Extract from "Things My Guru Taught Me"

Quite often people have said to me, "Tell us about the path of your Master." I am, of course, delighted, but it is difficult to know where to begin! There seems so much to say. Then I think, "Well, begin at the beginning, which is where the heart is."

Sri Chinmoy's path is a path of the spiritual heart. The very earliest teaching is to first think of the heart and where it is. We are told that the spiritual heart is behind the physical heart and it is here that the soul lives during our life on earth.

Of prime importance, of course, is meditation. To meditate on the spiritual heart centre for at least a few minutes every day is essential for the well-being of the whole person. The time can be extended from, say, five minutes to about half an hour as the student progresses. In this way we become in tune with the soul's will.

There is often confusion in people's minds regarding the heart. The spiritual heart is not what is commonly thought of as the heart - the emotional or vital nature - but entirely of a higher order. To be at the mercy of emotions, even our higher emotions can be a very shaky business indeed. The spiritual heart, however, is pure and powerful and will never send us off in the wrong direction. It can bring us real inner peace. It can guide us in spiritual wisdom and help us in little everyday things in life - from the sudden recollection, "don't forget to post that letter that has been sitting on the sideboard for too long" to a much higher awareness of indescribable Light, Peace and Beauty.

Through meditation we can become aware of "the oneness" of all, which is a further aspect of Sri Chinmoy's teachings. When we feel oneness with each other, life becomes more harmonious. To work and give to each other becomes natural. Sacrifice disappears. As Sri Chinmoy puts it: "if my leg is hurt, I use my arm to bind up my leg. I do not say at that time, 'My arm is making a sacrifice for my leg!' It is all one."

It is necessary to stress that Sri Cihnmoy's path is not a religion. It is a path: that is to say, it is a way of self-discovery, of finding one's own unique purpose, together with a priceless gift, the inner guidance of a true realised Master. Only a Master of the highest order has the capacity to give inner guidance. As a student, I have to say that it can be some time, years perhaps, before one gets an inkling what this is - what one has been receiving.

The Master says that all true religions are good. It is a matter of the soul's choice. Before we come to earth, the soul is careful to choose the family, religion and country where it feels it will make the most progress, for we come to earth to make spiritual progress and ultimately realise who we are: one with the Highest.

Religion is the house, but Yoga (spiritual Yoga and meditation) is the road. Eventually we must all come out of our house and travel the road together. For this we need oneness and the way of the heart.

At this time some readers may wonder how Sri Chinmoy first became aware of his mission and of his own deep wisdom. It is impossible to put it into a few sentences, but I offer a small picture: from a very young age little Chinmoy had a great insight and awareness, far beyond his years. He was born into a very spiritually developed family but, sad to say, by the time he was thriteen both his parents had died, and he moved with his brothers and sisters to an ashram (a spiritual community) in the south of India. In this ashram the young Chinmoy studied and completed his formal education, excelling in sport. Already at this age, he was mediatting long hours, sometimes starting before 3am. So it can be said that twenty years (from twleve to thirty-two) Sri Chinmoy was guided by that which he calls his "inner Pilot" (or God Within), and at the age of thirty-two he was inwardly instructued to come to the West and offer his wisdom to the seekers here.

Sushumna Mary Plumbly
Extract from the book