Question: Why is it that sometimes when I sit down to meditate it is very spontaneous, but other times it is so difficult to get into a meditation state?

Sri Chinmoy: Even in the outer life we can not eat most delicious food every day. In the spiritual life also, especially in the beginning, it is next to impossible to have a successful meditation every day. Even an advanced seeker sometimes sees that there are deserts in his spiritual life. Even some spiritual Masters have experienced this before their own realisation. If spiritual Masters have gone through this, for beginners in the spiritual life to have this kind of experience is not at all abnormal.

Material food is necessary. But spiritual food is more important to an aspirant. Now, how is it that every day we can not meditate well? It is because early each morning we do not renew our love, our devotion, our surrender to the Supreme in our Guru. Every day we eat spiritual food, but while eating we often do not offer even one second of our deepest gratitude to the Inner Pilot. We offer gratitude only when we feel we are getting something most significant. But we should know a divine secret: that the very act of praying or meditating or concentrating is a sign of divine Grace.

Early in the morning, before we start our meditation, we can offer our gratitude in the form of love, devotion and surrender to the Guru, the Supreme, the Inner Pilot, because He is giving us the aspiration to meditate. Aspiration has to come first. When we offer our gratitude for the aspiration that we have already received, the aspiration that we get is the result. And every day we have to renew our love, devotion and surrender. Then we will not have to suffer from having a poor meditation even one day. And finally the time will come when we will be able to meditate spontaneously at any time. After some time, after a few years, we will become one with the consciousness of meditation. At that time the very consciousness of meditation will be pleased with us and will take care of our outer and inner life.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 2, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, New York, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/pat_2