As with Paulo Coelho’s other books, this one is also about a voyage of self-discovery. Coelho’s novels have been translated into 75 languages and it is hard to believe that all the English versions are translations. Aleph has been translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa, and it seems as if she is speaking in Coelho’s voice, as the reader relives all the real-life experiences that the author narrates.
The novel is a cut-back to the author’s beginnings. Contending with a grave crisis of faith, Coelho decides to re-examine his life by embarking on a long journey. The journey takes him through Europe, Asia and Africa and very early on, he winds up meeting Hilal, a woman whom he has known and loved 500 years ago, in a past birth.
The book starts on a bleak note, as Coelho mourns a world divided “with religious wars, genocides, a lack of respect for the planet, economic crises, depression, poverty” and questions his spiritual tradition rooted in the past and far removed from the challenges of the present.
Coelho’s conversations with his spiritual teacher, ‘J’, whom he refers to as his
master, are unusual, particularly with reference to the interpretation of karma. Their dialogue also touches upon the author’s anxieties over wrongs committed in a past life and ‘J’ suggesting the possibility of redemption by seeking out the people who were harmed and asking their forgiveness.
The explanation for the word, Aleph, is a trifle complicated as it is said to be “the point at which everything is in the same place at the same time.” Coelho puts it in his own way as he explains it thus: “I am standing before doors that open for a fraction of a second, and then close again, but that gives me a glimpse of what is hidden behind them — the treasures and traps, the roads never taken, and the journeys never imagined”. There is also mention of a small Aleph, which always appears by chance: “You’re walking down a street or you sit down somewhere and suddenly the whole universe is there. The first thing you feel is a terrible desire to cry, not out of sadness or happiness, but out of pure excitement.”
Aleph is not about building up suspense, leading to a major final denouement, since it is all about a writer’s chronicling of his inner journey, involving both his present and past lives. Yet, there are many observations that might hold the attention of an interested reader.
Commenting on both love and writing, the author says, “No one can learn to love by following a manual, and no one can learn to write by following a course.” For all those who would have their love remain static, Coelho’s poser is, “Is it possible to fix love and make it stand still in time? Commenting on pain, Coelho says, “We are not the person other people wish we were. We are who we decide to be. It’s always easy to blame others. You can spend your entire life blaming the world, but your successes or failures are entirely your own responsibility. On death, Coelho says, “No one ever loses anyone. We are all one soul that needs to continue growing and developing in order for the world to carry on and for us all to meet once again.”
When delving into a past life in Spain, the author seems to critique the Catholic Church which used the Inquisition to burn whosoever they perceived to be witches and heretics at the stake. Some of the descriptions here are graphic and certainly not for the faint-hearted. One really wonders whether it was a quest for realism or the desire for some masala that prompted these detailed observations.
Anyone who picks up a Paulo Coelho book has to be prepared to be part of the author’s spiritual search and this is even more visible in Aleph, with its many references to past lives and the accrued karma.
For those interested in Hindu philosophy, this is not a difficult proposition, but there is a flip side to this. Whilst Coelho might have a huge following around in the world, more so in the West, I have personally found it a little difficult to feel the depth in his writings, given where I come from. But this does not take away from the strength of his achievements, or his honesty in recording his personal spiritual journey as a seeker of peace not just for himself but also for a troubled world.
It is no wonder then that he was named the United Nations Messenger of Peace in the year 2007 and records his learning from the path of peace: “Forget about yourself for a while and understand that in that light lies wisdom and in that heat lies compassion. As you travel this planet, try to perceive the true form of the heavens and the earth. That will only be possible if you can stop yourself from becoming paralysed by fear and ensure that all your gestures and attitudes are in keeping with your thoughts.”
Aleph
Paulo Coelho
Harper Collins
2011, pp 300
Rs. 325