Paulo Coelho
1] All men are different. And should do everything possible to continue to be so.
2] Each human being has been granted two courses of action: that of deed and that of contemplation. Both lead to the same place.
3] Each human being has been granted two qualities: power and gift. Power drives man to meet his destiny, his gift obliges him to share with others that which is good in him. A man must know when to use his power, and when to use his gift.
4] Each human being has been granted a virtue: the capacity to choose. For he who does not use this virtue, it becomes a curse – and others will always choose for him.
5] Each human being has the right to two blessings, which are: the blessing to do right, and the blessing to err. In the latter case, there is always a path of learning leading to the right way.
6] Each human being has his own sexual profile, and should exercise it without guilt – provided he does not oblige others to exercise it with him.
7] Each human being has his own Personal Legend to be fulfilled, and this is the reason he is in the world. The Personal Legend is manifest in his enthusiasm for what he does.
Single paragraph – the Personal Legend may be abandoned for a certain time, provided one does not forget it and returns as soon as possible.
8] Each man has a feminine side, and each woman has a masculine side. It is necessary to use discipline with intuition, and to use intuition objectively.
9] Each human being must know two languages: the language of society and the language of the omens. The first serves for communication with others. The second serves to interpret messages from God.
10] Each human being has the right to seek out joy, joy being understood as something which makes one content – not necessarily that which makes others content.
11] Each human being must keep alight within him the sacred flame of madness. And must behave like a normal person.
12] The only faults considered grave are the following: not respecting the rights of one’s neighbor, letting oneself be paralyzed by fear, feeling guilty, thinking one does not deserve the good and bad which occurs in life, and being a coward.
Paragraph 1 – we shall love our adversaries, but not make alliances with them. They are placed in our way to test our sword, and deserve the respect of our fight.
Paragraph 2 – we shall choose our adversaries, not the other way around.
13] All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect.
Single paragraph – A man who chooses a religion is also choosing a collective manner of adoration and of sharing the mysteries. Nevertheless, he alone is responsible for his actions along the Way, and he has no right to transfer to religion the responsibility for his steps and his decisions.
14] We hereby declare the end to the wall dividing the sacred from the profane: from now on, all is sacred.
15] Everything which is done in the present, affects the future by consequence, and the past by redemption.
16] Dispensations to the contrary are herewith revoked.
Welcome to Share with Friends – Free Texts for a Free Internet
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I find in these statements paradoxes – which are the hallmark of anything I’ve found to be true. I find too the the depths and heights of the universe, and an awakened sense to observe our world. It is your simplicity that enables this. I thank you with my heart.
Peace and Love,
Morad
'Each human being must keep alight within him the sacred flame of madness. And must behave like a normal person'
it takes time to every human being to be conscious of all the shadows of the past, the challenge of coincidences and synchronicity in our life, the mistery of love and time. the sacred flame of madness can give you a bless that is going through the timeless dark night of soul.. If you can overcome this stage your statement about madness as the sacred flame of life can be understood in all its meaning. you can even behave normally in different context of life with a completely different consciousness of yourself and people you meet.
Thanks for your words and to have found your power and your gift, the destiny of sharing your thoughts with others. I know how much responsability takes to write and the initial resistence to tell and reach people.
hugs taryn
Dear Paulo,
These statutes were needed indeed.
Most of all I love 11th and 12th !
Dear Thelma I completely agree with you, reading what you wrote was like reading into my heart.
Love
Luce
Dear Paulo,
yes, these are the real ” laws” for our times…They come from the heart, for this sincere, true,….universal.
Thank you for translating what many people are not able to conceptualize and express in every day life
Bye
Manuela Di Deo Italy
My wise writer.Words of wisdom.I loved those thoughts,only the part of cowardice scared me little,because sometimes I do lack courage.
But I try to change.You have a democratic point of view.I am sure you might be a great leader,why not president.
Thank you for sharing these -I think they all speak -and I love no 13 – ..Love Tania
Heart,
What you wrote is exquisite!
“If a human genius can look at a piece of stone and see possibilities that others cannot see, what possibilities might God see in human beings?”
If only we could always maintain that sort of x-ray vision when we look in the mirror at ourselves… seeing our own possibilities, rather than just our faults.
Love,
Savita
Item #11 speaks to me. I must get over the fear.
Thank you for passing on the knowledge that is in this article. It will come in handing in times of uncertainty, confusion, doubt,and stillness. A print out for sure.
Well, i am guilty of being ok with guilt. If not, where is the pleasure? Does that make me an sm? I dont think so. Then, am i speaking about another thing and i am not getting it? Am i the only one? Hello…? LLR!
Dear Hildegard,
Be my guest – welkom op mijn homepage, waar ik net de tekst van Paulo heb gepost
http://fran.sneeknet.nl/homepage/show/pagina.php?paginaid=171033
Met hartegroet
Francine
this is really great… cant think of anything i’d add or cut right now, but hey!!! its simple yet fantanstic!
I will try to remember these .. canons, but I will keep next to my heart No.11: To keep alight the sacred flame of madness that allows me to dream, fly, live, act and love, unconventionally.
I do as I please, as long as I behave like a … normal person, when … situations are normal, otherwise I take out my sword and use it, together with my intuition, for fulfilling my task and keeping my dream and my heart alive.
LOVE,
THELMA
‘Each human being must keep alight within him the sacred flame of madness. And must behave like a normal person’
it takes time to every human being to be conscious of all the shadows of the past, the challenge of coincidences and synchronicity in our life, the mistery of love and time. the sacred flame of madness can give you a bless that is going through the timeless dark night of soul.. If you can overcome this stage your statement about madness as the sacred flame of life can be understood in all its meaning. you can even behave normally in different context of life with a completely different consciousness of yourself and people you meet.
Thanks for your words and to have found your power and your gift, the destiny of sharing your thoughts with others. I know how much responsability takes to write and the initial resistence to tell and reach people.
hugs taryn
Yes. Life also is a combination of living a hidden and an exposed life. In Florence, Italy, where one can admire Michelangelo’s statue of David, there also are some unfinished sculptures in the hallways called ‘The prisoners’. They reveal what can happen to an ordinary piece of stone when the craftsmanship of a genius draws from inside it a perfection and form that others would never have thought possible.
If a human genius can look at a piece of stone and see possibilities that others cannot see, what possibilities might God see in human beings?
What ‘prisoner’ inside each of us is waiting to be released?
Thank you, dear Paulo.
I’ll try to translate this in Dutch to share with people in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Congratulations with the one millian books :)
Sincere greetings
Francine
http://www.spirituelevrienden.nl (witch means: friends in the spirit)
Greetings from far Siberia, Russia. I’m a faithful reader of your books. In each of them I find certain inspiration. It’s great to feel like you teach people to feel and accept life as your characters accept it. The only thing I don’t like is declaring… It reminds me Orwell’s “Animal Farm” – “All the animals are equal but some of them are more equal than others”. And if you declare something today how can you be sure that tomorrow anyone won’t exaggerate and distort your words?
{ 1 trackback }