PAULO COELHO: Problems of communication
I was feeling very lonely when I left 集まり in Saint Patrick's Cathedral 権利 in the heart of
New York.
Suddenly I was approached by a Brazilian: "I very much need to talk to you," he said.
I was so enthused by this 会合 that I began to talk about everything that was important to me.
I spoke of 魔法, God's blessings, love.
He listened to everything in silence, thanked me and went away.
Instead of feeling happy, I felt lonelier than before.
Later on I realized that in my enthusiasm I had not paid any attention to what that Brazilian 手配中の，お尋ね者.
Talk to me.
I 投げ上げる／ボディチェックするd my words to the 勝利，勝つd, because that was not what the Universe was wanting at that moment: I would have been much more useful if I had listened to what he had to say.
Whom do we love?
Ever since we are children, we are asked: do you love daddy?
Do you love auntie?
Do you love your teacher?
Nobody asks: do you love yourself?
But what about ourselves?
Jesuit Anthony Mello has a 罰金 story on this 支配する.
A mother and son are at a 軽食-妨げる／法廷，弁護士業.
After taking the mother's order, the waitress turns to the boy: "And what will you be wanting?"
"A hotdog."
"Nothing of the sort," says the mother. "He wants a steak and salad."
Ignoring the comment, the waitress asks the boy: "Do you want that with 情熱 or ketchup?"
"Both," answers the boy. And then he turns to the mother in surprise: "Mother! SHE THINKS THAT I'M FOR REAL!"
Nobody believes
Legend has it that 権利 after his enlightenment, Buddha decided to go for a walk in the country.
On the way he （機の）カム upon a 農業者, who was impressed at the light 向こうずねing from the master.
"My friend, who are you?" asked the 農業者. "Because I have the feeling that I am standing before an angel, or a God."
"I am nothing of the sort," answered Buddha.
"Maybe you're a powerful sorcerer?"
"Not that either."
"So, what makes you so different from the others that even a simple 小作農民 like me notices it?"
"I am
just someone who has awoken to life. That's all. But I tell everyone that, and nobody believes me."
The umbrella
As tradition dictates, upon entering his Zen master's house, the disciple left his shoes and umbrella outside.
"I saw through the window that you were arriving," said the master. "Did you leave your shoes to the 権利 or the left of the umbrella?"
"I 港／避難所't the least idea. But what does that 事柄? I was thinking of the secret of Zen!"
"If you don't 支払う／賃金 attention in life, you will never learn anything. Communicate with life, 支払う／賃金 each moment the attention it deserves - that is the only secret of Zen."
Translated from Portuguese by James Mulholland
(Paulo Coelho is one of the most 広範囲にわたって read authors in the world. His best known 作品 含む The Alchemist, Eleven Minutes and Manuscript 設立する in Accra.)
