Maktub
Paulo Coelho
Dedicated to Nha Chica
PART 12
Catagory:Fiction
Author:
Posted Date:08/30/2024
Posted By:utopia online
point in your life,” she said. “But, as you see, everything happened -and nothing.” “There was something missing from your talk about the Road to Santiago ,” said a pilgrim to the wanderer as they were leaving the conference together. “I have noticed that the majority of pilgrims,” she said, “whether on the Road toSantiago or on their paths through life, always seek to follow the same pace as the others. At the beginning of my pilgrimage, I tried to walk at the same pace as my group. I got tired, I demanded more of my body than it could deliver, I was tense, and I wound up with problems in the tendons of my left foot. It was impossible for me to walk for two days, and I learned that I would be able to get to Santiago only if I went at my own pace. It took me longer than the others, and I walked alone for many stretches along the road. But it was only because I respected my own pace that I was able to walk the entire road. Since then, I have applied that lesson to everything I do in my life.” Croesus, the king of Lydia , had made the decision to attack the Persians, but nevertheless wanted to consult with a Greek oracle. “You are fated to destroy a great empire,” the oracle said. Happily, Croesus declared war. After two days of battle, Lydia was invaded by the Persians, its capital was sacked, and Croesus was taken prisoner. Revolted, he asked his ambassador to Greece to go back to the oracle and tell him how wrong he had been. “No, it was you who were wrong,” said the oracle to the ambassador. “You destroyed a great empire: Lydia .” The master says: “The language of signs is there is before us, to teach us the best way to act. But many times we try to distort those signs so that they “agree” with what we wanted to do in the first place. Buscaglia tells the story about the fourth of the Magi, who also saw the star shining over Bethlehem . But he was always late in arriving at the place where Jesus might be, because along the way, the poor and needy stopped him to ask him for help. After thirty years of following in Jesus's footsteps, through Egypt , Galilee and Bethany , the magus reached Jerusalem , but was again too late. The child Jesus was now a man, and the magus had arrived on the day of the crucifixion. The king had brought pearls to give to Jesus, but had sold everything in order to help those whom he had met along the way. Only one pearl remained, but the Saviour was already dead. “I have failed in the mission of my life,” the king thought. And then he heard a voice: “Contrary to what you are thinking, you have been with me all your life. I was nude, and you dressed me. I was hungry, and you fed me. I was imprisoned, and you visited me. I was in every poor soul along the way. Thank you for so many presents of love.” A science fiction story tells of a society where almost everyone is born ready to perform a function: technicians, engineers or mechanics. Only a few are born without any skills: these are sent to an insane asylum, since only crazy people are unable to make a contribution to society. One of the insane rebels. The asylum has a library, where he attempts to learn everything there is to know about the arts and sciences. When he feels that he knows enough, he decides to escape, but he is captured and taken to a research center outside the city. “Welcome,” says one of the people in charge of the center. “It is those who have been forced to make their own way that we admire most. From now on, you may do as you please, since it is thanks to people like you that the world is able to progress.” Before leaving on a long trip, a businessman was saying good-bye to his wife. “You have never brought me a present that was worthy of me,” she said. “You ungrateful woman, everything I have given you cost me years of work,” the man answered. “What else can I give you?” “Something that is as beautiful as I am.” For two years, the woman awaited her present. Finally, her husband returned. “I was able to find something that is as beautiful as you,” he said. “I wept at your ingratitude, but I resolved that I would do as you asked. I thought all this time that there couldn't be a present as beautiful as you, but I found one.” And he handed her a mirror. The German philosopher, F. Nietzsche, once said: “It's not worthwhile to spend time discussing everything; it is a part of the human condition to err from time to time.” The master says: “There are people who insist that they be right about even minor details. They often do not permit themselves to make a mistake. What they accomplish with that attitude is a fear of moving ahead. Fear of making a mistake is the door that locks us into the castle of mediocrity. If we are able to overcome that fear, we have taken an important step in the direction of our freedom.” A novice asked the Father Superior Nisteros at the monastery at Sceta: “What are the things I should do in order to please God?” Father Nisteros answered: “Abraham accepted strangers, and God was happy. Elijah did not like strangers, and God was happy. David was proud of what he did, and God was happy. The Roman publican, before the altar, was ashamed of what he did, and God was happy. John the Baptist went into the desert, and God was happy. Jonah went to the great city of Ninevah , and God was happy. Ask your soul what it wants to do. When your soul is in agreement with your dreams, it makes God happy.” A Buddhist master was traveling on foot with his disciples, when he noted that they were discussing among themselves who was the best. “I have practiced meditation for fifteen years,” said one. “I have been charitable ever since I left my parents' home,” said another. “I have always followed the precepts of Buddha,” said a third. At noon, they stopped under an apple tree to rest. The branches of the tree were loaded down with fruit, to the point that its branches reached to the ground. “When a tree is laden with fruit, its branches bend to touch the ground. The truly wise is he who is humble. When a tree bears no fruit, its branches are arrogant and haughty. The foolish man always believes that he is better than others.” Antonio Machado says: “Blow by blow, step by step, Pathfinder, there is no path, The path is made to be walked. By walking, the path is made, And if you look back, All you will see are the marks Of footsteps that one day Your feet will once again take. Pathfinder, there is no path, The path is made to be walked.” At the Last Supper, Jesus accused -with the same gravity and using the same phrase -two of his apostles. Both had committed the crimes foreseen by Jesus. Judas Iscariot recovered his senses and condemned himself. Peter also recovered his senses, after denying three times everything he had believed in. But at the decisive moment, Peter understood the true meaning of Jesus' message. He asked forgiveness and went on, humiliated. He could have chosen suicide, but instead he faced the other apostles and must have said: “Okay, speak of my error for as long as the human race exists. But let me correct it.” Peter understood that Love forgives. Judas understood nothing. A famous writer was walking with a friend when a boy started to cross the street in front of an oncoming truck. The writer, in a fraction of a second, threw himself in front of the truck and was able to save the boy. But, before anyone could praise him for his act of heroism, he slapped the boy across the face. “Don't be fooled by appearances, my boy,” he said. “I saved you only so that you couldn't evade the problems you will have as an adult.” The master says: “Sometimes we are afraid of doing good. Our sense of guilt always tries to tell us that -when we act with generosity -we are merely trying to impress others. It is difficult for us to accept that we are good by nature. We mask our good acts with irony and indifference, as if live were synonymous with weakness.” Jesus looked at the table before him, wondering what would be the best symbol of his passage on Earth. On the table were pomegranates from Galilee, spices from the deserts of the south, dried fruits fromSyria and Egyptian dates. He must have extended His hand to consecrate one of them, when suddenly he recalled the message that he brought was for all men everywhere. And perhaps pomegranates and dates did not exist is some parts of the world. He looked about him, and
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