Listening to Nature

Everyone is born with some talent. It generally happens to be in the field one is passionate about. For most though, unfortunately, their talents remain hidden, unused. If you absolutely love to do something, you automatically excel in it. As you succeed, your motivation to do more and to do better builds on its own. Whatever effort you put into anything, it never goes to waste. Skills in one area can offer you some benefit in another, however unrelated those two fields may be.

When you are clear about what you really want from your life and commit to a discipline of conduct and action towards it, Providence arranges for ‘coincidences’. It puts you in the right place at the right time. I am reminded of a little story:

Once upon a time, a traveler got lost in a vast desert. In anticipation of what might happen if he never found his way, he panicked and frantically tried to find a way out, to reach any township. The whole day passed and he ran out of provisions. Evening set in, so he slept on the sand under the open sky. The next morning, he resumed his journey with no water or food. As he ranged the desert with no end in sight, he became increasingly nervous. All sorts of thoughts began buzzing in his head.

Soon the sun was shining high and bright. His pace slowed down significantly in that extreme heat and fatigue. He was thirsty, he was hungry, his lips were dry, his mouth parched, and his body tired. Another day passed. Nearly. He was losing hope, strength and time. Just then, at a distance, he saw what he thought was a camp. He experienced a surge of energy. His eyes lit up, though he remained nervous. And a camp indeed it was. A temporary shop. His joy knew no bounds even though his body was giving up. He asked the owner if he could get water. The man said he had no water but he was selling kufiyas, Arabian headdresses, a sort of cap. He tried to sell the man a headdress and even offered a discount. “You’ll need it,” he said. Our traveler became furious and yelled at the seller’s insolent and insensitive behavior of rather than offering water to the one who was dying from hunger and thirst, forcing him to buy some hat instead.

The seller pointed north and said, “Five miles from here, there’s a serai,” and went about his business.

Somehow, with great difficulty, the man managed to walk the five miles, and exactly as the man had indicated, there was a lodge. “Do you serve food as well here?” he asked the man guarding the door.

“Yes.”

“Praise the Lord!” the traveler could not contain his joy. “It’s not my time to die yet.” But when he tried to enter, he was stopped by the guard. “What’s the matter? I have money!”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you enter without a headdress! Five miles from here, there’s a seller. You can buy one from there and come back.”

You know where I am going with this? Often on our path, Nature gives us clues, it arranges things for us, but one is often blind-sided by one’s own expectations, misconceptions and misplaced emotions. You know the goal, you may know the path, you may even be aware of the milestones, but this is not the complete picture. You are going to meet other people on your way, however unusual your track may be. You may look upon them as your opponents or allies. They may be selling what you don’t want, they may be giving what you don’t like; the truth is they are there for a reason, Nature has placed them there strategically.

Nature teaches quietly. It does not speak the same language as us. If you pay attention, the cues start to make sense. When you are quieter inside, you hear it better. It will amaze you with the knowledge and insight it has for you, only if you choose to pause and listen. Listening to nature starts by listening to yourself. There is a lot of noise inside. If you stop, if you contemplate, the internal noise starts to filter out and the winds of negativity and pessimism die down. Your true nature shines in its full glory. You gain insight, inner strength and clarity. You begin to understand Nature.

Listen to yourself. Be free, be fearless.

Peace.
Swami