By Paulo Coelho
Shortly before he died, my father-in-law summoned his family.
‘I know that death is only a passageway into the next world. When I have gone through it, I will send you a sign that it really is worthwhile helping others in this life.’ He wanted to be cremated and for his ashes to be scattered over Arpoador Beach while a tape recorder played his favourite music.
He died two days later. A friend arranged the cremation in São Paulo and - once back in Rio - we went straight to the beach armed with a tape recorder, tapes and the package containing the cremation urn. When we reached the sea, we got a surprise. The lid of the urn was firmly screwed down. We couldn’t open it.
The only person around was a beggar, and he came over to us and asked: ‘What’s the problem?’
My brother-in-law said:
‘We need a screwdriver so that we can get at my father’s ashes inside this urn.’
‘Well, he must have been a very good man, because I’ve just found this,’ said the beggar.
And he held out a screwdriver.
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Very nice story which confirms that people who care for others are not forgotten by God what is shown by this little-big signs like finding a screwdriver and that it’s worth it to help other people. Thank you for posting it. Lots of love.
Death is one of the misteries of life… and the only way that we are going to find out if there is an after life . is when we die. so i’m hoping. that it really exist.
Precioso este ejemplo, quizás los que se van tendrían que decirnoslo con señales, saber que estan ahí, quizás si el otro mundo y este estuviera mas comunicado ayudaría a evolucionar.
Gracias Paulo por enseñarnos este maravilloso mundo.
Dearest Paulo,
It amazes me how the universe works at times.. With such an incredible sequence, that signs are created for us to see! I simply love it! Its fascinating! Personally i feel, its always good to help others. In the world, i feel thats my place, my calling. I find it to be most rewarding. My father taught me that its not waiting to get rich to help people thats important, its giving people helping people with whatever you have, thats important. I’ve realised that his right in so many ways. One should always starts small and grows from there. But besides that, once you start helping people while on your journey, you find, it becomes a very large part of who you are, and you end up making a major difference to the world. Its funny how sometimes the smallest of gestures, changes a person, and hence changes the whole world. Like for example, on saturday i made a lady cry. She is a teller at a well known store, and i went to buy airtime. Worn out, she told me she was so exhausted and hungry.. But has to have only bread and water for lunch.. Because she can’t afford to pack anything else. As i left, i thought to myself, i’m going now, to spend money on things i don’t really need, why don’t i buy some lunch for her instead of buying another tshirt to put on my pile. So i nipped over to take away and bought her a meal. When i found Grace (her), she held me and cried. I think that nothing that i would have bought could possibly compare to the joy in her eyes. Its true when they say, the greatest reward is giving. Happiness is food for the soul, and i’m really glad i made her happy. I’m a character who does this often, but have never spoken about it, because its not who i am. But i think its important as well, to enlighten others to my experiences like that, so maybe they themselves try to help others. To Who ever is reading this, Just look around you, and share. Even if its just a little. It will change the world and it will change you.
Thank you for being.
Yajna
I wonder, was your father-in-law the type to help beggars? Because if he was there is another symbol there, in the end it was the beggar who came to his and your aid.
Thank you heartly for telling us your life stories, Sir Paulo Coelho!
It is so amazing how a little screwdriver can open up things in the world and to us with this message… that being kind and good is important and need to be verified… when we often experience now a day that poeple can be bad, mean and quite selfish and unkind to each other. And it seems like that the bad “guy” get a reward for being bad, though this should not encourgage us to be so or take revenge!
I believe that God is good and He keeps his eyes on both good and bad persons…his plan is great…the sun shines for everyone =).we should focus on the good side of us and not the bad side, otherwise the bad side will take over!!
and thank you Yajna for sharing your story too.
best wishes from Lan
Cher Paulo,
Ma plus grande déception est de savoir que je ne pas une sorcière pour pouvoir changer le cours de l’existence et surtout la MORT.
Je l’ai vécue terriblement à l’âge de 23 ans lorsque mon père mourrut d’une crise cardiaque à l’âge de 60 ans. Même si j’ai su qu’il s’en allait en Paix et allait rejoindre l’autre monde.
Mon père était un Paysan et il mourrut, il est tombé là dans l’écurie à côté de sa vache….
J’ai vécu une année difficile avec courage surmontant toutes les épreuves liées à ce décès…
But yet I don’t believe in death… je ne crois pas à la mort….je ne crois pas à la douleur….
MERCI, many thanks to share your us..
Myriam ou MIMI
It’ always there, but mostly we don’t see it, rigth?
Dear Paulo,
Thank you for sharing the touching story above with us and also for allowing your readers into your private experiences! :-)
I also like to thank the others for their answers from which we all learn something good concerning life in general. :-) Many thanks, Yajna and Kathleen for your comments.
Speaking of giving and receiving, I believe that it is very important when offering something to someone, no matter what you give, to do it joyfully and not to expect anything in return!
For example, in Romania, it is a custom to offer food, clothes on certain occasions, when it’s the celebration of those who died from your family, or dear friends in their memory, to bring back good remembrances about them, we call it “pomana,” a sort of charity. You can do it whenever you want to give something and also remember dear ones who passed away.
But you can give anything anytime if you want to please the others, to make them joyful and offer beautiful surprises and fulfilment, satisfaction will also come to you at the same time! In joy we are all united, we are ONE!
For example, I give some money to beggars, people in need, especially to old people and children and also hope that things will improve for them, for everyone, to live in a more beautiful world. A sort of giving food, money and so, even it’s a simple incense stick for the sake of making others happy.
There is an old lady in front of the Mall in my town, and I give her some money whenever I see her. I am impressed by her decence, common sense and I am glad to meet her to offer her a little sum, just to see the glow in her eyes, and I also wish her “good health” and all the best.
Yesterday there was a person in front of me who didn’t notice her or didn’t want to give her anything, it doesn’t matter so much, and she was disappointed, looking down sadly. Then, I saw her, I held her hand and gave her a little money and looked into her eyes to comfort her as much as I could.
The surprise was so big that she even had a few tears in her eyes, tears of joy this time, saying “thank you” many times. I felt that I had to say to her that everything would be allright.
She said that I have a good heart and taht I take care of her ever time I pass by and then, in joy I felt like being the same person, because we all are a little bit beggars in our hearts, we want something good in our lives, we ask God for something good all the time…
And surprisingly, this afternoon, someone called me from a magazine that I have won 1000 Euros to buy clothes, accessories, perfumes from their stores. It was pure luck, to send a piece a paper with your name and address on it and win! It just struck me that from the material point of view I received 1000 times more, but infinite times more on the spiritual level…
So, tomorrow I’ll go shopping! :-)
But I must admit that I feel that the joy of giving without anything in return, compares to nothing. It is overwhelming satisfaction to see that you were able to make others happy, even if for a few moments. It is worth all the effort in the world and it’s more than buying for yourself, when after a while you get bored of what you have and want something else more. Our hearts are content when we make others content. This is real spiritual nourishment, to treat others as we want God to treat us.
Lots of love and appreciation,
Carmen Larisa
bo0om paulo,
Humanity believes it controls its destiny,
how foolish and frail we really are,
every breath you take, has been arranged by millions of bacteria fulfilling their destiny millions of years even before humanity existed,
this proves that we are the bacteria and the bacteria us , this co-relation is with all organic and inorganic matter and anti matter,
so if one is tormented by death ,
my advise to you my friends is to tune out and drop out, or drop into yourself.
all the misery we see around us is a result of tipping this balance,
so , please, please use only what you really , really neeed.
bo0om
fLUXman
Dear Paulo,
Thank you for writing all these books, half of which I have yet to read. I look forward to reading them as well as the ones you’ve yet to write.
Thank you for creating this site and the others that allows us to know you better and share our stories and realize that we are not alone.
Thank you for being a magnet of like-minded souls.
With all my heart, P.
Hi! Carmen Larisa,
nice to read what u wrote ! hey ! did u buy an expensive gift like maybe a bottle of perfume for that lady, out of your prize money !
aditya
Dear Aditya,
Thanks for your kind words! :-)
You’re right about what you wrote and I’ll give something very nice to the woman I was talking about. She is a good person and even if life for her is not very soft, she has light in her soul and in her eyes. She deserves something good in her existence and I’ll do my best to make her a beautiful surprise!
Thank you again for your encouragement and for suggestions!
May God bless all the world! :-)
Love and appreciation,
Carmen Larisa