Donna Halper: Does a person have to go away somewhere? Does he have to go to an ashram or a synagogue in order to be successful at meditating?

Sri Chinmoy: It is not necessary to go anywhere. Meditation entirely depends on one's inner sincerity. There are many people who have been to ashrams and monasteries, and there they could not conquer their mind's wrong thoughts. If you remain in a closed room, that does not mean you will have no thoughts about the outside world. It is advisable for a seeker to meditate at a certain place at a specific time, but meditation does not require a life of seclusion.