The Silent Mind

Sri Chinmoy gives several practical ways to keep the mind silent during meditation.

What can we do about thoughts on a practical level? Let us take thoughts as individuals and take the mind as a room that we live in and own. We have to bolt the door to our mind-room from the inside and not allow anybody whatsoever to enter. We will not only keep out our enemies, which are bad thoughts, but also our friends, the good thoughts. We are determined to enjoy only silence, complete silence.

- Sri Chinmoy [1. Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy Answers, Part 6, Agni Press, 1995.]

Another technique Sri Chinmoy encourages is to use the power of the heart rather than the mind.

How will you make the mind calm and quiet? The mind has its own power, and right now this power is stronger than your present eagerness and determination to meditate. But if you can get help from your heart, then gradually you will be able to control your mind. The heart, in turn, gets constant assistance from the soul, which is all light and all power.

- Sri Chinmoy - [2. The Silent Mind at Sri Chinmoy Centre]

My mind,
Keep your thoughts silent.
Keep your words silent.
Keep everything that you have
And you are silent
To make me and my heart
Extremely happy.

- Sri Chinmoy [3. Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, Part 6, Agni Press, 1998.]

• Photo credit Menaka Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries