ManuscriptFoundINAccra

THISISABORZOIBOOKPUBLISHEDBYALFREDA.KNOPF

Translationcopyright©2013byMargaretJullCosta

Allrightsreserved.PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyAlfredA.Knopf,adivisionofRandomHouse,Inc.,NewYork,andinCanadabyRandomHouseofCanadaLimited,Toronto.

www.aaknopf.com

OriginallypublishedinBrazilasManuscritoEncontradoemAccrabySextante,RiodeJaneiro,in2012.Copyright©2012byPauloCoelho.

Knopf,BorzoiBooks,andthecolophonareregisteredtrademarksofRandomHouse,Inc.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataCoelho,Paulo.

[ManuscritoencontradoemAccra.English]ManuscriptfoundinAccra:anovel/byPauloCoelho.—

FirstUnitedStatesedition.pagescm

“OriginallypublishedinBrazilasManuscritoencantradoemAccrabySextante,RiodeJaneiro,in2012”—T.p.verso.

eISBN:978-0-385-34984-0I.Title.

PQ9698.13.O3546M3613869.3′42—dc232012042426

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentseitheraretheproductoftheauthor’simaginationorareusedfictitiously.Anyresemblancetoactualpersons,livingordead,

events,orlocalesisentirelycoincidental.

Jacketimage:WoodcutofJerusalem©LebrechtMusic&Arts/Corbis

JacketdesignbyLindaHuang

v3.1

Contents

CoverTitlePageCopyrightEpigraph1DedicationEpigraph2

PrefaceandGreetingManuscriptFoundinAccra

OtherBooksbyThisAuthorANoteAbouttheAuthor

OMary,conceivedwithoutsin,prayforthosewhoturntoYou.Amen.

ForN.R.S.M.,ingratitudeforthemiracle

DaughtersofJerusalem,weepnotforme,butweepforyourselves,andforyourchildren.

Luke23:28v

PrefaceandGreetingInDecemberof1945,twobrotherslookingforaplacetorestfoundanurnfullofpapyrusesinacaveintheregionofHamraDom,inUpperEgypt. Instead of telling the local authorities—as the law demanded—they decided to sell them singly in the market for antiquities, thusavoiding attracting the government’s attention. The boys’ mother,fearing “negative energies,” burned several of the newly discoveredpapyruses.The followingyear, for reasonshistorydoesnot record, thebrothers

quarreled.Attributingthisquarreltothosesupposed“negativeenergies,”themother handed over themanuscripts to a priest, who sold one ofthem to theCopticMuseum inCairo.There, thepapyrusesweregiventhenametheystillbeartothisday:manuscriptsfromNagHammadi(areferencetothetownnearesttothecaveswheretheywerefound).Oneof themuseum’s experts, the religious historian JeanDoresse, realizedtheimportanceofthediscoveryandmentioneditforthefirsttimeinapublicationdated1948.The other papyruses began to appear on the black market. The

Egyptiangovernmenttriedtopreventthemanuscriptsfromleavingthecountry. After the 1952 revolution, most of the material was handedover to theCopticMuseum inCairo and declared part of the nationalheritage. Only one text eluded them, and this turned up in anantiquarianshopinBelgium.AftervainattemptstosellitinNewYorkandParis,itwasfinallyacquiredbytheCarlJungInstitutein1951.Onthedeathofthefamouspsychoanalyst,thepapyrus,nowknownasJungCodex, returned to Cairo, where the almost one thousand pages andfragmentsofthemanuscriptsfromNagHammadiarenowtobefound.

ThepapyrusesareGreektranslationsoftextswrittenbetweentheendofthefirstcenturyBCandAD180,andtheyconstituteabodyofworkalsoknownastheApocryphalGospelsbecausetheyarenotincludedintheBibleasweknowittoday.Now,whyisthat?

InAD170,agroupofbishopsmettodecidewhichtextswouldformpartof theNewTestament.Thecriterionwassimpleenough:anythingthatcouldbeusedtocombattheheresiesanddoctrinaldivisionsoftheagewouldbeincluded.Thefourgospelsweknowtodaywerechosen,aswere the letters fromtheapostlesandwhateverelsewas judgedtobe,shallwesay,“coherent”withwhatthebishopsbelievedtobethemaintenetofChristianity.Referencetothismeetingofthebishopsandtheirlist of authorized books can be found in the Muratorian Canon. Theother books, like those found in Nag Hammadi, were omitted eitherbecausetheywerewrittenbywomen(forexample,theGospelaccordingtoMaryMagdalene)orbecausetheydepictedaJesuswhowasawareofhis divinemission andwhose passage throughdeathwould, therefore,belessdrawnoutandpainful.

In 1974, the English archaeologist Sir Walter Wilkinson discoveredanother manuscript, this time written in three languages: Arabic,Hebrew, and Latin. Conscious of the laws protecting such finds in theregion,hesentthetexttotheDepartmentofAntiquitiesintheMuseumofCairo. Shortly afterward, back came a response: therewere at least155 copies of the document circulating in the world (three of whichbelonged to the museum), and they were all practically identical.Carbon-14tests(usedtodeterminetheageoforganicmatter)revealedthatthedocumentwasrelativelyrecent,possiblyaslateasAD1307.ItwaseasyenoughtotraceitsorigintothecityofAccra,outsideEgyptianterritory.Therewere,therefore,norestrictionsonitsremovalfromthecountry, andSirWalter receivedwrittenpermission from theEgyptiangovernment(Ref.1901/317/IFP-75,dated23November1974)totakeitbacktoEnglandwithhim.

ImetSirWalter’ssonin1982,atChristmas,inPorthmadoginWales.Irememberhimmentioningthemanuscriptdiscoveredbyhisfather,butneither of us gave much importance to the matter. We maintained acordial relationship over the years and met on at least two otheroccasionswhenIvisitedWalestopromotemybooks.On 30 November 2011, I received a copy of the text that he had

mentionedatthatfirstmeeting.Itranscribeithere.

Iwouldsoliketobeginbywriting:

“NowthatIamattheendofmylife,IleaveforthosewhocomeaftermeeverythingthatIlearnedwhileIwalkedthefaceofthisEarth.Maytheymakegooduseofit.”

Alas, that is not true. I amonly twenty-one,my parents gavemeloveandaneducation,andImarriedawomanIloveandwholovesmeinreturn.However,tomorrow,lifewillundertaketoseparateus,andwemusteachsetoffinsearchofourownpath,ourowndestinyorourownwayoffacingdeath.As far as our family is concerned, today is the fourteenth of July,

1099.ForthefamilyofYakob,thechildhoodfriendwithwhomIusedtoplayinthiscityofJerusalem,itistheyear4859—healwaystakesgreatprideintellingmethatJudaismisafarolderreligionthanmine.FortheworthyIbnal-Athir,whospenthislifetryingtorecordahistorythatisnowcoming to a conclusion, theyear492 is about to end.Wedonotagreeaboutdatesor about thebestway toworshipGod,but in everyotherrespectwelivetogetherinpeace.Aweekago,ourcommandersheldameeting.TheFrenchsoldiersare

infinitely superiorand farbetter equipped thanours.Weweregivenachoice: to abandon the city or fight to the death, because we willcertainlybedefeated.Mostofusdecidedtostay.The Muslims are, at this moment, gathered at the Al-Aqsa mosque,

whiletheJewschoosetoassembletheirsoldiersinMihrabDawud,andtheChristians,who live invariousdifferentquarters,arechargedwithdefendingthesouthernpartofthecity.Outside,wecanalready see the siege towersbuilt from theenemy’s

dismantledships.Judgingfromtheenemy’smovements,weassumethattheywillattacktomorrowmorning,spillingourbloodinthenameofthePope,the“liberation”ofthecity,andthe“divinewill.”Thisevening,inthesamesquarewhere,amillenniumago,theRoman

governorPontiusPilatehandedJesusovertothemobtobecrucified,agroupofmenandwomenofallageswenttoseetheGreek,whomweallknowastheCopt.TheCoptisastrangeman.Asanadolescent,hedecidedtoleavehis

nativecityofAthenstogoinsearchofmoneyandadventure.Heendedupknockingonthedoorsofourcity,closetostarvation.Whenhewas

wellreceived,hegraduallyabandonedtheideaofcontinuinghisjourneyandresolvedtostay.Hemanagedtofindworkinashoemaker’sshop,and—justlikeIbnal-Athir—he started recordingeverythinghe sawandheard forposterity.He did not seek to join any particular religion, and no one tried topersuade him otherwise. As far as he is concerned, we are not in theyears1099or4859,muchlessattheendof492.TheCoptbelievesonlyinthepresentmomentandwhathecallsMoira—theunknowngod,theDivineEnergy, responsible fora single law,which, ifeverbroken,willbringabouttheendoftheworld.AlongsidetheCoptwerethepatriarchsofthethreereligionsthathadsettled in Jerusalem. No government official was present during thisconversation; they were too preoccupied with making the finalpreparationsforaresistancethatwebelievewillproveutterlypointless.“Many centuries ago, a man was judged and condemned in thissquare,”theGreeksaid.“Ontheroadtotheright,whilehewaswalkingtoward his death, he passed a group of women. When he saw themweeping,hesaid:‘Weepnotforme,weepforJerusalem.’Heprophesiedwhatishappeningnow.‘Fromtomorrow,harmonywillbecomediscord.Joywillbereplacedbygrief.Peacewillgivewaytoawarthatwilllastintoanunimaginablydistantfuture.’”Noonesaidanything,becausenoneofusknewexactlywhywewerethere. Would we have to listen to yet another sermon about theseinvaderscallingthemselves“crusaders”?Foramoment,theCoptappearedtosavorthegeneralconfusion.Andthen,afteralongsilence,heexplained:“Theycandestroythecity,buttheycannotdestroyeverythingthecityhastaughtus,whichiswhyitisvitalthatthisknowledgedoesnotsufferthesamefateasourwalls,houses,andstreets.Butwhatisknowledge?”Whennoonereplied,hewenton:“It isn’t the absolute truth about life and death, but the thing thathelps us to live and confront the challenges of day-to-day life. It isn’twhatwe learn from books,which serves only to fuel futile argumentsaboutwhathappenedorwill happen; it is theknowledge that lives intheheartsofmenandwomenofgoodwill.”TheCoptsaid:“I am a learned man, and yet, despite having spent all these years

restoringantiquities,classifyingobjects,recordingdates,anddiscussingpolitics, I still don’t knowquitewhat to say toyou.But Iwill ask theDivineEnergytopurifymyheart.Youwillaskmequestions,andIwillanswer them. That is what the teachers of Ancient Greece did; theirdisciples would ask them questions about problems they had not yetconsidered,andtheteacherswouldanswerthem.”“Andwhatshallwedowithyouranswers?”someoneasked.“Somewillwritedownwhat I say.Otherswill remembermywords.Theimportantthingisthattonightyouwillsetoffforthefourcornersofthe world, telling others what you have heard. That way, the soul ofJerusalemwill be preserved. And one day,wewill be able to rebuildJerusalem,not justasacity,butasacenterofknowledgeandaplacewherepeacewillonceagainreign.”“Weallknowwhatawaitsustomorrow,”saidanotherman.“Wouldn’titbebettertodiscusshowtonegotiateforpeaceorprepareourselvesforbattle?”The Copt looked at the other religious men beside him and thenimmediatelyturnedbacktothecrowd.“Noneofuscanknowwhattomorrowwillhold,becauseeachdayhasitsgoodanditsbadmoments.So,whenyouaskyourquestions, forgetabout thetroopsoutsideandthe fear inside.Ourtask isnot to leavearecord of what happened on this date for those who will inherit theEarth;historywilltakecareofthat.Therefore,wewillspeakaboutourdaily lives, about the difficulties we have had to face. That is all thefuture will be interested in, because I do not believe very much willchangeinthenextthousandyears.”

ThenmyneighborYakobsaid:

“Speaktousaboutdefeat.”

Doesaleaf,whenitfallsfromthetreeinwinter,feeldefeatedbythecold?The tree says to the leaf: “That’s the cycle of life. You may think

you’re going todie, but you live on inme. It’s thanks to you that I’malive,becauseIcanbreathe.It’salsothankstoyouthatIhavefeltloved,becauseIwasabletogiveshadetothewearytraveler.Yoursapisinmysap;weareonething.”Doesamanwhospentyearspreparingtoclimbthehighestmountain

in the world feel defeated when, on reaching that mountain, hediscoversthatnaturehascloakedthesummitinstormclouds?Themansaystothemountain:“Youdon’twantmethistime,buttheweatherwillchangeand,oneday,Iwillmakeittothetop.Meanwhile,you’llstillbeherewaitingforme.”Doesayoungman,rejectedbyhisfirstlove,declarethatlovedoesnot

exist?Theyoungmansays tohimself:“I’ll findsomeonebetterable tounderstand what I feel. And then I will be happy for the rest of mydays.”Inthecycleofnaturethereisnosuchthingasvictoryordefeat;there

isonlymovement.Thewinter struggles to reign supreme, but in the end is obliged to

acceptspring’svictory,whichbringswithitflowersandhappiness.Thesummerwouldliketomakeitswarmdayslastforever,becauseit

believes that warmth is good for the Earth. But, in the end, it has toacceptthearrivalofautumn,whichwillallowtheEarthtorest.Thegazelleeatsthegrassandisdevouredbythelion.Itisn’tamatter

ofwhoisthestrongest,butGod’swayofshowingusthecycleofdeathandresurrection.Andwithin thatcycle thereareneitherwinnersnor losers; thereare

only stages that must be gone through. When the human heartunderstands this, it is free and able to accept difficult times withoutbeingdeceivedbymomentsofglory.Bothwillpass.Onewillsucceedtheother.Andthecyclewillcontinue

untilweliberateourselvesfromthefleshandfindtheDivineEnergy.Therefore,whenthefighterisinthering—whetherbyhisownchoiceor because unfathomable destinyhas placedhim there—mayhis spiritbefilledwithjoyattheprospectofthefightahead.Ifheholdsontohisdignityandhishonor,then,evenifhelosesthefight,hewillneverbedefeatedbecausehissoulwillremainintact.Andhewillblamenooneforwhatishappeningtohim.Eversincehefellinloveforthefirsttimeandwasrejected,hehasknownthatthisdidnotputanendtohisabilitytolove.Whatistrueinloveisalsotrueinwar.Losing a battle or losing everything we thought we possessed willbring us moments of sadness. But when those moments pass, we willdiscoverthehiddenstrengththatexistsineachofus,astrengththatwillsurpriseusandincreaseourself-respect.Wewilllookaroundandsaytoourselves:“Isurvived.”Andwewillbecheeredbyourwords.Onlythosewhofailtorecognizethatinnerstrengthwillsay,“Ilost,”andbesad.Others, even though they were defeated and feel humiliated by thethingsthewinnersaresayingaboutthem,willallowthemselvestosheda few tearsbutwillnever succumb to self-pity.Theyknowthat this ismerelyapause in the fightingand that, for themoment, theyareatadisadvantage.Theylistentothebeatingoftheirownheart.They’reawareofbeingtense,ofbeingafraid.Theyconsidertheirlifeanddiscoverthat,despitethefear,theirfaithisstillaliveintheirsoul,drivingthemonward.They try toworkoutwhat theydidwrongandwhat theydid right.Theytakeadvantageofthismomentofdefeattorest,healtheirwounds,devisenewstrategiesandequipthemselvesbetter.Thenthedaydawnswhenanewbattleknocksontheirdoor.Theyarestillafraid,buttheyhavetoact—eitherthatorremainforeverlyingonthe ground. They get up and face their opponent, remembering thesufferingtheyhaveenduredandwhichtheynolongerwishtoendure.Their previous defeat means that this time they must win, becausetheydon’twanttosufferthesamepainagain.Butifvictoryisnottheirsthistime,itwillbethenexttime.Andifnotthenexttime,thenthetimeafterthat.Theimportantthingistogetback

onyourfeet.Onlyhewhogivesupisdefeated.Everyoneelseisvictorious.And the day will come when those difficult moments are merelystories tobetoldproudlyto thosewhowill listen.Andtheywill listenrespectfullyandlearnthreeimportantthings:Waitpatientlyfortherightmomenttoact.Donotletthenextopportunityslipbyyou.Takeprideinyourscars.Scars are medals branded on the flesh, and your enemies will befrightened by them because they are proof of your long experience ofbattle.Oftenthiswillleadthemtoseekdialogueandavoidconflict.Scarsspeakmoreloudlythantheswordthatcausedthem.

“Describethedefeatedones,”saidamerchant,whenhesawthattheCopthadfinishedspeaking.

Andheanswered:Thedefeatedarethosewhoneverfail.Defeatmeansthatweloseaparticularbattleorwar.Failuredoesnot

allowustogoonfighting.Defeat comes when we fail to get something we very much want.

Failuredoesnotallowustodream.Itsmottois:“Expectnothingandyouwon’tbedisappointed.”Defeatendswhenwelaunchintoanotherbattle.Failurehasnoend;it

isalifetimechoice.Defeatisforthosewho,despitetheirfears, livewithenthusiasmand

faith.Defeatisforthevaliant.Onlytheywillknowthehonoroflosingand

thejoyofwinning.Iamnotheretotellyouthatdefeatispartoflife;weallknowthat.

OnlythedefeatedknowLove.BecauseitisintherealmofLovethatwefightourfirstbattles—andgenerallylose.I am here to tell you that there are people who have never been

defeated.Theyaretheoneswhoneverfought.They managed to avoid scars, humiliations, and feelings of

helplessness, as well as thosemomentswhen evenwarriors doubt theexistenceofGod.Suchpeoplecansaywithpride:“Inever lostabattle.”Ontheother

hand,theywillneverbeabletosay:“Iwonabattle.”Notthattheycare.Theyliveinauniverseinwhichtheybelievethey

areinvulnerable;theyclosetheireyestoinjusticesandtosuffering;theyfeel safe because they do not have to deal with the daily challengesfacedbythosewhorisksteppingoutbeyondtheirownboundaries.They have never heard the words “good-bye” or “I’ve come back.

Embracemewiththefervorofsomeonewho,havinglostme,hasfoundmeagain.”Thosewhowereneverdefeatedseemhappyandsuperior,mastersofa

truththeyneverhadtoliftafingertoachieve.Theyarealwaysontheside of the strong. They’re like hyenas, who eat only the leavings oflions.Theyteachtheirchildren:“Don’tgetinvolvedinconflicts;you’llonlylose.Keepyourdoubtstoyourselfandyou’llneverhaveanyproblems.Ifsomeoneattacksyou,don’tgetoffendedordemeanyourselfbyhittingback.Therearemoreimportantthingsinlife.”In the silence of the night, they fight their imaginary battles: theirunrealizeddreams, the injustices towhichtheyturnedablindeye, themomentsofcowardicetheymanagedtoconcealfromotherpeople—butnotfromthemselves—andthelovethatcrossedtheirpathwithasparkleinitseyes,theloveGodhadintendedforthem,butwhichtheylackedthecouragetoembrace.Andtheypromisethemselves:“Tomorrowwillbedifferent.”But tomorrow comes and the paralyzing question surfaces in theirmind:“Whatifitdoesn’tworkout?”Andsotheydonothing.Woetothosewhowereneverbeaten!Theywillneverbewinners inthislife.

“Tellusaboutsolitude”saidayoungwomanwhohadbeenabouttomarrythesonofoneoftherichestmeninthecitybutwasnowobligedtoflee.

Andheanswered:Withoutsolitude,Lovewillnotstaylongbyyourside.BecauseLoveneedstorest,sothatitcanjourneythroughtheheavens

andrevealitselfinotherforms.Withoutsolitude,noplantoranimalcansurvive,nosoilcanremain

productive,nochildcan learnabout life,noartistcancreate,noworkcangrowandbetransformed.SolitudeisnottheabsenceofLove,butitscomplement.Solitude is not the absence of company, but themoment when our

soulisfreetospeaktousandhelpusdecidewhattodowithourlife.Therefore, blessed are those who do not fear solitude, who are not

afraidoftheirowncompany,whoarenotalwaysdesperatelylookingforsomething to do, something to amuse themselves with, something tojudge.Ifyouareneveralone,youcannotknowyourself.Andifyoudonotknowyourself,youwillbegintofearthevoid.But the void does not exist. A vast world lies hidden in our soul,

waitingtobediscovered.Thereitis,withallitsstrengthintact,butitissonewandsopowerfulthatweareafraidtoacknowledgeitsexistence.Theactofdiscoveringwhowearewillforceustoacceptthatwecan

gofurtherthanwethink.Andthatfrightensus.Bestnottotaketherisk.Wecanalwayssay:“Ididn’tdowhatIshouldhavedonebecausetheywouldn’tletme.”That feels more comfortable. Safer. And, at the same time, it’s

tantamounttorenouncingyourownlife.Woetothosewhoprefertospendtheirlivessaying:“Ineverhadany

opportunities!”Becausewitheachdaythatpasses,theywillsinkdeeperintothewell

oftheirownlimitations,andthetimewillcomewhentheywilllackthestrengthtoclimboutandrediscoverthebrightlightshiningthroughtheopeningabovetheirhead.Andblessedbethosewhosay:“I’mnotbraveenough.”

Because theyknowthat it isnotsomeoneelse’s fault.Andsoonerorlater, they will find the necessary faith to confront solitude and itsmysteries.

For those who are not frightened by the solitude that reveals allmysteries,everythingwillhaveadifferenttaste.In solitude, they will discover the love that might otherwise havearrivedunnoticed.Insolitude,theywillunderstandandrespectthelovethatleftthem.Insolitude,theywillbeabletodecidewhetheritisworthaskingthatlostlovetocomebackoriftheyshouldsimplyletitgoandsetoffalonganewpath.Insolitude,theywilllearnthatsayingnodoesnotalwaysshowalackofgenerosity,andthatsayingyesisnotalwaysavirtue.Andthosewhoarealoneinthismomentneedneverbefrightenedbythewordsofthedevil:“You’rewastingyourtime.”Orbythechiefdemon’sevenmorepotentwords:“Noonecaresaboutyou.”TheDivineEnergy is listening touswhenwespeak tootherpeople,but alsowhenwe are still and silent and able to accept solitude as ablessing.And in thatmoment, Its light illuminates everything around us andhelpsustoseethatwearenecessary,thatourpresenceonEarthmakesanimmensedifferencetoItswork.Andwhenweachievethatharmony,wereceivemorethanweaskedfor.

For those who feel oppressed by solitude, it’s important to rememberthatinlife’smostsignificantmomentswearealwaysalone.Takethechildemergingfromawoman’swomb:itdoesn’tmatterhowmanypeoplearepresent;thefinaldecisiontoliverestswiththechild.Taketheartistandhiswork:inorderforhisworktobereallygood,heneedstobestillandhearonlythelanguageoftheangels.Take all of us, when we find ourselves face-to-face with thatUnwantedVisitor,Death:wewillallbealoneatthatmostimportantand

mostfearedmomentofourexistence.Just as Love is the divine condition, so solitude is the humancondition.And for thosewhounderstand themiracleof life, those twostatespeacefullycoexist.

Andaboy,whohadbeenchosenasoneofthosewhowastoleave,renthisgarmentsandsaid:

“MycitythinksIamnotgoodenoughtofight.Iamuseless.”

Andheanswered:Somepeoplesay:“Noonelovesme.”Butevenincasesofunrequited

lovethereisalwaysthehopethatonedayitwillberequited.Otherswriteintheirdiaries:“Mygeniusgoesunrecognized,mytalent

unappreciated,mydreamsscorned.”Butforthem,too,thereisthehopethat,aftermanystruggles,thingswillchange.Others spend their days knocking ondoors, explaining: “I’m looking

forwork.”Theyknowthat,iftheyarepatient,someonewilleventuallyinvitethemin.

Butthereare thosewhowakeeachmorningwithaheavyheart.Theyarenotseekersafterlove,recognition,orwork.Theysaytothemselves:“I’museless.IlivebecauseIhavetosurvive,

butnoone,absolutelynoone,isinterestedinwhatI’mdoing.”Outside,thesunisshining.Theyaresurroundedbytheirfamily,and

theytrytokeepupthemaskofhappiness,because,intheeyesofothers,they have everything they ever dreamed of having. But they areconvinced that no one there needs them, either because they are tooyoungand theireldersappear tohaveotherconcerns,orbecause theyaretoooldandtheyoungermembersofthefamilyappearuninterestedinwhattheyhavetosay.The poet writes a few lines, then throws them away, thinking:

“Nobody’sgoingtobeinterestedinthat.”Thelaborerarrivesforworkandmerelyrepeatsthesametaskshedid

yesterday. He believes that, if he were ever dismissed, no one wouldevennoticehisabsence.The youngwomanmaking a dress takes enormous pains over every

detail,but,whenshewearsittosomecelebration,shereadsthemessageinotherpeople’seyes:You’renoprettieroruglierthananyoftheothergirls.Yourdressisjustoneamongmillionsofdressesallovertheworld,where,at thisverymoment, similarcelebrationsarebeingheld—some

ingreatcastles,othersinsmallvillageswhereeveryoneknowseveryoneandpasses comments onwhat theother girls arewearing.Butnoonecommented on what she was wearing, which went unnoticed. It wasneitherprettynorugly;itwasjustanotherdress.Useless.Younger people realize that theworld is full of huge problems thattheydreamofsolving,butnooneisinterestedintheirviews.“Youdon’tknowwhattheworldisreallylike,”theyaretold.“Listentoyoureldersandthenyou’llhaveabetterideaofwhattodo.”Olderpeoplehavegainedexperienceandmaturity,andhavelearnedabout life’s difficulties thehardway, butwhen themoment comes forthem to teach these things, no one is interested. “The world haschanged,”theyaretold.“Youhavetokeepuptodateandlistentotheyoung.”That feeling of uselessness is no respecter of age and never askspermission,butinsteadcorrodespeople’ssouls,repeatingoverandover:“No one is interested in you; you’re nothing. The world doesn’t needyourpresence.”Inadesperateattempttogivemeaningtolife,manyturntoreligion,because a struggle in the name of a faith is always a justification forsomegrandactionthatcouldtransformtheworld.“WearedoingGod’swork,”theytellthemselves.And they become devout followers, then evangelists, and finally,fanatics.Theydon’tunderstandthatreligionwascreatedinordertosharethemysteryand toworship,not tooppressorconvertothers.ThegreatestmanifestationofthemiracleofGodislife.Tonight,Iwillweepforyou,OJerusalem,becausethatunderstandingoftheDivineUnityisabouttodisappearforthenextonethousandyears.Askaflowerinthefield:“Doyoufeeluseful?Afterall,youdonothingbutproducethesameflowersoverandover.”Andtheflowerwillanswer:“Iambeautiful,andbeautyismyreasonforliving.”Asktheriver:“Doyoufeeluseful,giventhatallyoudoiskeepflowinginthesamedirection?”Andtheriverwillanswer:“I’mnottryingtobeuseful;I’mtryingtobeariver.”

NothinginthisworldisuselessintheeyesofGod.Notaleaffromatreefalls,notahairfromyourhead,notevenaninsectdiesbecauseitwasofnouse.Everythinghasareasontoexist.Evenyou,thepersonaskingthequestion.“I’museless”istheansweryougiveyourself.Soon that answerwill poison you and youwill diewhile still alive,even though you still walk, eat, sleep, and try to have a little funwheneverpossible.Don’t try to be useful. Try to be yourself; that is enough, and thatmakesallthedifference.Walkneitherfasternorslowerthanyourownsoul,becauseitisyoursoulthatwillteachyoutheusefulnessofeachstepyoutake.Sometimestakingpartinagreatbattlewillbethethingthatwillhelptochangethecourseofhistory.Butsometimesyoucandothatsimplybysmiling,fornoreason,atsomeoneyouhappentopassonthestreet.Without intending to, you might have saved the life of a completestranger,whoalsothoughthewasuselessandmighthavebeenreadytokillhimselfuntilasmilegavehimnewhopeandconfidence.

Even if you were to study your own life in detail and relive eachmoment that you suffered, sweated, and smiled beneath the sun, youwould still never know exactlywhen you had been useful to someoneelse.Alifeisneveruseless.EachsoulthatcamedowntoEarthishereforareason.Thepeoplewhoreallyhelpothersarenottryingtobeuseful,butaresimply leading a useful life. They rarely give advice, but serve as anexample.Doonething:Livethelifeyoualwayswantedtolive.Avoidcriticizingothers and concentrate on fulfilling your dreams. This may not seemvery important toyou,butGod,who seesall, knows that theexampleyou give is helpingHim to improve theworld.And eachday,Hewillbestowmoreblessingsuponit.

AndwhentheUnwantedVisitorarrives,youwillhearitsay:

“It is fair to ask: ‘Father, Father, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Butnow, in this final second of your life on Earth, I am going to tell youwhatIsaw:Ifoundthehouseclean,thetablelaid,thefieldsplowed,theflowers smiling. I found each thing in its proper place, precisely as itshould be. You understood that small things are responsible for greatchanges.“Andforthatreason,IwillcarryyouuptoParadise.”

AndawomancalledAlmira,aseamstress,said:

“Icouldhaveleftbeforethecrusadersarrived,and,ifIhad,IwouldnowbeworkinginEgypt.ButIwasalwaystooafraidtochange.”

Andheanswered:Weareafraid to changebecausewe think that, after somucheffort

andsacrifice,weknowourpresentworld.Andeventhoughthatworldmightnotbethebestofallworlds,and

even thoughwemaynot be entirely satisfiedwith it, at least itwon’tgiveusanynastysurprises.Wewon’tgowrong.When necessary, we will make a few minor adjustments so that

everythingcontinuesinthesameway.Weseethatthemountainsalwaysstayinthesameplace.Weseethat

fullygrowntrees,whentransplanted,usuallydie.Andwesay: “Wewant tobe like themountainsand the trees.Solid

andrespectable.”Eventhough,duringthenight,wewakeupthinking:“Iwish Iwas like thebirds,whocanvisitDamascusandBaghdadandcomebackwhenevertheywantto.”Or:“IwishIwaslikethewind,fornooneknowswhereitcomesfrom

norwhere it goes, and it can changedirectionwithout ever having toexplainwhy.”Thenextday,however,werememberthatthebirdsarealwaysfleeing

fromhuntersandlargerbirds,andthatthewindsometimesgetscaughtupinawhirlwindanddestroyseverythingaroundit.It’snicetodreamthatwewillhaveplentyoftimeinthefuturetodo

ourtraveling,andthat,oneday,wewilltravel.Itcheersusupbecausewe know that we are capable of doing more than we do. Dreamingcarriesnorisks.Thedangerousthingistryingtotransformyourdreamsintoreality.ButthedaywillcomewhenFateknocksonourdoor.Itmightbethe

gentletappingoftheAngelofGoodFortuneortheunmistakablerat-a-tat-tatoftheUnwantedVisitor.Theybothsay:“Changenow!”Notnextweek,notnextmonth,notnextyear.Theangelssay:“Now!”WealwayslistentotheUnwantedVisitor.Andwechangeeverything

becausehe scares us;we change village, habits, shoes, food, behavior.Wecan’t convince theUnwantedVisitor toallowus to stayasweare.

Thereisnodiscussion.WealsolistentotheAngelofGoodFortune,butweaskhim:“Wherewillthislead?”“Toanewlife,”comestheanswer.Andwethink:“Wehaveafewproblemsinourlife,butnothingthatcan’tbesolvedintime.Wemustserveasanexampletoourparents,ourteachers, our children, and keep to the correct path. Our neighborsexpect us to teach everyone the virtue of perseverance, to struggleagainstadversityandovercomeobstacles.”Andwefeelproudofourselves.Andwearepraisedbecausewerefusetochange,continuinginsteadinthedirectionFatehaschosenforus.Wrong.Because the correct path is the path of nature, which is constantlychanging,likethedunesinthedesert.Thosewhothinkthatthemountainsdon’tchangearewrong;theyarebornoutofearthquakes,areerodedbywindandrain,andeachdayareslightlydifferenteventhoughwedonotnotice.Themountainschangeandarepleased:“It’sgoodnottobethesameallthetime,”theysaytooneanother.Those who think the trees don’t change are wrong. They have toacceptthattheywillbebareinwinterandclothedinsummer.Andtheyreachbeyondtheplacewheretheywereplantedbecausethebirdsandthewindscattertheirseeds.Thetreesareglad.“IthoughtIwasjustonetreeandnowIseethatIammany,”theysaytotheirchildrenspringinguparoundthem.

Natureistellingus:“Change!”AndthosewhodonotfeartheAngelofGoodFortuneunderstandthattheymust go forward despite their fear. Despite their doubts. Despiterecriminations.Despitethreats.They confront their values and prejudices. They hear the advice oftheirlovedones,whosay:“Whydothat?Youhaveeverythingyouneed:theloveofyourparents,wife,andchildren;thejobittookyousolongtoget.Don’truntheriskofbecomingastrangerinastrangeland.”Nevertheless,theyrisktakingafirststep—sometimesoutofcuriosity,sometimes out of ambition, but generally because they feel an

uncontrollablelongingforadventure.Ateachbendintheroad,theyfeelmoreandmoreafraid,andyet,atthesametime,theysurprisethemselves;theyarestrongerandhappier.Joy.That isoneof themainblessingsof theAllPowerful. Ifwearehappy,weareontherightroad.Feargraduallyebbsaway,becauseitwasn’tgivenwhatitfeltwasitsdueimportance.Onequestionpersistsaswetakeour firststepsalongthepath:“Willmydecisiontochangemakeotherpeoplesuffer?”But if you love someone, then youwant your beloved to be happy.Youmight feel frightened for him initially, but that feeling soongiveswaytoprideatseeinghimdoingwhathewantstodo,andgoingwherehealwaysdreamedofgoing.Later, we might begin to experience a sense of abandonment andhelplessness.But travelersmeetotherpeopleon theroadwhoare feeling just thesame. As they talk, they realize that they are not alone; they becometravelingcompanionsandsharetheirsolutionstovariousobstacles.Andtheyallfeelwiserandmorealivethantheythoughttheywere.Whentheyarelyingintheirtents,unabletosleepandoverwhelmedby sadness and regret, they say to themselves: “Tomorrow, and onlytomorrow, will I take another step. Besides, I can always turn backbecause I know the road. But one more step won’t make muchdifference.”

Untiloneday,withoutwarning,theroadstopstestingthetravelerandbegins to treat him generously. The traveler’s troubled spirit takespleasureinthebeautiesandthechallengesofthenewlandscape.Andeachstep,whichhaduntilthenbeenmerelyautomatic,becomesinsteadaconsciousstep.Rather thanspeakingtohimof thesolaceofsecurity, it teacheshimthejoyoffacingnewchallenges.The traveler continues his journey.Hedoesn’t complain of boredomnow; he complains, rather, that he is tired. But at that point he rests,enjoysthelandscape,andthencarrieson.Insteadofspendinghiswholelifedestroyingtheroadshewasafraid

offollowing,hebeginstolovetheroadheison.Evenifhisfinaldestinationremainsamystery,evenif,atsomepoint,

he makes a wrong decision, God sees his courage and sends him thenecessaryinspirationtoputmattersright.Whatcontinuestotroublehimisnotwhathappens,butafearthathe

won’tknowhowtodealwithit.Oncehehasdecidedtofollowhispathandhasnoalternative,hediscoversthathehasgreatwillpowerandthateventsbendtohisdecisions.“Difficulty”isthenameofanancienttoolthatwascreatedpurelyto

helpusdefinewhoweare.Religions teach that faith and transformation are the only ways of

drawingneartoGod.Faithshowsusthatweareneveralone.Transformationhelpsustolovethemystery.Andwheneverythingseemsdark,andwefeelaloneandhelpless,we

won’tlookback,forfearofseeingthechangesthathavetakenplaceinoursoul.Wewilllookahead.Wewillnot fearwhathappens tomorrow,becauseyesterdaywehad

someonewatchingoverus.AndthatsamePresencewillremainatourside.ThatPresencewillshelterusfromsuffering.OrItwillgiveusthestrengthtofaceitwithdignity.Wewillgofartherthanwethink.Wewillseekouttheplacewherethe

morningstarisborn.Andwewillbesurprisedwhenwegettherehowmucheasieritwasthanwehadimagined.

TheUnwantedVisitorvisitsthosewhodon’tchangeandthosewhodo.But thosewho did change can say: “My lifewas an interesting one. Ididn’tsquandermyblessing.”And to those who believe that adventures are dangerous, I say, try

routine;thatkillsyoufarmorequickly.

Andsomeonesaid:

“Wheneverythinglooksblack,weneedtoraiseourspirits.So,talktousaboutbeauty.”

Andheanswered:Peoplealwayssay:“It’sinnerbeautythatmatters,notouterbeauty.”Well,that’snottrue.Ifitwere,whywouldflowersputsomuchenergyintoattractingbees?

And why would raindrops transform themselves into a rainbow whentheyencounterthesun?Becausenaturelongsforbeauty,andissatisfiedonly when beauty can be exalted. Outer beauty is inner beautymadevisible, and itmanifests itself in the light that flows from our eyes. Itdoesn’tmatterifapersonisbadlydressedordoesn’tconformtoourideaofelegance,orevenifheisn’tconcernedaboutimpressingotherpeople.Theeyesarethemirrorofthesoulandreflecteverythingthatseemstobehidden;and, likeamirror, theyalso reflect theperson looking intothem.So if theperson looking intosomeone’seyeshasadarksoul,hewillseeonlyhisownugliness.

Beautyispresentinallcreation,butthedangerousfactisthat,becausewe human beings are often cut off from the Divine Energy, we allowourselvestobeinfluencedbywhatotherpeoplethink.Wedenyourownbeautybecauseothers can’t orwon’t recognize it. Insteadof acceptingourselvesasweare,wetrytoimitatewhatweseearoundus.Wetrytobewhatotherpeople thinkofas“pretty,”and, littleby little,our soulfades,ourwillweakens,andallthepotentialwehadtomaketheworldamorebeautifulplacewithersaway.Weforgetthattheworldiswhatweimagineittobe.Westopbeingthemoonlightandbecome, instead, thepoolofwater

reflecting it. Tomorrow, the water will evaporate in the sun. And allbecause, one day, someone said: “You are ugly.” Or: “She is pretty.”Withthosethreesimplewords,theystoleawayallourself-confidence.Andwebecomeuglyandembittered.

At that moment, we can draw comfort from so-called wisdom, anaccumulation of ideas put together by people wishing to define theworldinsteadofrespectingthemysteryoflife.This“wisdom”consistsofall the unnecessary rules, regulations, and measurements intended toestablishastandardofbehavior.According to that false wisdom, we should not be concerned aboutbeautybecauseitissuperficialandephemeral.That isn’t true. All the beings created under the sun, from birds tomountains,fromflowerstorivers,reflectthemiracleofcreation.Ifweresistthetemptationtoallowotherpeopletodefinewhoweare,thenwewillgraduallybeabletoletthesuninsideourownsoulshineforth.Lovepassesbyandsays:“Inevernoticedyoubefore.”Andoursoulresponds:“Well,paymoreattention,becausehereIam.Ittookabreezetoblowthedustfromyoureyes,butnowthatyouhaverecognizedme,don’tleavemeagain,becauseallofusdesirebeauty.”Beautyexistsnotinsamenessbutindifference.Whocouldimagineagiraffe without its long neck or a cactus without its spines? Theirregularityofthemountainpeaksthatsurroundusiswhatmakesthemso imposing. If we tried to make them all the same, they would nolongercommandourrespect.Itistheimperfectthatastonishesandattractsus.Whenwe lookatacedar tree,wedon’t think:“Thebranchesshouldbeallthesamelength.”Wethink:“Howstrongitis.”Whenweseeasnake,weneversay:“Heiscrawlingalongtheground,whileIamwalkingwithheaderect.”Wethink:“Hemightbesmall,buthisskiniscolorful,hismovementselegant,andheismorepowerfulthanI.”Whenthecamelcrossesthedesertandtakesustotheplacewewantto reach, we never say: “He’s humpbacked and has ugly teeth.” Wethink: “He deserves my love for his loyalty and help. Without him, Iwouldneverbeabletoexploretheworld.”Asunsetisalwaysmorebeautifulwhenitiscoveredwithirregularlyshaped clouds,becauseonly then can it reflect themanycolorsoutofwhichdreamsandpoetryaremade.Pity thosewho think: “I am not beautiful. That’swhy Love has not

knockedatmydoor.”Infact,Lovedidknock,butwhentheyopenedthedoor,theyweren’tpreparedtowelcomeLovein.Theyweretoobusytryingtomakethemselvesbeautifulfirst,when,infact,theywerefineastheywere.They were trying to imitate others, when Love was looking forsomethingoriginal.Theywere trying to reflectwhat came from outside, forgetting thatthebrightestlightcomesfromwithin.

Andayoungmanwhowouldhavetoleavethatnightsaid:

“Iwasneversurewhichdirectiontotake.”

Andheanswered:Likethesun,lifespreadsitslightinalldirections.Whenweareborn,wewanteverythingatonceandcannotcontrolthe

energywehavebeengiven.But,ifwewanttomakeafire,wehavetofocusallthesun’srayson

onespot.AndthegreatsecretthattheDivineEnergyrevealedtotheworldwas

fire. Not just fire for burning, but the fire that transforms wheat intobread.Andtherecomesamomentwhenweneedtofocusthatinnerfireso

thatourlifewillhavesomemeaning.Thenweasktheheavens:“Butwhatmeaning?”Someimmediatelybrushthisquestionaside;it’sbothersome,itwon’t

letyousleep,andthere’snoeasyanswer.Theyaretheoneswho,lateron,willlivetomorrowasifitwereyesterday.Andwhen theUnwantedVisitor arrives, theywill say: “My lifewas

tooshort;Isquanderedmyblessing.”

Others embrace the question, but since they don’t know the answer,theystarttoreadwhatwaswrittenbythosewhohavealreadyfaceduptothechallenge.Andsuddenlytheyfindananswerwhichtheyjudgetobecorrect.Whenthathappens,theybecometheslavesofthatanswer.Theydraw

up laws intended to forceothers toacceptwhat theybelieve tobe thesolereasonforexistence.Theybuildtemplestojustifyitandcourtsforthosewhorejectwhattheyconsidertobetheabsolutetruth.Finally,therearethosewhosawatoncethatthequestionwasatrap;

thereisnoanswer.Insteadofwasting timegrapplingwith that trap, theydecide toact.

They go back to their childhood and look for what filled them withenthusiasm then and—disregarding the advice of their elders—devote

theirlifetoit.BecauseEnthusiasmistheSacredFire.They slowly discover that their actions are linked to a mysteriousimpulsebeyondhumanknowledge.Andtheybowtheirheadsasasignofrespectforthatmysteryandpraythattheywillnotbedivertedfromapaththeydonotknow,apathwhichtheyhavechosentotravelbecauseoftheflameburningintheirhearts.Theyusetheir intuitionwhentheycanandresorttodisciplinewhenintuitionfailsthem.They seemquitemad.And sometimes theybehave likemadpeople,buttheyarenotmad.TheyhavediscoveredtrueLoveandWill.And those two things reveal the goal and the direction that theyshouldfollow.Theirwilliscrystalline,theirLoveispure,andtheirstepsdetermined.Inmomentsofdoubtorsadness,theyneverforget:“Iamaninstrument.AllowmetobeaninstrumentcapableofmanifestingYourWill.”They have chosen their road, and they may understand what theirgoal is only when they find themselves before the Unwanted Visitor.Thatisthebeautyofthepersonwhocontinuesonwardwithenthusiasmandrespectforthemysteryoflifeashisonlyguide;hisroadisbeautifulandhisburdenlight.Thegoalcanbelargeorsmall,itcanbefarawayorrightnextdoor;hegoesinsearchofitwithrespectandhonor.Heknowswhateachstepmeansandhowmuchitcostineffort,training,andintuition.He focuses not just on the goal to be reached, but on everythinghappening aroundhim.He oftenhas to stopbecausehis strength failshim.At suchmoments,Loveappearsandsays:“You thinkyou’reheadingtoward a specific point, but the whole justification for the goal’sexistenceliesinyourloveforit.Restalittle,butassoonasyoucan,getupandcarryon.Becauseeversinceyourgoalfoundoutthatyouweretravelingtowardit,ithasbeenrunningtomeetyou.”

Thosewho ignore the question, those who answer it, and those whounderstandthattheonlywaytoconfrontitistotakeactionwillallmeetthesameobstaclesandbemadehappybythesamethings,butonlythe

personwhoacceptsGod’splanwithhumilityandcourageknowsthatheisontherightroad.

Andawomanwhowasgettingoninyearsandhadneverfoundahusbandsaid:

“Lovehasalwayspassedmeby.”

Andheanswered:InordertohearLove’swords,youmustallowLovetoapproach.However,when it does drawnear,we fearwhat itmight say to us,

becauseLoveisfreeandisnotruledbyourwillorbywhatwedo.Allloversknowthisbutrefusetoacceptit.Theythinktheycanseduce

Lovethroughsubmission,power,beauty,wealth,tears,andsmiles.TrueLove,however,isthelovethatseducesandwillneverallowitself

tobeseduced.Love transforms, Love heals. But sometimes it lays deadly traps and

ends up destroying the person who decided to surrender himselfcompletely.Howcantheforcethatmovestheworldandkeepsthestarsintheirplacesbeatoncesocreativeandsodevastating?We are used to thinking thatwhatwe give is the same aswhatwe

receive,butpeoplewholoveexpectingtobelovedinreturnarewastingtheirtime.Loveisanactoffaith,notanexchange.Contradictionsarewhatmakelovegrow.Conflictsarewhatallowlove

toremainbyourside.Life is too short for us to keep important words like “I love you”

lockedinourhearts.But do not always expect to hear the same words back. We love

becauseweneedtolove.Otherwise,lovelosesallmeaningandthesunceasestoshine.Arosedreamsofenjoyingthecompanyofbees,butnoneappears.The

sunasks:“Aren’tyoutiredofwaiting?”“Yes,” answers the rose, “but if I closemy petals, Iwillwither and

die.”And yet, even when Love does not appear, we remain open to its

presence.Sometimes,whenlonelinessseemsabouttocrusheverything,theonlywaytoresististokeeponloving.

Ourgreatgoalinlifeistolove.Therestissilence.Weneedtolove.Evenwhenitleadsustothelandwherethelakesaremadeoftears—thatsecret,mysteriousplace,thelandoftears!Tearsspeakforthemselves.Andwhenwefeelthatwehavecriedallweneededtocry,theystillcontinuetoflow.AndjustwhenwebelievethatourlifeisdestinedtobealongwalkthroughtheValeofSorrows,thetearssuddenlyvanish.Becausewemanagedtokeepourheartopen,despitethepain.Becausewerealizedthatthepersonwholeftusdidnottakethesunwith themor leavedarkness in theirplace.They simply left, andwitheveryfarewellcomesahiddenhope.Itisbettertohavelovedandlostthannevertohavelovedatall.

Ouronetruechoiceistoplungeintothemysteryofthatuncontrollableforce.Wecouldsay:“I’vesufferedgreatlybefore,and Iknowthat thiswon’tlast,either”andthusdriveLovefromourdoor.Butifwedidthat,wewouldbecomedeadtolife.BecauseNature is amanifestation of the Love ofGod.Regardless ofwhatwedo,Naturecontinuestoloveus.Letus,therefore,respectandunderstandwhatNatureteachesus.We love because Love sets us free, andwe say things thatwe onceneverevenhadthecouragetowhispertoourselves.Wemakeadecisionthatwekeptputtingoff.Welearntosaynowithoutthinkingofthatwordassomehowcursed.Welearntosayyeswithoutfearingtheconsequences.We forget everything we were taught about Love, because eachencounterisdifferentandbringsitsownagoniesandecstasies.Wesingmoreloudlywhenthepersonweloveisfarawayandwhisperpoemswhenheisnear,evenifhedoesn’tlistenandpaysnoattentiontoeithersongsorwhispers.Wedon’tcloseoureyestotheUniverseandthencomplain:“It’sdark.”Wekeepoureyeswideopen,knowingthatthelightcouldleadustodoundreamed-ofthings.Thatisallpartoflove.Ourheartisopentoloveandwesurrendertoitwithoutfear,becausewehavenothingmoretolose.

Then,whenwegohome,wediscoverthatsomeonewastherewaitingforus, looking for the same thingandexperiencing the sameanxietiesandlongings.Because love is like the water that is transformed into a cloud; it’sliftedupintotheheavens,whereitcanseeeverythingfromadistance,awarethatonedayitwillhavetoreturntoEarth.Becauseloveislikethecloudthatistransformedintorain;itisdrawndowntotheEarth,whereitwatersthefields.Love is only aword, untilwedecide to let it possess uswith all itsforce.Loveisonlyaword,untilsomeonearrivestogiveitmeaning.Don’tgiveup.Remember,it’salwaysthelastkeyonthekeyringthatopensthedoor.

However,oneyoungmandisagreed:

“Yourwordsarebeautiful,butthetruthisthatweneverhavemuchchoice.Lifeandourcommunityhavealreadytakenchargeofplanningourfate.”

Anoldmanadded:

“AndIcan’tgobackandrecoverlostmoments.”

Andheanswered:WhatIamabouttosaymaybeofnouseontheeveofaninvasion.

Nevertheless, take note of my words so that, one day, everyone mayknowhowwelivedinJerusalem.Afterthinkingalittle,theCoptwenton:Noonecangoback,buteveryonecangoforward.Andtomorrow,whenthesunrises,allyouhavetosaytoyourselves

is:Iamgoingtothinkofthisdayasthefirstdayofmylife.I will look on the members of my family with surprise and

amazement,glad todiscover that theyarebymy side, silently sharingthatmuchtalkedaboutbutlittleunderstoodthingcalledlove.I will ask to join the first camel train that appears on the horizon,

withoutaskingwhereitisgoing.AndIwillleaveitassoonassomethingmoreinterestingcatchesmyeye.Iwill pass a beggar,whowill askme formoney. Imight give it to

him, or Imightwalk past him, thinking that hewill only spend it ondrink.AsIdo,Iwillhearhisinsultsandunderstandthatitissimplyhiswayofcommunicatingwithme.Iwillpasssomeonetryingtodestroyabridge.Imighttrytostophim,

orImightrealizethatheisdoingitbecausehehasnoonewaitingforhim on the other side. This is his way of trying to fend off his ownloneliness.I will look at everything and everyone as if for the first time,

especiallythesmallthingsthatIhavegrownusedto,quiteforgettingthemagic surrounding them. The desert sands, for example, which aremoved by an energy I cannot understand—because I cannot see thewind.Insteadof notingdown things I’munlikely to forget on the piece of

parchment Ialwayscarrywithme, Iwillwriteapoem.Even if IhaveneverwrittenonebeforeandevenifIneverdosoagain,IwillatleastknowthatIoncehadthecouragetoputmyfeelingsintowords.

When I reach a small village that I knowwell, I will enter it by adifferent route. I will be smiling, and the inhabitants will say to oneanother: “Hemust bemad, becausewar and destruction have left thesoilbarren.”ButIwillkeepsmiling,becauseitpleasesmetoknowthattheythinkIammad.Mysmileismywayofsaying:“Youcandestroymybody,butnotmysoul.”Tonight,before leaving, I’mgoing to spend time sorting through thepileof things Ineverhad thepatience toput inorder.And Iwill findthatalittleofmyhistoryisthere.Alltheletters,thenotes,thecuttingsandreceiptswill takeontheirownlifeandhavestrangestories to tellme—aboutthepastandaboutthefuture.Allthedifferentthingsintheworld,alltheroadstraveled,alltheentrancesandexitsofmylife.IamgoingtoputonashirtIoftenwear,and,forthefirsttime,Iamgoingtonoticehowitwasmade.Iamgoingtoimaginethehandsthatwovethecottonandtheriverwherethefibersoftheplantwereborn.Iwill understand that all those now invisible things are a part of thehistoryofmyshirt.AndeventhethingsIamaccustomedto—likethesandalswhich,afterlonguse,havebecomeanextensionofmy feet—willbeclothed in themysteryofdiscovery.Since I amheadingoff into the future, Iwill behelpedby the scuffmarksleftonmysandalsfromwhenIstumbledinthepast.May everything my hand touches and my eyes see and my mouthtastesbedifferent,butthesame.Thatway,allthosethingswillceasetobestillandinsteadwillexplaintomewhytheyhavebeenwithmeforsucha long time; theywill reveal tome themiracleof reencounteringemotionswornsmoothbyroutine.IwilldrinksometeathatIhavenevertriedbecauseotherstoldmeittasted horrible. I will walk down a street I have never walked downbeforebecauseotherstoldmeitwastotallywithoutinterest.AndIwillfindoutwhetherornotIwouldliketogobackthere.Ifit’ssunnytomorrow,Iwanttolookatthesunproperlyforthefirsttime.If it’s cloudy, Iwant towatchand see inwhichdirection thecloudsare going. I always think that I don’t have time, or that I don’t payenoughattention.Tomorrow,though,Iwillconcentrateonthedirection

takenbythecloudsoronthesun’sraysandtheshadowstheycreate.Abovemyheadexistsaskyaboutwhichallhumanity,overthousandsofyears,haswovenaseriesofreasonableexplanations.Well, Iwill forgeteverythingI learnedaboutthestars,andtheywillbetransformedoncemoreintoangelsorchildrenorwhateverIfeellikebelievingatthatmoment.Time and life have given me plenty of logical explanations foreverything,butmysoulfeedsonmysteries.Ineedmystery.Ineedtoseethevoiceofanangrygodinarumbleofthunder,eventhoughmanyofyouheremightconsiderthatheresy.Iwantto fillmylifewithfantasyagain,becauseanangrygodis farstranger, far more frightening, and far more interesting than aphenomenonexplainedbythesages.Forthefirsttime,Iwillsmilewithoutfeelingguilty,becausejoyisnotasin.Forthefirsttime,Iwillavoidanythingthatmakesmesuffer,becausesufferingisnotavirtue.Iwillnotcomplainabout life, saying,“Everything’salways thesameandIcandonothingtochangeit.”BecauseIamlivingthisdayasifitweremyfirstand,whileitlasts,IwilldiscoverthingsthatIdidnotevenknowwerethere.Even though I have walked past the same places countless timesbefore and said “Good morning” to the same people, today’s “Goodmorning”willbedifferent.Itwillnotbeamerepoliteformula,itwillbeaformofblessinginthehopethateveryoneIspeaktowillunderstandthe importance of being alive, even when tragedy is threatening toengulfus.Iwillpayattentiontothewordsofthesongtheminstrelissinginginthe street, even thoughothersarenot listeningbecause their souls areheavywithfear.Themusicsays:“Loverules,butnooneknowswhereithasitsthrone;inordertoknowthatsecretplace,youmustfirstsubmittoLove.”And Iwill have the courage to open the door to the sanctuary thatleadstomysoul.MayI lookatmyselfas if thiswerethefirst timeIhadeverbeenincontactwithmyownbodyandmyownsoul.MayIbecapableofacceptingmyselfasIam:apersonwhowalksand

feelsandtalkslikeanyoneelse,butwho,despitehisfaults,isalsobrave.MayIbeamazedbymysimplestgestures,asthoughIweretalkingto

astranger;bymymostordinaryemotions,asthoughIwerefeelingthesand touchingmy facewhen thewindblows in fromBaghdad; by themosttenderofmoments,aswhenIwatchmywifesleepingbymysideandtrytoimaginewhatsheisdreaming.AndifI’maloneinbed,Iwillgoovertothewindow,lookupatthe

sky,andfeelcertainthatlonelinessisalie,becausetheUniverseistheretokeepmecompany.AndthenIwillhavelivedeachhourofmydayasifitwereaconstant

surprise to me, to this “I” who was not created by my father or mymotherorbyschool,butbyeverythingIhaveexperiencedupuntilnow,andwhichIsuddenlyforgotinordertodiscoveritallanew.Andeven if this is tobemy lastdayonEarth, Iwill enjoy it to the

fullest,because Iwill live itwiththe innocenceofachild,as if Iweredoingeverythingforthefirsttime.

Andthewifeofatradersaid:

“Speaktousaboutsex.”

Andheanswered:Men andwomenwhisper to each other because they have turned a

sacredgestureintoasinfulact.This is the world in which we live. And while robbing the present

moment of its reality can be dangerous, disobedience can also be avirtuewhenweknowhowtouseit.If two bodies merely join together, that is not sex, it is merely

pleasure.Sexgoesfarbeyondpleasure.In sex, relaxation and tension go hand in hand, as do pain and

pleasureandshynessandthecouragetogobeyondone’slimits.How can such opposing states exist in harmony together? There is

onlyoneway:bysurrenderingyourself.Becausetheactofsurrendermeans:“Itrustyou.”Itisn’tenoughtoimagineeverythingthatmighthappenifweallowed

ourselvestojoinnotjustourbodies,butoursoulsaswell.Letusplungetogether,then,downthedangerouspathofsurrender.It

maybedangerous,butitistheonlypathworthfollowing.Andevenifthiscausesmajorchangesinourworld,wehavenothing

tolose,becausebyopeningthedoorthatunitesbodyandsoul,whatwegainistotallove.Letusforgetallthatwearetaughtabouthowitisnobletogiveand

humiliating to receive. For most people, generosity consists only ingiving,andyetreceivingisalsoanactoflove.Allowingsomeoneelsetomakeushappywillmakethemhappy,too.

Whenwearetoogenerousinthesexualactandourmainpreoccupationiswith our partner’s pleasure, our own pleasure can be diminished orevendestroyed.Whenwearecapableofgivingandreceivingwiththesameintensity,

ourbodybecomesastenseasthestringonabow,butourmindrelaxeslike the arrow about to be fired. Our brain is no longer in charge;

instinctisouronlyguide.Whenbodyandsoulmeet,theDivineEnergyfillsnotonlythosepartsthatmostpeopleconsidertobeerotic,butalsoeveryhairandeveryinchofskin,givingoffalightofadifferentcolor.Tworiversmeettobecomeamorebeautiful,morepowerfulriver.Everything that is spiritual manifests itself in visible form, andeverythingthatisvisibleistransformedintospiritualenergy.Everythingispermitted,ifeverythingisaccepted.Sometimeslovegrowstiredofspeakingsoftly.Therefore,letitrevealitself in all its splendor, burning like the sun and destroying wholeforestswithitswinds.Ifoneoftheloverssurrenderscompletely,thentheotherwilldothesame,becauseembarrassmentwillhavebecomecuriosity,andcuriosityleadsustoexploreallthethingswedidnotknowaboutourselves.See sex as a gift, a ritual of transformation. And as in any ritual,ecstasywillbepresenttoglorifytheend,butitisnotthesoleobjective.Whatmattersisthatwehavetraveledaroadwithourpartnerthatledusintounknownterritory,whereweencounteredgoldandincenseandmyrrh.Givethesacreditsfullsacredmeaning.Andshouldmomentsofdoubtarise,alwaysremember:wearenotaloneatsuchmoments;bothpartiesarefeelingthesamething.Fearlesslyopenthesecretboxofyourfantasies.Oneperson’scouragewillhelptheotherpersontobeequallybrave.Trueloverswillbeabletoenterthegardenofbeautywithoutfearofbeingjudged.Theywillnolongerbetwobodiesandtwosoulsmeeting,butasinglefountainoutofwhichpoursthetruewateroflife.The stars will contemplate the lovers’ naked bodies, and the loverswillfeelnoshame.Thebirdswillflycloseby,andtheloverswillimitatethe songs of thebirds.Wild animalswill approach cautiously, becausewhattheyareseeingisfarwilderthantheyare.Andtheywillbowtheirheadsasasignofrespectandsubmission.Andtimewillcease toexist,because in the landofpleasurebornoftruelove,everythingisinfinite.

Andoneofthecombatantswhowaspreparingtodiethenextday—butwho,nonetheless,hadchosentocometothesquaretohearwhattheCopthadtosay—commented:

“Weweredividedwhenwhatwewantedwasunity.Thecitiesthatlayinthepathoftheinvaderssufferedtheconsequencesofawartheydidnotchoose.Whatshouldthesurvivorstelltheirchildren?”

Andheanswered:Wewerebornalone,andwewilldiealone.Butwhileweareonthis

planet,wemustacceptandglorifyouractoffaiththroughotherpeople.Communityislife;fromitcomesourcapacityforsurvival.Thatishow

itwaswhenwelivedincaves,andsoitistoday.Respectthosewhogrewupandlearnedalongsideyou.Respectthose

whotaughtyou.Whenthedaycomes, tellyourstoriesandteach; thatway, the community can continue to exist and our traditions remainunchanged.Anyonewhodoesnot sharehismomentsof joyanddiscouragement

withotherswillneverfullyknowhisownqualitiesandhisowndefects.

Meanwhile,bealerttoadangerthatthreatensallcommunities:peoplebeing drawn into a standard way of behaving, taking as their modeltheirownlimitations,fears,andprejudices.That is a very high price to pay, because in order for you to be

accepted,youwillhavetopleaseeveryone.Andthatisnotproofofloveforthecommunity,butproofofalackof

loveforoneself.Youwillbelovedandrespectedonlyifyouloveandrespectyourself.

Nevertrytopleaseeveryone;ifyoudo,youwillberespectedbynoone.Seek friends and allies among peoplewho believe inwhat they are

doingandinwhotheyare.I’m not saying: “Seek out people who think the same as you.” I’m

saying:“Seekout thosewhothinkdifferently fromyouandwhomyouwillneverbeabletoconvincethatyouareright.”Becausefriendship isoneof themanyfacesofLove,andLoveisnot

swayed by opinions; Love accepts its companion unconditionally andallowseachtogrowinhisorherownway.Loveisanactoffaithinanotherperson,notanactofsurrender.Donotseektobelovedatanyprice,becauseLovehasnoprice.

Yourfriendsarenotthekindwhoattracteveryone’sgaze,whodazzleandsay:“Thereisnoonebetter,moregenerous,ormorevirtuousinthewholeofJerusalem.”Yourfriendsarethesortwhodonotwaitforthingstohappeninordertodecidewhichattitudetotake;theydecideonthespurofthemoment,eventhoughtheyknowitcouldberisky.Theyarefreespiritswhocanchangedirectionwheneverliferequiresthem to. They explore new paths, recount their adventures, and thusenrichbothcityandvillage.Iftheyoncetookawronganddangerouspath,theywillnevercometoyouandsay:“Don’teverdothat.”Theywillmerelysay:“Ioncetookawronganddangerouspath.”Thisisbecausetheyrespectyourfreedom,justasyourespecttheirs.Avoid at all costs those who are only by your side in moments ofsadness to offer consoling words. What they are actually saying tothemselves is: “Iamstronger. I amwiser. Iwouldnothave taken thatstep.”Stayclosetothosewhoarebyyoursideinhappytimes,becausetheydonotharborjealousyorenvyintheirhearts,onlyjoytoseeyouhappy.Avoidthosewhobelievetheyarestrongerthanyou,becausetheyareactuallyconcealingtheirownfragility.Stayclosetothosewhoarenotafraidtobevulnerable,becausetheyhaveconfidenceinthemselvesandknowthat,atsomepointinourlives,weallstumble;theydonot interpretthisasasignofweakness,butofhumanity.Avoidthosewhotalkagreatdealbeforeacting,thosewhonevertakeastepwithoutbeingquitesurethatitwillbringthemrespect.Stay close to those who, when you made a mistake, never said: “Iwould have done it differently.” They did not make that particularmistakeandsoareinnopositiontojudge.Avoid those who seek friends in order to maintain a certain socialstatusortoopendoorstheywouldnototherwisebeabletoapproach.Stayclosetothosewhoareinterestedinopeningonlyoneimportantdoor:thedoortoyourheart.Theywillneverinvadeyoursoulwithoutyourconsentorshootadeadlyarrowthroughthatopendoor.Friendshipislikeariver;itflowsaroundrocks,adaptsitselftovalleysandmountains, occasionally turns into a pool until the hollow in the

groundisfullanditcancontinueonitsway.Just as the river never forgets that its goal is the sea, so friendshipneverforgetsthatitsonlyreasonforexistingistoloveotherpeople.Avoid thosewho say: “That’s it, I’ll go no further.”What they havefailedtograspisthatneitherlifenordeathhasanend;theyaremerelystagesofeternity.Stay close to thosewho say: “Everything’s fine as it is, but we stillneedtomoveon.”Theyunderstandtheneedtokeepgoingbeyondtheknownhorizon.Avoidthosewhomeetuptodiscuss,seriouslyandpretentiously,anydecisions that the community needs to take. They understand politics,theyimpressothersandtrytoshowhowwisetheyare.Whattheydon’tunderstand is that it is impossible to control somuch as the fall of asinglehaironyourhead.Discipline is important,but itneeds to leavedoorsandwindowsopentointuitionandtheunexpected.Stay close to thosewho sing, tell stories, and enjoy life, andwhoseeyes sparklewith happiness. Because happiness is contagious andwillalways manage to find a solution, whereas logic can find only anexplanationforthemistakemade.StayclosetothosewhoallowthelightofLovetoshineforthwithoutrestrictions,judgments,orrewards,withoutlettingitbeblockedbythefearofbeingmisunderstood.Nomatterhowyouarefeeling,getupeverymorningandpreparetoletyourlightshineforth.Thosewitheyestoseewillseeyourlightandbeenchantedbyit.

Ayoungwoman,whorarelyleftherhousebecauseshethoughtnoonewasinterestedinher,said:

“Teachusaboutelegance.”

Everyoneinthecourtyardmuttered:

“Whatkindofquestionisthattoaskwhenweareabouttobeinvaded,whenbloodwillsoonberunningdowneverystreetinthecity?”

However,theCoptsmiled,andhissmilewasnotamockingone,butfilledwithrespectfortheyoungwoman’scourage.

Andheanswered:Elegancetendstobemistakenforsuperficialityandmereappearance.

Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth;somewordsareelegant,somecan wound and destroy, but all are written with the same letters.Flowersareelegant,evenwhenhiddenamongthegrassesinameadow.Thegazellewhenitrunsiselegant,evenwhenitisfleeingfromalion.Eleganceisnotanouterquality,butapartofthesoulthatisvisibleto

others.And evenwhen passions run high, elegance does not allow the real

tiesbindingtwopeopletobebroken.Elegance lies not in the clothes we wear, but in the way we wear

them.Itisn’tinthewaywewieldasword,butinthedialogueweholdthat

couldavoidawar.Elegance is achieved when, having discarded all superfluous things,

we discover simplicity and concentration. The simpler the pose, thebetter;themoresober,themorebeautiful.Andwhatissimplicity?Itisthecomingtogetherofthetruevaluesof

life.Snowisprettybecauseithasonlyonecolor.Theseaisprettybecauseitappearstobeaflatplane.The desert is beautiful because it seems to consist only of sand and

rocks.However, when we look more closely at each of these things, we

discover how profound and complete they are, and recognize theirqualities.Thesimplestthingsinlifearethemostextraordinary.Letthemreveal

themselves.Considertheliliesofthefieldandhowtheygrow;theyneithertoilnor

spin.AndyetevenSolomoninallhisglorywasnotarrayedlikeoneofthese.The nearer the heart comes to simplicity, the more capable it is of

loving freely and without fear. Themore fearlessly it loves, themorecapableitisofrevealingeleganceinitseverygesture.

Eleganceisnotamatterofgoodtaste.Everyculturehasitsownideaofbeauty,whichisoftencompletelydifferentfromours.But every tribe, every people, has values that they associate withelegance:hospitality,respect,goodmanners.Arrogance attracts hatred and envy. Elegance arouses respect andLove.Arrogancecausesustohumiliateourfellowmanorwoman.Eleganceteachesustowalkinthelight.Arrogance complicateswords, because it believes that intelligence isfor only the chosen few. Elegance transforms complex thoughts intosomethingthateveryonecanunderstand.Whenwearewalkingourchosenpath,wewalkelegantly,emanatinglight.Ourstepsarefirm,ourgazekeen,ourmovementsbeautiful.Andevenat the most difficult moments, our adversaries can see no signs ofweakness,becauseoureleganceprotectsus.Elegance is accepted and admired because it makes no effort to beelegant.OnlyLovegivesformtowhat,once,wecouldnotevendreamof.Andonlyeleganceallowsthatformtobemademanifest.

Andamanwhoalwayswokeupearlytotakehisflockstothepasturesaroundthecitysaid:

“Youhavestudiedinordertobeabletospeakthesebeautifulwords,butwehavetoworktosupportourfamilies.”

Andheanswered:Beautiful words are spoken by poets. And one day, someone will

write:IfellasleepanddreamedthatlifewasonlyHappiness.IwokeanddiscoveredthatlifewasDuty.IdidmyDutyanddiscoveredthatlifewasHappiness.WorkisthemanifestationofLovethatbindspeopletogether.Through

it,wediscoverthatweareincapableoflivingwithoutotherpeople,andthattheyneedusjustasmuch.Therearetwotypesofwork.Thefirst is theworkwedobecausewehaveto inorder toearnour

daily bread. In that case, people are merely selling their time, notrealizingthattheycanneverbuyitback.Theyspendtheirentireexistencedreamingofthedaywhentheycan

finally rest. When that day comes, they will be too old to enjoyeverything life has to offer. Such people never take responsibility fortheiractions.Theysay:“Ihavenochoice.”However,thereisanothertypeofwork,whichpeoplealsodoinorder

toearntheirdailybread,butinwhichtheytrytofilleachminutewithdedicationandloveforothers.This second type of work we call the Offering. For example, two

people might be cooking the same meal and using exactly the sameingredients,butoneispouringLoveintowhathedoesandtheotherismerely trying to fill his belly. The result will be completely different,eventhoughLoveisnotsomethingthatcanbeseenorweighed.The person making the Offering is always rewarded. The more he

sharesouthisaffection,themorehisaffectiongrows.When the Divine Energy set the Universe inmotion, all the planets

and stars, all the seas and forests, all the valleys andmountainsweregiven the chance to take part in the Creation. And the same thinghappenedwithmankind.

Somesaid:“No,wedon’twantto.Wewon’tbeabletorightwrongsorpunishinjustice.”Otherssaid:“With thesweatofmybrowIwillwater the fields,andthatwillbemywayofpraisingtheCreator.”Then the devil came andwhispered in his honeyed tones: “Youwillhavetocarrythatrockuptothetopofthehill,and,whenyougetthere,itwillrollbackdownagaintothebottom.”Andallthosewhobelievedinthedevilsaid:“Theonlymeaninginlifeistorepeatthesametaskoverandover.”Andthosewhodidnotbelieveinthedevilanswered:“ThenIwilllovetherockthatIhavetocarrytothetopofthemountain.Thatway,eachminutebyitssidewillbeaminutespentclosertotheoneIlove.”The Offering is a wordless prayer. And like all prayers, it requiresdiscipline—notthedisciplineofslavery,butoffreechoice.Thereisnopointinsaying:“Fatewasunfairtome.Whileothersarefollowing their dreams, here I am just doing my job and earning myliving.”Fateisneverunfairtoanyone.Weareallfreetoloveorhatewhatwedo.Whenwelove,wefindthesamejoyinourdailyactivityasdothosewhoonedaysetoffinsearchoftheirdreams.No one can know the importance or greatness of what they do.ThereinliesthemysteryandthebeautyoftheOffering:itisthemissionthatwasentrustedtous,andwe,inturn,needtotrustit.The laborer can plant, but he can’t say to the sun: “Shine morebrightly this morning.” He can’t say to the clouds: “Make it rain thisevening.”Hehastodowhatisnecessary:plowthefield,sowtheseeds,andlearnthegiftofpatiencethroughcontemplation.He will experience moments of despair when he sees his harvestruinedandfeelsthatallhisworkwasinvain.Thepersonwhohassetoffin search of his dreams will also have moments when he regrets hisdecision,andthenallhewantsistogobackandfindajobthatwillpayhimenoughtosurvive.The following day, though, the heart of every worker or everyadventurerwillonceagainbefilledwitheuphoriaandconfidence.BothwillseethefruitsoftheOfferingandwillbeglad.Because both are singing the same song: the song of joy in the task

thatwasentrustedtothem.The poet would die of hunger if there were no shepherds. Theshepherdwoulddieofsadnessifhecouldnotsingthewordsofthepoet.ThroughtheOfferingyouareallowingotherstoloveyou.Andyouareteachingotherstolovethroughwhatyouofferthem.

Andthesamemanwhohadaskedaboutworkaskedanotherquestion:

“Whyaresomepeopleluckierthanothers?”

Andheanswered:Successdoesnotcomefromhavingone’sworkrecognizedbyothers.It

isthefruitofaseedthatyoulovinglyplanted.Whenharvesttimearrives,youcansaytoyourself:“Isucceeded.”Yousucceeded ingainingrespect foryourworkbecauseyoudidnot

workonlytosurvive,buttodemonstrateyourloveforothers.You managed to finish what you began even though you did not

foreseeall the trapsalong theway.Andwhenyourenthusiasmwanedbecauseof thedifficultiesyouencountered,you reached fordiscipline.Andwhendisciplineseemedabouttodisappearbecauseyouweretired,youusedyourmomentsofreposetothinkaboutwhatstepsyouneededtotakeinthefuture.Youwerenotparalyzedbythedefeatsthatareinevitableinthelives

of those who take risks. You didn’t sit agonizing over what you lostwhenyouhadanideathatdidn’twork.Youdidn’tstopwhenyouexperiencedmomentsofglory,becauseyou

hadnotyetreachedyourgoal.Andwhenyourealizedthatyouwouldhavetoaskforhelp,youdid

not feelhumiliated.Andwhenyou learned that someoneneededhelp,you showed them all that you had learned without fearing that youmightberevealingsecretsorbeingusedbyothers.Tohewhoknocks,thedoorwillopen.Hewhoaskswillreceive.Hewhoconsolesknowsthathewillbeconsoled.Even if none of these things happenswhen you are expecting it to,

soonerorlateryouwillseethefruitsofthethingyousharedwithsuchgenerosity.Successcomesto thosewhodonotwaste timecomparingwhat they

aredoingwithwhatothersaredoing;itentersthehouseofthepersonwhosays“Iwilldomybest”everyday.Peoplewhoseekonlysuccessrarelyfindit,becausesuccessisnotan

end,butaconsequence.

Obsessiondoesn’thelpatall; itonlyconfusesusas towhichpathtofollowandendsuptakingawaythepleasureofliving.Noteveryonewhoownsapileofgoldthesizeofthathilltothesouthofourcityisrich.ThetrulyrichpersonistheonewhoisincontactwiththeenergyofLoveeverysecondofhisexistence.Youmustalwayshaveagoal inmind,but,asyougoalong, it costsnothing to stop now and then to enjoy the view around you. As youadvance,stepbystep,youcanseealittlefartherintothedistanceandtaketheopportunitytodiscoverthingsyouhadn’tevennoticedbefore.Atsuchmoments,itisimportanttoaskyourself:“Aremyvaluesstillintact?AmItryingtopleaseothersanddowhattheyexpectofme,oram I really convinced thatmywork is amanifestationofmy soulandmy enthusiasm? Do I want success at any price or do I want to be asuccessfulpersonbecauseImanagetofillmydayswithLove?”Because that is what real success means: enriching your life, notcrammingyourcofferswithgold.Amanmightsay:“Iwillusemymoneytosow,plant,harvest,andfillmy granary with grain so that I will lack for nothing.” But when theUnwantedVisitorarrives,alltheman’seffortswillhavebeeninvain.Hewhohasearstohear,lethimhear.Donottrytomaketheroadshorter,buttravel it insuchawaythatevery action leaves the land more fertile and the landscape morebeautiful.DonottrytobetheMasterofTime.Ifyoupickthefruityouplantedtooearly,itwillbegreenandgivepleasuretonoone.If,outoffearorinsecurity,youdecidetoputoffthemomentofmakingtheOffering,thefruitwillhaverotted.Therefore,respectthetimebetweensowingandharvesting.Thenawaitthemiracleofthetransformation.Untilthewheatisintheoven,itcannotbecalledbread.Untilthewordsarespoken,theycannotbecalledapoem.Until the threads are woven together by the hands of the personworkingthem,theycannotbecalledcloth.

When the moment comes to show others your Offering, they will beamazedandwillsaytooneanother:“Thereisasuccessfulman,because

everyonewantsthefruitsofhislabors.”Noonewill askwhat it cost toproduce those fruitsbecauseanyonewhodoeshisworkwithlovefillshiscreationwithsuchintensitythatitcannotbeperceivedbytheeyes.Justasanacrobatflieseasilythroughtheairwithnoapparenteffort,success,whenitcomes,seemsthemostnaturalthingintheworld.Meanwhile, if anyone did dare to ask, the answer would be: Iconsidered giving up. I thought God was no longer listening to me, Ioftenhad to changedirection, and,onotheroccasions, I lostmyway.Despite everything, though, I found it again and carried on, because Iwasconvincedtherewasnootherwaytolivemylife.I learned which bridges should be crossed and which should beburned.

I am poet, farmer, artist, soldier, father, trader, seller, teacher,politician, sage, and someone who merely takes care of home andchildren.IamawarethattherearemanypeoplemorefamousthanIand,often,thatfameisrichlydeserved.Inothercases,itismerelyamanifestationofvanityorambitionandwillnotstandthetestoftime.Whatissuccess?Itisbeingabletogotobedeachnightwithyoursoulatpeace.

AndAlmira,whostillbelievedthatanarmyofangelsandarchangelswoulddescendfromtheheavenstoprotectthesacredcity,said:

“Talktousaboutmiracles.”

Andheanswered:Whatisamiracle?Wecandefine it invariousways:assomethingthatgoesagainst the

lawsofnature,an intercession inmomentsofdeepcrisis,healingsandvisions,animpossibleencounter,oralast-minuteinterventionwhentheUnwantedVisitorarrives.Allthesedefinitionsaretrue,butamiraclegoesbeyondeventhat;it’s

somethingthatsuddenlyfillsourheartswithLove.Whenthathappens,wefeelaprofoundreverenceforthegraceGodhasbestowedonus.Giveusthisday,Lord,ourdailymiracle.Evenifweareincapableofnoticingitbecauseourmindisfocusedon

greatdeedsandconquests.Evenifwearetoopreoccupiedwithday-to-daylifetoknowthatourpathwaschangedbyit.Andwhenwearesad,helpustokeepoureyesopentothelifearound

us:afloweropening,thestarsinthesky,thedistantsingingofabirdorachild’svoicenearby.Helpustounderstandthattherearecertainthingssoimportantthat

wehavetodiscoverthemwithoutanyone’shelp,andthatweshouldnotfeelaloneandhelplessbecauseYouaretherewithus,readytointerveneifourfeetgoperilouslyclosetotheabyss.Help us to continue onward despite the fear and to accept the

inexplicabledespiteourneedtoexplainandknoweverything.Help us to understand that Love’s strength lies in its contradictions

andthatLovelastsbecauseitchangesandnotbecauseitstaysthesameandneverfacesanychallenges.Andtounderstand,too,thateachtimeweseethehumbleexaltedand

thearroganthumbled,wearewitnessingamiracle.Helpus toknowthatwhenour legsare tired,wecankeepwalking,

thankstothestrengthinourhearts,andthatwhenourheartsaretired,wecanstillcarryon,thankstothestrengthofourFaith.Help us to see in each grain of desert sand proof of themiracle of

difference, and may that encourage us to accept ourselves as we are.

Becausejustasnotwograinsofsandarealike,sonotwohumanbeingswillthinkandactinthesameway.Helpustobehumblewhenwereceiveandjoyfulwhenwegive.Help us to understand that wisdom lies not in the answers we aregiven,butinthemysteryofthequestionsthatenrichourlives.Help us never to be imprisoned by the things we think we know,becauseweknowso little aboutFate.Andmay this leadus tobehaveimpeccably,makinguseofthefourcardinalvirtues:boldness,elegance,love,andfriendship.

Giveusthisday,Lord,ourdailymiracle.Just as there aremanypaths to the topof amountain, so there aremanypathstoachievingourgoal.Helpustorecognizetheonlyonethatisworthfollowing:theoneonwhichLoveistobefound.HelpustoawakentheLovesleepingwithinusbeforeweawakenLovein other people. Only then will we be able to attract affection,enthusiasm,andrespect.Helpustodistinguishbattlesthatareours,battlesintowhichwearepropelledagainstourwill,andbattlesthatwecannotavoidbecauseFatehasplacedtheminourpath.Mayoureyesopensothatwecanseethatnotwodaysareeverthesame.Eachonebringswithitadifferentmiracle,whichallowsustogoonbreathing,dreaming,andwalkinginthesun.Mayourearsalsoopentoheartheveryappositewordsthatsuddenlyemerge fromthemouthofoneofour fellows,even thoughwehaven’taskedforhisadviceandhehasnoideawhatisgoingoninoursoulatthatmoment.Andwhenweopenourmouth,maywespeaknotjustthelanguageofmen,butthelanguageofangels,too,saying:“Miraclesdonotgoagainstthelawsofnature;wethinkthatonlybecausewedonotknownature’slaws.”Andwhenweachievethis,maywebowourheadinrespect,saying:“Iwasblind,butnowIcansee. Iwasdumb,butnowIcanspeak. Iwasdeaf, butnow I canhear.BecauseGodworkedhismiraclewithinme,andeverythingIthoughtwaslosthasbeenrestored.”Miraclestearawaytheveilsandchangeeverything,butdonotletus

seewhatliesbehindtheveils.Theyallowus toescapeunharmed fromthevalleyof the shadowofdeath,butdonottelluswhichroadledustothemountainsofjoyandlight.Theyopendoorsthatwerelockedwithimpossiblepadlocks,buttheyusenokey.TheysurroundthesunswithplanetssothattheydonotfeelaloneintheUniverse, and they keep theplanets fromgetting too close so thattheywon’tbedevouredbythesuns.They transform the wheat into bread through work, the grape intowine through patience, and death into life through the resurrection ofdreams.Therefore,Lord,giveusthisdayourdailymiracle.Andforgiveusifwearenotalwayscapableofrecognizingit.

Andamanwhowaslisteningtothewarchantscomingfrombeyondthecitywallsandwhofearedforhisfamilysaid:

“Speaktousaboutanxiety.”

Andheanswered:Thereisnothingwrongwithanxiety.Although we cannot control God’s time, it is part of the human

conditiontowanttoreceivethethingwearewaitingforasquicklyaspossible.Ortodriveawaywhateveriscausingourfear.This is so from childhood onward, untilwe reach the agewhenwe

becomeindifferenttolife.Becauseaslongasweareintenselyconnectedtothepresentmoment,wewillalwaysbewaitinganxiouslyforsomeoneorsomething.Howcanyoutellapassionatehearttobestillandtocontemplatethe

miraclesofCreation in silence, freeof tension, fear, andunanswerablequestions?Anxietyispartoflove,andshouldnotbeblamedbecauseofthat.How can you tell someone not to worry when he has invested his

moneyandhislifeinadreambuthasyettoseeanyresults?Thefarmercannot speed the progress of the seasons in order to pick the fruit heplanted,buthewaitsimpatientlyforthecomingofautumnandharvesttime.Howcanyouaskawarriornottofeelanxiousbeforeabattle?He has trained to the point of exhaustion for this moment; he has

givenofhisbest.Whilehebelievesheisprepared,hefearsthatallhiseffortscouldprovetobeinvain.Anxietywasbornintheverysamemomentasmankind.Andsincewe

willneverbeabletomasterit,wewillhavetolearntolivewithit—justaswehavelearnedtolivewithstorms.

Forthosewhocannotlearntodoso,lifewillbeanightmare.Theverythingtheyshouldbegratefulfor—allthehoursthatmakeup

a day—become a curse. They want time to pass more quickly, notrealizing that thiswill also hasten their encounterwith theUnwanted

Visitor.Evenworse,inanattempttodriveawayanxiety,theydothingsthatmakethemevenmoreanxious.Themother,waitingforhersontocomehome,beginstoimaginetheworst.Theloverthinks:“MybelovedismineandIamhis.AndinthebroadwaysIsoughthimbutfoundhimnot.WitheverycornerIpassandwitheach person I ask and who fails to answer my questions, I allow thenormalanxietyoflovetobetransformedintodespair.”Theworker,while he awaits the fruits of his labors, tries to occupyhimselfwithothertasks,eachofwhichwillbringhimmoremomentsofwaiting. Itwillnotbe longbeforeeachsingleanxietyhascombinedtobecomeonelargeanxiety,andhecannolongerseetheskyorthestarsorhischildrenplaying.Andmother, lover, andworker alike all cease living their lives andsimplyexpecttheworst;theylistentorumorsandcomplainthatthedayseems never-ending. They become aggressivewith friends, family, andemployees.Theyeatbadly,eitherconsumingtoomuchorbeingunabletokeepanythingdown.Andatnight,theylaytheirheadonthepillow,butcannotsleep.Thatiswhenanxietyweavesaveilthroughwhichonlytheeyesofthesoulcansee.Andtheeyesofthesoulareblearywithtiredness.Atthatpoint,inwalksoneofhumankind’sworstenemies:obsession.Obsessionarrivesandsays:“Yourfatenowbelongstome.Iwillmakeyoulookforthingsthatdonotexist.“Yourjoyinlivingbelongstome,too.Fromnowon,yourheartwillknownopeacebecauseIwilldriveoutenthusiasmandtakeitsplace.“Iwillallowfeartospreadthroughouttheworld,andyouwillalwaysfeelafraid,butwithoutknowingwhy.Youdon’tneedtoknow;youjustneedtostayafraidandfeedandfattenyourfear.“Yourwork,whichwasonceanOffering,hasalsobeentakenoverbyme.Theotherswill say thatyou seta fineexamplebecauseyoudriveyourselfsohard,andyouwillsmileandthankthemforthecompliment.“Butinyourheart,Iwillbesayingthatyourworkisnowmine,andIwill use it to distance you from everything and everyone—from your

friends,fromyourson,fromyourself.“Workharder,soyouwon’thavetothink.Workharderthanyouneedto,sothatyoucanstoplivingaltogether.“Your Love, which was once a manifestation of the Divine Energy,belongstome,too.Andthepersonyoulovewillbeunabletoleaveyoursideforamoment,becauseIamthereinyourheart,saying:‘Careful,shemightgoawayandnevercomeback.’“Yourson,whooncewouldhavefollowedhisownpathintheworld,will now be mine as well. I will have you surround him withunnecessaryworries that destroy his taste for adventure and risk, thatmakehimsufferwheneverhedispleasesyou,andthatleavehimfeelingguiltybecausehehasfailedtoliveuptoyourexpectations.”

Therefore,althoughanxietyispartoflife,neverletitcontrolyou.If itcomestooclose,say:“I’mnotworriedabout tomorrow,becauseGodistherealready,waitingforme.”If it tries topersuadeyouthat takingonlotsof jobsmeanshavingaproductive life, say: “I need time to look at the stars in order to feelinspiredandtobeabletodomyjobwell.”Ifitthreatensyouwiththeghostofhunger,say:“Mandoesnotlivebybreadalone,butbyeverywordthatproceedsoutofthemouthofGod.”If it tells you that your beloved might not come back, say: “Mybeloved ismine, and I amhers. She is grazingher flocksby the river,andIcanhearhersinging,evenfromafar.Whenshereturnshome,shewillbetiredandhappy,andIwillmakehersomefoodandwatchoverhersleep.”Ifittellsyouthatyoursonhasnorespectfortheloveyoulavishedonhim,answer:“Excessivecautiondestroysthesoulandtheheart,becauseliving is an act of courage, and an act of courage is always an act oflove.”Thatwayyouwillkeepanxietyatbay.Itwillneverdisappear,butthegreatwisdomoflifeistorealizethatwecanbethemastersofthethingsthattrytoenslaveus.

Andayoungmansaid:

“Telluswhatthefutureholds.”

Andheanswered:Weallknowwhatawaitsusinthefuture:theUnwantedVisitor,who

couldarriveatanyhour,withoutwarning,andsay:“Comewithme.”Andhowevermuchwemaynotwantto,wewillhavenochoice.At

thatmoment,ourgreatestjoy,orperhapsourgreatestsadness,willbetolookbackatthepastandanswerthequestion:“DidIgiveenoughlove?”We must love. I am not speaking only of love for another person.

Loving means being open to miracles, to victories and defeats, toeverything that happens eachday thatwas givenus towalkupon thefaceoftheEarth.Oursoulisgovernedbyfourinvisibleforces:love,death,power,and

time.WemustlovebecausewearelovedbyGod.We must be aware of the Unwanted Visitor if we are fully to

understandlife.Wemuststruggleinordertogrow,butwithoutbecomingtrappedby

whatever powerwemight gain from that growth.We know that suchpowerisworthless.Finally, we must accept that our soul, although eternal, is, at this

moment, caught in the web of time, with all its possibilities andlimitations.Our dream, the desire that is in our soul, did not come out of

nowhere.Someoneplaceditthere.AndthatSomeone,whoispureloveandwantsonlyourhappiness,didsoonlybecausehealsogaveusthetoolstorealizeourdreamsandourdesires.When you are going through difficult times, remember: you might

havelostsomemajorbattles,butyousurvivedandyou’restillhere.Thatisavictory.Showyourhappinessandcelebrateyourabilitytogo

forward.Pouryourlovegenerouslyoutontothefieldsandpastures,downthe

streetsofthebigcityandacrossthedunesofthedesert.Show that you care about the poor, for they are an opportunity for

youtodisplaythevirtueofcharity.Andcare, too,about therich,whodistrusteverythingandeveryone,keeping their granaries crammedwith grain and their coffers full, butwho,despiteallthat,cannotdriveawayloneliness.Nevermissanopportunitytoshowyourlove,especiallytothoseclosetoyou,becausewearealwaysatourmostcautiouswiththemforfearofbeinghurt.Love—becauseyouwillbethefirsttobenefit.Theworldaroundyouwill reward you, even if, at first, you say to yourself: “They don’tunderstandmylove.”Lovedoesnotneedtobeunderstood.Itneedsonlytobeshown.Therefore, what the future holds for you depends entirely on yourcapacityforlove.Andforthatyoumusthaveabsoluteandtotalconfidenceinwhatyouare doing.Don’t let others say: “That road is better” or “That route iseasier.”ThegreatestgiftGodgaveusisthepowertomakedecisions.We were all told from childhood that what we wanted to do wasimpossible. As we accumulate years, we also accumulate the sand ofprejudices,fears,andguilt.Freeyourselffromthat.Nottomorrow,nottonight,butnow.As I said:many of us believe thatwewill hurt thosewe love ifweleaveeverythingbehindinthenameofourdreams.Butthosewhotrulywantthebestforuswantustobehappy,eveniftheycan’tunderstandwhatwearedoing,andevenif,atfirst,theytrytostopusfromgoingaheadbymeansofthreats,promises,andtears.Theadventureof thedays to comeneeds tobe filledwith romance,becausetheworldneedsthat;therefore,whenyouaremountedonyourhorse,feelthewindonyourfaceandenjoythesenseoffreedom.Butdon’tforgetthatyouhavealongjourneyahead.Ifyousurrendertotally to the romance of it all, you might fall. If you don’t stopoccasionallytoletbothyouandyourhorserest,yourhorsemightdieofthirstorexhaustion.Listentothewind,butdon’tforgetaboutyourhorse.Andpreciselywheneverythingseemstobegoingwellandyourdreamisalmostwithinyourgrasp, that iswhenyoumustbemorealert thanever.Becausewhenyourdreamisalmostwithinyourgrasp,youwillbe

assailedbyterribleguilt.Youwill see that youare about to arriveat aplacewherevery fewhaveeversetfoot,andyouwillthinkthatyoudon’tdeservewhatlifeisgivingyou.Youwill forget all theobstacles youovercame, all that you sufferedand sacrificed. And because of that feeling of guilt, you couldunconsciouslydestroyeverythingthattookyousolongtobuild.That is themost dangerous of obstacles, because renouncing victoryhasaboutitacertainauraofsanctity.Butifamanunderstandsthatheisworthyofwhathehasstruggledsolongfor,hewillrealizethathedidnotgettherealoneandmustrespecttheHandthatledhim.Onlysomeonecapableofhonoringeachstephetakescancomprehendhisownworth.

Andamanwhoknewhowtowrite,andwhowasfranticallytryingtonotedowneverywordtheCoptsaid,pausedtorest,feelingasifhewereinakindoftrance.Thesquare,thewearyfaces,thereligiousmenwhowerelisteninginsilence,allseemedpartofadream.

Andinordertoprovethatwhathewasexperiencingwasreal,hesaid:

“Speaktousaboutloyalty.”

Andheanswered:Loyaltycanbecomparedtoashopsellingexquisiteporcelainvases,a

shoptowhichLovehasgivenusthekey.Each of those vases is beautiful because it is different, as is every

person,everydropofrain,everyrocksleepingonthemountainside.Sometimes, due to ageor someunsuspecteddefect, a shelf collapses

and falls.And the shopowner says tohimself: “I investedyearsofmytimeandmyloveonthiscollection,butthevaseshavebetrayedmeandbroken.”Themansellshisshopandleaves.Hebecomesasolitary,embittered

individual,believingthathewillnevertrustanyoneagain.It’s true that some vases do break—a promise of loyalty broken. In

thatcase,it’sbesttosweepupthepiecesandthrowthemaway,becausewhatwasbrokenwillneverbethesameagain.Butsometimesthereasonswhyashelfcollapsesandfallsgobeyond

merehuman intentions: itcouldbeanearthquake,anenemy invasion,or clumsiness on the part of someone who enters the shop withoutlookingwhereheisgoing.Men and women blame each other for the disaster. They say:

“Someoneshouldhaveforeseenwhatwasgoingtohappen.”Or:“IfIhadbeenincharge,theseproblemscouldhavebeenavoided.”Nothing couldbe further from the truth.Weare all prisonersof the

sandsoftime,andwehavenocontroloverthem.Timepasses,andtheshelfthatfellgetsmended.Other vases fighting for their place in theworld are put there. The

newshopowner,whounderstandsthatnothinglasts,smilesandsaystohimself:“ThattragedyopenedupanopportunityformeandIwilltrytomake the most of it. I will discover works of art I never even knewexisted.”The beauty of a shop selling porcelain vases is that each vase is

unique,but,whentheyareplacedsidebyside,thevasesexudeharmonyandreflectthehardworkofthepotterandtheartofthepainter.

Eachworkofartcouldeasilysay:“Iwanttobenoticed,andI’mgoingto get out of here.” But the moment it tries to do that, it will betransformedintoapileofbrokenshardswithnovalue.Andasitiswithvasessoitiswithmenandwomen.Andsoitiswithtribesandshipsandtreesandstars.Onceweunderstandthis,wecansitnexttoourneighborattheendoftheday,listeningwithrespecttowhathehastosayandsayingwhatheneeds to hear. And neither of us will try to impose our ideas on theother.Beyond themountains that separate the tribes, beyond the distancethatseparatesbodies,thereexiststhecommunityofspirits.Wearepartof that community, where there are no streets peopled with pointlesswords,onlybroadavenues thatconnectwhat isdistantandsometimeshavetoberepairedbecauseofthedamagecausedbytime.Thus, the returning lover will never be eyed with distrust, becauseloyaltyaccompanieshiseverystep.Andthemanwhowasseenasanenemyyesterday,becausetherewasawarbeingwaged,willnowbeseenasafriend,becausethewarisoverandlifegoeson.Thesonwholeftwilleventuallyreturn,andhewillreturnrichintheexperienceshehadalongtheway.Hisfatherwillreceivehimwithopenarmsandsaytohisservants:“Bringthebestrobeforhimandputaringonhis fingerand sandalsonhis feet,becausemysonwasdeadand isaliveagain.Hewaslostandisfound.”

Andamanwhosebrowwasmarkedbytimeandwhosebodywasmarkedbyscarsthattoldofthebattlesinwhichhehadfoughtsaid:

“Speaktousoftheweaponswemustusewhenallislost.”

Andheanswered:Wherethereisloyalty,weaponsareofnouse.All weapons are instruments of evil because they are not the

instrumentsofthewiseman.Loyaltyhasitsrootsinrespect,andrespectisthefruitofLove.Love

drives out the demons of the imagination—which distrust everythingandeveryone—and,instead,returnspuritytoourgaze.Whenawisemanwants tomakesomeoneweak,he firstmakes that

personbelieve that he is strong. The othermanwill then fall into thetrapofchallengingsomeoneevenstrongerandbedestroyed.When awisemanwants to bring someone low, he firstmakes that

personclimbthehighestmountainintheworldtoallowhimtheillusionthatheisverypowerful.Theothermanwillthenbelievethathecangostillhigherandplungeintotheabyss.Whenawisemancovets something thatbelongs toanotherman,he

loadshimwithgifts.Theothermanwillhavesomanyuselessobjectstotake care of that hewill lose everything else, too busy trying to keepwhathethinksheowns.Whenawisemancannotdiscoverwhathisopponentisplanning,he

feigns an attack.Weare alwaysprepared todefendourselves, becausewealllivewiththefearandparanoiathatotherpeopledon’tlikeus.His opponent—however brilliant he may be—is insecure and reacts

withexcessiveviolencetotheprovocation.Indoingso,herevealswhatweaponshehas, and thewiseman thusdiscoverswhathisopponent’sstrongandweakpointsare.Then,knowingexactlywhatkindofreactiontoexpect,thewiseman

eitherattacksorretreats.This is how those who appear submissive and weak conquer and

defeatthosewhoarepowerfulandstrong.

And so wisemen often defeatwarriors, butwarriors also defeatwisemen.Toavoidthis, it isbesttoseekthepeaceandreposethatexistinthedifferencesamonghumanbeings.Thewoundedpersonshouldaskhimself:“Isitworthfillingmyheart

withhatredanddraggingtheweightofitaroundwithme?”HeisthusmakinguseofoneofLove’squalities—namely,Forgiveness.

Thishelpshimtoriseabovealltheinsultsspokenintheheatofbattle,insultswhichtimewillsoonerasejustasthewinderasesfootstepsfromthesandsofthedesert.Whenyou forgive, thepersonwho insultedyou feelshumbled inhis

errorandbecomesloyal.Letus,therefore,beawareoftheforcesthatmoveus.The truehero isnot themanwhowasborn forgreatdeeds,but the

onewho hasmanaged to build a shield of loyalty around him out ofmanysmallthings.Thus, when he saves his adversary from certain death or from

betrayal,hisgesturewillneverbeforgotten.The true lover isnot theonewhosays: “Youneed tobebymyside

andIneedtotakecareofyou,becauseweareloyaltoeachother,”buttheonewho realizes that loyaltymustgohand inhandwith freedom.Andwithoutfearofbetrayal,heacceptsandrespectstheotherperson’sdream,trustinginthegreaterpowerofLove.Thetruefriendisnottheonewhosays:“Youwoundedmetoday,and

Iamsad.”He says: “You wounded me today for reasons unknown to me and

possiblytoyouaswell,buttomorrowIknowthatIwillbeabletocountonyourhelp.AndsoIwillnotbesad.”And the friend responds: “You are a loyal friend, because you said

whatyoufelt.Thereisnothingworsethanafriendwhoconfusesloyaltywithacceptingoureveryfault.”Themostdestructiveofweaponsisnotthespearorthesiegecannon,

whichcanwoundabodyanddemolishawall.Themost terribleofall

weapons is theword,which can ruin a lifewithout leaving a trace ofblood,andwhosewoundsneverheal.Let us, then, bemasters of our tongue and not slaves of ourwords.Evenifwordsareusedagainstus,letusnotenterabattlethatcannotbewon. Themoment we place ourselves on the same level as some vileadversary,wewillbefightinginthedark,andtheonlywinnerwillbetheLordofDarkness.

Loyalty is a pearl among grains of sand, and only those who reallyunderstanditsmeaningcanseeit.Thus the SowerofDiscord canpass the same spot a thousand timesand never see the little jewel that keeps those who need to remainunited.Loyalty can never be imposed by force, fear, insecurity, orintimidation.Itisachoicethatonlystrongspiritshavethecouragetomake.And because it is a choice, it will never tolerate betrayal, but willalwaysbegenerouswithmistakes.Andbecauseitisachoice,itwithstandstimeandpassingconflicts.

Andoneoftheyoungmenintheaudience,seeingthatthesunwasalmostbelowthehorizonandthatsoonthisencounterwiththeCoptwouldcometoanend,asked:

“Andwhataboutenemies?”

Andheanswered:The trulywise do not grieve over the living or the dead. Therefore,

acceptthebattlethatawaitsyoutomorrowbecausewearemadeoftheEternal Spirit, which often places us in situations that we need toconfront.At suchmoments, set aside all futile questions, because theymerely

slowdownthewarrior’sreflexes.A warrior on the battlefield is fulfilling his destiny, and he must

surrenderhimselftothat.Pitythosewhothinktheymustkillordie!TheDivineEnergycannotbedestroyed;itsimplychangesitsform.ThewisemenofAntiquitysaid:

Acceptthisaspartofsomesuperiorplanandgoforward.Manisnotdefinedby earthlybattles, because justas thewindchangesdirection,sodoluckandvictory.Today’sloserwillbetomorrow’swinner,butinorderforthattohappen,combatmustbeembracedwithhonor.Justassomeoneputsonnewclothes,discardingtheold,sothe

soul accepts new material bodies, abandoning the old and theuseless.Knowingthis,youmustnotsufferbecauseofthebody.

Thatisthecombatwewillfacetonightortomorrowmorning.Historywillrecordwhathappens.But sincewe are reaching the end of ourmeeting,we cannotwaste

timeonthat.Iwish,therefore,tospeakofotherenemies:thosewefindbesideus.Wewill allhave to facemanyadversaries inour lives,but themost

difficulttodefeatwillbetheoneswefear.We will always meet rivals in everything we do, but the most

dangerousarethosewebelievetobeourfriends.We all suffer when our dignity is attacked or wounded, but the

greatestpainwillbecausedby thosewe thoughtwereexamples tobe

followed.Noneofuscanavoidmeeting thosewhowillbetrayandslanderus,butwecandriveawaytheevilbeforeitshowsitstrueface.Becauseanyexcessivelykindbehavior couldbetrayaknifehiddenbehind thebackandreadytobeused.Loyal men and women do not bother to show what they are like,becauseotherloyalspiritsunderstandtheirqualitiesanddefects.Bewareofanyonewhotriestopleaseyouallthetime.Andbewareofthepainyoucancauseyourselfbyallowingavileandcowardlyheart tobepartofyourworld.Once theevilhasbeendone,thereisnopointinblaminganyone:theownerofthehousewastheonewhoopenedthedoor.Themorefragiletheslanderer,themoredangeroushisactions.Donotmake yourself vulnerable to those weak spirits who cannot bear toencounterastrongspirit.Ifsomeoneconfrontsyouoverideasorideals,stepupandacceptthefight, because conflict is present in every moment of our lives andsometimesitneedstoshowitselfinthebroadlightofday.Butdonotfightinordertoprovethatyouareright,ortoimposeyourideas or ideals on someone else. Accept the fight only as a way ofkeepingyourspiritcleanandyourwillspotless.Whenthefightisover,both sideswill emergeaswinnersbecause they tested their limitationsandtheirabilities.Evenif,at first,oneofthemsays,“Iwon,”andtheothergrowssad,thinking,“Ilost.”Since both respect the courage and determination of the other, thetime will come when they will once again walk along hand in hand,eveniftheyhavetowaitathousandyearsforthattohappen.Meanwhile,ifsomeonemerelywishestoprovokeyou,shakethedustfromyourfeetandcarryon.Fightonlywithaworthyopponent,andnotwithsomeonewhousestrickerytoprolongawarthatisalreadyover,asdoessometimeshappen.Such cruelty does not come from the warriors who meet on thebattlefieldandknowwhytheyarethere,butfromthosewhomanipulatevictoryanddefeatfortheirownends.Theenemyisnotthepersonstandingbeforeyou,swordinhand.Itisthe person standing next to you with a dagger concealed behind his

back.Themostimportantofwarsisnotwagedwithaloftyspiritorasoulacceptingofitsfate.Itisthewarthatisgoingonnow,aswespeak,andwhose battlefield is the Spirit, where Good and Evil, Courage andCowardice,LoveandFearfaceoneanother.Neverrepayhatredwithhatred,butwithjustice.Theworlddoesnotdivideintoenemiesandfriends,butintotheweakandthestrong.Thestrongaregenerousinvictory.The weak gang up on the losers, unaware that defeat is only atransitory thing. From among the losers, they choose thosewho seemmostvulnerable.If thesameweretohappentoyou,askyourself ifyouwould liketotakeontheroleofvictim.Iftheanswerisyes,youwillneverbefreeofthatchoicefortherestofyour life, and you will be easy prey whenever you are faced with adecision that demands courage. Youmight talk like awinner, but thelook of defeat in your eyes will always be there, and everyone willnotice.If the answer is no, stand your ground. Better to rebel while yourwoundsareeasilytreated—evenifittakestimeandpatience.Youwillspendafewsleeplessnightsthinking:“Idon’tdeservethis.”Orthinkingwhatanunfairworlditisbecauseitfailedtogiveyouthewelcome you were expecting. Or feeling ashamed at the humiliationenduredinfrontofyourcolleagues,yourlover,oryourparents.Butifyouholdfast,thepackofhyenaswilleventuallymoveoffandgoinsearchofsomeoneelsetoplaytheroleofvictim.Theywillhavetolearnthesamelessonforthemselves,becausenooneelsewillbeabletohelpthem.

Therefore,yourenemiesarenottheadversarieswhowereputtheretotestyourcourage.Theyarethecowardswhowereputtheretotestyourweakness.

Nighthadfallennow.TheCoptturnedtothereligiousmenwhohadbeenlisteningtoallthathehadsaidandaskedthemiftheyhadanythingtoadd.Allthreenodded.

Andtherabbisaid:WhenagreatrabbisawthattheJewswerebeingmistreated,hewent

intotheforest,litasacredfire,andsaidaspecialprayeraskingGodtoprotecthispeople.AndGodsenthimamiracle.Later, his disciple went into the same part of the forest and said:

“MasteroftheUniverse,Idonotknowhowtolightthesacredfire,butIdoknowthespecialprayer;please,hearme!”Andthemiraclehappenedagain.Agenerationpassed, andanother rabbi, seeinghowhispeoplewere

beingpersecuted,wentintotheforestandsaid:“Idonotknowhowtolight the sacred fire, nor do I know the special prayer, but I stillremembertheplace.Helpus,OLord!”AndtheLordhelpedthem.Fifty years later, another rabbi, who was crippled, spoke to God,

saying:“Idonotknowhowto light thesacredfire,nordoIknowthespecialprayer,andIcan’tevenfindtheplaceintheforest.AllIcandoistellthisstoryandhopethatGodwillhearme.”Andagainthemiracleoccurred.Goforth,then,andtellthestoryofthisevening.And the imam who was in charge of the Al-Aqsa mosque waited

respectfullyforhisfriendtherabbitofinishspeaking,thensaid:AmanknockedonthedoorofaBedouinfriend’shousetoaskhima

favor:“Willyoulendmefourthousanddinartopayoffadebt?”His friend asked his wife to gather together everything they had of

value,butitstillwasn’tenough.Theyhadtogooutandbegformoneyfromtheirneighborsuntiltheyhadthenecessaryamount.Whenthemanleft,hiswifenoticedthatherhusbandwascrying.“Whyareyousad?Nowthatweareindebttoourneighbors,areyou

afraidthatwewon’tbeabletorepayit?”“No,it’snotthat.I’mcryingbecauseheisadearlybelovedfriend,and

yetIknewnothingofthedifficultieshewasin.Ionlyfoundoutwhenhecameandknockedonmydoorandaskedtoborrowsomemoney.”

Goforth,therefore,andtelleveryonewhatyouheardthisevening,sothatwecanhelpourbrotherbeforeheneedsusto.Andwhentheimamfinishedspeaking,theChristianpriestbegan:Asowerwentouttosow.Anditcametopassthatashesowed,someseedfellbythewayside,andthebirdsoftheaircameanddevouredit.And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; andimmediately it sprangup, because it hadnodepthof earth.Butwhenthe sun was up, it became scorched, and because it had no root, itwitheredaway.Andsomefellamongthorns,andthethornsgrewupandchoked it, and ityieldedno fruit.Andothers that fellongoodgrounddid yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, somethirty,andsomesixty,someahundred.Therefore, scatteryour seedwhereveryougo,becausewecanneverknow which seeds will grow and flourish and enlighten the nextgeneration.

Night now covered the city of Jerusalem, and the Copt askedeveryonetoreturntotheirhousesandrecordeverythingtheyhadheard,and for thosewhodid not knowhow towrite to try to remember hiswords.However,beforethemultitudeleft,hesaid:DonotthinkthatIamcometospreadpeaceupontheEarth.No,from

thisnighton,wewilltraveltheworldbearinganinvisiblesword,sothatwecanfightthedemonsofintoleranceandlackofunderstanding.Trytocarrythatswordas farasyour legswill takeyou.Andwhenyour legscan take you no farther, pass on the word or the manuscript, alwayschoosingpeopleworthyofwieldingthatsword.Ifavillageoracityrefusestowelcomeyou,donotinsist.Walkback

along thepathbywhichyoucameand shake thedust fromyour feet.For they will be condemned to repeat the same mistakes for manygenerations.Blessed are those who hear these words or read this manuscript,

because theveilwill be rent from top tobottom, and there is nothinghiddenthatwillnotberevealedtoyou.Goinpeace.

ALSOBYPAULOCOELHO

TheAlchemist

ThePilgrimage

TheValkyries

BytheRiverPiedraISatDownandWept

TheFifthMountain

VeronikaDecidestoDie

WarrioroftheLight:AManual

ElevenMinutes

TheZahir

TheDevilandMissPrym

TheWitchofPortobello

Brida

TheWinnerStandsAlone

Aleph

ANoteAbouttheAuthor

One of the most influential writers of our time, Paulo Coelho is theauthorofmanyinternationalbestsellers,includingTheAlchemist,Aleph,Eleven Minutes, and The Pilgrimage. Translated into 73 languages, hisbookshavesoldmorethan130millioncopiesinover170countries.Heisamemberof theBrazilianAcademyofLetters, and in2007,hewasnamedaUnitedNationsMessengerofPeace.

OthertitlesbyPauloCoelhoavailableineBookformat

Aleph•978-0-307-95701-6

VisittheAuthor:www.paulocoelho.com

Like:www.facebook.com/paulocoelho

Follow:@paulocoelho

Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.aaknopf.com