One of the questionings that keep on recurring in this book is Athena’s need to live with her “empty spaces”. Does Paulo Coelho have “empty spaces”?
Of course I do. Who doesn’t? The whole problem is not about having empty spaces, but about admitting that they exist. Today’s society is so preoccupied about coherence that many get trapped in the misconception that all is explainable. Society tries to convince us that we have to be completely transparent, not only to world but to ourselves. There is where the danger lies. It’s necessary to admit that some things can’t be grasped, that our empty spaces exist and that we have to respect and honour the mystery. I would say that Athena is my feminine side.
Empty spaces: A birds nest built precariously close to the ground…mother & father flying all day long, feeding 4 little ones until dark. Although I tried to protect them, at night the cat finds the nest and though she couldn’t possible be hungry, she destroys the nest and devours the chicks. I know this must be instinctive behaviour, but this unfortunately leaves a “big space” in my comprehension. I don’t see the logic, was this really in God’s plan…was this fate, stupidity on the part of the birds, or perhaps greed on the part of the cat?
Empty spaces..yes..who doesn’t have them? yet..when we can fill them out with…light..with understanding, with love, when we accept what we should accept, give what we should give, forgive what we should forgive, when we try to be in harmony with ourselves…the peace comes.
love
Agnieszka
p.s.I can’t believe that you Paul, and Paulo wrote about the bird today…I had a dream this night about the bird, (which I caught when he was flying out of the nest, but he was so miserable that I let him go).
Have animals a personal legend? Are they only driven by their instinct or have they the choise to decide how they act?
I think they have no choise to decide, but I am thinking about the question why God should make a difference, why should He give man a destiny in life and animals not? Is it not unfair? Do you believe animals have also a soul?
In which way are we better than the cat in our behaviour towards other animals? Are we? - We kill and eat them.
Paul from Austrai,
Deeply, I like all those happenstances, that are maybe not. :)
Of course, your story is sad on a first view. But why accusing God, each time a greed is commited on Earth?
The believers say that God is in the whole, as in each particles of themselves. But do they experiment His behaviour at each second? The same for cats and birds. They’re sometimes the one, and the other…
Faith
I’m a happy believer that see the science struggles in explaining God, without recognizing it. Now the quantum theory is enclosed in a “M” one, -for a time-, they say “they’re no one above, who told us we have a mission, or a peculiar thing to do on earth”.
They’re still playing the fool with empty spaces that were revealed; maybe by people that wanted to let a name to posterity… Let’s think about all the scientists that worked on the atom from the XIX to The XXIth centuries…
Now, I’m precisely reading a book, I did once, quasi uncousciously 15 years ago: “The morning of the Magicians” Pauwels/Bergier.
I understand too well the sentence: “Don’t give holy things to dogs. They will only turn and hurt you. And don’t throw your pearls to pigs. They will only step on them”. Matthew 7:6.
For alwalys, I had thought that the word “pigs” was sent to ignorant people; those who received any education. And I found it cruel in its meaning. Though, it seems those persons haven’t been caring so much, about pearls.
“Pigs” would be those who have had education, plus the power and the money to apply the knowledge, in sad and bad demonstrations.
In this book, we learn that all the discoveries of the two last centuries were already discovered in a far-distant past. But scientist had the intelligence to hide them, as there should be very dangerous for humanity.
Let’s stop thinking our human ancestors were ignorant. Moreover, that the science prevails techniks, as Pauwels merely underlines. Makes me think: Do Cromagnon Men used an equation to discover the fire? And do they write one, in the same breath?
For I totally believe, that secrets that have the slightest thing to become fateful to the whole, must be kept in silent. Atomic searches and experiences testity of that thesis…
As for transparency, I think it is required from those “dogs and pigs”, eventually. Since people know deeply in their heart, that they don’t use the knowledge with dignity.
Life.
Long life to Mystery!!!
Definitely Athena is your feminine side, dear Paulo…
‘teaching’ and spreading love, and nourishing all of us, as mothers do their childs, with Love…
There are just some things which can not be explained like our male side /femmine side. And why we are here …they are discovering new things everyday ,new galaxies ..but there are alot of things unknown ,and its society’s stuff to logically understand everything ,you just need to have your own thoughts on history and the mystery of things ..How do you know what really happened back in —- BC just because someone said it did -does not make it so .Its that whole science /God debate .
Blessings Tania
Virgil, in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, said that human must stick to the “quia” or to the “what-ness” / essence of things. Human reason as powerful as it may seem, is limited; it cannot comprehend all things. This is our weakness, and with this, we must all cling to the one thing that gives us hope despite all doubts and fears- Faith. For when reason fails, faith begins.
Empty spaces are nothing but manifestations of the “falling” of reason. Thus, when this happens, believe that, as cliche as it may sound, everything happens for a reason.
“My grace is all you need; for my power is strongest when you are weak”.”
Dear Tania,
“They are discovering new things everyday ,new galaxies”.
Did you once have a look to ancient maps and synopsis of our dear sky?
You’ll be astonished to see our present knowledge is ancestral…
Enjoy the day.
“Tu ne me chercherais pas si tu ne m’avais trouvé. ” a dit Pascal
…
“You wouldn’t look after me, if you would have found me.” Said Pascal.
…
And from that empty space are all things made manifest in this world…………..