Question: What do you recommend for beginners?

Sri Chinmoy: If you are a beginner, you can start by reading a few spiritual books written by very advanced seekers or spiritual Masters. You can also chant verses from the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Vedas or any other sacred book that inspires you. Also, you should meditate early in the morning and in the evening for at least five minutes. When you are meditating, in the beginning thoughts will come. At every second a thought-wave will be coming — either a good thought-wave or a bad thought-wave. You will find yourself either attacked by bad thoughts or inspired by good thoughts.

Since it is very difficult for the beginner to observe which kind of thought is coming, it is best to stand right at the door of your mind-room and not allow any thought at all to come inside. Then, after some time you can open the door to see who is waiting there. If someone is a real friend, a true friend, he will wait for you indefinitely because he loves you. Good thoughts definitely love us, so they will wait on the other side of the mind-door indefinitely. But bad thoughts will leave after a while because they will feel it is beneath their dignity to be kept waiting outside.

Also, if it is possible while you are working at home or in the office during the day, you should try to remember six or seven times — only for a fleeting minute — what experiences you had in your morning meditation or what you are supposed to do in your evening meditation. You do not actually have to meditate, only remember. This remembrance itself is a form of meditation. In the hustle and bustle of life, you may not get the opportunity to meditate in the same way you can meditate at home early in the morning or in the evening. But if you can remember what you did or are going to do, then it helps considerably.