The Golden Boat, part 12

by Sri Chinmoy
written in one day

 

1. Waiting for you

O body, my body,
    Don’t sleep any more.  
Look, Vision-God is waiting for you!

O vital, my vital,
    Don’t remain spiritless any more.  
Look, Energy-God is waiting for you!

O mind, my mind,
    Don’t doubt any more.  
Look, Perfection-God is waiting for you!

O heart, my heart,
    Don’t cry any more.  
Look, Satisfaction-God is waiting for you! 

2. Three lessons

Self-abnegation teaches me
    I do not need earth-life.

Self-purification teaches me
    I need God’s living Breath in Heaven.

Self-realisation teaches me
    Earth-life I need to please God;
    Heaven-life I need to please myself. 

3. I hate those liars

I hate my yesterday
    Because  
She told me a dark lie.  
She told me that God-life  
Is not meant for me.

I hate my today
    Because  
She has told me a serious lie.  
She has told me that God-realisation  
Is not meant for me.

I hate my tomorrow
    Because  
She is telling me a stupid lie.  
She is telling me that there is  
And there can be
    No God  
For an idle fellow like me. 

4. You alone know what love is

Lord, Your Speech is simple.
    Therefore  
I like You.

Lord, Your Philosophy is sublime.
    Therefore  
I love You.

Lord, Your Sacrifice is constant.
    Therefore  
I adore You.

Lord, You alone know what love is.
    Therefore  
I need You, only You. 

5. Light is precious

Precious,  
Light is precious.

    Spacious,  
Life is spacious.

    Gracious,  
Truth is gracious.

    Voracious,  
Falsehood is voracious.

    Sagacious,  
Heart is sagacious.

    Glorious,  
Faith is glorious.

    Dangerous,  
Hate is dangerous.

    Conscious,  
Love is conscious. 

6. Her presence

Her presence  
Is always treasured.

    Her smile  
Is always adored.

    Her silence  
Is always garlanded.

    Her compassion  
Is always crowned. 

7. My ego, my love

My ego feeds
    Earth-reality.  
My ego binds
    Heaven-dream.  
My love pilots
    Earth-aspiration.  
My love manifests
    Heaven-realisation. 

8. God is all for you

Are you a fighter?  
Then God’s Banner is for you.

Are you a dreamer?  
Then God’s Arbour is for you.

Are you a sacrificer?  
Then God’s Nectar is for you.

Are you a lover?  
Then God is all for you,
    Only for you. 

9. If you are supreme

If you are great,  
Then show me your face.  
I want to examine your face.

If you are good,  
Then show me your eyes.  
I want to examine your eyes.

If you are divine,  
Then show me your heart.  
I want to examine your heart.

    But  
If you are supreme,  
Then examine me.  
I shall definitely
    Equal you.  
Just give me a chance,
    That’s all. 

10. Do me a favour

If you are the Earth-Mother,  
Then do me a favour.  
Give me, please, Your patience-tree.

If you are the Heaven-Father,  
Then do me a favour.  
Give me, please, Your Knowledge-fruit.

If you are the Saviour-God,  
Then do me a favour.  
Give me, please, Your Oneness-banner. 

11. Lessons you have learnt

Life is beautiful.  
This lesson you have learnt  
From your temptation-teacher.

Light is beautiful.  
This lesson you have learnt  
From your aspiration-teacher.

Delight is beautiful.  
This lesson you have learnt  
From your perfection-teacher. 

12. Beggars

Yesterday’s beggars:  
Man and his greed.

Today’s beggars:  
God and His Needs.

Tomorrow’s beggars:  
God the Perfection-lover,
    And  
Man the ignorance-devourer. 

13. My gifts

Yesterday  
I gave You, Lord,  
My life’s bitter defeat.

Today  
I give You, Lord,  
My soul’s glorious victory.

Tomorrow  
I shall give You, Lord,  
My heart’s oneness-goal. 

14. The height and depth of earth-life

I touch the feet
    Of Silence-light  
To scale the height
    Of earth-life.

I touch the head
    Of sound-pride  
To plumb the abyss
    Of earth-life. 

15. My different friends

Doubt, do you know  
Who you are?  
You are my fleeting friend.

Faith, do you know  
Who you are?  
You are my bleeding friend.

Life, do you know  
Who you are?  
You are my searching friend.

Love, do you know  
Who you are?  
You are my illumining friend,  
You are my eternal friend,  
You are my God-Friend. 

16. Her heart

Green as young grass
    Her heart is;  
Therefore, she runs to the farthest Beyond.

Blue as the vast sky
    Her heart is;  
Therefore, she flies into the farthest Beyond.

Red as the morning sun
    Her heart is;  
Therefore, she illumines the world without.

White as Himalayan snow
    Her heart is;  
Therefore, she feeds the world within. 

17. When I love

When I love desire-night,
    I fail God.  
When desire-night loves me,
    Truth-love forgets me.

When I love aspiration-light,
    God-Beauty envelops me.  
When aspiration-light loves me,
    God-height claims me. 

18. Two things he does

Two things, only two things,
    He does:  
He breathes in the perfume
    Of God-promise
    To Mother Earth;  
He breathes out the odour
    Of frustration-reality
    To Father Heaven. 

19. Perfection-banner you offer

Truth-banner you own;
    Therefore  
You are great.

Light-banner you hold;
    Therefore  
You are great.

Perfection-banner you offer;
    Therefore  
You are great,  
You are good,  
You are divine,  
You are supreme. 

20. My Lord God is missing

If you are wakeful  
Then look around with me,
    Help me.  
My Lord God is missing.

If you are soulful  
Then look within my heart,
    Help me.  
My Lord God is missing.

If you are blissful  
Then look up with me,
    Help me.  
My Lord God is missing. 

21. My evening song

My morning song was:
    How far to go?
    Far have I to go!

My afternoon song was:
    Can I reach my Goal?
    I can and I shall
    Reach my Goal!

My evening song is:
    Have I reached my Goal?
    I have not only reached my Goal
    But
    Far transcended my Goal!
    I desired to touch His Feet
    But
    My Lord has made me feel His Heart. 

22. How is it?

Soul, my soul, how is it that  
Your power is so mysterious?

Heart, my heart, how is it that  
Your power is so soulful?

Mind, my mind, how is it that  
Your power is so immense?

Vital, my vital, how is it that  
Your power is so intense?

Body, my body, how is it that  
Your power is so dubious? 

23. What I call it

Some call it evolution,  
While others call it man-transformation.  
I call it God-perfection.

Some call it aspiration,  
While others call it man-cry.  
I call it God-smile.

Some call it realisation,  
While others call it reality-life.  
I call it God-satisfaction. 

24. Where are you?

Oblivion, stay where you are.
    Don’t come near me!

O my remembrance-friend, where are you?
    I need you immediately.

O my aspiration-friend, where are you?
    I need you constantly.

O my realisation-friend, where are you?
    I need you eternally. 

25. O morning of Eternity

O Morning of Eternity,  
I love your silence-face.

O Morning of Infinity,  
I love your sound-arms.

O Morning of Immortality,  
I love your perfection-heart. 

26. The call

Yesterday  
My vital enjoyed  
The tempter’s call.

    Today  
My mind enjoys  
The doubter’s call.

    Tomorrow  
My heart shall enjoy  
The lover’s call.

    The day after tomorrow  
My body shall enjoy  
My Father’s Call. 

27. Two swords

Aspiration-flame  
Is the sword  
That separates Knowledge-Light
    And  
Ignorance-night.

    Realisation-sun  
Is the sword  
That unites the cry of the finite
    And  
The Smile of the Infinite. 

28. Our devotion

Your devotion-seed  
Loves a holy face.

His devotion-tree  
Salutes a holy life.

My devotion-fruit  
Becomes a holy heart. 

29. Pay more attention to it

God loves your earth-body;
    Therefore
    Pay more attention to it.

God loves your Heaven-soul;
    Therefore
    Pay more attention to it.

God loves your Immortality-goal;
    Therefore
    Pay more attention to it. 

30. You are perfect, too

Are you calm?  
Then you are confident, too.

Are you confident?  
Then you are progressive, too.

Are you progressive?  
Then you are instrumental, too.

Are you instrumental?  
Then you are perfect, too. 

31. Silence and sound

Silence, silence,  
My Lord is coming.

Sound, sound,  
My Lord is going.

Silence, silence,  
My Lord is returning.

Sound, sound,  
My Lord is perfecting.

Silence, silence,  
My Lord is enjoying.

Sound, sound,  
My Lord is becoming. 

32. Fire and water

O march of fire,  
My heart longs for  
Your determination-blood.  
Do share with me  
Your aspiration-height.

O march of water,  
My vital longs for  
Your expansion-flood.  
Do share with me  
Your consciousness-light. 

33. I salute

I salute earth
    Because  
She tries and cries.

I salute Heaven
    Because  
He dreams and smiles.

I salute man
    Because  
He sows and grows.

I salute God
    Because  
He divinely has,  
He supremely is. 

34. They long for silence

My body longs for  
Loving silence.

My vital longs for  
Daring silence.

My mind longs for  
Thoughtless silence.

My heart longs for  
Soundless silence.

My soul longs for  
Worldless silence.

My God longs for  
Breathless Silence. 

35. The dance

The dance of the sea  
Inspires me to be dauntless.

The dance of the sky  
Inspires me to be sorrowless.

The dance of the moon  
Inspires me to be guileless.

The dance of the sun  
Inspires me to be selfless.

The dance of the earth  
Inspires me to be sleepless.

The dance of Heaven  
Inspires me to be thoughtless.

The dance of man  
Inspires me to be soulless.

The dance of God  
Inspires me to be deathless,
    Also soundless. 

36. You will be happy

Speak without words.  
You will be happy.

Dedicate without proclaiming.  
You will be happy.

Love without being loved.  
You will be happy.

Surrender without being subjugated.  
You will be happy.

Become without being known,
    without being caught,
    without being sought.  
You will be happy. 

37. I stand on the balcony of Light

I stand  
On the balcony of Light  
To brave Satan’s death-dart.

    I stand  
On the balcony of Peace  
To devour the hungry, war-mad world. 

38. They listen to me

The morning-silence  
Listens to me;
    Therefore  
I am so pure.

    The noon-sound  
Listens to me;
    Therefore  
I am so sure.

    The evening-light  
Listens to me;
    Therefore  
I am never obscure,  
I am never neglected,  
I am never rejected,
    And
    My heart-love has become
    What my soul-life eternally is. 

39. I am proud

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your servant.  
You allow me to touch Your Feet.

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your child.  
You allow me to dine with You.

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your comrade.  
You allow me to sport with You.

Lord, I am proud to be
    Your lower self.  
You allow me to worship You. 

40. My bonds are broken

My earth-bonds are snapped;
    Therefore  
I can go to Heaven  
And rest and dream.

My Heaven-bonds are severed.  
This realisation has dawned on me  
In my own way;
    Therefore  
I can go to earth  
To please my Lord Supreme —  
To please Him  
In His own Way,  
Unlike the Heaven-hungry souls. 

41. Cry

O Compassion supreme,  
I cry  
When I see You.

O Tyrant supreme,  
I cry  
When I cannot avoid You.

O Nectar supreme,  
I cry  
When I love You.

O Indifference supreme,  
I cry  
When I cannot love You.

O Awareness supreme,  
I cry  
When You love me.

O Forgetfulness supreme,  
I cry  
When You do not love me. 

42. O my patience

O my patience-heart,
    Because of you  
Today I own Liberation-sky.

    O my patience-life,
    Because of you  
Today I own Perfection-world.

    O my patience-God,
    Because of You  
Today I own Satisfaction-goal. 

43. Freedom

Freedom burdened:
    Indeed,  
This is what  
My poor mind enjoys.

Freedom unburdened:
    Indeed,  
This is what  
My serving heart enjoys.

Freedom birthless and deathless:
    Indeed,  
This is what  
My wise soul enjoys. 

44. Promise blue, promise green

O earth-kingdom,  
Don’t suffer.  
To you I offer  
My promise blue:  
My heart shall help you ascend  
And touch God’s  
Transcendental Height.

O Heaven-kingdom,  
Don’t suffer.  
To you I offer  
My promise green:  
My soul shall help you descend  
And feel God’s  
Bottomless Depth. 

45. Earth-door and Heaven-gate

Earth-door  
Naked we knock.

    Heaven-gate  
Nameless we knock.

    Earth-door  
Offers us its peerless treasure:
    A ceaseless cry.

    Heaven-gate  
Offers us its ceaseless treasure:
    The dream of the Beyond. 

46. All are eager (I)

My deer is eager  
To win for me.

My horse is eager  
To dive for me.

My bull is eager  
To fight for me.

My dog is eager  
To wait for me.

My cow is eager  
To illumine for me.

My lion is eager  
To roar for me.

My God is eager  
To smile for me.

47. All are eager (II)

My rabbit is eager  
To jump for me.

My tiger is eager  
To devour for me.

My giraffe is eager  
To reach for me.

My turtle is eager  
To die for me.

My monkey is eager  
To climb for me.

My swan is eager  
To realise for me.

My cat is eager  
To cry for me.

My camel is eager  
To carry for me.

My elephant is eager  
To brave for me. 

48. For my sake

O restless mind,  
When will you stop
    Beating your wings?  
Stop for my sake at least,
    Please.

    O heedless heart,  
When will you start
    Unsealing your ears?  
Start for my sake at least,
    Please. 

49. When she smiles

When she thinks,  
Teeming stars dance  
With Light.

When she wills,  
The Supreme sports  
With His highest Height.

When she smiles,  
The Creator and the creation  
Are at once fulfilled. 

50. A cave of my own

O my heart,  
I have a sky of my own.  
I want you to fly  
From end to end.

O my mind,  
I have an ocean of my own.  
I want you to swim  
From end to end.

O my sweet Lord,  
I have a cave of my own.  
I want You to walk  
From end to end. 


Published in The Golden Boat, part 12

 

Two Instruments: Mind and Heart

A lecture by Sri Chinmoy
at Friends House in York, England

 

Two instruments: mind and heart. The mind is division: world-division and self-division. World-division is nothing short of world-poverty. Self-division is the beginning of self-destruction. The heart is acceptance: acceptance of the inner life and acceptance of the outer life. The inner life is aspiration. The outer life is dedication.

Again, aspiration is a kind of dedication and dedication is a kind of aspiration. When we aspire we climb up high, higher, highest. While we are climbing up, like a bird we are spreading our wings. And while we are dedicating ourselves to the cause of humanity, while we are spreading our wings, at that time we also climb up.

Aspiration and dedication form a life-tree within us. The branches of this tree symbolise dedication, while the trunk of the tree looks up in order to reach the skies of aspiration. So our life-tree at once embodies aspiration to reach God's transcendental Heights and dedication to reach God's universal Reality.

Usually we have two types of mind, the human mind and the divine mind. The human mind is apt to choose; while choosing it loses. What does it choose? It chooses doubt, it chooses to be with countless doubts. What does it lose? It loses its innate, illumining Light. The divine mind unfolds itself at every moment; while unfolding it becomes. What does it unfold? It unfolds its illumining beauty. What does it become? It becomes, on earth and in Heaven, an ever-increasing, ever-fulfilling Reality.

As a human being, very often we use the human mind, the earth-bound mind. On rare occasions we use the divine mind, the Heaven-free mind. The earth-bound mind embodies doubt, suspicion, fear, jealousy, insecurity and many other unaspiring qualities. The earth-bound mind tells us to be always cautious because the world around us is treacherous.

The Heaven-free mind, which we feel deep within us on very rare occasions, tells us to be sincere, dedicated, devoted and loving. It asks us not to be suspicious. It tells us to love the world, because to love mankind means to serve our absolute, eternal Father. The Heaven-free mind brings to us the message of peace in self-giving, the message of light in self-giving, the message of perfection in self-giving.

As we have the human mind and the divine mind, even so we have the human heart and the divine heart. The human heart has a fearful beginning. The divine heart has a birthless song. The human heart has a tearful end. The divine heart has a deathless dance. The human heart has a fearful beginning and a tearful end. The divine heart has a birthless song and a deathless dance.

The human heart quite often mixes with the vital, the vital that is always hungry like a wolf. Just because it mixes with the vital, it takes upon itself quite a few of the problems and imperfections of the vital. At that time, the human heart teaches us to possess the world.

Alas, when we listen to the human heart, we only discover that possession is not satisfaction. There is not an iota of satisfaction in world-possession. Therefore, we change teachers and go to the divine heart. The divine heart always teaches us the message of give, give and give; and while we are giving, we see that we have also become. What do we give and what do we become? We give a soulful cry and we become a fruitful smile. Our soulful cry is blessed by God's transcendental Vision. Our fruitful smile is blessed by God's universal Reality.

The earth-binding heart and the Heaven-liberating heart. When we wallow in the pleasures of ignorance, when we lead the life of desire, the earth-binding heart cannot enjoy a free access to the Real in us. But when we walk along the road of aspiration, the Heaven-liberating, Heaven-enjoying heart enters into us and offers us its divinity, its supreme satisfaction, its supreme perfection.

Desire gives us the earth-binding heart: the earth-binding heart gives us desire. The Heaven-enjoying heart gives us aspiration; aspiration gives us the Heaven-enjoying heart.

Here we are all seekers. There was a time when we felt the fulfilment of desires was necessary in order to become happy. So we have fulfilled quite a few desires of ours. And what have we realised in the fulfilment of our desires? We have realised that we have acted like beggars. A beggar can never claim the plenitude, the infinitude of God's entire creation, for he knows that there is a yawning gulf between his reality and the vast reality which is owned by somebody else.

Now we are aspiring and, in our aspiration, we have come to realise that we do not want to possess. We want only to give what we have and what we are. What we have and what we are is an inner cry to become perfect instruments of the Absolute Supreme; and what we shall establish is our conscious, constant, inseparable, unconditional oneness with the Absolute Supreme.


Published in My Rose Petals, part 5

 

Forgiveness

A talk by Sri Chinmoy
Langholts Church, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

My Lord Beloved Supreme, I do not think of You. Yet You forgive me.

My Lord Beloved Supreme, I do not pray to You. Yet You forgive me.

My Lord Beloved Supreme, I do not meditate on You. Yet You forgive me.

My Lord Beloved Supreme, I do not serve You. Yet You forgive me.

My Lord Beloved Supreme, I do not love You. Yet You forgive me.

My Lord Beloved Supreme, I do everything wrong and I say everything wrong. Yet You forgive me at every moment. Why, why, my Lord Beloved Supreme?

"My child, I am the eternal Dreamer and you are My Eternity's Dream. In My Existence-Consciousness-Reality I am dreaming in and through you at every moment. You want satisfaction. By not thinking of Me, by not praying to Me, by not meditating on Me, by not serving Me, by not loving Me, you will never have satisfaction. You can have satisfaction only by loving Me and claiming Me as your own, very own.

"In My case, too, I cannot get satisfaction, full satisfaction, unless I can make you a perfect seeker and a perfect human being. Throughout Eternity I have been longing for humanity's perfection. This perfection needs My infinite Compassion and My birthless and deathless Forgiveness. If necessary, I shall wait throughout Eternity to make each creation of Mine perfectly perfect, for this is My Eternity's Dream.

"I forgive you because I know there shall come a time when you will become a choice instrument of Mine. Not only that, you will become My representative here on earth. In you and through you I shall bless the world with a special Message: the Message of universal oneness.

"My child, do not be sad that you do not think of Me, that you do not pray to Me, that you do not meditate on Me, that you do not serve Me and that you do not even love Me. Do not be doomed to disappointment. There shall come a time when you will be awakened, fully awakened. My unconditional Compassion will awaken your entire being, your earthly life. Then you will think of Me sleeplessly, pray to Me breathlessly, meditate on Me soulfully, serve Me self-givingly and love Me unconditionally. That golden Hour is fast approaching. I am all Love and you, My child, must be fully prepared to receive Me with all your heart's love and love, gratitude and gratitude."


Published in My Heart’s Peace-Offering

 

European Poem-Blossoms

by Sri Chinmoy
written on a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Zurich, Switzerland to Oslo, Norway

 

58.

My Lord Supreme  
Blessingfully loves  
The aspiration-perfection-plant  
In my heart-garden. 

59.

Devotion  
Self-givingly purified,  
Man  
Absolutely transformed. 

60.

A heart of delight  
Sees not  
The mind anywhere.

61.

I am praying to God  
For two things:  
My body-vital-mind-collision  
And my soul-heart-union.

62.

Nobody knows,  
Nobody even wants to know  
How sleeplessly and badly  
God suffers. 

63.

Man's attachment-fondness  
Is his stupidity's  
Greatest friend.

64.

Where do I live?  
I live in between  
My heart's aspiration-pull  
And my life's dedication-push.

65.

A perfect attitude  
Knows  
No imperfect day. 

66.

What do I do every morning?  
Every morning  
I lovingly and carefully  
Sow hope-seeds  
Inside my heart-garden.

Do not miscalculate
Your inner friends:
They are not as few
As you think.

67.

If you are trying  
To escape God's Justice-Light,  
Then your mind will fumble,  
Your heart will stumble,  
Your life will tumble.

68.

O my clever mind.  
You will not be able to fool  
My God-blessed  
Aspiration-cry-heart.

69.

Insecurity  
And its daily outbreak  
Are so devastating. 

70.

I really do not want  
To enjoy any more  
My tortoise-aspiration-speed.


Published in European Poem-Blossoms

 

Only one thing: Eagerness

A short talk by Sri Chinmoy
at Ananda Fuara Restaurant in San Francisco, California

 

Each and every disciple of mine, if you want to prove that you are a good disciple, a real disciple of Sri Chinmoy, develop only one thing, not two things: eagerness, eagerness, eagerness. You do not need two things to please me. Only one thing is needed: eagerness, eagerness, eagerness.

Where there is eagerness, all the obstacles on the way we can surmount. And if there is no eagerness, that is worse than death itself.


Published in The Temple and the Shrine