Question: How do we know if a thought is progressive or not?

Sri Chinmoy: It is very easy to know whether or not a thought is progressive. A progressive thought encourages us and inspires us to become good and perfect. If a thought is not progressive, then we are bound to feel that our consciousness is being lowered. An unprogressive thought binds our capacity; instead of expanding our heart, it limits the capacity of the heart. But a progressive thought will make us feel that we are heading towards our perfection. Even more, it will actually lead us to our perfection, which is our ultimate goal.