Question: How are we supposed to meditate?

Sri Chinmoy: Meditation depends on the individual standard. If you are a beginner in the field of meditation, you will meditate in one way and if you are advanced, naturally you will meditate in a different way. It depends on the individual standard, on the progress you have made.

For a beginner it is better to start with concentration. Otherwise, the moment you start meditating, millions of uncomely thoughts will enter into your mind. You will not be able to meditate for one second, whereas if you concentrate, you challenge the wrong thoughts entering into you.

Concentration gives us the capacity of intensity, and meditation gives us the capacity of vastness and sublimity. If you feel that you are to some extent advanced, then without concentration you can enter into meditation. Try to make your mind calm, quiet and vacant. Allow no thought into your mind, and then feel you are an express train which is constantly running and running, not stopping at any station. In meditation, try to feel you are a train running very fast towards your destination, and your goal is constantly transcending its own limit. Each time the train reaches the so-called goal, feel that it is only the starting point for your further goal. This is meditation. But for the beginner, instead of meditation, it is advisable to start with concentration.