Question: How can I maintain the peace that I feel at the Centre when I get home?

Sri Chinmoy: You can maintain this peace if you imagine this place and what you have felt here. Your soul is carrying it permanently, but your mind perhaps will lose it the moment you enter into your car. As soon as you reach the street, the forces from the street may enter into you and steal away your peace. But if you can constantly imagine what you received, then you are safe.

Imagination is the precursor of creation. Without imagination we cannot do anything. Imagination is not everything, but we always start with imagination. First we imagine that our spiritual Master will be like this or our peace will be like that. Then we go deep within and see that from imagination we have got inspiration. From inspiration we get aspiration, and from aspiration we get realisation.

If you meditate at home every day, then it will be very easy for you to maintain the peace that you receive at the Centre. But if you have problems at home, or if you are working or studying at a place where it is impossible for you to maintain peace, then please try to imagine what you felt here. Let your mind be surcharged with the imagination of the peace that it carried from here. Imagination alone is not the answer; only it is helpful in the very beginning.

Another thing you have to do is to meditate every day without fail. Early in the morning is the best time, before the day dawns. Every day begins with new light, new hope. New life is entering into us every morning, so morning meditation is indispensable for anybody who would like to follow the spiritual path.

Again, if you can mix with spiritual people, they will be able to help you. Others you will not ignore or hate; far from it. Spiritual people have no right to hate mankind, but you have to be cautious. You have to know that your power, your capacity, is very limited. As long as your capacity is very limited, you cannot mix with all and sundry. So when you leave this place, try to mix with spiritual people and meditate regularly. When you have enough inner strength, then you won't lose anything no matter what you do. Whatever you get from here and whatever you get from your own meditation you will be able to preserve. But right now, always mix with spiritual people and come to the Centre regularly. Please do everything to allow peace to be assimilated inside you. Before assimilation takes place, there is every possibility that peace will disappear. But once it is assimilated in the spiritual system, then you can never lose it.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Perfection and transcendence, Agni Press, 1977
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/pt