For you I have brought
A new friend: purity.

O my life,
For you I have brought
A new friend: humility.

O my soul,
For you I have brought
A new friend: my surrender-seed.

O my God,
For you I have brought
A new friend: my perfection-fruit.

519. Three things I love

Three things I really love:
I love my body’s shadow,
I love my life’s meadow,
I love my soul’s plateau.

520. A new name

At last my searching mind
Has a new name:
Emptiness.

At last my crying heart
Has a new name:
Selflessness.

At last my smiling life
Has a new name:
Oneness.

At last my loving soul
Has a new name:
Fulness.

521. Where my journey begins

Where the reason-cloud ends
My journey begins.
Where the doubt-poison ends
My goal begins.

522. Loving You

My Lord, loving You
Means
Living once again.

My Lord, loving You
Means
Freedom from ignorance-chain.

My Lord, loving You
Means
Smiling in oneness-reign.

523. They know not

Fear knows not
How to sleep.
Hope knows not
How to die.
Gratitude knows not
How to live.
Perfection knows not
How to grow.
Satisfaction knows not
How to dawn.

524. Can this be true?

Can this be true?
No desire binds me,
No temptation haunts me,
No imperfection blights me.
Can this be true?

525. Life is nothing but this

My day tells me
That life is nothing but
A worrying mind.

My night tells me
That life is nothing but
A crying heart.

My God tells me
That life is nothing but
A loving smile.

526. A weeping God

A thinking mind
Is
A sinking life.

A sinking life
Is
A dying promise.

A dying promise
Is
A weeping God.

527. Four elevators

Doubt-elevator never works.
Fear-elevator seldom works.
Confidence-elevator occasionally works.
Aspiration-elevator sleeplessly works.

528. One thing

One thing to see carefully:
Sincerity.
One thing to feel soulfully:
Purity.
One thing to offer unreservedly:
Gratitude.
One thing to become unconditionally:
Surrender.

529. God will be yours

Concentrate bravely.
God the Power will be yours.
Meditate soulfully.
God the Love will be yours.
Contemplate selflessly.
God the Bliss will be yours.

530. Destitute

Your mind is destitute
Of promise-seed.
His heart is destitute
Of gratitude-fruit.
My life is destitute
Of perfection-tree.

531. Only one thing

I have only one thing:
Hope.
I give only one thing:
Promise.
I am only one thing:
Experience.

532. A fleeting smile

A fleeting smile:
My beauty-face.
A lasting cry:
My hunger-height.
An undying nothingness:
My promise-life.

533. My Lord invited me

When my life was long in aspiration
My Lord invited me to see His Eye.

When my life was long in dedication
My Lord invited me to feel His Heart.

When my life was long in surrender
My Lord invited me to sit at His Feet.

When my life was long in gratitude
My Lord invited me to sing with Him.

534. My passport

Lord Supreme,
Your Compassion
Is my passport to Freedom-Light.

Lord Supreme,
Your Forgiveness
Is my passport to Perfection-Height.

Lord Supreme,
Your Blessing
Is my passport to Satisfaction-Delight.

535. Who else is utterly helpless?

Who else is utterly helpless,
If not I?
An urgent matter compelled me
To phone Heaven.
Heaven’s line was busy, as usual.
I phoned earth.
Earth was not at home.
I phoned my soul.
My soul told me that
My problem was too complicated,
And I should not bother it.
I phoned my Lord.
My Lord said, “Son, when will
You learn the supreme secret:
‘Self-help is the best help’?”
Now tell me, my seeker-friends,
Who else is utterly helpless,
If not I?

536. Two supreme secrets

My Lord told me a supreme secret:
“My child, I shall never scold you any more.”
I told my Lord a supreme secret:
“My Father-Friend, I shall never
Disappoint You any more.”

537. I have already answered

My Lord Supreme,
If I ever write You a soulful letter,
Will You answer me?
“Of course, My son, of course.
But My child, you do not have
To take the trouble of writing Me.
I have already answered you in fruitful silence:
I love you.
I really and truly love you.”

538. How could this be true?

My Lord Supreme,
You rang my alarm clock.
How could this be true?
You prayed for my salvation.
How could this be true?
You concentrated on my illumination.
How could this be true?
You meditated for my realisation.
How could this be true?
You contemplated on my perfection.
How could this be true?
You lived for my satisfaction.
How could this be true?

539. Do you know the way?

Do you know the way?
If so, do lead me
Compassionately.
Have you seen the Goal?
If so, show me the face of the Goal
Unconditionally.

540. It will help

Cry, My child,
It will help your heart.
Smile, My child,
It will help your soul.
Serve, My child,
It will help your life.
Love, My child,
It will help not only your goal
But also My Role.

541. My thoughts

Earth-gratitude,
You are my wasted thought.
Heaven-promise,
You are my perfected thought.
God-Compassion,
You are my liberated thought.

542. Audience with my Inner Pilot

When I had my first audience
With my Inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed your fruitless doubt.”

When I had my second audience
With my inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed your soulless faith.”

When I had my third audience
With my inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed your goalless life.”

When I had my fourth audience
With my inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed your sleepless aspiration.”

When I had my fifth audience
With my inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed your selfless dedication.”

When I had my sixth audience
With my inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed your endless surrender.”

When I had my seventh and last audience
With my inner Pilot,
He said to me,
“You are indeed My breathless Satisfaction.”

543. Attachment: what is it?

Attachment: what is it?
A fleeting thirst for the known.

Devotion: what is it?
An illumining thirst for the unknown.

Surrender: what is it?
A satisfying thirst for the unknowable.

544. They tell me

A purity-heart tells me
What I can eventually be:
Another God.

A oneness-life tells me
What I have always been:
A self-transcending God.

545. A human life

Insensitive
A human body is.

Aggressive
A human vital is.

Deceptive
A human mind is.

Unreceptive
A human heart is.

Unprogressive
A human soul is.

546. In your presence

O my mind’s impurity-day,
O my heart’s insecurity-night,
In your very presence
I become the perfect expression
Of sickening and undying disgust.

547. Do you know what you have?

Do you know what you have?
You have a high opinion
Of your absurd obstinacy.

Do you know what you are?
You are a perfect embodiment
Of stark lunacy.

548. Earth weeps, Heaven weeps

Earth weeps
For Heaven’s divinity.
Heaven weeps
For earth’s receptivity.

549. I am not alone

I was not alone in Heaven.
God’s Illumination-Eye
Lived with me.

I am not alone on earth.
God’s Compassion-Feet
Live in me.

550. Far beyond, deep within

Far beyond
Are the temptation-lands.
Deep within
Are the Compassion-friend,
Liberation-friend,
Perfection-friend,
Satisfaction-friend.

551. Deep and ancient

Deep and ancient
Are earth’s climbing cries.
Shallow and transient
Are earth’s winning smiles.

552. Yours is the heart

Yours is the heart
Of unperturbed faith.

Yours is the life
Of undisturbed joy.

Yours is the mind
Of unremembered night.

553. I shall return

I shall return to Heaven
With earth’s gratitude-flames.
To Heaven, this was the promise I made.

I shall return to earth
With Heaven’s satisfaction-sun.
To earth, this is the promise I shall make.

554. Pray for me, please!

Heaven, pray for me, please!
I need the dream
Of oneness-perfection.

Earth, pray for me, please!
I need the reality
Of fulness-satisfaction.

555. My needs

Lord Supreme,
Yesterday I needed
Your Forgiveness-Sun.

Lord Supreme,
Today I need
Your Compassion-Sea.

Lord Supreme,
Tomorrow I shall need
Your Love-Sky.

556. Wrestle with restlessness

Wrestle with restlessness.
Your mind wants to fly.
Wrestle with unawareness.
Your heart wants to dive.
Wrestle with uncomeliness.
Your life wants to shine.

557. Heaven's promise, earth's promise

Heaven has promised
To wait for me.
It will not
Permit this incarnation
To be a colossal failure.

Earth has promised
To keep me here
Until perfection becomes
My real name,
My only name.

558. Heaven's soul, earth's heart

Heaven’s soul
Is the beauty
Of a compassion-flower.

Earth’s heart
Is the duty
Of a dedication-tree.

559. God and I admire

Two great celebrities
I soulfully admire:
God’s Vision and God’s Beauty.
God blessingfully admires
My perfection-cry.

560. A strong love-bond

There has always been
A strong love-bond
Between
God’s Compassion-Sky
And
My helplessness-cry.

561. Promise and guarantee

My Lord God
Has promised me
That I shall one day become
A sleepless earth-server.

My Lord God
Has guaranteed me
That I shall one day become
A guileless Heaven-lover.

562. In the light

Yesterday
I did everything
In the limelight.

Today
I am doing everything
In silence-light.

Tomorrow
I shall do everything
In dedication-light.

563. When I disagree

When I disagree
With man,
He humiliates
My pride-horse.

When I disagree
With God,
He liberates
My stupidity-elephant.

564. My growing familiarity

Yesterday
My Lord Supreme
Made me familiar
With His Forgiveness-Sea.

Today
My Lord Supreme
Is making me familiar
With His Compassion-Wave.

Tomorrow
My Lord Supreme
Will make me familiar
With His Satisfaction-Drops.

565. Steer clear

Steer clear of those
Who tell you
That Heaven is an indifference-day.
I tell you unmistakably,
It is not true.

Steer clear of those
Who tell you
That earth is a somnolence-night.
I tell you solemnly,
It is not true.

566. What I need

From man,
What my heart unmistakably needs
Is his soulful face.

From God,
What my life sleeplessly needs
Is His fruitful Grace.

567. Secret and sacred truths

God told me
His secret Truth:
“My son, I love your heart’s
Sincerity-cry.”

I told God
My sacred truth:
“My Father, I love Your Eyes’
Immortality-Smile.”

568. God thinks of me

God thinks of me
Because
I am a helpless seeker.

I think of myself
Because
I am a hopeless fool.

Humanity thinks of me
Because
I am a tireless ant.

569. Something else, something more

There was a time
When I was ignorance-night.
Something else:
Life’s death-revolver.

Now I have grown
Into wisdom-day.
Something more:
Life’s death-solver.

570. Thanks to Heaven, thanks to earth

Thanks to Heaven,
I know how to serve devotedly
And smile soulfully.

Thanks to earth,
I know how to aspire sleeplessly
And surrender unconditionally.

571. Fierce wars

I have had
Fierce wars with teeming doubts.
At long last,
This morning the teeming doubts
Have surrendered their poison-breath
And
Dragon-smile.

572. Oh now is the time

Oh, now is the time for me
To enjoy the fragrance
Of Your golden Feet
In inseparable oneness with silence-breath
And prayerfully end
My mortal days.

573. Let me live on earth a little more

O my Boatman,
Let me live on earth a little more.
Let me succeed in bringing to the fore
My long-lost aspiration-flames
From the teeming clouds of years.

574. A traveller between life and death

Today
I am a traveller
Between
Life and death.

Tomorrow
I shall become a swimmer
Between
My life’s dedication-river
And
My Lord’s Satisfaction-Sea.

575. In the chosen ones

God’s Justice-Light
Indifferently tolerates
Imperfection-clouds
In the chosen ones.

God’s Compassion-Height
Smilingly liberates
Imperfection-clouds
In the chosen ones.

576. My earth-born diamond-tears

My earth-born diamond-tears
Can easily play hide-and-seek
With Heaven-revealed
Ecstasy-Smiles.

577. God's Love blessingfully shelters him

God’s Love blessingfully shelters him.
Man’s concern lovingly shelters him.
His own gratitude-sea soulfully shelters him.

578. Oh when my sadness is sweet

Oh, when my sadness is sweet,
I see God’s Compassion-Feet.

Oh, when my gladness is pure,
I see God’s Illumination-Eye.

579. The dauntless challenge

The flames of my ecstasy-heart
Have gladly accepted
The dauntless challenge
Of shameless ignorance-night.

580. An adventure of incomparable newness

His mind is a fog
Of unthinkable forgetfulness.

His heart is an orphan
Of unimaginable helplessness.

But
His life is an adventure
Of incomparable newness.

581. O knife of cynicism

O knife of cynicism,
What you truly are
Is a seed
Of helpless, hopeless, useless self-pity,
Plus soulless and godless unreality.
And yet something more:
Utter futility.

582. O belated worshipper

O belated worshipper,
You too can smile
Soulfully and powerfully,
For you have escaped
At long last
From the ruthless prison
Of age-old Night.

583. My immortal tear-drops

Totally exhausted,
My blue-gold dreams
Desire to sleep.
Never mind, no harm!
From now on
My heart shall treasure
My Eternity’s immortal tear-drops.

584. My soul-fire

My soul-fire,
Where can I find you, where?
My ignorance-mire,
When can I transform you, when?

585. Mine is the heart

Mine is the heart
That soulfully loves
Aspiration-sunrise.

Mine is the life
That unreservedly loves
Compassion-sunset.

586. God is my Coach

God is my outer Coach.
Therefore, I smile and smile
Before I succeed.

God is my inner Coach.
Therefore, I dance and dance
Before I proceed.

587. Three short-cuts to God-realisation

Three short-cuts to God-realisation:
My oneness-love for God,
My sweetness-devotion to God,
And
My fulness-surrender to God.

588. Aspiration is a cry¹

Desire is a cry
That is doomed to cry
Eternally.

Aspiration is a cry
That is destined to smile
Eventually.

589. Our thoughts, our deeds

Our thoughts make us know
What we unmistakably are.
Our deeds make others know
What we undeniably are.

590. Every moment

Every moment is a bridge
Between man’s wisdom-choice
And
God’s Illumination-Voice.

591. Temptation is powerful

Temptation is always powerful:
So says the human life.
Perfection is always available:
So affirms the divine soul.

592. The train of resolution

If we are travelling
On the train of resolution,
Then the satisfaction-destination
Is bound to near us.

593. Nothing to sacrifice

Who says
There is nothing to sacrifice?
Our wild impatience
Has to be sacrificed
Every day,
Every hour,
Every minute,
Every second.

594. Nothing to love

Who says
There is nothing to love?
Our purity-heart
Has to be loved
At every moment.

595. Nothing to remember

Who says
There is nothing to remember?
God’s Forgiveness-Sky
Has to be remembered
Always.

596. Secrets

Prayer is the secret
Of tremendous success.
Meditation is the secret
Of precious progress.

597. To invite God

I must examine myself
In order to understand myself.
I must transform myself
In order to invite God.

598. Good thoughts

When I think good thoughts,
I feel that man is not,
After all, so bad.

When I play with good thoughts,
God gives me His Vision-Beauty
And I give God my dedication-duty.

599. One code of life

There is but one philosophy:
God can be seen
With my aspiration-cry.

There is but one religion:
My life’s sunrise begins
With God’s Compassion-Beauty.

There is but one code of life:
I live to love God.
God lives to purify me and perfect me,
So that He can hoist His Victory-Banner
In the battlefield of my life.

600. What to do

Earth tells me
What to do.
Heaven tells me
What to become,
How to become
And why to become.
What to do?
I must cultivate patience
Infinitely more than I have.
What to become?
God’s Compassion-Choice.
How to become?
By virtue of surrender-light.
Why to become?
Because that is the only thing
That can satisfy
My inner life of aspiration-cry
And
My outer life of dedication-smile.

Editor's introduction to the first edition

This is the sixth 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

Jesse Owens, who won gold medals for the United States in the 1936 Olympic Games in the 100-metre and 200-metre dashes and the long jump, receives a plaque from Sri Chinmoy during a meeting in New York in November 1972.