Poetry

Ten Thousand Flower-Flames

  1. To change my inner conditions

To change my inner conditions
What I need is a blossoming faith.
To change my outer conditions
What I need is a daring smile.

  1. The presence of faith

The absence of faith in my heart
Demonstrates my inner poverty
Blatantly.

The presence of faith in my heart
Makes me co-holder of God’s entire Property
Immediately.

  1. To have faith in oneself

To lose faith
In oneself
Is nothing short of
An inner treachery.

To have soulfully implicit faith
In oneself
Is to enjoy a ceaseless oneness-friendship
With God.

  1. Two errors of Eternity

Two errors of Eternity:
The finite man cannot grow
Into Infinity;
Earth-night is denied
The face of the immortal Dawn.

  1. In the morning when I pray

In the morning when I pray,
I try to see the subtle movements
Of the visible God.

In the evening when I meditate,
I try to see the visible signs
Of the invisible God.

  1. My Lord’s Satisfaction-Lion

When my heart-dove
Became my soul-phoenix,
My Lord Supreme
Immediately transformed me
Into His own Satisfaction-Lion.

  1. A God-dreamer and a God-lover

The difference between
A God-dreamer and a God-lover
Is this:
A God-dreamer wants to live
In God’s birthless and deathless Infinity.
A God-lover longs to live
In God’s Heart-Cave.

  1. My nights are fractured

My nights are fractured
Because I do not
Sleeplessly pray and meditate
The entire night.

My days are fractured
Because I do not
See the beauty of man
And
The Duty of God
The entire day.

  1. My days and nights

When I feel the excruciating pangs
Of my insecurity-heart,
My days are followed by my nights.

When I see my God’s
Beauty-Face,
My nights are followed by my days.

  1. Man’s soul is a smile

Man’s heart is a cry
For a fulfilling desire.
Man’s soul is a smile
Satisfactorily descended
From a fulfilled God.

  1. Now I am grateful

There was a time
When I was grateful
To those who took my side,
Although I was quite often wrong.
But now I am grateful
Only to those who take God’s side,
No matter how feeble they are,
No matter how idle they are.

  1. Only if you change

You can be proud
Of yourself
Only if you change
Your present way of thinking.

You can be grateful
To yourself
Only if you change
Your present way of loving.

  1. The only real danger

We must all shield ourselves
Against the only real danger:
Our cherished friendship
With ignorance-night.

  1. The competition

His heart regularly competes
With high Heaven’s beauty.
Believe it or not,
His heart always wins.
Go, you can ask God.
God always comes
To watch the competition.

  1. Only one favour

My Lord,
I have been praying to You
For only one favour:
Please me today, only today,
In my own way.
Tomorrow and forever
I shall please You
In Your own Way.

  1. The idea-flames

Everything started,
Starts
And will start
With the idea-flames
For life-perfection
And self-transcendence.

  1. Many ways

No way
To influence God.
No way
To deceive God.
But many ways
Not only to realise God
But also to become God.

  1. To tie me to God

To tie me to God
God has His
Compassion-Sun
And I have my
Gratitude-flames.

  1. God’s Promises

God’s Promises
God always keeps.
Lo, He has given me
A simplicity-mind,
A purity-heart
And
A satisfaction-life.

  1. Divorce

Finally your mind
Has gotten a divorce
From its usual haughtiness,
And your vital
Has gotten a divorce
From its usual meanness.

  1. His confused heart

His doubting mind
Has left his heart
In utter confusion.

His confused heart
Has totally forgotten
God’s Compassion-Blessings
And His Affection-Smile.

  1. Slowly and quickly

Slowly we seek
And
Quickly we knock.

Bravely we accomplish
And
Gladly we achieve.

Soulfully we ascend
And
Unreservedly we transcend.

  1. God’s Satisfaction-Eye

Cry,
You will be able to feel
God’s Forgiveness-Heart.

Smile,
You will be able to see
God’s Satisfaction-Eye.

  1. No preparation is required

No preparation is required
If you soulfully love
Man in God.

No preparation is required
If you long to serve
God in man.

  1. Immediate help from God

Immediate help from God
Can save your shadowless heart,
But not your faithless mind.

 (Sri chinmoy: Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 16)

 

  1. Proud of depending on each other

My Lord and I are proud
Of depending on each other.
I depend on my Lord’s
Heart of Bounty.
My Lord depends on my
Life of fidelity.

  1. My mind trusts you

My mind trusts you
Not because you love my heart.
My mind trusts you
Precisely because your mind
Has implicit faith
In God’s Judgement-Light.

  1. Unless you depend

Unless you depend solely
On God’s Compassion-Sea,
How can God depend confidently
On your promise-flood?

  1. My mind is free

My mind is free,
But not free to feed
Ignorance-night.
My heart is free,
But not free to live
In ingratitude-cave.

  1. My Lord’s daily Forgiveness-Heart

I want to be free
Only for one reason,
And that reason is:
So I will never doubt
My Lord’s daily Forgiveness-Heart.

  1. A true millionaire

In the spiritual life
A true millionaire is he
Who is a free and cheerful giver
Of his most precious time.

  1. Like a perfect disciple

I may not be totally perfect,
But my heart does occasionally believe
Like a perfect disciple,
And my mind does occasionally behave
Like a perfect disciple.

  1. Both God and I are satisfied

I am giving God
My outer afflictions purified.
God is giving me
My inner promotions certified.
Needless to say,
Both God and I are completely satisfied.

  1. Why do you have to keep it?

God has not given you fear.
Why do you have to keep it?
God has not given you doubt.
Why do you have to cherish it?
God has given you courage.
Why do you not preserve it?
God has given you faith.
Why do you not treasure it?

  1. I am truly fortunate

I am truly fortunate
That my heart is completely satisfied
With God’s inner Guidance-Sun
And that my mind is totally satisfied
With God’s outer Providence-Sky.

  1. The hostile forces tremble

The hostile forces tremble
Not when I vehemently fight against them,
But when they see me soulfully seated
At the Feet of my Beloved Supreme.

  1. My morning meditation

My morning meditation
Opens my heart-door
So that my Lord can come in.

My evening meditation
Bolts my heart-door
So that Satan cannot enter
And darken my heart-room.

  1. Stop at this point

Be careful!
Today you are hesitating
About whether to tolerate your ignorance-sea.
Stop at this point at least!
Who knows, tomorrow you may be inspired
To endorse your ignorance-night
For your utter destruction.

  1. A sea of peace rules my heart

A sea of peace rules my heart
Only after God’s Forgiveness
Has ruled my mind.

  1. Because of your absolute Greatness

Because of Your absolute Greatness,
My Lord, I have.
Because of Your supreme Goodness,
My Lord, I am.

  1. The role of a self-excuser

As long as you play the role
Of a self-excuser,
The world is bound to play the role
Of your accuser.

  1. Your life’s insincerity-career

Your life’s insincerity-career
Might have lasted for only
A few fleeting years,
But its forced wages can and will last
For the remainder of your deplorable life.

  1. You know one important thing

You know one important thing:
That the pleasure-life is fleeting.
But you do not know
That the prayer-life is not only lasting
But everlasting.

  1. When doubt knocks

When doubt knocks at your heart-door,
Do not answer the door.
Just make a fervent request to your soul
To answer the door.
Your soul will not only do it,
But do it cheerfully.

  1. Only one sensible action

On my part
There is only one sensible action,
And that is to respond always
To God’s Compassion-Heart.

  1. When my love of God comes in

When my love of God comes in
And starts working for Him
In the inner world,
My faith in God goes out
And starts working for Him
In the outer world.

  1. Your Heavenly responsibilities

For years and years
You have fulfilled
Your earthly responsibilities.
Now for your few remaining years
You can fulfil
Your Heavenly responsibilities.

  1. Stupidity incarnate is he

Stupidity incarnate is he.
Look, he wants to make the most
Of his life
Long after most of his life
Is gone, fruitlessly gone.

  1. My unsung songs

My unsung songs
My heart will appreciate infinitely more
Than my countless songs that are already sung.

(Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 43)

  1. Just One Positive Step

Take just one positive step.
Every day say:
“My heart is of God
And my life is for God.”

  1. My Heart Has Been Crying

Centuries come and go.
My mind does not know
What it has been doing all along,
But my heart knows
What it has been doing.
It has been crying
For the presence of the Infinite
Inside the tiny body-cave
Of the finite.

  1. Somehow I Have Lost My Way

Somehow I have lost my way.
Alas, I now see the road ahead
Constantly lengthening,
Bewildering and frightening me.

  1. God Has Invited You To His Party

God has invited you to His Party.
Do not forget to carry with you
Your heart’s gift:
Absolutely pure gratitude.

  1. The Freedom Of True Independence

If you are willing
To run the race of oneness-light,
Then only can you enjoy the prize:
The freedom of true independence.

  1. God’s Forgiveness-Light

If you are bathed
In God’s Forgiveness-Light,
Then no dust of earth
Will be able to cling to you.

  1. The Beckoning Hands Of God’s Smile

The beckoning Hands
Of God’s hopeful Smile
Will, without fail, one day greet
The fruitful cries
Of man’s prayerful heart.

  1. My Steady Mind

My steady mind sits and dreams
At the foot of my Lord’s Perfection-Tree.
My ready heart climbs up and devours
My Lord’s Satisfaction-Fruits.

  1. Your Confusion-Boat Will Sink

Your mind’s confusion-boat will sink
Only when you are ready to sail
Your heart’s illumination-boat.

  1. Your Friendship With Humanity

Your friendship with humanity
Is founded upon your curiosity.
Therefore, do not blame God
If you find yourself completely lost
Inside a dark nothingness-night.

  1. Your Orphan-Life

Because yesterday your mind
Enjoyed its indifference-night,
Today your orphan-life
Is drowning in the sea of helplessness-night.

  1. How Do You Dare Pressure God?

How do you dare pressure God
To invite you to His Delight-Feast,
When you are all the time treasuring
Your heart’s insecurity-hunger?

  1. A Lasting Connection

The silence-touch of Eternity
Has unconditionally granted me
A lasting and transcending
Oneness-connection with God.

  1. His Soul Lives For

His mind lives for knowledge-light.
His heart lives for affection-delight.
His life lives for perfection-might.
His soul lives for transcendence-height.

  1. His Mind’s New Discovery

His mind’s new discovery:
God is Forgiveness-Delight.
His heart’s new discovery:
God is Justice-Light.

  1. How Can You Be Always Happy?

How can you be always happy
When your life does not go beyond
The domain of your mind’s
Superficial investigation?

  1. A Transformed Man

A transformed man
Is the perfect manifestation
Of a blossomed God.

  1. Earth’s Beauty, Heaven’s Beauty

Earth’s beauty
Is in its soulfully smiling hope.
Heaven’s beauty
Is in its peacefully loving promise.

  1. Your World’s Future Guide

Your world’s future guide
Is not your promise,
Not your hope,
Not even your surrender,
But your heart’s gratitude-plant.

  1. Their Perfect Oneness-Home

A mind of simplicity,
A heart of purity
And
A life of duty
Live together
In their perfect oneness-home.

  1. Trials

Trials in the outer world
Awaken you.
Trials in the inner world
Illumine you.

  1. God’s Compassion-Supply

God’s Compassion-Supply
Is more abundant
Than even our extravagant requirements.

  1. His Life’s Surrender Wins

His heart’s purity
Penetrates the impenetrable.
His life’s surrender
Wins the Transcendental.

  1. Man Has No Choice

Man is nothing but a quenchless pride-flame.
Therefore he has no choice.
Helplessly he is humiliated
By a stark ignorance-frown.

  1. The Love Of A Pure Oneness-Heart

The love of a pure oneness-heart
Has every right to correct
If necessity demands.

(Sri chinmoy: Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 67)

  1. A Doubt-Wave

Your life has become a doubt-wave
In a confusion-sea,
Yet you always think
That you are definitely worthy
Of God’s arrival.

  1. The Mind Tries To Imitate

The mind tries to imitate
The purity-heart
In a distorted way.
The heart tries to imitate
The divinity-soul
In a self-giving way.

  1. My Inner Pilot Asks Me

My Inner Pilot asks me
From this very moment
Not to look even once more
At the ugliness of my doubting mind.

  1. My Heart Suffers More

My heart suffers more
From my mind
Than I suffer
From my vital.

  1. It Is Impossible

As it is impossible
For me to please God
Without my ever-mounting faith-flames,
Even so, it is impossible
For God to please me
Without His ever-increasing Compassion-Flood.

  1. Your Heart’s Oneness-Delight

Your heart’s oneness-delight
Can alone try to perfect
The world’s division-dissatisfaction-life.

  1. A New Haven

His heart’s aspiration-mountain
And his life’s determination-volcano
Have formed a new haven
For earth’s ceaseless cries
And endless failures.

  1. God’s Victory-Trumpet

I thank myself
Because I love God.
God thanks Himself
Because in me He has found
His long-lost Victory-Trumpet.

  1. The Landscape Listens

The landscape listens
To your heart’s soulful dictates.
Do you know why?
Because you have already appreciated
Its beauty’s life
In God’s Vision-Light
And its purity’s heart
In God’s Reality-Delight.

  1. Ride The Purity-Bicycle

Every day ride the purity-bicycle
Inside your heart.
If you do not do so daily,
You will not be able to proceed.
Not only that,
You will fall down, I must say,
Very badly.

  1. I Do Not Need Aspiration-Hunger

Even God’s Heart of Compassion
Immediately changed when I told Him
That I do not need aspiration-hunger
To appreciate His Perfection-Satisfaction-Meal.

  1. Scarcities

Your mind may have
A scarcity of ideas.
Your life may have
A scarcity of ideals.
But your heart can never have
A scarcity of self-transcending goals.

  1. I Do Not Imitate Others

I do not imitate others
To become their friend.
I just love their Source,
God’s Oneness-Love.

  1. My Life Passed Safely

Yesterday
My life passed safely.
Today
My heart is crying soulfully.
Tomorrow
My mind shall behave perfectly.

  1. Your Life-Boat

Your life-boat
Shall not remain unlaunched
Any longer,
For God’s Breath
Has finally been able
To touch your sleeping heart.

  1. Your Oneness-Heart Is Happy

Your oneness-heart is happy
Because it lives inseparably
With the entire world.

Your division-mind wants to be happy
Without enjoying the peace-beauty
Of the inner world.

  1. My Protector-Transformer

My Lord Supreme,
I am tired of constantly colliding
With my lower self.
Do become my only Protector-Transformer.

  1. A Living Miracle

I do not have to see
Any miracle,
For I myself have become
A living miracle.
Do you know how?
Just by taming
My explosive energy.

  1. There Is No Such Thing

O my mind,
There is no such thing
As instructive doubt.

O my heart,
There is no such thing
As constructive fear.

  1. Time To Become Acquainted

Never fear your own confusion-mind.
Just challenge it vehemently!
It is high time for you
To become fully acquainted
With your own true self:
Tomorrow’s God.

  1. Since You Do Not Invite Faith

Since you do not invite faith
Into your heart-room,
How can you expect to chase
The doubt-wolf from your life?

  1. His Sweet Heart-Smile

You think that God has to use
His infinite Power
To silence your mind.
But I tell you,
To silence your mind,
He needs to use only
His sweet Heart-Smile.

  1. Because He Did Not Want

Because he did not want
His insecurity-heart any more,
He started praying
To God the Infinite Power.

Because he did not want
His impurity-mind any more,
He started meditating
On God the Immortal Love.

  1. Our Heart’s Gratitude-Length

What enables us to see God?
Definitely not our capacity-strength,
But our heart’s gratitude-length.

  1. Closeness, Fondness And Oneness

When my mind believes in
God’s Closeness,
My heart immediately feels
God’s Fondness
And my life sleeplessly feels
God’s Oneness.
God’s Closeness surprises
The human in me,
God’s Fondness immortalises
The divine in me
And God’s Oneness fulfils at once
The divine lover
And
The Supreme Beloved in me.
The divine lover in me
Is he who knows;
The Supreme Beloved in me
Is He who is.

  1. Ten Thousand Flower-Flames

O my sound-life!
I love you
Because you are
Powerful.

O my silence-life!
I need you
Because you are
Beautiful.

O my Beloved Supreme!
I at once love You
And need You
Because
Your Eye is my
Dream-Boat,
Your Life is my
Silver Journey
And Your Heart is my
Golden Shore.

O my Beloved Supreme Absolute!
In me is Your Eternity’s Transcendental Cry,
For me is Your Infinity’s Immortal Smile.

Editor’s introduction to the first edition

This is the one-hundredth and final 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.

(sri Chinmoy: Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 100)

 

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We are all leaves, flowers
And fruits
On the different religion-branches
Of the birthless and deathless
Life-tree.

(Sri Chinmoy)

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