The Book of Manuals

1. Keep calm.

Anyone who understands the meaning of life knows that things have neither a beginning nor an end, and that there is, therefore, no point in worrying. Fight for what you believe in without trying to prove anything to anyone else; maintain the calm and silence of someone who has had the courage to choose his own destiny.

This applies to both love and war.

2. Let your heart reveal itself.

Anyone who trusts absolutely in his powers of seduction, in his ability to say the right thing at the right time and how best to use his body, becomes deaf to the ‘voice of the heart’. This can only be heard when we are in complete harmony with the world around us and never when we judge ourselves to be the centre of the universe.

This applies to both love and war.

3. Try to see the world through other people’s eyes.

We are so focussed on what we judge to be the correct attitude that we forget something very important: in order to attain our objectives, we need other people. It is necessary, therefore, not only to observe the world, but to imagine ourselves into the skins of other people and to learn how to follow their thoughts.

This applies to both love and war.

4. Find the right teacher.

Our path is sure to cross that of other people who, out of love or pride, want to teach us something. How can we distinguish the friend from the manipulator? The answer is simple: the true teacher is not the one who teaches us the ideal path, but the one who shows us the many ways of reaching the path that we need to travel if we are to find our destiny. Once we have found that path, the teacher cannot help us anymore, because its challenges are unique.

This applies to neither love nor war, but unless we understand it, we will never get anywhere.

5. Never believe in threats.

We often think that the ideal stance is to give up one’s life for a dream: nothing could be further from the truth. In order to achieve our dream, we need to preserve our life and we must, therefore, know how to avoid those things that threaten us. The more we plan our steps, the more chance there is that we will go wrong, because we are failing to take into consideration four things: other people, life’s teachings, passion and calm. The more we feel we are in control of things, the farther off we are from controlling anything.

Final dispositions:

Therefore, if you want to be in harmony with your love or with your fight, learn to react rapidly. Do not allow your supposed experience of life to transform you into a machine. Use that experience to listen always to ‘the voice of the heart’. Even if you do not agree with what that voice is saying, respect it and follow its advice: it knows when to act and when to avoid action.

This applies to both love and war.

Manual for preserving paths

1. The path begins at a crossroads. There you can stop and think about which direction to take, but do not spend too much time thinking or you will never set off. Ask Castañeda’s classic question: which of these roads has heart? Reflect on the choices that lie before you, but once you have taken the first step, forget all about the crossroads, otherwise you will be for ever tormented by that futile question: Did I choose the right road? If you listened to your heart before taking that initial step, you will have chosen the right path.

2. The path will not last for ever.

It is a blessing to travel it for a while, but one day, it will end. So always be ready to say goodbye to it at some point. However dazzled you may be by certain landscapes or frightened by other difficult sections where it took an enormous effort simply to carry on, do not become attached to any part of it. Not to the moments of euphoria nor to the seemingly endless days when everything is difficult and progress is slow. Don’t forget, sooner or later, an angel will arrive, and your journey will come to an end.

3. Honour your path. It was your choice, your decision, and if you respect the ground you tread on, that same ground will respect your feet. Always do what you can to preserve and maintain your path, and it will do the same for you.

4. Be well equipped. Carry a rake, a spade and a penknife. Remember that penknives are useless for raking up dried leaves and that rakes are no good when it comes to digging up deep-rooted weeds. Always know which tool to use when. And take care of them, because they are your greatest allies.

5. The path goes both forwards and backwards. Sometimes, you have to turn back because you have lost something, or you find that a message you should have delivered is still there in your pocket. A well-kept path allows you to find your way back without too much difficulty.

6. Take care of your path before you take care of anything else around you. Attention and concentration are fundamental. Don’t be distracted by the dried leaves along the edges or by the way in which other people are tending their paths. Use your energy to care for and preserve the ground you walk on.

7. Be patient. Sometimes you will have to repeat the same tasks, such as pulling up weeds or filling in holes that appear after unexpected rain. Do not allow yourself to be irritated by this, it is part of the journey. Even when you are tired, even when these tasks become repetitive, be patient.

8. Paths cross. People can tell you what the weather is like. Listen to their advice, but make your own decisions. You alone are responsible for the path entrusted to you.

9. Nature follows its own rules. This means that you have to be prepared for autumn’s sudden changes, for winter’s treacherous snow and ice, for spring’s seductive flowers, for the drought and the rain of summer. Make the most of each of these seasons, and do not complain about them.

10. Let your path be a mirror of yourself. Do not be influenced by the way in which others tend their paths. You have your own soul to listen to, and the birds to tell you what your soul is saying. May your soul’s stories be beautiful and pleasing to everything around you. Above all, may the stories that your soul tells you along the way be reflected in every second of your journey.

11. Love your path. If you do not, nothing will make sense.