6. Question: Is insomnia a blessing or a curse?

Sri Chinmoy: For an ordinary person insomnia is really a curse. He needs sleep. Insomnia will tell upon his health and he won't be able to function properly in the world-scene. But for a spiritual seeker who has learned the art of meditation, if he does not get much sleep or does not want to sleep because he wants to meditate more at night, this is good. If he can meditate well and, at the same time, if his health is not affected, then if he wants to meditate three or four hours a night, it is wonderful.

Some people are very sincere and they want to meditate for hours and hours. During the day they have the capacity to meditate for four or five hours, and at night also they want to meditate. They try their best, but after a while they fall asleep. But if nature does not give them sleep and if this does not in any way disturb their health, it is a real blessing. Then they don't have to fight against sleep during their meditation; they don't have to think of conquering sleep. In their case, sleep is kind to them if it does not visit them.

In India there is a special god named Shani. You call him Saturn. He is the god of renunciation. Ordinary people are afraid of him and pray to him to bless them by staying away from them. Other gods people invoke to come and bless them, but to Shani they say, "Please grant us the blessing of not coming to us. If you ignore us, that is the best blessing." Similarly, the seeker will consider it a real blessing if sleep does not come to him. The few hours that he can meditate at night will add to his meditation during the day. And the more he can meditate soulfully and devotedly without his body being adversely affected, the better it is. But for the non-seeker who is not meant for spiritual life right now, if he does not get enough sleep, it is a curse. Something will go wrong in his physical body, or something may already be amiss.