By Paulo Coelho
“I am willing to give up everything”, said the prince to the master. “Please accept me as your disciple.”
“How does a man choose his path?” asked the master.
“Through sacrifice,” answered the prince. “A path which demands sacrifice, is a true path.”
The master bumped into some shelves. A precious vase fell, and the prince threw himself down in order to grab hold of it. He fell badly and broke his arm, but managed to save the vase.
“What is the greater sacrifice: to watch the vase smash, or break one’s arm in order to save it?” asked the master.
“I do not know,” said the prince.
“Then how can you guide your choice for sacrifice? The true path is chosen by our ability to love it, not to suffer for it.”
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We should know our own limitations in loving earthly things as well as other people.
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Actually, the thinking and foreseeing has to be done in less than a split second, because the rest of the time one has to maneuver the body, to move and save the vase. If it was decided that it is possible without injury.
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I think it’s quite alright and a good thing to try to save the vase, but more important is to know your own abilities and maneuverability.
To know or be able to calculate, that if i make that move, will I land safely, can I maneuver my body without causing injury to myself.
It’s very tricky because all this thinking and foreseeing is done in a matter of less than 5 seconds, depending on how high the vase is from the floor!
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Dear Steven,
Studying is hard and it is difficult when you cannot see the fruits of your hard labour. I’m not Paulo but I can pass on one message that helped me:
‘aim for the moon, if you miss at least you’ll land among the stars’
I started my MSc once and couldn’t continue because I found it too tough. A year later I went back to the same course as I refused to give up. My friend sent me a card which had the message above on it and I did just that. I did it for me, I did it because for the first time I believed in myself and when the course director took me back on I knew it as a sign. I aimed for the moon and reached it.
Now it’s your turn :)
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I wrote: “I think I understand sacrifice, my mother sacrifices whatever she can even if it stresses her or harms herself.”
I almost fainted when I reached page 262 of The Zahir ’she suffers over me, my father, my brothers ans sisters,everything’….that’s my mother! I left home years ago yet I cannot escape the invisible umbilical cord.
I read your book extra slowly because I don’t want it to end….however it’s my birthday next week so I might go to the huge wonderful book shop at piccadilly circus and treat myself to The Alchemist. My husband and I love that book…we even named the cat Santiago. Funnily enough Santiago has a very adventurous nature and decided his home should be a few doors down with a neighbour that fell in love with him.
Life is funny sometimes.
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Is it not true that many a time we have to suffer for what we love and in the process forget that love is why we started suffering in the first place??
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Paulo, I am an avid reader of your blogs and books. The problem now is that i need motivation… I am currently at a low in my studies… i need the urge to be inspired again like before… please help me…
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Oh,this is my greatest problem.How to chose?I think life is like a lottery.How one may know what would be best?
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If you interfere by catching the vase, that’s your destiny! It’s in your own hands to choose where you go. What lessons you will recieve on your way is not in your hands.
Nick Zwart
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How can I stand 2 stay where I am?
Poor butterfly who don’t understand
Why can’t I fly away in a special sky?
If I don’t find my destiny soon
I’ll die in your arms under the cherry moon
I want 2 live life 2 the ultimate high
Maybe I’ll die young like heroes die
Maybe I’ll kiss U some wild special way
If nobody kills me or thrills me soon
I’ll die in your arms under the cherry moon
That’s alright
Lovers like us dear are born 2 die
If they don’t find us, what will we do?
I guess we’ll make love under the cherry moon
I’ll die in your arms under the cherry moon
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First we got to know our DestiNation.
Love
Damien
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Sometimes I think I’ve lost my mind
I thought I left my past behind
I live my life and all I know is
Follow your dream and don’t let go
No one can live for me
No one can see the things I see
I walk this road
No one can tell me how to be
It’s my destiny
There is no right, there is no wrong
There is no place where I belong
I’ve done my time
I’ve held it strong and
My life is all about this song
No one can live for me
No one can see the things I see
I walk this road
No one can tell me how to be
It’s my destiny
If I threw them all away
Would it change?
No
I would live my life again, rearranged
There’s a magic in my heart
That I feel
Don’t you know that God is love
And it’s real
No one can live for me
No one can see the things I see
I walk this road
No one can tell me how to be
It’s my destiny
My destiny
My destiny
My destiny
It’s my destiny
Destiny by Lenny Kravitz
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I think what Paul is trying to say here is destiny is pretty crystal clear when you are on the right path ..but confusion comes in when we try to think to much logically ..or ask to many questions ..but if you are in tune then your intuition will guide .Blessings Tania
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Tania,
I send you my love.
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Dear Hildegarde,
I agree with Paul. Though I didn’t think we could have a destiny, now I’m sure about.
The Universe has an aim, and we all a part of it. A fabulous equation.
Yet I’m not sure I’ve honoured mine. I’m in a situation of understanding, that material world is disappearing a bit everyday.
but, if I could have other ideas in my head, I would go out to find a job. I would try to fulfil the dream I had in my conscious teenager’s mind. But it would be forgetting the one I had before idea’s world. And what is happening underneath my eyes.
I agree it could be related to depression, melancholy, but I don’t really care about, since I won’t go and see a doctor for it. I don’t need it. I consider normal for a human being to cry and ask oneself its role in that precious created place.
Since, I feel something stronger is on its arrival. Some could say my death, maybe. But merely what I am supposed to be.
Anyway, I feel closer to my King of Heart. I mean, I have no issue but Him. He’s more physically here in front of me for three days. And let me show things that really hurt me, in the same time, he soon stops my pain, giving me smiles. But this is so strong suddendly.
Sometimes revelations are really hard to admit. Just because I don’t know if it’s blessing or madness.
But I pray for all of us, men and women, also our children, for we’ll have to be strong and lovers. Even if it’s all my illusion, I have no direction to go but accept it what I lived today.
I cry a lot. And then I feel good. But also tears are good. They show me I have a heart. They show me I have a critical president. Dangerous.
They teach me the Devil is governing 12 stars Europe now. That 3300 unknown persons are deciding with the counsil, presidents and Prime Ministers how countries have to be ruled or worse, threatened. Poverty is increasing, working market is inexistant. Lies and absurdity are there in our governors mouths. Treaties are voted without the population, but more over without deputees or senators, that have not any right to speak anymore.
We are in dictatorship. Not only the revelation Jesus and Saint-John are offering me is right, but it is visible in chiefs acts. People are blind, because they don’t look at the same story on TV.
I thank you Paulo, because what I learned about symbols here opened the door to it. Now I can read government aims in such another essential way, by their figures, gestures, and so on, towards images.
But it is very difficult to live, because I’m afraid, but, at is written, pain will be preceeding the Kingdom.
Ap St John 12
9 “If any man have an ear, let him hear”.
In my illusion we are here:
16 “And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or on their foreheads.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 HERE IS WISDOM. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man: and the number of him is six hundred sixty-six”.
It took me time, but I know a bit more now. The more difficult is to tell myself it is not simply a legend. Or some persons made a deal for it was not…
I’m sorry to tell you all about that. Today enthousiasm is hard. But I guess you are the alone grown-ups I could tell to.
Thank you.
Faith.
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Amazing… although Samina wrote her post 1 hour prior to mine we were obviously on the same wavelength and our dear Web-master sent them live simultaneously….. Kismet?
By the way dear Samina, you do know that your dear Mother is partly right…;) “it is a test.. of our faith in ourselves” but you don’t need to feel guilty and you are definitely not selfish.. you are living your destiny, your dream, not hers. And it’s not only your right, but also your duty.. and you know dear Samina, that mothers always… know best…
Love & live your destiny, Paul
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Dear Paul,
Yes, i have chosen my parents…and my parents have chosen for me,…
I just want to say that not everything we want is what we get and makes our destiny different.
So,when I choose to walk from a to b,…and there happens something which gives me c, my destiny changed,…who has chosen for me, the soul of the universe and yes I take part of it…so it’s an interaction between macro and micro….and yes a part of the big picture Paul.
Love
All Ways
Hildegarde
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Dear Hildegarde, A good friend whom I respect once said, that we even chose our own parents!?
I believe however that we live a destiny, & our choice is simply which path we take. These decisions are made intuitively within seconds, (i.e. at crossroads, taking the less trodden path) and some decisions are made for us by events (i.e. losing someone very near and dear in an accident or through illness) over which we have no control. It is said that life goes on afterwards, but it will never be the same. This does not mean it will be worse, it purely means it will be different. I do hope this helps, or are you now more more confused..;)
Short version ;) we have a destiny and we basically chose the path by living it, unless events outside our control change the path for us. I believe it’s important to live it.. alive, to the end.
The question is, should we interfere with anything here at all,
(i.e. catching the vase) and what is really more important, our own destiny or the big picture and isn’t our destiny a part of the big picture?
Love & the intuition to know you are on the right path, Paul
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‘Kismet’- I believe that all is destined yet you have choices along the way and the route you take to the destiny is dependent on your choices. I often think about ‘kismet’ (destiny), I look at the man I love and think our story involves kismet. I look at my cat and smile at how he landed in our home when I least expected it.
One day it occurred to me that life is like an adventure book, do you remember the books that would give you three options at the end of each page and you would choose one to meet either pleasure or more tribulations? Well for me life is like that, just sometimes I am blind to the other options out of fear and take what I think is the safest option.
I think I understand sacrifice, my mother sacrifices whatever she can even if it stresses her or harms herself. She says she does out of love - just as Paul from Austria says. Sometimes I wonder if my mother associates sacrifice to reward though due to religion. ‘Do not love this life for this is just a test’ she would often say to me. Like most daughters I can roll my eyes at my mother and let it pass me but recently I have found that if I do not follow my mother…if I do not sacrifice..I feel selfish and become guilt ridden. Today my journey involves letting go of those feelings.
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Thank you B.L.
love
Agnieszka
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Can I choose my destiny or does destiny choose for me?
Love
All Ways
Hildegarde
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When I previously talked about enjoying helping others in need, I was not suggesting that pain or sacrifice is a necessary part of the path, rather that if we do suffer for whatever reason, we can with the right attitude, use the experience to the advantage of our spiritual development. It worked for me and I am truly grateful for it.
Love, & never forget that every cloud has a silver lining, Paul
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Hi Agnieszka,
I absoulutely suffer from technical problems with uploading my movies for the Experimental Witch contest - all because I truly love the filmmaking part!
I think some suffering is needed to complete the True Path.
However, only to suffer without love, that is an unworthy thing - or would mean that I am in love with suffering itself.
I think time is needed to be able to tell the difference between needless suffering and love, and we really must look for the answer - because you are very right: in practice it is not as obvious as it sounds in the written question!
Good luck for all the searching warriors!
All the best,
Li
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I had this same experience when I had a car accident a long time ago …suffered lots of injuries ..I guess the universe was trying to get my attention …and if we dont get it ..or stop to see Why or How ? these things happen then you just end up very unhappy ..I see my accident as a turning point that helped me to get into alternative therapies and plus sat in the psychologists chair for 2 yrs …I actually looked at my life /direction ..past hurts -dreams ..my issues …this accident apart from my Brothers death changed the course of my life …and although it involves a bit of pain every now and then or sacrifice ..I choose life ………….living …..happiness ……..dreams ………………..and love ********************************Love and LIght Tania
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how can anyone know if he/she’ll suffer or love it?
love
Agnieszka
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Ben oui, c’est vrai. :)
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The word destiny implies a destination or an end point. gettng there is one truest pleasure
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