On 1st July, at 13:05 hrs., there was a man aged about fifty lying on the promenade in Copacabana. I passed him with a glance and went on my way towards a stall where I always drink fresh coconut water.
Being from Rio, I’ve passed hundreds (thousands?) of men, women and children lying on the ground. As someone who travels, I’ve seen the same scene in practically all the countries I’ve been to – from Sweden to Romania. I’ve seen people lying in the street in all seasons of the year: in the biting winter of Madrid, New York or Paris, where they huddle around the warm air floating up from the subway stations. In the relentless sun of Lebanon, among buildings destroyed by years of war. People lying on the ground – drunks, homeless, tired – are not a novelty for anyone.
I drank my coconut water. I was in a hurry to get back for an interview with Juan Arias, from the Spanish newspaper El País. On the way, I saw the man was still there, in the sunshine – and everyone who passed acted in exactly the same way as I had: they looked, and walked on.
The fact is – not that I was aware of this – my soul was tired of seeing the same scene, over and over again. When I passed that man again, something great force made me kneel down and try to help him up.
He didn’t react. I turned his head, and there was blood near his temple. Now what? Was it a serious wound? I cleaned his face with my shirt: it didn’t look serious.
Just then, the man started mumbling something which sounded like: “tell them to stop beating me.” Well, at least he was alive; now all I had to do was get him out of the sun and call the police.
I stopped the first man passing and asked him to help me drag him to the shade between the promenade and the beach. He was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase and parcels, but he put them down and came to help me – his soul must also have been tired of seeing that scene.
Having got the man into the shade, I walked towards my building, knowing there was a police post on the way, where I could get help. But before getting there, I passed two policemen.
– A man has been hurt over there opposite number such-and-such, I said. I put him on the sand. You should send for an ambulance.
The policemen said they’d make arrangements. Right, now I’d done my duty. A good scout, “Be Prepared”. Do a good turn daily! The problem was in the hands of others now, they were responsible. And the Spanish journalist would be arriving at my place in a few minutes.
I hadn’t gone ten paces when a foreign man stopped me. He spoke in broken Portuguese:
– I had already told the police about the man on the sidewalk. They said that as long as he wasn’t a thief, it was none of their business.
I didn’t let the man finish. I walked back to the policemen, certain that they knew who I was, someone who wrote in the newspapers and appeared on television. I returned with the false impression that success can, at times, help to resolve many things.
– Do you belong to some official authority? – one of them asked, noticing that I’d asked for help more urgently this time.
They had no idea who I was.
– No. But let’s solve this problem right now.
I was badly dressed, my shirt stained with the man’s blood, my shorts were made from an old pair of jeans I had torn up, and I was sweating. I was an ordinary, anonymous man, without any authority beyond that of having grown tired of seeing people lying on the ground, for dozens of years, without ever having done a single thing about it.
And that changed everything. There’s a moment when you go beyond any mental block or fear. A moment when your eyes look different, and people know you’re being serious. The policemen went with me and called an ambulance.
On the way home, I reflected on the three lessons from my walk.
a] everyone can stop an action and wash his/her hands, if he/she thinks that moving forward will cause some trouble.
b] but there’s always someone there to say: “now you’ve started, go all the way.”
And, finally:
c] everyone is an authority, when he is quite convinced of what he is doing.
Paulo Coelho
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Hi Paulo, the more I read you the more i become a great fan of you.. great learnings very simply said,,, let me little rephrase you, if one has the courage/conviction to pursue his/her doings with the whole world conspires to help him in the process.. You are as marvellous as ever.
Never look down on someone unless you are helping them up.
It’s kind of tragedy.Most people believe and succumb to powerful authority which it might be wrong.I met many gentle and honest people can’t get the power in this society nowaday just because they don’t use dirty or dishonest way to get the power…..How can we be honest and kind but still have power to face immorality?
we should do something to make the world more better for living by doing something simple by helping people.
Almost a year ago, I saw a man murdered in a San Francisco parking garage in San Francisco, and I often think if I could have done something to help the situation- the killer was captured, but I wish I could have done something to save the man who died.
Thank you for this. Sometimes I think we’ve desensitized ourselves to the world’s problems – and to some extent, I suppose we should in order to function, but if we are able to help another fellow human being in need and it is in our power to do so..if we can afford to do so, we absolutely must.
Love and Power. (Really makes the world go round.)
That is a sad story which your actions and the help of others turned into a beautiful one. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us Paulo, and the great wisdom within them.
We all should have a certain level of responsibility for the well being of our neighbor. Otherwise we can become ignorant animals and we will end up destroying everything, our neighbors, our homes, ourselves and the planet. But obviously, this is a hard concept for us to grasp and I blame it on the structure of our society. Seems like everyone’s in it for the kill, for the money. It’s the model we follow, that it’s cool to lie, cheat, steal, as long as we ‘make it’ in the end. It is this attitude that will destroy us.
When I read this story, I remembered something which happened to me not long ago. I was in West Hollywood having a drink with a friend of mine when a third person came and sat near us and started chatting. He went on forever… talked and talked and mind you, he wasn’t saying anything interesting, just blabbering about Hollywood, and who he knows, what he’s done this and that, he was a radio host. I got so fed up that I decided to take a walk around the corner. I left the table and took a walk through the parking lot to the street. Just as I got to the street, I saw a homeless man sleeping on the floor. He had a thin blanket covering him, he had his feet and head tucked inside the blanket, so I couldn’t see his face. I looked at him and thought how awful it must be to be sleeping like this on the floor every night, in the cold. I wondered what a happy man he would be if he had a warm place to sleep tonight, and I thought that it must be a long time since someone has touched him, that he has felt the touch of another human being, and I wanted to give him a hug. As I bent down to hug him, as soon as I touched his blanket, and i was already on the floor, he very quickly extending his hands and started punching the air, and he got me, he hit me, but it wasn’t so bad… He got Really scared, he thought someone was attacking him and just right at that moment, I mean exactly at that moment, while he was still throwing punches, a police car drove by and stopped. Well, this would have probably been a first, where a homeless was complaining about a civilian… i just put my hands up and I said I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to hurt him, and I walked away. I walked a few feet just to the end of the street when the police caught up with me. I guess they had stayed behind and were wondering what had happened. Anyways, they stopped and asked me what happened and what I was doing walking all by myself at night and so on and so forth. I told them about The Experimental Witch so they wouldn’t think I’m ‘crazy’ and we ended up talking for a good half an hour. In the beginning I told them straight out that most people don’t like the police.. I said, ‘most people say ‘f&*% the police’ they were very defensive and on guard, specially when I said that, they were really offended, but after a while, they became really friendly and calm and they were even very cool. They said that it’s their job to protect the people, that if it wasn’t for them, who would protect us, and the argument was the protection over feeling a sense of self-righteousness and control over someone’s life. We had an interesting conversation and one of them said that he used to be traveler and what not. Moral of the story? I don’t have one, I just remembered it reading this story, but if I were to extract one it would be that everyone can be seen as a threat and an enemy until we get to know them.
Love,
C.
you ALWAYS inspire me.
God bless you always.
you are my role model.
es cierto que siempre vemos gentes en la calle y nuncaa hacemos nada al respecto creemos que ayudandolos le hacemos es una mal, y muchas veces nos compadecemos y le damos alguna limosna para acallar la voz de la conciencia y sentirnos mejores que los demas, cuando en realidad no sabemos si ese alguien necesita solo una palabra para sentirse humano, porque los excluimos tanto que podemos sentir mas ternura por un animal abandonado que por un indigente, hacer la diferencia hoy en dia es lo imporatante podriamos no solo salvar vidas sino almas!!
Simply amazing. Im a great fan of yours, Paulo. Im chilean and I have read almost all of your books. One of them, ‘The Alchemist’, helped me to take one of the most important decisions of my life: to follow my dreams. Thank you for that…
“1er Juillet a 13.05 – Il y avait un homme qui avait environ 50 ans allonge sur la promenade de Copacabana.
Je passe devant lui, le regarde en vitesse et continue mon chemin en direction d’un stand ou j’ai l’habitude de boire de l’eau de noix de coco.
Etant de Rio, j’ai passe des centaines et des milliers de fois a cote d’hommes, de femmes et des enfants allonges sur le sol, En tant que voyageur je suis habitue de voir des scenes similaires dans pratiquement tous les pays que j’ai visite – de la Suede a la Roumanie – J’ai vu des personnes allongees dans la rue , a n’importe quelle saison de l’annee, en plein froid en hiver a Madrid, New York ou Paris, ou ils se rassemblent autour de l’air chaud aui sort des stations de metro, dans le soleil ardent du Liban,parmi les edifices detruits par des annees de guerre. Des gens allonges sur le sol – ivres, sans domicile, fatigues – cela n’est rien de nouveau pour personne -
J’ai bu mon eau de noix de coco- J’etais presse parce que je devais donne un interview avec Juan Airas, du magazine espagnol El Pais. Au retour, j’ai vu que l’homme etait toujours la – en plein soleil – et tout ceux qui passaient reagissaient exactement de la meme maniere que moi – ils regardaient et continuaient leur chemin -
Le fait est – et je n’en etais pas conscient – mon ame etait fatiguee de voir la meme scene tant de fois – Lorsque je suis passe a cote de l’homme a nouveau, quelque chose de tres fort m’a pousse a m’agenouiller et essayer de l’aider.
Il n’a pas reagi – J’ai tourne sa tete – il y avait du sang pres de ses temples – Et maintenant ? que faire? Est-ce qu’il etait serieusement blesse?
J’ai nettoye son visage avec ma chemise. Cela n’avait pas l’air serieux.
Au meme moment – l’homme a murmure quelque chose qui ressemblait a “Dis-leur d’arreter de me battre.”
Au moins, il etait en vie, tout ce dont il me restait a faire etait de le mettre a l’abri du soleil et d’appeler la Police.
J’arretais le premier homme qui passait et lui ai demande de m’aider – pour le mettre a l’ombre entre la Promenade et la Plage -
Il portait un costume et une valise d’affaires et des colis, il les a mis de cote et est venu m’aider – son ame avait du egalement etre fatiguee ce voir cette scene -
Une fois l’homme mis a l’ombre, j’ai marche en direction de chez moi, sachant qu’un poste de Police s’y trouvait a proximite, ou je pourrais trouver de l’aide. Mais avant d’y arriver, j’ai croise deux policiers.
“-Un homme est blesse la-bas, numero impair tant et tant.” je leur ai dit.
Je l’ai allonge sur le sable. Il faudrait appeler une ambulance.
Les policiers ont repondu qu’ils allaient organiser cela.
“-Bien, j’ai fait mon devoir – Un bon scout est toujours vigilant.
Tu as fait ta bonne action du jour”
Le probleme est maintenant entre les mains des autres ; ils sont responsables. Et le journaliste espagnol devrait arriver chez moi dans quelques minutes.
Je n’avais pas fait dix pas qu’un etranger m’interpelle. Il parlait difficilement le portugais.
“J’ai deja prevenu la police a propos de cet homme sur le coin. Ils ont dit que si ce n’etait pas un voleur, cela ne les regardaient pas.”
Je n’ai pas laisse l’homme terminer. Je me dirigeais vers les policiers, certain qu’ils savaient qui j’etais – quelqu’un qui ecrivait dans les journaux et apparaissait a la tele – J’avais la fausse impression que le succes peut parfois aider a resoudre beaucoup de choses.
“Est-ce que vous appartenez a une authorite officielle?” un d’entre eux me demande, prenant compte que je demandais de l’aide urgente cette fois-ci.
Ils ne savaient pas qui j’etais.
“-Non, mais il faut resoudre ce probleme maintenant -”
J’etais tres mal fringue, ma chemise etait tachee avec le sang de l’homme, mes shorts etaient une vieille paire de jeans que j’avais dechiree et je transpirais.
J’etais un homme ordinaire, anonyme, sans aucune autorite – sinon celle d’etre fatigue de voir les gens allonges sur le sol pendant des douzaines d’annees sans meme avoir rien fait sur cela -
Et cela a tout change.
Il arrive un moment ou lorsque vous allez au-dela du bloc mental ou la peur. Un moment ou votre regard devient different et les gens savent que vous etes serieux.
Les policiers sont venus avec moi et ont appele l’ambulance.
En rentrant,j’ai reflechi sur les trois lecons de ma marche.
a) N’importe qui peut arreter une action et s’en laver les mains, si il ou elle pense qu’avancer lui donnera des problemes.
b) Mais il y aura toujours quelqu’un qui dira “maintenant tu as commence, vas jusqu’au bout.
et finalement
c) Tout le monde est une autorite, lorsqu’il est convaincu de ce qu’il fait.”
Paulo Coelho
Quand nous sommes certains, l’univers nous donne tout le pouvoir nous avons besoin
I used the google translator, hope it makes sense! :)
When we are right and spare, the universe gives us all the power we need
Sometimes I think the men lying on the street, the homeless, the schizophrenic, the crazies, they are all in a state of consciousness that’s halfway between our world and the next dimension, the place we’re all headed to someday, and maybe why we avert our eyes.
Yes I think the same
Thank you Paulo for sharing your thoughts and actions on everyday mercy, which as you say, we all so often avoid by looking away and walking past. We should all follow your example, to drink some coconut water… to make a little effort now and then to show our human side, for making our earth a more humanitarian place, little by little, step by step… coconut water by coconut water. Brazilian/World citizen mercy in action!
Nice to read the post and its worth givind a thought…
This reminds me of 1 incident that took place with me and my sister..She is a doctor by proffesion..On the way we saw an accident in which a girl was badly wounded and unconcious….Being a doctor,my sister cured that girl…..afther she gained her conciousness,we found that she was a girl lived away from her home..and was working without the consent of her prents(She was not ready to call her parents) and was having an affair with her boss….she was into some illegal activities(We came to know about it later)…
Thank you for sharing so very nice ideas..We admire you and your posts….. :) ..!!
ive read this one beofre in your book, Like a flowing river…i absolutely love that book, my favourite being “Statues for teh New millenium”.
Yes, we’re responsible… We’re responsible.
I agree. It is the least we can do to help a fellow human being. Open your hearts, be compassionate towards those less fortunate than ourselves. Follow in Jesus’s footsteps as told in the story of ‘The good Samaritan’
Once there was a river and the water sang to me,
I crossed its melody and answered with a tear or
two, then went on, forgot about what I had left
behind, there always is a better road in mind so
I was told, and don’t look back, just go ahead,
and follow what is written, and I did, till finally
I reached a beach that stretched to the horizon,
as if the sand had swallowed all the sea, and there
I wept, and wept, then came a wave or two, and
took me in, in tune for a familiar melody.
hmmmm it was good and appreciable but i would be satisfied if the cause being resolved .it was like first aid not the proper treatment so i am not impressed.ARHAM
Last night I witnessed homeless trying to cover himself in cold rain here in Helsinki (Finland). It is not common in our country because our coverment takes care of our people. But why do I see it then? Don’t I pay taxes that everybody would have roof on top their heads and food to eat.
Just like everybody I passed the man in a hurry to take a taxi so I wouldn’t be wet and cold in a rain. Then I saw groupe of men and women selebrating and having fun and drinking next to this homeless person. Nobody cared how he was going to manage through a cold winter night. It was so cruel scene to see. It stopped me! If I had shouted out loud that do you see this poor man, do you care, noone would have cared. I’m sure of that. I felt so frustrated and angry inside. I felf so powerless. I feel my soul has seen enough and it’s time to do some actions! Your article reminded me what I experienced last night but what I would have forgotten otherwice. Thank You Paulo!
….and not only in Helsinki. I have seen that all over the world.
It makes me sad because the real reason therefor is that WE, GOOD WILLING PEOPLE cannot do anything for a lot of human beings.
In India it happens even worse, with one eye-moment we saw a realy STARVING MAN, trembling like….., he was on the ground before a realy GOLDEN ENTRANCE-GATE and in the garden of that house they were celebrating something, the ladies with golden-figured cloth.
That is why I say: WE LIVE IN A MAD MAD WORLD.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Again, it remember my mind to listen to my soul… Shut the mind up and let the soul drive… Not to try harder to find some good actions to do, but just do it whenever I’m called to it. My soul belonging at the same time to the mind’s time-space world and to his æternal source. By knowing everything I’d need to know, it’s my duty to listen to all advices and impressions. So often, our mind is our soul hanger…
Thank You Sir, i like the story. What you discibe moves me too. i’m tired of turning away. Tired of not looking. Sometime last summer someone here encouraged me to write. i did. Last month i wrote a novel about a homeless woman and her life. i hope that one day it will encourage more people to look and see, to respect even those that have no means to demand respect. Going down: it could happen to anyone, anytime and the kindness of strangers can make all the difference.
love this story, i think it was in one of your book i read..thanks for spreading again :)
once I saw a blind man who was walking along the river bank with his stick, and there is a exit ,very small one ,he with his stick knocking and tried to find the exit .I ‘s afraid he ‘d fallen into the water so I stopped my feet and watched him .I knew I should help him with my hands but he’s so dirty ,no matter how I tried my courage ,the only thing I can do what was watching .he tried many times but he can’t find the exit and he was indeed in danger .I walked towards him but i yet can’t stretch my hands to touch him .I hated myself insind and I pitied him and I detested his dirty .then a man passed by so I asked him:this one is blind and he can’t find the exit .the man said :really ?then he looked at that blind man and frowned and shouted very rudely :hi,this way,this way!___i think that’s sadder than no help,only because i didn’t want shouted rudely I didn’t go help that blind .but anyway the blind man found the exit by his voice and have-to touched a bit . it’s really not easier to help the one who is in dirty or disaster, many times we only want to escape looking at them that’s like afraid the disaster would have the ablity to infect . so it’s easier to have the affection not easier to take the action . paulo is great who can really go take the action to help others.
Lesson: Let’s everyone become authorities.
Every day we prove the kind of world we want to live in.
A touch to our conscience. Inspiring & Reflective.
It was interesting to read and see, that I had too, a will and intention to do good, to help someone, unfortunately I even couldn’t get near to same experience, described above.
It was like some 6 to 8 years ago. I had to drive on my car from Tallinn to Sankt-Petersburg, meeting was planned for the morning of next day so I started driving late at the evening. It was a winter, probably around -10 degrees and snowing. Somehow, near to the outskirts of Tallinn, I noticed that someone is laying in between of the highway, so I stopped, approached the person, he was over 50, drunk and face all covered with the blood, since i have no first aid experience i decided not to touch hem but dialed for the ambulance, told where im, described the scene and started to wait.
since it was cold, i brought from my car my winter jacket and covered hem, it felt like hes out of consciousness. 5 minutes passed, 10 minutes passed, -called again for the ambulance wondering whey they are. Probably after 15 minutes the ambulance arrived, medics jumped out. Less than a minute after they arrived, arrived police, started to question me how and what happened, I described all as written above, anyhow i don’t want to go deeper in to the details, but i was accused for overrunning a pedestrian… Months later, accusation was called back, but whole experience was annoying. Most of us, would after this, stop helping other people at all, please don’t! They need you!
Tubli, Andrus, ära lase sellistel negatiivsetel tagajärgedel oma entusiasmi ja abivalmidust teiste aitamisel vähendada. Nii tore teada, et Eestis on ikkagi selliseid inimesi. Varsti näeb selliseid inimesi ka TV3 ekraanilt…
Parimat,
Liina
that would be great especially in my Arab world .
best wishes always
Esraa
very inspiring! i am also one of those people tired of seeing such scene. now i am more inspire to perspire or others as well. thanks maestro! :D
The lessons that you learned from this experience are very simple yet very deep and we all should always try to invoke that Moment in our lives more often than we do now and the world will be a better place to live in.
Regards
Manashi
“Trying to be a better person as each day passes by”
You can not save the world but you can make a difference and you certainly made a difference to that man. You may have given the injured man the only gift that really matters, his life and chance to live another day.
Love it. Totally agree with you.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907674
If anyone has a chance please see this Indian Movie with English
subtitles.
hello Paulo
Maktub ? or Comme le fleuve qui coule ?
It’s a nice story… We’ve got to help each other. God give us eyes, heart and mind, we’ve got to use them…
Thanks a lot
Nadia
Comme un fleuve
Please see the movie ‘AMAL’ it’s an Indian movie with English Subtitles.
The movie is – The Lesson of Life-
the question that came up on my mind while reading this was:”why in particular did that man grab your attention?..what force made u move towards him?”..i know it’s a little “off-point”, but it really stopped me..
it really makes me wonder, that there’s so much cruelty and blood in this world, that we’r not moved anymore by such scenes..everything appears to be natural just because it is repeated and happens all the time around us..maybe that’s why the policeman didn’t pay much attention to your words at first..
Absolutely moved by this story … I wish to learn from the three lessons.Thanks.
“everyone can stop an action and wash his/her hands, if he/she thinks that moving forward will cause some trouble.”
see if I understand:
Anyone can stop and do something about some injustice, and by doing so clear his conscience, in case they believe that if they do not, some ill fortune will follow him.
(?)
If that’s so, then where is the effort to compassion? Is compassion to our fellow man just fear of what might happen to the world if there is no compassion towards each other? Is it fear of others not helping me in case I too fall and need some help getting up?
I dont think so: I believe compassion to our fellow beings, humans and not, is a higher spiritual state, were we help above reason, “beyond any mental block or fear”.
Great story, and your “C” conclusion is exactly right.
Years ago, my wife fell on ice and suffered a serious head injury. I was called by a friend, and went straight to the hospital. When I arrived, I went into her room, and she was complaining of having asked the nurses for a few simple items to make her more comfortable, and she had been ignored. The nurses had not yet seen me, so they didn’t know who I was. I walked out of my wife’s room, and strolled casually into the nurses station, and starting rummaging through their cabinets until I found the items my wife had asked for. There were several nurses at the station at the time, and no one gave me a second look, or asked me who I was, or why I was in their work area. I learned from that single event that you can go just about anywhere you want, and have whatever you want, if you act confidently, as if you belong there.
PS: I am a huge fan of “The Alchemist”. Very meaningful. Great work. Thank you!
Yes, David, you are so right. Because you acted with such calm self-assurance, they probably mistook you for a doctor or some other member of their staff. Just proves we don’t always need the uniform to act as “an authority.”
i got treated more or less the same way when i was robbed in copacabana february this year..
Approximatively everyone just passes away,afraid,or just not interested in helping the others…but as you said,everyone is an authority if he’s convinced of what he is doing…that’s the kind of people we need,to purify the world !
Your right, everyone is an authority, as long as their convince of their actions.
I can’t deny that I still struggle to move on my own at times I want to change what I see.
this is one great topic to make a short movie about it!!! I’m impressed and inspired at the same time. thank you!!!
Thank you for the story and the 3 lessons.
Fantastic.
So, a combination of love and confidence will solve lots of problem :)
brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you Maestro! another jewel to hear…yes..thats how it is for most of us every day more less:)) anonymous means you must believe and fight all the time;) and thats what is nice abt being “nonone” i like it;)) then all just depends on the light in our eyes…and by that u can judge who u have in front of u a noble human or the rest;)
thaaank you! loveeeeeee
So, a combination of love and confidence will solving lots of problem :)
es increible esta historia ,estamos tan acostumbrado a ver hacia adelante y realmente cuando vemos” muchas veces no hacemos los ciegos.es mejor que tener que comprometerse con algo,nos hemos olvidado la esencia de nuestra vida aca, de quienes somos realmente, y si cuando uno quiere tiene esa autoridad y el poder de realizar lo que uno desea, y asi sera!la fuerza sale del verdadero compromiso con el amor”
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