Yogi Book of September 2023: The Alchemist
“What's the world's greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely 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.”
Why Yogi Book of the Month?
Yogi Book of the Month was born in the hopes of making Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge) more accessible.
Few of us have the luxury of access to living gurus or the attention span/ability to unpack the dense yogic scriptures on our own. Thankfully, gurus are many, gurus do not have to (necessarily) be alive, and knowledge that leads to sincere contemplation and self-realization can be found in stories and books imbued with profound meanings. Here at 7YGH, we endeavor to present you with various sources of such knowledge on a monthly basis.
To provide some instruction on how to best digest this source of knowledge, you will find a general explanation of Jnana Yoga in Jnana Yoga 101 followed by tips on how to apply Jnana Yoga while you read in How to Read This Book. If you are informed and/or would like to skip to the meat of the book review itself, use the Table of Contents below to navigate to your desired section.
Table of Contents
i. Jnana Yoga 101
ii. How to Read This Book
iii. About This Book
iv. Why You Should Read This Book
v. 7 Powerful Quotes
The Path of Knowledge
Traditionally, the path of Jnana Yoga refers to 3 processes. The main goal of these 3 processes is to answer the Big Question: Who Am I? By answering this question, smaller critical questions such as “Why Am I Here?” and “What Do I Do With What I Have Been Given?” are automatically answered.
These 3 processes are as follows:
(1) Sravana, or wholeheartedly (open mind, open heart) listening to yogic scriptures (Sruti) from the mouth of a verifiable source (Guru)
(2) Manana, or constant reflection upon what was heard, application of that which was heard to one’s own life and lived experiences, as well as the integration of that knowledge into daily action
(3) Nididhyasana, otherwise known as the culmination of sravana and manana, is a type of meditative and transcendent awareness that happens spontaneously on its own accord. It is a deep understanding and subsequent embodiment of the Truth gleaned from the process of listening deeply with one’s heart, contemplating, and living the knowledge.
Why Should You Practice Jnana Yoga?
The systematic processes of Jnana Yoga should be undertaken frequently to nurture the soul, put things in perspective, and loosen the bonds of strong attachments. Jnana Yoga directly nourishes our inner world by teaching us the skill of maintaining distance, of separating the “I am” from what follows. At its subtlest levels, the practice of Jnana Yoga allows us to mold reality with our right perception.
By regularly analyzing the nature of life, existence and the identity of the “I am” through the practice of Jnana Yoga, we are able to maintain peace of mind and more quickly come back to a place of balance during emotional upheaval, crisis, and the inevitable stresses of the world.
In its early stages, the practice helps us build endurance to the pain of opposites—heat, cold, love, loss, thirst, hunger, desire, repulsion, etc.
In later stages, the practice culminates in a transcendence of the pain of opposites, a state wherein we are able to truly bear witness to our bodies and minds, as well as the bodies and minds of others, without attachment or judgment. In so doing, Jnana Yoga allows us to live our lives to the utmost; by helping us understand the true nature of reality, Jnana Yoga results in the loss of attachments, and in the loss of attachments we are relieved of expectations. Freed of the bondage of expectations, we can truly and fully enjoy the world.
Treat this book as you would a more traditional transmission of knowledge (i.e. a living Guru or Teacher). Treat the book with reverence and respect; this is the first step to taking the knowledge contained within seriously, and the most important step to opening up your heart to receive and understand this knowledge.
If you aren’t open to learning, if you aren’t striving for betterment, and if you aren’t willing to be wrong (!), even the highest knowledge won’t be effective/can’t help you. Half the work of self-realization comes from effort on our parts to retain open minds and open hearts with a complete awareness of our nature’s tendency to do the opposite (to judge, close off, guard). The goal is not to stop these processes of judgment, etc., but to always be aware of them and to persevere to push past them when they flare up.
Do not rush through the book as you would a piece of purely sensual entertainment; savor the passages for their poetic and philosophical values. The point is not to drown yourself but to submerge yourself (!); you are not escaping nor chasing but running towards (!).
Take time after each reading to ponder implied meanings, reflecting on how lessons of characters/narrators/etc. can be applied to your own life—past and present. Try journaling, creating lists of lessons learned, and writing down those lessons on stick notes that you place in conspicuous places (e.g. on your bathroom mirror or kitchen fridge). And, most importantly, start applying the lessons you learn, becoming a living embodiment of the knowledge you are gaining.
Title
The Alchemist
Author
Paulo Coelho, translated by Alan R. Clarke
Genre
Quest, adventure, fantasy
Language
English (translated from Portuguese)
Length
Depends on the version; mine was 177 pages
Publisher
HarperSanFrancisco
Summary
💡 A dream and a king’s blessing leads an Andalusian shepherd named Santiago to leave home in search of his destiny. To fulfill his soul’s purpose, Santiago must navigate the pitfalls of human desire and fear, learn the language of omens, and undertake a perilous journey through the desert to uncover a great treasure. Along the way, Santiago meets mentors, falls in love, discovers the oneness with the Soul of the World, and learns the nature of destiny — and how the force of it cannot (and should not) be stopped.
Thought provoking discourse on the nature of change, especially how we fear change and why; the motivating power of imagined disappointment, inviting us to observe the places and times in our own lives where we resisted or outright refused change and the ways in which we may be presently holding ourselves back …
A compass or field manual to realizing our own dreams — a deep commentary on how our dreams are our destiny, this book serves as a guide for the pitfalls (and successes) that appear on every dreamer’s path. It gives us pause to consider our own lives and dreams and asks us to ask the daring question of whether or not we living in accordance with those dreams. In this sense, the book can be a bittersweet medicine — but a necessary one.
Dense with spiritual wisdom. This book invites you to choose your own pace; at 177 pages, it’s relatively short, and as such, it can be consumed in one sitting. The density of its wisdom can’t be overstated; you could just as easily choose to sit with 1-3 pages for days, or weeks, and have plenty of material to ponder and meditate on.
Clarity of teachings. The wisdom, which is translated sometimes through dialogue, sometimes through description of the character’s mental stated and circumstances, is succinct. It is specific enough to make sense in the context of the story but general enough to be applied to our own lives. In fact, it asks us to go some steps further by applying it to our own lives; in so doing, it stimulates a flurry of light bulb moments, which are always welcome on the spiritual path.
An introduction to the language of omens. There are many names for the language of omens; intuition, luck, coincidence, and awareness are some synonyms for this mysterious yet vital universal tongue. The Alchemist shows the language of omens in action and offers a stirring call for us to hone that awareness in our own lives.
A call to action in the world… and a guide to how to live in the world. The greatest spiritual tomes and manuals teach us not how to escape the world, but how to find ourselves whilst living in it. The Alchemist does just that. It does not forsake connection but supports it and uses Santiago’s quest to show how to chart a path that fulfills both one’s personal destiny and one’s worldly desires.
A tale about the nature of love and connection. For those of us dispelled or jaded by the disconnect amidst the modern chaos of today, The Alchemist reminds of the importance of love as not the end goal but the fabric which underlies everything. The love experienced between Santiago and his woman of the desert is sweet and reassuring without being bogged down by unrealistic romanticism; in fact, its commentary on love, while certainly fantastical, is ultimately highly practical. Through Santiago, The Alchemist teaches us two vital lessons; the first is, of course, about the location of dreams and the second is about the nature of love. To understand both, read the book.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
“We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of Infinity. Life is Eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in Eternity.”
“I'm like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
“I've crossed these sands many times," said one of the camel drivers one night. "But the desert is so huge, and the horizons so distant, that they make a person feel small, and as if he should remain silent."
The boy understood intuitively what he meant, even without ever having set foot in the desert before. Whenever he saw the sea, or a fire, he fell silent, impressed by their elemental force.“Why don't people's hearts tell them to continue to follow their dreams?" the boy asked the alchemist.
"Because that's what makes the heart suffer most, and hearts don't like to suffer.”“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”