At the Sceta monastery, the abbot Lucas gathered the monks for the sermon.
- May you never be remembered – he said.
- What do you mean? – replied one of the brothers. – May our example not help those who might need it?
- In the days when everything was just, no one paid attention to exemplary people – answered the abbot. – Everyone gave their best, without pretensions, and so fulfilled their duty to their fellow men. They loved their neighbor because they understood that this was part of life, and they thought nothing of respecting a law of nature. They shared their possessions in order not to accumulate more than they could carry, since journeys last a lifetime. They lived together in freedom, giving and receiving, without demanding or blaming anything on others. That is why their deeds were not handed down, and there is no story known about them.
“I hope we can achieve the same thing in the present: to make goodness such a common thing, that there is no need to exalt those who practice it.
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True Prayer
I asked God to take away my pride.
God said, “No. It is not for me to take away,
but for you to give it up.”
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, “No. Her spirit is whole,
her body is only temporary.”
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, “No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations;
it isn’t granted, it is learned.”
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, “No. I give you blessings,
happiness is up to you.”
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, “No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.”
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, “No. You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.”
I asked God for all things so that I might enjoy life.
God said, “No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.”
I asked God to help me love others, as much as God loves me.
God said… “Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!”
I love this
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
My ideal… way of living.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Dear Paulo,
Thank you…This beautiful story makes me cry.
The last line in this month’s Warrior of Light issue:
“…my father once told me the story of an apple-tree that was so laden with apples that its branches could not sing in the wind. Someone passing by asked why it did not try to call attention like all the other trees did. ‘My fruits are my best advertisement,’ answered the apple-tree.
Much Love to All, Jane : ) xo
It all boils down to this…..
“May every man deal honestly, and be alike…, and receive alike, that ye may be one in harmony…”
I heard this today and immediately came back without thinking, “Maybe … this is partially correct. We still need to be individuals. Sure we need to be honest but alike?”
Then it was explained, “ALIKE IN OUR HONESTY!!!” and “RECEIVE ALIKE that we may be one.”
Individuals being totally honest with each other. Yes, sometimes I have to be hit the head. LOL
Ohhhh how we are blessed when we are honest with our fellow man and with ourselves. We get along better… we sleep better. and most of all we love deeper. AGAPE
This is where it all starts and ends. I am anxious to meet those who are not recorded in man’s books for their goodness. I’ll find them in God’s books.
Love, peace and warm light to all,
Lainee
remember me in a good way or don’t remember me at all,
don’t put me as an example of good behaviour, be an example for yourself,
don’t create any pedestal cos no one should be set it on,
i am right here right now, living my life, trying to make it great so the end would be without slamming the doors.
Let us all live life and love one another!
Prayer:
Teach us, good Lord,…
To give, and not to count the cost,
to fight, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labour, and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do Thy will.
St. Ignatius of Loyola
beautiful thanks for sharing
I believe this is my worst sin. I love to do good for others. Part of the reward is that they will love me for it and think I am a good person for it. I know in my heart that is not what it is about, and I so try not to be that prideful, yet pride slips it’s ugly head out almost always when I am doing good. That is why I say so often Ghandi’s quote: “If you would swim on the bosom of the ocean of Truth, YOU MUST REDUCE YOURSELF TO A ZERO.”
I hope I am remembered not.
Unfortunately, I don’t seem to live in such times. I live in a world where everybody wants power and money. In the U.S. people are mistaking power and money for happiness, living in fear of the laws that they brought on themselves.
I can’t say “we” because everybody precives the world differently.
Sí hacia ese mundo vamos falto de ego, egocentrismo donde la bondad es algo natural que sale sola porque hemos aprendido a pesar los valores de la vida y sabemos que todo tiene que pesar igual a una pluma para transcender y poder volar, romper el maleficio de La Ley de de la Gravedad.
Every time Minnie meets her Mickey she brings for him Myosotis or „mouse’s ears” – flowers that are commonly called „Forget-me-nots”. And, of course, Mickey do the same for his Minnie. And that is the most beautiful way how they „exalt” each other. Believe it or not, but they need nothing more.
I always give anonimusly… Does not matter, as long as it helps someone someway… still I get a benefit – makes me happy inside.
As long as somebody thinks about you, and remeber you, you should never bee forgotten.
So Paulo, as long as people read your books, you shall never be forgotten, that is for sure.
And for sure God never foergets us!!
Paul from Austria – I understand what you meant. A simple thank you is not only gratifying, but it’s also polite. Otherwise, in the world that we actually live in, you start thinking “Is everything I do really worth it?”. A thank you actually keeps you going (at least me :P).
The world that is described above is an ideal world: “…Everyone gave their best, without pretensions, and so fulfilled their duty to their fellow men.” If we lived in a world like that, a thank you wouldn’t be necessary because we would all feel fulfilled by our good actions towards each other.
Love,
Tanja
Paul,
Are you asking how this post revived? I think you don’t follow Paulo on Twitter. He tweeted to invite his followers into this story yesterday night.
Love,
Suphi
p.s. To tweet : posting something on Twitter – a 140 character full of words, links and ideas…=) You should check Twitter, it’s the new thing in the web.
Also, Paulo on Twitter – http://twitter.com/paulocoelho
and me – http://twitter.com/arrariv
The only way to be not forgotten for two or three generations is to have children… ;)
Great story. Especially in the West it’s very much time to start doing this if you ask me. If just those HUGE ego’s wouldn’t be in the way, it might actually happen.
This is perfection, dear Magician, but unfortunately, this is usually the exception, the rule is wrong. It will be something of human nature? Obrigada!!!
That is wonderful, good deeds to be more common where it requires no praise. I hOpe it spreads like wildfire and replaces the negative news the medias report. Not to be reported as praise, but to replace all the sad news. A utopia? Why not?
I pray that God will guide us towards a shift of consciousness to enable us to evolve as peaceful, loving, giving,selfless, intelligent and enlightened beings.
‘You may say I am dreamer but I am not the only one’
Love and light
Walkiria
make goodness such a common thing, that there is no need to exalt those who practice it.
What a lovely saying…
i’ll be dead the day i’ll be forgotten
Unfortunately, these days EVERYBODY wants to be remembered: each wants his or her 15 minutes of fame, AND THEN SOME!
“:=to make goodness such a common thing, that there is no need to exalt those who practice it..”
this is such a goal:) dont believe it will ever happen still not less motivated to practice it:) thanks you Maestro! ur existence becomes my happiness more n more:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj4fXcPKDjs
Wonderful Paulo, thank you! Humbling and heart-warming!
Amen to that story ..Blessings Tania
Unfortunately nowadays people expect notoriety and thanks for what they do. It’s an ego thing.. and also there’s the situation where “one good turn deserves another”. People do good turns but they expect something in return.
we make many mistakes and will continue to do so, as long as your intentions are good that is all that matters.
beautiful!
Dear Paul,
I don’t think heart “needs the nourishment of appreciation”, because it’s got it naturaly. ;)
That’s something else…
Nice week.
HI Paul freinds !
the only reason we continue to ‘exist’ is that we all need to learn, ‘the path’ which one hears of so often is nothing but a path of continuous learning and refinements of our learnings.
love
aditya
Dear Paul from Austria
“we all “need” to know that our deeds are appreciated”.
Maybe. But we could stay unconcerned. Not only for this but mostly in life.
Afterwards, we are loving and sharing for something superior than a thank, a smile, a suspense.
Why should other’s lack of gratitude wounds you?
With love
dear paul,
for me, i often wondering:
“can i always know what is necessary for me to do? so that i would never need any ‘thank you’”
geez, i do have alot limitation.
namaste,
egoz
Hi Paul from Austria,
what u have said above is so right, ‘normal’ people ‘need’ to be appreciated.
but once we know in our heart that what we are doing is right, then there is no ‘need’ to be appercaited, this need only signifies some lurking doubts in our mind. for some even an ackownedldgement of a good deed, like a simple thnak you initiates fresh thoghts of gratitude, in the mind of the doer of ‘good’ deed.
love
aditya
Pedalling through the net, I found this:
Love is…
by High Eagle
Love is giving with no thought of getting.
It is tenderness enfolding with strength to protect.
It is forgiveness without further thought of the thing forgiven.
It is understanding of human weakness,
with knowledge of the true self shining through.
It is quiet in the midst of turmoil.
It is trust in Great Spirit with little thought of self.
It is the one altogether lovely, the light in the mother’s eyes,
the glory in the sacrifices,
the quiet assurance of protection.
It is in the expectation of our Creator’s promise coming true.
It is the refusal to see anything but good in our fellow man.
It is the glory that comes with selflessness and the power that comes with
assurance of the Creator’s love for His Children.
It is the resistance to the world’s lust and greed, thus becoming a positive
law of annihilation to error.
Love . . . the one thing no one can take from us . . .
the one thing we can give constantly
and become increasingly rich in the giving.
Love can take no offense,
for it cannot know that which it does not of itself conceive.
It cannot hurt or be hurt,
for it is the purest reflection of Great Spirit: Good.
It is the one eternal, indestructible force for good.
It is the will of Great Spirit,
preparing, planning, proposing, always what is best
for all His universe.
really awsome all the things were so simple in that and as clear as a drop of water and perhaps all these things are discussed many a times but yet you have a style of your own and do carry on with that.with love and gratitude.ARHAM
A world without Ego.
The ego transcended, transmuted, embraced totally by the Light.
This is the next step.
No need to “teach others”, no need to change others, no need of philosphies…but living the word. No need to justify anything.
No need of being important because we are already important. We are the creators by our own thoughts. We are the center…we always have been the center. The Observer. The One that brings to life the Universe.
No need to demonstrate nothing.
It’s possible because we are dreaming it.
Love,
G
Yes I think so the same. Very good dear Gabriela, thank you very much for sharing your elevater thougths.
The most important thing is not to forget the promise, that’s carved in our heart. If then people need to rise it up to the sky, that’s their sight on.
We are achieving in the present. Many people now are freeing themselves from self-pride, to dignity.
I love the Universe and U.
Thank You Hope :)
That seems so against the ‘aspirations’ of people in these times, when people are willing to do anything to leave a mark, so that their names and deeds are remembered.
In fact in one of the ‘traditions’ i have come across, it is specially recommnded that one should refrain from being famous ( that way one is remembered) as the individual soul gets ‘stuck’ with the identity being remembered.
a lot of stress, a lot of violence wil cease to be if we all could just live our lives peacefully without ambition of ‘being remembered’
love
aditya
Dear Daniel You make me smile…..
Dear Alexandra, Hope is a powerful thing, have faith it will bring forward change……
I know that as long as there are sites like this, and if the people here are the ones that walk into the future together then change walks hand in hand with Hope!
Love Hope
P.S: As you can see because of my name, i am doomed to preach the power of hope:)
To be able to do goodness without expecting to be glorified for it.
To be able to do goodness towards others even when its not reciprocitated.
To be able to look at other’s harm towards me without the feelings of anger and unfairness and somehow find it in me to still do good.
…..my heart and I still have a long way to go, but maybe this is not meant to be a fast journey.
Amen to that story ..Blessings Tania
I really find a place like that more like a sort of paradise than our common world.yes,it should be better,i cannot denie.but this would be no more our true world,i have great doubts it is realistic a vision.Hope must still remain,sorry if i was little bitter now.love you all,dear friends
I just wanna say one thing. I go to this website, infowars.com , and post comments sometimes. The website is dedicated to exposing the truth behind world events, and shedding light on what the “true” intentions of the world elite are. The people who post comments on this site claim that they want to help save the world, make it a better place, and fight for freedom against corrupt governments. Yet, most, not all, but most of the comments are so judgemental of others, negative, evil, and violent. I try to post comments to stimulate dialog, but all I get in return is name calling and empty threats.
So, than I come to this site, and it makes me smile. The people who post on this site are so nice, friendly, and welcoming. I could see myself living amongst people like you guys. And, about this little passage, it is so beautiful and simple, that its truth can not be denied. I love it…Thank You to Paulo, the people who make this site possible, and all the commenters.
Love Daniel
Thank you very much for your words.
We’re all simple people,
we go different ways,
to reach heaven on earth,
to count nights and days,
we smile to each other,
we love..
breathing every moment..
like it was the last.
No matter how high we go,
and how far..
what simple stays the same..
it..shines.
love
Agnieszka
I like very much your thougths Agnieszka.
TRUE VERY TRUE DEAR .I REMEMBERED SOMETHING THAT ,THESE ARE THE MOST SIMPLE THINGS WHICH WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IN OUR LIVES .BECAUSE WE ARE TOO BUSY IN COMPLICATED THINGS
Just to add on a lighter note (I was trying to Tweet but failed to “send” – my tweet name is Fit_twitty). There are times when I hope I’ll never be remembered – the morning after the night before… what did I do , say last night…. aghhh….. get back under the duvet… hope everyone forgets me !!!
I’m happy you liked it. God bless you.