This is God's Home

1 This is God's Home

This is not my home
But
This is God's Home.
Here there are no demands
To pay the rent.
To pay rent is to insult
God's Compassion-Sea.
No rent!
Just stay
And enjoy yourself.

2 You know not how

You know not how to add;
Therefore
You can never be glad.

You know not how to subtract;
Therefore
You shall never attract.

You know not how to multiply;
Therefore
You shall fail to fly.

You know not how to divide;
Therefore
Your face is doomed to hide.

3 Two sages

Just because
You are an ancient sage
You like to live in a cage.

Just because
I am a modern sage
I enjoy nothing save the world-stage.

Since I do not have the heart
To ridicule you,
You must not have the mouth
To underestimate me.

4 His heart will sail

I tell you,
Although his body is frail
His will will not fail.
Although his mind is in jail
His heart
And its cry
Will continue to sail.

5 I blame them not

I blame not God
Although
My wild vital feels
That God must embody more
Compassion.

I blame not man
Although
My wise mind feels
That man is a fathomless
Ignorance-sea.

I blame not the cosmic gods
Although
My soulful heart feels
That the cosmic gods no longer play
Their cosmic game well.

I blame not myself
Although
I know perfectly well that
In the world of imperfection-night
Nobody can transcend
My ignorance-height.

6 Two flames

A heavenly flame
Has kindled the life
Of my earthly fame.

An earthly flame
Has destroyed the heart
Of my earthly game.

7 Bondage-sea, freedom-sky

Bondage-sea
Within, without,
My unlit vital enjoys.

Freedom-sky
Within, without,
My illumined soul employs.

8 You cannot contain God

Because
You were vain
You did not contain God.

Because
You complain against the Heavens
You do not contain God.

Because
You will disdain earth
You will not contain God.

9 We are insane

You are insane
Because you have lost
Your head-power.

He is insane
Because he has lost
His heart-power.

I am insane
Because I have forgotten
My God-Hour.

10 Don't waste your time

Don't waste your time
In comparing your earth-capacities
With God's Heaven-capacities.
God does not need an equal.
He desperately needs you,
Your heart-beauty's lustre-smile.

11 Do you want to be fruitful?

Lord, do You want to be fruitful?
Then make me grateful.

Lord, do You want me to be fruitful?
Then make Your Compassion-Life
More thoughtful.

I tell You, Lord,
There is no other way,
There can be no other way.

12 You have no faith in God

You have no faith in God.
No harm, just run speedily
With faith in yourself.
You will reach your goal.

I have faith in God.
Although I went slowly
With my faith in God,
I have already reached my Goal.

13 Where are You?

Beloved, my Beloved,
Where are You?
"Love Me in the tears of your silence.
I shall come to you."

Beloved, my Beloved,
Where are You?
"Love Me in the smiles of your sound.
Only then can you come to Me."

14 Two discoveries

Twice I was right.
Once when I discovered
That the death of love human
Is joy.
Once when I discovered
That the birth of joy
Is love divine.

15 I need five favours

Lord, I need five favours from You:
Educate my mind,
Elevate my heart,
Dominate my vital,
Tolerate my body,
Inundate my soul.

16 I need four favours

Son, I need four favours from you:
Investigate Me,
Communicate with Me,
Frequent My gate,
Terminate your dance
With the prince of gloom.

17 I warn you

I warn you,
Don't ridicule my aspiration.

I warn you,
Don't undervalue my dedication.

I warn you,
Don't belittle my God-Vision.

I warn you,
Don't imitate my God-Manifestation.

18 Ask us

Ask God who knows —
You or I?
God will tell you the truth.

Ask me who loves —
God or I?
I shall tell you the truth.

19 Become God's service-tree

Smile!
You will become
The lustre of God's service-tree.

Cry!
You will become
The heights of God's service-tree.

20 Three indescribable things

Three things I fail to describe:
Earth's bondage-night
Heaven's freedom-sky
God's Compassion-Light.

21 My wisdom whispers

My ignorance thunders:
You are nothing,
I am everything.

My knowledge declares:
You know something,
But I know much more.

My wisdom whispers:
You and I know nothing of everything
On earth,
And everything of nothing
In Heaven.

22 Great and good

Father, You always love me;
Therefore
You are great.

"Daughter, you always need Me;
Therefore
You are good."

Father, You always forgive me;
Therefore
You are good.

"Daughter, you always remember Me;
Therefore
You are great."

23 My two discoveries

My two discoveries:
Apart from God
I have no existence-light;
Apart from man
I have no aspiration-might.

24 My plan

This is my plan:
I shall serve God
Unconditionally.

This is my plan:
I shall love man
Untiringly.

This is my plan:
I shall perfect my life
Unimaginably.

25 My earthly and heavenly tasks

On earth
I have only one task:
I have to unmask
God in my gratitude-heart.

In Heaven
I have only one task:
I have to constantly bask
In the supernal pride
Of God's Satisfaction-Sun.

26 Only one flaw

Unlike me, O my mind, you have
Only one flaw:
You do not know
How to withdraw
From the hustle and bustle of life.

Unlike me, O my heart, you have
Only one flaw:
You house deathless and breathless fear.

27 When I pray, when I meditate

When I pray
My Lord tells me,
"Daughter, come up
And see what I have for you."

When I meditate
My Lord tells me,
"Daughter, I am coming down
To see what you have for Me."

28 God's different roles

In my outer world
God is Power.

In my inner world
God is Love.

In God's own world
God is the Transcendence-Delight
Of Perfection-Source.

29 O great Beyond

O great Beyond,
Because I sleep
You weep.

O great Beyond,
Because you play
I pray.

30 Lord, come to me

Lord, come to me and play.
"Son, come to Me and stay."

Lord, come to me and see.
"Son, come to Me and be."

Lord, come to me and fly.
"Son, come to Me and cry."

Lord, come to me and grow.
"Son, come to Me and glow."

Lord, come to me and stand.
"Son, come to Me and expand."

31 Without You

Without seeing You
How can I serve You
O Lord of Duty?

Without seeing You
How can I love You
O Lord of Beauty?

Without seeing You
How can I live,
O Lord of Reality?

32 How strange!

The pain of Heaven-separation
I soulfully endured.

The pain of ignorance-separation
I fail to brook.

How strange!
How strange!
How strange!

33 Who forgives me?

Who forgives me?
Not you,
But God.

Who tolerates me?
Not you,
But God.

Who has accepted me?
Not you,
But God.

Then how do you expect me
To be with you,
To be for you,
To be in you,
You stark, impossible fool!

34 No other path

No other path
But the path of expanding love.

No other soul
But the soul of illumining peace.

No other goal
But the goal of fulfilling perfection.

35 The chase

I chase God
Because
I see not His Face.

God chases me
Because
I fear His Embrace.

36 A fool and a rogue

He was such a fool.
Not saying a word to Father-Heaven
He left for Mother-Earth.

He is such a rogue.
Not saying a word to Mother-Earth
He is leaving for Father-Heaven.

37 Love-tears

Love-seed
Cries for dedication.

Love-tree
Cries for perfection.

Love-fruit
Cries for satisfaction.

39 A disgrace

I must say,
It is a disgrace
That I have not yet seen
The Face of God.

It is a disgrace
That I have not claimed God
As my very own.

It is a disgrace
That even now
I have not become another God.

40 Let nothing disturb you

Let nothing disturb you
And your soul's glorious poise.

Let nothing disturb you
And your life's dedication-choice.

41 How can I be happy?

How can I be happy?
I am torn between
A misunderstanding mind
And
A misunderstood heart.

How can I be happy?
I am torn between
An ignoring Heaven
And
An ignored earth.

42 Learn silence!

Learn silence!
You will become
The illumining Vision of God.

Learn obedience!
You will become
The manifesting Mission of God.

43 Let me try again

Let me try again.
This time I must please God
In God's own way.

Let me try again.
This time I must become another God
To play with Him
For all Eternity.

44 You know how busy I am

You know how busy I am.
Why do you have to tell me
Who God is?

You know how busy I am.
Why do you have to tell me
About man's countless imperfections?

You know how busy I am.
Why do you have to tell me
That the world does not need me?

45 Is it because I am perfect?

Why don't You scold me, my Lord?
Is it because I am perfect?
"Either you are perfect or
You are going to be perfect."

Why do You love me most, my Lord?
Is it because I am perfect?
"Either you are perfect or
You are going to be perfect."

Why do I think of You all the time,
my Lord,
Is it because I am perfect?
"You think of Me all the time
Not because you are perfect,
Not because you are one day
going to be perfect,
But because I think of you all the time."

46 To see you

To see you
Is to feel your ceaseless love.

To see you
Is to discover that I am not alone
In my undivine self.

To see you
Is to enjoy
The most auspicious birthday of life.

47 Increase my courage, Lord

Increase my outer courage, Lord.
I shall dispel the shades
Of ignorance-night.

Increase my inner courage, Lord.
I shall drink deep
Of Perfection-Light.

48 Gifts

Lord, longing is my future gift to You.
Forgiveness is Your constant gift to me.

Self-giving is my future gift to You.
Satisfaction is Your constant gift to me.

49 Mind and heart

Mind, what man has:
A battlefield to conquer.
Heart, what God is:
A peaceful home to prosper.

50 Prayer and meditation

Prayer is man's
Purity's beauty.
Meditation is man's
Beauty's necessity.

The Sri Chinmoy Library