Anecdotes, parables and fables on values

Anecdotes, parables, fables and reflections on values

Indice de Parabolas e Historias para Educar en Valores

Index of parables and stories to educate on values

Thinking about death
Signals
Forgiveness
Teaching
Look at the ocean
Borges and the Mayan pyramids
Negative desires
Belladonna
Page in construction
The three books
Listening to the Quran
The treasures
You pay the right price
Behave like the others
Work in tillage
Victory
Thinking about death
The imminence of death
Hatred and forgiveness
The catwalk
We ourselves can we build those bridges.
Build bridges or build walls?
Design
Old age
Socrates in the market
The opinion against
The three tests
The challenges
Save energy that is
It is worthwhile
Rebuilding the world
CARP learns to grow
The mother giraffe does the son suffer
The elephant and the rope
Ryokan and the thief
Know where to move
Meet the objective
Of the Cosmos
Law and fruits
The essence of forgiveness
Music boxes
Keep your fork
The experience and the gesture
The Warrior and the child
The history of the two visionaries
The importance of meditating cat
The older sister asked
The window and the mirror
The importance of knowing the names
The defeat at Everest
The virtue that offends
The way of pleasing the Lord
How to pray
The perfect woman
The two Angels painting
The door of the law
The response
Suspicion turns to men
The real significance
Leveling the world
The woman who asked for
Things I learned in life
How to achieve immortality
Brief history of medicine
Hunting two sluts
Each one offers only what has
It rains later
Things of this world
How to keep the full hell
The famous
Miss
Design
Seagull
Sex
Faith
Appendicitis
How it was
Wisdom
Apple
Children's
The insistence
Tree
Conversion
Life
Corruption
The steps of the spiritual path
Alexander the great, bread and women
The Princess
The sorceress and the bag
Solomon
Take a break
The rebellion
The resolutions
The walks
Definitions
The monument
The power of the Commander
The question
The experience
Care
The lamps of the tree
The fear of happiness
The sweetness of flowers
The encounter with others
Along with all the things
The gift of healing
About reform
Children's
Of the Prophet
Love
The law of love
Of the Congress
Tradition
Suicide
Flute
Subway
Vacuum
Santa Claus
Care with words
In the shadow of man
Mystique
Reality
Of affection
Of the universe
The return
Action
Bottle
Denial
The reasons of the human heart
The construction of our cathedral
The power of adversaries
The importance of John the Baptist
Perfection and creation
Commitment to our decisions
Mohammed Ali and George Foreman
Today, between yesterday and tomorrow
The pieces of myself
The cure of farewell
Learn magic
The unreasonableness of the coherence
Explain to God
The tasks of the spiritual path
The prayer of the assaulted
The pedagogy of God
Jesus and the robbers
Repeated experience
Perseverance
The importance of the scars
Awareness, instinct and mechanical
Twilight
The communion of love
The miracles
The stages of the spiritual search
The crossroads
The prayer of looking at fixed
Marks and scars
The person you have always dreamed to be
The wisdom of the hermit
The first quality
Two bags
The wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita
The rhythm of life
The fixate
The golden rule
The glass of water
The truth of the necromancer
Taoist Cosmology
The three cubs
The way of truth
The Sage and the magician
The sense of loss
The legend of the desert
The proof of the soul
The power of writing
The road of dreams
Lack of faith
Hammer, water and stone.
Letter to the heart
Tactics of the Warriors of the light
The need to share
Love heals
Trust in others
The remedy of love
The wisdom of the Warrior of light
The intelligent man and enemies
The apology of love
The philosopher and the King
Celebrate the triumphs
Don't lose faith
The soul of man
A prayer
Is it easy to be hard
God in our lives
In the lap of God
The important thing
The result of the battles
Free the soul
Somewhere in the universe
The power of the word
The secret of the skill
The beauty of Dafne
The spiritual path
The strength of Jesus
On behalf of the truth
The daily miracle
The warmth of the soul
The joy in spiritual search
Theory and practice vital
The sermon of Huxley
The work of art
Jean-Paul Sartre and God
The word, his power, and envy
Philosophy and reality
The beauty of the world
The danger
The lie of the eye
Where is the umbrella
Where is Dios
Looking the other way
The old man who confused everything (I)
The old man who confused everything (II)
The porcelain vase and rose (I)
The porcelain vase and rose (II)
The value and money
The value of the time
The three tests
The good news
The small farm and the cow (I)
The small farm and the cow (II)
The small farm and the cow (III)
The silence of the night
The meaning of Vespers
The priest and the child (I)
The priest and the son (II)
The priest and the son (III)
What you salvarías (I)
What you salvarías (II)
What the wise man asked God
The main concern is
Pass through the gates of the Castle
Roots and wings
The problem and the blame
The angel and the devil inside
Disciples and teachers
The imminence of death (I)
The imminence of death (II)
The bicycle race
The language of God
Rebuilding the world
The signs of God
Attitudes and intentions
Sufi prayer
The conspiracies of the universe
Honor the word
An exercise in meditation
We don't need you
Nasrudin always chooses evil
The road to Rome
In the midst of the innocent
The thief student
The cedar forest
The way that leads to heaven
Chief Seattle and the value of traditions (I)
Chief Seattle and the value of traditions (II)
Chief Seattle and the value of traditions (III)
Desire must be strong (I)
Desire must be strong (II)
The eager disciple
The taste and the language (I)
The taste and the language (II)
The big map
The man who forgave
The juggler of our Lady
The young man does not respect the wisdom (I)
The young man does not respect the wisdom (II)
The Lake and narcissus (I)
The Lake and narcissus (II)
The monkey and the mona discussed (I)
The monkey and the mona discussed (II)
The slayer of dragons
The decision was the Blackbird
The time of the Aurora
The monk and the prostitute (I)
The monk and the prostitute (II)
The monk and the prostitute (III)
The monastery can be finished (I)
The monastery can be finished (II)
Elias and the second chance (I)
Elias and the second chance (II)
Elias and the second chance (III)
Elias and the second chance (IV)
Bread and butter
The duck and the cat
The fish that saved a life
The price of the question
The wrong present
The present of insults (I)
The present of insults (II)
Many defined

Thinking about death

Zilu asked Confucius (Chinese philosopher who lived in the 6th century A.d.):

-Can I ask you what you think about death?

- As power, you can - Confucio said. - But if you still don't understand life, what want to know as much about death? We expected you to think about it when you're coming to the end of your life.

Signals

Signs of life are like traffic signals: just in case, it is best to respect them.

There are times to stop and moments to go ahead. When we are lost we follow current but we pay attention to anything that can provide us with the correct address. When it is forbidden to move forward, there is always a way to circumvent the obstacle.

But, as it happens with traffic - signals many times we realize that this indication is useless and we don't obey it. Red light pass us once, again, without that nothing happens. And we got used to act that way, until one day...

For this reason, attention. Not be reckless with their dreams. Don't waste your luck in nonsense.

Forgiveness

Two former Argentine political prisoners were found after many years without having been in contact. They sat in a bar in the Avenida de Mayo and began to remember the black of the repression years, when people disappeared without a trace. At a certain height, one asked the other:

-Have long been imprisoned?

-Two years - was the answer. -I suffered tortures that I never imagined. I saw how raped my wife ahead of mine. But policymakers are now prisoners and condemned.

-Super. And your soul already forgave them?

-Clear that no!

-Then, you keep still his prisoner.

Teaching

A mother took her son with Mahatma Gandhi and implored him: "Please, Mahatma, ask my son to not eat sugar." Gandhi, after a pause, he said: "Bring me your child within two weeks."

Two weeks later, she returned with the child. Gandhi looked very deeply into the child's eyes and said: "Do not eat sugar."

Grateful - although puzzled - the woman asked: "to what asked me for two weeks? "He could have said the same thing the first time I brought him!"

Gandhi said: "Two weeks ago, I was eating sugar."

Look at the ocean

Careimi Assmann has: Diego didn't know the sea. Santiago Kovladoff led him to discover the ocean.

For days they traveled southward. One afternoon, told Diego Santiago: "Behind those dunes is the sea."

The heart of the young man thumped with excitement. He ran the dunes, without waiting for no one, and suddenly found oceanfront.

So much was the immensity, it was both glare, that the child was silent. When managed to retrieve the voice, he stammered:

"It's very big! Help me to look at it!"

The teacher says: "as well as no one can help us to look at the ocean, not can use the eyes of anyone to understand or perceive what happens to us."

Borges and the Mayan pyramids

The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges - when he had eighty years - was in Mexico. After several days of talks, lectures and tributes, Borges managed to have a free afternoon. He asked to visit the Mayan pyramids in the Yucatan.

They explained that it was a very tiring journey, for which he had to travel by taxi, airplane, jeep. Borges insisted and managed to carry it to Uxmal.

It came at the end of the day, after many changes of driver. He sat in front of a pyramid of the 10th century and remained an hour without saying anything. Finally, he stood up and thanked to his companions: "Grateful for this unforgettable evening."

As we know, Borges was blind. But this did not prevent it to perceive everything with his soul.

Negative desires

The disciple says his master:

-He last most of the day thinking about things that should not think, looking forward to things that had no wish, making plans to do.

The master invited the disciple for a walk through the woods near his house. Along the way he pointed out a plant and the disciple asked if I knew what it was.

-Belladonna - said the disciple. -It can be mortal for whom eats its leaves.

- But you can not kill simply beholder who. Similarly, negative desires can cause no harm, if not let you be seduced by them.

Belladonna

This flower has always been surrounded by mystery, from its effects, whether positive or negative, to its etymology and its natural beauty. The name of this flower of European origin, comes from the Italian 'donna bell' (beautiful woman) and shows the sensitivity of the Italians in the art of seduction. In the language of flowers it means silence, perhaps by the mystery that surrounds it.
Belladonna, who was usually on the sides of the roads, caught the attention of children and women, who liked to the charms of this delicate and charming flower, hitherto unknown.
Legend has it that in a remote place, certain sorcerer treated with this flower to a sick woman, causing a State of deep sleep which lasted for several days. When you wake up, woman was upset by having been stripped of hypnotic state, argued to have been where wonderful, full of pleasure and lust. To give this experience provided the prohibition of this flower as its effects as an act of the devil.
Countless observations recorded since the last century showed that the pupil is dilated in a State of sexual arousal. Respondents had felt more attracted to the woman whose sexuality unconsciously perceived as more stimulated. Somehow this women in the Italian courts of the 16th to the 18th centuries, had sensed it the atropine in Belladonna which, prior to the dances of the nobility, used to dilate their pupils and look so attractive.

Page in construction

God has left several things to finish so that the man could exercise their skills.

He left the electricity in clouds and oil in the depths of the Earth.

He created rivers without bridges, forests without roads, fields without homes.

He left paintings outside pictures, feelings that were described, the mountains that were conquered, the problems so they were resolved.

God has left several things to finish so that the man could share the joy of creation.

The three books

The monk Tetsugen had a dream: a book printed in Japanese with all the sacred verses. Determined to transform this dream into reality, he began to travel around the country to raise the necessary money.

However, while I got the sum to start work, the Uji river overflowed and caused a catastrophe of gigantic proportions. Seeing the homeless, Tetsugen decided to spend all the money to alleviate the suffering of the people.

But later began again to fight for his dream: he was calling from door to door, stepped around the many islands of Japan, and once again got what they needed. When he was returning - exultant - Edo, a cholera epidemic broke out in the country. Again, the monk used their money to heal the sick and help the families of the dead.

With perseverance, she resumed her original project. It was again in campaign and almost twenty years later, he managed to edit seven thousand copies of the sacred verses.

They say that Tetsugen, actually did three editions of the sacred texts.

Only the first two are invisible.

Listening to the Quran

SADI of Shiraz is that when I was a kid I used to pray with his father, uncles and cousins. The family met all night to listen to a fragment of the Quran, the sacred text of Islam.

One of those nights, while his uncle was reading a passage from the book, Shiraz noticed that the majority of those present was sleeping. Then said to his father:

-None of these sleepers is able to pay attention to the words of the Prophet. They will never come to God!

And the father replied:

-My son wanted, search your path with faith and let everyone take care of itself. Who knows, maybe in their dreams they are conversing with God. I have thousand times preferred on that you were sleeping like them, instead of having to listen to this hard trial yours and your conviction.

The treasures

The sufi master Abu Muhammad al - Jurayry used to say:

"Religion has ten treasures which enrich us. They are five indoor and outdoor five: all those who follow the spiritual path must be aware of this.

Here's the Interior treasures: the ability to be real, the disregard for personal property, humility in appearance, the balance to avoid difficulties with others and the strength to resist.

"Here is the outdoor treasures: discover a love Supreme, awakening the desire to be with this love, have intelligence to see the own faults, be aware of everything that happens in life, and feel gratitude for blessings."

You pay the right price

Nuxivan had gathered her friends to eat and was cooking a succulent piece of meat. Suddenly, he realized that salt had ended.

Nuxivan called his son:

-Go to the village and buy salt. But pay a fair price for it: more expensive or cheaper.

The son was surprised:

-I understand that I should not pay more expensive, Pope. But if I can haggle a bit, why not save some money?

-In a large city, it is advisable. But, in a small town like ours, all village can perish.

When the guests, who had witnessed the conversation, wanted to know why you should not buy the cheapest salt, Nuxivan replied:

-One who sells salt below its price, must be acting that way because it desperately needs the money. One who takes advantage of this situation, will be showing disrespect for the sweat and struggle of a man who worked to produce something.

- But that's very little for a village is destroyed.

-Also, at the beginning of the world, injustice was very little. But each of them that came after it was increasing a little, believing provided that it did not have much importance, and look at how things are today.

Behave like others

Abbot Pastor was walking with a monk of Esceta when they were invited to dinner. The owner of the House, who was honored by the presence of parents, sent to serve the best they had.
However, the monk was in period of fasting; When the food arrived, it took a pea and chewed it slowly. And only ate that pea at every dinner.
Upon leaving, the Abbot called Pastor:
-Brother, when you go to visit someone, you do not make your Holiness in an offense. The next time you're in period of fasting, accept treats to eat.
The monk understood what the Abbot Pastor said. From then on, whenever I was with other people, you behaved like them.

Work in tillage

The boy crossed the desert and finally arrived at the monastery of Esceta, near Alexandria. There he asked to attend one of the conferences of the Abbot, and they gave him permission.
That afternoon the Abbot spoke about the importance of work in tillage.
At the end, the boy said to one of the monks:
-I am very impressed. I thought I was going to find a sermon that is illuminated on the virtues and sins, and the only Abbot spoke of tomatoes, irrigation and things as well. From where I come from there, all believe that God is mercy and simply pray.
The monk smiled and said:
-Here we believe that God already did their part, and now up to us to continue the process.

Victory

In the time they worked in the Sahara as a postal plane pilot, the writer Saint-Exupery did a collection among his friends from the air base; a Moroccan employee wanted to return to his hometown.

He managed to bring together thousand francs. One of the drivers transported the employee to Casablanca and when he again told what had happened: "as soon as he arrived, he went to the best restaurant, distributed generous gratuities, paid drinks all. With the money that is left over, he bought dolls for girls in her village. This man does not have any sense of the economy."

"On the contrary", replied Saint-Exupéry. "He knows that the best investment in the world is the people. To spend in that way, he managed to again win the respect of their peers, which surely will give work. After all, only a winner can be so generous."

Thinking about death

The imminence of death

I think that the reading of this text will take approximately three minutes. As well: according to statistics, in this period of time will be three hundred people die and other six hundred twenty will be born.

Perhaps take me half an hour writing it: I am concentrated on my computer, with books by my side, ideas in his head, cars that go beyond outside. Everything seems quite normal. However, during these thirty minutes, three thousand people are going to die and six thousand two hundred will see, for the first time, the light of the world.

Where are these thousands of families who are just beginning to mourn the loss of someone, or to laugh by the arrival of a son, a grandson, a brother?

I stop and reflect a little: maybe many of these deaths are reaching the end of a long and painful illness and some people feel relieved with the Angel who comes to look for them. In addition, in all likelihood, hundreds of these creatures that just after birth will be abandoned in the next minute and will take mortality statistics until I finish this text.

What thing. Some simple statistics, which I looked at by chance, and suddenly I'm feeling these losses and these meetings, these smiles and these tears. Many will be leaving this life alone in their rooms, without anyone noticing what is happening to them? How many they will be hidden and will be abandoned at the door of homes or convents?

I reflect: I already was part of the statistics of births and one day will be included in the figures of the dead. Good: I have full awareness that I'm going to die. Since I took the road to Santiago I understood that - but life continues and we are all eternal — this existence will end one day.

People think very little about death. They spend their lives worried about real absurdities, they hate things, leave aside important moments. No risk because they consider that it is dangerous. They complain much, but they cower when making decisions. They want everything to change but they themselves refuse to change.

If you thought a little more on death, they would never make the telephone call that is pending. They would be a little more crazy. They should not have fear of the end of this incarnation because it can not fear something that will happen anyway.

The Indians say: "Today is a day as good as any other to leave this world." And a witch commented some time: "that death is always seated next to you. So, when you do important things, she will give you the strength and courage you needed."

I hope that you, reader, have arrived here. It would be foolish to get scared by the title, because all of us, early or late, are going to die. And only those who accept this fact, be prepared for life.

Hatred and forgiveness

Rabbi Nahúm, Chernobyl, was offended continuously by a merchant. One day, this wholesaler business began to go very wrong.

"It must be the Rabbi, who is calling for vengeance to God," thought. And it was to apologize to Nahum.

-I forgive it with the same spirit that you asked for it - replied the Rabbi.

But man losses increased more and more, until it was reduced to poverty. The disciples of Nahum, horrified, to ask him what had happened were:

-I forgave him, but he continued hating me in the depths of his heart - he said the Rabbi. -Then, their hatred contaminated everything he did, and the punishment of God became even more severe.

The catwalk

Françoise is opera singer. We walked together along the Bank of the river that bathes to Strasbourg. We talked about the need for man to understand himself. At one point we passed near a small footbridge that crosses the river and Françoise says:

"There are people who can build bridges between human beings. Their efforts have an impact for many years and help the human race to grow. All what I have to share, however, is the beauty of the music. When I'm on stage, a fine - although enough tie strong - allows me to communicate the poetry of who wrote the arias. The beauty helps us to be closer to God. "This may not have the strength of a bridge, but has the utility of a walkway which - although it seems fragile - fulfills its mission of transporting the men above the turbulent waters."

Build bridges

What does it mean to build bridges?, they are bridges for what?, although it is a metaphor, in the family, the separation between one person and another, resembles the separation between one bank and another, where the sea, the River, including a Lake, emotions, separate us to make impossible the approach and communication between the members of the family.

Anger, sadness, fear, are some of the emotions that influence communication, many times in such a way that we don't have options for loving approach and it precludes us recognition of other's ideas.

The success in the family is its history, is a phrase derived from the systemic pedagogy, where Angélica Olvera says that success is your story, especially when you know the natural movement of the family to which you belong.

It is very important for the members of a family, "know", and "recognize", the way in which it operates each Member of family, individual strengths, interests, their desires and as a group, the areas in which we need to strengthen the own role, weaknesses, areas of common interest and commitment to "common territory", and then the purpose of the group or their "mission".

Building bridges in the family, is to promote the approach of members from their individualities, from their common interests, and since the agreement on it is not related.

When we try to impose our "point of view", usually we will find resistances, denials, because we do not take into account other that I have opposite and thus "hurt" susceptibilities, opening even more the distance between them.

Learn how to build a space that is conducive to this meeting, is vital at this time of life, where the family us change form motivated generational advances as humanity, although the basic principles that comprise it remain the same.

The first step to build this bridge, is to recognize that I'm in a Bank and the other on the other side, and we are separated by the sea of emotions, interests, ideas, needs and corpus.

The second is to recognize that having a mind and a body with which I identified, I'm already separated from the other body, ideas, feelings and emotions, that make me different, in thoughts, actions, ideas and expressions compared to the rest of human beings.

The third is to recognize that the 'other', like myself, have a mind, a body that is identified, which is separated from my body, ideas, feelings and emotions that make it different to me, precisely in thoughts, actions, ideas, and expressions.

The fourth is the identification of that which separates us, looking at the river or the sea, or Lake that prevents us to reach each other: ideas, dreams, projects, beliefs and emotions...

Because of these first steps, the step which is translates: deduct the materials that I need to build that bridge that allows me a better relationship, an approach.

For the sixth step, which develops between the two, each from its shore, begin to build from each bank that allows me to meet each other at a common point where we combine the structures that will sustain the flow of communication, of love which reconciles with a structure.

Thus, the seventh step is to allow traffic over the bridge, where he sometimes will a semaphore to not stumble us to travel from one side to the other.

To get started your reflection on the construction of your family I leave this week an initial exercise of reflection:
1. find the meaning of family from your own family
2. What are the beliefs that move it
3. how the family perceives the "other" and intends to "other"
4. do you have a mission in common? If Yes, which?, if not why?
5. what elements that separate them is the most difficult?
6 What interests prevail and sustain the family structure?
7. What is your role and commitment to the family system?

We ourselves can we build those bridges.

When we came to a river, how crossed it? You can try to swim, but we are facing the strong current that makes it difficult for us to move in the direction that we want to. Another option is to build a raft and cross over it, but then the risk is that it does not support our weight and sinking, or which is also being pushed by the current. Fortunately there is a simple and safe solution: find a bridge.
Rivers which can be crossed by a bridge are not only those natural waterways, but also many times that human beings have to overcome throughout life. For example, health problems, death of a loved one, depressions, mistakes, loneliness... It can be very deep or have an extremely strong current, but if we find a bridge we can cross it.
We are like tiny islands in a vast ocean, and we need those bridges to move in any direction. Sometimes there are few available and costs much time and effort to find them. In such cases, rather than give up and think that it is impossible to cross the River, we can ask for help so that someone Middle East us, as when we get lost in an unfamiliar city and asked for some street or monument. It seems that we do not recognise that sometimes we need help, and accept it costs us even more.
Anyway, there is another even better option: we ourselves can we build those bridges. We should not limit ourselves always looking for them, because nature does not create them, someone will have to pick them up. Who better than us? And best of all is that once we have made the bridge, you will be there so that others can use it in the future, will help us to help those who are in the same situation. Although in such cases, it is not enough that I offer it to someone, but moreover that person must cross it, we can do instead. We create the bridge, we go to the other side to pick you up, we encourage you to lose the fear of crossing and we take you by the hand, but the steps should be given by the person. And after her, they cross others. I believe that few things can be more rewarding in life than having served as a bridge for other human beings, do not you think?

Build bridges or build walls?

He who builds bridges
She is tending the hands
is that on the other shore
because we are all brothers

It builds bridges
knocks down walls
bridges together
walls disengaged

Who only builds walls
Brothers makes enemies
It is spreading the world
create resentment between friends

It builds bridges
knocks down walls
bridges together
walls disengaged

Don't let the day die
without that die grudges
with the walls creates bridges
with bridges relations

It builds bridges
knocks down walls
bridges together
walls disengaged

Constructs a happy man
only bridges that unite them
all giving us hands
in a world without censorship

It builds bridges
knocks down walls
bridges together
walls disengaged

Design

I'm travelling by car with Moebius, the illustrator of the Alchemist in France. It rains and Moebius draws on breaded glasses.

"Sometimes, the pessimism may be a large force of transformation," he said. "Both observe the dark side of life, people just at the bottom of the well. But, in the midst of total darkness, something reassuring happens.

You know that they can not fall lower. Only they have an alternative: start up. Then the values change, hope is reborn and the way back is traversed with wisdom."

I think that it is a process in which risks are too great. If we see the light, it is better to leave everything and follow it. But Moebius think differently and I decided to register it here.

Old age

Ana Cintra noted that his young son - with the curiosity of those who heard a new Word but didn't understand its meaning - asked:

"MOM, what is old age?"

In a fraction of a second before responding, Ana made a true journey to the past. He remembered moments of struggle, of the difficulties, disappointments. He felt all the weight of age and responsibility on their shoulders.

He turned to look at the son, which - smiling - waiting your response.

"Watch my face, son," she said. "This is old age."

And imagined to the young boy looking at your wrinkles and the sadness in his eyes. What was his surprise when, after a few moments, told the child:

"MOM! How nice is old age!"

Socrates in the market

The philosopher Socrates, who caused a revolution in the thinking of the man (and therefore he was sentenced to death), it was always walking around the main market of the city.

One day, one of his disciples asked him:

"Master, we have learned with you that all wise man leads a simple life. But you don't have even a pair of shoes."

"Correct," said Socrates.

The disciple continued: "However, every day see you in main market, admiring the goods. Do we gather some money so you can buy something?"

"I have everything I want," said Socrates. "But I love to go to the market to find out that I am still completely happy without all this stacking of things!"

The opinion against

When one begins to do something always appears someone reviewing against. If one manages to overcome the first difficulty, "opinion against" grows.

It is necessary to know to take advantage of this. Nothing was gained with wanting to please everyone. Only the mediocre succeed and yet, at the cost of great personal sacrifice.

Nor does nothing be resentful or hate not loves who. Convince yourself that this is part of the job. Use the power of "opinion against" to train his will, to be deeper and more serious in what you are doing. Take advantage of.

However, if this kind of attitude it your way, it is because that was not their way. If it were only the hand of God could pose an obstacle.

The three tests

Marcia Frerias recounts the story of a man who was approached by Socrates: "as I am very friend yours, I need to tell you something!"

"Wait!", said Socrates. "And the three tests? Already did you test first, which is what you're going to tell me is true?"

"Well I don't have an absolute certainty, but I heard..."

"You did then the second test," said the Sage. "The test of goodness. What are you going to tell me will be good for me!"

"No... on the contrary..."

"If you didn't do the test of truth and goodness, you've certainly made the of the utility. What you're going to tell me is me useful!"

"Do useful?" said the visitor. "Good, useful is not."

"Then," said the philosopher smiling, "If the issue is not true, nor good, nor useful, best no des le importance."

The challenges

Accept the challenges. And don't forget: there are moments in life that we need more of that bravery of prudence. Decisions need to be taken in the heat of emotion.

However, we are getting used to say: "should be calm. I have to be prepared for this."

Nobody gets to prepare adequately for nothing. There are many things that can be planned, but it is not always the best that life can offer us. A magical adventure - where everything conspires to help us to make a leap over the abyss - always appears suddenly and disappears quickly. Their presence was the result of an invisible work without realizing. It is take it or leave it forever.

Of course, that we can fall into the abyss. But what, in this life, does not imply risks?

Save energy that is

Two rabbis try, in every way possible, bring spiritual relief to the Jews of nazi Germany. For two years, but died of fear, they deceive the Gestapo - fearsome police of Adolf Hitler - and carry out religious services in different communities.

They finally find them and take them prisoners. One of the rabbis, frightened with what could happen from there onwards, it does not cease to pray. Other - on the contrary - he spends the whole day sleeping.

-Why are acting so? -asked the startled Rabbi.

-To save my strength. I know that I'm going to need from now on.

- But you're not afraid? Is it that you do not know what will happen to us?

-I was in a panic, until now where we seized. Now that I'm in this cell, what I earn with being afraid of what has already happened? Time of fear finished; now begins the time of hope.

It is worthwhile

The young contemplated the sea from the deck of a freighter ship when an unexpected wave threw him overboard. After many efforts, a sailor managed to rescue him.

-Thank you for saving my life - said the boy.

-No problem - replied the sailor. - But try to live it as if it had valid worth it to save it.

Rebuilding the world

The father was trying to read the newspaper, but the toddler wouldn't disturb it. Already tired of that, he ripped a sheet - that showed the map of the world, cut it into several pieces, and gave them the son.

Voila, there you have something to do. This that you just give it is a map of the world, and I want to see if you can build it exactly as it is.

And he returned to his newspaper, knowing that that was going to keep the child occupied for the rest of the day. Fifteen minutes later, however, the boy returned with the map.

Was your mother teaching you geography? -asked the father, stunned.

I don't know what is that - answered the child. -It happens that on the other side of the road, was the portrait of a man. And, once I was able to reconstruct the man, the world was also reconstructed

CARP learns to grow

Japanese carp (koi) has the natural ability to grow according to the size of their environment. So, in a small tank, it usually does not pass the five or seven centimeters but can reach three times that size, if they leave it in a lake.

In the same way, people have the tendency to grow in accordance with the environment that surrounds it. Only that, in this case, we are not talking physical, but emotional development, spiritual, and intellectual.

While the tent is obliged, for your own sake, to accept the limits of their world, we are free to establish the borders of our dreams. If we are a more big fish tank in which we are being raised, rather than adapt to this, we must seek the sea although the initial adaptation is uncomfortable and painful.

The mother giraffe does the son suffer

Giraffe birth takes place with her foot, so the first thing that it happens to the newborn is a drop of about two meters.

Still atontado, the animal tries to stand on four legs, but mother shows a strange behavior: it gives a slight nudge and the little giraffe falls back to the ground. You try to get up and again it is flipped.

The process is repeated several times, until the newborn, exhausted, already unable to stand. At that time, the mother again instigates her with the leg, forcing her to raise. And then and not fall over.

The explanation is simple: to survive predators, the first lesson that the giraffe must learn is to get up quickly. The apparent cruelty of the mother is perfectly justified by an Arab proverb: "sometimes, to teach good thing, is you should be a little rough."

The elephant and the rope

Here is the procedure adopted by circus trainers so that the elephants will never rebel - and I suspect that the same goes for many people.

When it is a creature, the baby elephant is moored, with a very thick rope to a stake firmly nailed to the floor. Attempts to release many times, but their forces are not sufficient to do so.

A year later, the stake and the rope are still enough to keep the small elephant prisoner; This continues trying to release, without success. At this point, the animal has already understood that the rope will always be stronger than him, and desist from their initiatives.

When they reach adulthood, the elephant still remembers that, for a long time, spent their energies, trying to escape from captivity. At this point, the trainer can tie it with a small rope, to a waste bin, which already does not try more than free.

Ryokan and the thief

Ryokan was unable to accuse anyone. Still being a great teacher of zen Buddhism, never considered better than others.

One of his disciples asked him to speak with his brother thief, who terrorized the city. Ryokan went to house the Bandit and spent the whole night with him.

They did not change a single word.

In the morning, the robber helped Ryokan to tie his sandals. In doing so, the tears of man began to wash his feet.

-I never had the company of a wise - he said, between sobs. -Only other robbers like me or policemen who I wanted to condemn. If Ryokan spent a night with me, it is because I should still be worth something.

And from that day on, this man never committed a crime.

Know where to move

During a trip, I received a fax from my Secretary.

"Missing bricks of glass for the reform of the kitchen," he said. "I send the original project and the detail of what will the bricklayer to compensate for the lack."

On the one hand was the design that had made my wife: harmonious row, with openings for ventilation. On the other hand, the project trying to solve the lack of bricks: a true puzzle, where the glass blocks are combined without any sense of aesthetics.

"Buy the bricks that are missing," wrote my wife. Thus it was and was respected the original design.

That afternoon, I was long time thinking about what happened. Many times, the lack of a simple brick, we distorting completely the original project of our lives.

Meet the objective

Yogi Raman was a real master in the art of the bow and arrow. Some morning, invited his most beloved disciple to attend a demonstration of his talent. The disciple had already seen that more than a hundred times, but - as well and all - prepared to obey the master.

They went to the forest near to the monastery: arriving with a beautiful oak, Raman retired one of the flowers that brought on his collar and placed it in one of the branches of the tree.

Then he opened their saddlebags and pulled out three objects: its magnificent Arch of precious wood, an arrow and a white canvas, embroidered with designs on lilac.

The Yogi then stood at a distance of a hundred steps from the place where you had placed the flower. Once against his blank, he asked the disciple that it vendara it with the embroidery canvas.
0
The disciple did what the master had ordered him.

-How many times I've seen practice the noble and ancient sport of the bow and arrow? -He asked.

-Every day - answered the disciple. - And I always saw him hit in the rose, at a distance of three hundred steps.

With eyes covered by canvas, Yogi Raman said his feet on Earth, distended bow with all its energy - pointing in direction of the rose placed in the branches of the oak - and fired.

Arrow cut the air, causing a sharp noise, but not even touched the tree and missed the target by an overwhelming distance.

-I was right? -Raman, said removing the canvas covering her eyes.

-It has erred, and by a wide margin - answered the disciple. -I think he wanted to show me the power of thought and their ability to do magical things.

-I have given the most important lesson on the power of thought - said Raman. -When you want one thing, only concentrate on it: nobody will ever be able to hit a target that does not get to see.

Of the Cosmos

In 1982, I decided to drop everything and travel the world to find a meaning to my life. In these adventures, I lived awhile in the Netherlands, where he frequented the Kosmos - a place where people with affinity I had met.

One night, a Dutch asked me how was Brazil.

I started to talk about our problems, the lack of freedom (we lived under a military regime), of misery, of the difficulties of living as an artist.

"But you live in the best place on Earth," I said. "What's it like living in Paradise?"

The Dutch fell silent for a while. And then I said:

"It's the most flat thing in the world. Here we have all insured, there is no challenge, no emotion. I wish I had your problems; then I would feel part of humanity."

Law and fruits

In the desert, the fruits were rare. God called one of his prophets, and said:-each person may eat a single fruit per day.

The custom was obeyed by generations and the ecology of the place was preserved. As the fruits that I gave seed, other trees were born. In a short time, the region was transformed into a fertile soil, envied by other cities.

People, however, continued eating a fruit per day, true to the recommendation which had been handed down to a former Prophet ancestors. Moreover, did not stop the inhabitants of other villages to take advantage of abundant harvests that were given every year.

The result was one: the fruit was rotting on the ground.

God called a new Prophet and said:-leaves to eat all the fruit you want. And get to share harvests with their neighbors.

The Prophet returned to the city with the new message. But it ended up being stoned, since the custom had taken root in the hearts and minds of each of the inhabitants.

Eventually, the young people of the village began to question this barbaric custom. But as the tradition of the old was untouchable, they resolved to move away from religion. So they could eat much fruit would like to and give that surplus wealth to those who needed food.

In the Church of the place were only those who were considered to be saints. Although, the truth, not were more than people incapable of perceiving that transformed the world and that we must transform with him.

The essence of forgiveness

One of the soldiers of Napoleon committed a crime - history does not count what - and was sentenced to death.

On the eve of the execution, the soldier's mother was to cry so that his son's life would be preserved.

-My lady, that her son did not deserve clemency.

-I know it - said the mother. -If he deserves it, it wouldn't really a pardon. Forgiveness is the ability to go beyond revenge or justice.

Upon hearing these words, Napoleon commuted the death penalty by exile.

Music boxes

People are always like
to the music boxes...
Do you know why?
Because...
Some have many ornaments, but inside they are empty...

Others have no ornaments,
but inside they have around a garden or are filled with sparkling gems.

Others, when we opened them,
show us its interior filled with grudges and many times we get lost among its mazes...

Then, there are those boxes which are transparent,
I see them with just give them a look
and we know how to always act...

And always I happened
that people are music boxes...
that only we know them and love
After hearing the music of inside...

Because this music has, something very beautiful full of life, something deep inside of his soul...

Keep your fork

It was a young Jehovah's witness that they had been diagnosed terminally ill and had him given only three months to live, so he was putting his things in order and contacted a loving Elder of the Congregation, asked him to go to her house to discuss certain aspects of her last wishes. He said which chants wanted to be sing and who would speak in the discourse of the funeral, as well as parts of the Bible that wanted that they emphasized and the set of clothes that I wanted to be buried. Everything was in order and the old man was preparing to leave, when younger sister suddenly recalled something that was very important to her.
-There is one thing - he said excitedly, - what? - replied the old man, - this is very important-, continue it, - I want to be buried with a fork in the right hand. The old man stared at her without knowing what to say:-this surprises you? -asked the young sister. -Good for be honest I am baffled by that request, said the old man.
She explained:-my grandmother once told me this story, and always, and since then I have done. Also I try to convey his message to those who love you and people who need encouragement. In all the years I have attended meetings and dinners with friends, I always remember when they are already removing the main meal dishes, someone inevitably resting on the table and said: keep your fork; That was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming... like a soft chocolate cake or a big dish of Apple Pie, something wonderful and very substantive. So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand, and when ask what mean that fork? I want to tell them: keep your fork, maybe just comes.
The old man's eyes were filled with tears of joy while he hugged in farewell to our little sister. He knew that this would be the last time that system would see her at his side in this. But she also knew that she had a better view of the new system of things which he had. She had a better view of as it would be the paradise which had many others with twice the age, experience and knowledge. She knew that something better was coming.
During the funeral were passing one beside the coffin of her and saw the beautiful dress carrying seat and placed his right hand fork. Again the old man heard the question - why does that fork? - and the old man smiled, during funeral speech the old man spoke to friends about the conversation that had had with her shortly before her death. He also spoke of the fork and what it symbolized for her. He told people that he could not stop thinking about the fork and that they could not either,... was right.
So the next time that they lean by its holder, allow you to remind you with subtlety that something better is coming. The Christian brotherhood is truly a rare jewel. Our Christian Brothers make us smile, they encourage us to be successful, they are listening to us, share a word of praise and always want to open their hearts to us.
The brothers shows how much like them. Remember to always be there for them even though you're who more need it. Because you never know when it might be the time to keep your fork. Values for the time you have with them and the memories you share. Show Christian love is not an opportunity, but a nice responsibility and a Christian obligation...
When they are tempted to leave the table of the Lord remember to "save your fork" is there anything more after this old system of things.

The experience and the gesture

I find with Colin Wilson, now an English author devoted, at the festival of Melbourne, Australia. Knowing the subject of my book, reminds me of a text that he wrote, which recounts his suicide attempt at age 16:

"I entered the Chemistry Laboratory of the school and took the vial of poison. I put it in a Cup in front of me, looked at him a long time, noticed the color and imagined the taste that perhaps had. Then, I approached my face liquid and felt your scent; at that moment, my mind took a leap into the future, and I could feel it burning my throat, opening a hole in my stomach."

"I remained a few moments holding the Cup in my hands, savoring the possibility of death, until I thought to myself: 'if I'm brave to kill me this so painfully, am too brave to continue living'."

The Warrior and the child

The legend says that going in direction to Poitiers with his army, Juana de Arco found - in the middle of the road - a child who was playing with Earth and dry branches.

-What do you do? -asked Juana de Arco.

-Do not you see? -replied the boy. -This is a city.

-Very well - she said. -Now, please leave the middle of the road because I need to go with my men.

The child rose, irritated, and stood in front of her.

-A city does not move. An army can destroy it, but will not move from its place.

Smiling at the determination of the boy, Juana de Arco ordered his army that he bade road and that it was by the side of the "construction."

The history of the two visionaries

Sensing that their country - in not much time - end dipped in a civil war, the sultan called one of his best psychics and asked him how long he had life.

-My beloved teacher, the Lord will live enough to see all of her children dead.

In access of fury, sultan immediately ordered to hang the man who had spoken so frightening words. But in the meantime, the civil war was still a threat. In desperation, he called a second Seer.

-How long I will live? -He asked, trying to know if it would still be able to control a potentially explosive situation.

-Lord, God has granted you a life so long that it will last longer than the children and reach the generation of grandchildren.

Thankfully, the sultan sent you reward with gold and silver. Out of the Palace, a counselor said with the Seer:

-You have said it as well as the former magician. But the first was executed and you have received rewards. Why?

-Because the secret is not what is being said but how says it. Whenever you shoot the arrow of truth, don't forget to dip the tip in the jar of honey.

The importance of meditating cat

Why do we use tie? Why the clock spinning clockwise""? If we live with the decimal system, why is the day 24 hours of 60 minutes each?

The fact is that many of the rules which we obey today have no basis. On the other hand, if we decide to act otherwise, we deemed "crazy" or "immature."

In that sense, the society is creating some systems which - with the passage of time - lost its raison d ' être, but continue imposing its rules. There is an interesting story to illustrate this issue:

A great teacher of Buddhism zen, head of the monastery of Mayu Kagi, had a cat that was the passion of his life. Thus, during meditation classes, maintaining the cat beside her to enjoy everything in your company.

Some morning, teacher - that was already very old - was found dead. The most outstanding disciple took his place.

- And what are we going to do with the cat? -asked the other monks.

In tribute to the memory of his former trainer, the new teacher decided to allow that the cat will continue attending classes of zen Buddhism.

Many years passed. The cat died, but students of the monastery were so accustomed to his presence that got another cat. Meanwhile, the other temples began to introduce cats in his meditations; they believed that the cat was real responsible for the fame and the quality of the teaching of Mayu Kagi and forgot that the old master was an excellent instructor.

He spent a generation and began to appear technical treaties on the importance of the cat in zen meditation. A University Professor developed a thesis, which was accepted by the scientific community, according to which the cat had the ability to increase human concentration and eliminating negative energies.

And so, for a century, the cat was considered essential for the study of zen Buddhism in that region.

Until it appeared a teacher who was allergic to the hair of domestic animals and decided to move the cat of their daily practices with the students.

There was a big backlash, but the teacher insisted. As he was an excellent instructor, students continued with the same achievement, despite the absence of the cat.

Little by little, the monasteries - always in search of new ideas and already tired of having to feed so many cats - were phased classroom animals. In twenty years, they began to appear new revolutionary thesis with compelling titles such as "The importance of meditation without cats" or "Balancing the zen universe only with the power of the mind, without the help of the animals."

Another century passed and Jack was left completely out of the ritual of zen meditation in that region. But it took two hundred years to make everything back to normal since no one asked, during all this time, why the cat was there.

And many of us, in our lives, we dare to ask: "why do have to act this way?" to what extent, in what we do, we use useless "cats" that we don't have the courage to eliminate, because they told us that "cats" were important to make everything work well?

Would we, in this last year of the Millennium, not are looking for a different way of acting?

The older sister asked

When his brother was born, Sa-chi insisted parents so leave her alone with the baby. Fearing that, like many creatures of four years, I was jealous and I would do him any harm, they did it.

But Sa-chi did not give signs of jealousy. And as always it was the baby with love, parents decided to do a test. Let the Sa-chi with the newborn and you were watching their behavior through the slightly ajar door.

Delighted to see his desire satisfied, the small chi Sa approached wedge in tips of foot, he leaned over the baby and said:

-Tell me how is God! I already I'm forgetting!

The window and the mirror

A very rich young man went to see a Rabbi and asked Council to guide his life. This led him to the window and asked:-what you see through the glasses?

-I see a blind man calling begging on the street and men who come and go.

Then the Rabbi showed him a large mirror and again questioned him:-look in the mirror and tell me what you see.

-I see myself.

- And don't already see each other! Repair in that window and mirror are made of the same raw material, glass. But in the mirror, because it has a thin layer of silver attached to the glass, you cannot see more than you someone. You should compare yourself with these two species of glass. Poor, you saw the others and feel compassion for them. Covered with silver - rich-, just see yourself. Only you'll something when you have the courage to start the silver coating that covers you eyes and you can once again see and love others.

The importance of knowing the names

Zilu asked Confucius:

-If the King Wen called him to govern the country, what is what I would do first?

-Learning the names of my advisers.

-What nonsense! Is this the concern of a Prime Minister?

-A man may never receive help from what you don't know - answered Confucio. -If he does not understand the nature, you will not understand God. In the same way, if you don't know who is on their side, it will not have friends. Without friends, you can not set any plan. Without a plan, it is not able to lead anyone. Without direction, a country plunged into darkness and the dancers can decide with which foot are going to take the next step. Then, a caution apparently banal - know the name who will be by your side - can make a huge difference. The evil of our time is that everybody wants to fix things itself and no one realizes that many people were needed to achieve that.

The defeat at Everest

Edmund Hillary was the first man who climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Their action coincided with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, who dedicated the conquest and who received the title of "Sir."

A year earlier, Hillary had already tried climbing and had failed utterly. As well and all, the British recognized his efforts and was invited to speak before a large audience.

Hillary began telling their difficulties and despite the plaudits, said to feel frustrated and unable to. However, at one point he left the microphone, fell on account of the size of your company, and cried:

-Mount Everest, I have overcome this first! But you conquistaré next year, for a very simple reason: you have already reached the maximum of your stature, while I'm still growing!

The virtue that offends

Abbot Pastor walked with a monk of Sceta when they were invited to eat. The homeowner, honored by the presence of parents, sent to serve the best that had.

However, the monk was in time of fasting; When the food arrived, it took a pea and chewed it slowly. And he ate nothing else.

At the exit, the Abbé of Pastor spoke with it:

-Brother, when you're visiting someone, not you transform your Holiness in an offense. The next time that you are fasting, not accept invitations to eat.

The monk understood what the Abbot Pastor said. From that day on, whenever I was with other people it behaved like them.

The way of pleasing the Lord

Some novice approached the Abbot Macarius and asked her advice on the best way of pleasing the Lord.

-Go to the cemetery and insulting the dead - he told Macario.

The brother did what was ordered. The next day, he returned to visit Macarius.

- And they said to you? -asked the Abbot.

The novice replied that not.

-Then back there and praise them.

The novice obeyed. That same later returned with the Abbot, who again wanted to know if the dead had responded to him.

-Non - said the novice.

-To please the Lord, behave in the same way - said you Macario. -Do not do case of the scorn of men, nor of his praise; in this way, you can build your own path.

How to pray

A farmer who had his sick wife commissioned a series of prayers to a Buddhist priest. The priest began praying, asking that Dios heal all the sick.

-A moment - broke off labrador. -I asked him to read for my wife, and you are asking for all patients.

-I am praying for her.

- But ask by all. You can end up benefiting my neighbor, who is also sick. And he does not like me!

-You don't understand nothing cures - said the monk, moving away. -To pray for all my prayers I am joining the millions of people who at this moment are asking for their sick. All together, these voices come to God and benefit to all. Separated, they lose their strength and do not reach anywhere.

The perfect woman

Nasrudin was talking with a friend.

-So, do you never thought in getting married?

-Yes, I thought - said Nasrudin. -In my youth, I decided to look for the perfect woman. I crossed the desert, came to Damascus and met a woman very spiritual and linda; but she knew nothing of the things of this world.

I continued traveling and I went to Baghdad; there I found a woman who knew the realm of matter and spirit, but it wasn't pretty. I then decided to go to Cairo, where I had dinner at the home of a girl pretty, religious and connoisseur of material reality.

- And why don't you marry it?

-Oh, my mate! Unfortunately she also wanted a perfect man.

The two Angels painting

In the year 1476, two men talking in the interior of a medieval church. They stop for a few minutes in front of a picture showing two angels, hand, descending in the direction to a city.

-We are living the terror of the bubonic plague - says one of them. -Many people are dying; I do not want to see images of angels.

-This painting has to do with the plague - it says the other. -It is a representation of the Golden legend. Dressed in red angel is Lucifer, the devil. See how holds, next to the belt, a small pouch: inside there is the epidemic that is devastating our lives and the lives of our families.

The man looks painting carefully. Actually, Lucifer was carrying a small bag; However, the angel driving it had a serene, peaceful, enlightened look.

-If Lucifer brings the plague, who is this one that takes you by the hand?
-This is the angel of the Lord, the Messenger of the good. Without your permission, evil could never manifest itself. - But what is doing, then?

It shows the place where men must be purified through a tragedy.

The door of the law

Kafka tells the story of a man who, seeking justice, walk to the Palace of Justice. Outside the door of the Palace, a soldier mounts guard.

As the sentry not directed the word, man decides to wait. Wait a whole day but the guard continues mute.

"If you look at this side, you will notice that I will go," thought the man. And it stays there.

They spend days, weeks and years. The man is still facing the door and Sentinel still riding his guard.

The decades pass, the man ages and already unable to move. Finally, when he realizes that death is approaching, gathers its strength and asks the guard:

-I have come here in search of Justice. Why not you left me go? -Do I not I left it?, replied surprised the sentry. -You never told me what he was doing there! The door was always open, there was more to push it. Why did not you come?

The response

Once, a man interrogated Rabbi Joshua ben Karechah:

-Why God chose a Bush to speak to Moses?

The Rabbi replied:

-If he had chosen an olive or a mulberry, you would have made you the same question. But I can not let you without an answer: so you say that God chose a miserable and small Bush to show that no place on Earth where it is not present there is.

Suspicion turns to men

German folklore tells the story of a man who, upon waking, he realized that his axe had disappeared. Furious, believing that his neighbor had been stolen, he spent the rest of the day watching it.

He saw that you had appearance of thief, who walked stealthily like a thief and that whispered as a thief who wanted to hide his theft. He was so convinced of their suspicions, which decided to enter the House, change clothes and go to the police to make the complaint.

However, just came, found the axe - which his wife had put in another place-. The man went out, looked again to the neighbouring and saw that it walked, talked and behaved as any honest person.

The real significance

Jean walked with his grandfather by a square of Paris. At one point, he saw a shoemaker who was being abused by a client whose footwear was a defect. The Shoemaker heard calmly claim, apologized and promised to amend the error.

Grandson and grandfather stopped for a coffee in a bistro. In the table of to the side, the waiter asked a man that it ran a little Chair to make room. The man broke into a torrent of complaints and refused.

-Never forget what you saw - Jean his grandfather said. -Zapatero accepted the claim, while this man next to us did not want to move. Useful men, who make something useful, is not bothered by being treated as useless. But the useless always are considered important and hide all his incompetence behind the authority.

Leveling the world

Confucius was traveling with his disciples when he learned that in a village lived a very intelligent child. Confucius was there to talk to him and joking, asked:

-What if you help me to put an end to inequalities?

-Why put an end to inequalities? -said the child. -If we achatáramos mountains, the birds would have no more shelter. If we finished with the depth of the rivers and seas, all the fish would die. If the head of the village had the same authority as the madman, there would be no possible understanding. The world is vast, leave it with their differences.

Disciples came away impressed by the wisdom of the child. When they are already headed towards another city, one of them said that all children should be like him.

-I met many children who, instead of playing and doing things of their age, were trying to understand the world - said Confucio. - And none of these precocious children arrived to do something important to more late, because they could never experience the healthy irresponsibility of childhood and innocence.

The woman who asked for

My wife and I found it at the corner of Constante Ramos Street, in Copacabana. He was approximately sixty years old and was in a wheelchair, lost in the crowd. My wife volunteered to help her: she accepted and asked that we take to the street Santa Clara.

The wheelchair hanging some plastic bags. Along the way, he told us that those were their belongings; I was sleeping under awnings and lived on the charity of others.

We arrived at the right place; there other beggars were gathered. The woman took out two packages of milk long life of plastic bags and distributed them among the group.

"They do charity with me, must do charity with others" - said.

Things I learned in life

(Found on Internet)

"Some of the things I learned in life:"

-That no matter how good that one person, she'll hurt from time to time and you'll have to forgive her.

-That takes years to earn the trust of someone and a few seconds to destroy it.

-That I will not have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

-That the circumstances and the environment have influence on us, but we are responsible for ourselves.

-That you control your actions, or they control you.

-I learned that heroes are the people who do what they have to do and they know the consequences.

-Patience requires lot of practice.

-That there are people that love us, but who simply do not know how to prove it.

-Sometimes the person that you think that it is going to give the coup de grace when you are fallen, will be one of the few that will help you stand.

-That just because a person does not loves you as you want, doesn't mean not loves you the best that it can.

-Never you should say to a child that dreams are nonsense: it would be a tragedy that would believe such a thing.

-That do not always suffice to others forgive us. Most of the time we have to forgive ourselves.

-That no matter how many pieces are broken we heart; the world does not stop to wait we compose it."

How to achieve immortality

When I was a young man, Beethoven decided to write some improvisations on the music of Pergolesi. He devoted months to work and, finally, had the courage to share that.

A critic published an entire page in a German newspaper, attacking with ferocity the music of the composer.

Beethoven, however, was not altered with the comments. When his friends insisted him to make it respond to the critic, he simply commented:

-What I have to do is to continue working. If the music I compose is as good as I think it will survive the journalist. If the depth that I hope to be, you will survive to the same newspaper. Then, if this fierce attack from now is remembered in the future, it will only be to use it as an example of the stupidity of the critics.

Beethoven was quite right. More than a hundred years later, such criticism was remembered in a St. Paul radio program.

Brief history of medicine

500 b.c.: come here and eat this root.

1000 d. C.: this root is a thing of atheists, pray this prayer to God who is in heaven.

1792-d. C.: God is not in heaven, that Queen is the reason. Come here and drink this potion.

1917-d. C.: this potion is to deceive the oppressed, I suggest that you take this pill.

1960 d. C.: this tablet is old and strange. It was time to take an antibiotic.

1998 d. C.: antibiotics leave you weak and depressed. This is a new treatment, eat this root.

Hunting two sluts

The martial arts student approached his teacher:

-I would be a great fighter of aikido - said. - But I think that it should also devote myself to judo, for so many styles of combat; only then I can be the best of all.

-If a man goes through the field and begins to run behind two sluts at the same time, you will reach a time when each will be for a different side and man will not know what should continue pursuing. When you've thought about it, the Foxes will be far and it will have lost its time and energy.

Who wants to be a teacher, have to choose one thing that improved. The rest is cheap philosophy.

Each one offers only what has

Some time ago, my wife helped a Swiss tourist in Ipanema, who said to have been the victim of a few thieves. With a marked accent, and very poor Portuguese, he claimed to have stayed without passports, without money or a place to sleep.

My wife paid lunch, gave him enough so that he could spend the night in a hotel, until you get in touch with their Embassy, and left. Days later, a Rio newspaper published the news that such "Swiss tourists" was in fact an original carioca malandra, which simulated a fake accent and abused the good faith of people who loved River and wanted to compensate the negative image which - rightly or wrongly - was transformed into our business card.

To read the news, my wife just said: "won't this prevent to help people."

Your comment made me remember the story of the wise who, some afternoon, arrived in the city of Akbar. People did not give much importance to their presence and their teachings failed to interest anyone. After some time, it became a source of laughter and ridicule by the inhabitants of the city.

One day, while walking along the main street of Akbar, a group of men and women began to insult him. But rather than pretend that not he realized what was happening, the wise man approached them and blessed them.

One of the men commented:

-It is, after all, that man is deaf? We yell him horrible things and he just answers with beautiful words!

-Each of us can only offer what you have - was the answer of the Sage.

It rains later

Fight against certain things that only can be solved over time is wasted energy. Here is a very short history of china that illustrates well what I mean:

In the middle of the field, it began to rain. People ran in search of shelter, except for a man who was walking slowly.

-Do not run you? -asked someone.

-Because later it is also raining – it was her response.

Things of this world

Once, Rab Huna rebuked his son, Rabbah:

-Why not go to the Conference of Rav Chisda? They say that you speak very well.

-Why should I go? -replied the son. -All the times I went, Rav Chisda spoke more than the things of this world: the functions of the body, organs, digestion, and other things more related to just the physical.

And the father said:

-Rav Chisda speaks of the things created by God and you say that he speaks of things of this world? Go to listen to it!

How to keep the full hell

It has a traditional legend that when the son of God has expired on the cross, went straight to hell to save sinners.

The devil was very sad.

-Now I have nothing to do in this universe - said Satan. -Now, all the marginalized, those who transgress the precepts, those who commit adultery, which do not respect the laws from religious, all these will be sent directly to paradise! Jesus looked at him and smiled:

-Don't worry - he told the poor devil. -Come here for all those who believe full of virtues live condemning those who do not follow my word. Wait a few hundred years and you'll see that hell will be fuller than before!

The famous

Ernest Hemingway, author of the classic the elder and the sea, combined moments of hard exercise with total downtime. Before sitting down to write the pages of a new novel, he spent hours peeling oranges or looking at the fire.

Some morning, a journalist made a comment about this strange habit:

"Don't you think that you are wasting the time?," he asked. "You who are so famous, not should do more important things?"

"I am preparing my soul to write, as a fisherman prepares his team before heading out to sea," said Hemingway. "If this did not do everything, and consider only the fish is what matters, never would get nothing."

Miss

Marcelo, the husband of a television production company called Miriam Leme, had been lost in Los Angeles, California. For hours he had wandered aimlessly and already late by night - ended up moving into an unsafe area.

To realize the environment which surrounded him, got nervous and decided to ring the doorbell of a House that had lights on.

A man in pajamas attended it. Marcelo explained the situation and asked him to call a taxi. But instead, the man dressed, pulled his car in the garage and took him to his hotel.

Along the way, said you: "five years ago I was in Brazil. One night, I got lost in Sao Paulo. He didn't speak a word of Portuguese, but a Brazilian young realized what I was and took me to the hotel. Today, God has allowed me to pay off that debt."

Design

Seagull

It was on a pier, in San Diego, California, talking with a woman in the tradition of the moon - a type of female learning that works in harmony with the forces of nature.

"Would you play a gull?," I asked, looking at birds on the piles of the pier.

Clear that Yes. But whenever I approached, they moved away from me flying.

"Try to feel love for them. Then make that love goes off of your chest like a beam of light and come to the chest of the gull. In and out calmly."

I did what I said. Twice I didn't get nothing, but the third - as if it had entered into a "trance" - managed to play the Seagull. I repeated the "trance," with the same positive result.

Here I have this experience, if someone wants to do the test. "Love creates bridges in places that seem impossible," I said to my friend sorceress.

Sex

The famous comedian Groucho Marx wrote a very humorous - although extremely serious - text about the passion:

"I believe that true love appears only when the initial fire of passion decreases and the embers remain there, burning. That is love. This type of relationship only known sex view and as a souvenir. The parts that compose it are patience, forgiveness, mutual understanding and a high tolerance to the faults of the other.

Passion is a trick. It's a shame - as says Shaw - just when two people are under the influence of the most violent, insane and illusory of passions, always showing someone demanding that they remain continuously in that condition of excitation, abnormal and exhausting, until death separates them."

Faith

Many people say: "I follow my religion individual." What nonsense! The road is individual but there is no collective devotion; whether Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Islamic, etc.

Anthony de Mello is the author of excellent books with stories of different traditions. In the dedication of one of them - with rare beauty - synthesizes the importance of religion:

"Not I can hide the readers my status as a Catholic priest. I peregriné for quite some time - and free - up to non-religious and non-Christian traditions. They enriched me and exerted a great influence on my way of thinking. The Church, however, is my spiritual home. I have notion of their limitations, as well as its occasional short-sighted - which I am ashamed. But it will never destroy the fact that it was she that formed me, I modeled and made me who I am."

Practicing your religion, whatever that. We all need a spiritual home.

Appendicitis

A misinterpretation of the new age can generate dangerous confusion. One of them has to do with health: is that the mind is capable of anything, things only occur us because we so allowed it.

It is not and never will be. One thing is the power of prayer, able to work miracles. Another thing is to be dominated by a feeling of omnipotence which can be fatal.

A close friend had to be subjected to emergency surgery. We heard later that he had appendicitis and was admitted in serious condition. When already recovering, the doctor went to talk with her.

-Appendicitis gives many signs: headaches, high fever, etc. for what did not come before?

-Because I see the ailment as a response of the body to a weakening of the mind – said she. -I tried to combat it by myself.

And, because of that, he almost died. Careful, people.

How it was

Jesus must have thought very well in their attitudes. I knew that they would be commented on by the centuries to come, and was necessary to give the example.

His first miracle? It was not cured a blind man, make that a lame walk, exorcise a demon: was turning water into wine and liven up a party.

Peers? They were not those who were in charge of the culture and religion of the time; they were common men, living from their work.

Fellow? They weren't as Marta, who was away doing household chores; they were like Mary, who followed him with freedom.

The first Saint? It was not an apostle, a disciple, nor a faithful follower; He was the thief who died beside her.

The successor? It was not that most applied to learn his teachings; It was he that denied it at the time that most needed was help.

In short, nothing to do with what sent the manual of good conduct.

Wisdom

Paraíba, together with Pedra do Ingá inside, I met an illiterate man, no more culture than the oral tradition. In the half hour we spent together, said me things that only the teachers say.

In a penthouse in New York, near Central Park, I met a man who spoke five languages. It had an extensive library on magic. We spent three hours talking, and he told me things that any beginner knows.

Other day, I met another illiterate man and without culture, which, in half an hour, said no more than nonsense.

And, after a time, I met another educated man, polyglot, who opened my eyes to very important things.

This also happened to you. Therefore, trying to establish rules, preconceptions and patterns, do not to impoverish our search. Be open to life is to be open to others. When our angel used to people to give us a message, choose not the way that we chose it.

Apple

The filmmaker Rui Guerra told me that one night spoke with some friends in a house in the interior of Mozambique. The country was at war, so she still has everything: from gasoline to lighting. To pass the time they began to talk about what they would like to eat. Each one was telling his favorite dish, until it came the turn of Rui. "I'd like to eat an Apple," he said, knowing that it was impossible to find fruits because of rationing.

At that very moment, they heard a noise. And an Apple, shimmering and succulent, came rolling into the room and stood in front of him!

Later, Rui discovered that one of the young girls who lived there had gone to look for fruit on the black market. Returning, when climbing the ladder, he gave a stumble and fell; bag of apples, which had bought, opened and one of them was rolling inward.

Coincidence? Well, this would be a too poor Word to explain this story.

Children's

Immediately after the publication of the Alchemist, I had to spend some time outside Brazil. I was worried about what might happen with the book here.

One day fell into my hands the text that was going to show me the way. And I once again found myself.

"If you were really a child, a true child, instead of worrying about what you can do, implying the creation in silence. And he used to look with confidence the world, nature, history and the sky.

If you really were a child, it would be at this time singing hallelujahs by things that have forward. "And - free of tensions, fears and questions useless – take advantage of this time to wait, curious and patient, the result of things that so much love invested."

The insistence

In 1989, while in the Pyrenees, I saw a post card that said "Gez Chapel." I opened the map and saw that it was near mount Gez decided to scale it to know the Church. I was in the head that the city was at the top, on the other side of the mountain.

For hours I went up by roads possible harder. Only when I was a hundred meters from the top, I realized two things: to) was lost; (b) there was any city at the top of the mountain (later discovered that the chapel was down).

I almost died that afternoon. From where you got the idea of the city? Why not I gave up when I saw that there was no way whatsoever?

We sometimes confuse us with certain things, and only discovered the mistake too late. For this reason, it is always good to remember the words of Goethe:

"Nobody deceived us better than ourselves."

Tree

Once I was walking with my teacher for a field near Cabo Frio. He said to me: "look there a bromeliad!." And later: "look at an orchid!."

My eyes were not accustomed to the miracle of the small things. What he saw in front of me was a confusion of green plants. Walking with him a little while, I learned to educate the view and to search the plant that wanted to.

The same is true with Dios signals, how it is help us direct our lives. Only a trained eye can see them. Today - although I still make mistakes - I'm more used to distinguish the calligraphy of God on the stage in front of me. As well as the beauty of the Orchid stands for those who know there are orchids, the signals are displayed to all those who have the courage to decipher them.

William Blake said: "fool sees not the same tree that the wise man sees." It took me to understand this, but I came to learn it.

Conversion

I met Regina Sylvia in the hippie era, when our minds were populated by gods astronauts and saucers. Regina toured many esoteric and mystical paths. Today is in Pirenópolis (Goiás), where he directs a Christian community that is dedicated to the devotion of Mary.

"The conversion is not only a moment, but a lifetime job," she says. "Because it makes you need to be always understanding what the heart wants to express. If we listen to our heart, the conversion also ceases. The word "conversion" comes from "metanoia," which in Greek means "change of mentality". God gives us the conversion by grace and we reward you with actions. Is not an easy road: the work is similar to the transform a desert into a garden; But if the people allow it, the holy spirit takes care of this."

Life

You might say: "In short, my life isn't going exactly according to my expectations."

If, on the other hand, life will ask: ' what have you done for me?, "which would be your answer?

Doesn't want to shorten the road: need to balance Rigor and mercy, discipline and delivery. Nothing is given effortlessly, even miracles. That a miracle takes place, it is necessary to have faith. To have faith is necessary to overcome the barrier of prejudice. To break down barriers we need to have courage. To have courage is necessary to master the fear. And so on.

We are going to make peace with our days. It is necessary not to forget that life is on our side. She also wants to improve. We are going to help her.

Corruption

Be careful, because symbols can be transformed into traps.

The Canticle for Leibowitz book is located in the distant future, a thousand years after the destruction of the civilization. Its inhabitants use old computer cords helically wound along the neck because - according to tradition - these wires contained wisdom.

Jorge Luis Borges also speaks of the transformation of symbols: the cross, an instrument of torture, became an instrument of faith. The murderous arrow today only serves to indicate a direction.

A zen legend tells the story of a teacher instructing always tie your cat because it bothered the meditation of the disciples. Time went by, the master died. The cat also died and took another. One hundred years later, someone wrote a treatise which was highly praised, on the importance of having a cat tied during meditation.

The steps of the spiritual path

The oral tradition said the ten steps of the spiritual path.

The concern: the person realizes that it needs to change his life, either by boredom or suffering.

Search: the decision of change. The search is given with books, courses and meetings.

Disappointment: are the crossroads. Those who look for perceived problems and defects of those who teach it. Even if you change of philosophical current, religion, or secret society, is always with the classic problems: the vanity and the quest for power.

Denial: it is common to leave the road after suffering that those who pass it still have not resolved their problems.

Anguish: the road was abandoned, but a seed was planted: faith. And it grows day and night. The person feels uncomfortable, with the feeling that he found and lost.

The return: because of other serious rupture (a tragedy, an ecstasy, etc.) the person see that their faith is alive. And faith, if well cultivated, resists any disappointment.

The master: the most dangerous moment. Teachers are nothing more than people with experience. Road is single, but - at that time - can undermine it and become collective.

Signals: the path shown by itself. Through signals, God shows what you need to know.

The dark night: elections are held. The person changes his life and gives their steps despite the fear.

Communion: is the time at that, as said St. Paul, own divinity happens to inhabit the person. The mystery of miracles is manifested in all its wonder and greatness.

Alexander the great, bread and women

The armies of Alexander the great were prepared to take a city in Africa. But the doors were opened, without resistance; the population was nearly all female because men had died in the fighting against the conqueror.

At the victory Banquet, Alejandro requested that they bring him bread. One of the women was approached by a tray of gold, precious stones, cover with a piece of bread in the Center. "I can't eat precious stones and gold; "what I asked was bread!," shouted. And the woman said: "Alejandro doesn't have bread in his Kingdom? Did it have to come looking for it so far?"

Alexander followed with his conquests, but - before leaving that place - commanded to burn on a stone: "I, Alexander the great, came to Africa to learn from these women."

The Princess

I came to New York and I found out that my American publisher had made reservations at the classic hotel Waldorf Astoria. When the elevator door opened on my way I saw was full of guards with weapons in sight.

I discovered through the waitress an Arabian Princess was staying there. I got thousands of fantasies about what a Princess, until one day I saw in one of the corridors: was a fat, ugly, Lady with swollen feet and a staff that took care of each of its steps.

The friend who was with me was able to speak with her; We knew that security people wouldn't let her go out, who dreamed of going to a cinema and the first foreigner that talking was my friend. The bodyguard arrived immediately and interrupted the conversation, as well as feel us arms if we had any hidden. It was the only real Princess I met in my life.

The sorceress and the bag

One of the rituals of initiation of sorceresses consisted of placing the sound in a gigantic bag hanging from a tree. During the night, while they danced, sorceresses made to turn the bag.

This custom appeared suddenly, without any basis in the oral tradition. For this reason, its validity is very questionable. H. Muller, a student of magic, risks an explanation:

"As the bag revolves, the novice loses the sense of direction. She tries to stand inside the bag, but the base is soft! The space is gigantic because it is dark. At the same time it is small because his hand can touch the walls of the bag. Thus, to eliminate completely the sense of time and space, it is more open to a new perception of reality."

Solomon

If you believe that you are only suffering, or loving, or desperate, or terrified; Finally, if you think that all the good and bad of life only happens to you, remember to Solomon:

"Generation will and generation comes, but the earth remains always the same. The sun rises, the sun sets and back to its place, and is born again (...) What was and what it should be, what was done, that will be done. Isn't there anything new under the Sun?"

Salomon said it three thousand years back but not to make us feel useless or repetitive. His intention was to show us that at any time we are alone. If God made all the generations that preceded us to find your course, you will do the same thing for each of us.

In the end, it has millennia of experience with our problems.

Take a break

Don't forget that sometimes it is necessary to take a break. When the feet are sore mind is distracted and tired impoverishes the search.

The academic tradition boasts a "sabbatical": every seven years of work, the teacher spends a year away from the University. To get out of the rut, opens space for new knowledge.

In ancient times, farmers divided their land into seven land: every year, one of them was abandoned, without producing anything. It grew weed, the bushes, all that nature would like to produce without the interference of man. Thus the Earth charged new vigor and was able to, the following year, accept the farmer seed.

Who does not stop of their own accord ends up being paralyzed for life. In the search, as in everything else, the action and inaction are identical importance.

The rebellion

In Moscow, Luis Carlos Prestes - the most important Brazilian Communist leader - was preparing to return to Brazil after several years of exile. His son - who told me this story-, decided to document the departure of the father in a film.

Prestes banned you to do it. But knowing that it was in front of an important historical event, the son brought the team to the airport and began to record everything that was happening. At a certain point, Prestes realized what was happening; Let friends surrounding him, and was where his son was.

"I thought I was going to make the biggest of my life, papelón" Luis Carlos Prestes told me son. "But he stood in front of me, looked me in the eyes and said to me:"

' My congratulations. Done precisely what you forbade and this shows your value. "I hope that you keep always equally firm with others.'"

The resolutions

Judith is considered full of defects and decides to improve. But it is not your Personal legend that pushes it in this sense; the society says that there is a pattern of growth that is necessary to follow.

At the end of the year, Judith makes a list of decisions for the following year. The first days of January are easy; She adheres to the list, does things that had been postponed. In February, he no longer has the same layout and the list starts to fail. When March arrives, Judith had already broken all promises made in the new year and start to feel small, incapable and guilty, and thus continues until the last week of the year. When - finally - this week comes, she again made the promises and the ritual is repeated.

We should not try to improve on the basis of what others expect of us, Judith, but discovering what we expect of ourselves. Hence it is not necessary to promise anything because we changed with pleasure and joy.

The walks

Two men walking along the beach. One of them does so because, under certain heart problems, the doctor had recommended the morning walks. The other is there because the walks are one of the great pleasures of his life.

The man with heart problems says: "how I wish this was completed soon! It is aburridsimo to walk along the beach!" The other does not understand the comment; for him, the walks are something pleasant.

The man with heart problems could benefit from what happened to him in his life. Anything touched by love, is a matter of pleasure and joy.

But he doesn't see it like that. the walk is a medical treatment, nothing more. For this reason, his hour and a half of joy turns into a torture and torment.

Definitions

Two Indian Masters and a graffiti define love:

Osho: "give love is real experience, in the very sense of the word, because you behaves like an emperor. Pray Love is an experience of beggar. Do not as beggars; is always an emperor."

Nisargadatta Maharaj: "the suffering comes from desire. And the feeling of unity can never be frustrated. That frustrates you is the desire for recognition. Like all things purely mental, this desire is a trap."

Written in a wall of Buenos Aires (and annotated by Fabiana Riboldi).: "If you love someone, let it free. Again, it is because I needed it. If not, it's because I needed it."

The monument

"Look what interesting monument," said Robert.

Late autumn sun begins to descend. We are in Saasbruck, in Germany.

"I don't see anything," I reply. "Just an empty square."

"The monument is under your feet," insists Robert.

Look down: the road is made of equal lajas, without any special decoration. I don't want to disappoint my friend, but I still see nothing more than the plaza.

Robert says:

"Is called the Invisible monument. Engraved at the bottom of each one of these stones, is the name of some place in which Jews were killed. Anonymous artists created this square during the second war and have been adding lajas to new places of extermination is discovered. Even if nobody saw it, here were saved the testimonies."

The power of the Commander

During a Congress in Toulouse I presented to the translator of my books to Swedish. I find that it served as a pilot for England during the second world war. He then decided to move to Recife, where he lived more than twenty years.

During the meal, he tells me his experiences on the battlefields of Europe.

"The illusion of power we found in the war. A general can command thousands of men and feel the most important man in the world: but nothing more than this feeling lasts until the moment in which gives the order to attack. From that moment, his power disappears completely: happens to be in the hands of soldiers who never saw, sergeants who does not know the name.

A good Commander knows that power does not exist. Its ability lies in transforming many different wills in a unique will."

The question

"The society manages to forgive the criminal, but it never forgives the dreamer," said Oscar Wilde. However, the universal law requires us to dream. It is important to always think about this.

We should never ask another: "What do you do in life?" The question of a sensible person should be: "are being true to your dreams?"

Saying that we put in the air responsibility for a response. Force the other to reflect on the importance of their movements. We force a pause in the daily confusion and face head-on the existence.

When asked, also us it is necessary to respond.

We are a manifestation of God's thought. He hopes that our life is worthy of it.

The experience

The experience is very good but is not everything. Many times experience makes us old solutions to new problems and we were circling us without understanding that life is movement and that we are always facing new challenges.

In the ancient Greece, a man in charge of the war, called destroyer trucks, tied a knot so complicated that nobody could undo it. It was then that the legend: who got to untie it would become the most powerful men.

Number of people tested, until the young Alexander went through the temple where was the knot. He tried, saw that it would not get to untie him and then took his sword and cut it down the middle. Few years later, Alexander became the Supreme Lord of the most vast Empire the world has ever known and was called Magno.

"So not worth," should have said someone, seeing that Alexander cutting the Gordian knot. But why not? If it was not more than a new solution to an old problem.

Care

Beware thoughts: these are transformed into words.

Careful with his words: they are transformed into action.

Beware of their actions: they become habits.

Beware of their actions: these molded his character.

Care with his character: this controls his destiny.

The lamps of the tree

On the eve of Christmas, my wife and I did an assessment of the year that was about to end while we were eating at the only restaurant in a town in the Pyrenees. I started to complain about something that had not happened exactly as I would have liked it.

My wife focused their attention on a Christmas tree that decorated the place. I thought that it was no longer interested in the conversation and changed the subject: "Linda lighting this tree," I said.

"It is, else - if you look carefully - in the midst of these dozens of lamps there is one that is burned. I was listening and it seemed to me that, instead of seeing the year as dozens of blessings that glowed, you went to look precisely at single lamp which did not give a light."

The fear of happiness

As incredible as it may seem, many people afraid to happiness. For these people, running the risk of walking of good life means change a series of habits and lose their own identity.

For this reason, many times we consider ourselves unworthy of the good things that we pass. We don't accept blessings because accepting them gives us the feeling of being him having something to God. In addition to this, we are afraid to "get used" to happiness.

We think: "it is better to not try of the cup of joy because when this fails us we are going to suffer much."

Fearing to belittle, we stop growing. For fear of crying, stop laughing.

The sweetness of flowers

In his Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells us that the sweetness is one of the main features of love.

Never forget: love is tenderness. A rigid soul does not allow God's hand to shape it according to your wishes.

I was walking through an alley in the North of Spain when I saw a peasant lying in a garden.

-The Lord is crushing the flowers - I told him.

-No - he answered. -I'm trying to absorb some of its sweetness.

The encounter with others

Epictetus (55 ad - 135 ad) was born a slave and became one of the great philosophers of Rome. He was expelled from the city in the year 94 and created - in exile - a way of teaching his disciples. About encounters with other people, he used to comment:

"Two things can happen when we encounter someone: we become friends or try to convince that person to accept our views." The same is true when grilled is touched with another lump of coal: shares the fire with this ends suffocated by their size or is extinguished.

As we are usually insecure at first contact, we tested with indifference, arrogance and excessive humility. The result is that we stop being who we are, and things start to go along an unknown world that is not ours.

To avoid this to happen, allow their good feelings noticeable input. Arrogance is usually a banal mask of cowardice and ends up preventing that important things flourish in his life."

Along with all the things

An Explorer of the mount Kangchenjunga says:

"I climbed to one of the highest mountains of my land and I could see the world surrounding it. While I was there, I saw more than I am able to say and understand more than what I am able to explain.

But if instead you had to define better what were those moments in the Kangchenjunga, I would say: looks from on high, all things - rivers, trees, snow, grass - seemed one and my heart was filled with joy because I was part of everything. When I realized this, but I was just at the top of a mountain, I understood that it was next to all the things of this earth."

The gift of healing

During one of my lectures in Australia a young woman I approached. "I want to tell you something," I said.

"I always thought to have the gift of healing, but I never had the courage to try anyone. Until one day my husband had a serious pain in the left leg, there was no one nearby to help him and made the decision - shame-put my hands on his leg and ask for the pain to pass him dead.

He was still unable to believe that it would help him. Suddenly, I heard him praying: 'Lord allows that my wife may be Messenger of your light, your strength,' he said. My hand began to warm and very soon the pain passed.

I then asked him why he had prayed in this way. He responded that he did not remember having said anything. Today I have the ability to heal, thanks to those words."

About reform

Six months ago, the purchase of a new washing machine forced us to do a new pipeline in the part of the service system. We changed the floor and we had to paint the walls. When we finished, that sector had been more beautiful that the kitchen.

To avoid the contrast, we reformed the kitchen. Only then we realized that the room was old. We renovated the Hall, which ended up being much more welcoming than the desktop, which already had ten years.

We reforged the desktop. In a very short time, the reform spread throughout the House.

I hope that what happened in my house also happens in my life. I want to be open to the small developments and that never stop calling me attention to everything that is necessary to change.

Children's

The monk Steindl-Rast says: "the daughter of a friend of mine said one day ' Dad, is not surprising that I exist?'"

Children intuitively know how miraculous life is. We also know it because we are still children and this, our child side, will not die never. We can forget the naivety, put obstacles, give him an aura of seriousness and respect, but she will continue to exist while we live. It is better to accept it.

When we learn our lesson of every day it is necessary to combine child enthusiasm with the wisdom of experience. For this we need "born again," as Jesus said.

If today was the first day of his life, what I would be doing you now?

Of the Prophet

What is a prophet? Augusto de Franco philosopher defines very well the art of prophecy, which is within each of us.

In his opinion, the Prophet is able to provide for a particular situation, with the eyes of faith. When we prophesy, we are not defining what is going to happen; actually, we give the possibility to ourselves - and others - to choose the best way.

The Prophet not guess. It stimulates the creation of a future. His oracles, instead of dialing a possibility, we are preventing the consequences of our attitudes and opening new alternatives.

The man can invent their own future, if you choose to go their own way. For this it is necessary for release of its past and the choices that were made on his behalf without consulting him.

Love

A journalist chasing the French writer Albert Camus asking him to explain in detail its work. The author of plague refused: "I write and others judged to according to his opinion."

But the journalist does not cejaba in its efforts. One evening he found in a Paris cafe.

"Live critique considers that you never address a deep subject," said the journalist. "I would like to ask now: if I were to write a book about the society, would accept the challenge?"

"Of course," replied Camus. "The book would have a hundred pages. Ninety-nine would be blank, since there's nothing to say. And at the end of the 100th page would write: "the unique duty of man is to love."

The law of love

St. Augustine wrote that in the same way that a city needs laws so that their inhabitants can live together, man needs a single law, love, to live in peace with the spirit world. Others also referred to this universal truth:

"True love does not ask for reward, but deserves one." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux).

"Love is God; and death means that a drop of this love should return to its source." (Tolstoy).

"The truths of love are like the Ocean: transparent only in shallow places." (Patmore).

"When we most love to someone, we more enter into the mysteries of all." (Jalal-Ud-Dim).

"Where there is the possibility of hate, there is also the possibility of love; just make a choice." (Tillich).

Of the Congress

It is very easy to judge others when we do not get in the same situation wherever they are. An example of this occurred in the Congress of the Communist Party, when Nikita Khruschev - for fear of the world - denounced Stalin's crimes.

During the speech, someone shouted:

-Where were you, Comrade Saddam, while massacring the innocent?

-Stand up which said that - he asked Khruschev.

No one moved.

-Whoever you, your question already answered - was continued Khrushchev. -At that time, I was in the same position that you are in now.

Tradition

In practically all religions and cultures, the tradition of hospitality is present. In the Gospels, Jesus shared his gifts with men and women who welcome it. In the Jewish tradition, Lot escaped by giving refuge to some foreigners who were later revealed as angels. In Islam, Mohammed (Muhammad) said: "Damn society that does not accept guests."

We are all guests of this world. We are here passing between a life, and we can not take anything apart from our good deeds. The tradition of hospitality cannot die in our lives, even when there is - occasionally - people abusing our ceiling and our love. Whenever we welcome someone, we open to adventure and mystery.

Suicide

A psychiatrist friend has that - contrary to popular belief, which attributed to the darkness the ability to depress the people--the majority of suicides occur in the morning. It is precisely at the moment of waking up the depression in front of the worst difficulty: the face a new day.

This leads us to consider the old Arab saying: "the worst of all steps is the first." When we are ready for an important decision, all forces are concentrated so that we keep going forward.

We are already accustomed to this. It is an old law of Physics: breaking the inertia is difficult. As we can not change the physics, focus energy extra, and so we take the first step. Then the same way helps.

Flute

I think that much of the readers must have seen the film "Amadeus": trashed by critics of his time, who accused him of superficial, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was comforted knowing that your art liked to the public and that he supported it.

His last opera, "The magic flute", shows a Mozart of an extraordinary lightness, which leaves aside entirely sinister philosophy that complicates life. For a friend, the composer explained why so much smoothness:

"Life is permanent. It does not need hidden meanings to show their beauty and eternity. "God is not in the torture of the soul or the confusion of thought, but in the ability of man - from the earliest times - look to the stars and feel moved."

Subway

Terry Dobson was traveling in a Tokyo subway when a drunken man entered and started to insult to all passengers. Dobson, who studied martial arts for some years, confronted the man. "What do you want to?," asked the drunk. Dobson was prepared to attack him. At that time, a senior sitting on one of the benches, shouted: "Hey!"

"I'm going to hit abroad and then I'll hit you!," said the drunk.

"I also have the habit of drinking," said the old man. "Every evening we sat with my wife and we take sake. Do you have a wife?"

The drunk was disoriented and said: "I have No wife, I don't have anyone. I just ashamed of me."

The old man asked the drunk to sit beside her. When Dobson descended, the man was crying.

Vacuum

Occasionally a feeling of sadness that we cannot control takes hold of us. No matter where we are - at work, next to the person that we love, in a party - but without any explanation, the world loses its colour and life hides its magic.

At the moment - says Karen Casey - nothing better to look inside ourselves. There's a creature with fear, which doesn't know well what is doing here, because you hardly hear it or the query is. Let's be tolerant with this creature. We are going to let her lead the reins for as long as needed, until you feel loved again.

In a short time our eyes will again shine. And now, if not we lose touch with this creature, we will not lose the meaning of life.

Santa Claus

Joseph Campbell tells us: "the first shock of the modern man with the magical world takes place when he discovers that Santa Claus does not exist."

Campbell, one of the great scholars of Mythology of our time, was not kidding. When we realize that all fantasy created around Christmas gifts was only the fruit of a tradition, we realize that all traditions are equal. If Santa Claus does not exist, it is possible that there is no God or life after death or the guardian angel. Fearful of a new disappointment, we empobrecemos our world and distrust of any miracle.

We are no longer children. We can live with the disappointments inherent to the own spiritual path. In fact, this is a path full of disappointments. But he who persists reaches.

Care with words

How many times we say of someone: "Wow, makes while I do not dispute with so-and-so." Or "never had a flu." And suddenly, the next day, we caught us a flu or discuss with so-and-so.

Then we came to a conclusion: If we talk about the good things that happen to us, this will bring bad luck.

None of that. In fact, the Alma de el Mundo - before any problem-always shows us how much time passed without being angered by some particular thing. She wants to tell us how generous life has been so far and how it will continue to be, if we overcome with courage the obstacle.

Keep the positive words on the air. They will help you to grow in any difficulty.

In the shadow of man

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize in literature, writes: "God is the shadow of the man. As well as the shadow repeated body movements, Dios repeated movements of the soul."

In this way, there is always a relationship between what we do and what we receive in return. If we are generous, the "shadow of God" repeated movements we made for the benefit of our neighbor and returns them to us with one ten times greater generosity. If we are cruel, this our cruelty is reflected in the astral plane, and also returns.

Many people justify their own unhappiness arguing that you are now paying what he did in past lives. There are some rare cases where this happens, and even in these cases, a true act of love erases any blame. We must concentrate on movements of harmony, so that the shadow that we project onto the spiritual world is always an act of praise to God.

Mystique

The text that follows is Leonardo Boff:

"Capture God is to have it in all dimensions of life, not only in situations of privileged, as when he agrees or is prayed. You must always have the experience of God: while walking down the street, breathing polluted air, to enjoy a beer, trying to understand a text that we are studying. God comes mixed with all this; and any situation is good enough that we can perceive it and say: 'He is with us.'

The Mystic key is trying to see what is behind every thing, what constitutes it and supports it. Not trapped in the superficial, but make a sign, a symbol, an image, a sacrament.

For one who has the experience of God, the world is a great message."

Reality

Sartre said: "man is what he decided that it should be." At the age of twenty, the famous Mexican composer Agustín Lara saw wrecked the vessel in which it was traveling. For hours, he fought against the waves and swore to God that if he could reach the beach, forget the past and start a new life.

Lara became a beach of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. Although born and bred in the city of Mexico, he fulfilled his oath and began to say to everyone that Tlacotalpan was his native land.

In 1968, Lara celebrated his seventy years of life. Several journalists went to the Festival in Tlacotalpan and there heard stories of old who had played with Lara in his childhood and the streets where he made his first songs. In the most important moment of the Festival, the prefect of Tlacotalpan gave him the keys to the House where he was born!

Of affection

H. Bloomfield learned that his father had been hospitalized suddenly:

"While traveling to New York I thought that I had the chance to do that this visit was different from the others. He had always been afraid to show my affection, I had always wanted to keep the same safe distance that my father had kept with me. When I saw him in bed, full of tubes, I gave him a hug. He was surprised. 'Hold me, Daddy,' I asked. I had educated him telling me that a man never showed his feelings. But I insisted. Dad raised arms and touched me. There was me, asking my father to show me how much he loved me even though I already knew."

I felt their hands on my head and - for the first time I heard the words coming from his heart, while her lips had never delivered them. 'I love you,' I said. And from the moment he had the courage to show her love regained the will to live."

Of the universe

"Maktub" means: "it was written."

In 1991, the Alchemist was offered to the Maison Robert Laffont, one of the three major French publishers.

It was rejected. The following year, new offer: new rejection.

Anne, daughter of Laffont, spent the holidays in Ibiza, when he found a copy of the book in English.

"Why don't publish you?," asked the father.

"Was already rejected twice," said Laffont.

Anne discovered the reason; the Brazilian in charge of selection or had opened it, claiming that it had not taken into account by the criticism. "As I go to edit it," said Anne. "And I do my best."

This week, with the book praised by local critics, and already on the list of bestsellers in France, Anne spoke to me by phone:

"I a gift sent to the Brazilian who rejected his book. Three years ago, it had not been more than another publication lost in the midst of many others. This time it was my personal challenge. Maktub!"

The return

The bonds of love create a stronger relationship of what we assume. J. Rhine and Sara Feather, the Duke University parapsychology laboratory, collected a series of cases involving the most diverse manifestations of this relationship, even with animals. Here is one of these cases:

A young man, Hugh Brady, used to take care of the pigeons who lived near his home. Once found one of these injured birds; cured it, fed it, and placed a tag with the number 167 in the right leg.

In the following winter, Hugh had to be operated in emergency. While recovering, in a hospital far from home, he heard something hit the window. He asked the nurse that it opened; a palomo went flying into the room and landed on the chest of the young.

In the right leg he wore the label with the number 167.

Action

Mahatma Gandhi fought his entire life and managed to liberate India from British rule. When told that it was one of the greatest men that had emerged in the universal history, responded:

"I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and nonviolence are as old as the mountains. All I've done was try to put them into practice on a wider scale that I was possible. In doing so, more than once I was wrong and I learned from my mistakes.

Those who believe in the simple truths that I have outlined, can only propagate if you live according to them. "I am absolutely convinced that any man or woman can do what I did, if you make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith."

Bottle

Some morning, I was walking with a friend in Argentina by the Mojave Desert, when we saw something shining on the horizon. While we were heading to a "canyon", we change our route to see what was what aired that shine. For nearly an hour, in an increasingly strong sun, we headed back and only managed to discover what it was when we arrived.

It was a beer bottle, empty. I had to be there for years; the sand had crystallized in its interior. As the desert was very hot at that time, we decided not to go to the "canyon." While we came back, I thought: "many times let go our way, attracted by false brightness the way of aside?"

Although I also thought: "if had not been up to there, how would know that it was a false glow?"

Denial

Josiah Royce (1855-1916), at the time in which someone died very dear, wrote the following words:

"We die, while you remain.

Eternity is yours.

And, in eternity, we will be remembered not as insignificant points of this real world but as fresh leaves that, at a certain moment, flourished in the branches of the tree of life.

These leaves fall from the trees, but not fall into oblivion, because you always remember them."

The reasons of the human heart

There are many emotions that move the human heart when he decided to devote himself to the spiritual path. It could be a "noble" as faith, the love of neighbor or charity. Or it may be nothing more than a whim or fear of solitude or curiosity or desire to be loved.

None of this matters. The true spiritual path is much stronger that the reasons that led us to it. In a short time, it imposes with love, discipline and dignity. There comes a time when we look back and remember the beginning of our journey. Then we laugh about ourselves. We were able to grow, even if our feet go the way for reasons that thought important, but which in fact were futile.

The love of God was stronger than the reasons that led us up to it.

The construction of our cathedral

In the middle ages, Gothic cathedrals were built by several generations. This extended effort helped participants to organize thinking, give thanks, and to dream.

Today the romance ended; the building is not more than a business. However, the desire of building remains. Many people devoted the end of his life to finish a House, mowing the lawn, lifting a chapel.

We also need to exercise this right and if we do not have a cathedral, rebuild our room; that will help you learn more about who we are. That will make change a number of things that we are bothering us.

Both churches and men suffer the wear and tear of time and why you can never stop the reconstruction.

The power of adversaries

A warrior of the light has not only with his forces, but also with the energy of his adversaries.

At the start of the fight, everything he owns is his enthusiasm and shock she learned during her training. As the fight progresses, the Warrior perceives that the enthusiasm and training are not sufficient to overcome: the experience is needed.

Then he opens his heart to the universe and prays. He asks God that inspires it, so that each blow of the enemy is also a lesson in defense for it.

Colleagues say: "It is superstitious."

The Warrior does not respond to these provocations. He knows that without inspiration or experience, there is no training that result.

The importance of John the Baptist

A man leaves the worldly life and becomes a hermit. Away from the center of the political decisions of the season, spend years of his life trying to pave the way for the Messiah. It is defined as "the voice crying in the wilderness."

At first, we think that this man - John the Baptist - had no influence in his time. But history shows us otherwise: his presence was fundamental in the life of Jesus.

How many times feel as voices calling in the desert? Our words seem to get lost in the wind, our gestures apparently do not wake up no reaction.

John persisted; We must do the same. The voices that cry out in the wilderness are those who write the history of his time.

Perfection and creation

The phrase is Pablo Picasso: "God is, above all, an artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant to the Ant. The truth, never worry about follow a style. It was simply doing what he wanted to do."

It is our desire to walk that creates the path. However, when we started to walk, a great dread makes dam from us, as if we were obliged to do everything perfect. In the end, as each day is unique, we ask ourselves who have invented the phrase "do everything perfect."

If God made the giraffe, the elephant and the Ant, do we have to follow a model?

Commitment to our decisions

Carlos Castañeda said: "the great power of human beings is in their ability to make decisions." Every decision we make allows us to modify the future and the past.

Choosing, however, means to engage. When someone makes a choice, it should be recalled that the road that has to go will be very different from the way he has imagined. Choose means: "Well, I know where I want to go." From there, it is necessary to pay attention to the world because a decision generates a series of unexpected events.

Engage with your decision, whether in the field of affective, professional or spiritual; all need your decision is their will to move forward. Moreover, she will take it by the hand and will show you the best way.

Mohammed there and George Foreman

I studied at the theatre school when ex-heavyweight Mohammed Ali decided to fight with George Foreman for the reconquest of the title. I don't know why the box was a very popular sport among actors and directors of the school (I think someone, politically acceptable, had said something like "in the box bodies dialogue of truth" and all had been fascinated to hear it).

The day of the fight, one of the teachers at the school called me: "Mohammed Ali will win," he said.

"I don't think," I replied. After all, George Foreman never lost a fight in his life."

"Precisely because of this," replied the professor. "Who was already on the canvas once put it, is far more prepared to win, those who never lost."

Some hours later, Ali regained his title for the second time.

Today, between yesterday and tomorrow

There are only two days during which it is impossible to make any thing: yesterday and tomorrow. The rest--i.e., today - gives us all the tools necessary to get what we want.

The magic is full of things like "back to past lives", or "prophecies about the future that awaits us." I, out of curiosity, and saw two previous incarnations. But the experience I did nothing (perhaps you have slightly reinforced my faith in the eternity, but that was all). Reborn for the present: this is what we need to do every day.

As Albert Einstein said: "one hundred times per day I remember that my inner life and outer life depend on the work that other men are doing now. That is why I need to strive to give back at least some of this generosity and I do not leave any empty minute."

The pieces of myself

It is very important to know that I was spreading pieces of me the world. I cut my toenails in Rome, the hair in the Netherlands and Germany. I saw spurt my blood on the asphalt of New York and three times my sperm fell into a field near Tours. I watered lots of trees of Spain with my urine, I él in the channel and in a fjord of Oslo. Once, I manual face with a fence in Budapest. My pieces, created by me and I will never see again, make me to be part of the places where I walked, the landscapes that I saw and that shocked me.

In this way, in my next incarnation, there will always be close to me something that is familiar to me.

I planted in different places on earth because I don't know where to go to be reborn a day.

The cure of farewell

"To live is to be always ready to say goodbye," said a friend of mine, at the airport. We will walk from one side to another, while we wait for the hour of my flight.

"However" - continues my friend - "nature is wise. It heals the soul in the same way that heals the body.

We went through three stages of illness, goodbye. The first is denial: this is not true! One thing well ever could happen to me!

Then comes the despair, outrage: it was true! But this could never pass me to me!

Finally, comes the acceptance: well, it is true, happened, it is now necessary to move forward!

If lived each of these stages without shame, without trying to shorten road, nature would heal the wound. "But this requires the same ingredient that is needed to cure the ills of the body: time."

Learn magic

He who wants to learn magic should begin by looking at its around. God put men everything you wanted to say. It is enough to pay attention; This is what is called the tradition of the Sun.

All of us have the same capacity of understanding but need to believe in the revelations that bring us the daily life.

The tradition of the Sun is democratic: was not made to scholars or the pure, but to the common people. The power is in all the small things that are part of the way of a man; the world is a classroom, the Supreme love know that you are alive and going to teach.

Somewhere, a site in which you maybe not has been repaired so far, is the response he wanted, the miracle that you needed. To make this miracle happen, just pay attention.

The unreasonableness of the coherence

Do not try to be consistent all the time. In the end, does not us Paul that "the wisdom of the world is madness in the eyes of God"?

Being consistent is need to always use the tie that combine with stockings. It is being forced to maintain, tomorrow, the same views that you have today. And where is the movement of the world?

While you do not harm anyone, change of opinion from time to time and fall into contradiction, without shame. you have this right. It doesn't matter what others will think because they are going to think, anyway.

So, relax. Let the universe to move to her around and discover the joy of being a surprise to yourself. "God chose things mad of the world to shame the wise," said Paul.

Explain to God

No sense ask for explanations about God. Fine words can be heard but, ultimately, are phrases. In the same way that you can read all an encyclopedia about love and not knowing what is to love.

No one will ever get to prove that God exists or does not exist. There are certain things in life that were made to be experienced, never explained.

Love is one of these things. God - love - is another of them. Faith is a child experience, in that magical sense that Jesus taught us: "Children's is the Kingdom of heaven."

God will never come on his head; the door that he uses is his heart.

The tasks of the spiritual path

It is conventional wisdom among the pilgrims of Compostela which all can help us on the spiritual path. It gives both collect shells on a beach, painting, talking with others, listen to music, even do some work that we abhor.

What matters is not what we do, but the type of energy that we put into our work. If we are simply wasting our time, never will be rewarded for it, except for some become someone give us.

If, on the other hand, we focus the mind in the Centre of ourselves, praying silently while you launch something repetitive, that dog task ends up being a ladder toward the light.

Only when we give ourselves to our task is that we discovered the true meaning of what we are doing.

The prayer of the assaulted

Matthew Henry is a well-known specialist in biblical studies. Some time, when I returned from the University where he taught classes, was assaulted. That night he wrote the following prayer:

"I want to thank first of all because I was never robbed before.
Secondly, because they took my wallet but they left me the life.
Thirdly, because although all have been, it was not much.
Finally, I want to thank because I went to that he stole and not that stole."

The pedagogy of God

God usually use the solitude to teach us about living together. Sometimes use the rage so we can understand the infinite value of peace. Sometimes use the tedium, when you want to show us the importance of the adventure and let yourself go.

God usually use silence to teach us about the responsibilities of what we say. Sometimes use fatigue, so that we can understand the value of the awakening. Sometimes use illness, when you want to show us the importance of health.

God usually use fire to teach us about the water. Sometimes used the land, so that we can understand the value of the air. Other times it uses death, when it wants to show us the importance of life.

Jesus and the robbers

In one of the most tragic moments of the crucifixion, one of the thieves realized that the man who died at his side was the son of God.

"Lord, remember me when you're in paradise," said the thief. "In truth, today you will be with me in paradise," replied Jesus, transforming to a villain in the first Saint of the Catholic Church: San Dimas.

We do not know for what reason Dimas was sentenced to death. In the Bible, he confesses his fault saying that he was crucified for the crimes he committed.

We suppose that I should have done something cruel, dark enough to finish that way; as well and all, in the last moments of its existence, an act of faith redeemed him and glorified him.

Remember this example when, for some reason, we judge ourselves incapable of having a spiritual life.

Repeated experience

A smart man note that certain moments are repeated.

It frequently is faced with the same problems and faces situations that already had faced previously.

Then feels depressed. He begins to believe that he is unable to thrive, since the same things that lived in the past are returning him to happen.

"I already went through this," claim you to his heart.

"It is true, you already passed," replied the heart. "But never you before this happened."

Man, then, it becomes aware that repeated experiences have a purpose: teach what you have still not learned. And it becomes a different solution for each fight that is repeated until it achieves victory.

Perseverance

He says the I Ching, Chinese book of human mutations: "perseverance is favorable."

But perseverance has nothing to do with the insistence. There are times in our lives that extend beyond than necessary, until extenuar forces and diminish the enthusiasm matches.

At the moment, it is worth to note that a protracted war ends up destroying the same victorious country. Then, nothing better than a truce until our power is so worn that we can not get it back.

We persevere in our commitment, but we await a more favorable opportunity to return to the fight.

Because a man of honor always returns to the fight, not for stubborn, but because he perceives that times have already changed.

The importance of the scars

When we decided to act, they tend to occur some excesses. Says a former culinary proverb: "an omelette you can't without breaking some eggs."

When we decide to act, it is natural that unexpected conflicts. It is natural that injury in the course of these conflicts. The wounds pass: only scars.

This is a blessing; These scars are going to be with us the rest of our life and are going to be of much help. If at some point - for convenience or for any other reason - the will to return to the past big, just that I look at them.

The scars will show the marks of handcuffs, will we remember the horrors of the prison and make us go forward.

Awareness, instinct and mechanical

Gurjeff (1877-1949) is an interesting character, responsible for - among other things - of the book encounter with remarkable men. Here is a small text file that was used in their classes:

"Faith consents is freedom." The instinctive faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is madness.

Hope agrees is force. The emotional expectation is cowardice. The mechanical hope is disease.

Love agrees awake the love. Emotional love wakes up the unexpected. Mechanical love arouses hatred."

Twilight

Is there a time of day that is difficult to observe with clarity: Twilight.

Lights and shadows are and nothing is clear or completely dark. In most spiritual traditions at this time it's considered sacred. The Catholic tradition teaches that at six in the afternoon must pray the Hail Mary. According to the quechua tradition, if we have a friend in the afternoon and are still with him at the time of twilight, we should start everything again, waving it again with a "good night."

Twilight time, checks the balance of the planet and man: God mixes shadow and light to see if the Earth has the courage to continue rotating. If land is not scared with the darkness, the night passes and a new Sun shines again.

The communion of love

The text that follows is from Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk:

"The spiritual life boils down to love. And love, of course, means more than feeling, rather than charity, rather than protection. Love is the complete identification with the person loved without any intention of 'doing good' or 'help.'

When you try to do good through the love, it is because we are seeing the neighbor as a simple object and we are seeing ourselves as generous, cultured and wise people. This, many times, can result in a hard, brutal, dominant attitude.

To love is to commune with people who will love. Love your neighbor as yourself, with humility, discretion, and reverence. So it is only possible to enter the sanctuary of the alien heart."

The miracles

No religion can survive if it relies only on miracles. Miracles can be the beginning of a meeting, but human nature quickly gets used to the supernatural and happens to be treated in a cavalier manner.

The spiritual quest survives because there are people capable of venturing into unknown seas. Of course, apart from value, we need to have patience to hear ironic comments of those who believe that the reason is able to solve all the problems of the men.

Once, an English television producer BBC went to see the Franciscan father Angelus Andrew to demand proof of the existence of heaven and hell.

The answer was short and direct: "is very simple: just to die."

The stages of the spiritual search

The spiritual search is divided into three stages: accept who we are and improve what we are and find unity with God. "Reconciliation prayer" helps us to cross the first stage.

We are going to a place that we consider sacred and where we can stay alone. There, thank God, we begin to say out loud what we consider to be our "dark side." As we move forward, we note that the courage to look at our defects provides - on the contrary than we thought - an incredible sense of freedom. We began to feel more pure, more strong, more beloved.

We pray in this way whenever we needed. But remember the words of St. Bernardo de Clairvaux: "It is good to be aware of our faults, but this should not be a constant concern because we could fall back in despair."

The crossroads

Roman Paganism to the Afro-Brazilian cults of Greek mythology to the American indigenous traditions, the crossroads was always considered a sacred place. Is there where inhabit some gods and observed the traveler to make a decision.

There the two great powers are concentrated: the path to be chosen and the path that will be abandoned. Both are together at the crossroads. Both are transformed in an only road although only for a short period of time. The Walker can relax, sleep a little, to even ask the gods who dwell in these crossroads.

But no one can stay in them forever: once the decision is made, is necessary to move forward, trust in the heart.

And forget the path we have not chosen.

The prayer of looking at fixed

The Sufis monks tend to keep staring at a water well or in small discs of bronze. And pray "prayer watching fixed", which is divided into five stages:

(a) thank God for the fact be praying and trying to participate in his glory;

(b) request that he always shows us the best way to follow;

(c) make a review of the previous day, trying to see those times when God wanted to reveal himself and we fail to recognize it;

(d) ask forgiveness for not having recognized;

(e) make an act of faith, saying that today we are aware of his presence in our lives.

Marks and scars

A fragment of John Bunyam, author of the classic Pilgrim's Progress:

"Even if you have gone through everything I spent, I do not regret problems that I got for it was they who brought me to where I wanted to go." Now, close to death, all I have is this sword and give it to anyone who wants to continue his pilgrimage.

I carry my marks and scars of combat: they are witness of what I lived and rewards of what conquering. These brands and beloved scars are that are going to open the doors of paradise for me.

There were times that I lived by listening to stories of bravery. There were times in which I lived only because I needed to live. But now I live because I'm a warrior and I want to be one day in the company of the one for whom I struggled so much."

The person you have always dreamed to be

Ideal conditions you are looking for does not exist. You can never delete a certain number of defects. The trick is to know that, despite all these flaws, you are an extraordinary person.

Yes, you know very well, but try to go beyond the limits to which it is used; Sea - for ten minutes per day - that person who always wanted to be. If the problem is the inhibition, force a conversation. If the problem is to blame, feel approved. If the difficulty is to feel rejected by the world, try consciously to attract everyone's attention. You will pass by one another difficult situation, but it will be worth it.

Who gets to be that dreamed for 10 minutes per day, is already a big progress.

The wisdom of the hermit

The Kais master was walking with his disciples through the desert, when found a hermit who had lived there for years.

The disciples began to mow down it questions about the universe but ended up discovering that the man did not have the wisdom that seemed to have.

To discuss this with Kais, he replied them:

"Never ask a man worried about, best Adviser that is; not asked to help the proud, by more intelligent that can be. As concerns and vanity cloud knowledge.

Above all, regards with some mistrust of him who lives in solitude; It is usually not there because he renounced everything, but because he never knew to live with others. What is the wisdom that we can expect from this type of people?"

The first quality

"The first attribute of the spiritual path is courage," said Gandhi. And, according to the Tibetan monk Chögyam Trungpa, the first quality of the brave man is fighting for what may be useful to all humanity.

The world always seems menacing and dangerous for cowards. They seek to achieve a life without great challenges lying safety and are armed to the teeth to defend what they believe possess. Cowards are victims of their own selfishness and end up building their own prison guards.

But men and brave women projected his thinking far beyond the walls of his room. They know that, if they do nothing to the world, no one else will do it. Then take part in the good life, even without fully understanding why.

Two bags

Gilberto de Nucci has an excellent image with respect to our behavior. According to him, the men walking by the face of the Earth in india row, each carrying a bag later and another on the back.

In the bag forward put our qualities. In the bag back, we keep all our shortcomings.

That is why, during the day of life, we keep our eyes fixed on the virtues that we own, subject to our chest. But at the same time, without any mercy we observe on the backs of the companion that goes along all the defects that has.

And we judge us better than him without realizing that the person walking behind is thinking the same thing from us.

The wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita

Adapted from the extraordinary "Bhagavad Gita" (chapter II, 16-26):

"Man is not born nor ever dies. Once there, never cease to do so because it is eternal and permanent.

Just as a man discard the used clothes and begins to wear new clothes, the soul discards the old body and assumed another new body.

But the soul is indestructible; swords may not cut it, the fire not burning, the water not wet it, never the dry wind. It is beyond the power of all these things.

As the soul of man is indestructible, always comes out victorious and why not must regret ever.

That your goal is your action and never the reward of it."

The rhythm of life

The great Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis (Zorba, the Greek) is that, when I was a child, he repaired in a cocoon on a tree, where a butterfly was preparing to leave.

He waited some time but as it was delaying much - he decided to speed up the process and began to heat up the cocoon with his breath. Butterfly ended up leaving, but their wings were still stuck together and ended up dying shortly afterwards.

"A patient ripening by the Sun was needed and I didn't wait," says Kazantzakis. "That little corpse is, until today, one of the largest in the consciousness. But it was that made me understand what a true mortal sin: force the great laws of the universe. It is necessary to be patient, wait for accurate time and confidently keep pace with which God chose for our life."

The fixate

In the Mojave Desert, it is common to find us with the famous "fixate": built near gold mines, were abandoned when the entire product of the land had already been extracted. They had played their role and had no more sense.

When we walk through a forest, we also see trees - once you have fulfilled their role - ended up falling.

But, unlike the fixate, what happened? They opened space so that light gets, fertilizing the soil and their trunks are covered with new vegetation.

Our old age will depend on the way in which we live the present moment. We can end as a ciudad-fantasma, simply abandoned. Or on the contrary, as a generous tree that continues to be important, even after having fallen.

The golden rule

During a meal in Kyoto, the Korean Professor Kim Tae-Chang analyzes the differences between the Eastern and Western thought:

"Both civilizations have a golden rule. In the West, you say: do what I would like that I made to my neighbor. This means: one who loves, is who establishes the conditions in which love can manifest itself.

The golden rule of East seems almost the same: you will not my neighbor that which I do not want me to ask me. But this rule is based on what the other person is feeling and here is all the difference.

To improve the world we may not impose a way of showing our love but if we avoid the manifestation of our rage."

The glass of water

"Don't do a tempest in a teacup."

This phrase is generally well applied: a moment of difficulty, is exaggerated when the life is much simpler than it seems.

However, we can never judge another person's pain. A small detail - that nothing would affect us - can serve trigger for a storm that had been prepared in the soul of our neighbor. Currently, it is necessary to respect the suffering of others, since we cannot compare it with ours.

Okakura Kakuso says: "If we consider what minimal is the cup of joy that we have in this life and what few tears that could overwhelm it and how - in our vast thirst - end up drinking it more quickly than we had ordered, never miss blame anyone for making tempests in such small places."

The truth of the necromancer

An apprentice of occult I know, hoping to make a good impression to his teacher, read some manuals of magic and decided to buy materials listed in the texts.

With great difficulty got some type of incense, some talismans, a wooden structure with sacred characters typed in a particular order. Seeing this, the teacher said to him:

"Do you think that you winding you computer cables in you neck will get to have the wisdom of the machine?" Do you think that buying hats and sophisticated clothing you will also acquire the good taste and sophistication of those who created them?

Objects and images can be your allies, but they - themselves - do not contain any type of knowledge. First practice the devotion and discipline, and everything else will come in addition."

Taoist Cosmology

The Taoist features that at the beginning of the time, the spirit and matter locked in mortal combat. Finally spirit triumphed and the matter was condemned to live forever in the interior of the Earth. Until this happens, however, his head hit into the sky and left the sky reduced to pieces.

The goddess Niuka emerged from the sea, resplendent in his armor of fire; boiling the colours of the Rainbow in a pot it could again the stars in place. But it failed to find two small pieces and the firmament was incomplete.

According to the Taoist, there begins the duality of love: there is always a soul that crosses the Earth in search of the other party so that both can be placed in the empty bit of heaven and, in this way, complete the creation.

The three cubs

A farmer won three cubs, Marizete Lourenço has. Happy, he tied them behind his ox-cart and decided to take them to the ranch where he lived.

The first dog was pushed to the force; biting the rope, he fell, he crawled along the ground. The second is resigned and followed the cart. The third, however, jumped into the cart, decided to sleep and rested reached its destination.

"When it is useless to resist, the best is to adapt," said Marizete. "The wisest is always one that manages to take advantage of the unavoidable circumstances and make them work in their favor."

The way of truth

"Certain disciples live wondering where is the truth," said Maal - the. "Then, one day, I decided to pointing in one direction either, trying to show that the important thing is to traverse a path and not keep thinking of him.

But instead of looking at the direction where I aimed, the disciples began to look at my finger, trying to find out where it was that the truth was hidden.

When people are looking for a teacher, they should try to seek experiences that could help them avoid certain obstacles. But, unfortunately, the reality is different: are using the law of the least effort, trying to find answers to everything.

Who wish to benefit from the efforts of the master to save their strength, never get anywhere and is bound to be disappointed."

The Sage and the magician

In his youth, the Russian Gurdjeff - one of the greatest magicians from the end of the last century - was to meet a wise man in the Gobi desert.

During the meal, and wanting to show that it was prepared for the spiritual path, Gurdjeff ate Brown rice. Curious, the wise - which currently devouring a leg of mutton - wanted to know why.

"To purify my body."

"If he continues along this path, will end badly," replied the Sage. "In the same way greenhouse flowers do not resist open places, if a young accustoms your body only to pure food, will end up being too fragile.

Body and soul need normal challenges, not miraculous theories."

The sense of loss

We are the world in search of our dreams and ideals. Many times we put in inaccessible places everything that is within the reach of hands. When we discovered the error, we feel that we are losing time looking for more or we have already lost. We blame ourselves for the steps wrong, futile search, by the disgust that we cause.

Not quite so: even if the treasure was buried in his house, you might only discover it away. If Peter had not experienced the pain of denial, he had not been elected as head of the Church. If the prodigal son had not abandoned everything, never would have been received with joy by his father.

There are certain things in our lives that bring a stamp that says: "Only you will understand me when I've lost, and recovered." No point in wanting to shorten this path.

The legend of the desert

We sometimes irritated with the knee-jerk reaction of our neighbor. We make a small comment, a joke and I have here that person starts to cry or be angry.

A legend of the desert tells the story of a man who was going to move out of oasis, and began to load your camel. Put rugs, kitchenware, the trunks of clothes. Camel bore the brunt. When he was leaving he remembered a beautiful blue pen that his father had given him.

He decided to look for it and put it on the camel. At that time, the animal collapsed by the weight and died.

"My camel not endured the weight of a feather," must have thought the man. Many times we think the same of our neighbor without understanding that our joke may have been the straw that spilled the cup of suffering.

The proof of the soul

The Cistercian father Marcos García, who lives in Burgos, Spain, commented:

"Sometimes God withdraws a particular blessing so that the person can understand him beyond the favours and orders. He knows up to what point can test a soul and never goes beyond this point.

At the moment, we should never say 'God I abandon.' He never does; We are we that we can, at times, leave it. If the Lord puts us before a major test, also always gives us enough thanks - I would say, more than sufficient - to overcome it.

"When we are away from his face, we must ask: are knowing to take advantage of what he put in our path?"

The power of writing

I write always and I think it is very important to write. If I could give some advice, I would say to the world: type. Either a letter, or a newspaper, or any other note while talking on the phone... but write.

Writing brings us closer to God and neighbor.

If you want to better understand its role in the world, write. Try to put his soul in writing, even if no one reads it, or, what is worse, even if someone finished reading what you didn't. The mere fact of writing helps us to organize thought and see clearly what surrounds us. A paper and pencil work miracles: cure headaches, strengthen dreams, they have to recover the lost hope.

The word has power. The written word has more power yet.

The road of dreams

If what you traversed is the path of your dreams, engage with it. Do not leave the door open with the excuse: "in reality was not this what I wanted." This phrase - as used - saves within itself the seeds of defeat.

Assume your way. Although it must take uncertain steps, even if you know that you can do better than it is doing. If you accept his chances in the present, surely it will improve in the future. But if he refuses his limitations, never you will be free of them.

Opposite his way with value, do not be afraid of criticism of others. And – above all – don't get paralyzed by its own criticism.

God will be with you in the sleepless nights and will wipe away the tears hidden with his love. God is the God of the brave.

Lack of faith

We sometimes criticize the lack of faith of others. We are not able to understand the circumstances in which this faith was lost, or we try to alleviate the misery of our brother, resulting in outrage and disbelief in God's power.

The humanist Robert Owen (1771-1858), toured the interior of England speaking of God. In the 19th century it was common to use child labor in heavy duty and Owen stopped one afternoon in a coal mine where a boy of twelve, malnourished, carried a heavy bag of ore.

"I'm here to help you talk to God," said Owen.

"Very grateful, but I don't know." It should work on any other mine,"replied the youngster.

Hammer, water and stone.

The monastery on the banks of the river Piedra is surrounded by beautiful vegetation, oasis in that part of Spain sterile fields. There, the little river was transformed into a mighty stream, and was divided into dozens of waterfalls.

Way to that place, listening to the music of the waters. Suddenly, a cave underneath one of the waterfalls calls my attention. Look carefully at the stone worn by time, the beautiful forms that creates the nature because it is patient. And discover, written on a small plate, the verses of R. Tagore:

"It wasn't the hammer which left these perfect stones, but water his gentleness, his dance, and his song."

Where the hardness can only destroy, soft get sculpting.

Letter to the heart

These are parts of a "letter to the heart," which was given to me by Vania Williamsom:

"My heart: I never condenaré you, you bash, or feel ashamed of your words." I know that it is a beloved child of God and he keeps you in the middle of a radiant and loving light.

I hope you, my heart. I'm on your side, I will always ask blessings in my prayers, I always ask that you find the help and support you need.

And I ask you: trust me. You know I love you and that I try to give you all the necessary freedom so you continue beating with joy in my heart. "I will do everything in my power to make you feel never bothered with my presence to your around."

Tactics of the Warriors of the light

Sun Tsu described in the classic the art of war, written three thousand years ago, some of the tactics used by the Warriors of light.

"Make believe your enemy that you won't get great rewards if it decides to attack him. "So, you decrease diminishes it excitement."

"Don't be ashamed to withdraw temporarily from combat if it perceives that the enemy is stronger. The important thing is not an isolated battle, but the end of the war."

"But on the other hand, if you feel strong enough, don't be shame of feigning weakness. This will make your enemy Miss prudence and attack ahead of time."

"In a war, the ability to surprise the opponent is the key to success."

The need to share

A pilgrim is obliged to share everything you know from the road with others. One who helps, is always helped.

We need to share. Although they are information that everyone already has, it is important to not let selfish thinking of arriving only at the end of the day. Who does this see a vacuum paradise, without any special interest and in a very short time will be dying of boredom.

We can not take the lights that light the way and take them with us. If we act thus, we filled our backpacks with flashlights but - to make them place - will have to get rid of food that gives us strength to go ahead: love.

If we act, even with all the light that we make, we won't have a good company. What they would earn for this?

Love heals

I read in the newspaper about a girl, in Brasilia, who was brutally beaten by parents. As a result, he lost the movements of the body and was left speechless.

Interned at the Base Hospital, was attended by a nurse who told him all the days: "I love you." While physicians claimed that he could not hear it and that their efforts were futile, the nurse kept repeating it: "I love you, do not forget it."

Three weeks later, the girl had recovered his movements. Four weeks later, he was again to speak and smile. The nurse never granted interviews and the newspaper did not publish his name; but here is registered, so that we do not forget never: love cure.

Trust in others

"I live to believe in everything that people tell me and always end up disappointing me," heard frequently.

It is very important to trust the people; a warrior of light not afraid of disappointments because he knows the power of his sword and the power of his love.

However, he knows that it is one thing to accept the signs of God and understand that the angels used the mouth of our neighbor to give us advice; Another thing to be unable to make decisions and be always trying to transfer the responsibility for our acts to others.

We can only rely on others if - first - we can rely on ourselves.

The remedy of love

There are moments in which we would much like to help a specific person but we can do nothing. The circumstances do not allow us to move, or the person is closed to any gesture of solidarity and support.

Then, we have love. In the moments when everything else is useless, we can still love without expecting rewards, changes, or acknowledgements.

If we act in this way, the power of love begins to transform the universe us around. When this energy appears, it always manages to do its job.

"Time not transformed man. Not the man transforms the power of goodness. Love transforms."Henry Drummond said.

The wisdom of the Warrior of light

The Warrior of light look at life with sweetness and firmness. He knows that is before a mystery, whose answer will be one day, but that it is still early for the answers. Then try to behave in accordance with their beliefs and their faith.

So, the Warrior stops and says to himself: "But this life seems crazy." You are right. Delivered to the miracle of everyday life, he sees that he is not always able to foresee the consequences of their actions. Sometimes it does without know what is doing, it saves without knowing what is saving, you suffer without knowing why it is sad.

Yes, it's crazy. But the great wisdom of the Warrior of light is to choose his madness.

The intelligent man and enemies

An intelligent man always knows to recognize an enemy stronger than him.

If you choose to deal with it, it will be immediately destroyed. If you accept their provocations, it will fall into the trap.

Then, he decides to use the art of diplomacy to overcome the difficult situation in which it is located. When the enemy acts as an irresponsible, he does the same thing. When called it for combat, the material lying around is done.

Friends say: "You are a coward." But intelligent man does not listen to this type of comment; know that all the rage and courage of a bird are useless front a cat.

In situations like this, it is necessary to have patience. Soon the enemy will get tired and will go to provoke others.

The apology of love

I was walking with two friends more through the streets of New York. Suddenly in the midst of that banal conversation, the two began to argue and arrived almost in shock.

More later - already with the more serene mood - we sat in a bar. One of them apologized to the other:

"I have come to realize that it is much easier to injure those who are close to us," he said. "If you had been a stranger, I would have controlled me much more. However, precisely because of the fact of being friends and understand us better than anyone, I ended up being much more aggressive. This is human nature."

So perhaps the human nature. But we are going to fight this. We must not let that love is an excuse to do everything we want. It is precisely with people that are closer to us that we must be more careful.

The philosopher and the King

At the beginning of our struggle to find our place in the world we have shame of exposing our point of view and ended up doing things that we don't like to do. After much effort, when we get to this stage, we fall at the other end: already do not give chance to others to tell us what they think.

Usually we pay a high price for this attitude. The Greek philosopher Anaximenes (400 BC) approached Alejandro el Grande to try to save the city. "No matter what you want, you have my word of King that I will not accept," said the all-powerful Alejandro, before we hear what the philosopher he wanted.

"What he wanted was to see my city destroyed," said Anaximenes. And, in this way, the city was saved.

Celebrate the triumphs

When you win, celebrating it: a rite of passage is important.

This victory cost difficult moments, nights of doubt, endless days of waiting. Since ancient times, celebrating a triumph is part of the own ritual of life.

The commemoration marks the end of a stage. If you avoid it - as incredible as it may seem, many people do it for fear of disappointment, to attract the "evil eye", etc. - not us we are benefiting from the best gift the victory gives us: confidence.

Celebrate their small victories yesterday, most insignificant which seem today. Tomorrow, a new struggle is approaching and will demand your attention and effort: the memory of a victory always helps to win the next battle.

Don't lose faith

Without warning, we discovered one day that the spiritual world does not wake up the same enthusiasm as before.

We continue praying and attending services, but fail to deceive us; the heart does not respond and the words seem to have no sense.

If this is what happens to you at this time, there is only one possible path: continue practicing. Pray their prayers by obligation, or fear, or do it for the reason that; but continue to do it.

The angel responsible for collecting their words - and is also responsible for the joy that gives the faith - is a stroll. But soon returns and will only be able to locate it if you hear a prayer or an order from his lips.

Insist, although all seems useless. At any time the angel returns and the simple movement of its wings will be that everything will be like before.

The soul of man

We live in a universe that is at the same time gigantic enough to envelop and small enough to fit into our hearts. In the soul of man is the soul of the world, the silence of the wisdom.

Everything on it works perfectly well and in harmony with nature. What does pretty today? Be sure to realize, because this is the best image of yourself.

God is with us on a daily basis and expected to notice its presence: every morning, God shows us his smile.

The clouds that are occupying at the moment the sky of his soul, will spend. The Sun, which sometimes hides behind the clouds, will not be never.

A prayer

Certain Eastern religions ask their members to pass the whole day singing the same sacred verse. Anyone who has seen a group of Hare Krishna on the street knows that they repeat - non-stop - a short snippet of praise to God.

"Breath prayers" consists of repeat mentally, during most of the time, a phrase from the Bible. In this way, we managed to empty the mind of all tension and bring God's presence into everyday life.

I am doing this, for example, when I write these lines. And rather than amuse or confuse me, she is opening my heart to the Holy Spirit. One who complains that "you don't have time to pray" should experience the amazing effects of this prayer.

Is it easy to be hard

Is it easy to be hard. Just stay away from others, and in this way, we are not going to suffer never. We will not take the risks of love, the disappointments, the frustrated dreams.

Is it easy to be hard. No need to worry about phone calls that had to be made, by people who asked for our help, by the charity that it was necessary to do.

Is it easy to be hard. Just pretend that we live in an ivory tower and that we never shed a tear. Just spend the rest of our existence playing a role.

Is it easy to be hard. Just let go the best that exists in life.

God in our lives

On the one hand, we know that it is important to seek God. On the other hand, life us distance from him because we feel ignored by the divine or because we are busy with the things of every day.

This gives us a sense of great guilt: or think that we are overly renouncing life because of Dios, or think that we are giving exaggerated to God because of life.

This apparent double act is a fantasy: God is life and life is in God. Just be aware of this to understand and accept the destination better. If we manage to penetrate the sacred harmony of our everyday things, we will always be on the right track and will fulfill our task.

In the lap of God

The Mystics say that when we started our spiritual path we want to talk much with God and end up not to hear what he has to say.

For this reason, it is always advisable to relax a little. It is not easy: we have the natural tendency to always be safe and we believe that we are going to improve our mind if we work unceasingly.

It is important to try, fall, get up and move forward; but let's let God help us. In the midst of a huge effort, we will look at ourselves, let it be revealed and guide us.

We will allow, from time to time, the US charge on your lap.

The important thing

San Juan de la Cruz teaches that in our spiritual walk we must seek visions or repeat statements of others who already walked this path.

Our unique support must be faith because faith is something limpid, transparent, that it is born within us and it can not be confused.

The writer J. Mendiola says that once was speaking with a parent and asked him what was the experience of God.

"I don't know," replied the father. "Everything I had today was the experience of my faith in God."

And this is the most important thing.

The result of the battles

We rarely know the outcome of a battle when this ends. The movement of the fight generated much energy on our part and there is a movement where both victory and defeat are still possible.

Time will tell us if we overcome or we lose, but we know that, from then on, anything; you can't the fate of that struggle is in God's hands.

Currently, the Warrior of light is not concerned with the results. Examine your heart and asks: "I fought the good fight?"

If the answer is Yes, he lies. If the answer is no, he takes his sword and starts training again. He knows that for being alive and for being a warrior, a battle will be waiting.

And, if he continues to fight, you can always modify a result in the past.

Free the soul

The following text is an adaptation of a poem by John Muir (1838-1914):

"I want to leave my free soul, so she can enjoy all the gifts that the spirits possess. Whenever possible, not try to see the craters of the Moon, or follow the rays of the Sun to its source. I will not try to understand the beauty of the stars or the artificial desolation of the human being.

When you know how to free my soul, I will continue to the aurora and try again with it over time. When you know to free my soul, I immerse in streams that empty into the ocean where all waters intersect and form the soul of the world.

When I know free my soul, I will try to read the splendid home of creation from the beginning."

Somewhere in the universe

Do you know exactly where it is now? You are in a city, along with many people and at this time there is a great possibility of that many people harbor in their hearts the same hopes and despair that is home to you.

We continue: you are a microscopic dot on the surface of a sphere. This sphere revolves around another, which in turn is located in a small place in a Galaxy, along with millions of similar areas.

This Galaxy is part of a thing called universe, full of huge agglomerations of stars. No one knows exactly where it starts and where it ends that call universe.

Despite everything, you are the best. Fight, strives and seeks to improve. You have dreams. It is happy or sad because of love. If you feel alive, something must be missing.

The power of the word

Of all the powerful weapons of destruction that the man has been able to invent, the most terrible - and the most cowardly - is the word.

The daggers and firearms leave traces of blood. Bombs destroyed buildings and streets. The poisons will finally be detected.

But the destructive Word manages to awaken the evil without traces. Children are conditioned for years by parents, performers are criticized without mercy, women are systematically massacred by the comments of their husbands, the faithful are kept away from religion by those who are judged able to interpret God's voice.

Try to see if you are using wrong this weapon. Try to see if you are using this weapon against you. And do not allow any of these two things.

The secret of the skill

A warrior of light requires patience and speed at the same time. Two major errors are: Act ahead of time or leave the opportunity to follow long.

To avoid this, the Warrior treats each situation that arises as if it were only and does not apply formulas, recipes or outside opinions. He will only have to answer for their acts and is aware of its responsibility.

The Caliph Moauiyat asked what was the secret of his great political skill Omr Ben Al - Aas:

"Never I got on any issue without having previously studied the withdrawal; on the other hand, I never went into anything to want to then run away,"was the response.

The beauty of Dafne

The God Apollo pursues the nymph Daphne by forest. He is in love with her, but Dafne - always courted by everyone - does not support over its own brightness and asks the gods help saying:

"Destroy this beauty that never leaves me in peace."

The gods hear Daphne order and transform it into a tree, a laurel. Apollo already fails to find it because now she is nothing more than a part of the vegetation.

Dafne acted in a way that we all know well: many times we will kill our talents, because we don't know what to do with them. It is more comfortable mediocrity of being simply "one more," who fight for show all what we are able to do with the gifts that God gave us.

The spiritual path

In one of his rare writings, the sufi Sage Hafik refers to the spiritual quest.

"Accept the fact that the road is full of contradictions with wisdom. It has moments of joy and despair, confidence and lack of faith. As well as the heart grows and shrinks to continue beating, the road many times denies himself, to encourage the traveler to discover what exists beyond the next curve.

If two day companions are following the same method, this means that one of them is in the false track. Because there are no formulas to understand the truth of the path and each must take the risks of their own steps.

Only the ignorant try to imitate the behavior of others. Intelligent men don't waste their time with this and develop their personal skills; they know that two equal sheets in a forest of 100,000 trees there are. There are two equal travel along the same path."

The strength of Jesus

Khalil Gibran says that since nineteen centuries ago men venerate the weakness in the person of Jesus, but who do not understand its strength. Jesus did not live as a coward and not died complaining and suffering. He lived as a revolutionary and was crucified as a rebel.

"It wasn't a bird with broken wings, but a violent storm, which broke all the faulty wings. It was not a victim of his pursuers and did not suffer at the hands of their executioners, but it was free to all.

Jesus did not fall to the world to destroy our homes and, with its rocks, build convents. He wanted to breathe a new and strong soul that make each heart a temple, each soul an altar and each being human a priest."

On behalf of the truth

On behalf of the truth, the human race committed his worst crimes.

Men and women were burned, destroyed entire civilizations culture, those who committed the sins of the flesh were kept at distance, those who sought a different path were marginalized.

One of them, in the name of "truth", ended up crucified. But - before his death - he left the great definition of truth.

It is not what gives us certainty. It is not what gives us depth. It is not what makes us better than others. It is not what keeps us in the prison of prejudice.

The truth is what makes us free. "You will know the truth and the truth shall make you free," he said.

The daily miracle

We believe that all life we will provide tomorrow is repeat what we did yesterday and today. But, if we pay attention, we will realize that no day is equal to another.

Each morning brings a hidden blessing; a blessing that only serves to this day and which cannot be saved or missed. If we don't use this miracle today, you will lose.

This miracle is in the details of everyday life; It is necessary to live every minute because there we find the exit of our confusion, the joy of our good moments, the correct track for the decision that must be taken.

We can never leave each day seem as above because every day is different.

The warmth of the soul

All of us have spent many days or weeks, without receiving any gesture of affection from others. These are difficult moments, when human warmth disappears, and the life is reduced to an arduous effort to survive.

In those moments in which alien fire does not give warmth to our soul, we should review our own home. We must add more firewood and try to illuminate the dark room in which our lives are transformed.

When we hear that our fire crackles, wood crunching, embers glow or flames are the stories, hopes us will be returned.

If we are able to love, we will also be able to be loved. It is not only a matter of time.

The joy in spiritual search

If anything in our lives it happens by chance, much less in the lives of those who came to the world to wash our sins with his blood.

Christ must have thought enough before deciding what was the first miracle that has to be accomplished. Should have taken into account the healing of a paralytic, the resurrection of the dead, the expulsion of a demon, something that his contemporaries considered as "a noble attitude"; in the end, it was the first time I was going to show it to the world as the son of God.

And it is written: his first miracle was to turn water into wine to encourage a wedding party.

The wisdom of this gesture inspires us and is always present in our souls: the spiritual quest is compassion, enthusiasm and joy.

Theory and practice vital

People who are part of our daily life can give us important clues about the decisions that we take.

It is very dangerous to ask for advice. It is very risky to give advice. If we need help, it is best to see how it is that other people resolve - or doesn't solve - your problems. Our angel often uses the lips of someone else to tell us something, but this answer comes in a casual way, usually at a time in which - even if we are attentive - we do not allow our concerns to darken the miracle of life.

Let our angel to talk us in the way that he used, with spontaneity and at the moment in which he considers it necessary. The Councils are the theory of life and practice, is usually very different.

The sermon of Huxley

T. H. Huxley wrote in one of his sermons:

"The consequences of our gestures are scarecrow for cowards and rays of light for the sages.

The chessboard is the world; parts are the gestures of everyday life; the rules are the so-called laws of nature. We can not see the player who is on the other side of the Board, but we know that he is righteous, honest and patient.

(Nos cabe a nosotros aceptar el desafío de vivir) because, even though we know this, we learn to our own cost that it never passes a mistake or admits that someone said not knowing the rules of the game with property. "

The work of art

Once asked the sculptor Miguel Ángel how did to create such magnificent works.

"It's very simple," said Miguel Ángel. "When I look at a block of marble, I see the sculpture within it. All I have to do is remove that excess."

There is a work of art that was intended so we believe it. She is the focal point of our lives, and though we try to deceive ourselves, we know how important is for our happiness. However, this work of art is usually covered by years of fears, blame, indecision.

But if we decide to withdraw those leftovers, if we do not doubt our capacity, we will be able to carry out the mission that was entrusted to us. And this is the only way to justify our lives.

Jean-Paul Sartre and God

Every student of philosophy knows of atheism in the work of the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Few people know about a small text that he wrote the words:

"I needed God. My order was given to me and I received it without clearly understanding what he was looking for. Then, because my heart did not leave it there to take their root, Dios ended up dying on me.

"Today, when mentioned you, I say - as if it were an old trying to revive an old flame-: 'Fifty years ago, had there been a misunderstanding, if there had been certain misunderstandings, if had not happened accident that ended up separating us, both of us would have a beautiful love story.'"

The word, his power, and envy

The word is power. The words transform the world and man. All of us have heard to say: "You should not speak of the good things that we pass, because the others envy can destroy our joy."

None of that. The winners speak proudly of miracles in their lives. If you put positive energy in the air, it draws more positive energy, as well as cheer those who really want it well. As the envious, the defeated, only they can cause any damage if you give them that power.

Don't be afraid. Talk about the good things in your life with all those who want to listen to it. Del Alma de el Mundo is much needed for his joy.

Philosophy and reality

A Buddhist writing is the six difficulties of living in a House: da I work to build it, gives more work still pay for it, should always be repaired, it can be seized by the Government, lives to receive visits and undesirable guests, serves as a cache for reprehensible actions.

On the other hand, living under a bridge has six advantages: can be found easily, the river shows us that life is fleeting, does not give us a sense of greed, not need fences, always going to someone new who talk, don't have to pay rent.

Beautiful philosophy. But when we see people living under bridges and viaducts, we are confident that this text is wrong.

The beauty of the world

The Tibetan monk Chögyam Trunpga said: "Isn't necessary a mystical experience to discover that the world is good."

It is enough to perceive the simple and beautiful things that exist on our side, see the raindrops flowing in glasses, remembering the morning and discover that the sun shines, listen to someone who laughs.

By acting thus, the world ceases to be a threat. We come to realize that we are able to notice the miracle of existence, we accept that we have sufficient sensitivity to see the love that exists in our soul. If we are able to see what is beautiful, it is because we are also beautiful since the world is a mirror and back to every man the reflection of his own face.

Even knowing our shortcomings and limitations, must make effort to maintain hope and good humor. At the end of the day, the world is making an effort to help us, although people may believe otherwise.

The danger

Confucius said:

"The danger appears when the man feels secure in his position."

"The ruin threatens anyone that tries to preserve a State of things."
"Confusion appears when we put everything in order."

"Therefore the superior man does not forget the danger when it feels security."

"The wise does not forget the ghost of ruin when it is set."

"Intelligent does not forget the confusion when their businesses are in order".

"Only so he can maintain their personal security and protect his Kingdom."

The lie of the eye

We are accustomed to an old apology: Although we know that our hearts knows what is the best decision to take, we never follow what this tells us, and to compensate our cowardice, us convinced that we were being misled. A beautiful story of Gibran shows where the limitations may lead us.

"The eye says: 'look at what beautiful mountain we have on the horizon!'" Ear tried to listen to it, but it did not. Hand spoke: 'I'm trying to feel it but I cannot find it.' Nose said: 'There is no mountain since I don't feel its smell.' And all came to the conclusion that the eye was lying."

Where is the umbrella

After ten years of learning, Zenno believed that it could already be elevated to the category of zen master. A rainy day, he was to visit the famous Professor Nan-in.

Upon entering the House of Nan-in, it asked:

-You've left your umbrella and your shoes from outside?

– Of course – Zenno said. -It is what sends the good education. It would act the same way anywhere.

-So tell me, do you put the umbrella to the right or to the left of your shoes?

-I have no idea, master.

-Zen Buddhism is the art of having total consciousness about what we do - Nan-in said. -The lack of attention to detail can completely destroy a man's life. A father who runs the House can forget a knife within reach of your toddler. A samurai who does not look every day his sword, eventually finding her rusty when most needed it. A young man who forget to bring flowers to your beloved will end by losing it.

And Zenno realized that although I knew well the spiritual world zen techniques, I had forgotten to apply them in the world of men.

Where is Dios

Rabbi Yitzahk Meir, while he was still studying the traditions of his people, heard that one of his friends told him, jokingly:

-I give a coin if you can tell me where Lord.

- And I will give you two coins, if you can tell me where does not live God - Meir said.

Looking the other way

I ask to Masao Masuda, how it is that the Japanese were able to conquer certain markets which were previously dominated by the Americans.

-Very simple: Americans have an idea, are locked up in a room to investigate, make decisions and spend an immense power prove they are right. We don't want you to prove anything to anyone: let every human being to express their needs and try to meet them. The practical result is that each one ends up buying what they already wanted to before.

And he concluded:

-One who only wants to demonstrate that he is right ends up acting wrongly.

The old man who confused everything (I)

G. I. Gurdjeff was one of the most intriguing personalities of this century. Quite known in circles studying occultism, still ignored as an important scholar of human psychology.

The story that follows occurs when he, already living in Paris, created his famous Institute for the development of man.

The classes were always crowded. But among the students had an old - always in a bad mood - that never stopped criticizing what was taught there. He said Gurdjeff was a charlatan, that his methods lacked scientific basis and the fact to be considered a "magician" nothing had to do with his real condition. Students were upset with the presence of this old but Gurdjeff never seemed to him.

A beautiful day, he left the group. All were relieved and they thought that in the future the classes would be more calm and productive. To the surprise of students, however, Gurdjeff was up to the House of the man and asked him to come back to attend the Institute.

The old man who confused everything (II)

The old at first refused and only accepted when a wage was offered to attend classes.

The story soon emerged. Students, angry, wanted to know why a teacher rewarded to someone who had not learned anything.

-The truth, I I'm paying you to continue their classes - was the answer.

-How? -insisted the students. -All that it contradicts what you are teaching us.

-Exactly - followed Gurdjeff. -If you did not have close, would cost you much learn what is rabies, intolerance, impatience, lack of compassion. However, with this old as living example, showing that these feelings become a hell, the life of any community learning is much faster.

"You pay me to learn to live in harmony, and I hired this man will help me to teach them all this the opposite way."

The porcelain vase and rose (I)

The Grand Master and the Guardian shared the administration of a zen monastery. One day, the Guardian died and it was necessary to replace it.

Grandmaster gathered all the disciples to choose who would have the honor of working directly on your side.

-I'm going to introduce a problem - the Grand Master said. - And one who resolved it first will be the new Guardian of the temple.

Finished his short speech, he placed a stool in the Centre of the room. This was a very expensive porcelain vase, with a red rose for garnish.

-Here is the problem - said the Grand Master.

The disciples watched, perplexed, they had later: rare and sophisticated designs of porcelain, the freshness and the elegance of the flower. What it represented the all of that? What should they do? What is the riddle?

The porcelain vase and rose (II)

After a few minutes, one of the disciples stood up and looked at both the teacher and students. Then he walked resolutely to the vase and threw him to the ground, destroying it.

-You will be the new Guardian - said the Grand Master to the student.

When it returned to his place, he explained:

-I was very clear: I told them that you were a problem. No matter how beautiful or fascinating that may be, a problem has to be removed.

"A problem is a problem; It may be a porcelain vase, a cute love that already lost his sense, a road that has to be set aside - but insist on tour because it comforts us-. There is only one way to deal with a problem: attacking it head-on. In those moments, is you can have pity not be enticed by the fascinating side that any conflict charge with."

The value and money

Ciccone German tells the story of a man who, thanks to their immense wealth and infinite ambition, decided to buy everything he had at his fingertips. After filling their many homes of clothes, furniture, cars and jewelry, the man decided to buy other things.

He bought ethics and morality, and at that time was born corruption.

He bought solidarity and generosity, and then arose the difference.

He bought the justice and laws, giving birth at the same moment the impunity.

He bought love and feelings, so did the pain and repentance.

The most powerful man in the world bought all material things I wanted to own and all the values that wished to dominate. Until one day, drunk so much power, he decided to buy himself.

Despite all his money, not he could carry out his attempt. Then, from that moment, was born in the consciousness of the Earth a single well to which anyone can price: its own value.

The value of the time

So you will understand the value of one year: ask a student that has not passed their final examinations.

So you will understand the value of one month: ask a mother that has had a premature child.

So you will understand the value of one week: ask the editor of a weekly magazine.

So you will understand the value of an hour: ask the lovers who are waiting for the time of the meeting.

So you will understand the value of one minute: ask a person that you have lost the train, bus or plane.

So you will understand the value of a second: ask anyone that has survived an accident.

So you will understand the value of a millisecond: ask someone that has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

The three tests

The good news

Argentine golfer Roberto de Vincenzo, after winning a major tournament, turned to the parking lot to search his car. At that time, a woman approached him. After to congratulate him on his victory, he told him that his son was at the gates of death and had no money to pay the hospital.

Vincenzo gave it, immediately, part of the prize money that had won that afternoon.

A week later, during a luncheon in the Professional Golf Association, he told the story to some friends. One of them asked her if the woman was blond, with a small scar under his left eye. Vincenzo, he told him that indeed it was.

-You were cheated - said the friend. -This woman is an opportunist and lives telling the same story to all foreign golfers appearing here.

-Then is there any creature dying?

-No.

-Well, is the best news I've had this week! -It was the comment of golfers.

The small farm and the cow (I)

A philosopher walked through the forest with a disciple, talking about the importance of unexpected encounters. According to the master, all we have now gives us the opportunity to learn or teach.

At that time, they crossed the entrance to a property that, despite being very well located, had a miserable appearance.

-Look at this place - said the disciple. -You are quite right: I just learn that many people is in the paradise but is unaware and continues living in miserable conditions.

-Learning and teaching - said the teacher retorted him. -See what happens is not enough: is necessary to verify the causes since we only understand the world when we understand the causes.

She was called to the door and were greeted by the inhabitants: a marriage and three children, with torn and soiled clothes.

-Are you in the middle of the forest and there is no any trade in the surroundings - the master told the parent. -How do survive here?

The small farm and the cow (II)

The Lord, quiet, answered:

-My friend, have a vaquita which gives us several litres of milk every day. Part of that product sell it or Exchange it in the neighbouring city for other types of food; with the part that we we produce cheese, curd, butter, for our consumption. And thus we are surviving.

The philosopher welcomed the information, contemplated the place for a few moments and went. In the middle of the road, he said to the disciple:

-Seeks to cow, take it to the precipice there front and throw it into the vacuum.

- But is the only means of sustenance of the family!

The philosopher was silent. Having no other alternative, the young man did as he was asked and the cow died with the fall.

The scene was engraved in the memory of the disciple. After many years, when it was already a successful businessman, he decided to return to the same place, tell all the family, ask for forgiveness and help them financially.

The small farm and the cow (III)

What was his surprise to see the site transformed into a beautiful site, with flowering trees, a car in the garage and some children playing in the garden. He felt great despair, to imagine that the humble family had to sell the farm to survive. They opened the way to him and he was greeted by a very nice home.

-What happened to the family that lived here ten years ago? -He asked.

-Continue being the owners of the place - was the answer.

Surprised, he came running to the House and the owner recognized him. He asked how was the philosopher, but the young man was by others anxious to know how had managed to improve the estate and fix them as well in life:

-Well, we had a cow, but it fell over a cliff and died - said the Lord. -So, to feed my family, I had to plant herbs and vegetables. The plants took to grow, so I started to cut wood to sell. In doing so, I had to replant trees and I was in the need to buy plants. When buying plants, I thought of my kids clothes and it occurred to me that maybe I could grow cotton. I had a difficult year, but when harvest time came, I was already exporting cotton, vegetables, aromatic herbs. Never I had realized the potential that had here: turned out good for the vaquita die!

The silence of the night

In a desert of Africa, walked a sufi master and his disciple. When night fell, the two set up the tent and ready to rest.

-What silence! -commented the disciple.

-Never say: "what silence!" - replied the teacher. -Di on the other hand: "You don't get to listen to nature."

The meaning of Vespers

In San Francisco, United States, way to a park with my American Publisher, John Loudon, and his wife, Sharon. We can see the city in the distance, illuminated by the setting sun. Sharon was writing a book about a Benedictine monastery and had that afternoon prayers, called "Vespers," are songs of hope before the certainty that night happen.

-Vespers they indicate the need that we have closer to others, when it comes the night - she says. - But our society forgot the importance of this approach and pretends to appreciate much capacity that each one has to deal with its own problems. Already not pray together; we hide our loneliness as if it were shameful to admit it.

Sharon pauses and concludes:

-I was so. Until one day I lost the fear of relying on others, because I discovered that the neighbor was also in need of me.

The priest and the child (I)

For many years, a Brahman priest took care of a chapel. When he needed to travel, he asked his son that he entrusted the daily tasks until his return. Among these tasks, the child should place offerings of food front divinity and observe if she ate.

The child moved, excited, to the temple where the father worked. He left the food and it was awaiting the reactions of the image.

During the rest of the day he was there. And the statue stood. However, the child, faithful to the instructions of his father, was sure that divinity would descend from the altar to receive the offering.

After much waiting, he pleaded:

-O Lord, come and eat! It is already very late, I can't wait more.

Nothing happened. Then he began to cry.

-Lord, my father asked me that I was here when you descendieses to accept the offering. Why not do it you? Do you only eat the offerings from the hands of my father? Or what you did wrong?

The priest and the son (II)

And she copiously wept for a long time. When he looked and he wiped tears, took a shock: there was the divinity, eating what you had offered.

Cheerful, child returned to running the House. What was not his surprise when, upon arrival, one of his relatives told him:

-The service ended. Where is the food?

- But the Lord has eaten - she replied, surprised, the small.

All were amazed.

-What they're saying? Repeat, because you do not hear well.

The child replied, with all naturalness and innocence:

-The Lord ate everything that I offered him.

-It is not possible! -a guy said. -Your father told you just so you see if she ate. All we know that this is a purely symbolic act. You must have stolen the food.

The priest and the son (III)

However, the small did not change his story, even when threatened with a beating.

Suspicious, the family went up to the temple and found sitting divinity, smiling.

-A fisherman threw their networks to the river and got a good fishing - said the divinity. -Some fish were immobile, without making any effort to escape. Others were desperately fighting and jumping, although they could not escape. Only a few were lucky in their struggle and managed to escape.

"As well as fish, three types of men come here to bring me offerings: some did not want to talk to me, thinking I wouldn't answer them." Others tried but then desisted for fear to be disappointed. However, this boy went to the end and I would play with the patience and perseverance of the men, ended up showing me."

What you salvarías (I)

During my stay in the Castle who rented a Brazilian magazine in Brissac, France, a journalist from the region came to interview me. In the middle of the conversation, attended by other people, he wanted to know:

-What was the best question a journalist made him?

Better question? I think that they did me all the questions, less that it just made me. I take my time to think, study the things I wanted to say and never wanted to know. But finally, I confess:

-I think it was exactly this. I had questions that I refused to comment, others that allowed me to talk about interesting topics, but this is the one I have how to respond with sincerity.

The journalist notes. And it says:

What you salvarías (II)

-I'm going to tell an interesting story. Once, I went to interview Jean Cocteau. His house was a real pile of ornaments, paintings, drawings by famous artists, books. Cocteau kept everything and had a deep love for each one of those things. It was then, in the middle of the interview, I decided to ask him: "If this House began to catch fire now and you could only take one thing get, what would you choose?"

- And Cocteau answered? -asks Álvaro Teixeira, the Castle where we are responsible for and great scholar of the French artist's life.

-Cocteau answered: "I would fire."

And there we were all in silence, applauding in the intimate part of our heart so brilliant response.

What the wise man asked God

A man received, once visited by some friends.

-Much to us enseñases what you learned all these years - would like one of them said.

-I'm old – answered the man.

-Old and wise — he said another. -At the end of accounts, always we see you praying during this time. What conversas with God? What are the important things that we must ask?

The man smiled.

-At the beginning, I had the fervor of youth, believing in the impossible. Then I knelt before God and asked him to give me strength to change mankind.

"Soon after, I saw that it was a task that went beyond my strength. Then I began to ask God to help me change what was within my reach."

-In this case, we can be sure of that part of your desires were fulfilled – said one of the friends. -Your example has served to help many people.

-Helped a lot of people with my example: However, knew that it was not the perfect prayer. Only now, at the end of my life, is that I understood the order that should have been done from the beginning.

- And what was the order?

-That I should be able to change myself.

The main concern is

The author Leo Buscaglia some time was invited to act as jury in a school contest whose theme was: "The child who is more concerned about others."

The winner was a child whose neighbor - a man of over eighty years - just being a widower. To see the old man in his garden, crying, the child jumped the fence, sat in his lap and stayed there for a long time.
When he returned home, the mother asked him what had been told to the poor man.

-Nothing - said the child. -He has lost his wife and that must have hurt much. I went only to help him to cry.

Pass through the gates of the Castle

On the border of France, there is a castle in ruins, just like thousands of other castles of Europe. I took the decision to visit him, but I approach him, a man tells me "do not enter."

My intuition assures me that it prohibits me step for the pleasure of ban. I explain that I come from afar, give a tip, be sympathetic treatment. Suddenly, entering that castle had become very important for me.

"Do not enter," the man repeated. It is a single alternative: go ahead and expect to stop it with the use of force. I head towards the door. He looks at me, but does nothing.

When I go out, two tourists approach and enter the castle in ruins. The old man does nothing to prevent them. I feel that, thanks to my resistance, the old let the two women. There are times that the world requires us to fight for things we do not know, for reasons that we will never arrive to discover.

Roots and wings

"Blessed is that getting to give your children wings and roots," says a proverb.

We need to have roots: there is a place in the world where we are born, we learn a language, we discover how our ancestors were over their problems. And at one point, we had to be responsible for that place.

We need wings. They show us the horizon endless imagination, lead us up to our dreams, lead us to distant places. The wings are that allow us to learn about the roots of our fellows and learn from them.

Blessed those who have wings and roots; and poor from those who only have one of the two.

The problem and the blame

One of the monks of Sceta told Abbé Mateus:

-My tongue lives causing me problems. When I'm with the faithful, I can't control me and I can't condemn them for their evil deeds.

The old Abbot replied the brother afflicted:

-If you think you're not able to control yourself, let the teaching and turn to desert. But don't be fooled: choose solitude to escape a problem is always proof of weakness.

- And what should I do?

-It passes some errors, to avoid this pernicious sense of superiority. And he intends to agree to everything possible.

The angel and the devil inside

It is one thing to listen to our hearts; Another thing is to be always talking to our me interior, without paying attention to others.

This selfish dialogue often doesn't let us sleep at night and blasting us the pleasure of important moments of the day. We complain in silence of people who didn't act well, things that not happened as we wanted to, wrong attitudes we had.

Within each of us there is an angel and a demon, and their voices are very similar. The devil feeds this conversation, trying to show us that we are weak and we have no justification. Angel makes us reflect on our attitudes, though - usually - trying to silence this internal voice.

He knows that, to discover our true path, we need to look out, to the miracle of life that surrounds us.

Disciples and teachers

An ancient magical proverb says: "When the disciple is ready, the master appears."

Thinking about this, many people spend the whole life preparing for this meeting. When they intersect with the master, are delivered entirely by days, months or years. But end up discovering that the teacher is not the perfect being who imagined, but a man equal to all, whose sole function is the impart what they have learned.

To be to a person having own flaws, the disciple feels cheated. Comes the desperation and desire to give up the search, when - in fact - so that the thing works: teachers change is exactly what leaves us free to go us our own way.

Edenilton Lampião has given a much better version of this magical proverb: "When the disciple is ready, the master disappears."

The imminence of death (I)

The imminence of death (II)

I stop and reflect a little: maybe many of these deaths are reaching the end of a long and painful illness and some people feel relieved with the Angel who comes to look for them. In addition, in all likelihood, hundreds of these creatures that just after birth will be abandoned in the next minute and will take mortality statistics until I finish this text.

What thing. Some simple statistics, which I looked at by chance, and suddenly I'm feeling these losses and these meetings, these smiles and these tears. Many will be leaving this life alone in their rooms, without anyone noticing what is happening to them? How many they will be hidden and will be abandoned at the door of homes or convents?

I reflect: I already was part of the statistics of births and one day will be included in the figures of the dead. Good: I have full awareness that I'm going to die. Since I took the road to Santiago I understood that - but life continues and we are all eternal — this existence will end one day.

The bicycle race

Life is like a major bicycle race whose goal is to comply with the "Personal legend."

At the start, we are together sharing camaraderie and enthusiasm. But, as the race unfolds, the initial joy yields his place to the real challenges: fatigue, monotony, doubts about one's ability.

We repair in that some friends withdrew their challenge: they are still running, but nothing more than because they can't stop in the middle of a street. They are numerous, pedaling beside the self supportive, talk among themselves and meet an obligation.

We end up distancing us and, then, are forced to face loneliness and surprises, such as the unknown curves or problems with the bike. And, after some time, we begin to wonder if it's worth so much effort.

Yes, it's worth the time. It is just not desist.

The language of God

God speaks to us through signs. It is a single language that requires faith and discipline to be fully understood.

St. Augustine was converted in this way. For years sought in different philosophical currents, an answer to the meaning of life. Some afternoon in the garden of his house in Milan, was reflecting on the failure of all its search. At that time, heard a child in the street singing: "take up and read! Take and read!"

Despite having always governed by logic, decided - in a boost - open the first book at your fingertips. It was the Bible. He read a text of St. Paul with the answers you were looking for.

From that day on, the logic of Agustin opened space so that faith could also participate and he became one of the greatest theologians of the Church.

Rebuilding the world

The signs of God

The monks of the desert claimed that it was necessary to stop the action of the angels. For this, occasionally did absurd things like talking to flowers or laugh without reason.

The alchemists are the "signs of God"; tracks often make no sense, but that end up leading somewhere.

"Modern man wanted to eliminate the uncertainty and the doubts of his life. And finally leave his soul to die of hunger, since the human spirit feeds on mysteries"- says the dean of the Cathedral of San Francisco.

Not what take it mad: do something that does not have to do with the logic that you learned today. Counteract a little serious behavior that taught him to have. This little thing, by most insignificant to be, can open the gates of a great human and spiritual adventure.

Attitudes and intentions

All of us have heard our mother saying to ourselves: "my son has done this because he lost his head, but - in the background - is a very good person."

It is one thing to live blaming us for the unthinkable acts that made us make mistakes; the blame does not lead anywhere and can wake up stimulation to improve.

Another thing, however, is live forgiving everything we do; in this way, we will never be able to correct our path.

How to act? There are no formulas. But there is good sense and we should judge the outcome of our attitudes and not the intentions that we had to make them. Basically, everybody is good, but this does not interest.

Jesus said: "it is by their fruits the tree is known."

An old Arab proverb says: "God judges the tree by its fruits and not by its roots."

Sufi prayer

Prayer of the sufi master Dhu'l-Nun, Egyptian (died in 861 ad):

"Oh God, almost never pay attention to the voices of the animals, noise of trees, the murmur of the waters, the Twitter of the birds, the whistling of the wind or the roar of Thunder.

But, when my ear is attentive, I see in them a testimony of your unit; I feel that you are the supreme power, the Supreme wisdom, omniscience, the Supreme Justice.

Oh God, tea recognize in your work and in your actions. Allows, o God, that your satisfaction is my satisfaction. Let me be your joy, this joy that a parent feels for a child. And that I remember of Ti with peace of mind and determination."

The conspiracies of the universe

When you want something, the whole universe conspires in favor.

We are accustomed to looking at this phrase just from the positive point of view; our true wishes always come true.

However, it is necessary to be attentive to the darkness of the unconscious. There, hidden under a pile of good intentions, are the desires that we dare not even confess to ourselves: the revenge, the self-chastisement, macabre joy of personal tragedy.

The universe does not play: conspires in favor of what we want. We look with courage the shadows of our soul, however painful this may be. We bring to light this darkness with the light of forgiveness, mercy and respect for ourselves.

The universe always conspires to make us do what we want; You must be very careful.

Honor the word

Jesus said: "your Yes be Yes and you don't be a no." If you have assumed a responsibility, go to the end. Keep your Word, because she is beautiful."

Each time that his word is honored by his gestures, she becomes stronger. When you dignifies their relationship with each other, it also dignifies his relationship with yourself.

That promise and fail to live is creating problems. They lose respect for themselves, they are ashamed of their actions. The lives of these people is to flee; they spend much more energy dishonoring the word, of which used the honest to keep their commitments.

If you took a silly responsibility, which will result in a loss of enthusiasm, time and money, not again repeat this attitude. But, by this time, honour his word.

An exercise in meditation

There is an exercise in meditation which consists in making us aware, generally for ten minutes per day, the reason for each one of our actions.

An example: "I now read the diary because I want to inform me. I now think of that person because this I read led me to this other. I go to the door, because I'm going to leave the House." And so on.

Buddha called this "the mindfulness." When we look at repeating the most common routines, we realize the richness of our lives. We understand every step, every attitude. We discovered things important and useless thoughts.

After a week - discipline is always key, we are more aware of our faults and distractions. And this makes us stronger.

We don't need you

The novices from the monastery of Sceta heard, certain, that a monk offended another. The superior of the monastery, the Abbot Sisois, asked the monk offended to forgive his assailant.

-In any way - it was the answer. -He did it, he will have to pay.

At the same time, Abate Sisois raised arms to the sky and began to pray:

-My Jesus, do not need more than you. We are already able to make the attackers pay their trespasses. We are already able to take revenge by our own hand and take care of the good and evil. Therefore, you can get away from us without a problem.

Embarrassed, the monk assaulted immediately forgave his brother.

Nasrudin always chooses evil

The mullah Nasrudin is considered one of the great masters of Sufism; precisely, to have the profile of a madman but always teaches — with his pretended madness - the real secrets of life. This is one of their stories.

Every day, Nasrudin went to beg to the market. People loved to see him play the role of fool with the following trick: showed you two coins, of which one was worth ten times more than the other. Nasrudim always chose that of lesser value.

The story ran for the County. Day after day, groups of men and women showed him two coins and Nasrudim always stayed with the lowest value.

Until it appeared a generous gentleman, tired of seeing how ridiculing Nasrudin in this way. He called it to a corner of the square and said:

-When they offered two coins, choose the one of highest value. So you will have more money, and others not considered him an idiot.

-The Lord seems to have right - said Nasrudin. - But if I chose the most valuable currency, people would offer me money to show that I am more stupid than them. You don't know how much money I have gathered, using this trick. "There's nothing wrong to go through silly, if what you do is really smart."

The road to Rome

When I was doing the way of Rome, one of the four sacred paths of my magical tradition, I realized - after almost twenty days of being virtually alone - that was much worse than when I had started it. Solitude, I began to have petty, bitter, ignoble feelings.

I sought to guide the way and told him of this fact. I said, when I began this pilgrimage, he believed that he would be able to bring me to God: However, after three weeks, I felt much worse.

-You are better, don't worry - she said. -The truth, when we turn on the interior light, the first thing we see are fabrics of spider and the dust, our weak points. They were already there, only that you did not see them because he was in the dark. Now it will be easier to clean his soul.

In the midst of the innocent

The wise King Weng wanted to visit the prison of his palace. And he began to listen to the complaints of the prisoners:

-I am innocent - said a defendant of homicide. -I ended up here because I wanted to scare my wife and accidentally killed her. -Accused me of bribery - said another. - But all I did was to accept a gift that I was offered.

All prisoners clamoring his innocence to the King Weng. Until one of them, a young man of about twenty years, said:

-I am guilty. I wound my brother in a fight and deserve punishment. This place has made me think about the evil that I caused.

-Expel this criminal prison immediately! -shouted the King Weng. -With so many innocent people here, will end up corrupting them!

The thief student

A disciple of zen master Bankei was caught stealing during class. Everyone else called it to expel him, but Bankei decided to do nothing.

A few days later the student returned to steal and the master continued silent. Non-conforming, the other disciples demanded that the thief was punished, because this bad example could not continue.

-How wise are you! -Bankei said. -They learned to distinguish right from wrong and they can study in any other place. But this poor brother does not know what is right or what is wrong and I just me to teach you it is.

The disciples never again doubted Bankei generosity and wisdom and the thief never again returned to steal.

The cedar forest

In 1939, the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who played a role in Lithuania during one of the most terrible times of mankind, saved thousands of Polish Jews from the nazi threat by granting them exit visas.

His act of heroism, defying their own Government over many years, was a dark footnote of page in the history of the war. Until the survivors saved by Sugihara began to awaken from the silence and decided to tell his story. Then he began to celebrate their courage and greatness, calling the attention of the media and inspired some authors writing books describing it as "the Japanese Schindler."

Meanwhile, the israeli Government gathered the names of rescuers to reward them for their efforts. One of the ways in which the Jewish State tried to acknowledge their debt to those heroes consisted of planting trees in his honor. When it was revealed the courage of Sugihara, the Israeli authorities planned, as usual, planting a forest of cherry - traditional tree of Japan-in his memory.

Suddenly, in a decision out of the ordinary, the order was without effect. They decided that, in relation to the bravery of Sugihara, cherry were a poor symbol. They then chose a cedar forest, having come to the conclusion that the Cedar was stronger and had more for having been used in the first temple sacred connotations.

After the trees were planted, authorities discovered that "Sugihara" in Japanese means "forest of Cedars."

The way that leads to heaven

When they asked to Abate Antonio if took the path of sacrifice to God, he replied:

-There are two ways of sacrifice. The first is that of the man it mortifies his flesh and does penance because he considers that we are condemned. This man feels guilty and judges is unworthy to be happy. In this case, do not reach anywhere because God dwells not in the blame.

"The second is that of the man who, knowing that the world is not perfect as we all want, does penance, reza, offers their time and work to improve the surrounding environment. Then, he understands that the word "sacrifice" comes from "sacred profession." In this case, the divine presence to help you all the time and achieves results in the sky."

Chief Seattle and the value of traditions (I)

In 1854, the President of the United States proposed a tribe of North buy their land, offering in Exchange the granting of another 'book'. The text of the response of Chief Seattle has been considered over time, as one of the most beautiful pronouncements about the importance of traditions. I already read somewhere that this response was the falsification of a journalist, but this does not detract value to what was there said:

"How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? That idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air or the water Sheen, how could we sell them? Each piece of this earth is sacred to my people. Every branch, every handful of desert sand, each shade of a tree, each of these things is sacred to the memory of my people.

The dead of the white man forget his land of origin when they are going to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget these mountains and valleys because that's the face of our mother. We are part of the Earth and she's part of us. The flowers are our sisters. The stag, the horse and the Great Eagle are our brothers. The rocky peaks, wet grooves of the countryside, the heat from the body of the Colt and the man: everything belongs to the same family. Therefore, when the great Chief of Washington sends to say you want to buy our land, it asks much of us.

Chief Seattle and the value of traditions (II)

The big boss said that we are going to be located in a place where we can live happily. This is our country and we will be their children. Therefore, we will consider your offer to buy our land. But it will not be easy because that bright water which runs through the Brooks is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sold him the land, they may forget that the murmur of the waters is the voice of our ancestors and the memory of all that took place while we live here.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. A piece of land has, for him, the same meaning than any other because it is a stranger who comes at night and extracted from the ground what they need. The Earth is not his sister, but an attractive woman and when the conquest continues. It leaves behind the tombs of their ancestors and do not feel bad. Removed land what would be her children and doesn't care. The grave of his father and the rights of children are forgotten. Treats his mother, the Earth, and his brother, the sky, as things or colorful decorations. His appetite will devour the Earth, leaving nothing more than a desert.

Chief Seattle and the value of traditions (III)

I know now that our customs are different from you. The vision of their cities hurts the eyes of the red skin. Perhaps because the Indian is a wild and do not understand. He didn't find a quiet place in the city of the white man. No place where they can open and bloom the leaves of spring or the beating of the wings of an insect. Noise seems to only insults the ears. And what is life if a man cannot hear solo chorus of a bird or the discussion of toads around a lagoon at night? They should all the animals, man would die from great loneliness of spirit. What happens to the animals as also happens with the man. Everything is related.

Everything that happens on Earth, pass it to the children of the Earth. If men spit out the soil, they are spitting themselves. We know this: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the Earth. Man not wove the fabric of life; He is simply one of its threads. Everything you do to the fabric will make himself.

Neither white man, whose God walks and speaks like it from friend to friend, can escape from this reality. Of one thing we are sure: our God is the same God that's it. Earth is precious to him and hurt is despised the creator. It is the end of life and the beginning of survival.

Desire must be strong (I)

Yogi Ramakrishna illustrates, with a parable, the intensity of the desire that we need to have:

The teacher took the disciple near a lake. -Today I will teach what the true devotion - said.

The disciple asked you mess with him at the Lake and taking the head of the young man, sank it under water.

He spent the first minute. Halfway through the second minute, the young man already debated with all his strength to get rid of the hand of the master and be able to come to the surface.

Desire must be strong (II)

At the end of the second minute the master released him. The young man, with the uncontrolled heart, rose, panting.

-You want to kill me! -screaming.

The teacher waited for that you calm down and said:

-It did not want to kill you. If I would have liked it, now don't you wouldn't be here. Wanted nothing more to know what did you feel while you were under water.

-I felt that I was dying! What he wanted in life was to breathe some air!

-It is exactly that. True devotion only appears when there is no more than a wish and if not we can do it, we die.

The eager disciple

After a thorough morning prayers at the monastery of stone, the novice asked the abate:

-Do all these prayers that you teach us that Dios is approaching us?

-I'll respond with another question - said the Abbot. -Will the sun rises tomorrow do all these prayers you pray?

-Clear that no! The sun rises because it is a universal law!

-Then, this is the answer to your question. God is close to us, regardless of the prayers we pray.

The novice was angry:

-You would like to say that our prayers are useless?

-At all. If you do not you wake up early you will never see the Sun. If you pray not, but God is always near, you never get notice its presence.

The taste and the language (I)

A zen master rested with his disciple. At one point, he took a melon of their saddlebags, split it in two and both began to eat it.

In the middle of the meal, the disciple said:

-My wise teacher, I know that everything you do has a sense. Share this melon with me might be a signal that has something to teach me.

The master continued eating in silence.

-By his silence, I understand the hidden question--insisted the disciple. - And should be the following: would the taste I'm experimenting to eat this delicious fruit is where: melon or in my language?

The taste and the language (II)

The maestro said nothing. The disciple, enthusiastically, continued:

- And as everything in life has a meaning, I think I'm close to the answer to this question: the taste is an act of love and interdependence between the two, because without the melon there would be an object of pleasure and without language...

-Just! -the master said. -The dumbest are those that are judged to be more intelligent and seeking an interpretation for all! The melon is tasty, this is more than enough, and let me eat in peace!

The big map

Jorge Luis Borges has that true King entrusted his geographers a map of the country. But it demanded that the map was perfect, with all the details.

Geographers measured each place and made a draft. One of them commented that still were missing details of rivers.

They decided then to redo the drawing on a larger scale. When it was ready, the map was the size of the first floor of a building; However, some advisers of the King argued:

-Is they fail to see the ways of the Woods.

And the wise geographers continued drawing maps increasingly bigger, with more and more details of the country.

When they finally managed to perfect map, they called the King and took him to a vast desert. When they arrived, showed him a strange tent that stretched to the horizon.

-What is this?

-Map of the country - said the geographers. - As we try to make it as close as possible to reality, it was so big that it occupied all of the desert.

-The fear of making a mistake, most of the time, ends up taking us to commit it - the King said. -The map is so detailed, which is useless.

And he commanded to hang the geographers.

The man who forgave

Many years ago, lived a man who was able to love and forgive all that was in his way. For this reason, God sent an angel that I spoke with him.

-God asked me to come visit you and tell you that he wants to reward you for your kindness - the angel said. Any grace that you want, you will be granted. Would you like to have the gift of healing?

-In any way - replied the man. -I prefer that God himself will choose those that must be cured.

- And what you seem to attract sinners to the path of the truth?

-That is a task for angels like you. I don't want nobody to venere me not having to set an example throughout.

-I can not be heaven without giving you a miracle. If you choose not to, you will be required to accept one.

The man thought a moment and finally answer:

-Then, I want to make good my through, but without that nobody give you account - or myself, which could then be vain.

And the angel made the shadow of man had the power to heal, but only when the Sun was giving him in the face. In this way, wherever that was, the sick are healed, the Earth was once again fertile and sad people recovered joy.

Man walked the Earth many years without realizing it never miracles performed because when he was facing to the Sun, had his shadow back. In this way, he could live and die without being aware of his own Holiness.

The juggler of our Lady

It has a medieval legend which, with the child Jesus in her arms, our lady decided to get off the ground and visit a monastery.

Proud parents formed a long line and each is prostrated before the Virgin to pay homage to the mother and the son. One recited beautiful poems, another showed illustrations of the Bible, a third said the name of all saints. And so followed, a monk after another, showing his talent and his dedication both of them.

At the bottom of the row had a father, the most humble of the convent, which had never learned the wise texts of the time. His parents were simple people, who worked in an old circus of the surrounding area, and all he had learned had been throwing balls up and perform some juggling.

When it was their turn, other parents wanted to terminate the tribute because the old juggler had nothing important to say and could harm the image of the convent. However, at the bottom of his heart, he also felt an immense need to give something of themselves to Jesus and the Virgin.

Ashamed, feeling the reprobadora gaze of his brothers, he took some oranges from the bag and began to throw them up, doing juggling, the only thing she knew to do.

It was only at this moment that the infant Jesus smiled and began to beat palmas in the lap of our Lady. And it was to him that Virgin extended arms, letting it charge awhile to the child.

The young man does not respect the wisdom (I)

The old Fox Hunter, considered the best in the region, decided to finally retire. He gathered his belongings and decided to leave course to the South of the country, where the climate was more temperate.

However, before the end of packing their things, he was visited by a young man.

-I want to learn their techniques - he said the newcomer. -To change, buy you your tent and your Hunter license, and also pay you all the secrets you know.

The old man agreed: they signed the contract and taught the young man all the secrets of fox hunting. With received money, he bought a beautiful house in the South, where he spent all winter without having to worry about firewood for heating because the weather was very nice.

The young man does not respect the wisdom (II)

In the spring, he felt nostalgia for their village and decided to return to see his friends.

When he arrived, he crossed in the middle of the road with the young man that few months ago decided to pay a fortune for their secrets.

- And then? -He asked. -How went the season of hunting?

-I could do not hunt or a single Fox.

The old man was surprised and confused:

- But have you followed my advice?

With our eyes fixed on the ground, the young man replied:

-Well, the truth is that do not follow them. I realized that their methods were too outdated and I ended up discovering, for myself, a better way to hunt foxes.

The Lake and narcissus (I)

Almost everyone knows the original story about narcissus (Greek): a beautiful young woman who every day was going to see his face in the Lake. He was so pleased with himself that some morning while it was admired more closely, fell into the water and ended up dying drowned. In the place where it fell was born a flower, which from then on was called "narcissus."

The writer Òscar Wilde, however, makes that this story ends in a different way.

He says that when narcissus died came the Oreads, nymphs of the forest, and saw that the fresh water of the Lake had become salty tears.

-By are you crying? -They asked the Oreades.

-Weeping for narcissus.

-Ah, not worried that cry by Narciso - continued them. -At the end of accounts, while all of us always ran behind him through the forest, you were the only one who had the opportunity to closely contemplate its beauty.

The Lake and narcissus (II)

- But Daffodil was beautiful? -He wanted to know the Lake.

-Who's better than you could know? -answered, surprised, the Oreads. -At the end of the day, it was in your margins where he was leaning every day.

The Lake stayed still a moment. Finally, he said:

-Weeping for Narcissus, but had never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful.

"I weep for him because whenever he lay it on my edges, I could see with, at the bottom of your eyes, my own beauty mirrored."

The monkey and the mona discussed (I)

Sitting on the branch of a tree, the monkey, and the monkey watched the sunset. At one point, she asked:

-What does the sky change color at the time that the sun reaches the horizon?

-If we wanted to explain everything, we would miss live - replied the monkey. -Stay calm, let's let our heart to enjoy with this romantic evening.

The mona was infuriated.

-You are primitive and superstitious. Already not you pay you attention to logic and only want to take advantage of life.

At that time, it was a centipede.

-Centipede! -screamed the monkey. -How do to move so many legs in perfect harmony?

-Never thought it! -was the answer.

-Because think about it! Would my wife have an explanation!

The monkey and the mona discussed (II)

Centipede looked at his feet and began:

-Well... I hemorrhage this muscle... no, it doesn't, I should move my body here...

For half an hour I try to explain how he was moving his legs and as I was trying to, is was confusing increasingly. When he wanted to continue his journey, already not could keep walking.

-Do you see what you did? -He shouted desperate. -With the desire to find out how it worked, I lost the movements!

-Do you realize what happens with those who want to explain everything? -said the monkey, turning once again to witness the sunset quietly.

The slayer of dragons

The famous Chinese author Zhungzi tells the story of Zhu Pingman, who came out looking for a teacher to learn the best way to kill dragons.

The master coached Pingman during ten years in a row, until it got to develop to perfection the most sophisticated technique to kill dragons.

Since then, Pingman spent the rest of his life looking for dragons to show all their skills. To his disappointment, it never found any.

The author of the story says: "all of us prepare to kill dragons and ended up being eaten by ants on the details, which we never pay attention."

The decision was the Blackbird

An old Blackbird found a bread crumb and was flying it is. Seeing that, the younger birds were prepared to attack him.

Before the imminent combat, Blackbird dropped the breadcrumbs in the mouth of a snake while thinking to himself:

-With old age, people see life in a different way: I lost my food, it is true, but I can't find another crumb of bread tomorrow.

"However, if he had insisted on charging it with me, would have triggered a war in heaven: the winner would go on to be envied and others they should assemble to combat it, hatred would fill the heart of birds and a situation could well last a long time." "Such is the wisdom of old age: know trocar immediate victories by lasting achievements."

The time of the Aurora

A Rabbi brought together students and asked:

-How is it that we know the exact moment in which ends the night and start the day?

-When, from afar, we can differentiate between a sheep of a puppy - said a child.

The Rabbi was not satisfied with the response.

-The truth - said another student - we know it is day when we can distinguish, in the distance, an olive tree of a fig tree.

-It is not a good definition.

-What is the answer, then? -asked the children.

And the Rabbi said:

-When a stranger approaches and we confuse it with our brother. This is the moment when the night ends and begins the day.

The monk and the prostitute (I)

A monk living in the vicinity of the Temple of Shiva. In the House across the street lived a prostitute. Looking at the number of men who visited it, the monk decided to call it:

-You are a great sinner - rebuked it. -Lack you respect to God every day, and every night. Is it possible that you can not stop and reflect on your life after death?

The poor woman was very touched by the words of the monk; with sincere repentance, prayed to God, begging her forgiveness. He also asked that the Almighty will help it find a new way of earning a livelihood.

But it found no different work. And after a week of going hungry, she returned to prostitution.

But, whenever he gave him his body to a stranger, prayed you to the Lord and asked forgiveness.

The monk, angry because his counsel had not produced any effect, thought to himself:

The monk and the prostitute (II)

"From now and until the day of the death of the sinner, I'm going to count how many men enter that House."

And since that day, did not do anything that was not monitoring the routine of the prostitute: for every man who entered, placed a stone on a stack.

After some time, the monk returned to call the prostitute and said:

-Do you see this stack? Each stone represents one of the deadly sins that you have committed, even after my warnings. And now what you say again: Beware of evil actions!

The woman began to realize how you were accumulating their sins trembled. To return to your home, shed tears of sincere repentance and praying said:

-Oh, Lord! When will I your mercy get rid of this miserable life that I have?

His prayer was heard. That same day, the angel of death passed by her house and took her. By the will of God, the angel crossed the street and also loaded the monk with it.

The monk and the prostitute (III)

The soul of the prostitute immediately ascended into heaven, while the demons took the monk to hell. When they met halfway, the monk saw what was happening and cried:

-Oh, Lord! Is this your justice? Me, I spent my life in devotion and poverty, now I am taken to hell, while this prostitute, who lived in constant sin, is rising to the sky!

Upon hearing this, one of the angels said:

-They are always just the designs of God. You thought that the love of God be confined to judge the behavior of others. While you fill your heart with the impurity of the alien sin, this woman prayed fervently day and night. The soul of it was so light after cry, that we can take it to paradise. Your soul was full of stones and we cannot make the climb to the top.

The monastery can be finished (I)

The monastery was going through hard times: because of a new fashion, claiming that God was not more than a superstition, young people did not want to be novices. Some went to study sociology, others dedicated themselves to read treaties of historical materialism. Thus, little by little, the small community that remained was realizing that would be necessary to close the convent.

The ancient monks were dying. When the last of them was about to deliver his soul unto the Lord, he called to his deathbed to one of the few novices that were:

-I had a revelation - he said - this monastery was elected for something very important.

-What a pity - replied the novice. -Because there are only five young men and we can with all tasks, much less if it's something important.

-Really is a shame. Because here, on my deathbed, an angel appeared and I understood that one of you five was destined to become a Saint.

Saying this, he expired.

The monastery can be finished (II)

During the funeral, young looked at each other, scared. Who was chosen? That most helped the inhabitants of the village? Or he used to pray with special devotion? Or that preached with such enthusiasm that the others were on the verge of tears?

Committed by the presence of a Saint among them, the novices resolved to slightly postpone the closure of the convent and began to work hard, to preach with enthusiasm, to restore the fallen walls and to practise charity and love.

One day, a boy appeared at the door of the convent: I was impressed with the work of five young people and wanted to help them. It wasn't a week and another boy did the same. A few days, the example of the novices travelled the region.

-Their eyes shine - said a son to his father, asking to let him go to the monastery.

-They do things with love - commented you a father to his son. -How you see the monastery is more beautiful than ever?

Ten years later, there were already more than eighty novices. You never knew if the old monk's comment was true or if he had found a formula to make the enthusiasm to return the monastery their lost dignity.

Elias and the second chance (I)

Carlos Castañeda account how the master of his master, Julián Osorio, was transformed into a nagual (a kind of sorcerer, according to certain Mexican traditions).

Julian worked as an actor in a travelling theatre in the interior of Mexico. However, the artist's life was nothing more than an excuse to escape the conventions imposed by his tribe: the truth, what most liked to Julian was drinking and seduce women - any type of woman - which was during their theatrical performances. He exaggerated both, it demanded both to your health, it ended up contracting TB.

Elias, a sorcerer well known among the Yaqui Indians, gave his afternoon stroll when he met Julian pulled in the field; He was bleeding from the mouth and bleeding was so intense, that Elias - who was able to see the spiritual world - perceived that the death of the poor performer was next.

Using some herbs she was carrying in the bag, he managed to stop the bleeding. Later, he turned to Julian:

Elias and the second chance (II)

-I can not cure it - he said. -Everything you could do already did. His death is next.

-I do not want to die, I'm young - Julian said.

Elias, as all nagual, was more interested in behaving like a warrior - concentrating its energy on the battle of his life-to helping someone who had never shown respect by the miracle of existence. However, without being able to explain why, he decided to accede to your request.

-Go to 5 o'clock in the morning for the mountains - he said. -Wait for me at the exit of the town. Don't miss. If you do not come, will die before you think: your only recourse is to accept my invitation. I can never repair the damage you already made your body, but I can stop their advance toward the precipice of death. All human beings fall into this abyss, early or early; you are steps away from it and I can not do it back.

-Can do then?

-I can walk on the edge of the abyss. I'm going to deflect their steps so you follow the vast expanse of this margin between life and death; You can go left and right, but while it does not fall on it, it may continue to live.

Elias and the second chance (III)

The nagual Elias did not expect much from the actor, a bigoted man, libertine and coward. He was surprised when at five in the morning of the following day he found him waiting for you at one of the outputs of the pueblito. He took him to the mountains, taught him the secrets of the ancient Mexican naguales and eventually Julián Osorio became one of the most respected sorcerers yaquis. Never be cured of tuberculosis, but it lived up to the hundred and seven years, always walking by the edge of the abyss.

When the right time came, he began to accept disciples and was responsible for the training of Don Juan Matus, who in turn taught the ancient traditions to Carlos Castañeda. Castaneda, with its series of books, eventually make these traditions throughout the world.

One afternoon, talking with another disciple of Don Juan, Florinda, she commented:

-It is important for all of us to take account of the way of the nagual Julian on the brink. Makes us understand we all have a second chance, even though we are close Cancel.

Elias and the second chance (IV)

Castaneda agreed: examine the path of Julian meant to understand their extraordinary struggle to stay alive. Understand that this fight was about second to second, without any rest, against the bad habits and self-pity. It was not a sporadic battle, but a disciplined effort and steady to maintain balance; any distraction or moment of weakness could throw him into the abyss of death.

There was only one way to overcome the temptations of his old life: focus all your attention on the edge of the abyss, concentrate on each step, keep calm, have no attachment to anything further than the present moment.

I.e., the type of path that every human being has to go. The problem is that nobody realizes that is always on the brink of the abyss.

Bread and butter

Our tendency is to always believe in the famous "Murphy's law": everything we do always can go wrong. There is an interesting story about:

A man calmly drank their morning coffee. Suddenly, the bread that had great flavour spreadable butter, fell to the floor.

What was his surprise when, looking down, saw that the part had where greased butter had fallen face up! The man saw that I was in the presence of a miracle: happy, went to talk to their friends about what happened. All were surprised because the bread, when it falls to the ground, is always with the part of the butter upside down, getting all dirty.

-Perhaps you're a Saint - one said. - And you are receiving a sign from God.

The story was soon known in the small village and all were animatedly discussing what happened: how is that, contrary to what was said, the bread of that man had fallen to the ground in this way? As anyone got to give with the right answer, they were looking for a teacher who lived in the vicinity and told him the story.

The teacher asked one night to pray, reflect, ask for divine inspiration. The next day, everyone returned to see him, eager to hear the answer.

-It is a very simple solution - the master said. -The truth, the bread fell to the ground just as he was falling; It was the butter which was wiped on the wrong side.

The duck and the cat

-How is it that you started in spiritual life? -one of the disciples asked the sufi master Shams Tabrizi.

-My mother said that I was not crazy enough to admit me in a hospice, nor was the Holy enough to enter a monastery - responded Tabrizi. -So I decided to devote myself to Sufism, where we learn through free meditation.

- And how explained that to her mother?

-With the following story: someone approached a duckling to a cat so the cat take it in charge. This remained her mother adopted everywhere, until one day, both arrived in front of a lake. Immediately the duckling came into the water, while the cat from the shore, shouting: "out of there! You are going to die drowning!" And the duck replied: "No, mother, I discovered what is good for me, and this is that I'm in my environment." I'm going to continue here, even if you do not know which means a lake."

The fish that saved a life

Nasrudin passes against a cave, go to a Yogi meditating and asks you what you are looking for.

-I look at the animals and learn from them many lessons that can transform the life of a man - says Yogi.

-As a fish already saved my life - said Nasrudin. -If you teach me everything you know, I tell you how it was.

Yogi was startled: only a Saint could have saved her life thanks to a fish. And she decided to teach him all he knew.

When he finished, he said to Nasrudin:

-Now that you taught everything, I would feel proud to know how it is that a fish saved your life.

-It's simple - said Nasrudin. -I was almost dying of hunger when I caught it, and thanks to him I could survive three days.

The price of the question

Rabbi lived teaching that the answers lie within ourselves. But his faithful insisted discuss everything what they did.

One day, the Rabbi had an idea: he placed a sign on the door of his house, and wrote:

"I will answer each question by 100 coins".

A trader decided to pay. He gave money to the Rabbi, as commented:

-You don't think it is a little expensive to collect both a question?

-I think - he said the Rabbi. - And I just answer it. If you want to know more, you'll have to pay other one hundred coins. Or search for the answer within yourself, which is cheaper and more effective.

From that day on, never bothered him.

The wrong present

Miye Tamaki decided to leave what he did (was economist) to devote himself to painting. For years he sought a suitable master, until he found a woman specialist in miniatures, who lived in Tibet. Miye left the Japan and went to the Tibetan mountains, to learn what was needed.

He went to live with the teacher, who was extremely poor.

At the end of the first year, Miye returned to the Japan for a few days and returned to Tibet with poorly chosen gifts. When the teacher saw what had brought him, began to cry and asked Miye to come back no more to his house, saying:

-Before, our relationship was of equality and love. You had a roof, food, and paintings. Now, to bring these gifts to me, you have established a social difference between us. If there is this difference, there can be neither understanding nor delivery.

The present of insults (I)

Close to Tokyo lived a great samurai, very elderly, who was devoted to teaching zen Buddhism to young people. Despite his years, he circled the legend that it was still able to defeat any adversary.

Some afternoon, a warrior known for his total lack of scruples appeared there. He was famous for using the technique of provocation: he hoped that his opponent made the first move, and with a privileged intelligence to take advantage of mistakes, counterattacked with fulminant speed.

The young and impatient Warrior had never lost a match. Knowing the reputation of the samurai, he was there to defeat him and increase his fame.

All students demonstrated against the idea, but the old accepted the challenge.

The present of insults (II)

They were all at the square of the city and the young man began to insult the old master. He threw some stones in their direction, it spat the face, he shouted all the insults I knew and that offence even to their ancestors. For hours he did everything to provoke him, but the old remained impassive. Towards the end of the afternoon, feeling exhausted and humiliated, the impetuous Warrior withdrew.

Upset by the fact that the teacher should accept as many insults and provocations, the students asked:

-How could bear so much indignity? Why did not use his sword, even knowing that it could lose the fight, instead of acting like a coward in front of all of us?

-If someone comes to you with a present and you do not agree, who belong to the present? -asked the samurai.

-Who tried to deliver it – replied one of the disciples.

-It is the same with jealousy, rage and insults - said the master. -When does not accept them, they continue to belong you to who brings them.

Many defined

It will be my most important participation in the Melbourne Writers Festival, Australia. Ten o'clock in the morning, the room is filled with. I'm going to be interviewed by a local writer, John Felton.

I climb onto the stage with the apprehension of always. Felton presents to me and started asking me questions. Before I finished my reasoning, I interrupted and asks a new question. When I answer, it says something like "this response was not very clear." Five minutes later, it shows a malaise among the public: all perceive that something is wrong. Confucius comes to my mind and I do the only thing possible:

-Do you like what I write? -I ask.

-That does not come to the case--responds. -Am I who is interviewing him and not vice versa.

- But if it comes to the case. You won't let me conclude an idea. Confucius said: "whenever possible, it should be clear." We are going to follow this advice and make things clear: do you like what I write?

-No, don't like me. I only read two books and hated them.

-OK, then we can continue.

Many were now defined. Calmed the public, environment load of electricity, the interview became a genuine debate and everyone, including Felton, were satisfied with the result.

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Anecdotes, parables and fables on values