The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

Themes

Personal Legend: 本命；内在渴望。
The Language of the World: 自然的寂静之音不可被语言表述，只能用心宁静感悟
Value of Journey: 旅程过程中我们自身在改变；我们会被旅行本身塑造。这比旅行的终点更重要
Love & Fulfillment: 爱不会阻碍梦想，而祝福其成长

Quotes

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

注：不知本命度过一生比死更可怕。害怕失败是阻挡我们实现Personal Legend最大的障碍。只有死意可以激发出我们对生的意识。类似佛教的向死而生。

The sea has lived on in this shell, because that's its Personal Legend. And it will never cease doing so until the desert is once again covered by water.

注：这一段写得很美。海螺里永久回荡着海的声音，因为这是他的本命，直到大海再次把沙发覆盖。我们死后，有意义的是我们行迹在这个世界回荡的声音，只有那份声音是有意义的。

It said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.

注：绝望总在黎明前。坚持心之所向是最难做到的事情。

Because a grain of sand is a moment of creation, and the universe has taken millions of years to create it.

注：这让我不禁想到了《华严经》的 ”于一微尘中，悉见诸世界“，物因缘和合而生。一粒沙虽小，但与宇宙万物相互依存，缘起性空，它也即是宇宙。

"There is only one way to learn," the alchemist answered. "It's through action."

注：前段时间读Satre的书，本就被所谓的“存在先于本质”的想法震撼。言语和行为定义了我们的存在，而意义的本身即是被行为定义的。我们每个人都要面对自己的孤独，并为赋予生命意义承担全部责任。一个人可以宣称自己是慷慨的，但只有通过慷慨的行为，他才真正成为一个慷慨的人。一个人可以说百般爱你，但他是否愿意为你付出生命？

If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return. [...] If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil.

注：一瞬即逝的感情，回头什么都留不下。而如果初遇的那一眼是纯粹的喜爱，那么千万世后，那份感情依然会在那里。纯碎的东西是永久的。

"It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil," said the alchemist. "It's what comes out of their mouths that is."

注：祸从口出在各个文化里都有类似的句子。语言的伤害是真实的。语言也可以留下淤青。留意不要用言语伤害别人。

"Don't say anything," Fatima interrupted. "One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving"

注：爱是否需要理由？爱如果是纯碎的，为何需要去解释我们为何喜欢水？为何需要解释我们喜欢阳光？为何需要解释我们喜欢温暖的风？

"Remember that whever your heart is, there you will find your treasure"

注：寂静聆听心声，宁静志远。

"Every day was there to be lived or to mark one's departure from this world"

"[...] people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want."

注：对未知的恐惧会阻碍我们去寻求心之所向。

Sometimes there is just no way to hold back the river.

注：Maktub, 很多时候事情为何发生，我们不得而知。因缘因果也好，还是造物主的笔墨也好，冥冥之中一切都相互连接，一切都注定发生。可以改变的未来是还没有确定下的未来，而有时候我们的确无法停止河流。

I have been told that beauty is the grezt seducer of men

注：我们为美而沉沦

"What's the world's greatest lie?" The boy asked, completedly surprised. It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."

注：再次听到了Satre哲学的回声。所谓的命运是最大的谎言，我们不得不为我们的言行负责，而言行在定义着生命本身。我即是自己的神明。恐惧是谎言的根。自由意志实质存在。只有真实才是活着。