clipped from: Manual of the Warrior of Light
Paulo Coelho
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The Earth's energy needs to be renewed. The future has become the present, and every dream – except those dreams that involve preconceived ideas – will have a chance to be heard. Anything of importance will remain; anything useless will disappear. However, it is not the warrior's responsibility to judge the dreams of others, and he does not waste time criticising other people's decisions. In order to have faith in his own path, he does not need to prove that someone else's path is wrong. * * * * * The moment that he begins to walk along it, the warrior of light recognises the Path. Each stone, each bend cries welcome to him. He identifies with the mountains and the streams, he sees something of his own soul in the plants and the animals and the birds of the field. Then, accepting the help of God and of God's Signs, he allows his Personal Legend to guide him towards the tasks that life has reserved for him. On some nights, he has nowhere to sleep, on others, he suffers from insomnia. ‘That's just how it is,’ thinks the warrior. ‘I was the one who chose to walk this path.’ In these words lies all his power: he chose the path along which he is walking and so has no complaints. * * * * * A warrior of light knows that he has much to be grateful for. He was helped in his struggle by the angels; celestial forces placed each thing in its place, thus allowing him to give of his best. His companions say: ‘He's so lucky!’ And the warrior does sometimes achieve things far beyond his capabilities. That is why, at sunset, he kneels and gives thanks for the Protective Cloak surrounding him. His gratitude, however, is not limited to the spiritual world; he never forgets his friends, for their blood mingled with his on the battlefield. A warrior does not need to be reminded of the help given him by others; he is the first to remember and he makes sure to share with them any rewards he receives. * * * * * A warrior of light knows that certain moments repeat themselves. He often finds himself faced by the same problems and situations, and seeing these difficult situations return, he grows depressed, thinking that he is incapable of making any progress in life. ‘I've been through all this before,’ he says to his heart. ‘Yes, you have been through all this before,’ replies his heart. ‘But you have never been beyond it.’ Then the warrior realises that these repeated experiences have but one aim: to teach him what he does not want to learn. * * * * * The warrior of light meditates. He sits in a quiet place in his tent and surrenders himself to the divine light. When he does this, he tries not to think about anything; he shuts himself off from the search for pleasure, from challenges and revelations, and allows his gifts and powers to reveal themselves. Even if he does not recognise them then, these gifts and powers are taking care of his life and will influence his day-to-day existence. While he meditates, the warrior is not himself, but a spark from the Soul of the World. These are the moments that give him an understanding of his responsibilities and of how he should behave accordingly. A warrior of light knows that in the silence of his heart he will hear an order that will guide him. * * * * * The warrior of light knows that no one is stupid and that life teaches everyone – however long that may take. He always does his best and expects the best of others. Through his generosity, he tries to show each person how much they are capable of achieving. Some of his companions say: ‘Some people are so ungrateful.’ The warrior is not discouraged by this. And he continues to encourage other people because this is also a way of encouraging himself. * * * * * A warrior of light knows his own faults. But he also knows his qualities. Some of his companions complain all the time that ‘other people have more opportunities than we do.’ Perhaps they are right, but a warrior does not allow himself to be paralysed by this; he tries to make the most of his virtues. He knows that the gazelle's power lies in its strong legs. The power of the seagull lies in the accuracy with which it can spear a fish. He has learned that the reason the tiger does not fear the hyena is because he is aware of his own strength. He tries to establish what he can truly rely on. And he always checks that he carries three things with him: faith, hope and love. If these three things are there, he does not hesitate to go forward. From Manual of the Warrior of Light, copyright Paulo Coelho 1997, English translation copyright Margaret Jull Costa 2002, published in the UK in 2002 by HarperCollins.
Photographs © Cygnus Books 01-Dec-2003 |
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