Question: How can we meditate eight hours a day?

Sri Chinmoy: Right now, please do not think of meditating eight hours a day. Right now think of meditating only an hour and a half or a maximum of two hours a day. These two hours do not have to come all at once. You can spread them over eight separate sessions, starting with 15 minutes early in the morning. So instead of meditating eight hours a day, try to meditate at eight different times during the day. And keep in your heart-book a record of these fixed times. If you are five or ten minutes late, no harm. But you have to be fully prepared to meditate eight times a day.

The morning session has to be at least 15 minutes. If you want, you can do 20 minutes or a half hour. Then, in the evening you should do at least 10 minutes. But the rest of your meditations can last just five or 10 minutes or a maximum of 15 minutes.

Do not count it as a meditation if you are driving your car. If you are meditating while you are driving, it is good. But that meditation cannot be counted as serious meditation because all the time you are concentrating on your driving and watching out for other cars. While driving, you will definitely meditate for protection, for the perfection of your nature and for other good things. But do not count that meditation as one of your eight meditations. Also do not count as serious meditation the times that you meditate on the train.

When you meditate, please be completely alone. If you remain in seclusion, your heart's light will come to the fore sooner. And each time you meditate you have to be extremely sincere. Do not think of your wife, your daughter, your business or anything else; there should not be even an iota of thought in your mind. Just try to feel that a new, unhorizoned dawn is opening up inside you. That will help you to make the fastest progress.

From:Sri Chinmoy,You are your life's progress-joy-drum, Agni Press, 1993
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