Out of Tune

Every spiritual traveler will probably observe that along the journey we acquire certain powers. They are quite subtle and maybe couldn't impress anyone, but they are meaningful to us. I have certainly acquired some psychic powers, just by observing signs in my environment, I am sometimes able to make predictions that typically prove correct. But I can do it only if I am in tune with my surroundings. If my "I" gets in the way, my powers will disappear.

Let me give a small example, I happen to do the yard work at home and since we don't have a sprinkler system, I have to water the lawn in the evening. I try to be in tune with the weather patterns to avoid watering if rain is coming anyway. The other day it looked pretty dry, but my son insisted that we should watch baseball instead. When I looked at him I just knew it would be raining, which proved to be correct as it was pouring buckets that night.

Well last night I was definitely not in tune. The sky looked dark, the weather channel predicted rain, and I was heavily involved with me, myself & I and didn't even step outside that night. This morning I took one look at the dismal looking grass I figured that I must have been out of tune yesterday, which happens to be a fact.

What I find so amazing about our spiritual journey are those little reality checks.We can pretty much experiment with whatever we like and, as long as we are really true to ourselves, will be guided in the right direction by life. We don't have to accept any authority, no holy books, gurus or cultural norms, though it often helps to make some of these nuggets of wisdom our working hypothesis. With every step our sensitivity is increasing and the signs and adjustments get more and more subtle.

Think of an orchestra conductor. I am pretty sure that some performances have minor flaws somewhere. What is barely noticeable to the audience will be ringing in the conductor's ears. Similarly, the journey of a skilled spiritual traveler looks harmonious to the outsider because the traveler immediately adjusts to any note that threatens to be out of tune. Enjoy the melody!