Friday, June 08, 2007
In Pursuit of the Intangible
The following is what Paulo Coelho wrote for Shirin Ebadi, a woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize. As Paulo Coelho wrote – “it is words that can be applied to all those who are working to create a better world.”
THE PERSON POET RUMI ONCE SAID THAT LIFE IS LIKE BEING SENT BY A KING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT A PARTICULAR TASK. THE PERSON SENT MAY DO A HUNDRED OTHER THINGS IN THAT OTHER COUNTRY, BUT IF HE OR SHE FAILS TO FULFULL THE PARTICULAR TASK HE OR SHE WAS CHARGED WITH, IT IS AS IF NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE…
…TO THE MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD HIS TASK.
TO THE MAN WHO LOOKED AT THE ROAD AHEAD OF HIM, AND KNEW THAT HIS WOULD BE A DIFFICULT JOURNEY.
TO THE MAN WHO DID NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE LIGHT OF THOSE DIFFICULTIES, BUT ON THE CONTRARY, SPOKE OUT AGAINST THEM AND MADE THEM CLEARLY VISIBLE.
TO THE MAN WHO MADE THE LONELY FEEL LESS ALONE, WHO FED THOSE WHO HUNGERED AND THIRSTED FOR JUSTICE, WHO MADE THE OPRESSOR FEEL AS BAD AS THOSE HE OPPRESSED.
TO THE MAN WHO ALWAYS KEEPS HIS DOOR OPEN, HIS HAND WORKING, HIS FEET MOVING.
TO THE MAN WHO PERSONIFIES THE VERSES OF THAT OTHER PERSIAN POET, HAFER, WHEN HE SAYS: NOT EVEN SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF JOY CAN JUSTIFY SEVEN DAYS OF REPRESSION.
TO THE MAN WHO IS HERE TONIGHT, MAY HE BE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, MAY HIS EXAMPLE SPREAD, MAY HE STILL HAVE MANY DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD, SO THAT HE CAN COMPLETE HIS WORK, SO THAT, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME, THE MEANING OF “INJUSTICE” WILL BE FOUND ONLY IN DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS AND NEVER IN THE LIVES OF HUMAN BEINGS…
…AND MAY HE TRAVEL SLOWLY, BECAUSE HIS PACE IS THE PACE OF CHANGE, AND CHANGE, REAL CHANGE, ALWAYS TAKES A VERY LONG TIME.
THE PERSON POET RUMI ONCE SAID THAT LIFE IS LIKE BEING SENT BY A KING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT A PARTICULAR TASK. THE PERSON SENT MAY DO A HUNDRED OTHER THINGS IN THAT OTHER COUNTRY, BUT IF HE OR SHE FAILS TO FULFULL THE PARTICULAR TASK HE OR SHE WAS CHARGED WITH, IT IS AS IF NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE…
…TO THE MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD HIS TASK.
TO THE MAN WHO LOOKED AT THE ROAD AHEAD OF HIM, AND KNEW THAT HIS WOULD BE A DIFFICULT JOURNEY.
TO THE MAN WHO DID NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE LIGHT OF THOSE DIFFICULTIES, BUT ON THE CONTRARY, SPOKE OUT AGAINST THEM AND MADE THEM CLEARLY VISIBLE.
TO THE MAN WHO MADE THE LONELY FEEL LESS ALONE, WHO FED THOSE WHO HUNGERED AND THIRSTED FOR JUSTICE, WHO MADE THE OPRESSOR FEEL AS BAD AS THOSE HE OPPRESSED.
TO THE MAN WHO ALWAYS KEEPS HIS DOOR OPEN, HIS HAND WORKING, HIS FEET MOVING.
TO THE MAN WHO PERSONIFIES THE VERSES OF THAT OTHER PERSIAN POET, HAFER, WHEN HE SAYS: NOT EVEN SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF JOY CAN JUSTIFY SEVEN DAYS OF REPRESSION.
TO THE MAN WHO IS HERE TONIGHT, MAY HE BE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, MAY HIS EXAMPLE SPREAD, MAY HE STILL HAVE MANY DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD, SO THAT HE CAN COMPLETE HIS WORK, SO THAT, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME, THE MEANING OF “INJUSTICE” WILL BE FOUND ONLY IN DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS AND NEVER IN THE LIVES OF HUMAN BEINGS…
…AND MAY HE TRAVEL SLOWLY, BECAUSE HIS PACE IS THE PACE OF CHANGE, AND CHANGE, REAL CHANGE, ALWAYS TAKES A VERY LONG TIME.
