Question: I feel I used to meditate better before joining the path.

Sri Chinmoy: Sometimes you do not recognise when you are meditating well. I will give you an example. When you are going to the airport, you are driving very fast to get there on time. Before you enter the plane, when you are moving around, it feels as if you are going so fast, going to the airport, getting the ticket — so much in a rush, rush, rush. This preparation is needed. Then once you enter into the plane, the plane is going very fast, but you feel that the plane is not even moving. So in some cases, we take the preparation for meditation as meditation. True, preparation is also part of meditation, but it is not meditation proper.

You are very satisfied with the preparation. But now while you are meditating, you do not have to work as hard as you did before you saw me. Now you are inside the plane. Even though it is going very fast, you are not feeling the speed. Your mind is telling you that the other way, when you were running, moving forward, was your real meditation. No, this is the real meditation. Some people feel that they will be able to please God only by cutting off their hands and legs, but God does not want that. God wants us to go to Him in a very normal, natural way. Now your meditation has become normal and natural.