Your theory about every man could be special and reach everything he wants in life and even more, is really optimistic. But if the man tried once and was despaired and disappointed what is he going to do?
There is sometimes a bit of confusion in regards to a passage of my book The Alchemist “When you really want something, the world conspires to make a dream come true”.
Mind you, some people don’t truly want something or sometimes want things that in the end won’t truly help them. The Universe is a merely and echo of our desires, may they be constructive or destructive ones.
One has also to keep in mind the difference between dream and obsession, which is the same difference that lies between personal legend and zahir. When you follow your the personal legend, you walk your path and learn from it. The objective doesn’t blind you to the road that takes you there. In the other hand obsession is what prevents you from admiring the teachings of life. It’s like trying to get to your objective without passing through the challenges.
I realized that despite the fear and the bruises of life, one has to keep on fighting for one’s dream. As Borges said in his writings “there no other virtue than being brave”. And one has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.
If you were offered to one of your dream come true, what would you prefer?
I don’t like to think of “being offered” a dream. I’ve learnt that this is a pointless fantasy. Reality is rather on the side of those that know that they have to “fight for their dreams”. My personal legend has always been to become a writer. I’m glad I can say that i’m fulfilling my dream. But this must not the interpreted as “the end of the line” – on the contrary – I have to commit everyday in order to stay in this path that I’ve chosen. One is constantly challenged – even by success.
In one of your books you called yourself a wizard. When was the last time you saw a miracle?
Today, waking up.
They say childhood reminiscences are the warmest. Can you agree with that?
I don’t agree with this view, it’s too nostalgic for me. I have warm memories on a daily basis and I also remember moments in my childhood of profound realizations. For instance, I remember when I first felt alive. For a child, life is something abstract, because she/he thinks that the whole universe turns around his/her wishes. One day, during a sunset (I was probably 8 yrs old) I understood that there were other people in the world. And they had fathers, mothers, etc. I was not alone. I would say that this was the first realization I had from a series of realizations that have formed my life.
The modern Japan is long been called as “Self-searching Era”. On the other hand, there are tendency that it is the reason for “Adults’ Regression Phenomena” such as adults’ growing tendency to put off marriage and declining birthrate. Mr. Coelho, what do you think of the influence toward society of the people’s search for one’s raison d’etre and purpose of life?
I think, that despite all the fanaticism, we are seeing the beginning of an era where feminine values, such as generosity and tolerance, are surfacing again.
This so called “regression” is actually a more honest attitude towards ourselves and what truly motivates us – not what society expects of us.
How was your childhood? We know that you have entered Jesuits school at the age of 7 but had a question toward religion at one time in your life. Would you please tell us about the question and the pain you had?
My family was very strict and my father sent me to the Jesuit school so that I could have real discipline. The chains of rigor were so heavy throughout my youth that very quickly I started to doubt this religion that showed no mercy, only constraint and suffering. I remember being obliged to attend mess and the constant threats of hell in the mouth of the priests. Everything was sin, everything was forbidden, joy was ruled out.
I think that my rebellion was what saved me: I doubted about Catholicism, and felt that I must try something new. Later on, in my teenager years, I became a hippie. During this time, I traveled a lot, met people of different backgrounds, and had learnt different paths to come closer to spirituality. I started to see other paths and started to see that my own religion wasn’t restricted to the Jesuit perception.
After I did a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, I returned to the Catholic faith – just because it is in my blood, not because it is the best religion. I don’t think you can put God in a church. God is everywhere. All religions have advantages and disadvantages. God is–as William Blake said–in a grain of sand and in a flower. This energy is everywhere.
