In Paulo's
Coelho's , the King of Salem (Melchizedek) tells Santiago the story of a
boy who is told by the "wisest of wisemen" that he must carry oil on a spoon while he
sees the world, and yet not spill the oil.
The message I get from this is
that while there is much to be seen in the world, we must not lose sight of our primary
responsibilities in life. For Santiago (according to the King of Salem), every person has a
responsibility to pursue his or her Personal Legend. Nothing else can be as important. In doing
so, all the things that are significant in life will eventually come to the person who stays
focused anyway. When the boy in the story does not spill the oil, he has missed everything
around him. If the boy is spilling the oil, he is losing sight of his original goal, losing
focus because of the things he sees in the world as he moves about. Soon, his task of carrying
the oil safely has been forgotten, and the oil gonemuch like the loss of an exceptional
opportunity when one is distracted from one's purpose.
"'Well there is only one piece of advice I can give you,' said the wisest of the
wise men. €˜The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the
drops of oil on the spoon'.
The King of Salem is telling
Santiago to see all that he can of the world. (This make sense, for how can Santiago follow
omens or learn the Universal Language, etc., if he does not observe the world around him?)
However, Melchizedek is also reminding Santiago not to be distracted by what he sees so much
that he loses sight of his purpose in life: he must maintain a balance on his
journey.
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