It is still impossible to write on the train, because of all the shaking. I meet readers at the stations (see the photos in the gallery), talk with them, learn a lot from their eyes and the few words we manage to exchange. Some tell stories, others talk of their cities and the regions they come from.
One of them tells me: “Do you know exactly where you are right now? You are in a train station, along with many other people, and at this very moment there is a good chance that many people hold in their hearts the same hopes and despair as you.
“Let’s go on: you are a microscopic dot on the surface of a ball. This ball revolves around another, which in turn is located in a little corner of a galaxy, together with millions of similar balls.
“This galaxy is part of something called the Universe, full of gigantic stellar agglomerations. Nobody knows exactly where what we call the Universe starts and ends.
“Even so, don’t let yourself be beaten by the fatigue of the journey: you fight, make efforts, and try to improve, you have dreams, grow happy or sad because of Love. If you weren’t alive, something would be missing.”
I do not know where the reader found these words (he was reading from a piece of paper), but those are the words I needed to hear at that moment.
*****
Two stops further ahead, a reader tells me a story about a carpenter and his assistants traveling through the province of Qi (at the moment we are very near China), in search of building material. They saw a giant tree, so big that five men holding hands cannot embrace it, and so tall that it touches the clouds.
“Let’s not waste our time on this tree,” said the master carpenter. “It will take us so long to cut it down. If we want to make a boat, the trunk is so heavy that it will sink. If we decide to use it for the structure of a roof, the walls will have to be made exaggeratedly thick.”
The group continued on its way. One of the apprentices remarked:
“Such a big tree and no use for anything!”
“You are wrong,” said the master carpenter. “It has followed its destiny in its own way. If it were like the others, we would have cut it down. But because it had the courage to be different, it will stay alive and strong for a long time.”
*****
The Taoists tell that in the beginning of time Spirit and Matter waged a mortal combat. Finally Spirit triumphed – and Matter was condemned to live for ever inside the Earth.
Before that happened, however, his head hit against the firmament and broke the star-filled sky into pieces.
The goddess Niuka emerged from the sea, resplendent in her armor of fire. Boiling the colors of the rainbow in a cauldron, she managed to put the stars back in their proper places, but was unable to find two small slivers, and the firmament was incomplete.
This is the origin of love: two souls are always crossing the Earth, each in search of its Other Part. When they meet, they manage to fit together the two parts that are missing in the sky and the whole Universe then makes sense to the couple.
I think constantly about this as the Trans-Siberian train crosses this long steppe.
*****
Unbelievable as it may sound, many people are afraid of happiness. To these people, feeling good with life means changing a whole set of habits – and losing their own identity.
We often feel unworthy of the good things that happen to us. We do not accept miracles – because accepting them makes us feel that we owe something to God. Besides, we are afraid of “getting used” to happiness.
We think: “better not to drink of the cup of happiness, because we will miss it so much when we no longer have it”.
For fear of diminishing, we stop growing. For fear of crying, we stop laughing.
*****
In the train I meet someone coming from Morocco who tells me a strange story about how certain desert tribes see original sin.
Eve was strolling in the Garden of Eden when the serpent came up to her.
“Eat this apple”, said the serpent.
Very well instructed by God, Eve refused.
“Eat this apple”, insis¬ted the serpent,” because you have to make yourself more beautiful for your man”.
“I don’t have to”, answered Eve. “Because he has no other woman but me”.
The serpent laughed: “Of course he does”.
And since Eve did not believe him, he led her to the top of a hill, where there was a well.
“She is inside this cave; Adam hid her there”.
Eve leaned over and saw a beautiful woman reflected in the water of the well. Immediately she ate the apple that the serpent offered her.
According to this same Moroccan tribe, all those who recognize themselves in the reflection of the well and are no longer afraid of themselves, return to Paradise.
The next text will be posted on the 4th of June.
P.S: Dear reader,
During this journey, that is filling my soul with very interesting experiences, one of the most magical moments comes every night when I read the comments posted on this blog. Even though I can’t answer all of you, I want you to know that it’s very important to me to know that I’m not alone on this path. Thank you so much for your support and for the words and ideas that are now engraved on my heart.
Paulo Coelho
Hi Paulo,
Thanks for sharing your dream with us. Dreams occur in sleep but your dream actually wakes me up in to a beautiful world.
Cheers,
Ram
when will the two souls meet so that the universe starts making sense??? do they ever meet? I’m starting to lose faith!! being such a romantic is taking me nowhere. reading can be very amusing, but reality is not!!(at other times I’m more coulorful, but today it’s all gray!!) thank Mr. Coelho I love your smile!
Someone wrote a reply about the apparent discrepancy between destiny and free will. I have thought a lot about this as well! I think there is no discrepancy or paradox!
To me destiny is the place where you can use all your talents and feel at peace. I think this place has been imprinted in your soul during childhood, when you had the experiences that influenced you and shaped you.
Whenever a situation, person or place strikes you, this is because it is close to the shape of your soul. You recognize yourself.
If you live a conscious life, you can use your free will to seek this place.
At least I think, and I try…
I am enjoying your writing, your stories especially what touched me was that you mentioned Eve’s apple.For some reason I contemplated an apple left in a fruit bowl this week.I was thinking of a whithered apple and Eve.the way we always save something for someone we love…putting aside our own hunger.
I look forward to your posts further along your journey.I hope you enjoy the company you find yourself in , that the wind and the weather on your face feels like elixior of life and a blessing along the way.
Deb, you’ve got me in stitches!
I wake in a sorry place..
I’m in the lost void of hang-over..
My liver leaks into my gall bladder
which..
struggles to survive invasion of something which demands release from tight confine.
Swollen spleen casts shaddow over my stomach..
which leaks over my bladder..
Oh…never again!
My Heart pounds heavy beyond weight.
Exploring this sorry space I imagine I’ve die..
Who would know? … How long before someone knew?
I accept my death would be a non event to the world
and …
I know people would care….but would I?
…It’s time to get out of bed..
I’m on the topsy trainride of life…
Sometimes I feel I know where I am but this morning I’m a dot in a universe larger than I can conceive.
I think of Paulo…
thousands of people follow, know of and wait for his arrival..
At every stop his image is captured ..
At every stop his signature is recorded ..
He is expected, received, appreciated, loved..
In the entire history of my life this foreign to me…
I’m squashed into a dot …I have a hangover..
I rise and fly away …
I see myself walking on Bronte Beach..
My footprints merge with the sand..
That’s it, that’s my signature of Life and having been on Earth..
Footprints to merge with the songlines of the world..
to echo with whale song…
to blend with the memory of my ancestors who walked on the sands of the Earth and Time.
My Grandfather’s image comes to me…
Pop, a timber getter, taught me Ecology…how to look, listen and love
the multiple species who are the Bush..
Now I see the sky, the meeting of dimensions…
I’m back…between the stars and deep Earth..
hmm coffee …. caffeine for the body …
hmm time… stimulation for the spirit..
Hangovers … reflection of the sorry self… Not necessary.
To-night reflection seeps into my Soul…
How rich is life…
I see a tree. I see Pop Engel..
I see the stars. I feel my father…
I see the moon. I know my Grandmother..
Today I took the Eucharist and my Nana came to me.
Tonight as it rains the breath of Earth is renewed.
walk gently
Christine
Hi Again Paulo and all who may be reading this, (and you know who you are!) (hopefully!)
It’s MEEE again.
( I can hear the groaning now)
I was just reading one of the posts above by Anne, and, not to change the subject! But…
She was talking about all the molecules, etc. and it got me to thinking about what I read recently in an article by some yogi guy…about how everything comes from the Earth.
I know that it’s a simple thought, but, for me, it seemed so profound to look around and realize that any and everything that we see has come from the Earth.
I’ve often thought about wooden things…it’s easy to make the connection there. Wood equals table, chairs, houses, etc.
And glass and metal…same thing. It’s easy to understand that they also come from the Earth.
But, to look at synthetic objects - plastics, intricate mechanical things like televisons, and, well, computers, and even polyester pants! Yuck!
All that fake stuff. It’s so hard to think that even things like that came from our precious, beautiful Earth.
It just blows my mind.
I’ve always looked at things as either ‘natural’ or ’synthetic’, but I realized that I had to change my perception of synthetic things, since they too come from the Earth. Even though they aren’t in their original form.
Hmmm.
And it reminds me, too, of that line from one of Shakespeare’s plays that says, ‘Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.’
I always want to categorize things.
Natural -GOOD!
Synthetic - BAD!
But, when you think about it…sometimes synthetic things are necessary and are helpful and are GOOD….like life saving devices.
And sometimes natural things….like the poisonous mushroom I fed my husband for dinner last night…are GOOD, I mean…. BAD! Very BAD! You should never feed your husband naturally poisonous things!
Unless he’s an abusive, horrible, horrible man who deserves it because he’s been cheating on you since day one with your best friend.
But, I digress!
So, yeah, sometimes things seem good when they’re bad and vice versa.
The earth is a beautiful thing.
And, I don’t know where the hell I was going with any of this.
I have to go make dinner now. Mushroom Surprise.
Ta Ta For Now!
Keep on tripping…I mean, journeying. Yeah, that’s it. Did I say mushrooms?
Lots of love and happiness to all and to all a good night.
-Deb
Reading ‘The Zahir’ at the moment. Seems almost autobiographical!
Have a happy weekend Paulo and everyone!
Blessed Be
Lisa
xxx
wow…
sometimes words are not enough. i feel so inspired