Part V — Drowsiness and other problems

Question: How does physical pain, illness or an unpleasant experience affect meditation?

Sri Chinmoy: Suppose you have a headache or stomach upset. Then how will you meditate? In real meditation, the entire being has to aspire. But in my case, I have occult power, so I can sit here and have a 104 degree or 105 degree fever, but when I want to meditate I can go up to my highest height.

Your meditation is also affected when you are angry with someone and you have not illumined your anger. You may have forgotten your anger, but if you have not illumined it, then it will pull you down. You have many unpleasant experiences during the day. A few hours elapse and then you forget the experience. "Forgotten" is the right word, but "forgiven," no. Unless you have forgiven, you have not illumined the anger. Anger is not now coming, but still it has pulled you down seven rungs of your consciousness-ladder even though you have totally forgotten the incident. Sometimes you will quarrel with the members of your family and then you will go to sleep. But the next morning you cannot meditate. You have totally forgotten the incident, but while you were sleeping the strength of the anger increased. The velocity, the speed, the strength of the anger from seven hours ago will be greater. It is just like a swarm of insects that are multiplying like anything. But positive forces increase slowly. So when something has gone wrong, it is better to rectify it and illumine it immediately.

Everything on the physical plane has to be illumined before you meditate. Otherwise, meditation cannot be profound. If one part of your being is not properly balanced, you cannot have good meditation. Even breathing can affect meditation. Here you are not sick, but because something is wrong with your breathing system, you cannot have a good meditation.