The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom

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During the journey Petrus shows him meditation exercises and introduces him to some of the more down-to-earth elements of Western mystical thought and philosophy, and teaches him about love and its forms: agape, philia and eros. I’ve read a few of Coelho’s works, including The Alchemist (of course), Veronica Decides to Die, The Witch of Portobello, and a few others. Each has served as a fun way to complement my travels, but I was really looking forward to this read because I had just had a similar experience. He begins his journey with a guide, also a member of RAM, who goes by the alias Petrus. During the journey Petrus shows him meditation exercises and introduces him to some of the more down-to-earth elements of Western mystical thought and philosophy, and teaches him about love and its forms: agape, philia and eros. Its not that I find anything wrong with these messages. They are important, but must be balanced with responsibility. In my experience, 'following your dreams' (or personal legend) is not the only way toward wisdom and strength. Is the person who struggles to put food on the table every day for his or her family, consciously realizing that he or she may not be following his or her 'personal legend' any less heroic than some traveler who leaves everything and everyone he or she is responsible for to go on a spiritual quest? Coelho comes close to labeling such people, as losers in life, which I find completely off the mark as some of these people have the most to offer in terms of wisdom. Coelho's message--and, boy, is this a book with a message--is that each of us has his own Personal Legend, and that if we recognize that legend and pursue it sincerely, everything in the Universe (which is after all made up--wind, stone, trees--of the same stuff we are) will conspire to help us achieve it. Corollaries: 1) people who don't recognize their legends are never happy, 2) people who fail to realize their legends are afraid, and 3) people who refuse to pursue their legends, even when they know what they are, are both unhappy and afraid. (I admit I've left out a nuance or two here and there, but not many. There aren't more than three or four nuances in the book.)

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho - Audiobooks on Google Play The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho - Audiobooks on Google Play

I think a big reason why I enjoyed this book was through my own personal experience, so I could see why it wouldn’t appeal to everyone. However, I would recommend it to those who have taken on a trip for a personal reason to grow and to change. Travel can cause us to question everything about ourselves, which is what Coelho really captures here and in many of this other works. I also didn’t really like the ending. Sure it is riffing on the whole “it’s the journey not the destination” aspect but it felt a bit flat for me with the deus ex machina moment. It is a happy ending though, and one full of success and rewards. As a bookclub member pointed out, it sort of resonates with a quote by T.S. Eliot: ‘ We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.’ Non entro in dettagli sul perché non l'abbia apprezzato, ma leggere di rituali templari, ordini non meglio identificati, estasi varie grazie ad esercizi spiegati anche nel libro, magia, cani posseduti da cui difendersi mordendo e graffiando, versi della Bibbia che non ci azzeccano niente, Coelho che riceve i carismi dallo Spirito Santo, Coelho che si paragona a Gesù scacciando un demone di nome Legione ( "Qual è il tuo nome?" "Legione perché siamo in tanti. Giuro, nel libro Coelho usa la stessa frase che si trova nella Bibbia. Non c'è il branco di porci ma di pecore. Ha avuto almeno la decenza di non scrivere che i demoni entrano nei corpi delle pecore. Sì, erano anche vicino a un burrone.), ripianta croci mentre è mezzo morto e trova anche un agnello bianco che gli parla tramite sguardi e gli indica la strada... è veramente troppo. Todas las obras de Coelho tienden a ser espiritualmente reveladoras, aunque después de leer muchos de sus libros eventualmente todos terminan pareciendo lo mismo hasta el punto que lo único que realmente destaca es la historia. Y lamentablemente esta no lo hace. Es interesante, pero carece de ese increíble efecto “vuela la mente” que caracteriza muchas de sus otras obras.

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The issue of responsibility is also part of this book's sexism. The main male characters in the novel have 'Personal Legends' - they are either seeking them, or have achieved them, or have failed to achieve them. But Coelho never mentions 'Personal Legend' with regard to women, other than to say that Fatima, Santiago's fiance, is 'a part of Santiago's Personal Legend." Thats fine, but what about her own Personal Legend? Instead of traveling to find her dreams, she is content to sit around, do chores, and stare everyday at the desert to wait for his return. This is her 'fate' as a desert women. The fact that women don't have Personal Legends is even more galling considering the fact that according to Coelho, even minerals such as lead and copper have Personal Legends, allowing them to 'evolve' to something better (ie, gold). The Alchemist is a novel that combines an atmosphere of medieval mysticism with the voice of the desert -- dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure follow Santiago and the reader like echoes of ancient wise voices. With this symbolic novel Coelho states that we should not avoid our destinies, and urges people to follow their dreams, because to find our "Personal Myth" and our mission on Earth is the way to find God, meaning happiness, fulfillment, and the ultimate purpose of creation. Not giving heed to the concerns doubts and criticisms of others is something I believe is a major fault in modern society. Often, people fail to recognize the needs of the group and the community. We place so much emphasis on the needs and rights of the individual. This causes people to focus so much on themselves to the detriment of others around them. At times, it can be beneficial to go against the group, but one should first give serious consideration to the groups concerns.

The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom

I did appreciate how it was aimed at a general positive idea of spirituality that, while using different religions, was not necessarily religious. Spiritual, or mystic would seem the better term. I liked the idea of the universe, the sand, the wind, etc as conscious entities that can collaborate with you. While I really disliked the deus ex machina ending, the whole idea of the world as a spiritual presence was well done. Coelho does sort of pull an orientalism in his depiction as an outsider of the region as this wild and savage land full of wise sages and cutthroat robbers, but it does seem with the aim of capturing the feel of One Thousand and One Nights or other tales of adventure and ‘finding yourself’ in exotic locale. Which I think is a topic that people have had a more nuanced discussion on since this book was written. For those who don’t know, the story follows a young boy, Santiago, as he journeys across the desert and meets a lot of interesting people along the way. Literally every person has a pearl of positive wisdom to share it seems, and it becomes a rapid fire of empowerment quotes that could all go on one of those inspirational posters made for office walls in the 90s. Actually, I’m fairly certain I’ve seen one that quoted this book. The characters all feel like a mouthpiece for Coehlo to pass along his positive message, or wisdom, and one can easily imagine this being a self-help book had he not decided to attach a fictional narrative to it. It is a nice message, that you have to believe in yourself and in your goals and, if you truly do (“only those who are true of heart” vibes like in fairy tales) the universe will conspire to help you achieve your goal. Which is a nice inspirational message and sometimes that is what you need to hear to break free from self doubt. Particularly as another primary message is that we must overcome fear to accomplish what we need to do. ‘ Don't give in to your fears,’ Coelho writes, ‘ If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart.’ So great, yea, believe in yourself. I dig that. About seven months ago, my mother and I took on the Camino de Santiago from Sarria, Spain, to Santiago de Compostela. It was one of my favorite memories of last year, and it required much more out of us than we had planned in a number of ways. As many know, the Camino de Santiago isn’t just a hiking trail, but it’s also been an important pilgrimage for centuries. It has served as a spiritual and personal journey for many, so I was excited to dive into The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho. The Pilgrimage book review

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Obviously I'm being facetious, and Coelho intended to say that one should follow their dreams no matter what, even if it transcends a nice, content life, so long as you are in pursuit of a life that would be even greater than you can ever imagine, sacrificing what is good now for what can be great later. But he did so in an extremely simplistic way, and the revelation of the Santiago's treasure being literally treasure was a major disappointment. So in the end, I’m mostly ambivalent to this book. I see why people enjoy it and it is admittedly pretty and sweet and uplifting. It’s a good vibe to be in. It didn’t do much for me, but that’s alright too. The Pilgrimage paved the way to Paulo Coehlo’s international bestselling novel The Alchemist. In many ways, these two volumes are companions—to truly comprehend one, you must read the other. Step inside this captivating account of Paulo Coehlo’s pilgrimage along the road to Santiago. This fascinating parable explores the need to find one’s own path. In the end, we discover that the extraordinary is always found in the ordinary and simple ways of everyday people. Part adventure story, part guide to self-discovery, this compelling tale delivers the perfect combination of enchantment and insight. The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho – eBook Details

The Pilgrimage - Taliah Aneesah 2 Book Summary: The Pilgrimage - Taliah Aneesah 2

As the alchemist himself says when he appears to Santiago in the form of an old king "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true". This is the core of the novel's theme. Isn't it true that all of us want to believe the old king when he says that the greatest lie in the world is that at some point we lose the ability to control our lives, and become the pawns of fate. Before reading this book, I knew that there is only one sacred place or a pilgrimage center which Jerusalem. However, it proved to be two other routes which are: The tomb of saint peter in Rome and the other one which Paulo traveled through. Well, the 2 week journey made on foot by Paulo Coelho ended for me this evening. To tell you the truth, after reading this book, I'd like to experience it myself...But enough about me, let's get straight to the reviewing process.I really disliked this book. I dislike it in the way that I dislike a great deal of modern self help books. Their basic message is that if you want something to happen, you need to want it as hard as you can, without caring about anything else, not allowing yourself to doubt it, or let criticisms will get in the way then it will happen. This journey is about self discovery, fighting with your own demons, letting your heart being your own eyes and leading you throughout the dark and threatening roads of life. It’s epic, uplifting, motivational, inspirational,heartfelt, poignant! PERSONAL NOTE: The introduction also mentions this story is plagued with symbolisms. I wouldn’t be able to point out a single one, but that’s because I simply don’t register them. Yes, I’m that stupid; for certain things. Coelho's fans call his books inspiring and life-changing. His critics dismiss his writing as New Age drivel, promoting a vague spirituality devoid of rigor. A confident writer who rejects the self-help label—"I am not a self-help writer; I am a self-problem writer"—Coelho dismisses his naysayers' critiques. "When I write a book I write a book for myself; the reaction is up to the reader," he says. "It's not my business whether people like or dislike it." RAM ) والتي كان عضواً فيها منذ عشر سنوات. ورام – كما يقول كويلو عبر موقعه على الإنترنت – هي أخوية مسيحية أسُست عام 1942, غرضها الأساسي هو دراسة اللغة الرمزية للعالم, وأسمها هو اختصار لـ (regnum, agnus, mundi) وتعنى ( الصرامة, الحب, الرحمة ). في أخوية رام يكون لكل عضو سيف خاص برتبته, وتنصّ تعاليم الأخوية أنه أثناء طقوس ترقية أحد الأعضاء يجب أن يَدفن سيفه القديم, ومن ثم يُعطى السيف الجديد الخاص برتبته الجديدة.

The Pilgrimage (Plus): Coelho, Paulo, Coelho, Paulo, Sanches

Fun fact: The Alchemist had a big boost in sales when then-President Bill Clinton was photographed reading it. I preface my review by saying I am amazed how wildly passionate people are in their feelings toward this novel ~~ regardless of whether they love or hate The Alchemist. I’m one of those people who love it. But, I understand why people are so passionate in their dislike of this work. Paul Coelho looks to inspire passion in people with The Alchemist. And he succeeds in doing so ~~ especially in those who are so passionate in their dislike of this book. Superficially deep (ie deep on the surface and shallow underneath), but actually rather pretentious new age waffle - yet somehow manages to be beautiful despite that. I would have enjoyed it in my late teens/early 20s (when I enjoyed Jonathan Livingston Seagull), but reading this as an adult, I found it annoyingly unsubtle. AME Veronika decide morir y no me canso de recomendarla, pero no puedo recomendar este. El Alquimista también es bueno.The Pilgrimage paved the way to Paulo Coehlo's international bestselling novel The Alchemist. In many ways, these two volumes are companions—to truly comprehend one, you must read the other. Non riesco a non chiedermi come faccia un libro così insulso, balordo, infantile, sempliciotto, ridicolo fare attraversare l'oceano a cosi tante persone per fare qualcosa che non c'entra nulla col cammino descritto nel libro.