Chapter 126

Warmth in the Heart

When attention descends into the heart, it draws all the powers of soul and body into one point... This concentration of all human life into one place immediately produces there a special sensation; this sensation is the beginning of the future warmth... This sensation, at first gentle, continually grows stronger, deepens, and from cold, as it is at first, transitions into warm feeling and holds attention upon itself. And it happens thus: at first attention is held in the heart by the tension of the will, by its own strength attention produces warmth in the heart. This warmth then holds attention without special exertion on its part. They then support one another and must remain inseparable, for the scattering of attention cools the warmth, and the diminishing of warmth weakens attention. From this comes the law of spiritual life: keep your heart in feeling toward God — you will always be in the remembrance of God... Now the question — is this spiritual warmth? No — not spiritual! But ordinary, blood warmth... One can call this warmth spiritual only when it is accompanied by spiritual, prayerful movements. (7, 64–65)