A warrior remembers the past. He knows man’s Spiritual Quest, knows that this has accounted for some of the best pages in History.
And also some of its worst chapters; massacres, sacrifices, obscurantism. The Quest has been used for private ends and its ideals have served as a shield for terrible scheming.
The warrior has already heard comments of the type: “how am I to know if this is the right path?” He has seen many people give up the Quest because they did not know how to answer that question.
The warrior, however, has no doubts; he follows an infallible formula. “By its fruits you shall know the tree,” said Jesus.
He follows this rule, and it never fails.
The fruits of those who refuse to listen
A prophet arrived at a large city in Persia and crowds gathered around him every morning. But time passed and his presence was no longer a novelty.
“We already know all that you had to teach us,” they said, going to look for a new prophet to show them the way.
Even without anyone to listen to him, the prophet continued to go to the square to deliver his sermon.
“Why do you insist on continuing here?” asked a boy. “Don’t you see you’re talking to yourself?”
“Those who have the courage to say what they feel in their soul are in touch with God. I try to listen to Him when I am talking.
“The fact that now and again I have an audience does not change a thing.”
The fruits of those who refuse to receive
During a dinner at the Sceta monastery, the oldest priest rose to serve the others water. He moved from table to table with considerable effort, but none of the priests accepted.
“We are unworthy of the service of this saint,” they thought.
When the old man reached Abbot Little John’s table, he was asked to fill his glass to the very brim. The other monks looked on in horror. At the end of dinner, they surrounded Little John:
“How can you deem yourself worthy of accepting that water? Didn’t you notice the sacrifice he was making to serve you?”
“How can I stop good from manifesting itself? You who take yourselves for saints did not have the humility to receive, and deprived the poor man of the joy of giving.”
The fruits of the human heart
Sufi tradition tells the story of a king who looked for good painters to decorate his palace. Two teams – one Greek and one Chinese – appeared with their best artists, trying to obtain some work that would earn them thousands of gold pieces.
As a test, the king asked each of them to decorate a wall of one of the rooms. To prevent one group from seeing the work of the other, he chose opposite walls and hung a curtain in the middle.
The Chinese painted their wall with the utmost care, whereas the Greeks spent the whole time polishing the surface of the other wall over and over again. Finally the day arrived when the king decided to remove the curtain and compare the results.
On one side he saw the beautiful Chinese painting. On the other wall, which had been polished until it turned into a mirror, the king also saw the beautiful Chinese painting – but with his own image in the middle.
“This is the better,” said the king. And the Greeks won the contract, because they knew how to deal with the fruits hidden in the human heart.
tags technorati : Technorati Paulo Coelho Paulo Coehlo Warrior of Light Warrior of the Light Newsletter
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thanks Aditya & Tom
lots of love
marie
marie,
the fruits that you have produced all depend on what you had sewn at the beggining of your path. you may have sewn joy but joy is just sorrow unmasked. you may drink from the well of laughter that was filled with the tears of your sorrow, the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. sew sorrow and from it comes joy, sew oppression and from it rises freedom, basically opposite emotions walk side by side, with your being in the middle, when one weighs the more, this tips your emotion, it is only when you are indifferant that these emotions are equal. whatever you have been feeling, the fruits you reap shall be rich indeed.
Hi AVC ! marie,
now i know why this world still carries on despite their being so much strife, so much …….pain. it is there so that people like u & paulo can be, wonderful.
“That which is of the truth cannot be divided by your sword of reason.” and u have also said that all that can be said r lies ( well the words were diffrent but intenet similar, no ! ) so giving an example of truth may not be possible. let me make a clumsy attempt. actually what u have said is somewhat similar to what our ancient seers in India had discovered, that principle of ‘neti-neti’ where by your sword of reason u go on chopping It further & further till u recah a point where u canot divide anymore. U know one thing that is abslolutely true is that u exist, not necessarily as u think u do ( remember matrix ) or as others tell u, but u exist, this is a gfact whcih is self evident to you, I don’t have to rely on any of my senses to know that i exist. difficult topic rthis truth and all, thanks for taking the trouble.
regards
aditya
Dear Aditya,
I will try to explain what I mean.
Many people consider the following statement to be true: “water boils at 100 dgr Celcius”.
However, as soon as we start analyzing this statement (applying our Sword of Reason), we will find that the effect of heat applied to a substance depends on a very large number of different factors (including altitude and air pressure, purity of the water, composition of the surrounding air, the glass of the thermometer etc etc). It is simply impossible to reproduce all of these circumstances at two occasions.
The scientific way of learning more about this world is by dividing up every statement of fact into smaller and smaller items and then establishing their relationship more or less in the above described way. However, as long as we try to describe those relationships only using connected items of reference, we must ultimately end up contradicting ourselves or merely arrive at the conclusion that 1=1.
Still, it is not a useless process. In fact, I believe that it is vital. First of all, approximations are very useful in our everyday life, especially in combination with our subconscious knowledge of the laws of nature. Moreover, it allows us to gradually extract our Knowledge about ourselves and the place that we live in.
But to get further, to find any actual Understanding of All, we have to exhaust reason, transcend it, and rise above this dualistic existence and all of its terms of reference.
I think that this is possible only when we strike upon non-dividable fundamentals, because they must (by definition) apply not only to the external universe but also to the internal universe. When we catch a glimpse of them, they immediately resound through our whole being and escape every subsequent attempt of definition.
It is an experience above this world, but I think that it is available to all.
To reach it, some people use meditation to killing off thoughts (which by the above definition can never be true in themselves). Others seem to prefer to use science and art in various combinations to find the non-dividable fundamentals. The choice of suitable method should be free.
However, I don’t think that anyone can ever hope to reach it by simply accepting other’s statements as true. We have to find it for ourselves, regardless of method. Hence, I once again want to emphasize that I have told nothing but lies on this forum. Please feel free to compare them with your own experiences, find the errors and correct them.
Love to all!
What type of fruits have i been producing is what i asked myself after reading this. lately i have been questioning my acts, i don’t want to beat myself up but i do want some positive changes. sighhhhhhhh.
AVC,
thank u for what you wrote “We must rise above ourselves, to see the importance of our interaction with the rest of the universe”.
your words give me courage
aditya so true!!!
love and light to all
Nice words AVC.
Could u please elaborate a little on “That which is of the truth cannot be divided by your sword of reason.” can u give some example, so that it becomes clearer.
when u speak of us being parts of a gigantic gigsaw puzzle, u r right if u consider u’rself as AVC, myself as aditya, but beyound these names, if u can identify with the cosnsiousness which is at our core, the light if u please, then there is no part or whole, u r the puzzle, the whole of it, this Is not my expereince, but this is what all the eastern mystics have been indicating towards.
regards
aditya
Dear Venus,
Everything that has happened is necessary for the things to come.
In between lies the escaping moment of “now”, where we always must be, and since it is difficult for us to look into the future, we have equal difficulties in seeing the point of that which has happened to us in the past.
It is a blessing and a curse. But regardless of the sorrow and pain that you have experienced, your past lead you here, not in a static place, but in movement in a specific direction. When you assess your present situation, remember that you are now just looking at an infinitely thin cross-section of an eternal movement, a trace from a star travelling over the firmament.
We will not live to see the future consequences of everything that we have done to ourselves and others, of our interaction with the rest of universe. They will not even out during our short stay here. But there will be such consequences and eventually things must even out, as the Many will return to the One.
To find a meaning of it all, we must occasionally rise above ourselves.
We must rise above ourselves, to see the importance of our interaction with the rest of the universe.
We all contribute to the One’s manifestation as Many, and at times we will experience great sorrow and hardship. It is a difficult, even life threatening journey. Often we feel that we are alone.
But we are not alone.
I am always with you, as are you with me.
Our forms are ever shifting and not important, but for the witness that they bear of the endless potential of All.
Dear A.V.C,
I have come, after the Journey of my Life, were my Heart wants me to go. And now I realise that the only purpose for this tiring and long journey was to Meet you. In whatever form. So please … appear soon because I cannot go on… I SIMPLY CANNOT. I need to rest. I know there is also a right for me to rest. I cannot stay all my Life in this way. I have fought, hard. And now I have the right to … to rest from this tiring Journey.
My dear friend … I would like to meet you, Please. I just need to rest for a while and then I will be able to go on. But I need some Good Help. I was not ready for this. I’m feeling SO weak. I cannot
Lav,
death, i used to be afraid of death and i think that everyone has been afraid of death at one point in there lives. first of all, sometimes you must be selfish, always remember that, second do not think of death as the end, any sentient being must “die” death is merely another path that we all have to take.
Dear Lav,
The only way to search for truth is by testing and dividing up that which is untrue. Many lies must be told and read before any part of the truth can be discovered. The lies contained in these 22 paragraphs have appeared relevant to me. I shall tell them as best I can.
To begin with, reason and experience tell us that there is no safe road for anyone anywhere. Regardless of your virtues, morals, ways or means.
If we are honest and rational, we can find no evidence in nature of any higher justice that ensures that we are fairly treated or taken care of, even in the end.
It may seem to us that everything is governed by chance or perhaps some other mysterious force, superior to nature. Superstition is always ready to trap us.
But if we are equally honest, we know that every act has its inevitable consequences. There are no matters of chance in a universe governed by laws (even if some laws are yet unfamiliar to us), and we acknowledge that some ways are definitely more dangerous than others.
Study nature and you will see these laws in action. They apply to everything around you and (surprise!) to everything within you. It is thus wise to study them and also to show great respect for them, as every experienced sailor or mountineer knows.
One easily despairs at the face of this rather gloomy state of affairs, I know. It may even seem contrary to a belief in God, in spirituality, but I beg to differ.
Why? Because I think it is possible to rise above oneself and experience the perfect balance of the whole. I think a perspective is within our reach from where it becomes clear that we are all pieces of a gigantic puzzle. That we all contribute to the evolution of manifestation, the continuous fulfilment of the potential of all that can ever be.
In this way, from above the lower planes, we may experience a new dawn, brighter and more beautiful than anything we have ever experienced before.
When it happens (if you try long enough it will happen) be happy about this experience and record what you see, but remember to always return to your own being and do the necessary work.
Hence, do your best to adapt to the circumstances and use all of your powers and skills to achieve whatever ends that you believe should be achieved. There is no point in waiting, but be humble and realize that there is a risk that you have got it wrong (be cautions with your oaths). There is a price for every lesson learned; be ready to pay it.
In the interest of your own good, cautiously explore and learn all that you can about your strength and weakness. Discover how you can make the most of your abilities. Gradually open yourself to the tremendous power of Love and the forces of nature always striving for equilibrium.
If you fail and feel discouraged at times, remember that the only ends that will ever be achieved are those ends that the universe will allow to be achieved. You should do your part, but nothing could ever be achieved if it were not for the rest of the universe.
Return in you mind to that golden dawn, throwing its light on the world below you, showing you the structures and their interconnections, the causes and the effects, the beauty of all. From this perspective, Love all!
This Love has nothing to do with your own personal desires. In the same way as is the case with your fears, they will only cloud your vision. Your growing skills will allow you to identify and thus conquer them, one by one.
But don’t rush, some skills can only be aquired over a long period of time. There are no shortcuts. No idealogy, no religion, no “master” of any sort will be able to explain anything of any truth to you. However, they can tell you lies to work with, but you have to do the work yourself. So be open to everything and test it.
That which is of the truth cannot be divided by your sword of reason.
Being mild and merciful might be apt at times, but not all the time. Times of trial will come, times that will call for all of your strength, times of sacrifice and perhaps of great loss.
You will hurt others and they will hurt you. Because you will assume things to be true, then test them and find that you were wrong. But in this way you learn and advance, and it was your (and the other person’s) destiny.
Everyone can rise above himself to see his own role in the All. Everyone can come to the conclusion that everything is as it should be.
Nothing is more important than the realization of this.
And no one is more important than you.
Remember that these are all lies. Test them with your sword of reason.
Hi gentle 22
thank u, so what was highlighted was the fruit of the human heart and not the trick played by Greeks, any way some how I still don’t understand, so the effort of greeks were dependent on the efforts of chinese, had chinese fellas created a dragon and had the king fellow seen himself has a a dragon what would have been the outcome.
anyway this direction is pointless, thanks for taking the trouble
aditya
Dear aditya,
Yesterday, I was reading this posting and could not understand the last para at once like it was in your case.
Overnight, however, this was what I gathered:
When the king saw the chinese paintings, the wall was beautiful but it did not touch his heart because he was not playing any part in it.
Then when the king looked at the greek workings, guess what happened? Now by being part of the beautiful chinese paintings, in the process making him feel special (can you visualise the effect on the king exactly at that moment?), (eureka!) his heart felt touched and that was the spark, which made the difference in his decision.
Thinking about it, everyone of us when we were very young knew how to do it with our parents…to touch them immensely because all we knew about were the things that were dear to their hearts and when we acted upon them, it worked very well without us knowing it that the fruits of the human hearts was so useful and powerful.
Regards,
gentleman22
Am I happy to see what I see today ! only when people say something can their presence be felt here, so it’s so nice to see.
AVC I agree with you, we need periods of fire & water to keep us going, no harm in doing it in cycles, a few words here & there from you helps, as u know the path of self develeopment spirituality, path of the warriors is slippery, one feels like dropping back to old ‘comfortable’ ways. u’r insights help. even in u’r silence, the joy & radiance of your soul shines thru.
Hi lav
there is no need to hurt any ones’ sentiments intentionally, but if someone’ sentiments ( damn strange, our sentiments have become the most fragile things, they get affected so easily )gets hurt anyway, what can u do. u have to follw u’r path. so fear not, in any case how much damage can u do to anyone’s true sentiments in this virtual world, it’s all in the mind.
“First, how do I conquer my fears?
Most of all, I am afraid of death.”
Socrates said before he died and after he was poisoned – if I exist after death, then there is no problem, i continue to exist, and if I don;’t then there is no problem, who will have the problem. I too was afraid of death. but death can be likened to sleep, once u sleep u don’t know where u r, u don’t know that u r, then again we wake up and find that we r. in death too. if u live a life where there r not many regrets, u need not be afraid of death, death may even be a welcome break who knows, all the promises of heaven and even better is the heaven of Islam. jokes apart, there is no point worrying over something which is tomorrow & about which one cannot do much Now, let’s focus on the now, see how best we can live for ourselvs and others too, that is about it, rest HE will take care, even if he does not we will.
But one preparation is required, the preparation to wait. I am amzed at how irritating wait, any wait becomes from us; the screen saver on comps gives me an idea, whenever our mind is not being used for our purpouses, we can give it something like a screen saver to occupy it with like say a mental image of Mother Mary, Buddha, anyone, any feeling. Once u learn how to wait without getting bored, u need not be afraid of death, whatever it may mean.
One scene which helped me understand death better was the movie Godfather, when he dies. His Son is with him in the garden, son is not decided if teh path chosen bu his father was good, in fact he feels not. Godfather fella, has a heart attack and dies with a smile, a smile summing up a life well lived; that last smile convinces son fella that whatever u may have done in your life, if u’r consience is clear, u need not be afraid of even death, u will meet it with a smile on your face.
other fears, we need to confront them to win them over, but let’s be judicious in choosing what to fear, what to confront e.g. suppose I am afraid of putting my hadn in fire, I can comfortably live with that fear, do i need to confront it by putting my hand in fire, i don’t feel so. keeping your antennas open, guarding against fatigue let’s march with joy in our heart on our path of the warrior of light.
regards
aditya
the Fruit
of the Tree of Life
pours forth Her Blossom
to reveal to all
their Journey’s resolve
Leaves of Gold
ascending
as a Guide of the Way
so simple
so sublime
the Presence Eternal
causing to Life
the Light
of the Warriors’ fruition
Hi Aditya,
At times, I feel like writing and debating. Then there is a predominance of Fire.
At other times, I just feel like listening and reading, contemplating the thoughts of others as here written down. Then there is a predominance of Water.
This is how it works for me. I try to temper my Fire with an appropriate amount of Water, although I find it extremely difficult. Emotions quite often block my access to Reason, and Fire quickly grows and becomes unbalanced.
I find it more easy to balance Emotions and Reason in silence. In fact, when we talk I suspect that we are unable to think. On the one hand, this makes it possible for certain people to channel words from the unknown worlds, but it is also a dangerous practice because in unbalanced minds, it can stirr unbalanced and very powerful forces.
A long explanation to the uninteresting issue as to why this “warrior” sometimes chooses silence…
All the best!
Hello warriors!
By now, I know you are all special, and it is so good to read about your experiences. One can learn a lot reading this blog.
I have been afraid for so many years now to follow my path. Afraid that I will hurt certain people, and also guilty to do it. Now I realize that in fact I have chosen to die in order not to hurt their egos! And I have decided to choose life! I am back, alive, full of dreams and hopes. I am not saying it’s easy, so I would be very grateful if you could help.
First, how do I conquer my fears?
Most of all, I am afraid of death.
Paulo said he has faced his death. (The Pilgrimage). He described The Buried Alive Exercise. He wrote about regrets and the fear to live…
I would be very grateful if you could share your experiences…
Lav
what happned warriors ! ( or aren’t there many around )sometimes silence can be deafening too !! Paulo has made this blog available for wols to ‘discuss’, well that is the onlly way out here in this virtual world, so let’s chit chat at least.
regards
aditya
i needed this,it again proves to me,how the world is…today i was talking to a master in my school,about why people need to follow certain things as a group …well this sums it up :)
morals to wich you should live your life by….
If i was a fruit, it would be an apple. Im so wicked.
Great stories ! could not unedrstand the last para though, am contemplating it.
“By its fruits you shall know the tree,” said Jesus. But the problem is that fruit is in future and which tree to nurture is today, if I wait for fruits to know the tree, I will have to wait forever, won’t I; on second thoughts, at any given point of time, i have both a few fruits ( of past efforts ) and a few trees ( my present endeavours ), so i can know the tree by knowing the fruit, now. am i right !
regards
aditya