It’s five o’clock in the afternoon and I am watching the water flowing past. I follow the little stream until it runs into one of the prettiest places on earth: Lake Baikal in Siberia. “A river never passes the same place twice,” says the philosopher. “Life is like a river,” says another philosopher, which leads us to the conclusion that this is the closest metaphor to the meaning of life.
But today I have just discovered something different: there is a river inside the river, one that shows the path to follow, the soul of the waters beside me in this small village where we can still see a well where the inhabitants come to fetch water. How long has it been since I last saw a real well, one that gives a whole village water to drink?
I contemplate the river again, try to be like it, and see the lessons that it is teaching me now:
A] We are always experiencing the first time. While we pass from our source (birth) to our destination (death), the landscapes will always be new to us. We must face all these novelties with joy rather than fear – because it is useless to fear what cannot be avoided. A river never stops flowing.
B] In a valley we walk more slowly. When everything around us becomes easier, the waters are calm; we grow broader, more expansive, more generous.
C] Our banks are always fertile. Vegetation only grows where there is water. Whoever comes into contact with us needs to understand that we are here to give those who are thirsty something to drink.
D] Stones have to be avoided. Of course, water is stronger than granite, but that requires a lot of time. It is no use letting yourself be dominated by stronger obstacles, or trying to fight them – that is just a waste of energy. The best thing is to understand where the exit lies, and move in that direction.
E] Depressions call for patience. All of a sudden the river runs into a kind of hole and stops flowing as joyfully as before. At such moments the only way out is to rely on the help of time. When the right moment arrives, the depression fills up and the water can move ahead. Instead of an ugly, lifeless hole, now there is a lake that others can look on with happiness.
F] We are unique. We are born in a place that was meant for us and that will always keep us supplied with enough water so that when faced with depressions we may have the necessary patience or strength to move forward. We start our course in a gentle, fragile way, when even a simple leaf can stop our progress. However, as we respect the mystery of the source that generated us and trust in its eternal wisdom, little by little we gain all that is needed to follow our path.
G] Although we are unique, soon we shall be many. As we travel on, the waters from other sources join us, because that is the best path to follow. So we are no longer just one, but many – and there comes a moment when we feel lost. Nevertheless, as the Bible says, “all the rivers flow to the sea”. It is impossible to remain in our solitude, however romantic that may seem. When we accept the inevitable encounter with other sources, we end up understanding that this makes us far stronger and we get round obstacles or fill in depressions much more easily and in far less time.
H] We are a means of transportation. Of leaves, boats, ideas. May our waters be ever generous, may we always carry forward all the things or persons that need our help.
I] We are a source of inspiration. And so, let us leave the final words to the Brazilian poet Manuel Bandeira:
“Be like a river that flows
Silent in the middle of the night
Not fearing the dark of the night,
Reflecting any star that is in the sky.
And if the sky fills with clouds,
Clouds are water, like the river, so
Reflect them too with no regret In the silent depth.”
******
The next text (and last one for this pilgrimage) will be posted on the 10th 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
{ 50 comments }
[quote post="23"]G] Although we are unique, soon we shall be many. As we travel on, the waters from other sources join us, because that is the best path to follow.
So we are no longer just one, but many – and there comes a moment when we feel lost. Nevertheless, as the Bible says, “all the rivers flow to the sea”. It is impossible to remain in our solitude, however romantic that may seem. When we accept the inevitable encounter with other sources, we end up understanding that this makes us far stronger and we get round obstacles or fill in depressions much more easily and in far less time[/quote]
as you say,there IS strength in this bondage.the less said the better—-we will grow in strenghts,soul after soul.thanks.
just thanks for to show us that hopes exist always even all things around us are so dark
Thanks for giving us a wink of light to wake up our dreams
Thanks for showing us that we’re not the only one ,
Dear Mr.Paulo thank you so much
we,we gonna say thnak you
hai paulo,
buku anda yang saya baca pertama kali adalah The Alchemist, sungguh-sungguh telah menginpirasi hidupku untuk lebih bersemangat.
dan yang buku-buku anda yang telah saya baca adalah
1. Zahir
2. Di tepi sungai piedra aku duduk dan menangis
3. Gunung Ke-5
4. Iblis dan miss prym
5. Veronica memutuskan untuk mati.
Terimakasih, salam dari indonesia
Hormat saya
Gagat Respati
[quote comment="1129"]Hi paulo,
this is kiran from India.
First let me tell you that
I made the following observations.
Water in the river circumvents stones despite it’s strength to rub it off
and reduce it to zero because it is wise not to waste time on it. But it doesn’t do the same when it runs across a depression because firstly, it gains in, as you rightly said, patience by doing so and secondly it doesn’t take so much time as it takes to grind a stone off.[/quote]
Dear Kiran,
you forgot to mention thirdly: water seems to take pleasure in gathering itself to move on even more powerful…
Karin
IAM
We are tired because:
We have to be so perfect in our own eyes
We have to be so clever
We have to be competent
We have to be loved
We have to be happy
We have to be joyful
We have to give so much
We have to be so wise
The truth is:
I am happy just to be a normal human beeing
I am happy just to be myselv
I am happy with others
I am happy to be scared
I am happy to be vulnerable
I am happy to make mistakes
I am happy to love my family and friends
I am happy with all people in the world
I am happy to do nothing
I am happy not to be perfect
I am happy to do misstakes
I am happy to forgive
I am happy to be good enough
I am happy not to cope with everything
I am happy to be free
[quote comment="605"]Hello wonderful people,
i have been following this blog for some time and i really enjoyed reading all the comments, thoughts and emotions everybody put out in the world.
I never knew what to write, because of the fear of sounding stupid between all these intelligent and wonderful self-made or quoted words.
Altough i know really ‘thinking’ about what you’re gonna write will not help cause real words will just flow!
I want to share a ‘problem’ with you cause this seems the right place.
On januari the 25th i turned 34 and for the first time in my life i wanted to celebrate it, and celebrate it with all the very beautifull, intelligent, humorfull, strong and warm female friends i have. This is exceptional since i always hated my own parties, and i was guys-girl, i always hung out with male friends when i was young. But since you grow older as we all know you learn and i learned that my whole guys-girly fase was a matter of fear from my part.
So it was time to celebrate my woman-hood (and this is not the post guys-girly fase were i go femenistic and hate guys!) with the 12 woman i wanted to invite. It was a very magical night were we ate and drank together laughed cried, danced. Well it was just a very nice evening.
I wanted a bookclub/womanclub from my friends as a gift with the promise that they would make efford in coming every 4 weeks or so.I also got some books, because i like to read (ofcourse what is the sense in wanting a bookclub if you hate reading) and some of the girls gave me 2 books one was, well i don’t even remember that one and the other one was The alchemist.
And then shit happened, no i mean wonderful things happened, like all you people i was infatuated, in love totaly hooked on this book but ofcourse specially on the writer wich is you ofcourse paulo.
Every free minute i wanted to read your books, and that is not many since i have 2 wonders at home wich are two little persons i am allowed to guide trough life.
I bought all the books you have ever written and started reading, i always put the books that were left in front of me and with my eyes closed i picked out a book. Really funny to do, cause i readed them not in chronological but for me very suiting and logical order. Every time i picked out a book it was like yet another fase of my life was described, but then for me in chronological way!
Every time i was reading it was like i was in the middle of a flow-experience. I connected to people, things around me happened like in the book i saw al the signs, i just felt the words, understanding is not even describing how i felt. It was like this big hole that is in side of me since i was born this huge feelling of ‘missing’ was filled and my soul cried for founding somebody that seemed to have written the words of my soul. It felt like coming home!
That sounds very nice ofcourse and it was, but i finished the last book 6 weeks ago and i feel so fucking (sorry for my language) empty inside.
You will probably call it the post-coelho fase, and say that it is up to me know, i have to do it, go for it and more of that shit.
But i have seen half the world, met so many wonderful people, been to hell and back, seen my former lifes in regression therapy, gave birth to two kids, had an abortion, had the most loving and tender and the most horny and sleezy sex, been trough unbelievable relationship depts and higths, hated my parents and loved them again, saw a good friend commit suicide, saw my wonderful grandparents die of old age, see the love espacially the love but also the hate in everybody and now yes well now i am so tired, so tired. And no i am not depressed cause i have been there as well, but i just am so tired.
I can walk the camino wich is a dream from me since my father did it by bike 10 years ago, i could start my own buisiness, i could do whatever i wanted to do cause i can, but i don’t see a challenge in doing it, cause i know it will all be wonderfull, new people, new experiences, hard work, setbacks wich you will learn from the whole shabeng. But still something inside me makes me so tired i feel like the big challenge is being at this still-point.
The thing that is the most in movement is my dreams at the moment, i mean my dreams while i sleep. Not the dreams about doing things, seeing things or experiencing things but the other ones that will help you whisper the do- dreams in your ear might you have forgotten them.
Enough, enough, i know it’s a long story, a personal story, i thank you so much for reading if you did. I love you all and i wanna thank paulo for the 3 months flow experience -course for my soul. And if anybody has the cure for my inner -tiredness give me some tips.
Chantal[/quote]
Chantal;
Like Paolo said: sometimes the river slows down. Take comfort in the fact that this fase also will end. Enjoy the time that has been given to you en pay attention to small things. Again you will discover the beauty of life, but in a different way.
good luck
How are you Paulo !
I saw you on the news paper in korea. september 23th
so I am glad
I walked on the road camino frances from saint jean pied de port to santiago de compostella in this year. May , 11-June 30.
I had a good time.
I know the camino frances from your book.
before I read your books. so I was impressed by your books.
so I want to know that way. and I went to santiago.
I experience o lot . so I have new visions of myself and others
and I develop road maps for present and future mylife.
so you said that the road of pilgrimage is end but the dream of pilgrimage forever. yes I think so. the road is here that is in my seoul
I am 51 years old, middle age woman but I am so young. hahaha…
paulo ! my English is not good. but I tried to writing.
I want to your understanding.
I respect to you. and thank you.
Hi paulo,
this is kiran from India.
First let me tell you that
I made the following observations.
Water in the river circumvents stones despite it’s strength to rub it off and reduce it to zero because it is wise not to waste time on it. But it doesn’t do the same when it runs across a depression because firstly, it gains in, as you rightly said, patience by doing so and secondly it doesn’t take so much time as it takes to grind a stone off.
Sunday: 9am old… Sydney Town.
I walk through a shower of diamonds…
Sunbeams shine through rain that falls into trees…
the winged ones, the four footed and the two footed beings
….all who live on the Earth…before seeping into the Earth
to create streams that nurture life beneath my feet.
Sun shines through raindrops.
The entry, On the banks of Lake Baikal 11, has called me to pause, reflect and to make a decision. As yet I do not understand what that is or will be?
While writing on this site I have realised two templates of depression run through me life.
One is my personal pattern. The void where I am drawn down and held until new patterns settle into my bones the Light renews my Spirit and I am released back to unfold and flow again with the rhythms of my life’s learnings.
The other seeps un-noticed into my marrow and works through my body until I realise I reflect the patterns of pain, of the stagnant, polluted water sytems of Earth.
The magnitude is overwhelming and equally overwhelming is my inability to change humanity’s abuse of Earth, therefore of ourselves. I lament that I do not have the public face or voice that calls others to pay attention or the funds to contribute to organisations who promote ecological education. I also lament that ‘we’ have become so separate from our natural integrity that we need public faces and funds to call us back to living within an eco-system that reflects the genius of God in whatever form that takes in our lives.
I am left with three tools. One is an awareness of appreciation for the water that flows through me and my life. Two is prayer and three is to step back onto the Path of my childhood when I believed my Grandmother’s stories of hope and the power of magic meant I could change things.
Perhaps the the decision I sense calling me is to remember my true Path?
My life reflects I am one of the many who fail to accept the dictate of society’s values are the only template for success in life. While I crave for recognition and a sense of place within a system I cannot subscribe to patterns where monetary wealth results in Spiritual poverty.
Ah Paulo, I am coming to the end of my Camino DownUnder and I arrive with questions not the Sword I had hoped for.
Originally I expressed the dream of co-creating low cost eco-housing for the homeless…now I realise that is the tip of the iceberg!
I want to rebirth and deliver to humanity a re-vision of our role of custodeanship of Earth. I dream to live independently yet within an artistic community focused on the same Dream while from different expressions.
During these weeks of following your writings there have been many moments of insights and revealation and right now, I am remembering how at the beginning I felt a deep response to your own holding ‘a secret desire to be a writer’ and of the fear and shyness around that.
Well what is that saying? I back to the beginnning… again yet again!
Now I find my boots, coat and umbrella and walk in the rain.
I call the memory of my Grandmother to walk with me as we ponder in wonder that it is possible that the rain that falls on us to-day is the same rain that fell on the Earth at the exact place where God chose to form Adam…and it is possible that the rain that falls on Sydney Town is the same elixir that bubbles from the veins of Earth, up through Lake Baikal and delivers the memory of the Ancient Ones, the Ancestors who knew they were Custodeans of a Life much larger than themselves?
While I am walking, I will consider buying a gelato that may just happen to hold the same water that composed the orange Cleopatra offered Mark Anthony when he rode in from the desert?
walk gently
Christine
Sweet, sweet people,
a thank you Maria, i never had such a loving slap on the finger. You are right nothing should be taken for granted espacially not life and all it’s wonders.
I feel somewhat humbled by your words but yet strenghtened, and when i look back on my writing and feeling, i am not AT this still point but searching for it. For me my still point would be the point after balans, were the ‘fighting’ stops and the being begins. Just being what we are all essentially made of.
Thank you Lisa i can feel you are a very special person when it comes to dreams, i have never written any of my dreams down and will go and do that, thank you for fuelling that need!
And after all this serious stuff, it is really time for some serious soccer, we are gonna win ofcourse (that being the dutch team) and altough we dutch are a little stiff and lacking self esteme comparing to the brazilian team, thanks to this positive blog i am so positivly fuelled up i can send our team to victory all by myself!
Thank you sweet people il love you all,
and who knows we might meet, or should i say why don’t we start out something and organise it already!
Love and i mean real love to you all, real real love that comes bursting out with no holding backs whatsoever.
Chantal
Paulo
thank you for the inspiring thoughts and words you have shared on your pilgrimage, I have found them to be very timely for me as someone who recently fell off the path and feels that she may now have gotten back on it.
munto obrigada e O Deus derrama seus amor e grace em cima de você agora e sempre
Hi everybody
The sharing of these experiences has inspired me to do as many of you have done, start my own journal. Come visit me some time. Especially Gabriela Tomicki….where are you by the way?? You haven’t posted recently!
Remember everybody, we are a means of transportation, we can move and flow together. In the meantime let me say it’s been wonderful getting to know you.
Paulo, I started reading The Alchemist again last night. I don’t re-read books very often. Only the ones that really leave a mark in me.
Buon Cammino
PS watched the opening ceremony of the world cup. Was hoping to see you among the fans…
Dear Paulo… I look at depression is the beginning of a healing process and comes as a blessing to start life anew…so many good things to live life for… when we cry there is an emotional release that automatically takes place…so the old hurts just vanish…’neti neti’ as maha avatar babaji is so fond of saying…this is nothing that is nothing…all life here is like a passing dream and an illusion of duality….reality is infinite love and infinite freedom…and a unity with every living and innanimate thing…even stones have life…every little thing vibrates with life energy…even the air we breathe in…all this becomes very real and not just talk in the air once the crown chakra is activated by divine love and grace…then nothing in this dual world affects you as you begin to live in your centre…the heart of reality is just this big love …there is nothing else …life looks like a movie…good times …bad times…all for his enjoyment….this is as unreal as a picture you see on the screen…it just seems real because he has made the illusion of duality so very strong…but in his love he has also sent us saints who show us that there is a way out of the movie hall !!
Dear paulo and friends,
i have to write back especially to you Imran, i thank you so much for your words of wisdom. It was funny to see my own writing back in the morning, and i thought, my god Chantal pick yourself up, the words seem to come from this complaining person who just wants to give up.
To read your words personally adressed to me from somebody out there in the world was very touching, it felt like this beautiful silver dread of love was linked to me and i can still feel it. It is very true what you say, that i am on this path of self discovery and it feels like this joyride but then constantly, and to sit in a rollercoaster for 15 years is a little bit to much excitement but on the other hand if i am honest i want to live life to the fullest and don’t complain when you get what you wish for!
After i read your words i felt so good, i first felt like a warrior who put down his sword on his hands and knees in a dusty and dry area like Gjuri said, ready to give up, but then it was like a brother by my side put his warm hand on my shoulder to comfort me and just let me feel that i am not allone, it was like I took your hand and you helped me back on my feet and you picked up my dusted sword wiped away the dust that was easily blown away by your breath and gave it back to me.
I will definitly read more and just be happy for the sake of it! I am so happy to have the faith back that there still are so many people out there that can inspire me like yourself.
And Mariella thank you for your sweet words it felt like i could just close my eyes in your arms and listen to the silence of my soul wich i needed to hear. It is nice to know that even if i am on this rollercoaster all it takes is to close your eyes and concentrate on my inner silence. You can choose to let the wind or the sounds or all the things happening around you to be background music for just a little while take a deep breath of silence and dive back in again.
Thank you Paulo for givin this oppurtunity to reach out to you to other people and myself!
Love you all
Chantal
Dear Paulo,
Dear friends on this Journey,
The other day i went for a long walk on the plains where i grew up. The sky over my head there has always seemed so willing to communicate. The fileds are blooming and i found a tree that had hundreds of white, shimmering butterflies.
I sat on a rock next to this tree. It is located on a little hill where there once was a little cottage. Today all that remains are an apple tree and the rocks that once was the foundation of the cottage. I remember what my mother have told me what her her father remembered of this place.
About hundred-thirty years ago there was a family living here. There was seven children and my grandfather remembered the youngest son walking to school. They were very poor and the boy walked many, many kilometers without shoes. The same old dirt road i have walked today – barefeet though by own choice.
I sit on a rock that once was the foundation and watch the butterflies while i think of the children playing all around me. And i can hear them. And yet they are so far away. Their time came and went and now what remains is a hundred butterflies and a appletree.
And i think that soon time will pass and what will remain of me? And if i could have an apple tree and a hundred butterflies surrounding my memory in a hundred-thirty years from now i will never fear again.
Dear friends, i feel its more important then ever that we work on meeting, seeing each other. Im so glad to se im not alone in walking here with soles bare touching the dirt, with a heart pumping forward and with eyes beginning to see. I sometimes dont think we have much time left of THIS time. Ofcourse our spirits will always connect and find their ways home. Just like we have here. I dont want this to end, i think its just at the beginning. We met and together we grow.
Thanks,
Love and Light always, Louise in Sweden
hey,
i dont normally write blogs and comments but on the pretext of doing a book report i came across yours.what u wrote about the river is beautiful and very true.
not many poele understand the lessons from the hardships theve been put through and once upon a time i thought that u should always learn yourself and that learning from anothers mistakes is somehow cheating. that if u lean from your own then in all likelihood u wont make that mistake again. then i realised how stupid and senseless i was being, to err is human and if someone figures out a way to get past a certain common obsticle in life, its alright and better to follow example and not stay at that obsticle to stubborn to take advice.
i have come across many”depressions” during my flowing through life and it is only now after getting out of them that ive learnt.
i have learnt a lot too
-be grateful
-nothing can bother u unless u let it so everytime something even starts to … we must tell ourselve no i shal not let u bother me mr bad thought i am going 2 have a good day and u shant belong in my mind:) u dont have 2 use the same childish phrases that i do
-nothing is constant…as well as nothing is real
al that u see isnt real or constant it is all just a figment of your imagination
-reiki and stones and people at times can heal u but first u must heal yourself with the decision to take their help beacuse if u do it half heartedly then u can never be healed.
thats all i have 4 now if i get some more and in a fit of excitement decide 2 send them 2 u i hope u wont be bothered.
i have absolutely no idea wether al that i have written even makes sessnse….well thats the fun of jus writing now isnt it:?
more later,
take care
lots of love
saiba(a.k.a me)
ps-i loove the alchemist and the zahir
yet 2 read the rest.
pps- if U could tell me or mail me a short note on your family or on the alchemist i would be extremly grateful.
Ciao Paulo, la vita è proprio un fiume che scorre!
Questo suo fluire sta per condurmi ad una stazione e ad un treno, il mio viaggio con esso sarà più breve del tuo però mi aspettano 15 ore di viaggio!!!
Il mio primo viaggio!
Come il fiume anche il treno scorrerà dritto per la sua strada mostrando paesaggi diversi, mettendomi davanti a situazioni che non ho mai affrontato prima.
Tu hai scritto che dobbiamo affrontare le novità con gioia e non con paura, perchè non serve a niente aver paura di ciò che non si conosce.
Un fiume non cessa mai di scorrere.
Spero di riuscire ad imparare la lezione, per ora mi sento abbastanza preoccupata. :-(
Buon proseguimento!
hello . i love you paullo . i from iran . name is mehdi .
Dear One and friends and Chantal,
I’m not sure if my cure is all-healing, but I’d say – love with all your heart – someone or something – and do not expect anything in return. And the power of that unconditional love will cleanse your heart. And when you don’t expect anything, you’ll get everything.
I can’t believe this journey is coming to its end -
and what about Bosnia, by the way?
Dear One, please, do visit Bosnia – she knows so many stories about killers and lovers… and Medjugorie and Sarajevo and Mostar, of course…
Dear Chantal,
You seem to have lived many lives whilst being incarnated in one body. I too know what it is like to ride a wave, only to come crashing back down.
Do you write in a journal? I can’t recommend these enough. You will write in them one month and then so many months down the line you will look back and wonder. Also write your dreams down. As many as you can remember, because they are messages.
My Guides come to me in my dreams and have taught me so much. Although it did take a Shaman to explain what was happening.
You need quiet time sweetheart, “you need to pause between the breaths you take” (Oriah Mountain Dreamer). Spiritual growth books are great. But in reading them, in wishing we had that life, guess what? We are missing out of our own.
Many of us are searching. What for? We have no idea until we find it. Be still and listen and you will hear the whispers.
Good Luck!
Lisa
xx
I realize that this blog – the mental union of souls of light from the whole universe is one of the most fantastical and especial experiences of my life as it is purely unique to feel the spirit of each and every pilgrim walking with Paulo, opening such a wonderful heart to each other, sharing all our transcendental luggage of life – our inner emotions, perceptions , experiences and feelings.
It seems like this pilgrimage with all its magical turns, doors into unknown opening every day and leading to the new lands within of me filled me with immense happiness.
Really, no matter how unstraight the road of life might be, and how many challenges we are faced on it… sometimes being totally broken or lost, or suddenly feeling the enlightments and inspiration… all the words posted in this blog made me feel how just incredible and great life is !!!
We all search, but each moment we are just who we are – and THIS is our destination – each present moment in which we breath in and breath out and have endless opportunities to create or change everything each second.
To be like magicians each moment of your life… this journey somehow made me feel so and for the recent times i was just like in the state of soaring, like a butterfly that lived in a cocoon and now opened her wings and enjoying the flight.
The secret is that we may do this more than once in our lifes, and this is the greatest part of the journey. To live and to transformate. And before we transformate in reality, we are first transformated within, and this is what this blog gave me.
I wish to thank EVERYONE who put the parts of the hearts in this sphere of light, who by opening their hearts showed HOW beautiful is our universe and what a magic it is to be alive and just experience what we all do.
To be in a constant movement, to walk the path…. and to feel everything – sorrows and joys as they both let us reveal our genuine essence.
I am happy, i am happy to be in this journey with all of you ! And though in this space of the blog it is probably going to find its destination very soon, we all know that we contuine it each and every day and we are all ONE. ONE walking in love and free soaring of our spirits :)
Experiencing life with our hearts. What might be more precious and joyful :)
I am sending You all, dearest friends, my love and may God bless You all to find and explore our personal paths as what we are here for, i believe. Everyone will find his treasures, as whenever we find ourselves in the end of the road, this is exactly where we were meant to come.
I thank each of You for the sparkles of Your souls and wisdom :)
And of course, dear Magician… The light of Your divine wisdom shines through my heart and its radiance not only inspires me to always reach new heights, create art, realize myself but also be happy on this way.
Because i know by now, due to my experience (which is still however little as i am 23) that the precious gift of life is given for us not for sufferings but for joy , this is the chance for each of us to make this earth more and more beautiful by finding our path and living it. Yes, we do suffer or feel deperessed from time to time… but only for discovering even more magical joys and craziness of life afterwards.
No matter how much we may fall down while climbing the mountain, i am now absolutely convinced and trust that we will raise as God is amazingly generous in blessing the heart with signs and magical unpredictable treasures.
And when you discover this, this movement ( and indeed the feeling of being a river which sees only more and more beautiful banks on its way)
you are not scary anymore of anything. We may not loose anything, since the river is free, but what we experience just flowing and letting life open the new horizons is amazing. So, let’s just enjoy it :)
“The eternity is in love with creations of time ” :) William Blake
and that’s what we are and everything we do in our own ways….
I feel that i may write endless, as my heart is shining with love to all of You, my friends, and You, dearest Magician, but again being short, i just wish to THANK YOU for this most precious gift, honour and pleasure – to experience this pilgrimage together, to be able to share and to discover sooo much on its way !
It did changed my life by filling with strength, light, inspiration, smiles and knowing that life is a pure magic when there are so many great people around :)
I send You ALL my love, and dear Paulo – there are no words to thank You for this blog which united us all in love. For the blog that IS life since it reflects so much of our inner rushes and impressions.
You are the SUN passing wisdom that changes our lifes, and this pilgrimage is a dance of life :)
I love You ALL.
with my heart opened and smiling :)
Love,
Dasha B.
thank You so much for this magical spiritual journey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paulo
I’m happy to hear your journey is going well. Your books and website are a source of joy and inspiration to me. I just took my own vacation and I read the Alchemist while traveling around Mexico.
My brother Steven whom died 4 months ago gave me the book. I read Veronika Decides to Die also because he told me about it. I feel that the messages that I am reminded of through your writing is a priceless gift he has left me.
I love the comparisons of LIFE to WATER. May the last day of your journey bring you many blessings.
Namaste,
Melita
Dear, PAULO!
THANK)
THANK for all!
We are sick for BRASIL on a Championship of the World on Football!
HURRAH!
Dear Paulo…
and of course new friends gathered here… i have just finished the zahir, i have taken my time with it, wanting to read, yet not wanting to reach the end… as with all your books… and now i have come to the end of it, and now in a few days will be your last blog, we will all feel lost and bereft… thank you thank you, for this wonderful journey you have allowed us to follow you on, making us feel part of your every step and guide us through so many other parts of our lives and thoughts.
my journal, blog, i share with friends and family and friends not yet met, i will continue writing and hope to enlighten people with the things i see and places i go, so many people are limited to one place on this planet, and to read of others journeys opens our minds and souls… you have opened mine.
marian
For Chantal, again.
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes.” Etty Hillesum
hi paulo,
read the entry, absolutely fantastic!!!! its a great blessing to be inspired especially by nature. the greatest teacher of all time is nature herself!!!! her patience and endurance is that makes us go on with our lives!
this life is a blessing but some “depressions” cause us to think otherwise !that is when people like u makes us realize that in that depression lies a potential of a greater force!
thank u million!!!
love and prayers
nitoo
To all the people that have expressed their tiredness, it seems like we all need some kind of retreat, to center things. Sometimes you just have to stop and impose silence on all those thoughts (both negative and positive). Just stop and quiet those turbulent souls that take everything for granted, even the things as Chantal says, we “don’t see a challenge in doing (), cause i know it will all be wonderfull, new people, new experiences, hard work, setbacks wich you will learn from the whole shabeng.”
You say then “But still something inside me makes me so tired i feel like the big challenge is being at this still-point.” I think you’re wrong in saying it’s not a form of depression. Depression is not only despondence, it is that subtle, insidious almost unnoticeable feeling that creeps into your mind and heart and tells you that everything is futile.
However, that still point may be something else. Thomas Merton once wrote ““At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will.
This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is so to speak his name written in us, as our poverty, as our indigence, as our dependence, as our sonship.
It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely…”
That is the stuff your dreams are made of Chantal. Take time to explore it. And by the way, I believe that right now, we are the points of light coming together, in Paulo’s journal.
Buon Cammino
vorrei tanto poter partecipare a questo blog…ma non conoscendo l’inglese,non potrò…….
Grazie per i tuoi libri che mi hanno dato forza e speranza i momenti difficili…aiutandomi a riflettere su ciò che mi accade…..
Dear Paulo
for your Journey….
the Morning Rays touch the ripples
of the River flow
Light dancing transient like his life.
memories appear and fade
in his surrender
to the whim of the waves.
he is adrift
guided by his soul vessel
upon this his Journey to the Ocean.
She is before him.
She is so close now
and he must let go
of all the things that have bound him
that in his Freedom he may fly
fleeting like the Light.
the Silent Waters
cleanse and nurure his being
as the Gift of the Ocean draws near.
there are no thoughts
there are no wishes
only the pure Desire of his Self
to enter Her Silent Depths.
he closes his eyes
as a witness of the Beauty within
for soon with his eyes open
he will enter the Ocean.
Light Dancing.
….until all the Rivers reach the Sea
John
Dear Mr. Coelho,
There are 2 things that come to my mind reading your beautiful story of this River. First the lyrics of my all time favorite poet JD Morrison (lead singer of The Doors) With courtesy to him, I would love to publish them here.
Secondly: The best aspect of water is that it always streams towards a certain point. I identify with water as an approach for all my problems in life. I just envision the stream towards a perfect solution….and I trust in the end the solution will be there waiting for me.
these are the Doors Lyrics I mean;
Please believe me
The river told me
Very softly
Want you to hold me, ooo
Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breathe under water ’till the end
Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breathe under water ’till the end
Yes, the river knows
Please believe me
If you don’t need me
I’m going, but I need a little time
I promised I would drown myself in mysticated wine
Please believe me
The river told me
Very softly
Want you to hold me, ooo
I’m going, but I need a little time
I promised I would drown myself in mysticated wine
Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breathe under water ’till the end
Free fall flow, river flow
On and on it goes
Breathe under water ’till the end
The Doors~
Paulo,
when we want something, the whole Universe conspires in our favour.
My girlfriend swears that the devil rose in me a few nights ago when I was drunk. I am still tired, exhausted by the experiences. I broke her heart and mine and my expensive mobile phone all while blacking out I won’t be drinking again for a while.
As this is your second last blog message, then this will be my second last message to you. I was wondering if you were searching once again for a new sword to yield by your side. I remember when you made the documentary here in Ireland at the very end that song played,” I wear a sword at my side.” I didn’t understand what it meant but now I know it was pure Paulo!!
“Blessed are the weak, they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven”
My mother told me yesterday that I have a great way of writing much like you. It lifted my heart a little.. It meant a lot to me, that someone would say that.
There is a small book shop here that always has your books in stock. I know you would be welcomed with open arms if you wanted to make a quick stop over. I would write to the National newspapers after to spread the news of you visiting.
Its up to destiny if she chooses to carry you and your wife here or not… I can organise everything for you, hotels, cars etc. Just e-mail me, fly into a local airport etc.
Kindest Regards,
K
Dear Paulo,thanx for talking to me through your book and colums.There is always something what shows me new directions.
Hey dear paulo
Im rather sad that this journey is coming to an end for you, for us all too however im glad for you as its been a kinda tough one again. Thank you for your inspiration, your kindness, your lessons and for making this real. Thanks to everyone for posting their comments, i read them all religiously and i must admit have found solace and strenghth on this site. As i write, im rather sad and have the heaviest heart and i just feel extremely tired, like chantal and just overwhelmed by all that my life had/has to offer me, my hardships and my harsh and sweet lessons that my life has shown me and absolutey terrified right now. Dont know why but i just had to write this. I guess my river is very bumpy right now and i just need to see where it goes.
Thank the higher power for you Paulo and thank that power for allowing me to cross your path!!! You have enlightened me, amazed me and given me hope. For that, i am forever greatful and indebted to you.
Lots of love and light from South Africa
once i was a rock in the middle of a dry riverbed – my skin was dry and incrusted. i was waiting for love.
but one night i was only sitting in my riverbed and feel the situation, hear the sounds, see the pretty people, smell the breathing of the world.
and as i sit there a big wave – of one man and three children – came over me. they laugh and love and washed away my caged up crusted thinking.
i am so happy being a part of the river of live and i only float free
with love to all
gjuri
To Chantal!
It´s seems like you´ve been through alot. The advisa I can give you is to just be and stay in the moment. Maybe you shouldn´t do so much. maybe your mind need to rest for a while. It´s is a lesson in just beeing still and quite. Sometimes we need that. We need to just live and breathe in the moment, because that too is an experience.
I hope things work out for you.
Mariella
Hi Chantal,
Its odd, the most unusual set of events brought me to this webpage (at 4 in the morning) for the second time since paulo coelho started this blog. I’ve also had moments where ive felt completly spiritually connected just by sumthing ive read and although perhaps it isnt to the same degree as yourself i know what it feels like to be totally inspired by a piece of work.
However this like all things in life pass, emotions being fickle things, the trick is to learn always learn from each stage of your life. For example in your passage its clear you have lead a very rich and eventful life and have cultivated a passion for self discovery leading to your sense of wholeness upon reading paulo coelhos books which are a modern look upon helping one find ones self. Perhaps if you were to just not let your passion be extinguished now that you have completed all of paulo coelho’s publications and instead use them as the source for your passion allowing them to act as the fuel pushing you forward to read books by various other authors and other materials with the similar focus of mr. coelho (this being in my opinion self discovery) besides this you can also re read any of his works again as their is alot more to gain from a second reading that may not be picked up the first time when such a wealth of information is offered to you. In my opinion its the fires of passion that keeps away the cold inner tiredness you speak of. So find things you are passonate about and persue them, continue on your path of self discovery and i wish you the best of luck (also it has occured to me that you seemed to enjoy a great deal going out with your friends maybe you should make this a more regular occurance if you can, go out and have a bit of fun.) I hope i helped even in the slightest the final things id like to say is be happy even if its just for the sake of being happy, unreasonable happiness far beats reasonable sadness (or tiredness) and god helps those who helps themselves so dont be afraid of trying something new or even something that scares you as it may in years to come prove a source of joy and happiness for you.
Wishing you the best,
Imran
Dear Paulo
Yes we are rivers, we will never re-visit our past experiences ever again, we flow on,but we carry in our river flow, the nutrients and the debris of our past flow. We must learn to drop the debris and deposit the nutrients. This way, all those we meet along the way, benefit positively from us as individuals. We really need to deposit more love, care and understand in this very ‘emery’ world we life in today – You are the beautiful River Paulo, and by the River Paulo, I weep. The rivers of the world are not flowing beautifully!!
Hello wonderful people,
i have been following this blog for some time and i really enjoyed reading all the comments, thoughts and emotions everybody put out in the world.
I never knew what to write, because of the fear of sounding stupid between all these intelligent and wonderful self-made or quoted words.
Altough i know really ‘thinking’ about what you’re gonna write will not help cause real words will just flow!
I want to share a ‘problem’ with you cause this seems the right place.
On januari the 25th i turned 34 and for the first time in my life i wanted to celebrate it, and celebrate it with all the very beautifull, intelligent, humorfull, strong and warm female friends i have. This is exceptional since i always hated my own parties, and i was guys-girl, i always hung out with male friends when i was young. But since you grow older as we all know you learn and i learned that my whole guys-girly fase was a matter of fear from my part.
So it was time to celebrate my woman-hood (and this is not the post guys-girly fase were i go femenistic and hate guys!) with the 12 woman i wanted to invite. It was a very magical night were we ate and drank together laughed cried, danced. Well it was just a very nice evening.
I wanted a bookclub/womanclub from my friends as a gift with the promise that they would make efford in coming every 4 weeks or so.I also got some books, because i like to read (ofcourse what is the sense in wanting a bookclub if you hate reading) and some of the girls gave me 2 books one was, well i don’t even remember that one and the other one was The alchemist.
And then shit happened, no i mean wonderful things happened, like all you people i was infatuated, in love totaly hooked on this book but ofcourse specially on the writer wich is you ofcourse paulo.
Every free minute i wanted to read your books, and that is not many since i have 2 wonders at home wich are two little persons i am allowed to guide trough life.
I bought all the books you have ever written and started reading, i always put the books that were left in front of me and with my eyes closed i picked out a book. Really funny to do, cause i readed them not in chronological but for me very suiting and logical order. Every time i picked out a book it was like yet another fase of my life was described, but then for me in chronological way!
Every time i was reading it was like i was in the middle of a flow-experience. I connected to people, things around me happened like in the book i saw al the signs, i just felt the words, understanding is not even describing how i felt. It was like this big hole that is in side of me since i was born this huge feelling of ‘missing’ was filled and my soul cried for founding somebody that seemed to have written the words of my soul. It felt like coming home!
That sounds very nice ofcourse and it was, but i finished the last book 6 weeks ago and i feel so fucking (sorry for my language) empty inside.
You will probably call it the post-coelho fase, and say that it is up to me know, i have to do it, go for it and more of that shit.
But i have seen half the world, met so many wonderful people, been to hell and back, seen my former lifes in regression therapy, gave birth to two kids, had an abortion, had the most loving and tender and the most horny and sleezy sex, been trough unbelievable relationship depts and higths, hated my parents and loved them again, saw a good friend commit suicide, saw my wonderful grandparents die of old age, see the love espacially the love but also the hate in everybody and now yes well now i am so tired, so tired. And no i am not depressed cause i have been there as well, but i just am so tired.
I can walk the camino wich is a dream from me since my father did it by bike 10 years ago, i could start my own buisiness, i could do whatever i wanted to do cause i can, but i don’t see a challenge in doing it, cause i know it will all be wonderfull, new people, new experiences, hard work, setbacks wich you will learn from the whole shabeng. But still something inside me makes me so tired i feel like the big challenge is being at this still-point.
The thing that is the most in movement is my dreams at the moment, i mean my dreams while i sleep. Not the dreams about doing things, seeing things or experiencing things but the other ones that will help you whisper the do- dreams in your ear might you have forgotten them.
Enough, enough, i know it’s a long story, a personal story, i thank you so much for reading if you did. I love you all and i wanna thank paulo for the 3 months flow experience -course for my soul. And if anybody has the cure for my inner -tiredness give me some tips.
Chantal
Water is the source of life and creativity
i think this is a good sign for you Paulo!
Hello, dear Sir,
May god bless you for being the river that flows gently and as you say above, replenishes those that come by. Thank you for guiding all your readers through the wisdom of your words. We struggle trying to flow freely and pray for Light to guide us through. How do we listen to the voice of love, how do we create(i want to be a writer writing of the depths of Life and beauty of Oneness), but words fail me. Do pray that we all find our paths, that I write beautiful stories that will move the hearts of people.Pray that we find love and peace. God bless..Hope u write a book that will have the power of the Alchemist…and its simple profound beauty..
Good evening Paulo,
I just want to tell you that your works/books are very inspiring for me.
As I was reading this story on you blog and I suddenly remembered a movie I saw, It’s called ‘The man who planted tree’s’.
The story is about a sheperd who plants acorn’s in the dry deserd. Day’s became weeks, weeks became years. The acorn’s started to grow, and became tree’s. The soil became a place for birds and other animals. People and king’s discovered the woodsfilled with life after a long time…..you really have to see the movie.
Do good!
If you don’t give the world all your energy, for what world are you saving it. (Kent M. Keith)
Byebye!
Dik Nicolai
Dear Paulo!
Thank you for armor and misericordia. Only the moment of life we have to pass makes us choosing between patience and strength to step on. And perhaps only to look backwards can show us, if the step we did follows the right path, when love shines out of the footsteps. And your image, i think, is right, there is no option to stop. Right in that moment you start you have to follow your banks or change it with some help from the hole water flowing together inside our river. A River always flow. And there is a big sign of hope flowing with others to come closer and built a giant river.
May love help us to flow together.
Have a lot of inspirations and a good trip
Munich and soccer is just waiting
Love Hubert
Hi Paulo,
Thank you so much for sharing your life with us. I have often grappled with the idea of traveling the road to Santiago. I would love to make the trek; however when I begin to daydream (and research) it, I then have to bring myself back to the real world…I have responsibilities to fulfill at this moment. Perhaps in the future when I am older and more wise my dream of travel will come to fruition. I can sincerely relate to your idea, “We are always experiencing the first time”.
My daughter is four and she loathes change. She is an extremely intelligent child (which scares me) and when she encounters new ideas, places, etc. she approaches them with panic. At times, I forget that she has only been on this planet for four years and I disregard her concerns. However, instead of trying to ignore them or cover them up with a simple solution, I will begin to show her that new experiences are good. In the past, I thought that I have done this, however it is obvious that I am failing somehow. Parenting can be rather scary sometimes: To think that you could love somebody so much and yet hurt him or her at the same time without even realizing that your words are inhibiting the child. Paulo, thank you for everything that you have shared with us. The Warrior of the Light comes to my e-mail at exactly the moment that I need it the most. I often wonder how that happens. Have a safe and lovely journey.
Dearest Paulo and friends
I sit here at 15.35pm. It has been a long hot day. Now is the time I wind down and read what you have my fellow journal readers ( don’t like the word blog) have said.
Again you speak so much truth Paulo. I think what you are basically saying is pause and breathe. Wait and listen and sooner or later things will work out. Just not in the way you planned. As with the river, you’re right. Sometimes it doesn’t always flow as we hope it will. We leave a part behind in the river bed. But we take with us the memory. An exchange of sorts.
I will print out yoru wise words and paste them in my journal. Always things to go back to.
My blessings to you Paulo. I look forward to reading yoru final entry. It has been an honour walking this path with you.
Love & Light
Lisa
xx
Dear Mr. Coelho,
First of all I would like to tell you that I love your books and that your writing was of great help to me. It’s great to know that you are not alone in your ideas.
I would like to share one recent experience that I had.
I study Law in Serbia, and I was in Slovenia at the exchange student programme for three months, from October 2005. to the end of December 2005.
It was nothing that I expected it to be – I had the worst roommate in the world, people in my dormitory were awfull – playing very loud music all the night long, agressive, studying was really hard, everything was different than at home.
At home, I have many good friends, my own appartment where I have my peace, everything is centerd and everything goes the same every day.
At first, I hated everything in my new situation in Slovenia. I hated my roommate, my neighbors, I couldn’t wait to go home.
And than, as time went by, I started to change. I discovered that this whole new bad situation made me more alive than I ever was in my quiet appartment and in my well arranged life at home.
I realised that this new challanges activated me, my will to survive, and gave me more energy and happyness than I ever had. I also discovered new strength inside me that I always wanted to achieve.
I used my “new powers” in a productive way – studying hard, playing sports, partying, meeting new people and connecting with them. I ended up having the best time of my life!
When those days were over, some of my excitment went away, but I feel now that I am changed and I belive that this was one of the most important lessons in my life: I don’t want to become too comfortable in my life. I want and I need challenges to stay alive. Like you wrote in one of the newest warrior of the light newsletters (which I also enjoy reading), “the quest for happiness as a principal objective is not part of my world.”
Greetings,
Srdjan Popovic
But again, water is like a desert of sand. Sand also moves and never to the same place twice. It´s in constant movement. Always forward.
I don´t know why humans are so scared of changes. Maybe it´s the human nature or maybe our anxiety of the unknown. But if you think of yourself like the water in the river you´ll find that also we have the power inside us and also the divine contact with universe or god. The water knows it way, it seeks to go forward. Then why does so many persons seek to go backwards? To something they already know and master. Life is like a beautiful school of knowledge. Sure we make mistakes but just as the floading water we can get in touch with the divine power within and move forwards. The road may not always be easy, as we see when we look at the rivers but in the end it will reach its goal. The water is clear abd fanastic just as our souls.
We never passes the same place twice that´s true but again that is nothing to feel sad about…. we live in the eternal present. Just as the rivers always float…so does our souls.
What´s sad to see is when man tries to manipulate the water. Man tries and build dams or other things. The water then destroys everything in its ways when it tries to o with the stream to its goal the divine ocean.
The same happens to people. Someof us tries so hard to rearrange life that the outcome can be disastraus.
Always follow your heart beats and the stream of the heart. The heart can never lead you wrong.
God bless.
Mariella
Querido Paulo, I wake up this morning and rememberthatI have been dreaming and you were in the dream. Is the second time I had this dream. I wake up thinking I should write you and say hi, I prepare my coffe, light my cigarrete and the computer and there you were with the story of the river. I love what you wrote and I wiish I could be there walking with you and sharing a glass of wine. Un abrazo. Santiago
Dear Paulo
… you are in germany?
you know my address in Nürnberg …
come and visit – if you have time
love
Florian
Dear Paulo
you write: “Life is like a river”
A life is like a drop in the water – never ending … never dying … only changing a place … coming and going … in and out … up and down …
A drop will never complain … in a cloud … falling down … in deap sea …
Try to get out of you – learning to feel like a drop of rain – learning to see you, without thinking …
have a nice time
Florian
I agree with you. Our lives are like the water. We always go forward and we can never turn back. The past is passed and we can´t make it undone. Therefore all we can do is to meet the future with joy and laughter. La vida es un carneval y las penas se van cantando. Sometimes we seek so hard to change our stuation or the past. It´s not wirth it, it´s unchangeble. We must learn from it, cry or laugh and then leave just like the river leaves everything behind during it´s journey into the sea. Maybe the sea represent the divine power. Our souls are all connected to the divine and when we see that and emotionally understands it we will know in our hearts that we are not alone. We never stand alone. To know that I think makes us free in one way. We are free becuase we no longer fear lonliness. When we don´t fear we live. Not until we are freed from fear we can truley live our lives to the fullest. To be free is also about having compassion and to feel love. To stand alone and strong but scared of love is not being free. Free is when you live in the moment, and love life, yourself and others. Love is a universal language that every heart understands. Love speaks beoynd the words and directley to our souls. It´s like the river….the river feels the ocean, it knows its destination. It goes forward, beautiful and full of strong life. It moves what comes in the way even if it may take a while. When it reaches the ocean the journey is over yet it´s just beginning.
Take care
Mariella
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