Sitting in a Leon garden, staring at the river that flows, today’s date: 27th of March.
Next to me, my wife Christina is reading a book. Spring has started in Europe and we can now put our sweaters inside the trunk. We have been driving for many days, going through places that marked our lives (Christina has walked the Saint James’ Path in 1990). Even though we have been travelling unhurriedly, we managed to cover 500 kilometres in only a week.
Mineral water. Coffee.
People talking, people walking.
People that also drink their coffee and their mineral water.
That’s how I go 20 years back, to an afternoon of July or August 1986. Coffee, mineral water, people talking and walking – but this time the scenery is composed of plains that stretch along Castrojeriz, my birthday is approaching, I have already gone from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port a long time ago, and I’m at the middle of the way that will lead me to Saint James of Compostella.
My walking speed: 20 kilometres per day.
I look ahead towards the monotonous landscape, the guide is also drinking his coffee by a bar that seems to have appeared from nowhere. I look back towards that same monotonous landscape but the only difference is that this time the dust of the floor has my shoes sole marks printed on it. This is temporary though: the wind will erase them before night fall.
Everything looks unreal.
What am I doing here? This question keeps on following me, even though many weeks have passed.
I’m searching for a sword. I’m accomplishing a ritual that I learned from RAM, a small catholic order, that has no secrets or mysteries besides trying to understand the symbolic language of the world. I’m starting to think that I’ve been cheated, that the spiritual quest makes no sense and has no logic, and that maybe the best thing to do would be to go back to Brazil and do what I’ve always been doing.
I doubt of my sincerity in this quest because it gives too much work to look for a God that never reveals himself, of praying at the right time, of walking strange paths, of being disciplined, of accepting orders that seems to me to be absurd.
That’s it: I doubt of my sincerity. For all these days Petrus has been saying that the path is for all, for common people, an idea that truly disappoints me. I thought that all the work I had would grant me a unique place among the happy few that got near to the Universe’s archetypes. I thought that I would finally discover that all the tales regarding the secret government of wise men in Tibet, of magic potions capable of arousing love where before not even attraction existed, of rituals where suddenly the gates of Heaven would open themselves, were true.
But it’s precisely the opposite that Petrus has been telling me: there are no “chosen ones”. All are chosen if instead of asking themselves “what am I doing here?” they choose to do something that would arouse the enthusiasm in their hearts. The gates of Heaven are to be found in doing a work with enthusiasm. That’s how love is transformed and guides us closer to God.
This is the enthusiasm that connects us with the Holy Spirit and not the hundreds, thousands of classical texts. It’s the belief that life is a miracle that enables miracles to happen, not the “secret rituals” or the “initiatic orders”. In a nutshell, it is Man’s decision to follow his destiny that turns him into a Man, not the theories that he develops around the mystery of life.
And here I am. At the middle of the way that leads me to Saint James of Compostella. If things are as simple as he says, why this pointless adventure?
(Next text will be posted on the 22.04.2006)
Paulo,
I reflect often upon your works and im deeply inspired by them. Im at a very difficult point in my life and i seem to draw alot of strength and courage from these works. Ive just downloaded the maktub and im relishing the prospect of reading it.
Yesterday i attended a funeral of my friend’s mother and i thought how short life was, but again how profitable it can be. Life is indeed a gift and we all can be great.I know that, i belief that. I seek to improve myself constantly.But it is tough. Especially when you have the knowledge and know that greatness is for all.and yet you fail to reach for the skies….It is a personal quest i know,and a journey that must be taken alone, but how dear paulo does one remain steadfast? how does one know that this path he has choosen is the rite one?…
Dear Paulo,
Taking the pilgramage to santiago is and will be one of my most important achievements.I have 3 great inspirational teachers or guides. Their is Proffesor Elton Trueblood, Kahil Gibran and you. The former two have passed on.
Indeed it will be my great pleasure to meet you some day. In the meantime i do read your two books, the pilgramage and Alchemist as often as i can. I draw inspiration from these works. I do hope one day to walk the path of common people with a guide just like petrus.
Dear Paulo,
Our walking speed: 32 kilometres per day.
Apreciado Paulo:
Yo he leido la mayoria de sus libros, siempre me impactan y me pregunto si alguien puede ser de verdad como Ud plantea la gente debe ser. Ahora leyendo su diario y viendo sus fotos, pienso como puede alguien llegar a transformarse en un ser tan especial. Si pudiera pedir un deseo seria poder compartir con este ser unos dias para dialogar, en ese lugar que veo en las fotos y parece ser su refugio, y asi encontrar respuestas a mis inquietudes. He intentado ganarle a la lucha interna entre el deber y el querer y lamentablemente la realidad de la vida generalmente obliga a hacer y vivir de una manera diferente a tus anhelos. La pregunta es: Acaso si fueramos ricos(materialmente) y no tuvieramos que producir para vivir, tendriamos la posibilidad de caminar la vida de manera diferente? A lo mejor algun dia podre andar por el Camino de Santiago y le aseguro pensare en UD.
Paulo–
I am leaving to walk the Camino in three weeks. Today is the solstice, the longest day of the year. I have been called to the Camino by a teacher who told me I must go out and find my destiny. I am blessed to have followed your journey through your books and newsletters. I pray that mine will reveal itself to me with each step and that I can be open to whatever needs to happen. One of my teachers has told me, without the crucifixion there can be no resurrection. I await the path.
With love, Lisa
Very needed information found here, thank you for your work
Dear Paulo
‘Pointless adventure’ an oxymoron surely!
In the Pilgrimage you wrote that each prayer should begin with the words ‘Thy will be done’, some time later I read in Richard Bachs ‘running from safety’ the words ‘Life Is’ and of course Kahlil Gibran worte that ‘life knows only itself and seeks only itself’ - from this I started to undestand the collective will of life and love and further understand that ‘God’ is life and love. I no longer toiled with Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha or anyone else for that matter.
My soul told me what is has known for all of eternity that ‘God’ is everything and everyone and then I laughed knowing that it could not be any other way for a Lord with a hierarchy and prejudice shows only half his love - Life gives us everything all of the time.
M Scott Peck wrote in ‘the road less travelled’ that we each need to challenge our own ‘God’ and not in all cases accept what is handed to us! for the love and challenge in doing so is where the real ‘God’ is to be found.
You have led yourself to return to the road and to a new learning for yourself and how else could it be for your soul is in communion with the soul of the world. Your jouney has been a much deeper journey for many and the best example since Gibran of how ones love of learning and teaching can bring about true spiritual understanding and progression - May life give you the eyes to see all that awaits you for I shall be waiting to hear of your journey and my sould wil make merry for the learning you will share with me.
Soon I will holiday in Majorca and will visit the monastery at Lluc for no other place I have seen holds as much of lifes majesty as this Island - i will light a candle for your journey and the journey of all those inspiried by you.
Love and Light
John
Dear Mr. Coelho,
Reading your first post has been a nostalgic and almost reviving experience. I am extremely delighted that you decided to initiate a blog where you could post your experiences/views/perspectives on subjects close to your heart.
It gives an opportunity for your fans (like me!!) to still have something written by you to read on a regular basis, while anxiously awaiting your next book!!! Thank you!!!
Your first post was an interesting perspective which I have noticed as a recurring subject in the books I have read which have been written by you. The idea of symbolism occupying our everyday spaces and having an existence as unique and parallel to our lives is something I have given great thought to. You are right it exists everywhere all around us, and sometimes, more often than not we fail to decipher them or acknowledge them. It lies all around us, but some days perhaps it is our spirit that fails to recognize them because we are so lacking in enthusiasm or hope. The brilliance of this is lost and we seem to move on in life questioning, seeking and doubting. Sometimes, I am not sure for what or why. But yes we do loose this endearing quality. It’s hard to maintain this sense of spirit that can join us to the ultimate “Spirit”. At certain intervals we do feel its brilliance radiating through our lives, I felt the same way, the first time I read your book, “the alchemist”. It left me with such a feeling of contentment bundled with clear logic and understanding of what you tried to explain via the contents of your book. However, the brilliance though rewarding in the way it left me feeling, was one that did not last long. Somewhere with the everyday burden and hustle of life it was shoved to the side, where it waited patiently for me to seek it again. Perhaps its greatest attribute would be its patience in waiting for us to find it again and again all through life and discarding it like a cloak that does not fit quite so smugly. I wish I could wear this spirit of enthusiasm, and symbolism like a cloak through all weathers.
Perhaps we all should take a pilgrimage at regular intervals to regain this gift we take for granted. But then perhaps our life is a pilgrimage of sorts and this eternal quest can never be realized, for now, I will treat it as a friend, that comes and goes, and hopefully wait patiently it may visit me again.
I still have the autographed card that you sent me with the message “A warrior of light does not give up on his dreams.” Thank you for that precious card, which I truly treasure.
God bless you and your family always.
Sangeeta Mehrotra
Mr. Coelho,
ok this is the last one, rather the first entry but i’m reading it backwards, i started on ur May 19 entry.
The things you shared in this blog entry is interesting. I guess we must first realize our ownself before doing any rituals and blindly following anything other people believe. We must seek first our own belief. Meaning we must find ourselves first. And I guess sometimes while finding oursleves we ask if such journey is pointless
But is there really a journey? If there is a journey does mean there must be a destination? Is it a never ending journey? (pondering)
Or maybe we are already living our dream for the moment and such path does not exist but only love is required to be able to understand.
does that make sense? I’m sorry but I can’t put it to words properly…
I’m looking forward to your next blog entry. Thank you for sharing this with us. God Bless Mr. Coelho
~katrina
hi there,
i just happen to came across with ur blog and now readin all of it…, though i have read ur books and subscribed to ur newsletter. i just wanted u to know that u r one of my gods
god bless u!
.s.