Table of Contents
- Question: How can we know whether we are meditating well or not?
- Question: How can we learn to meditate? I believe in God, but it is very hard for me to meditate.
- Question: I do not know what is going to happen to me in the future, and I worry a lot about my destiny. Is this right?
- Question: Why should you concentrate on the heart instead of concentrating on the mind?
- Question: I have read in the writings of modern Western philosophers that the soul and the body are inseparable. Can you please tell us your own philosophy on this matter?
- Question: What do you think about transcendental meditation which is meditating with the use of a mantra?
- Question: In your talk yesterday you said that if we do less thinking and planning we will be happier. Could you elaborate on this, please?
- Question: When you speak of a nation, you speak of it as if it were one person, but a nation is composed of thousands and millions of people with different levels of consciousness. Also, when you speak of a nation as an individual, it implies that there is such a thing as a karmic past. How can you reconcile the idea of karma for a nation with the fact that you have within the nation millions of people with their own individual karmic pasts, unless being born in one particular nation is part of an individual's karma?
- Question: When I first began meditating at 3:00 in the morning, I used to have very good meditations and I was very inspired. But when I continued, I didn't have the same inspiration and it became very difficult.
- Question: I was wondering about the relationship between the heart and the mind. How can we integrate the two?
- Question: Yesterday when I was meditating, I got a message from the silence which said, "Love one another. If you love one another, then you will be known as my disciples." When we get this kind of message in our meditation, should we meditate on it and take it into ourselves?
- Question: Do you feel that parents should give young children religious instruction, or should children be free to choose their own form of worship when they are old enough?
- Question: What is the best way to get peace of mind?
- Question: When you are meditating on us and I am looking at you, I think perhaps I should try to be as humble, pure and receptive as possible. Is that right or should I just forget about all this and keep my mind open?
- Question: It is said that if one can sit on the floor with his legs crossed for an hour or so without any thought or any feeling, just completely quiet and peaceful, some kind of inner energy or inner force would arise from underneath the navel, and that force would circulate within the body. I never have had that kind of experience. When I practise concentration sometimes one foot will become warm, sometimes both feet will become warm, but I never have that experience of the navel energy awakening from inside. Some people call it Kundalini.
- Question: Sir, do you feel it is necessary to assume a particular posture when you meditate, to sit in the lotus position, for example?
- Question: In a recent talk you spoke about Light. Now, I am not afraid of seeing Light. My question is, how can I see Light, that is, divine Light? Of course, I know about concentration and meditation but aside from concentration and meditation what concrete or practical things can I do to see the divine Light? Also, during concentration and meditation, what kind of practical things can I do to see the Light?
- Question: Could you please tell us the difference between concentration, meditation and contemplation?
- Appendix: these quotes, from other writings of Sri Chinmoy, were included in the first editions.
- Editor's preface to the first edition
