Sri Chinmoy began to meditate at an early age when he was growing up in a spiritual community in South India.
Since coming to the West he has taught meditation through lectures, writings and also through the silence of his own meditation.
Common to all forms of meditation is the aspiration for a seeker to experience and realize a higher state of consciousness.
Meditation is not an intellectual exercise, during meditation we seek to go beyond the domain of the mind and experience the real self within us.
When we experience real meditation we become aware of the inner peace and joy that are at the center of our existence.
"When you meditate, what you actually do is to enter into a calm or still, silent mind.
" (1) In order to experience this divine consciousness Sri Chinmoy says the most important aspect of meditation is to quieten the mind and ultimately stop all thoughts.
When we are thinking, even if they are positive and divine thoughts, we are limited by the domain of the mind.
In the mind it is not possible to experience the expansion of consciousness which is the essence of meditation.
To quieten the mind and stop thoughts is often difficult for beginners to meditation.
Sri Chinmoy suggests two things.
Firstly we should practice concentration, through various concentration exercises.
Concentration means that we focus on only one object at a time.
Real concentration means we are one pointed in our focus and don't allow anything to distract us.
For example we could practice a concentration exercise of focusing on the tip of a candle flame.
It is good if our concentration can narrow to a small point and feel our whole sense of awareness fixed on this point.
"In concentration we focus our attention on a particular subject or object and do not allow our mind to roam.
Thought-waves must stop in concentration.
[2] When we are able to concentrate on one object at a time we will be able to progress to meditation.
The difference between concentration and meditation is that with concentration our focus is one very small thing, with mediation we identify ourselves with a vast infinite consciousness.
To be able to enter into this meditative consciousness Sri Chinmoy suggests the most effective method is to meditate on the spiritual heart.
It is the heart where we will feel most readily a sense of expansion and real peace.
If we can focus our sense of awareness on the heart then we are also far from the domain of the mind.
It is in the heart that we will be able to distance ourselves from the mind.
The spiritual heart is an energy centre or Chakra.
It is located in the centre of the chest in close proximity to the physical heart.
To enter into the consciousness of the spiritual heart we should feel our sense of awareness, and power of concentration is coming from the heart and nowhere else.
"You must direct your full, intense concentration on the heart.
You must feel that you are not the mind.
You have to feel that you are growing into the heart.
[3] With practice we will begin to feel a sensation in the heart center, which will make it easier to focus here.
Meditation is not an easy practice to master.
We are used to using the mind so much that when we try to stop the mind is often uncooperative.
However through repeated practice our meditation capacity will gradually improve.
Sri Chinmoy says that we should view meditation as an important daily discipline.
It is like learning to play the piano; if we wish to become good we need regular practice.
We cannot just sit down and expect to play a concerto straightaway.
It is the same with meditation; if we experience difficulties in the beginning we should not be disheartened but continue with a daily practice.
Over time we will become better and more able to go beyond the obstructions of the mind and enter into a real meditative consciousness.
References (1)What is Meditation by Sri Chinmoy (2)Meditation and Concentration by Sri Chinmoy (3)"Meditating on the Heart" by Sri Chinmoy (4)Meditation: Man Perfection in God-Satisfaction by Sri Chinmoy