Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Sri Chinmoy, born Chinmoy Kumar Ghose

Indian-born Bengali and American Contemporary Spiritual Leader, Author, Poet, Athlete and Artist

"Responsibility is the possibility of opportunity culminating in inevitable fulfillment."

"An unaspiring person believes according to what he achieves. An aspiring person achieves according to what he believes."

"The meaning of life is to become inseparably one with God the transcendental Bliss and God the universal Peace. The meaning of life is to achieve unconditional self-giving and a self-giving will... complete faith in oneself and a birthless and deathless faith in God. Life is love... Life needs a dream and a goal... Transcendence is the glorious beginning of human perfection... Who am I? I am my life’s unfinished God-manifestation."

"Choose a friend. He will help you. Alas, he deserts you. Choose an enemy. He will fight against you. Lo, he corrects and perfects you."

"When is a man actually sick? He is sick only when his mind is empty of belief and his life is empty of promise."

"Ignorance is an enemy, even to its owner. Knowledge is a friend, even to its hater. Ignorance hates knowledge because it is too pure. Knowledge fears ignorance because it is too sure."

"Within, without the cosmos wide am I; In joyful sweep I loose forth and draw back all. A birthless deathless Spirit that moves and is still Ever abides within to hear my call. I who create on earth my joys and doles To fulfil my matchless quest in all my play, I veil my face of truth with golden hues And see the serpent night and python day. A Consciousness Bliss I feel in each breath; I am the self amorous child of the Sun. At will I break and build my symbol sheath And freely enjoy the world’s unshadowed fun."

"The Golden Flute A sea of Peace and Joy and Light Beyond my reach I know. In me the storm-tossed weeping night Finds room to rage and flow. I cry aloud, but all in vain; I helpless, the earth unkind What soul of might can share my pain? Death-dart alone I find. A raft am I on the sea of Time, My oars are washed away. How can I hope to reach the clime Of God’s eternal Day? But hark ! I hear Thy golden Flute, Its notes bring the Summit down. Now safe am I, O Absolute! Gone death, gone night’s stark frown ! "

"Love is the inner bond, the inner connection, the inner link between man and God, between the finite and the infinite. We always have to approach God through love. Without love, we cannot become one with God. If we go through our journey with absolute love, we can never fail to reach God or fulfil Him, either in our own lives or in humanity. Love is the secret key that allows a human being to open the Door of God. Where there is love, pure love, divine love, there is fulfilment. Where there is no love, it is all misery, frustration and death. The first step in our journey is love, the second step is devotion and the third step is surrender. First we have to love God. Then we have to devote ourselves to Him alone and finally we have to be at His Feet and fulfil ourselves. What is love ? If love means possessing someone or something then that is not real love; that is not pure love. If love means giving and becoming one with everything, with humanity and divinity, then that is real love. Real love is our total oneness with the object loved and with the possessor of love. Who is the possessor of love? "

"My Inner Peace My inner peace Does not select anybody, Does not reject anybody. My inner peace Always self-givingly projects itself. Peace Peace is in The fragrance-heart Of my sleepless meditation. Peace I Feel Peace I feel In infinite measure When my life becomes The fragrance Of my gratitude-heart. I Receive Peace I receive peace In abundant measure When I take my mind To fly with me In my simplicity, sincerity, Humility and purity-plane In the Sky of God’s Compassion, Protection and Satisfaction Peace Peace Is not the fault-finder Of the world. Peace Is the fault-mender Of the world. Peace Is the vision-beauty Of ancient dawns. Peace Is the vision-dream-choice Of modern noons Peace Silences the nightmares of the mind. Peace Feeds the dreams of the heart."

"No mind, no form, I only exist; Now ceased all will and thought; The final end of Nature's dance, I am it whom I have sought. A realm of Bliss bare, ultimate; Beyond both knower and known; A rest immense I enjoy at last; I face the One alone. I have crossed the secret ways of life, I have become the Goal. The Truth immutable is revealed; I am the way, the God-Soul. My spirit aware of all the heights, I am mute in the core of the Sun. I barter nothing with time and deeds; My cosmic play is done."

"You are beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful, Beauty unparalleled in the garden of Eden. Day and night may Thy image abide In the very depth of my heart. Without You my eyes have no vision, Everything is an illusion, everything is barren. All around me, within and without, The melody of tenebrous pangs I hear. My world is filled with excruciating pangs. O Lord, O my beautiful Lord, O my Lord of Beauty, In this lifetime, even for a fleeting second, May I be blessed with the boon To see Thy Face."

"Immortality I feel in all my limbs His boundless Grace; Within my heart the Truth of life shines white. The secret heights of God my soul now climbs; No dole, no sombre pang, no death in my sight. No mortal days and nights can shake my calm; A Light above sustains my secret soul. All doubts with grief are banished from my deeps, My eyes of light perceive my cherished Goal. Though in the world, I am above its woe; I dwell in an ocean of supreme release. My mind, a core of the One's unmeasured thoughts; The star vast welkin hugs my Spirit's peace. My eternal days are found in speeding time; I play upon His Flute of rhapsody. Impossible deeds no more impossible seem; In birth chains now shines Immortality."

"O Bird of Light One thought, one tune, one resonance- Who calls me ever and anon? I know not where I am. I know not whither I shall go. In dark amnesia, Myself I buy, myself I sell. All I break, again all I build. All I hope to be mine, mine alone. Alas, my heart is eclipsed By dark and wild destruction night. O Bird of Light, O Bird of Light, With your glowing and flowing flames Do enter into my heart once again. You are calling me to climb up And fly into the blue. But how can I? My heart is in prison, In the strangled breath of a tiny room. O Bird of Light, O Bird of Light, O Bird of Light Supreme. In me, I pray, keep not an iota of gloom."

"Life is but a day. Therefore I try to finish All my aspiring And All my loving In the short span Of one single day. Life is but Eternity, Therefore I sleep and dream, I sing and dance And Dance and sing In the Silence-Face, Forgiveness-Smile Of the birthless and deathless Day."

"You are afraid of the future. Perhaps it is true that the future Holds only torture for us. But can you not be wise? Do not invoke the future. Just live cheerfully In the eternal Now. Forgiveness He is weak. Therefore He cannot afford to forgive. You are strong. Therefore You can afford to forgive. I am unwise. Therefore I know not how to forgive. God is wise. Therefore He is all-Forgiveness."

"Life I give, Life I receive. With life I bind my Heaven and my earth. Love I eat, Love I feed. With love I free my earth and my Heaven. He who does not love life, To him life is a taut And rigid grasp. He who loves life, To him life is a beautiful And powerful clasp."

"I love my service-life Because it is pure. I love my oneness-life Because it is sure. I love my satisfaction-life Because it is perfect."

"The tree of life Loves us Not just unreservedly But also Unconditionally. The tree of life Is the miracle Of silence, peace, Love and oneness. The tree of life Loves us Not just unreservedly But also unconditionally."

"In the animal life Competition is indispensable. Here the struggle for existence, itself, Is a constant battle. In the human life Co-operation is indispensable. Here collective peace and security Give birth to progress and prosperity. In the life divine Self-dedication is indispensable. Here universal oneness and love-revelation Are God-manifestation."

"My mind-life Is a useless thing to ignore. My heart-life Is a holy thing to see. My soul-life Is a perfect thing to offer."

"In your human life You notice that the world Is full of fools. You are right, absolutely right. But let me add just a little to your great discovery: There is just one more fool than you think And that is you, And that is you. In your life divine You feel that the world Is full of fools. You are right, absolutely right. But let me add just a little to your great discovery: There is just one less fool than you feel And that is you, And that is you."

"Life can bring failure. Life can bring frustration. Life can bring destruction. Life can offer many sad stories. But work can offer Only one thing: perfection, The life of perfection."

"My desire-life Lighted the candle of God. My aspiration-life Kindled the lamp of God. My realisation-life Glorified the sun of God. My manifestation-life Fulfilled the LIGHT of God."

"Our human life is not a bitter complaint. Our human life is not a serious problem. Our human life is not a heavy burden. Our human life is not a deplorable failure. Our human life is a God-inspired aspiration-journey. Our human life is a God-intoxicated dedication-road. Our human life is a God-fulfilling manifestation-song. Our human life is a God-satisfying perfection-mission"

"Sympathy is the heart’s Oneness-cry Sympathy Is the Beauty of a sweetness-smile... Sympathy Is the fragrance of a fullness-love Sympathy Is the fresh Happiness-dawn-bringer To humanity Sympathy Is the manifestation Of oneness – wisdom. Sympathy Is infinitely stronger And sweeter Than kindness. Sympathy Is the perfect Revelation Of divinity. Sympathy Is heaven’s Sunshine Sympathy Is by far the best In drying up Others’ tears. Sympathy Is sorrow’s Unparalleled Friend. Sympathy Is the nectar-delight Of a bleeding heart. Sympathy’s Inner name Is sacrifice. Sympathy Is the illumining light Of compassion-tears. Sympathy Is a fountain-heart Of concern."

"Music knows no frontiers. It is free all-where. Its contribution to emotional integration, Human and divine, Can never be fathomed."

"Let us not try to understand music with our mind. Let us not even try to feel it with our heart. Let us simply and spontaneously allow the music-bird to fly in our heart-sky. While flying, it will unconditionally reveal to us what it has and what it is. What it has, is Immortality's message. What it is, is Eternity's passage."

"Human thoughts drenched his eyes. Divine thoughts purified his eyes. Human thoughts drenched his eyes of sleep Divine thoughts illumined his eyes of dream. Human thoughts made him feel His life is a series of frustration-death. The divine thought made him feel That his life is an express train Of measureless length."

"Change! Change! If not, you will suffer. Change! Change! You will prosper. Brave, brave the old! If not, you will die. Brave, brave the new! You will fly. WELCOME CHANGE Don’t resist; Be flexible. Don’t be rigid; Be supple. Welcome change! Each change Is an illumining opportunity To knock at the door Of fulfilling progress sweet. Change yourself slowly And cheerfully. Conditions will change immediately And unimaginably. The mind thinks That any change Is painful. The heart feels That any change Is powerful. Change your attitude! Lo, look what stands before you: Plenitude! Change your mind If you do not want anybody To bind your life. Not because you are clothed In a frail body, But because of your obdurate Unwillingness to change, Your life is a misery-haunted house. The entire world may not change. The entire world cannot change. The entire world even will not change. But your tiny world you can and will change forever at this very moment with the help of your confidence-heart. Yours will be the unparalleled victory."

"Days of darkness-night Are short-lived. I knew it. My soul-height taught me This truth sublime. Days of darkness-night Are short-lived. I knew it. My heart-depth taught me This wisdom sublime. Days of darkness-night Are short-lived. I knew it. My smile-breadth taught me This God-lesson unparalleled. Darkness wants To devour light. Light wants To transform darkness. God says to darkness: “Darkness, stop!” God says to light: “Light start! Lo, you have won the goal.” Darkness Dies In Immortality’s Light, Darkness dies Infinity’s Smiles, Eternity cries. Struggle Against Darkness Struggle! Struggle vehemently against darkness! Your soul, the blue bird inside your heart, Desperately wants from you The transformation of your earth-life."

"My mind wants to interpret All my dreams. My heart wants to love All my dreams. My soul wants to fulfill."

"Friendship is based on forgiveness. Today if your friend has done something wrong, you have to forgive her immediately by thinking that you could have made the same mistake. If she has been nasty to you today, you have to forgive her immediately. Tomorrow you may be in the same position – you could be nasty to her. So if you forgive her when she is nasty, then if a day comes when you are equally nasty, she will forgive you. Good qualities eventually come for ward. Good qualities will not remain dormant forever and forever."

"Real forgiveness does not remember the past."

"Friendship and forgiveness must always run abreast. The death of forgiveness compels the death of friendship. We must feed our friendship with forgiveness, and thus alone can we cherish a friendship that will fail to close its eyes even for a brief second."

"Forgive your friends. They will love infinitely more."

"To limit God’s infinite Love, An impossibility-task. Therefore, in God’s Sunshine-Love My life and I ever bask."

"The love of journey, Easy to have. But the journey of love Is a tremendous task. Ask anybody, ask."

"Life I give, Life I receive. With life I bind my Heaven and my earth. Love I eat, Love I feed. With love I free my earth and my Heaven. He who does not love life, To him life is a taut And rigid grasp. He who loves life, To him life is a beautiful And powerful clasp. I love my service-life Because it is pure. I love my oneness-life Because it is sure. I love my satisfaction-life Because it is perfect. The tree of life Loves us Not just unreservedly But also Unconditionally. The tree of life Is the miracle Of silence, peace, Love and oneness. The tree of life Loves us Not just unreservedly But also unconditionally."

"To be loved is a good thing. To love others is a better thing. But to love God and man in God’s own way is by far the best thing. When we are loved, our life becomes meaningful. When we love, our life becomes soulful."

"My true friend is he who loves me for what I inwardly am and not for what I outwardly have."

"Hope itself is happiness. It needs no outer happiness To add to its joy. Love itself is satisfaction. It needs no outer satisfaction To add to its reality-strength."

"Do we have the capacity to help others? Yes, we do. Do we have the capacity to help others in words? Yes, we do. Do we have the capacity to help others in deeds? Yes, we do. Then how is it that we do not help others? We do not help others for various reasons. I wish to cite a few deplorable and painful reasons.The most deplorable reason is a very simple one. We do not want to see happiness in others; we want only our own happiness. By nature, we human beings are cruel to one another. By nature, we do not want to see others happy. When we see that others are happy, we feel that our own little world is totally shattered and destroyed. The animal in us gets happiness from destruction. The human in us gets happiness from division and a sense of separativity. But the divine in us gets satisfaction only from oneness. The divine in us knows nothing else save and except oneness."

"What is love? What God has and is. The path of love Is within me, before me And not behind me."

"Divine love is all-giving; here there is no demand. In divine love, we make constant sacrifice and we see that our heart and our whole vision is enlarged."

"You say you don’t believe In the liberating God-goal. To me, it is quite unimportant. You say you don’t believe In the searching world-soul. To me, it is quite unimportant. But when You say you don’t believe In your loving heart-cry, To me, it is a serious matter. Utter destruction is going to embrace you Sooner than at once."

"You struggle and struggle For integrity Yet You have no integrity, You say. I tell you, You don’t have to cry For integrity! Integrity will run To embrace you If you just request Your heart-friend To look after it. Just speak to your heart-friend. Lo, all integrity is yours."

"Death is at once The end of the body’s Old journey And the beginning of the soul’s New journey."

"Death is not the end. Death can never be the end. Death is the road. Life is the traveller. The soul is the guide."

"I know I will love death. Why? Because death too Is God’s creation And because death reminds me Of the existence of her sister: Infinity’s Life immortal."