“Gratitude is the master-key
To open up all earth-doors
And Heaven-doors.”
– Sri Chinmoy
No matter how bright the sun; how glorious the day; how thrilling the sky – we cannot appreciate or benefit from their light, beauty, joy and inspiration if we keep our curtains closed.
No matter how much good fortune we encounter; wealth we are bestowed with; wisdom is revealed to us; love, kindness and compassion are showered upon us; no matter how powerful the flow of grace in our lives – we cannot benefit in the least if we keep our heart-door closed.
To keep our heart-door always open is the single imperative to attain and maintain happiness, self-transcendence and spiritual progress.
Our heart-door is the gateway to the spiritual realms, the goal of our quest, source of all fulfilment and home of our true self.
What closes our heart-door? Everything that lowers our consciousness and diminishes our self-awareness: doubt, fear, worry, insecurity, pride, jealousy, suspicion, negativity, greed, desire, confusion – most of the mental activity that engages us night and day.
What opens our heart-door? Everything that elevates our consciousness and expands and liberates our self-awareness: love, purity, simplicity, humility, beauty, joy, sweetness, wisdom, kindness, compassion, self-giving – all that flows from meditation and a silent mind.
How can we invoke these qualities to keep our heart-door always open?
There are three keys to our heart-door – discipline, aspiration and gratitude.
Spiritual discipline – our regular, punctual meditation practise – maintains our heart-door the same way as exercising keeps our muscles in shape.
Aspiration – our intense inner cry and yearning for silence, peace, truth, love and light – creates an irresistible upward flow which forces and keeps our heart-door open from within.
Gratitude – the master key – obliterates our heart-door, elevating, transforming and blending our little heart into our universal heart-home.