The way to get the utmost from meditation is to meditate according to the soul’s necessities and demands. We must not feel that just because we are sitting quietly for five or ten minutes our meditation is going well. Meditation is not that easy. It requires conscious effort. The mind has to be made calm and quiet; at the same time, it has to be dynamic and vigilant like a fortress and not allow any enemies to enter. The heart must be like a pure and blossoming flower, opening fully to the light of the soul. The soul must come to the fore and spread its inner light all around. This is real, integral meditation.

Meditation simplifies our outer life and energises our inner life. Meditation gives us a natural and spontaneous life, a life that becomes so natural and spontaneous that we cannot breathe without being conscious of our own divinity. Meditation is a divine gift. It is the direct approach that leads the aspirant to the One from whom he has descended. Meditation tells the aspirant that his human life is a secret and sacred thing, and it affirms his divine heritage.

Written by Sri Chinmoy