Life Is Beautiful
Part VII: The Alchemist In You [1],[2]
“The secrets of alchemy exist to transform mortals from a state of suffering and ignorance to a state of enlightenment and bliss.”
—Deepak Chopra
One of my favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. So much so, that I have read it once each year since it was first published in English in 1993. I learn something valuable about life each time I read it. The book is written in such simple language that a child can enjoy it. But most important, nearly every page contains a profound message on how to live a fulfilled and happy life.
The book is a fable about following your dreams. Fables, of course, are exciting tales that try to enlighten the reader about certain aspects of life. The Alchemist makes the point that everyone comes into this world with a special destiny; however, not everyone decides to reach their destiny because it involves work and what they perceive as risk.
Reaching your destiny often requires that you leave familiar surroundings and be open to a world in which you can truly make a big difference. This necessitates persistence, accepting risk and the ability to change when necessary. Coelho says you must be willing to respond to the “omens” you meet along the way. These may be associated with events that happen to you, or perhaps, people you meet.
The Alchemist follows the journey of a young Spanish shepherd boy named Santiago, whose parents would like him to become a priest, but he chooses to travel the world and seek his destiny in a hidden treasure that appears to him repeatedly in a dream.
Santiago’s father reluctantly agrees with his plan, but tells him that he will surely return home, as that is where he will find his true destiny. Santiago travels far from his village in southern Spain, making his way through northern Africa and the Sahara Desert to the Egyptian pyramids, after a fortuneteller tells him he will find his buried treasure there.
He learns much about life and faces great dangers along the way, but in the end he finds his treasure and destiny are at the very place from which he started his journey. However, Santiago’s travels teach him many valuable lessons about life. Through the challenges he faces along the way, he learns how to recognize and follow the omens, mysterious messages that suggest directions he must follow to reach his destiny.
An important person he meets during his journey is an alchemist who teaches him about the secrets of life, namely how to understand and use the forces of the universe to achieve his destiny and create a great life for him and for others. He tells Santiago that love is the most powerful force in the universe, the ultimate power in alchemy. It can transform people just as the Opus Magnum, or the “Great Work” of the alchemist, also based on the power of love, can transform lead into gold.
Santiago ultimately finds the buried treasure because he has had the courage to follow his dreams, and the treasure is his destiny. It creates for him a life of love, service and compassion. He finds lasting fulfillment and happiness. His journey transforms him. He has become an alchemist.
The following are messages from this beautiful fable, followed by some personal thoughts:
Consciousness Is Everything
- “Everything on the face of the earth has a soul, whether mineral, vegetable, or animal. Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive and it has a soul. We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working on us.”
- “Wherever your heart is, is where you’ll find your treasure.”
- “There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the Soul of the Universe. It’s your mission on earth [Figure 1].”
- “The Soul of the World is nourished by people’s happiness. To realize one’s Personal Legend is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one.”
- “When you want something, the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
- “Intuition is the sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where histories of all people are connected, and where we are able to know everything, because it’s all written there.”
We are all born with a specific destiny. It is based on our fundamental Essence, something we are good at and that we love to do. It could be in the arts, science, technology, entertainment, leadership, or any of a number of other areas. You display elements of this skill when you are young and if you ultimately apply it to make this a better world you will find happiness and fulfillment. As you proceed along your life path, the forces around you will conspire to help you succeed because in doing so you help the physical and spiritual evolution of the Universe. That’s our reason to be.
Follow The Omens.
- “Never stop dreaming. Learn to recognize and follow the omens.”
- “When someone makes a decision [following the omens], they are diving into a strong current that will carry them to places they had never dreamed of when they first made the decision [Figure 2].”
- “There is no such thing as coincidence.”
When Santiago was robbed, he had to choose between thinking of himself as a poor victim of a thief, or as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. He chose the latter because he understands the “language of the world.” It is the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired. In learning to speak and understand this “language,” we can recognize important omens in our life path.
We all encounter omens during our life journey. My mom encouraged me to play piano, which led to a teenage career in music as a pop recording artist. My dad bought me a chemistry set, which ultimately led to a career in science and technology. They were omens in the broadest sense, watershed events that played to my passions and interests and helped launch my destiny.
Fear of Failure
- “Your Personal legend [destiny] is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. As time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend.”
- “The world’s greatest lie is that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.”
- “People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.”
- “We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
- “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve fear of failure.”
Too often, people feel that they are too old to follow their destiny, the risk is too great, there’s just no chance to succeed, they can’t afford it financially, and numerous other demotivating factors that are sometimes even supported by their closest friends and family. But true love transcends these obstacles and supports the achievement of a person’s destiny. As Coelho points out in The Alchemist, “Anyone who interferes with a person pursuing their destiny will not achieve their own destiny.”
As a young boy, I discovered my passion for science and technology. And although I had several accidents in my home laboratory, one which was nearly fatal, my parents supported my destiny for scientific achievement. Their love and encouragement were greatly responsible for my successes.
Personal Alchemy
- “Alchemy is about penetrating the Soul of the World, and discovering the treasure that has been reserved for you.”
- “In alchemy, the principle that governs all things is called the Soul of the World. When you want something with your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.”
- “Alchemy brings spiritual perfection to the material plane.”
Alchemy—the ancient predecessor of modern chemistry, physics, psychology, pharmacology and philosophy—is a powerful art and science that has existed for thousands of years, but has been vastly misunderstood by most people. It is not just the transformation of base metals like lead into gold and the synthesis of the Elixir of Life, the promise of which was deceptively sold by charlatans to the kings and aristocrats of old. It is a much more spiritual endeavor. Authentic alchemists precede their work with intense meditation, which enables them to enter and access the powers of the spiritual world.
One of the best definitions I have seen is that by physicist and modern alchemist, Dr. Theresa Bullard. Alchemy is the art and science of transformation and transmutation. It has been called the “Ancient Science of the Soul,” and is a physical and spiritual technology for the evolution of humankind. It provides a means to catalyze or speed up physical and consciousness evolution. Its objective is to expand human awareness, purify and heal the self—physically, mentally and spiritually—and intentionally accelerate the evolution of Nature towards perfection.
It would seem that our modern world could use a strong dose of alchemy. Why not join the ranks of alchemists to reach your own destiny and make this a better world? You don’t need a laboratory to get started!
Sat, Chit, Ananda!
Enjoy your journey, make a difference!
By James Cusumano
[1] EDITOR’S COMMENT—This is the seventh article in a series based on the author’s book, “Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules,” Waterfront Press, Cardiff California.
[2] The author may be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.Com.
Figure 1: There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the Soul of the Universe. It’s your mission on earth.
Figure 2: When someone makes a decision [to follow the omens], they are diving into a strong current that will carry them to places they had never dreamed of when they first made the decision.