Question: How important is silence in the mind in our meditation; and what is the best technique to achieve it?

Sri Chinmoy: In our inner life and in our meditation, the silent mind is of the greatest necessity. Without this silent mind, progress is difficult. If we bring to the fore the qualities of the heart: love, devotion and surrender, then the doubting mind, the restless mind and the separating mind cannot cause problems. If we bring these qualities to the fore, then naturally there will come a time when we will say, "It is beneath my dignity to draw attention to the mind." But right now the best we can do is to make the mind feel that the only thing that it wants and needs is the heart. In this way we can silence the mind.