By Paulo Coelho
Zizhang searched for Confucius throughout China. The country was going through a time of great social upheaval, and he feared there could be bloodshed.
He found the master sitting beneath a fig tree, meditating.
‘Master, we urgently need your presence in the government,’ said Zizhang. ‘We are on the brink of chaos.’
Confucius continued to meditate.
‘Master, you taught us that we must not stand idly by,’ Zizhang went on. ‘You said that we were responsible for the world.’
‘I am praying for the country,’ replied Confucius. ‘Later, I will go and help the man who lives round the corner. By doing what is within our reach, we benefit everyone. By merely coming up with ideas about how to save the world, we do not even help ourselves. There are a thousand ways of getting involved in politics; there is no need for me to be part of the government.’
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By Paulo Coelho
Wise King Weng asked to visit the palace prison. And he began listening to the prisoners’ complaints.
‘I’m innocent,’ said a man accused of murder. ‘I’m here simply because I wanted to give my wife a fright, but I accidentally killed her.’
‘I was accused of taking a bribe,’ said another, ‘but all I did was accept a gift.’
All the prisoners declared their innocence to King Weng, until one of them, a young man of only twenty or so, said:
‘I’m guilty. I wounded my brother in a fight and I deserve to be punished. This place has made me reflect on the pain I caused.’
‘Remove this criminal from the prison immediately!’ cried King Weng. ‘He’ll end up corrupting all these entirely innocent men.’
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By Paulo Coelho
A Persian king asked Saadi of Shiraz:
‘On your wanderings through the cities of my kingdom, do you think of me and of my works?’
‘Your Majesty, I think of you whenever I forget to think of God,’ was the wise man’s answer.
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By Paulo Coelho
I was strolling in the gardens of an insane asylum when I met a young man who was reading a philosophy book.
His behavior and his evident good health made him stand out from the other inmates.
I sat down beside him and asked:
‘What are you doing here?’
He looked at me, surprised. But seeing that I was not one of the doctors, he replied:
‘It’s very simple. My father, a brilliant lawyer, wanted me to be like him. My uncle, who owns a large emporium, hoped I would follow his example. My mother wanted me to be the image of her beloved father. My sister always set her husband before me as an example of the successful man. My brother tried to train me up to be a fine athlete like himself.
And the same thing happened at school, with the piano teacher and the English teacher - they were all convinced and determined that they were the best possible example to follow. None of them looked at me as one should look at a man, but as if they were looking in a mirror.
So I decided to enter this asylum. At least here I can be myself.’
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Repetition - 06 May 2007
On the 12th of May I will be doing a signing in Virgin MegaStore in Paris.
This event will be limited to 200 people.
For further information please contact Virgin Megastore
