cohelo

    About the tea

     In Japan, I participed in the known "tea ceremony". You enter in a little room, the tea is served, and that's it. The thing is that as everything is done with so ritual and etiquette, the daily practice becomes in a moment of communication with the Universe.

     The tea master, Okakusa Kasuko, explains what goes on: "The ceremony is the adoration of the beauty and the simple things". All the effort is concentrated in the intention of obtain the perfection, thru the imperfect gestures of the daily life. All its beauty consists in the respect with which it's done.

About the love

Saint Agustin wrote that, in the same way that a city fixes laws to its inhabitants for live together, the man fixes an unique law, the love........to live together in peace with the spiritual world. Other poeple talked about this universal truth: "The true love doesn't ask for a reward, but it deserves one". "The love is God, and the death means that a drop of that love should return to its spring" (Tolstoi). "The love's truths are like the ocean: transparent only in the shaloow ends". (Patmore). "When more we love someone, more we enter in everybody's misteries" 9jalal-UD-Dim). "Where there is the hate possibility, there is also the love's possiblity, it's enough to do a choice" (Tillich).

   About shortcomings

     Gilberto de Nucci has an excellent image regarding to our behavior. In this view, people walk on the Earth face in single file; each one is carrying a knapsack in the front and another one in the back.

     In the in front knapsack one, we put our qualities. In the back knapsack one, we save all ours shortcomings.

     That's why during the life trip, we keep our eyes in the virtues thta we possesss, narrow at our chest. At the same time, we notice carefully in our companion's sack, (who is in front of us) all the shortcomings that he/she possess.

     And judge ourselves better than that person, without realize that the person behind us, is thinking the same about us.

                                                  The Alchemist

   How can I understand the language of signs?

   The language of signs is our individual way of coming into contact with God. In order to learn this language, one's intuition must be developed. In order to develop intuition, one must not be afraid of making mistakes.

Is it true that you wrote The Alchemist in two weeks?

   Yes. And, in general, all my books are written over a period of two to four weeks. But the conception of a book takes at least two years, and the revision approximately another four months.

      About the Chrysalies

The great Greek writer, Nikos Zantzakis ("Zorba, the Greek") tells than when he was a child. he noticed a chrysalis bonded to a tree; where a butterfly was training by itself to leave.

   He waited some time, but as it was was taking a lot of time, he decided to accelerate the process. He bagan to heat the chrysalis with his breath. The butterfly ended up leaving, but its wings was still tied, and it ended up dying short time later.

   "It was necessary a patient maturity, done by the sun, and I didn't know to wait", said Kazantzakis. That little corpse is, until today, one of the biggest weights that I have in my conscience. But it was him who made me understand what is a true mortal sin: "To force the big Universe's laws" . It's precise to have patient to await the exact time and continue with confidence the rhythm that God chose for our life.

                                                    About the Mystical

The Leonardo Boff's text says: "The grasp God, is to have him in all the life's dimensions, not only in the privileged situations, as when we take communion or we pray. You can always have the experience of God....walking on the street, breathing the air, pleasing, drinking beer, trying to understand a test that is in study.... God comes mixed in all those things; and any situation is a lot of good to grasp him and say: "He's with us".

   "The code of the mystic is to try to see what it is behind each thing, what makes up and support it . Don't stay imprisioned on the superficial......do a symbol of everything, a sign, a sacrament, an image".

   "For who has the experience of God, the world is a big message"

             About the Universe

"Maktub" means "it was written".
   In 1991, "The Alchemist" was offered to Maison Robbert Laffont; one of the three bigge french editorials. It was refused.

   The next year.....new offer: new refusal.

   Anne, Laffont's daughter, was spenting her vacations in Ibiza, when she received a copy of the book, in English. "Why he didn't edit it?" she asked to her father. "It was already refused twice", Laffont answered.

   Anne discovered the reason: the brazilian encharged of the selection, neither saw it favourable, putting forward that it wasn't considerated by the criticism. "So, edit it", Anne said....."and I'll do the best for him".

   This week, with the book praised by the local criticism, and in the most sold ones' list in France, Anne called: "Send a gift to the brazilian who refused   him book. Three years ago, it would be just a lot of launch between others. Now, it was a personal challenge mine. Maktub!" (You have to have read The Alchemist to understand this part)