Question: Why does the mind resist so much when one tries to meditate and how can one overcome this?¹¹⁴

Sri Chinmoy: The mind by nature is restless, and restlessness is the opposite of peace. When we try to bring down peace, the mind resists. If we become peaceful, then the mind feels it will lose its supremacy and freedom. This is the human mind that I am speaking of. There is also a higher mind, where there is no resistance to peace; the higher mind is all peace and tranquillity.

The human mind always tries to bind others. In binding others, it thinks that it is increasing its own freedom. But this is not the case. The more we bind others, the more we diminish our freedom. The human mind constantly enjoys thought. This moment it enjoys a good thought, the next moment it enjoys a bad thought. Although it knows perfectly well that a particular thought is bad, still the mind enjoys it because the mind has no sense of discrimination. The human mind is equally satisfied with the good and the bad. The heart, on the other hand, will care only for good things and good experiences.

The mind is like a naughty child. But how long can a child remain naughty? If the mother and father pray to God, “O God, grant my child some peace and light so that he will be freed from all his bad qualities!” then God is bound to listen to their hearts’ prayer and the child will become peaceful. Similarly, if we pray for peace and light, then the mind — which was once upon a time like a naughty child — will become calm, quiet and good. Instead of resisting, the mind will expand itself in meditation and become one with the Vast. It is by virtue of our prayer and meditation that one day we shall possess a simple, sincere, humble and aspiring mind, which will be inundated with the peace that it so badly needs.