Question: Can you ever tell if you are going to have a good meditation before you start meditating?

Sri Chinmoy: In your class at school, I am sure that you are a brilliant student. Again, there are some students in your class who do not do well at all. Similarly, in the Centre, the disciples who are meditating in front of me are all sitting in the same class. Some are good, some are very good and some are excellent. Again, some are bad, some are worse, and some are absolutely the worst. How have the good students become good students? It is because they have been meditating for a long time. You are a good student at your college because you study at home. Some of your friends do not study at all; that is why they do not do well at school. In the spiritual life also, you have to know that some students meditate almost every day. They meditate without fail, morning, noon, and evening. When they meditate with all their heart and soul, God is pleased with them and gives them some divine capacity so that they can meditate well every day.

Good students are bound to know whether they are going to have a good meditation or not. But bad students who do not meditate naturally will not know. Somebody who has meditated many years is like an expert runner. He will know that he is going to win the race, because he knows that he has the capacity. How did he become the best runner? He practised hard. Some of you are praying and meditating most sincerely, while others are not. The sincere disciples will get from God additional capacity, and with that capacity they can know that they are going to meditate well.