Problems of communication
Published on October 15, 2009 in Warrior Of Light.
In front of the cathedral

I was feeling very lonely when I left Mass in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral right in the heart of New York.

Suddenly I was approached by a Brazilian:

“I very much need to talk to you,” he said.

I was so enthused by this meeting that I began to talk about everything that was important to me. I spoke of magic, God’s blessings, love. He listened to everything in silence, thanked me and went away.

Instead of feeling happy, I felt lonelier than before. Later on I realized that in my enthusiasm I had not paid any attention to what that Brazilian wanted.

Talk to me.

I tossed my words to the wind, because that was not what the Universe was wanting at that moment: I would have been much more useful if I had listened to what he had to say.



Whom do we love?

Ever since we are children, we are asked: do you love daddy? Do you love auntie? Do you love your teacher?

Nobody asks: do you love yourself?

And we end up spending a good deal of our life and energy trying to please others. But what about ourselves? Jesuit Anthony Mello has a fine story on this subject.

Mother and son are at a snack-bar. After taking the mother’s order, the waitress turns to the boy:

“And what will you be wanting?”

“A hotdog.”

“Nothing of the sort,” says the mother. “He wants a steak and salad.”

Ignoring the comment, the waitress asks the boy:

“Do you want that with mustard or ketchup?”

“Both,” answers the boy.

And then he turns to the mother in surprise:

“Mother! SHE THINKS THAT I’M FOR REAL!”



Nobody believes

Legend has it that right after his Enlightenment, Buddha decided to go for a walk in the country. On the way he came upon a farmer, who was impressed at the light shining from the master.

“My friend, who are you?” asked the farmer. “Because I have the feeling that I am standing before an angel, or a God.”

“I am nothing of the sort,” answered Buddha.

“Maybe you’re a powerful sorcerer?”

“Not that either.”

“So, what makes you so different from the others that even a simple peasant like me notices it?”

“I am just someone who has awoken to life. That’s all. But I tell everyone that, and nobody believes me.”



The umbrella

As tradition dictates, upon entering his Zen master’s house, the disciple left his shoes and umbrella outside.

“I saw through the window that you were arriving,” said the master. “Did you leave your shoes to the right or the left of the umbrella?”

“I haven’t the least idea. But what does that matter? I was thinking of the secret of Zen!”

“If you don’t pay attention in life, you will never learn anything. Communicate with life, pay each moment the attention it deserves – that is the only secret of Zen.”


Copyright @ 2009 by Paulo Coelho
Wojownik światła jest cykliczną, internetową publikacją autorstwa Paulo Coelho.
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Things as they are
Published on August 5, 2009 in Warrior Of Light.
Of course things don’t always happen they way we wish they would. There are moments in which we feel we are seeking something that is not meant for us, knocking on doors that don’t open, waiting for miracles that don’t manifest themselves.

Fortunately that is the way things are – if everything went the way we wanted, soon we would no longer have anything to write about, nothing to guide our daily thoughts. This script serves our dreams as nourishment, but to our battles as energy. And as it always happens with the warriors that spend all their energy in the Good Fight, there are moments in which it is best to relax and believe that the Universe is still working for us secretly, even if we cannot comprehend it.

And so, let us allow the Soul of the World to fulfill its mission, and if we can’t help, the best way to collaborate is to pay attention to the simple things in life; the sunset, the people in the street, the reading of a book.

However, in many cases, time continues passing and nothing exceptional happens. But the true warrior of light believes. Just like children believe.

Because they believe in miracles, the miracles begin to happen.

Because they are certain that their thoughts can change their lives, their lives begin to change.

Because they are certain they will find love, this love appears.

Sometimes they are disappointed. Sometimes they feel hurt.

Then they hear the comments, “you are so naïve!”

But the warrior knows it is worth the price. To each defeat, there are two conquests in his favor.

In an interesting and diminutive book called “The Breviary of Medieval Knights,” there are some passages that have to be remembered in these moments of waiting:

“The Path’s spiritual energy uses justice and patience to prepare your spirit.”

“This is the Knight’s Path. An easy and hard path at the same time, as it urges us to let aside useless things and relative friendships. That is why, at the beginning, we hesitate so much to follow it.”

“This is a Knight’s first teaching: you will erase everything you wrote up to now on your life’s notebook: turmoil, insecurities, lies. And in place of all that, you will write the word courage. Beginning the journey with this word and going on with faith in God, you will arrive where you need to arrive.”

Even so, sometimes we keep on waiting – with patience, resignation, courage – and still, things around us don’t move. But since this is the path we chose, it seems impossible that life’s blessings are not working in our favor. It provokes, therefore, a deep reflection about what we call “results:” our destiny is manifesting itself in a way we are not able to fully comprehend . Jorge Luís Borges wrote a masterly short story about this issue.

He describes the birth of a tiger that spends great part of its life in the African wildness but ends up being captured and taken to a zoo in Italy. From then on, the animal thinks his life has lost sense and there is nothing left to do but wait for the day he dies.

One fine day, poet Dante Alighieri passes by this zoo, looks at the tiger, and the animal inspires a verse – in the midst of thousands of verses – of “The Divine Comedy.”

“The entire battle for survival that tiger went through was only so that it could be at the zoo on that morning and inspire an immortal verse,” says Borges.

Just like this tiger, we all have a reason – a very important reason – to be here, at this moment, this morning.

So relax. And pay attention.


Wydanie nr 204:
Prawdziwy stan rzeczy
Wydanie nr 203:
Cztery siły
Wydanie nr 202:
Czym jest szczęście?
Wydanie nr 201:
Magiczna chwila
Wydanie nr 200:
Stosunki pozamałżeńskie zwierząt
Wydanie nr 199:
Jak zaprowadzono porządek w pewnym mieście
~ Zobacz wszystkie wydania ~


Wyślij e-mail do autora
Oficjalna strona Paulo Coelho
Inne strony poświęcone P.Coelho
Copyright @ 2007 by Paulo Coelho
Wojownik światła jest cykliczną, internetową publikacją autorstwa Paulo Coelho.
Treść może być rozpowszechniana bez ograniczeń, publikowana na innych stronach
internetowych, zawierających wyłącznie bezpłatnie udostępniane treści, pod warunkiem
podania źródła: "Wojownik światła, publikacja www.paulocoelho.com.br"
Autor zastrzega sobie prawo do możliwości zmiany tych warunków, w każdej chwili.

Prawdziwy stan rzeczy

Nie zawsze dzieje się to, co chcemy. W niektórych momentach czujemy, że szukamy czegoś, co nie jest nam przeznaczone. Pukamy do drzwi, które się nie otwierają, na próżno oczekujemy cudu.

Na szczęście taki właśnie jest stan rzeczy – gdyby wszystko układało się zgodnie z naszymi oczekiwaniami, nie mielibyśmy o czym pisać, a w naszych myślach zapanowałby chaos. Ten scenariusz jest pożywieniem dla naszych marzeń, dzięki niemu mamy energię, by walczyć. Podobnie jak wojownicy, którzy zużywają całą swoją energię w Dobrej Walce, powinniśmy się nauczyć relaksować w niektórych momentach i wierzyć, że Wszechświat sprzyja nam w sekrecie, chociaż nie potrafimy tego pojąć.

Tak więc pozwólmy, by Dusza Świata wypełniła swoją misję. Jeśli nie możemy wspomóc tego procesu, najlepszym sposobem współpracy jest poświęcenie uwagi prostym rzeczom w życiu takim jak zachody słońca, ludzie na ulicy i czytanie książek.

A jednak w wielu przypadkach czas mija i nie dzieje się nic niezwykłego. Ale prawdziwy wojownik światła wierzy. Jak dziecko.

Wierzy w cuda i dlatego cuda się wydarzają.

Jest pewien, że jego myśli mogą zmienić jego życie i dlatego jego życie zaczyna się zmieniać.

Jest pewien, że znajdzie miłość i znajduje ją.

Czasem wojownik światła przeżywa rozczarowanie. Bywa, że czuje ból.
Słyszy wtedy komentarze w stylu: „Jesteś taki naiwny!”.
Ale wojownik wie, że warto zapłacić tę cenę. Po każdej klęsce odnosi dwa zwycięstwa.

W ciekawej, małej książeczce „Brewiarz Rycerzy Średniowiecznych” jest wiele fragmentów, które warto sobie przypomnieć w chwilach oczekiwania:
„Duchowa energia Drogi wykorzystuje sprawiedliwość i cierpliwość, by przygotować twą duszę.”

„Oto Droga Rycerza. Droga ta jest jednocześnie trudna i łatwa, skłania nas do porzucenia bezużytecznych rzeczy i nic nie znaczących przyjaźni. Dlatego na początku tak się wahamy, zanim na nią wstąpimy.”
„Oto pierwsza nauka rycerza: wymażesz wszystko, co do tej pory zapisałeś w księdze swojego życia: chaos, niepewność, kłamstwa. Na ich miejscu napiszesz słowo „odwaga”. Jeśli zaczniesz podróż od tego słowa i będziesz wierzyć w Boga, dotrzesz tam, dokąd powinieneś dotrzeć.”

Czasem nic się nie dzieje, chociaż czekamy cierpliwie, z rezygnacją i odwagą. Ale jeśli wybraliśmy tę drogę, wydaje się niemożliwe, by błogosławieństwa życia nie działały na naszą korzyść. Skłania nas to do głębokiej refleksji na temat „rezultatów”: nasze przeznaczenie manifestuje się w sposób, którego nie jesteśmy w stanie zrozumieć. Jorge Luis Borges napisał wspaniałe opowiadanie na ten temat.

Opisuje w nim narodziny tygrysa, który spędził większą część swojego życia w afrykańskiej dżungli, ale w końcu został złapany i zamknięty we włoskim zoo. Od tego momentu zwierzę czuje, że jego życie nie ma sensu, pozostaje mu tylko czekać na śmierć.

Pewnego dnia poeta Dante Alighieri przechodzi obok zoo i zauważa tygrysa, który staje się inspiracją do napisania poematu „Boska Komedia”
„Walka tygrysa o przetrwanie miała sens, ponieważ znalazł się on tamtego ranka w zoo i stał się inspiracją do napisania nieśmiertelnego poematu” – mówi Borges.

My także mamy powód, podobnie jak tygrys – bardzo ważny powód, by być tu właśnie tego ranka, w tym momencie.

Tak więc – nauczcie się relaksować. I bądźcie uważni.

Wydanie nr 204:
Prawdziwy stan rzeczy
Wydanie nr 203:
Cztery siły
Wydanie nr 202:
Czym jest szczęście?
Wydanie nr 201:
Magiczna chwila
Wydanie nr 200:
Stosunki pozamałżeńskie zwierząt
Wydanie nr 199:
Jak zaprowadzono porządek w pewnym mieście
~ Zobacz wszystkie wydania ~


Wyślij e-mail do autora
Oficjalna strona Paulo Coelho
Inne strony poświęcone P.Coelho
Copyright @ 2007 by Paulo Coelho
Wojownik światła jest cykliczną, internetową publikacją autorstwa Paulo Coelho.
Treść może być rozpowszechniana bez ograniczeń, publikowana na innych stronach
internetowych, zawierających wyłącznie bezpłatnie udostępniane treści, pod warunkiem
podania źródła: "Wojownik światła, publikacja www.paulocoelho.com.br"
Autor zastrzega sobie prawo do możliwości zmiany tych warunków, w każdej chwili.

« The Sign Twenty years later »
Deep in the heart
Published on July 4, 2007 in Warrior Of Light.
Some months ago I published here a column with the title “The basement secrets”, describing a retreat that ended in a magic dinner in the underground area of Melk Abbey in Austria. In that article I commented that on looking deep into the basement of my soul, all that I could find were my mistakes, and that I would try to organize them so that rather than frighten me, they would help me understand better those things that I should not repeat. Among other people, I was in the company of the Abbot, Dr. Burkhard Ellegast, OSB, whom I consider a spiritual master, although we do not have a language in common (I can’t even ask for a glass of water in German). To my surprise, Abbot Burkhard wrote a text about “The basement secrets”, and here I adapt some of his reflections.

“We often wonder: how come that happened to us? All of a sudden I saw myself surrounded by people who were willing to reflect on the meaning of life. What could I say to these people, if all that had happened in my life was to enter an abbey at an early age and later be put in charge of directing this same abbey for 26 years?”

“I think that people look at me as if I had an answer to everything. But all that I decided to do was speak a little about myself. To say that my faith is capable of keeping me alive and enthusiastic and to go ahead despite the moments of pessimism. Then I explained my motto: if I ever make a false step and get dragged down to the bottom, this will never be done in a quiet manner. Everyone will see and hear me shouting, kicking, and waving flags so that I can serve as an alert for those who will come later.

“Because of this motto, I know that I will hardly make others follow me in my errors, and so I manage to master my fear and risk sailing my boat into unknown waters. I know, of course, that if I begin to drown, despite all the noise that I will be making, I will still be able to raise my hand and beg: God, please come to my help! In all certainty I will be heard, and a new path will be opened”.

“... I read an extract from the diary of the main character, where she tells the story of a lovely bird who used to visit her. She admired it so much that one day she decided to keep it in a cage so that she could always have its singing and its beauty near her. As the days went by, she grew used to the new company and lost that wonderful feeling of waiting for that free soul to come visit her from time to time, without being obliged to do so. The bird in turn was unable to sing in captivity, and ended up dying. Only then did she understand that love needs freedom to express all its charm – although freedom implies risks.

“We tend to want to capture things because we usually see freedom as something that has no borders or responsibilities. And because of this we also end up trying to enslave all that we love – as if egoism were the only way to keep our world well balanced. Love does not limit, it broadens our horizons, we can see clearly what lies outside and we can see even more clearly the dark places in our heart.

“Although I do not speak English, I could understand everything that Coelho’s eyes and gestures said. I can still remember when he asked me, through one of the people present, what he should do now. I answered him: keep on looking.

“And even when you find, keep on looking, with enthusiasm and curiosity. In spite of the mistakes that will eventually be committed, love is stronger, it allows the bird to fly free, and each step will be not just a movement forward but will contain in itself a whole new path”.

Published on July 8, 2009 in Warrior Of Light.
What is happiness?

This is a question that has not bothered me for a long time, precisely because I don’t know how to answer it.

I am not the only one. Through all these years I have lived with all sorts of people: rich and poor, powerful and mediocre. In the eyes of all who have crossed my path – and here I include warriors and wise men, people who should have nothing to complain about – I have always found that there was something missing.

Some people seem to be happy: they just do not think about it. Others make plans: “I’m going to have a husband, a home, two children, and a house in the country”. While this keeps them occupied, they are like bulls looking for the bullfighter: they don’t think, they just keep moving forward. They manage to get their car – sometimes even a Ferrari – and they think that the meaning of life lies there, so they never ask the question. Yet, despite all that, their eyes betray a sadness that they themselves are quite unaware of.

I don’t know if everyone is unhappy. I do know that people are always busy: working overtime, looking after the kids, the husband, the career, the university degree, what to do tomorrow, what they need to buy, whatever it is they need to have in order not to feel inferior, and so on.

Few people have ever told me: “I’m unhappy”. Most say: “I’m fine, I’ve managed to get all I ever wanted”.

So then I ask: “What makes you happy?”

They answer: “I have everything that a person can dream of – a family, a home, work, good health”.

I ask again: “Have you ever stopped to wonder if that is all there is to life?”

They answer: “Yes, that’s all there is”.

I insist: “So the meaning of life is work, the family, children who grow up and leave you, a wife or husband who will become more like a friend than a true love-mate. And one day the work will come to an end. What will you do when that happens?”

They answer: there is no answer. They change the subject. But there is always something hidden there: the owner of a firm who has still to close the deal he has always dreamed of, the housewife who would like to have more independence or more money, the new graduate who wonders whether he has chosen his career or has had it chosen for him, the dentist who wanted to be a singer, the singer who wanted to be a politician, the politician who wanted to be a writer, and the writer who wanted to be a peasant.

In this street where I am sit writing this column and looking at the people passing by, I bet that everyone is feeling the same thing. That elegant woman who has just walked by spends her days trying to stop time, controlling the bathroom scales, because she thinks love depends on that. On the other side of the street I see a couple with two children. They live moments of intense happiness when they go out with their kids, but at the same time their subconscious is busy thinking about the job they might not get, the tragedies that might occur, how to get over them, how to protect themselves from the world.

I leaf through magazines filled with famous people: everybody laughing, everybody very happy. But since this is a segment of society that I am quite familiar with, I know it is not like that: everyone is laughing or enjoying themselves at the moment that photo is taken, but at night, or in the morning, the story is always quite different. “What can I do to keep on appearing in the magazine?”, “how can I disguise not having enough money to afford all this luxury?” or “how can I manage this life of splendor to make it even more luxurious, more expressive than other people’s?”, “the actress whom I am seen with in this photo, laughing and having a great time, she could steal my part tomorrow!”, or “I wonder if my clothes are nicer than hers. Why do we smile so much if we loathe one another?”

To end, I recall the words of Jorge Luis Borges: “I will not be happy any more, but that doesn’t matter, / there are many other things in this world”.

Do not doubt the search

Sri Ramakrishna tells of a man who was just about to cross a river when the teacher Bibhishana approached him, wrote a name on a piece of paper, fixed it to the man’s back and said:

‘Fear not. Your faith will help you to walk upon the waters. But the moment you lose your faith, you will drown.’

The man trusted Bibhishana and began to walk effortlessly across the waters. At one point, however, he had an immense desire to know what his teacher had written on the piece of paper fixed to his back.

He got hold of it and read what was written on it: ‘Oh God Rama, help this man to cross the river.’

‘Is that all?’ thought the man. ‘Who is this god Rama anyway?’

As soon as doubt entered his mind, he went under and was drowned.

Copyright @ 2007 by Paulo Coelho
Wojownik światła jest cykliczną, internetową publikacją autorstwa Paulo Coelho.
Treść może być rozpowszechniana bez ograniczeń, publikowana na innych stronach
internetowych, zawierających wyłącznie bezpłatnie udostępniane treści, pod warunkiem
podania źródła: "Wojownik światła, publikacja www.paulocoelho.com.br"
Autor zastrzega sobie prawo do możliwości zmiany tych warunków, w każdej chwili.