The Golden Boat, part 2

1. Don't think, don't sleep

When he was a child,
One day
    His father said to him:
    “Don’t think, my child.
    God never thinks.”
Since then, he never cared
To learn the art of thinking.

When he was a child,
One day
    His mother said to him:
    “Don’t sleep, my child.
    God never sleeps.”
Since then, he never cared
To learn the art of sleeping.

2. Inspiration-seed, realisation-plant, manifestation-tree

Yesterday
In my soul-house
I kept my inspiration-seed.

Today
In my heart-room
I keep my realisation-plant.

Tomorrow
At my body-door
I shall keep my manifestation-tree.

3. O seeker

O seeker of silence-beauty,
I long to fly with you.

O seeker of soul-smile,
I long to expand like you.

O seeker of God-Reality,
I long to be
The Son-Light of the absolute King
Like you, with you.

4. Tears

O clever tears
Of my eyes,
    Stop descending.

O secret tears
Of my heart,
    Start ascending.
God is awaiting your great arrival.

O sacred tears
Of my soul,
    I love you;
    I love you only.

Not because you have the world-treasure,
Not because you are the world-treasure,
But because you have chosen me
    As your very own.

5. Although I sleep

Although I sleep
During my morning meditation,
God appreciates my attempt.
Therefore
I thank God.

Although I sleep
During my evening meditation,
I am proud of my attempt.
Therefore
I love myself.

6. In one day

In one day
I became old:
When earth refused to accept
    My help.

In one day
I became young again:
When Heaven offered me
    His friendship.

In one day
I fed earth’s ageless hunger:
When earth showed me
    Her sunken sun.

7. God's Plans

Music that I wish to hear,
God is planning to compose.

Love that I wish to feel,
God is planning to create.

Joy that I wish to become,
God is planning to offer.

Perfection that I wish to see,
God is planning to plant.

8. A man of God-substance

What was he?
A man of fabulous divinity!

What is he?
A man of imprisoned pride!

What is he going to be?
A man of God-substance,
A man of love-essence.

9. Quarrels with God

You quarrel with God
    Because
God has not granted you
    Realisation.

He quarrels with God
    Because
God has not given him
    Aspiration-kite.

I quarrel with God
    Because
God has not given me
    The capacity to manifest Him
    Completely on earth.

God quarrels with Himself
    Because
God feels that He could have created
    A far better world.

10. Therefore you failed

It was a poor preparation.
    Therefore
You failed.

It was a bad calculation.
    Therefore
You failed.

It was an abrupt depression.
    Therefore
You failed.

It was an unwarranted surrender.
    Therefore
You failed.

11. Your inner weather

Your inner weather
Is always foul
    Because
You do not dream
    High realities.

Your inner weather
Is always foul
    Because
You are afraid to face
    Your lifeless shadow
    Alone.

Your inner weather
Is always foul
    Because
You are fond of living
    In your puny
    Imagination-temptation world.

12. Expectations

As long as men are mortal
I expect nothing from them.
However, one thing I expect:
Their gratitude-flames.

As long as the gods are immortal
I expect many things from them.
But perhaps one thing will do:
Constant concern.

13. Do doubt, do question!

O my doubtful eyes,
When I think I am
Perfect perfection,
Do doubt my unprecedented discovery!

O my questioning mind,
When I act like a god,
Do question my authority!

14. Teach me

O energetic ant,
Do be my master sweet.
Teach me not to waste time.
Teach me how to walk along
The patience-road.
Teach me simple, fruitful reality,
Misnamed stupid simplicity.

15. My Friend, my fellow beggar

When I am
With my Friend, God,
I come down
From Heaven to hell.
With my Friend
I change the face of hell.

When I am
With my fellow beggar, man,
I go up
From hell to Heaven.
With my fellow beggar
I look to see
If the sleeping God is awake.

16. You have ruined my reputation

Dear depression,
You have ruined my
    Inspiration-reputation.

Dear frustration,
You have ruined my
    Aspiration-reputation.

Dear delusion,
You have ruined my
    God-perfection.

17. My courage supreme, my God-dream

God needs me.
Therefore,
Today my courage supreme is reborn.

I need God.
Therefore,
Today my God-dream becomes man-reality.

18. Here they are

Truth is where you see it,
Love is where you feel it,
Delight is where you find it,
Power is where you invoke it,
Peace is where you need it,
Light is where you claim it.

19. Alas!

Alas!
My brave Divinity-day
Has sunk in the chasm of night.

    Alas!
My years have hastened
To their destined end.

    Alas!
The Teacher of all teachers,
My inner faith,
Forgets to teach me
    Regularly,
    Divinely
    And
    Supremely.

20. Whom shall I serve?

Whom shall I serve?
A mortal master?
    “Never!”

Whom shall I serve?
An immortal Master?
    “Always!”

But where is He?
“He is inside your heart-cave.”
    Who is He?
“He is your active partner.”
    Who are you?
“His Eternity’s sleeping partner.”

21. God's attention

Fear invokes
God’s attention immediate.

Courage expects
God’s attention immediate.

Doubt invites
God’s attention immediate.

Faith treasures
God’s attention eternal.

22. They have the answer

Was God ever born?
My heart has the answer.

Did God ever die?
My soul has the answer.

Will God ever be fulfilled?
My dream-boat has the answer.

23. Never give up

Your life can be
    Grown to perfection.
    Don’t give up.

Your soul
    May replace God.
    Don’t give up.

God definitely shall make you
    Another God.
    Never give up.

24. Unvisited

Human fear
Is unvisited by God.
    Divine courage
Is unvisited by human fear.

    Human love
Is unvisited
    By the seeker’s fulfilling success.
    Divine Love
Is unvisited
    By the seeker’s animal past.

25. My school lessons

From the school
Of simplicity
I learnt:
    God is simple
    And within my easy reach.

From the school
Of diversity
I learnt:
    Incomplete uncertainty
    Is God’s entire creation.

From the school
Of complexity
I learnt:
    God is extremity’s
    Futility.

26. O my Dream-boat, O my Reality-shore

O Dream-boat of my joy,
    Ultimately
You will reach the Reality-shore.

O Reality-shore of my joy,
    Ultimately
You will make me another God.
    Therefore
You ask me
    To check my tornado-impatience,
And to enjoy
    My earth-transformed
    And
    Heaven-born
    Freedom.

27. His mistakes

He sleeps too much.
    Therefore
He desires.

He thinks too much.
    Therefore
He cries.

He fears.
    Therefore
He fails so soon.

He doubts.
    Therefore
He dies so soon.

28. God and I are even

God and I are even.
I defeated God
By outliving Him
In the world of ignorance-sea.
God defeats me
By outliving me
In the world of gnostic-sun.

29. Life

Harmless and noiseless life
    I accepted.

Loveless and soulless life
    I rejected.

Thoughtless and senseless life
    I protested.

Godless and truthless life
    I arrested.

30. Futile thoughts

In the life of a desiring man
Satisfaction is a futile hope.

In the life of an aspiring man
Depression is a futile topic.

In the life of a God-realised man
Life-negation is a futile task.

31. Because

Because
Of his diseased ambition,
He is drinking pain.

Because
Of his deceased goal,
God is inspiring him
And saying to him,
“Your destiny is blossoming.
Hear the clarion call!”

32. He hates and he loves

He hates prosperity
    Because
Prosperity harmed his humility.

    He hates success
    Because
Success ruined his progress.

    He loves sincerity
    Because
Sincerity never deserted him.

    He loves humility
    Because
Humility is God’s universal
    Oneness-light,
    Oneness-might,
    Oneness-flight.

33. He did not appreciate

He received joy
    But
Forgot to appreciate it.

He achieved success
    But
Neglected to appreciate it.

He received love
    But
Refused to appreciate it —
    Consciously
    Deliberately
    Shamelessly.

34. My food

O desire-life,
Do you want
To eat my food?
Doubt-sighs are my food.

O aspiration-life,
Do you want
To eat my food?
Progress is my food.

O Realisation-life,
Do you want
To eat my food?
Oneness is my food,
My only food.

35. O emptiness

O emptiness of ages,
I eat your silence-food.
    Therefore
To you I offer my gratitude-heart.

    O silence of Eternity’s Vision-dawn,
You fulfil your sound-manifestation
Through my life’s inner cry.
    Therefore
To you I offer my certitude-soul.

36. God treasures

Your mind’s unparalleled
    Vastness,
God secretly treasures.

Your heart’s unparalleled
    Sacrifice,
God soulfully treasures.

Your life’s unparalleled
    Love,
God sacredly treasures.

37. O my desire, o my aspiration

O my scorching desire,
Are you not my shameless disgrace?
    “Yes, I am.
    But God still loves me.”

O my burning aspiration,
Are you not my fulfilling promise to God,
    My eternal Father?
    “No, I am not.
    I am the mere Grace-servant
    And Reality-son of God.”

38. Only that

Only what is permanent
    Is free.

Only what is free
    Is divine.

Only what is divine
    Is fulfilling.

Only what is fulfilling
    Is life-giving.

Only what is life-giving
    Is God-becoming.

39. Talkers

Body, I had no idea
That you were such a useless talker.

Vital, I had no idea
That you were such a great talker.

Mind, I had no idea
That you were such a secret talker.

Heart, I had no idea
That you were such a silent talker.

Soul, I had no idea
That you have never been a talker.
God bless you!

40. World plans

Your head houses
    World-shaking plans.

Your eyes contain
    World-devouring plans.

Your heart embraces
    World-illumining plans.

Your soul treasures
    World-surrendering plans.

41. She loves the world

She loves
The ungrateful world
    Because
She knows that
The gratitude-flower
    Is not to be found on earth.

    She loves
The imperfect world
    Because
She knows that
The perfection-moon
    Is not to be found on earth.

    She loves
The unaspiring world
    Because
She knows that
It takes time
    For aspiration to come into
    existence-life.

42. When they are poor

When education
Is poor,
Life is stupidity’s struggle.

When illumination
Is poor,
Life is necessity’s frustration.

When God-realisation
Is poor,
Life is reality’s suicide.

43. Therefore I shall

Dancing makes the soul young.
    Therefore
I shall dance.

Loving makes the heart soulful.
    Therefore
I shall love.

Offering makes the life fruitful.
    Therefore
I shall offer.

Surrendering makes the dream real.
    Therefore
I shall surrender.

44. Another name

Mind, don’t you know
That you have another name:
    Insatiable curiosity.

Heart, don’t you know
That you have another name:
    Destructive insecurity.

Soul, don’t you know
That you have another name:
    Dream-boat Reality.

45. Unworthy ones

Your unworthy disciples
Give you their ignorance,
Their old and only friend of the past.
For God’s sake, bless them.

Your unworthy Master
Gives you what he has:
His old and only friend, deception.
For God’s sake, leave him and go alone.

46. Thieves

O sweet thief in my heart,
Do steal away not only
What I have, but also
What I am.
From now I shall have
Only one need:
You, only you.

O swift thief of the world around
Who came to rob me,
Don’t act like a fool.
Don’t empty
My venom-cup.
Your life of light shall die
Before it begins.

47. Perhaps they will

Since
It is a good day to die,
    Ask your old ignorance-friend
    To die for you.
    Perhaps he will.

    Since
It is a good day to study,
    Ask your knowledge-brother
    To study for you.
    Perhaps he will.

    Since
It is neither a good day nor a bad day,
    Ask your compassion-mother
    To fulfil you.
    Certainly she can and she will.

49. Excuses

God, we were fully awake,
But our pilot slept
    All the way.
    Therefore we are late.

God, our pilot was fully awake,
But we slept
    All the way.
Of course he had
Our inner support
    And
Outer approval
To place us
At Your Feet
On time.

50. He smiles at me

When I sleep
After my prayer,
My Lord smiles at my child-heart.

When I sleep
After my concentration,
My Captain smiles at my soldier-will.

When I sleep
After my meditation,
My Beloved smiles at my surrender-life.

When I sleep
After my contemplation,
My Friend smiles at my oneness-soul.

Editor's preface to the first edition

This book of 50 poems is part of a four-part series written by Sri Chinmoy in the 22-hour period between 12:01 a.m. and 10:01 p.m. on 2 February 1974. It was also printed on the same day by the group pictured in the photograph above the preface.

The Sri Chinmoy Library