Daily Meditation: Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The musicians in an orchestra all have their own scores. …

08/29/2007

The musicians in an orchestra all have their own scores. They concentrate on them and have no need to see the scores of their fellow musicians. But standing before the orchestra is the conductor, who knows all the scores and sees to it that each player is heard at the appropriate moment and respects the tempo, the nuances and so on. Otherwise, no matter how beautifully the musical phrases are played individually, there will be a dreadful cacophony. Now, what happens in life? We meet people everywhere who are proficient in their professions – in other words, they know how to play their part – but who do not have a view of the whole. It is very good that they have developed their expertise, of course, but if their individual position limits their perspective they cannot make good decisions for the collectivity. Each of you must acquire the consciousness of a conductor, that is to say, you must elevate yourself to the point where you have a good view of the whole and can act appropriately in all circumstances.