Maktub” means “It is written.” The Arabs feel that “It is written” is not really a good translation, because, although everything is already written, God is compassionate, and wrote it all down just to help us.

The wanderer is in New York . He has overslept an appointment, and when he leaves his hotel, he finds that his car has been towed by the police. He arrives late for his appointment, the luncheon lasts longer than necessary, and he is thinking about the fine he will have to pay. It will cost a fortune. Suddenly, he remembers the dollar bill he found in the street the day before. He sees some kind of weird relationship between the dollar bill and what happened to him that morning. “Who knows, perhaps I found that money before the person who was supposed to find it had the chance? Maybe I removed that dollar bill from the path of someone who really needed it. Who knows but what I interfered with what was written?” He feels the need to rid himself of the dollar bill, and at that moment sees a beggar sitting on the sidewalk. He quickly hands him the bill, and feels that he has restored a kind of equilibrium to things.

“Just a minute,” says the beggar. “I'm not looking for a handout. I'm a poet, and I want to read you a poem in return.” “Well, make it a short one, because I'm in a hurry,” says the wanderer. The beggar says, “If you are still living, it's because you have not yet arrived at the place you should be.”

Think of the lizard. It spends most of its life on the ground, envying the birds and indignant at its fate and its shape. “I am the most disliked of all the creatures,” it thinks. “Ugly, repulsive, and condemned to crawl along the ground.” One day, though, Mother Nature asks the lizard to make a cocoon. The lizard is startled -it has never made a cocoon before. He thinks that he is building his tomb, and prepares to die. Although unhappy with the life he has led up until then, he complains to God: “Just when I finally became accustomed to things, Lord, you take away what little I have.” In desperation, he locks himself into the cocoon and awaits the end. Some days later, he finds that he has been transformed into a beautiful butterfly. He is able to fly to the sky, and he is greatly admired. He is surprised at the meaning of life and at God's designs.

A stranger sought out the Father Superior at the monastery of Sceta. “I want to make my life better,” he said. “But I cannot keep myself from having sinful thoughts.” The father noticed that the wind was blowing briskly outside, and said to the stranger: “It's quite hot in here. I wonder if you could seize a bit of that wind outside and bring it here to cool the room.” “That's impossible,” the stranger said. “It is also impossible to keep yourself from thinking of things that offend God,” answered the monk. “But, if you know how to say no to temptation, they will cause you no harm.”

The master says: “If a decision needs to be made, it is better to make it and deal with the consequences. You cannot know beforehand what those consequences will be. The arts of divination were developed in order to counsel people, never to predict the future. They provide good advice, but poor prophecy. “In one of the prayers that Jesus taught us, it says, 'God's will be done. ' When His will causes a problem, it also presents a solution. If the arts of divination were able to predict the future, every soothsayer would be wealthy, married and content.”

The disciple approached his master: “For years I have been seeking illumination,” he said. “I feel that I am close to achieving it. I need to know what the next step is.” “How do you support yourself?” the master asked. “I haven't yet learned how to support myself; my parents help me out. But that is only a detail.” “Your next step is to look directly at the sun for half a minute,” said the master. And the disciple obeyed. When the half-minute was over, the master asked him to describe the field that surrounded them. “I can't see it. The sun has affected my vision,” the disciple said. “A man who seeks only the light, while shirking his responsibilities, will never find illumination. And one who keep his eyes fixed upon the sun ends up blind,” was the master's comment.

A man was hiking through a valley in thePyrenees, when he met an old shepherd. He shared his food with him, and they sat together for a long time, talking about life. The man said that, if one believed in God, he would also have to admit that he was not free, since God would govern every step. In response, the shepherd led him to a ravine where one could hear -with absolute clarity -the echo to any sound.

“Life is these walls, and fate is the shout that each of us makes,” said the shepherd. “What we do will be raised to His heart, and will be returned to us in the same form. “God acts as the echo of our own deeds.”

The master said: “When we sense that the time has come for a change, we begin -unconsciously -to run the tape again, to view every defeat we have experienced until then. “And, of course, as we grow older, our number of difficult moments grows larger. But, at the same time, experience provides us with better means of overcoming those defeats, and of finding the path that allows us to go forward. We have to play that second tape on our mental VCR, too. “If we only watch the tape of our defeats, we become paralyzed. If we only watch the tape of our successes, we wind up thinking we are wiser than we really are. “We need both of those tapes.”

The disciple said to his master: “I have spent most of the day thinking about things I should not be thinking about, desiring things I should not desire and making plans I should not be making.” The master invited the disciple to take a walk with him through the forest behind his house. Along the way, he pointed to a plant, and asked the disciple if he knew its name. “Belladonna,” said the disciple. “It can kill anyone who eats its leaves.” “But it cannot kill anyone who simply observes it,” said the master.

“Likewise, negative desires can cause no evil if you do not allow yourself to be seduced by them.”

BetweenFrance andSpain is a range of mountains. In one of those mountains, there is a village named Argeles, and in the village is a hill leading to the valley. Every afternoon, an old man climbs and descends the hill. When the wanderer went to Argeles for the first time, he was not aware of this. On his second visit, he noticed that he crossed paths with the same man. And every time he went to the village, he perceived the man in greater detail -his clothing, his beret, his cane, his glasses. Nowadays, whenever he thinks about that village, he thinks of the old man, as well -even though he is not aware that this is true.

Only once did the wanderer ever speak to the man. In a joking fashion, he asked the man, “Do you think that God lives in these beautiful mountains surrounding us?” “God lives,” said the old man, “in those places where they allow Him to enter.”

The master met one night with his disciples, and asked them to build a campfire so they could sit and talk. “The spiritual path is like a fire that burns before us,” he said. “A man who wants to light the fire has to bear with the disagreeable smoke that makes it difficult for him to breathe, and brings tears to his eyes. That is how his faith is rediscovered. However, once the fire is rekindled, the smoke disappears, and the flames illuminate everything around him -providing heat and tranquility.” “But what if someone else lights the fire for him?” asked one of the disciples. “And if someone helps us to avoid the smoke?” “If someone does that, he is a false master. A master capable of taking the fire to wherever he desires, or of extinguishing it whenever he wants to do so. And, since he has taught no one how to light the fire, he is likely to leave everyone in the darkness.”

“When you strike out along your path, you will find a door with a phrase written upon it,” says the master. “Come back to me, and tell me what the phrase says.” The disciple gives himself to the search, body and soul, and one day comes upon the door, and then returns to his master. “What was written there was 'THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE,' he says.” “Was that written on a wall or on a door?” the master asks. “On a door,” the disciple answers. “Well, then, put your hand on the doorknob and open it.” The disciple obeyed. Since the phrase was painted with the door, it gave way just as the door itself did. With the door completely open, he could no longer see the phrase -and he went on.

The master says: “Close your eyes. Or even with your eyes open, imagine the following scene: a flock of birds on the wing. Now, tell me how many birds you saw: Five? Eleven? Sixteen? Whatever the response -and it is difficult for someone to say how many birds were seen -one thing becomes quite clear in this small experiment. You can imagine a flock of birds, but the number of birds in the flock is beyond your control. Yet the scene was clear, well-defined, exact. There must be an answer to the question.

Who was it that determined how many birds should appear in the imagined scene? Not you!”

A man decided to visit a hermit who, he had been told, lived not far from the monastery at Sceta. After wandering aimlessly about the desert, he finally found the monk. “I need to know what is the first step that should be taken along the spiritual path,” he said. The hermit took the man to a small well, and told him to look at his reflection in the water. The man tried to do so, but as he made his attempt, the hermit threw pebbles into the water, causing the surface to be disturbed. “I won't be able to see my face in the water if you keep throwing those pebbles,” said the man. “Just as it is impossible for a man to see his face in tro??6t? ?TI have been thinking about how to make this news less difficult to hear -how to paint it in brighter colors, add to it promises of Paradise, visions of the Absolute, provide esoteric explanations -but they do not apply. Take a deep breath, and prepare yourself. I have to be blunt, and I assure you, I am absolutely certain of what I'm telling you. It is an infallible prediction, without any doubt whatsoever.

It's the following: you are going to die. It may be tomorrow or fifty years from now, but -sooner or later --you are going to die. Even if you would rather not. Even if you have other plans. Think carefully about what you are going to do today. And tomorrow. And with the rest of your life.”

An explorer, a white man, anxious to reach his destination in the heart ofAfrica, promised an extra payment to his bearers if they would make greater speed. For several days, the bearers moved along at a faster pace. One afternoon, though, they all suddenly put down their burden and sat on the ground. No matter how much money they were offered, they refused to move on. When the explorer finally asked why they were behaving as they were, he was given the following answer: “We have been moving along at such a fast pace that we no longer know what we are doing. Now we have to wait until our soul catches up with us.”

Our Lady, with the infant Jesus in her arms, came down to earth to visit a monastery. In their joy, the padres stood in line to pay their respects: one of them recited poetry, another showed Her illuminated images for the Bible, another recited the names of all of the saints. At the end of the line was a humble padre who had never had the chance to learn from the wise men of his time. His parents were simple people who worked in a traveling circus. When his turn came, the monks wanted to end the payment of respects, fearful that he would damage their image. But he, too, wanted to show his love for the Virgin. Embarrassed, and sensing the disapproval of the brothers, he took some oranges from his pocket and began to toss them in the air -juggling as his parents with the circus had taught him. It was only then that the infant Jesus smiled and clapped his hands with joy. And it was only to the humble monk that the Virgin held out her arms, allowing him to hold her Son for a while.

Do not always try to be consistent. Saint Paul, after all, said, “The wisdom of the world is madness in the eyes of God.” To be consistent is always to wear a tie that matches one's socks. It is to have the same opinions tomorrow as one has today. And the movement of the planet? Where is it? So long as you do no harm to another, change your opinion once in a while. Contradict yourself without being embarrassed. This is your right. It doesn't matter what others think -because that's what they will think, in any case. So, relax. Let the universe move about. Discover the joy of surprising yourself. “God selected the crazy things on the earth so as to embarrass the wise men,” saidSaint Paul .

The master says: “Today would be a good day for doing something out of the ordinary. We could, for example, dance through the streets on our way to work. Look directly into the eyes of a stranger, and speak of love at first sight. Give the boss an idea that may seem ridiculous, an idea we've never mentioned before. The Warriors of the Light allow themselves such days. Today, we could cry over some ancient injustices that still stick in our craw. We could phone someone we vowed never to speak to again (but from whom we would love to receive a message on the answering machine). Today could be considered a day outside the script that we write every morning. Today, any fault will be permitted and forgiven. Today is a day to enjoy life.”

The scientist, Roger Penrose, was walking with some friends and talking animatedly. He fell silent only in order to cross the street. “I remember that -as I was crossing the street -an incredible idea came to me,” Penrose said. “But, as soon as we reached the other side, we picked up where we left off, and I couldn't remember what I thought of just a few seconds earlier.” Late in the afternoon, Penrose began to feel euphoric -without knowing why. “I had the feeling that something had been revealed to me,” he said. He decided to go back over every minute of the day, and -when he remembered the moment when he was crossing the street -the idea came back to him. This time, he wrote it down. It was the theory of black holes, a revolutionary theory in modern physics. And it came back to him because Penrose was able to recall the silence that we always fall into as we cross a street. Saint Anton was living in the desert when a young man approached him. “Father, I sold everything I owned, and gave the proceeds to the poor. I kept only a few things that could help me to survive out here. I would like you to show me the path to salvation.”

Saint Anton asked that the lad sell the few things that he had kept, and -with the money -buy some meat in the city. When he returned, he was to strap the meat to his body. The young man did as he was instructed. As he was returning, he was attacked by dogs and falcons who wanted the meat. “I'm back,” said the young man, showing the father his wounded body and his tattered clothing. “Those who embark in a new direction and want to keep a bit of the old life, wind up lacerated by their own past,” said the saint.

The master says: “Make use of every blessing that God gave you today. A blessing cannot be saved. There is no bank where we can deposit blessings received, to use them when we see fit. If you do not use them, they will be irretrievably lost. God knows that we are creative artists when it comes to our lives. On one day, he gives us clay for sculpting, on another, brushes and canvas, or a pen. But we can never use clay on our canvas, nor pens in sculpture. Each day has its own miracle. Accept the blessings, work, and create your minor works of art today. Tomorrow you will receive others.”

The monastery on the bank of the Rio Piedra is surrounded by beautiful vegetation -it is a true oasis within the sterile fields of that part ofSpain . There, the small river becomes a mighty current, and is split into dozens of waterfalls. The wanderer is walking through the area, hearing the music of the waters. Suddenly, a grotto -behind one of the cataracts -captures his attention. He studies the rocks, worn by time, and regards the lovely forms created patiently by nature. And he finds a verse by R. Tagore inscribed on a plaque: “It was not a hammer that made these rocks so perfect, but water -with its sweetness, its dance and its song.” Where force can only destroy, gentleness can sculpt.

The master says: “Many people are fearful of happiness. For such persons, to be content in life means they must change a number of their habits -and lose their sense of identity. Often we become indignant at the good things that befall us. We do not accept them, because to do so causes us to feel that we are in God's debt. We think: 'Better not to drink from the chalice of happiness, because, when it is empty, we will suffer greatly. ' Out of a fear of shrinking, we fail to grow. Out of a fear of weeping, we fail to laugh.”

One afternoon at the monastery at Sceta, one of the monks offended another. The superior of the monastery, Brother Sisois, asked that the offended monk forgive his aggressor. “I cannot do that,” responded the monk. “It was he that did this, and it he who must pay.” At that very moment, Brother Sisois raised his arms to heaven and began to pray: “My Jesus, we no longer have need of thee. We are now capable of making the aggressor pay for his offenses. We are now able to take vengeance into our own hands, and to deal with Good and Evil. Therefore, You can leave us on our own, and their will be no problem.” Ashamed, the monk immediately pardoned his brother.

A disciple said, “All masters say that spiritual treasure is discovered through solitary search. So, then, why are we all together here?” “You are together because a forest is always stronger than a solitary tree,” the master answered. “The forest conserves humidity, resists the hurricane and helps the soil to be fertile. But what makes a tree strong is its roots. And the roots of a plant cannot help another plant to grow. To be joined together in the same purpose is to allow each person to grow in his own fashion, and that is the path of those who wish to commune with God.”

When the wanderer was ten years old, his mother insisted that he take a course in physical education. One of the activities required him to jump from a bridge into a river. Early in the course, he was paralyzed by fear. Each day, he stood last in line, and suffered every time one of those in front made his jump -because it would shortly be his turn. One day, the instructor -noticing his fear -made him take the first jump. Although he was still frightened, it was over so quickly that the fright was replaced by courage. The master says: “Often, we can afford to take our time. But there are occasions when we must roll up our sleeves and resolve a situation. In such cases, there is nothing worse than delay.”

Buddha was seated among his disciples one morning when a man approached the gathering. “Does God exist,” he asked. “Yes, God exists,” Buddha answered. After lunch, another man appeared. “Does God exist?” he asked. “No, God does not exist,” Buddha answered. Late in the day, a third man asked Buddha the same question, and Buddha's response was: “You must decide for yourself.” “Master, this is absurd,” said one of the disciples. “How can you give three different answers to the same question?”

“Because they were different persons,” answered the Enlightened One. “And each person approaches God in his own way: some with certainty, some with denial and some with doubt.”

We are all concerned with taking action, doing things, resolving problems, providing for others. We are always trying to plan something, conclude something else, discover a third. There is nothing wrong with that -after all, that is how we build and modify the world. But the act of Adoration is also a part of life.

To stop from time to time, to escape one's self, and to stand silent before the Universe. To kneel down, body and soul. Without asking for something, without thinking, without even giving thanks for anything.

Just to experience the warmth of the love that surrounds us. At such moments, unexpected tears may appear -tears neither of happiness nor sadness. Do not be surprised at that. It is a gift. The tears are cleansing your soul.

The master says: “If you must cry, cry like a child. You were once a child, and one of the first things you learned in life was to cry, because crying is a part of life. Never forget that you are free, and that to show your emotions is not shameful. Scream, sob loudly, make as much noise as you like. Because that is how children cry, and they know the fastest way to put their hearts at ease. “Have you ever noticed how children stop crying? They stop because something distracts them. Something calls them to the next adventure. Children stop crying very quickly. And that's how it will be for you. But only if you can cry as children do.”

The wanderer is having lunch with a woman friend, an attorney inFort Lauderdale . A highly animated drunk at the next table insists on talking to her throughout the meal. At one point, the friend asks the drunk to quiet down. But he says: “Why? I'm talking about love in a way that a sober person never does.

I'm happy, I'm trying to communicate with strangers. What's wrong with that?” “This isn't the appropriate time,” she said. “You mean there are only certain times that are appropriate for showing one's happiness?” With that, the drunk is invited to share her table.

The master says: “We must care for our body. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and deserves our respect and affection. We must make the best use of our time. We must fight for our dreams, and concentrate our efforts to that end. But we must not forget that life is made up of small pleasures. They were placed here to encourage us, assist us in our search, and provide moments of surcease from our daily battles. It is not a sin to be happy. There is nothing wrong in -from time to time -breaking certain rules regarding diet, sleep and happiness. Do not criticize yourself if -once in a while -you waste your time on trifles. These are the small pleasures that stimulate us.”

The pianist Artur Rubinstein was late arriving for lunch at a first class restaurant inNew York . His friends began to be concerned, but Rubinstein finally appeared, with a spectacular blonde, one-third his age, at his side. Known to be something of a cheapskate, he surprised his friends by ordering the most expensive entree, and the rarest, most sophisticated wine. When lunch was over, he paid the bill with a smile. “I can see that you are all surprised,” Rubinstein said. “But today, I went to my lawyer's to prepare my will. I left a goodly amount to my daughter and to my relatives, and made generous donations to charities. But I suddenly realized that I wasn't included in the will; everything went to others. So, I decided to treat myself with greater generosity.”

While the master was traveling to spread the word of God, the house in which he lived with his disciples burned down. “He entrusted the house to us, and we didn't take proper care,” said one of the disciples. They immediately began to rebuild on what remained after the fire, but the master returned earlier than expected, and saw what they were doing. “So, things are looking up: a new house,” he said happily. One of the disciples, embarrassed, told him what had actually happened; that where they had all lived together had been consumed by fire. “I don't understand,” said the master. “What I am seeing is men who have faith in life, beginning a new chapter. Those who have lost everything they owned are in a better position than many others, because, from that moment on, things can only improve.”

The master says: “If you are traveling the road of your dreams, be committed to it. Do not leave an open door to be used as an excuse such as, 'Well, this isn't exactly what I wanted. ' Therein are contained the seeds of defeat. “Walk your path. Even if your steps have to be uncertain, even if you know that you could be doing it better. If you accept your possibilities in the present, there is no doubt that you will improve in the future. But if you deny that you have limitations, you will never be rid of them. “Confront your path with courage, and don't be afraid of the criticism of others. And, above all, don't allow yourself to become paralyzed by self-criticism. “God will be with you on your sleepless nights, and will dry your tears with His love. God is for the valiant.”

The master and his disciples were traveling, and, on the road, were unable to eat properly. The master asked some of them to go and seek food. The disciples returned at the end of the day. Each brought with him the little he had been able to gain through the charity of others: fruit that was already going bad, stale bread and bitter wine. One of the disciples, however, brought with him a bag of ripe apples. “I would do anything to help my master and my brothers,” he said, sharing the apples with the others. “Where did you get these?” asked the master. “I had to steal them,” the disciple answered. “People were giving me only spoiled food, even though they knew that we were preaching the word of God.” “Get away with your apples, and never come back,” said the master. “Anyone who would rob for me, would rob from me.”

We go out into the world in search of our dreams and ideals. Often we make inaccessible that which is within our reach. When we realize the error, we feel we have wasted our time, seeking in the distance what was close at hand. We blame ourselves for making such a mistake, for our useless search and for the problems we have caused. The master says: “Although the treasure may be buried in your house, you will find it only if you leave in search of it. If Peter had not experienced the pain of rejection, he would not have been chosen as the head of the Church. If the prodigal son had not abandoned everything, he would not have been given a feast by his father. There are certain things in our lives that carry a seal that says:

'You will appreciate my value only after you have lost me... and recovered me. ' It does no good to try to shorten the path.”

The master was meeting with his favorite disciple, and asked him how his spiritual progress was going. The disciple answered that he was now able to dedicate every moment of his day to God. “So, then, all that's left is to forgive your enemies,” said the master. The disciple looked at his master, startled: “But that's not necessary. I bear no ill will toward my enemies.” “Do you think that God bears you any ill will?”

asked the master. “Of course not,” the disciple answered. “Yet you ask for his forgiveness, don't you?

Do the same with your enemies, even though you bear them no ill will. A person who forgives is washing and perfuming his own heart.”

The young Napoleon was trembling like a reed in the wind during the ferocious bombardments atToulon . A soldier, seeing him that way, said to his fellow soldiers, “Look at him, he's scared to death.” “Yes, I am,” replied Napoleon. “But I go on fighting. If you felt half the fear I feel, you would have fled a long time ago.” The master says: “Fear is not a sign of cowardice. It is fear that allows us be brave and dignified in the face of life's situations. Someone who experiences fear -and despite the fear goes on, without allowing it to intimidate him -is giving proof of valiance. But someone who tackles difficult situations without taking the danger into account, is proving only his irresponsibility.”

The wanderer is at the feast ofSaint John, with its tents, archery contests and country food. Suddenly, a clown begins to mimic his gestures. People laugh, and the wanderer laughs, as well, and invites the clown to have coffee with him. “Commit to life!” says the clown. “If you are alive, you have to shake your arms, jump around, make noise, laugh and talk to people. Because life is exactly the opposite of death. To die is to remain forever in the same position. If you are too quiet, you are not living.”

A disciple and his master were walking in the fields one morning. The disciple was asking what diet was needed to provide purification. Although his master had always insisted that all foods were holy, the disciple did not believe it. “There must be some meal that brings us closer to God,” the disciple said.

“Well, perhaps you are right. Those mushrooms there, for example,” said the master. The disciple was excited, thinking that the mushrooms would provide him with purification and ecstasy. But as he stooped to pick one he screamed: “These are poisonous! If I were to eat even one of them, I would die instantly!”

he said, horrified. “Well, I don't know any other food that would bring you so quickly to God,” said the master.

In the winter of 1981, the wanderer is walking with his wife through the streets ofPrague, when he sees a boy doing drawings of some neighborhood buildings. He likes what he sees, and decides to buy one. When he holds out the money, he notices that the boy has no gloves -and the temperature is in the 20s.

“Why don't you wear gloves?” he asks. “So that I can hold my pencil.” They talk a bit aboutPrague . The boy offers to do a drawing of the wanderer's wife's face, free of charge. As he waits for the drawing to be completed, the wanderer realizes that something strange had happened: he had conversed for almost five minutes with the boy, and neither spoke the other's language. They had used only gestures, smiles and facial expressions -but the will to share something had allowed them to enter into the world of language without words.

A friend took Hassan to the door of a mosque, where a blind man was begging. “This blind man is the wisest person in our country,” said the friend. “How long have you been blind,” Hassan asked the man.

“Since birth,” the man answered. “And how did you become so wise?” “Since I didn't accept my blindness, I tried to become an astronomer,” the man answered. “But, since I couldn't see the heavens, I was forced to imagine the stars, the sun and the galaxies. And, the closer I came to God's work, the closer I came to His wisdom.”

In a bar in a remote village inSpain, close to the city ofOlite, there is a sign placed there by the owner.

“Just as I succeeded in finding all the answers, all the questions changed.” The master says: “We are always concerned with finding answers. We feel that answers are important to understand what life means. “It is more important to live fully, and allow time to reveal to us the secrets of our existence. If we are too concerned with making sense of life, we prevent nature from acting, and we become unable to read God's signs.”

There is an Australian legend about a shaman who was walking with his three sisters when they met the most famous warrior of the time. “I want to marry one of these beautiful girls,” the warrior said. “If one of them marries, the other two will suffer”, said the shaman. “I am looking for a tribe that allow its men to have three wives.” For years, they walked the entire Australian continent without finding such a tribe. “At least one of us could have been happy,” said one of the sisters when they were old, and sick of walking.

“I was wrong,” said the shaman. “But now it's too late.” And he turned the three sisters into blocks of stone, so that all who passed by would understand that one person's happiness does not mean others must be sad.

The journalist, Walter Carelli, went to interview the Argentine writer, Jorge Luis Borges. When his interview had been completed, they began to talk about the language that exists beyond words, and about the human being's great capacity to understand others. “I will give you an example,” said Borges. And he began to speak in a strange language. Then he stopped and asked the journalist what he had been saying. Before Carelli could respond, the photographer who was with him said: “It's the 'Our Father. '” “Exactly,” said Borges. “I was reciting it in Finnish.”

An animal trainer with the circus is able to dominate elephants by using a very simple trick: when the animal is still a child, he lashes one of his legs to the trunk of a tree. No matter how hard he struggles, the young elephant is unable to free himself. Little by little, he becomes used to the idea that the trunk of the tree is more powerful than he is. When he becomes an adult possessing tremendous strength, one has only to tie a string about the elephant's leg, and tie him to a sapling. He will not attempt to free himself. As with elephants, our feet are often bound by fragile ties. But since, as children, we became accustomed to the strength of the tree trunk, we do not dare to struggle. Without realizing that a simple courageous act is all that is needed to find our freedom.

The master says: “It avails you nothing to seek explanations about God. You can listen to beautiful words, but they are basically empty. Just as you can read an entire encyclopedia about love without knowing how to love. No one will ever prove that God exists. Certain things in life simply have to be experienced -and never explained. Love is such a thing. God -who is love -is also such a thing. Faith is a childhood experience, in that magical sense that Jesus taught us: 'Children are thekingdomofGod . ' “God will never enter your head. The door that He uses is your heart.”

The abbot always said that Abbot Joseph had prayed so much that he no longer had anything to worry about -his passions had been conquered. Those words reached the ears of one of the wise men at the monastery of Sceta, who called his novitiates together after their evening meal. “You have heard it said that Abbot Joseph has no further temptations to overcome,” he said. “The lack of a struggle weakens the soul. Let us ask that the Lord send down a powerful temptation to Abbot Joseph. And, if he is able to resist that temptation, let us ask for another and another. And when he is once again struggling to resist temptation, let us pray that he never says: 'Lord, take this devil away. ' Let us pray that instead he asks:

'Lord, give me the strength to win out over evil'”

There is a moment in every day when it is difficult to see clearly: evening time. Light and darkness blend, and nothing is completely clear nor completely dark. In most spiritual traditions, this moment is considered holy. The Catholic tradition teaches us that we should say a Hail Mary at six o'clock in the evening. In the Quechuan tradition, if we run into a friend in the afternoon and we are still with him at evening time, we must start all over, greeting him again with a “Good evening.” At dusk, the balance between man and the planet is tested. God mixes shadow and light to see if the Earth has the courage to go on turning. If the Earth is not frightened by the darkness, night passes -- a new sun shines the next day.

The German philosopher, Schopenhauer, was strolling along a street inDresden, seeking the answers to questions that bothered him. Passing by a garden, he decided to sit and look at the flowers. One of the residents of the neighborhood observed the philosopher's strange behavior and summoned the police. Minutes later, an officer approached Schopenhauer. “Who are you,” the officer asked brusquely. Schopenhauer looked the policeman up and down. “If you can help me find the answer to that question,”

he said, “I will be eternally grateful to you.”

A man searching for wisdom decided to go up into the mountains, since he had been told that every two years God appeared there. During his first year there, he ate everything that the land had to offer. Eventually, the supply was exhausted, and he had to return to the city. “God is unfair!” he exclaimed.

“Didn't he know that I waited for a year to hear his voice. I was hungry and had to come back to town.”

At that moment, an angel appeared. “God would like very much to talk with you,” the angel said. “For an entire year he fed you. He was hoping that you would produce your own food after that. But what did you plant? If a man is unable to grow fruit where he lives, he is not ready to talk with God.”

People say, “Well, it seems that freedom for man consists of choosing his own brand of slavery. I work eight hours a day, and if I get a promotion, I'll have to work twelve. I got married, and now I have no time to myself. I looked for God, and now I have to attend cult meetings, masses and other religious ceremonies. Everything that's important in life -love, work, faith -winds up becoming a burden that's too heavy to bear.” The master says: “Only love allows us to escape. Only love turns slavery into freedom. If we cannot love, it is better to stop now. Jesus said: 'Better to be blind in one eye than for the entire body to perish in darkness. ' “Hard words. But true.”

A hermit fasted for an entire year, eating only once a week. After this sacrifice, he asked that God reveal to him the true meaning of a certain passage in the Bible. No response was heard. “What a waste of time,” the hermit said to himself. “I gave up so much, and God didn't even answer! Better to leave these parts and find a monk who knows the meaning of the verse.” At that moment, an angel appeared. “The twelve months of fasting served only to make you believe that you were better than others, and God does not answer a vain person,” the angel said. “But when you were humble, and sought help from others, God sent me.” And the angel explained what he wanted to know.

The master says: “Notice how certain words were formed so as to show their meaning clearly. “Let us take the word “preoccupation.” It can be divided in two: “pre” and “occupation.” It means to occupy oneself with something before it happens. “Who, in the entire universe, could have the gift of occupying himself with a thing that has not yet happened? Never be preoccupied. Be attentive to your destiny and to your path. Learn everything you need to know in order to handle the bright sword entrusted to you.

Pay attention to how your friends, your masters and your enemies fight. Train yourself sufficiently, but do not commit the worst of errors: believing that you know what kind of blow your adversary is going to deliver.”

Friday comes, you go home, and you pick up the newspapers that you weren't able to read during the week. You turn on the television with the sound off. You put on a cassette tape. You use the remote control to jump from one channel to the other, as you try to turn the pages of the paper and listen to the music. The papers contain nothing new, the TV programs are repetitious, and you've already heard the cassette dozens of times. Your wife is attending to the children, sacrificing her youthful years without really understanding why she is doing so. An excuse occurs to you: “Well, that's the way life is.” No, that's not the way life is. Life is enthusiasm. Try to remember where it was that you hid away your enthusiasm. Take your wife and children with you and try to find it again, before it's too late. Love never kept anyone from following his dream.

On Christmas Eve, the wanderer and his wife did an evaluation of the year that was about to end. During dinner at the only restaurant in a village in thePyrenees, the wanderer began to complain about something that hadn't gone the way he thought it should have. His wife stared at the Christmas tree decorating the restaurant. The wanderer thought that she was no longer interested in the conversation, and changed the subject: “Aren't the lights on the tree pretty!” he said. “They are,” his wife answered. “But if you look closely, among the dozens of bulbs there is one that has burned out. It seems to me that, instead of seeing the past year in terms of the dozens of blessings that illuminated it, you are fixating on the only bulb that illuminated nothing.”

“Look at that humble holy man, walking the road”, said one devil to another. “I think I'll go over there and conquer his soul.” “He won't listen to you, because he is concerned only with holy things,” said his companion. But the devil, in his usual ardent fashion, dressed himself as the Archangel Gabriel, and appeared before the holy man. “I have come to help you,” he said. “You must have me confused with someone else,” answered the holy man. “I have done nothing in my life to deserve the attention of an angel.” And he continued on his way, never knowing what he had avoided.

A friend of the wanderer went to a play on Broadway, and went out for a drink during the intermission. The lobby was crowded, and people were smoking, talking and drinking. A pianist was playing, but no one paid any attention to his music. The wanderer's friend sipped her drink and studied the musician. He seemed bored -just doing his job and waiting for the intermission to end. After another drink, and feeling a bit high, she approached the piano. “You're a pain in the neck! Why don't you play just for yourself?”

she exclaimed. The pianist was surprised. And then he began to play the kind of music he liked. In just a few minutes, the entire lobby fell silent. When the song was over, there was enthusiastic applause.

Saint Francis ofAssisi was a very popular young man when he decided to leave it all behind and do his life's work. Saint Clare was a beautiful young woman when she took her vow of chastity. Saint Raimundo Lull knew the great intellectuals of his time when he went off into the desert. The spiritual quest is, above all, a challenge. Whoever uses it to flee from his problems will not go very far. It does no good for someone who cannot make friends to retire from the world. It accomplishes nothing to take a vow of poverty if you are already unable to earn a living. And it makes no sense to become humble if one is already a coward. It is one thing to have something and give it up. It is another not to have something and to condemn those who have. It is easy for a weak man to go around preaching absolute charity, but what good is it? The master says: “Praise the Lord's work. Conquer yourself as you confront the world.”

It is easy to be difficult. All we have to do is stay away from people, and in that way, avoid suffering. That way, we don't have to risk love, disappointment, frustrated dreams. It is easy to be difficult. We don't have to be concerned about phone calls we should have made, people who ask us for help, charity that should be extended. It is easy to be difficult. We just have to pretend that we live in an ivory tower, and never shed a tear. We just have to spend the rest of our lives playing a role. It is easy to be difficult.

All we have to do is reject everything good that life offers.

The patient said to his physician, “Doctor, I am ruled by fear, and fear has taken away all joy.” “Here in my office, there is a mouse that nibbles at my books,” the doctor said. “If I become desperate over the mouse, he will hide from me, and I'll do nothing else with my life but hunt for him. Instead, I have put all of my best books in a safe place, and I allow him to eat at some of the others. That way, he continues to be only a mouse, and not a monster. Fear a few things, and concentrate all of your fear on them -so you can be courageous in facing the important things.”

The master says: “Often it is easier to love than to be loved. We find it hard to accept the help and support of others. Our attempts to appear independent deprive others of the opportunity to demonstrate their love. Many parents, in their old age, rob their children of the chance to show them the same affection and support they received as children. Many husbands (and wives), when they are overtaken by affliction, feel ashamed at depending upon others. As a result, the waters of love do not spread. You should accept a gesture of love from someone. You have to allow others to help you, to give you the strength to go on. If you accept such love with purity and humility, you will understand that Love is neither giving nor receiving -it is participating.”

Eve was walking through the Garden of Eden, when the serpent approached her. “Eat this apple,” he said. Eve, well taught by God, refused. “Eat this apple,” the serpent insisted. “Because you have to become more beautiful for your husband.” “I don't need it,” Eve answered. “He has no one else but me.” The serpent laughed: “Of course he does.” Since Eve did not believe him, he took her to the top of a hill where there was a well. “She's down there. That's where Adam hid her.” Eve looked in and saw a beautiful woman reflected in the water. And then she ate the apple the snake offered.

Excerpts from a “Letter to my Heart:” “My heart, I will never condemn you or criticize you. Nor will I ever be ashamed of what you say. I know that you are a beloved child of God, and that He protects you within a glorious and loving radiance. I believe in you, my heart. I am on your side, and I will always ask for blessing in my prayers. I will always ask that you find the help and support you need. I believe in you, my heart. I believe that you will share your love with anyone who needs or deserves it. That my path is your path, and that we will walk together to the Holy Spirit. I ask of you: trust in me. Know that I love you and that I am trying to give you all the freedom you need to continue beating joyfully in my breast. I will do everything I can so that you never feel uncomfortable with my presence surrounding you.”

The master says: “When we decide to act, it is natural that unexpected conflict should arise. It is natural that we will be wounded as a result of such conflict. Wounds heal: they stay on as scars, and that is blessing. Such scars stay with us for the rest of our lives, and are of great help to us. If at some point -for whatever reason -our desire to return to the past is strong, we have only to look at our scars. Scars are the marks of handcuffs, and remind us of the horrors of prison -and with that reminder we move forward again.”

In his Epistle to the Corinthians,Saint Paul tells us that sweetness is one of the main characteristics of love. Let us never forget: love is tenderness. A rigid soul does not allow the hand of God to mold it in accordance with His desires. The wanderer was traveling a narrow road in the north ofSpain, when he saw a man stretched out in a bed of flowers. “Aren't you crushing those flowers?” the wanderer asked.

“No,” the man answered. “I'm trying to take a bit their sweetness from them.”

The master says: “Pray every day. Even if your prayers are wordless and ask for nothing, and can hardly be understood. Make a habit of your prayers. If that is difficult at the beginning, decide for yourself: 'I am going to pray every day this week. ' And renew that promise for each of the next seven days. Remember that you are creating not only a more intimate link with the spiritual world; you are also training your will.

It is through certain practices that we develop the discipline needed for life's combat. It does no good to forget the resolution one day and pray twice the next. Nor to pray seven times the same day, and go through the rest of the week thinking that you have completed your task. Certain things have to occur with the right pace and rhythm.”

An evil man, about to die, meets an angel at the gates to Hell. The angel says to him: “It is enough for you to have done one good thing in your life, and that will help you.” “Think hard,” the angel said. The man remembers that one time, as he was walking through a forest, he saw a spider in his path and detoured so as not to step on it. The angel smiles and a spider web comes down from the sky, allowing the man to ascend toParadise . Others among the condemned take advantage of the web, and begin to make the climb. But the man turns on them and begins to push them off, fearing that the web will break.

At that moment, it breaks, and the man is once again returned to Hell. “What a pity,” the man hears the angel say. “Your concern with yourself turned the only good thing you ever did into evil.”

The master says: “A crossroad is a holy place. There, the pilgrim has to make a decision. That is why the gods usually sleep and eat at crossroads. Where roads cross, two great forces are concentrated -the path that will be chosen, and the path to be ignored. Both are transformed into a single path, but only for a short period of time. The pilgrim may rest, sleep a bit, and even consult with the gods that inhabit the crossroad. But no one can remain there forever: once his choice is made, he has to move on, without thinking about the path he has rejected. Otherwise, the crossroad becomes a curse.”

Humanity has committed some of its worst crimes in the name of the truth. Men and women have been burned at the stake. The entire culture of some civilizations has been destroyed. Those who committed the sin of eating meat were kept at a distance. Those who sought a different path were ostracized. One person, in the name of truth, was crucified. But -before He died -He left us a great definition of the Truth.

It is not what provides us with certitudes. It is not what makes us better than others. It is not what we keep within the prison of our preconceived ideas. The Truth is what makes us free. “Know the Truth, and the truth will make thee free,” He said.

One of the monks at the monastery at Sceta committed a grave error, and the wisest of hermits was summoned by the brothers to judge him. The wise hermit did not want to come, but the group was so insistent that he agreed. Before he left his place, though, he took a bucket and made some holes in its bottom. Then, he filled it with sand, and began his walk to the monastery. The father superior, noticing the bucket, asked what it was for. “I have come to judge another,” the hermit said. “My sins are running out behind me, as does the sand in this bucket. But, since I do not look behind me, and cannot see my own sins, I am able to judge another.” The monks immediately decided not to proceed with the judgment.