Paulo Coelho

By Paulo Coelho

Part of the training of a Zen Buddhist monk is a practice known as takuhatsu – the begging pilgrimage. As well as helping the monasteries, which depend for their existence on donations, and teaching the student humility, this practice has another purpose too, that of purifying the town in which the monk lives.

This is because, according to Zen philosophy, the giver, the beggar and the alms money itself all form part of an important chain of equilibrium.

The person doing the begging does so because he is needy, but the person doing the giving also does so out of need.

The alms money serves as a link between these two needs, and the atmosphere in the town improves, since everyone is able to act in a way in which he or she needed to act.

Welcome to Share with Friends – Free Texts for a Free Internet

A couple of days ago, I picked up this book, for no rhyme or reason, and then finished reading it over the next 48 hours. No matter how absurd it seems, time and again I have discovered that books end up being read only when the time is right.

Although I had a copy for more than a year or so, I kept putting off reading The Zahir by Paulo Coelho because I had ….
 
This article is written by Manoj Khatri. Please visit the blog Wordly Wise to read the rest.

‘As everyone knows, the life of a cloud is very busy and very short,’ writes Bruno Ferrero. And here’s a related story.
A young cloud was born in the midst of a great storm over the Mediterranean Sea, but he did not even have time to grow up there, for a strong wind pushed all the clouds over towards Africa.

As soon as the clouds reached the …
 
This article is written by Ezan. Please visit the blog Epitome of Simplicity to read the rest.

“Keep looking in the mirror. Who can you see?”
“A woman.”
“And what is there beyond that woman?”
She hesitated. I asked again and she said, “Another woman, more …
 
This article is written by Shanti. Please visit the blog ana_morphic to read the rest.

By Paulo Coelho

One of the monks at Sceta committed a grave fault, and the wisest hermit was summoned to judge him.
 
The hermit refused, but when the other monks insisted, he answered their call. He arrived carrying on his back a bucket with a hole in it, out of which sand was spilling.
 
‘I came to judge my brother,’ said the hermit to the monastery superior. ‘My sins are spilling out behind me like the sand from this bucket, but since I don’t look back and don’t notice my own sins, I was summoned to judge my brother!’
 
The monks immediately gave up any idea of punishment.

Welcome to Share with Friends – Free Texts for a Free Internet

I was interviewed by Kevin Carroll. In today’s episode Kevin, the Katalyst, Carroll is offering me a very special gift.
Visit his blog for more information.

This summer she read his books The Devil and Miss Prym and The Witch of Portobello. She also likes Sherman Alexie, who writes about life on Indian Reservations, and, of course, Esmerelda Santiago. She learns about the books she will …
 
This article is written by Sonya. Please visit the blog Dogeared to read the rest.

I just finished reading The Alchemist for the second time after many years and I forgot what a powerful book it is. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. Author Paul Coelho used a term throughout the book…
 
This article is written by Linda. Please visit the blog Awaken the Genie Within to read the rest.

When I found this novel by Paulo Coelho on the bargain rack of a local bookstore, I believed that it would be a nice, quick read that would provide a change of pace from my usual medical/public health related books. …
 
This article is written by Kirstyn. Please visit the blog Kirstyn E’s Weblog to read the rest.

By Paulo Coelho

A boy crossed the desert and finally arrived at the monastery of Sceta, near Alexandria. There he asked and was given permission to attend one of the abbot’s talks.

That afternoon, the abbot spoke of the importance of their work in the fields.

At the end of the talk, the boy said to one of the monks:

‘I was really shocked. I expected to hear an enlightened sermon on sin and virtue, but the abbot talked only about tomatoes and irrigation and things like that. Where I come from we all believe that God is mercy and that all we have to do is pray.’

The monk smiled and said:

‘Here we believe that God has done His part and now it is up to us to continue the process.’

Welcome to Share with Friends – Free Texts for a Free Internet

Do you think you’re following your personal legend?

The book we read was The Witch of Portobello by Paolo Coelho. Its format was a little unusual. The witch is a young woman named Athena. It is disclosed at the beginning that she has died. Her story is told through the words and from the …
 
This article is written by Sarah Mitchell. Please visit the blog Sarah with an H to read the rest.

Ur "Manual of the Warrior of Light" av Paulo Coelho A warrior of light knows that certain moments repeat themselves. He often finds himself faced with the same problems and situations, and seeing these difficult situations return, …
 
This article is written by Sockerklump. Please visit the blog Sockerklump to read the rest.

A week ago, in my attempt to clean junks in my house, I ran into this book again. I flipped it over casually and intrigued by one of the quote "The heart decides, and what it decides is all that really matters"
 
This article is written by Wiwi. Please visit the blog Wiwi’s Sanctuary to read the rest.