When they asked Abbot Antonio if the path of sacrifice led to heaven, he answered:
- There are two paths of sacrifice. The first is taken by the man who mortifies the flesh and pays penance because he believes that we are condemned. The man who follows this path feels guilty and judges himself unworthy of living happily.
- The second path is taken by the man who, even though he knows that the world is not as perfect as we would like, prays, does penance and offers up his time and toil to improve the world around him. So he understands that the word sacrifice comes from sacro ofício, holy work. In this case the Divine Presence helps him all the time and he obtains results in heaven.”

by Paulo Coelho

In 1939 the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who was posted in Lithuania during one of the most dreadful periods ever known to mankind, saved thousands of Polish Jews from the Nazi menace by granting them exit visas.
His act of heroism was an obscure footnote in the history of the war until the survivors saved by Sugihara decided to tell their story. His courage and grandeur were soon celebrated by all, drawing the attention of the media and inspiring some authors to write books describing him as “the Japanese Schindler.”
Meanwhile the Israeli government collected the names of the saviors in order to reward them for their efforts. One of the ways in which that the Jewish state tried to show their indebtedness towards these heroes was to plant trees in homage to them. When Sugihara’s courage was disclosed, the Israeli authorities planned to plant the customary cluster of cherry trees - the national tree of Japan - in his memory.
All of a sudden an unheard-of decision was made and the order revoked. They decided that cherry trees were inadequate as a symbol of the bravery displayed by Sugihara and opted for a wood of cedars, a tree of greater vigor and with more sacred connotations for having been used in the First Temple.
Only after the trees were planted did the authorities find out that “Sugihara” in Japanese may be written as … cedar forest.

by Paulo Coelho

Sometimes I find myself getting inspiration at the most mundane moments. For example? Well, I was just cooking myself some broccoli and cauliflower for a mid- day meal, standing at the stove when a thought popped into my head. “It is time to upgrade.”. Hmm. Interesting topic- and it could encompass a wide range of “gadgets”, especially in this modern “technologically advanced” age. BUT- I don’t happen to OWN a cell phone, iPod, or any of these other wonderful “bells and whistles” that apparently need as much care and attention as my boisterous Jack Russell terrier.

No, the vision that popped into my head was of people. That’s it. Many, many people- all races and ages, conversing together. Perhaps the “upgrade” is this palpable shift of the rising of our social consciousness many of us can “feel” that is taking place in the universe. What do you think?

I have been pondering these words that I have chosen for the topic to write about today. These words are generally used when someone is being dismissive of someone else’s thoughts, ideas, or actions. Well. Happily “BEing” the me that I am, in “my UNI~verse” I quite frequently accept any occasion to simply have FUN in life- and it is quite interesting to watch the expression on someone’s face, after they have uttered these words to me. Because? My response is usually, “Oh! That sounds like a great idea, and it is a PERFECT time to be doing this! Thank you so much for this suggestion!”. Sometimes living life can be quite hectic, stressful- and a bit overwhelming. IF you happen to be “feeling” like this?? I do want to gently encourage you to remember those things in life that bring a sense of calm and peace to your very heart and soul. AND moments that just truly help all of your senses simply soar! Here is a video of someone who seems to have perfected the art of kite flying to an extraordinary level.

The aikidô master demanded intensive training but never allowed his pupils to compete with other martial-arts academies. They all complained among themselves but no-one ever had the nerve to bring up the subject in class.
And then one day one of the boys dared to ask:
- We have dedicated ourselves wholeheartedly to the study of aikidô, but we shall never know whether we are good or bad fighters because we cannot compete with anyone from outside here.
- And may you never need to know that - was the master’s answer. - He who wants to fight loses his bond with the Universe. Here we study the art of resolving conflicts, not starting them.

by Paulo Coelho

Curiouser and Curiouser ..

A book of mine, “Veronika decides to die” is being adapted to the cinema screen. Sarah Michelle Gellar will be interpreting Veronika.

When they were shooting the film in New York, I had a reader of mine Livia Ruas that asked me to visit the set. here is her account on this experience:

“In the beginning of May, I found out that the Paulo’s Coelho book “Veronika Decides To Die” would be adapted to the big screen by DAS Films production. The people who read the book, will notice some changes in the film version, such as the location. In the book, the story happens in Slovenia, but in the movie it takes place in New York. The reason for the change is because the city makes the movie more relatable with their audience, according to the producer Mitchell Goldman.

Since I admire the author and I love movies, I could not pass the opportunity to visit the film set. I got in contact with Mr. Paulo Coelho and asked him permission to visit the set. Since he is very gracious, he did no hesitate to help me. A couple of days later, I was already in contact with Mitchell Goldman. That day, the set was in Brooklyn, New York, and it was the second to last day of shooting.

Everyone welcomed me with open arms: Mitchell introduced me to everyone and answered everything I wanted to know about the shooting. I talked with one of the main actors on the movie, Jonathan Tucker, who plays Edward. He could not be more down to earth. Veronika, the main character, interpreted by Sarah Michelle Gellar, better known by the Brazilian public for her TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

During the five hours that I stayed on set, I watched two scenes being filmed. One of the scenes was inside Veronika’s apartment with both of the main characters. Afterwards, we all went to the front of the building, for the last scene of the day. I was waiting for the scene to start, when the actress Sarah Michelle Gellar surprised me by asking if I would like to be part of the movie! Of course I accepted and in five minutes I was in the movie as an extra. Sarah Gellar was one of the nicest people on set, she not only invited me to be part of a scene, but she talked to me between takes and was even more pleasant to me on my second day. Actually, the next time I see her, we both will be wearing some cute tennis outfits (but that is just my wishful thinking).

According to Goldman, they just wrapped filming, and now they have to work on the postproduction. He said they hope to launch the movie in festivals such as Cannes and Sundance next year and are planning for a major worldwide release. Who knows, maybe they show up in Brazil?

My visit was better that I imagined, and would like to thank everyone who made it a great experience, particularly Mitchell Goldman who was in contact with me since the beginning. I also would like to thank Sriram Das who authorized my visit and a special thanks to Mr. Paulo Coelho who made it all possible.

In conclusion, Goldman said that “the condition of alienation experienced by the character of Veronika is something that is common in today’s youth and we wanted to tell that story” explaining on why they chose the book for the adaptation. He affirms that the artistic expression of the book as a film will have some difference, but they hope that these differences will only add to the story.”

by Paulo Coelho

A warrior of the light who trusts too much in his intelligence ends up under-estimating the power of the adversary.
One must not forget: there are moments when strength is more effective than sagacity. And when we find ourselves faced with a certain kind of violence, no brilliance, argument, intelligence or charm can prevent tragedy.
That is why the warrior never under-estimates brute force. When it is irrationally aggressive, he retreats from the battle field until the enemy has spent his energy.
However, let it be made quite clear: a warrior of the light is never cowardly. Flight can be an excellent art of defense but it cannot be used when there is great fear.
In the face of any doubt, the warrior prefers to accept defeat and take care of his wounds, because he knows that if he flees he will be giving the attacker a greater power than he deserves.
He can cure physical suffering but he will be eternally persecuted for his spiritual weakness. In some difficult and painful moments, the warrior faces a situation of disadvantage with heroism, resignation and courage.
To achieve the necessary state of mind (since he is entering the fight at a disadvantage and may suffer a lot), the warrior has to understand exactly what can cause him harm. Okakura Kakuso comments in his book on the Japanese tea ritual:
“We look at the evil of others because we know evil through our own behavior. We never forgive those who injure us because we believe that we would never be forgiven. We tell painful truth to our neighbor because we want to hide it from ourselves. We show our strength so that no-one can see our fragility.”
“That is why, whenever you are judging your brother, know that it you who are on trial.”
Sometimes this knowledge can prevent a fight that will only bring disadvantages. However, at other times there is no way out, only an unequal fight.
We know we are gong to lose, but the enemy - violence - has left no other alternative but cowardice, which is of no interest to us. At this moment it is necessary to accept fate and try to bear in mind a text from the fabulous Bragavad Gita (Chapter II, 16-26):
“Man is not born, nor does he ever die. For ever he tries to exist, he will never stop doing this, because this is eternal and permanent.”
“Just as a man casts off his old clothes and starts to wear new ones, the soul casts off the old body and takes on a new one.”
“But the soul is indestructible; spades cannot cut it down, fire does not burn it, water does not wet it, and the wind never dries it. The soul is beyond the power of all such things.”
“As man is indestructible, he is always victorious (even in his defeats), and therefore should never have regrets.”

by Paulo Coelho

- Why do you make us waste time looking for God when you know Him so well? - said a disciple of Hasan de Basra. - You could tell us what He is like.
- Yes - answered Hasan de Basra. - But it so happens that one afternoon I was standing in front of a swamp when I noticed a man getting ready to cross it. I shouted out: “Careful there, you could slip on a rock and get all wet!”
- The man answered back: “If that happens, I will be the only one to get dirty. So, Hasan, if you slip and fall in your path, all your disciples will slip and fall with you.”
“At that moment I understood: God is an individual challenge, each person is responsible for his own search. A master can share his experience, but never the results.”

by Paulo Coelho

A pilgrim arrived at the village where Abu Yazid al-Bistrami lived.
- Teach me the quickest way to reach God.
Al-Bistrami answered:
- Love Him with all your strength.
- That I already do.
- Then you need to be loved by the others.
- But why?
- Because God looks at the hearts of all men. When He visits yours He will surely see the love you have for Him and He will be happy. However, if He also finds your name written with affection in the hearts of others, He will certainly pay far more attention to you.

by Paulo Coelho