Here I continue to transcribe extracts of the notes I took between 1982 and 1986 on my conversations with J., my friend and master in the Regnus Agnus Mundi (RAM) tradition. I remember that I was always asking for advice on any decision I had to take. J. usually remained silent for a while before speaking:
“People who are part of our daily life can give us important hints on decisions we need to take. But for this purpose all that is needed is a sharp eye and an attentive ear, because those who have ready solutions are usually suspect.
“It’s very dangerous to ask for advice. It’s very risky to lend advice, if we have a minimum sense of responsibility towards the other person. If they need help, it’s best to see how others resolve – or don’t resolve – their problems. Our angel often uses someone’s lips to tell us something, but this answer comes casually, usually at a moment when we do not let our worries overshadow the miracle of life. Let our angel speak the way he is used to, which is at the moment he deems necessary. Advice is just theory; living is always very different.”
Then he told me an interesting story:
Master Kais was walking in the desert with his disciples when he came across a hermit who had lived there for years. The disciples began to shower him with questions on the universe – but they eventually discovered that the man did not have all the wisdom that he seemed to possess. When they mentioned this to Kais, he answered:
“Never consult a worried man, no matter how good an advisor he may be; don’t ask a pride man for help, however intelligent he may seem. Because worries and vanity obscure knowledge. Above all, distrust those who live in solitude; usually they are not there because they have renounced everything but rather because they have never known how to live with others. What wisdom can we expect from that type of person?”
J. left for the airport and I was left to reflect on our conversation. I was in need of help, because I always made the same mistakes over and over again. My life revolved around old problems, and every now and then I was confronted with situations that had crossed my path so many times before. That depressed me. It made me feel that I was incapable of making any progress. I decided to go into a café that I still frequent today, just to sit and observe everything around me. I saw nothing new, absolutely nothing, and began to feel abandoned.
I decided to look at a newspaper that someone had left on a nearby table, and began to leaf through it at random. I discovered a review of an old book by Gurdjieff that had just been republished; the critic used an extract from the book:
Conscious faith is freedom.
Instinctive faith is slavery.
Mechanical faith is madness.
Conscious hope is strength.
Emotional hope is cowardice.
Mechanical hope is sickness.
Conscious love arouses love.
Emotional love arouses the unexpected.
Mechanical love arouses hate.
There lay the answer: the same elements (faith, hope and love) with their nuances, always leading to different consequences. I began to be aware that repeated experiences serve a purpose: they teach you what you have not yet learned. From that day on, I have always sought for a different solution to each repeated struggle – and little by little I found my path.
When we met again, I asked what I should do to organize a little my spiritual quest, which seemed to be leading nowhere. Here is what he answered:
“Don’t try to be coherent all the time; discover the joy of being a surprise to yourself. Being coherent is having always to wear a tie that matches your socks. It means being obliged to keep tomorrow the same opinions you have today. What about the world, which is always in movement? As long as it doesn’t harm anyone, change your opinion now and again, and contradict yourself without feeling ashamed – you have a right to that! It doesn’t matter what the others may think – because they are going to think that way no matter what.”
“But we are talking about faith.”
“Exactly! Go on doing what you do, but try to put love in every gesture: that will be enough to organize your quest. Usually we do not lend value to the things we do every day, but those are the things that change the world around us. We think that faith is a task for giants, but just read a few pages of the biography of any holy man and you will discover an absolutely ordinary person – except for the fact that they were determined to share the very best of themselves with others.
“Many emotions move the human heart when it decides to dedicate itself to the spiritual path. This may be a “noble” reason – like faith, love of our neighbor, or charity. Or it may be just a whim, the fear of loneliness, curiosity, or the fear of death. None of that matters. The true spiritual path is stronger than the reasons that led us to it and little by little it imposes itself with love, discipline and dignity. A moment arrives when we look backwards, remember the beginning of our journey, and laugh at ourselves. We have managed to grow, although we traveled the path for reasons that were very futile.”
“How do I know at least that I am traveling this path with love and dignity?”
“God uses loneliness to teach us about living together. Sometimes he uses anger so that we can understand the infinite value of peace. At other times he uses tedium, when he wants to show us the importance of adventure and leaving things behind.
“God uses silence to teach us about the responsibility of what we say. At times he uses fatigue so that we can understand the value of waking up. At other times he uses sickness to show us the importance of health.
“God uses fire to teach us about water. Sometimes he uses earth so that we can understand the value of air. And at times he uses death when he wants to show us the importance of life.”
“And what do we do about the feeling of guilt that we all share?”
“At one of the most tragic moments of the Crucifixion, one of the thieves noticed that the man dying beside him was the Son of God. ‘Lord, remember me when You are in Heaven’, said the thief. ‘In truth, today you shall be with me in Heaven’, answered Jesus, turning a bandit into the first saint of the Catholic Church: Saint Dimas.
“We don’t know why Dimas was condemned to death. The Bible tells us that he confessed his guilt and that he was crucified for the crimes he had committed. Let us suppose that he did something cruel, awful enough to end his life in that fashion; yet, even so, in his final minutes of life, he was redeemed – and glorified – by an act of faith.
“Remember this example when for some reason you feel unable to continue on your path.”
Thank you, Paulo. Although this is an old post, I am happy to read it now. Ill keep it in mind not to lose faith in continuing my journey…
There must have been a divine intervention why i was lead to this blog..
Thank you for sharing Paulo, your stories are always full of wisdom!
love
C.
Passing through and wanted to say hello
your faith can always be restored , by the simplest of things. when robert bruce , a famous rebel was in hiding , he watched a spider climb up its strand of silk and fall off again , it tried again and again and it eventually succeeded. imagine this as your path , and the spider as you , if you try then you will succeed in finding your way
a great hero of mine once said : “life is like a dark tunnel , you
may not be able to see the light at the end but if you keep digging then you will come to a better place”
paulo you have shown me the very tip of my path , i still have a long way to go but i thank you.
just wanna say thanks Sir Paulo coelho
[quote comment="482"]Hello to all the enlightened warriors,
May you all find at least five minutes today and every day to sit back and enjoy all the greatest simplicities in life.
Sunshine, morning birds in song, the wind in the trees that whispers our secrets, the greatest gifts of all are out there for all of us to share, and show others how to share them equally.
Debbie your faith is your greatest ally. I deal with various cardiac patients on a daily basis….their faith is the key to their longevity. You seemed to be surrounded by love and you surround others with equal amounts of love…never forget that through the few minutes of time you spend on your computer reading and commenting on others thoughts you bring prayers for you and your family ….
all the best, this one is for you Debbie who knows how to love and for all those who are still afraid to share it…
As wise as the owl hooting down from its tree,
As far as the horizon stretches over the sea,
As wild as the wolf howling all night long,
As sweet as the morning birds in song.
As old and older than both you and I,
As smart as the dolphin, yet just as shy,
To the time of creation of the world where we live,
And as many precious things it has to give.
It can be for all an absolute passion,
It will come and will go just as does fashion,
If you find it, hold it so safe and so sound,
For all you will feel is this LOVE you have found !
stella…leitor wolf[/quote]
would it possible to post an emotion in appreciation that builds a soft slow smile just before the laughter that gurgles with joy?
Dear Paulo
From the moment I read The Alchemist, I have been an ardent follower of all your work. I thoroughly enjoy the reading Warrior of the light newsletters and reflecting upon my own life and learning from there. It is awesome how simply and beautiful life’s complex issues you put in the easiest way to read. Far from the jargon filled complex writng of today. From the constant humdrum of a fast paced life, how soothing to take a few minutes out to feel the calm of someone’s wise words. Thanks for all the inspiration you provide to make sense of an otherwise a senseless world we seem to live in.
Thank you Stella for your lovely poem! And to Amanto for his kind words…I feel so blessed today!
My son’s doctor said that he will be fine…just needs to exercise more. I am so thankful for that! (Phew!) We are about to celebrate Thanksgiving this week and I feel that I truly have much to be thankful for this year, although I always try to keep a grateful heart, anyhow.
I was thinking about what Amanto said in regards to married people seeming to forget why they got together in the first place, and from what I’ve seen with the people in my life…I’ve noticed that many people grow apart because they aren’t continually communicating, and/or being honest about their feelings…and then resentment starts to grow and infect the good that was there. The more you let it grow, the harder it is to remember the good stuff that was once there.
When I first got married I found this book in a Christain book store entitled, ‘YOU can be the wife of a happy husband!’
I bought it and read it, even though I knew it seemed really ‘corny’ but the advice in it was great. I never forgot it and always attributed it to our happiness. It said that in a marriage, or any close relationship, that the other person is the biggest mirror you’ll ever have. A marriage will bring up all the nastiest things about yourself through the other person. Your mate will be able to push all of your buttons. But, that this is a good thing because in order to grow, you have to know your faults. And, you can either be offended by it or accept your faults and be open and willing to change them. But, both people have to be willing to do that. Fortunately, I knew my husband was that kind of person and was the reason I decided to marry him. And, it’s been great for us. I could kill him sometimes when he points out something that I don’t want to see about myself, but, after a while, (when I calm down!) I’ll think about it and realize he was right and will then try to change. And he does the same. We try not to get offended when each of us tries to correct each other.
I’ve also noticed that you can’t be a selfish person in a marriage. You always have to be willing to compromise on any and everything… unless it will devalue one of the people involved.
One more thing for those of you who aren’t attached!! Because we find our mates through pheromones that we release in our sweat glands, when you are looking for a mate…be sure to not wear perfumes and scented body hygiene products because it might mask your natural scent and you might attract people who are really only attracted to the pheromones that are in your perfumes! I know this sounds weird, but, I think there’s something to this!
In fact, just last week, I had the feeling to email one of my friends about this, as she is dating someone whom she is not sure of. She called me the next day to tell me that right after she read my email, she went to see her boyfriend without any perfume on, without saying anything to him, and out of the blue, he commented to her that he didn’t like the way she smelled! And that he’s really attracted to the perfume that she usually wears and would she always wear it for him?! Ha! I couldn’t believe it!! So, the moral of the story is..when searching for a mate…be sure to smell your worst!
So, have a great day everyone…still looking forward to reading Paulo’s newest posting which should be coming out tomorrow..right?
Sincerely,
-The Grateful Deb
Hi Debbie!
Haven’t you seen in the ordinary photo-album PCs great red winterjacket? Shining red a long way
Hello to all the enlightened warriors,
May you all find at least five minutes today and every day to sit back and enjoy all the greatest simplicities in life.
Sunshine, morning birds in song, the wind in the trees that whispers our secrets, the greatest gifts of all are out there for all of us to share, and show others how to share them equally.
Debbie your faith is your greatest ally. I deal with various cardiac patients on a daily basis….their faith is the key to their longevity. You seemed to be surrounded by love and you surround others with equal amounts of love…never forget that through the few minutes of time you spend on your computer reading and commenting on others thoughts you bring prayers for you and your family ….
all the best, this one is for you Debbie who knows how to love and for all those who are still afraid to share it…
As wise as the owl hooting down from its tree,
As far as the horizon stretches over the sea,
As wild as the wolf howling all night long,
As sweet as the morning birds in song.
As old and older than both you and I,
As smart as the dolphin, yet just as shy,
To the time of creation of the world where we live,
And as many precious things it has to give.
It can be for all an absolute passion,
It will come and will go just as does fashion,
If you find it, hold it so safe and so sound,
For all you will feel is this LOVE you have found !
stella…leitor wolf
hi Deb,
Very nice posting..
Prayerfully waiting to hear about ur son’s health. May the almighty bless you…
your advice ( Deb- who gives advice without asking!!) on marriage is really great! Actually, these days i was wondering.. how do love fades from the heart of couples who got married after knowing well they truly love each other? Where do the love goes which was so strong and powerfull once?
When i see the aged couple who walks hand in hand i feel a divine presence! Yes God is the light on their path!
Hi Paulo and Fellow Bloggers,
I want to thank those of you who offered prayers for my son. So far, things are looking good for him. I’m awaiting final results this morning, and am holding my breath about it. I was told his heart has too many extra beats. You’d think that would be a good thing! More beats equals more love? The first doctor informed me that many people just drop dead from an irregular heartbeat, (such tact!) so you can imagine my fear!
The second doctor says that he should be ok. Don’t get me started on how angry I am with medical doctors that thrive on instilling fear in their patients, because I’ll never shut up about it! Ha!
My internet service has been down since Thursday and it’s still not right regarding email, but I was able to at least get on here today to read the postings. My email address has changed, too, to those of you who are writing me, but I don’t have the new one up and running yet, so, will keep you posted. (I’m not ignoring you! Honest!) It will be ommmmm@comcast.net eventually.
Glad to see you again Peter! Your Dad’s advice is good advice, but I know I’m too much of a fool to take it.
To Leitor Wolf, I loved the puzzle analogy, too!
To Nellie, Good luck with your marriage! I had cold feet, too, before my wedding…I think it’s perfectly normal. My husband and I have just celebrated our 20th year together and we’re still very much in love. Just continue to keep the lines of communication open, talk about EVERYTHING, no matter how painful, always be honest, always be respectful of each other, and know that there will be ups and downs, but no matter how low you go, if you both are willing to look at the issues and work on them, then you can survive any storm.
It’s interesting how you realized about the different love we can have for others. Sometimes it can be confusing. What helped me with it was when I read what Yogananda said about love. He said that when you love someone or something, that they are just a vehicle for God’s love which is shining through that person or thing. And God wants you to realize that it’s really God that you are loving. He is the Giver of the Gifts and you are really loving the Giver and not the gifts. Or, at least that’s his hope!
I don’t know if this makes any sense as I have limited time and am writing fast, as usual! 
I was intrigued by what ‘Wondering Why’ said in regards to not loving people, because I’m the opposite, usually loving people first, and getting disillusioned when and if someone hurts me. My first thought in regards to reading that posting was that maybe ‘Wondering Why’ judges him or herself too harshly, and it’s being mirrored in his or her thoughts about others. Since our eyes only look outward, we usually project our feelings outside of us -onto others- which is why our thoughts and comments about others usually say more about our relationship to ourselves. Had to laugh, though about the cat hair comment! Ha!
To Hazel! I’m sorry to hear about the abortion. I know that I probably would have resorted to that at one time in my life, as well, and am thankful that I never was in that position. But, I do believe, as I mentioned in my story, that it’s just one of those learning experiences that are there for a reason. I’m so glad that you found some solace in what I wrote. It gave me goosebumps reading your posting! It helped me to know that some good sometimes comes out of my rantings! Ha!
Good luck in your continued healing, and remember to pass it on. 
To Lavendercat, I loved your dream about Paulo…I am always fascinated to hear other people’s dreams and to help interpret them (one of my hobbies!). But, the reason I was especially drawn to your dream is because I sense that Paulo was a priest in a past life. He probably thinks I’m nuts, but that’s my feeling on the matter.
I suppose he’s like a priest in this life, too, which is why you had the dream. I like to think that it’s because my feelings about his past life are right. Hey! I can dream, can’t I? OK…bad pun! 
My theory is that because of his past life as a Catholic Priest, he is stuck in the mindset that he still has to wear black all the time! Hee hee! 
My minutes are up, I need to go. Looking forward to your new posting this week, Paulo! I pray you are well.
Sincerely,
-Deb
Who is going crazy without a properly functioning internet service! Yikes!
To Deb,
Good Wishes to u and ur family…
I will remember u in my prayers……..
with lots of lov to fellow WOL’s
Amanto
Hi, dear Paulo! I read The Alchemist then loved your wittings. Forgive me I can’t read it earlier, for I’m a Chinese and don’t have a good access to your works. Thanks to the Internet, I have got a habit to visit your blog regularly and sometimes I did quote from your blog passages. I really like it, really. This is the very first time I write here, hope you can read this and know my sincerity.
also i think they new layout looks really cool. : D
from reading this and listening and observing for signs i am finding alot of co-incidences : )
i am getting some signs involving light. it is amazing. then just now i realized that the site is called “warrior of the light”. : D
a girl i know online makes photos. she said yesterday in her blog:
“‘seeing is metamorphosis, not mechanism’: it ‘alters the thing that is seen and transforms the seer.” which is a quote from a book by james elkins, an art historian.
i suddenly noticed the word “seer” and how its also the name of a mystical person of some kind ? well i have had some co-incidences with gandalf from lord of the rings lol, and so i thought that i bet if i looked for a picture of a seer, they would have on a grey or white robe.
well, they did. LOL. i love these co-incidences but also they scare me. also i had a vision of some eyes last night and they werent kind eyes.
I really enjoyed visiting your site, just now, for the first time. You are my favorite author. When I first attempted to read The Alchemist, I was perhaps only twelve or thirteen years of age. My mother, an avid reader, had read it and encouraged me to read it as well. I was, forgive me for admitting so, bored by the first several pages. I put the book down and did not attempt to re-read it again until I was a young adult; nineteen or twenty years of age it must have been. I must tell you that it put me to tears. I had gotten chills from the messages that engolfed nearly every page. So must meaning and so much truth contained within each page.
After another year or so I picked up another copy of the book, as I had given the first copy to a friend, and reread the book. Again I found new meaning and more defined truth to the words. My admiration for you being able to surrender to your inner-Self to find and extract such truth, and then share it with the world, is beyond my appreciation. You have inspired me so much with your books and helped me along my Personal Legend.
Just yesterday I read your book, “the Zahir” and found it so surreal since you yourself are a writer with many of the experiences as the narrator. I loved the way that your character, the narrator, tells how he writes; the long process that begins with laziness or busyness or not being in the mood, to the feeling of guilt that finally wins resulting in a wild and extreme writing session (perhaps even an obsession) ending arround 2am because of eye fatigue. I found it very similar to my own writing process, I had, while a student writing for English composition courses in college. Also, similar was the going inside (you put it as, “finding an island”) to extract what the soul has to say; writing from the unconscious state of who we are. Please pardon my paraphrasing and mistakes as I don’t have the book in front of me.
I read most of the book in one afternoon, and I’m naturally a very slow reader, and found that the book read quite fast and very smoothly, it kept my interest to the breaking point of deciding wether I should sleep to make my job interview or keep reading and miss it. I seriously contemplated both, but finally sleep won out against the reading. But, as I laid there in bed, contemplating my future, I had a hard time getting to sleep. I think it may have even been your book that I was pondering over that was keeping me from finding sleep. At one point I even got up and resumed reading once more, but then became tired, and drifted.
You are an inspiration.
Thank You,
Chandra Dhopatkar
PS my web page is now open, but i need to up date is next week!!