The Pilgrimage

The Pilgrimage (Diário de Um Mago, in Portuguese) is a 1987 novel by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho. It is a recollection of Paulo's experiences as he made his way across Northern Spain on the Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela in 1986. It is overshadowed by Coelho’s 1987 best seller The Alchemist, but for me, this book is dearer to my heart. Just reading of the book makes me exhausted all the time, as if I were experiencing the agape which is a kind of love that consumes.

Reading The Alchemist is like to read a fable, a fairytale with lots of philosophical discussion. Reading The Pilgrimage is to reflect one’s life, which consumes much energy. It forces the reader to follow the hero to walk the Strange Way to Santiago, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Except for the very ending of the book, which describes a super natural encounter of the hero Paulo with the God within himself, I pretty much follow every move of Paulo and share his experience of growing.

Paulo was a 38 year old man who sought to become Master of the Tradition, but failed at his final test. His Master asked him to walk the Pilgrimage Way to Santiago in Spain, in order to seek his sword—the symbol of power and instrument for action. He started the trip with a guide from the Tradition, Petrus, who was meant to lead him to find his sword and teach him about the RAM practices from the Tradition. There was a lot of tension between the two of them, because Paulo was interested only in his sword and the intellectual part of the Tradition, rather than following the Road of common people. Along the Road, Petrus taught Paulo various exercises to help him start to learn from the nature, to build up communication with his inner self (messenger), to enjoy his being, to fight a good fight, to conquer his enemy, and to learn agape—love that consumes. During the process, Paulo went through a lot of extreme physical challenges and sense of humiliation and enjoy. Near the end of the Road to Santiago, Petrus taught Paulo the Dance Exercise and left him without guiding him to find his sword. Paulo felt frustrated but managed to walk the rest of the Road. Gradually he found his inner voice, which guided him to climb El Cebrobo. He met a Cross and a lamb in the heavy fog and finally realized the secret of his sword—to know how to use the sword. Unexpectedly, he followed the lamb to a church where his Master waited for him and granted him his sword.

The story is about a personal pursuit of goal in life. Most people, as Paulo, focus only on the reward—their swords, but overlook what they are going to do with their reward. The blind chasing of one’s goal leads to agitation, agony, frustration, illusion, self denial, and most of all, the loss of ability to find the power within oneself. The sword is a symbol of self fulfillment and power and it is an outcome of walking the Milky Way to Santiago, but not the purpose of our lives. To follow the way of common people, live their lives, understand their sufferings and legacy, deal with negative thinking about oneself, fight a good fight with courage and wisdom, the pilgrimage transforms ordinary people into a Master. A Master is one who teaches himself and his followers the way of the Tradition. The book included so many self reflections, mythology, philosophical discussions, and so much love, that reading it on subway car always makes me miss my stop.

I can not help start thinking my life in the past six years. As Paulo, I was focusing on my reward—my degree—and overlook the beautiful part of my life, ignore the meaningful communication with friends and families, and become such an idiot who knows nothing about real life. When I was little, I dreamed of going to Peking University. When I was in the University, I was longing for go to US. Once in the US, I wished to get my degree. Now I am on the verge of completing my study, so what is coming next?

I am running so hard that I forget why I start to run. The thinking makes me feel so weak that I started to cry. In the darkness, I try to do the Seed Exercise as described in the book and feel like a seed in the earth. The tear purifies my heart and soul.

Let go all the negative thinking about myself,

Let go all the ambition,

Let go all the doubt about future,

Let go all the sufferings which make me weak.

Sempre libera!