"The Alchemist" A Retrograde View of Life

Paulo Coelho's best selling novel has been brought out in a well-designed compact affordable hardcover edition by Harper Collins India.

However, the central theme of the book is questionable. "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." The question is, does it?

Also later, the Muslim belief of "Maktub" (it is written) is repeatedly invoked. Here it may be recalled that in the film "Lawrence of Arabia", when a man is inadvertently left behind in the desert, Ali says "it is written" & does not feel like going back to fetch him, even though he is aware the man will die. But Lawrence, a Christian, does not believe that it is written & goes back at some personal risk & brings him back alive saying that nothing is written.

Also the belief in omens recurs frequently, especially in connection with a white stone called Urim & a black one called Thummim, given to the protoganist Santiago by a mysterious old man to guide Santiago when he is indecisive.

At the beginning of the novel, Santiago meets a baker's daughter, to whom he is attracted & even looks forward to meeting her after a year. But when during his journey to the Pyramids, he meets an Arab girl Fatima, the encounter is described as if it is his first love, completely erasing the memory of the baker's daughter.

At the end he realises his dream of finding a treasure, & plans to meet Fatima. After harping for the whole length of the novel on how one should attain one's destiny, all Sebastian achieves is acquisition of a treasure & an Arab girl Fatima. Is this the only destiny for him, who had studied Latin, Spanish & Theology in a Seminary till he was sixteen (as it was the wish of his parents that he became a priest), but decided that knowing the world was more important than knowing God?

Jataka Tales

These, numbering 547, are the stories concerning the previous incarnations of the Buddha, including in animal & bird incarnations. These illustrate how the ten perfections, namely generosity, virtue, renunciation, wisdom, effort, forbearance, truth, resolve, loving kindness & equanimity can be achieved in life.

The beauty of  Buddhism is no prior belief in a deity, be it Christ, Allah or any of Hindu Gods is required. Only important thing is the ten virtues should be cultivated to achieve Nirvana. This has obvious advantages as there was no assurance that piety, as practised in other religions, would automatically make a person virtuous. In fact most of the demons in Hindu mythology were very pious persons, who obtained their powers (to do harm) as boons after intense austerities, from Lord Shiva, like Ravana!

Swami Vivekananda had the highest respect for Buddha. Also Buddhism was the first religion to send out missionaries to spread their creed. It was providential they did so, because for various reasons, Buddhism lost its influence in the land of its birth.

An interesting sidelight is the presence of Devadutta, cousin & nemesis of Buddha, in the Jataka Tales, always working at cross purposes! He even joined Buddha's order, only to create a split, like modern politicians!

Buddha & Brahmin

In the canonical Buddhist text, "The Dhammapada", Buddha teaches his students the right path. The last chapter is devoted to the qualities of a Brahmin. A brief overview follows.

One does not become a Brahmin by birth but by attaining his highest goal. He should discard evil, live in peace & has given up the impurities.

One should not strike a Brahmin, nor should a Brahmin vent his wrath on one who has struck him. A Brahmin, without anger, endures reproach & punishment with patience.

In a Brahmin lust, hatred, pride & detraction have fallen off. He has no longings, in this world or the next, & is desireless & emanicipated. He has, through knowledge, gained Nirvana.

The Brahmin has passed through this quagmire, the ocean of life & delusion & has attained Nirvana.

(Here it may be mentioned that some Vaishnavite sects in the North India, consider Buddha as the ninth Avatar, replacing Balarama. But if by Nirvana one means Mukti, Buddha defines a Brahmin as one who has realised "Jeevan Mukti' i.e., liberation even before death. But this is considered not possible by the southern Vaishnavites led by Sri Madhvacharya. Also the concept of this world as delusion was anathema to Sri Madhvacharya, the founder of southern Vaishnavism.)