Question: Some people are very absent-minded and they seem to be in another world. Are they meditating all the time?

Sri Chinmoy: No! Absent-mindedness has nothing to do with the spiritual life. It is an Himalayan mistake to think that absent-mindedness is due to aspiration. Many absent-minded people, of course, are not even aspiring. And those who are aspiring are absent-minded by nature and not because of their meditation. They may seem to be in another world, but they are not actually staying in a higher consciousness. In the spiritual life it is very important to live in the outer world and to do our best there. We should look upon the world and humanity as our very own. When we allow ourselves to be absent-minded, we are often rude and inconsiderate to others.

There are some spiritual Masters and very advanced seekers who appear to be absent-minded and forgetful at times. But with them it is a different story, for their consciousness is not in the physical. They are on a very high plane. Again, a few, very few, Masters can remain on this high plane and still function normally in the world.

But in the case of a beginner, a spiritual seeker, absent-mindedness does not aid him in his spiritual journey. It is not a positive expression of his aspiration; it is a hindrance, an obstruction. He is running towards his Goal with a heavy load on his shoulders. After a few years, when he has made more progress, the seeker will realise that this heavy burden is blocking his progress. Then he will make every effort to transform his weakness so that he can continue running towards his divine Destination.

From:Sri Chinmoy,My meditation-service at the United Nations for twenty-five years, Agni Press, 1995
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/mun