Question: I feel that I don't meditate well in the morning and my body is both tired and restless. Is it very important for me to come to early morning meditation, or should I just try to meditate at another time?

Sri Chinmoy: Early morning meditation is of greatest importance in our spiritual life. When we have a group meditation in the morning, if anybody is extremely tired, exhausted, feeling sleepy, meditating with greatest difficulty, straining their eyes, please do not come. Please meditate at home or sleep if you want to. But if you meditate that way here, you will ruin the divine vibration and the sincere aspiration of your spiritual brothers and sisters. We shall not mind at all if you do not or cannot come in the morning. But if you come, kindly come fully prepared to stay awake and meditate well. In that way you will inspire others and others will inspire you.

If you feel that you are not fully awake and alert, you can try breathing deeply a few times and practise conscious awareness. If you feel that you are falling asleep and enjoying the pleasure of sleep, at that time say, "No, let me enjoy the bliss of meditation instead." When you are falling asleep, you are entering into other worlds, unconscious worlds. Instead, you have to remain in this world and in the world of divine consciousness. There is a very subtle, peaceful movement in meditation. There is life in it; the life that lifts us up towards the goal. But that life is not in the world of sleep.

But you must make it a point, whether you meditate or not, to keep the physical under control. If you can't tame the mind, let the mind roam. But the physical has to be disciplined. You must learn to sit quietly. The noise that you create with your restless body destroys the concentration of the disciples who are ready to receive the Peace, Light and Bliss that I am bringing down. Then you are like an unconscious enemy to them. You do not know the kind of spiritual crime you commit. You are hungry, but you do not realise it, so you are not trying to eat. But others have realised their hunger and are trying to eat. Their souls feel miserable when there are people who are preventing them from eating the divine food.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sleep: death's little sister, Agni Press, 1974
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