Question: I start my meditation by repeating my spiritual name a hundred times as you suggested, but I lose track of the count, so I have to go back and start over again.

Sri Chinmoy: Repeat your name fifty times most soulfully. Soon you will be in another world; the world of the soul's divinity. Take some rest, then start again. If you make a mistake and lose track of the number, pay no attention to it. Just continue with some likely number. You have to understand why I asked you to count. When you count, you separate your consciousness from other things. At that time you will not be thinking of someone else or something else. Your consciousness will be focused on what you are repeating and you will begin to feel that you are meditating only on your higher self.

While you are counting, you should enter into the world of silence deep inside the consciousness of your soul's name. Then you won't have to count at all.

When a runner is about to begin a race, he is full of conscious awareness. His hands, knees and feet all have to be in the right position when the starter fires the gun. But once he is in motion and running at top speed, he doesn't think whether or not he is placing his feet properly on the ground. He just runs. He does not look back; he looks forward. Lo, he reaches his goal. Each seeker is a divinely inspired runner, running consciously and speedily towards the Goal of the Beyond.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Prayer-world, mantra-world and japa-world, Agni Press, New York, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/pwm