The Way of the Meister

I'm already there.

Take a look around,

I'm the sunshine in your hair,

I'm the shadow on the ground,

I'm the whisper in the wind,

I'm your imaginary friend.

And I know I'm in your prayers,

oh I'm already there.

(Lonestar, I am already there)

The German word Meister can be translated as "master of a craft". This notion developed in the Middle Ages when the artisans emerged as a class and the knowledge of the trade was handed down from one generation to the next. After seven years of apprenticeship the student had earned the right to practice the tradition as an independent Meister as well.

It has been seven years since the dawn of my spiritual path. One day I simply felt that something had shifted inside of me and then spent years reading, soul-searching and comparing travel logs with other spiritual travelers. I made my fair share of mistakes along the Way, but today, in a kind of self-appointed fashion, I would call myself a Tao Meister. 

Being a Tao Meister, though, may just be the opposite of what you expect. Perhaps the best example I can give in this direction is my personal experience when I first read "A Course in Miracles". I somehow made it through seven hundred pages of dense spiritual insights, but was left wondering at the end, "So how exactly does one perform miracles?" It took me a second read, or perhaps even a third to finally understand that in order to experience Jesus' miracles all I have to do is to choose love, and leave the rest up to God.

The ego wants. We can't change that even if we are experienced spiritual travelers. We want peace; we want love, and we secretly wish for a little acknowledgement that we have figured out the meaning of life, while few others have. Being a Tao Meister implies that we understand this bias, but that with the help of the "holy now" we merge with the Way despite ourselves. That's the trade we in fact learn along the Way: a Meister uses alchemy to transform her personal agenda into a spiritual gem. The tricky thing though, once you aspire to be a Meister, you cease to be one. 

Did you know that Eckhart Tolle's spiritual bestseller "The Power of Now" was turned down by one publisher on the ground that this concept was as old as spirituality itself. It is true, yet Tolle still managed to conquer millions of hearts and minds by storm with his simple idea. He found his signature, his personal stamp to square the circle, just as you are finding yours. We Tao travelers recognize each other, but we are coming from different directions. If you think you haven't quite advanced to the Meister level but love spirituality, just keep hanging around. The Way has already rolled out the red carpet for you. A few more steps and you recognize that you are already there.