Question: If we are conscious that we have failed repeatedly to achieve something, how can we still be happy and cheerful?

Sri Chinmoy: We have to meditate so that we can forget the past and have a new beginning. By repeating, “I am bad, I am a sinner,” shall we become saints? No! Now you have to forget that once upon a time you were in a dark room. You have to enter into a room that is flooded with light because that room is filled with hope and joy. You have to go there and become a citizen of the inner world.

In your case, you fought very hard for six or seven years to overcome the wrong forces, but now you have surrendered to them. These forces are absolutely merciless. You have to forgive me, my compassion is speaking to you. Come out of the dark room. Enter into the room that has light. This applies not only to you, but to many people.

Let us say that each person has twenty subjects to study. Previously they used to do well in ten or fifteen subjects. Now the same people are doing well in only four courses. God-realisation is one subject, true, but inside that one subject there are little, little subjects. God-realisation is a most difficult subject. The others are not so difficult. But I see that people are failing in many subjects and then they become weak. So to everyone I am saying, forget that you were in a dark room. Do not continue to stay there. Just enter into the room that is full of light.