Excerpts Chapter 9
THE MEDITATION BOOK:
ASSIMILATION – RETAINING THE EXPERIENCE OF MEDITATION
How to assimilate after meditation
Question: I have heard you say over the years that after meditation, many times the disciples do not assimilate what they have received. Could you please tell us what to do to assimilate what we have received, and also what we should not do?
Sri Chinmoy: There are two or three ways to assimilate into your system the light, peace or bliss you have received from a good meditation. One way is to be absolutely relaxed. This relaxation is not watching television or reading the newspaper! You should read only spiritual books, or lie down and quietly sing or hum soulful songs. If you can hum soulful songs after your deep meditation, that is the easiest and the most effective way to assimilate. You can also read some spiritual books, but singing is better for excellent singers like you. For singers, it is the easiest and most effective way. You can sing yourself or listen to my voice, but it will be better for you to sing. Since you have had a good meditation, you can add to your meditation with your singing. Then it will be so easy to assimilate the results of your deep, sublime meditation.
There are other ways also. Another way is to walk very, very slowly, and let Mother Nature help you to assimilate. Very soothingly and tenderly Mother Nature will help you to assimilate all the divine things that you have received during your meditation. But Mother Nature is a great help only early in the morning or in the evening. At other times it is very difficult to get help from Mother Nature because Mother Nature has surrendered to humanity, or she has been spoiled or polluted by the restlessness of humanity. If you have a good meditation during the day, then the best thing is to sing.
Silence after or before the meditation
Question: Should we maintain specific periods of outer silence other than meditation?
Sri Chinmoy: Yes. Sometimes it is quite necessary to have outer silence for half an hour or an hour, apart from one’s deep meditation. When we talk unnecessarily it weakens us; it weakens our subtle nerves. Then at the time of our real meditation we won’t be able to meditate well. This does not mean that you will remain silent for hours and hours. That will be an act of self-deception because outwardly you are keeping silent but inwardly your mind is in the gutter, roaming and roaming. That kind of silence is no silence. Only your mouth and tongue are not functioning. You are deliberately forcing the mouth not to open, but that is of no help. But fifteen minutes, half an hour or an hour of silence after the meditation or before the meditation will help us. If we observe silence before the meditation then it strengthens us. If we remain silent after the meditation is over then we get the opportunity to assimilate the Peace, Light and Bliss that we have received in abundant measure during our meditation. This assimilation is of paramount importance because without it, all that we have received will be wasted.
Being careful after meditation
Question: When we receive joy from the soul, how can we keep it to the fore?
Sri Chinmoy: Sometimes you get tremendous joy but then you cannot account for it. There is no outer reason for you to be feeling such joy. You are feeling spontaneous joy. You have not outwardly received any good news from your husband or your children or anybody, but you are getting tremendous joy. At that time, feel that your soul has come to the fore and that is why you feel such joy.
If you see that your joy is going away while talking to someone, then immediately try to shorten your conversation with that person. If you are doing something that is taking away your joy, then immediately stop doing it. When you get joy from within, when it is very fresh, do not do anything that takes it away. You have to strengthen and assimilate your joy. If for five or ten minutes you can stop doing whatever is taking away your joy, then that joy will be assimilated inside you.
Always be extremely, extremely careful when your soul comes to the fore and you are getting spontaneous joy. No matter how long it takes you to assimilate this joy – half an hour or an hour or even two hours – you do it. Then you are secure. If you feel that your joy is decreasing, always try to assimilate it. Once it is assimilated, then it is safe. Before that it is not safe. Before you are secure in your joy, even one word from someone can totally take away your joy. So immediately you should go deep within.