Sri Visvanatha Chakravartiapada writes ecstatically about the stage of asakti, indicating that a sadhaka will often seek signs from the environment:
QUOTE
On seeing a stranger one morning, the devotee on the level of asakti says, “Hanging around your neck is a beautiful case containing Shalagram Shila. Your tongue is moving slightly as you softly chant, relishing the nectar of Sri Krishna’s name at every moment. Seeing you brings this unfortunate soul great joy in some new way. So tell me, what holy places have you visited? What mahatmas have you seen and with what realizations of the Lord have these great souls blessed you? You have surely made your own life perfect, as well as the lives of others.”
After spending some time drinking the nectar of spiritual talks with this devotee, he encounters another and says, “From the attractive beauty of the book under your arm, it appears that you are an expert scholar of the Bhagavatam. Please recite a verse from the Tenth Canto for me and revive my thirsty chataka ears with a shower of nectar.” And when he hears the ambrosial explanation of the verse, his hairs stand erect in ecstasy.
Then going elsewhere, he arrives at an assembly of devotees and says, “Oh! Today my life will be made successful, for this assembly of devotees will quickly destroy all my sins.”
He pays obeisances to them, falling like a stick on the ground. Then on being affectionately welcomed by the most exalted maha-bhagavata, the foremost among those assembled devotees, he sits down beside him in a self-effacing manner. With tears in his eyes, he humbly begs for the Vaishnava’s mercy, saying, “O crest jewel of physicians! You can cure the terrible material disease that afflicts all jivas in these three worlds. I am most fallen and distressed, so please take my pulse and diagnose my illness. Prescribe for me a regime of medicine and diet, some powerful potion that will bring me to a desired state of robustness.”
On getting the nectarean instructions of that maha-bhagavata, he feels overjoyed and spends five or six days serving his lotus feet. Then he goes off and wanders freely through the forests. When he sees the natural behavior of the deer, animals and birds he imagines it to be a sign of either the Lord’s favor or disfavor. He thinks, “If Krishna’s merciful glance is upon me, then that krishnasara deer I see in the distance will come three or four steps towards me. Otherwise, he’ll turn his back on me and run away.”
Seeing brahmin boys playing on the outskirts of the village, he asks them, as though they were the four Kumaras, “Will I ever be able to see the son of Nanda?” If they answer “no” in their half-formed voices, he wonders whether to take it on face value or to seek some deeper meaning.
Then he goes home and there, like a miserly merchant greedy for great wealth, he becomes anxiously absorbed in thoughts like, “Where shall I go? What shall I do? How will I get my hands on my desired object?” His facial expression becomes wan; sometimes he becomes anxious, sometimes he falls into a fitful sleep; then he suddenly awakens and sits up. When relatives ask about his strange behavior, he remains silent as if dumb, concealing his emotions. Thus his friends conclude, “He has gone out of his mind.” Ignorant neighbors criticize, saying, “He has always been dull by nature.” Followers of the Mimamsa say he is a fool, while the Vedantins say he is in illusion. The karmis say, “He has strayed from the right path.” Devotees say, “How glorious! He has realized the essence of all things.” Offenders say, “He is full of pride.” Such is the behavior of a topmost devotee, who has fallen into the Ganges streams of asakti to the Lord, unaware of either honor or dishonor. (Madhurya-Kadambini)
After spending some time drinking the nectar of spiritual talks with this devotee, he encounters another and says, “From the attractive beauty of the book under your arm, it appears that you are an expert scholar of the Bhagavatam. Please recite a verse from the Tenth Canto for me and revive my thirsty chataka ears with a shower of nectar.” And when he hears the ambrosial explanation of the verse, his hairs stand erect in ecstasy.
Then going elsewhere, he arrives at an assembly of devotees and says, “Oh! Today my life will be made successful, for this assembly of devotees will quickly destroy all my sins.”
He pays obeisances to them, falling like a stick on the ground. Then on being affectionately welcomed by the most exalted maha-bhagavata, the foremost among those assembled devotees, he sits down beside him in a self-effacing manner. With tears in his eyes, he humbly begs for the Vaishnava’s mercy, saying, “O crest jewel of physicians! You can cure the terrible material disease that afflicts all jivas in these three worlds. I am most fallen and distressed, so please take my pulse and diagnose my illness. Prescribe for me a regime of medicine and diet, some powerful potion that will bring me to a desired state of robustness.”
On getting the nectarean instructions of that maha-bhagavata, he feels overjoyed and spends five or six days serving his lotus feet. Then he goes off and wanders freely through the forests. When he sees the natural behavior of the deer, animals and birds he imagines it to be a sign of either the Lord’s favor or disfavor. He thinks, “If Krishna’s merciful glance is upon me, then that krishnasara deer I see in the distance will come three or four steps towards me. Otherwise, he’ll turn his back on me and run away.”
Seeing brahmin boys playing on the outskirts of the village, he asks them, as though they were the four Kumaras, “Will I ever be able to see the son of Nanda?” If they answer “no” in their half-formed voices, he wonders whether to take it on face value or to seek some deeper meaning.
Then he goes home and there, like a miserly merchant greedy for great wealth, he becomes anxiously absorbed in thoughts like, “Where shall I go? What shall I do? How will I get my hands on my desired object?” His facial expression becomes wan; sometimes he becomes anxious, sometimes he falls into a fitful sleep; then he suddenly awakens and sits up. When relatives ask about his strange behavior, he remains silent as if dumb, concealing his emotions. Thus his friends conclude, “He has gone out of his mind.” Ignorant neighbors criticize, saying, “He has always been dull by nature.” Followers of the Mimamsa say he is a fool, while the Vedantins say he is in illusion. The karmis say, “He has strayed from the right path.” Devotees say, “How glorious! He has realized the essence of all things.” Offenders say, “He is full of pride.” Such is the behavior of a topmost devotee, who has fallen into the Ganges streams of asakti to the Lord, unaware of either honor or dishonor. (Madhurya-Kadambini)
Regardless of your present state of progress, have you found that you sometimes look for indications of reciprocation in the environment around you? For instance, you knock over an acaman cup while doing puja and attribute it to some thought you had or recent action. Knotted beads is another one.
Or a personal example: I was a vegetarian--of sorts--before I became a devotee and the first time I made an offering I offered Cornish pasties that contained eggs. I immediately got an intense pain in my chest as I did the offering and later attributed this to my nasty pasties.
Yeah, maybe this thread wasn't such a good idea. Interesting that I've only used negative examples too.
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