The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho has become another jewel in my collection of books.. It is a story of a shepherd boy Santiago, who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure but he doesn't even know what he's looking for...
On his journey he finds a mysterious man who narrates a story to him..
"A shopkeeper sent his son to learn the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived....... The wise man conversed with everyone and the lad had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention. the wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation, of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. he suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.'Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something', said the wise man handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. 'As you wander around, carry the spoon with you without letting the oil to spill'.
The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.
'Well,' asked the wise man, 'did you see the Persian Tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library? ' The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him. 'Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,' said the wise man....
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and resumed his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls.... Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.
'But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?' asked the wise man.
Looking at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
'Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you' said the wisest of the wise man. 'The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.'"
This story has many lessons and many meanings depending on how one interprets it. It can mean that one can only be happy if he enjoys and relishes the marvels of the world while keeping in mind his spiritual purpose, or that one can find happiness only if takes in fully the worldly delicacies and work towards his earthly goals and never forgetting his moral values. For every human being the 'drops of oil' can mean different things, a man can think of them as his family, his wife and children, his parents, it can symbolize a persons career, his business goals, athletic goals, human welfare goals, and numerous other priorities that a person might have....