"Sometimes people get used to what they see in films and forget the real story," someone says to the wanderer.  "Do you remember the film, 'The Ten Commandments?'"

"Of course.  Moses -- Charlton Heston -- raises his staff, the waters open, and the people of Israel are able to cross the Red Sea."

"In the Bible, that's not how it was," says the person.  "There, God gives an order to Moses: 'Tell the children of Israel to march.'  And it is only after they begin to move forward that Moses raises his staff and the waters part.

"Because only courage in walking the path makes the path reveal itself."

This was written by the cellist, Pablo Casals:

"I am always being reborn.  Every morning is a time to begin life again.  Eighty years ago I began my day in the same way -- but this doesn't mean it is a mechanical routine.  It is essential to my happiness.

"I awaken, and I go to the piano and play two preludes and a fugue from Bach.  These pieces function as a blessing upon my house.  But this practice is also a way of reestablishing contact with the mystery of life and with the miracle of being a human being.

"Even though I've done this for eighty years, the music is never the same -- it always teaches me something ne
> fantastic, unbelievable."

The master says:

"On the one hand, we know that it is important to seek God.  On the other, life creates a distance between us and Him.  We feel ignored by the Divinity, or we are preoccupied with our daily tasks.  This creates a feeling of guilt: either we are renouncing life to too much of an extent because of God, or we feel we are renouncing God too much because of life.

"This apparent conflict is a fantasy: God is in life and life is in God.  One has only to be aware of this in order to understand fate better.  If we are able to penetrate into the holy harmony of our daily round, we will always be on the right path, and we will complete our task."

The phrase is from Pablo Picasso: "God is an artist.  He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the ant.  Actually, he never sought for a style -- he was simply doing everything that he wanted to do."

The master says:

"When we begin along our path, a great fear arises.  We feel obligated to do everything right.  In the end, since we have only one life to live, who was it that invented the standard of "Everything right?"  God made the giraffe, the elephant and the ant -- why do we have to follow a standard?

"A standard serves only to show us how others define their own reality.  Often we admire the models of others, and many times we can avoid the errors committed by others.

"But as for living well -- only we know how to do that for ourselves."

Several devout Jews were praying at the synagogue when, during the prayer, they heard a child's voice saying: "A, B, C, D."  They tried to concentrate on the scripture, but the voice repeated, "A, B, C, D."  They interrupted the service, and, when they looked around, saw a boy who continued with the same chant.

The rabbi spoke to the boy: "Why are you doing that?"

"Because I don't know the holy verses," the boy said.  "So I was hoping that if I recited the alphabet, God would use the letters to form the right words."

"Thank you for this lesson," said the rabbi.  "And may I gi
> to God my days on this Earth in the same way that you have given him your letters."

The master says:

"The spirit of God that is present in us can be described as being the screen in a movie theater.  On the screen, various situations occur -- people love, people separate, treasures are found, distant countries are discovered.

"It is not important which film is being shown.  The screen is always the same.  It is not important if tears fall or blood runs -- because nothing can stain the whiteness of the screen.

"Just as with the movie screen, God is there -- behind every one of life's agonies and ecstasies.  We will see them all when our film ends."

An archer was walking in the woods near a Hindu monastery known for the severity of its teachings, when he saw the monks in the garden, drinking and enjoying themselves.

"How cynical are those who seek the path to God," said the archer aloud.  "They say that discipline is important, but there they are getting drunk!"

"If you shoot one hundred arrows in a row, what will happen to your bow?" asked the eldest of the monks.

"My bow would break," answered the archer.

"If someone exceeds his limits, their will is also broken," said the monk.  He who is unable to balance work with relaxation loses his enthusiasm, and cannot go far."

A king sent a messenger to a distant country with a peace agreement that was to be signed.  Wanting to take advantage of the journey, the messenger informed some of his friends that had important business dealings in that country.  They asked that he postpone his trip, and -- since a peace agreement was to be signed -- they wrote new orders, and changed their business strategies.

When the messenger finally made the trip, it was already too late for the agreement he was to deliver; war broke out, destroying the king's plans and the business arrangements of the men who had delayed the messenger.

The master says:

"There is only one important thing in our lives: to live our personal destiny -- the mission that was fated for us
> But we always wind up loading ourselves down with useless concerns that then destroy our dream."

The wanderer is in the port of Sydney, looking out at the bridge that connects the two parts of the city, when an Australian approaches him and asks that he read an ad in the newspaper.

"The letters are quite small," he says.  "I left my glasses at home, and I can't make them out."

The wanderer is also without his reading glasses, and apologizes to the man.

"Well, I guess I'll just forget about the ad," says the man.  And, wanting to continue the conversation, he says, "It's not just the two of us.  God's vision is also clouded.  Not because he is old, but because he wants it that way.  Then, when someone close to Him commits an error, He is unable to see it clearly.  Not wanting to be unfair, he forgives the person."

"And what about the 'good things,'" I ask.

"Well, God never leaves his glasses at home," laughs the Australian as he moves on.

"Is there anything more important than prayer?" asked the disciple of his master.

The master asked the disciple to go to a nearby bush and cut off a branch.  The disciple obeyed.

"Is the bush still alive?" asked the master.

"Just as alive as before," answered the disciple.

"Now go and cut the roots," said the master.

"If I do that, the bush will die," said the disciple.

"Prayers are the branches of a tree, whose roots are called faith," said the master.  "There can be faith without prayer.  But there can be no prayer without faith."