| name | Manuscript Found In Accra |
|---|---|
| image | |
| orig title | |
| translator | |
| image | |
| author | Paulo Coelho |
| cover_artist | |
| country | Brazil |
| language | English |
| series | |
| classification | Non-Fiction |
| genre | |
| publisher | Alfred A Knopf |
| release_date | 2013 |
| media_type | Print (Paperback) |
| pages | 190 |
| isbn | ISBN 9780385350365 |
| preceded_by | |
| followed_by |
Introduction
On the eve of Jerusalem’s conquest by the Crusaders in 1099AD, the ‘Copt’ provides answers to preserve memory of the city’s harmonious soul.
Defeat
Nothing lasts forever, and no battle ends the tale. Experience enhances our strength, and eventually turns defeat today into victory tomorrow.
The Defeated
The defeated are those who didn’t flee their battles. If we never engage in battle we can never win.
Solitude
Solitude gives us space to know ourselves and the incredible depth of our souls. We can then learn to love ourselves, to take responsibility for our lives instead of holding others responsible, and to lose our fear of being alone.
Purpose
We are all worthy souls, exactly as we are. By being ourselves, rather than blending into others, we fulfill our purpose.
Change
Everything changes, and we dream of alternative realities. Yet we fear change, and often avoid it until it becomes forced upon us. However change keeps life interesting, while stasis is a slow death. We fear new paths at first, but once upon them we develop a momentum which takes us farther than we expect.
Beauty
The eyes mirror the soul, and also the soul of the person looking into them. Our beauty shines brightest when we display our many special colours, but is dimmed when restrained for the sake of conformity or the expectations of our observers.
Direction
Some live life aimlessly, and some become servants to another’s cause. But the happiest pursue their own path, led by their heart’s natural bliss and enthusiasm. They go at their own pace, enjoying the journey, and rely on their hearts to show them the right way.
Love
Love can heal, and love can wound. We cannot control love, or know what we will receive in return, or for how long. It is different every time, and we fear its unpredictable nature. But if we avoid love because of fear, we become dead to life. Our great goal in life is to love, and for as long as we stay open to it, love will find us.
Powerlessness
We often perceive things to be static and black-and-white, when they are actually multicoloured and changing. Some we have taken for granted may be precious in ways we haven’t seen yet, while others we have previously rejected may be worth a second look. We can’t change the past or make everything be the way we want it, but we can decide that starting today we will view it all differently, opening our eyes wide in fresh wonder, in order to enjoy life to the fullest, in appreciation of the present moment and its abundant and forever-flowing opportunities.
Sex
Sex can be much more than mere physical pleasure. When we allow it to flow boundless and free, it engages every part of us to find where tenderness and wild passion are combined, courage and shyness coalesce, pleasure meets pain, tension and relaxation commingle, body merges with soul, and two individuals become as one. Giving and receiving then become equally generous, and ecstasy transcends all limits.
Friendship
Our community sustains us, but we must resist the urge to conform. True friends are strong enough to be themselves and accept us as ourselves even though we are different. They are companions in both good and bad times, who love and accept us unconditionally. They aren’t afraid to do things their own way, and happily venture into the unknown. As they know that stumbling is a natural part of humanity, and not a sign of weakness, they don’t lecture us when we do so ourselves. Nor do they try to control us, being content for our light to shine just as brightly as their own.
Elegance
Elegance is the effortless simplicity gained from casting off superfluous encumbrances. Whereas arrogance requires complex trappings, elegance is pure soul.
Work
Our work is how we demonstrate our love for one another. We each have our own appointed task, and if we choose to love that which has been entrusted to us, it will become a labour of love, bringing joy and love into every day of our working lives.
Luck
Luck comes from patient persistence. Keep trying and you will succeed in the end. The best way to do this is to be happy with merely trying your best. Constantly measuring your success and comparing it to others will take your mind off your task, and may even cause you to give up trying. So focus instead on enjoying the challenge, and checking that you stay true to your values along the way. Success in your endeavours will then come in its own time, and people will call you lucky. But true success in life is simply being able to go to bed each night with one’s soul at peace.
Miracles
We think that miracles defy the laws of nature, and yet we cannot fully understand the laws of nature. Everything that lives or acts in this world is a miracle, and every development or slightest difference in the world a miraculous manifestation. May we appreciate all of our daily miracles, and keep our eyes and ears ever open to love.
Anxiety
It is natural to worry about things we care about, but if such anxieties become obsessions, our life’s dreams can be transformed into fearful nightmares. Hours previously infused with joy and passion become an endless torment, as we await the realisation of our worst fears. So if we allow anxiety to control us, it can consume us entirely. But the great wisdom of life is to realise that we can be the masters of those things which try to enslave us.
The Future
We are part of the Earth, and in the end we shall return to it. Until that day, we will reap the love that we sow into this world. Our future will realise our dreams, if we hold true to our path, honouring each step we take and each hurdle we overcome, appreciating everything which sustains us, and taking care not to be derailed along the way by any power, prejudice, fear, guilt, or doubt. The journey is long, but we have everything we need to fulfill our purpose.
Loyalty
We think that a loyal friend will always be there, but life isn’t meant to be static, and each of us treads a different path. Loyalty is allowing our friends to follow their paths away from us, and always welcoming them home again in honour.
Weapons
The wise man does not need weapons, because wisdom can transform any man’s strength into a weakness. The most powerful weapon is the word, which the wise man uses not for injury or intimidation, but in generosity of spirit, to inspire love and loyalty, forgiveness and freedom.
Enemies
War is cruel, but sometimes battle needs must. We each have our part to play in the unfolding tale, and should embrace it with honour, and expect our adversaries to do likewise. They stand openly before us, and we may think them our enemy. But our real enemies are ones who lurk among us, beguiling us with lies or betrayal, and manipulating our fears. Let us respect those who challenge us in the light, and revile those who undermine us in the dark. Our rivals test our strength, whereas our enemies test our weakness.
Response of the Jerusalem Religious Leaders
Let these words be spread, for the sake of future generations who may benefit from them, in ways we cannot perceive today.
External links
- Manuscript Found In Accra on Wikipedia
Interwiki: DEFAULTSORT:Manuscript Found In Accra++
Manuscript Found In Accra
Manuscript Found In Accra
Manuscript Found In Accra