the alchemist

"When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream," said the alchemist, echoing the words of the old king.The boy understood. Another person was there to help him toward his destiny.

Bicara masalah buku, ada satu buku yang jadi favorit saya sampai sekarang, judulnya the Alchemist, karangan Paulo Coelho. Buku lama, diindonesia kayaknya skr agak sulit carinya. Ceritanya ttg seorang anak muda dari spanyol yang bermimpi berulang kali ttg harta karun di piramid, mesir. Dan diapun percaya pada mimpinya dan melakukan perjalanan sampai ke mesir.

Idenya sederhana, a dreamer young man and his treasure. Tapi didalamnya banyak sekali hal yang menarik. bagaimana ia berulang kali mengalami keraguan antara kembali ke pekerjaan lamanya sbg penggembala atau terus mengambil resiko mengejar impiannya.

I know why I want to get back to my flock, he thought. I understand sheep; they're no longer a problem, and they can be good friends. On the other hand, I don't know if the desert can be a friend, and it's in the desert that I have to search for my treasure. If I don't find it, I can always go home. I finally have enough money, and all thetime I need. Why not?

juga ketika akhirnya ia bertemu dng seorang gadis yang memikat hatinya dan mulai timbul keraguan kembali utk mengejar impiannya.

"I'm going to guide you across the desert," the alchemist said.

"I want to stay at the oasis," the boy answered. "I've found Fatima, and, as far as I'm concerned, she's worth more than treasure."

"Fatima is a woman of the desert," said the alchemist. "She knows that men have to go away in order to return. And she already has her treasure: it's you. Now she expects that you will find what it is you're looking for."

....

"That's why I want you to continue toward your goal. If you have to wait until the war is over, then wait. But if you have to go before then, go on in pursuit of your dream.The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That's the way it will be with our love for each other.

"Maktub," she said. "If I am really a part of your dream, you'll come back one day."

Yang juga cukup menarik juga, adalah latar belakang si anak muda yang berasal dari daerah kristen yang taat dan dia harus melintasi daerah yang banyak didominasi umat Islam.

In just a few hours he had seen men walking hand in hand, women with their faces covered, and priests that climbed to the tops of towers and chanted; as everyone about him went to their knees and placed their foreheads on the ground.

"A practice of infidels," he said to himself.

Yang paling saya sukai adalah dialog2 antara si anak muda dng sang alchemist, spt :

"Why are you called the alchemist?"

"Because that's what I am."

"And what went wrong when other alchemists tried to make gold and were unable to do so?"

"They were looking only for gold," his companion answered. "They were seeking the treasure of their destiny, without wanting actually to live out the destiny."

...

"Why do we have to listen to our hearts?" the boy asked, when they had made camp that day.

"Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure."

"But my heart is agitated," the boy said. "It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it's become passionate over a woman of the desert. It asks things of me, and itkeeps me from sleeping many nights, when I'm thinking about her."

"Well, that's good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say."

...

"My heart is a traitor," the boy said to the alchemist, when they had paused to rest the horses. "It doesn't want me to go on."

"That makes sense," the alchemist answered. "Naturally it's afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you've won." "Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?" "Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you're thinking about life and about the world."

"You mean I should listen, even if it's treasonous?" "Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. "If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you'll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them.

"You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say. That way, you'll never have to fear an unanticipated blow."

...

"Does a man's heart always help him?" the boy asked the alchemist.

"Mostly just the hearts of those who are trying to realize their destinies. But they do help children, drunkards, and the elderly, too."

"Does that mean that I'll never run into danger?"

"It means only that the heart does what it can," the alchemist said.

...

Buku ini ditutup dng akhir yang sangat menarik.

Selebihnya silakan baca sendiri yach :)

Yang di spore, buku ini bisa dipinjam di library,

yang di indo, coba tanya2 ke gramedia, dulu saya nemu beberapa kopi buku ini disana.

Yang mau ngirit, silakan download di memoware, yang internetnya lambat, silakan email, saya punya softcopynya.