For this weeks meditation exercise, Sri Chinmoy offers more techniques for focusing on the spiritual heart - a place which he describes as "the abode of light".

There is another way which is most effective, but it may be a little difficult. In the beginning, feel that you have no arms, no nose, no eyes, no ears; you do not have anything but the heart. This heart need not be in the centre of your chest; it may be in your forehead or somewhere else. Only you have to feel that you have the heart and that you are the heart. Then, after some time, you will locate the heart. How will you locate it? Your consciousness will tell you that the heart is here or that the heart is there. Medical science will immediately say that it is false, that the heart can only be here in the chest. But for spiritual people, the heart can be anywhere, for the spiritual heart means the abode of light.

If the Divine within you, the Supreme within you, wants to show you the presence of light through your third eye, which is infinite light and power, then He will tell you that this is the heart. So, for you, the third eye will be the abode of light. That means that the Supreme within you wants to go and visit that particular place and stay there. When you start your journey, you have to feel that you have the heart and that you are the heart. Then, after some time, your consciousness will tell you where the heart is or who the heart is. At that time, you will concentrate on that spot and feel that that is the only place for you to feel the heart or to become the heart. The heart means light and light means power. The more you have light, the more you will have power. God is all Light. That is why He is all-pervading; that is why He is all powerful. Light and power cannot be separated. Here we can see the electric lamp and we can see the place where it is plugged in. We can separate them. But in the spiritual life, we cannot separate light from power. Light itself is power. And what is light? Universal oneness. (Source)

Question: How does a beginner meditate in the heart?

Sri Chinmoy: A beginner has to feel that he is a child, no matter how old he is in earthly age. A child's mind is not developed. When he is twelve or thirteen his mind starts functioning on an intellectual level, but before that he is all heart. Whatever he sees, he feels is his own. He identifies spontaneously. This is what the heart does. When you feel that you are a child, immediately feel that you are standing in a flower garden. This flower garden is your heart. A child can play in a garden for hours. He will go from this flower to that flower, but he will not leave the garden, because he will get joy from the beauty and fragrance of each flower. Inside you is the garden, and you can stay within it for as long as you want. In this way you can meditate on the heart. (Source)

God gave me the heart of light
To live,
To cry
And succeed.
God gave me the light of heart
To be,
To smile
And proceed.
– Sri Chinmoy