Question: How does someone go about meditating if he has never done it before? How is he going to start meditating? What sort of steps should he take and what should he expect? What can help him at the start?

Sri Chinmoy: In the beginning if one wants to start he has first of all to read some spiritual books, religious books, preferably written by the spiritual Masters and not by the professors and scholars. He will soon realise that a writer who has realised the Truth and God can give him infinitely more inspiration than any book written by an unrealised man. Further, inspiration is not enough. The book may have given him knowledge about realisation, but it may not be helping him as a practical guide. So what he needs at that time is a Teacher.

You have to go to a spiritual Teacher who can show you how to meditate. Just because you are inspired, you have every right to go to a spiritual Teacher and ask him for a favour. Your fee at that time is your inspiration and your aspiration. You want to aspire. Since you are offering him your fee, he is bound to accept you. You are studying here at the university. You are paying the fee and you are a student of this university.

Every individual will realise God, but every individual needs help. For your outer knowledge you have come to the university, and there is somebody here to teach you. Similarly, for your inner knowledge also, one who has got inner knowledge will be able to help you in studying the inner subject, which is meditation.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Earth’s Cry Meets Heaven’s Smile, part 2, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ech_2