“We must at all costs avoid saying no because people prefer those who say yes, and this allows us to survive in hostile territory.”

“The all-powerful Zahir seemed to be born with every human being and to gain full strength in childhood, imposing rules that would thereafter always be respected:People who are different are dangerous; they belong to another tribe; they want our lands and our women.We must marry, have children, reproduce the species.Love is only a small thing, enough for one person, and any suggestion that the heart might be larger than this may seem perverse.When we are married we are authorised to take possession of the other person, body and soul.We must do jobs we detest because we are part of an organised society, and if everyone did what they wanted to do, the world would come to a standstill.We must buy jewelry; it identifies us with our tribe.We must be amusing at all times and sneer at those who express their real feelings; it's dangerous for a tribe to allow its members to show their feelings.We must at all costs avoid saying no because people prefer those who always say yes, and this allows us to survive in hostile territory.What other people think is more important than what we feel.Never make a fuss--it might attract the attention of an enemy tribe.If you behave differently you will be expelled from the tribe because you could infect others and destroy something that was extremely difficult to organise in the first place.We must always consider the look of our new cave, and if we don't have a clear idea of our own, then we must call a decorator who will do his best to show others what good taste we have.We must eat three meals a day, even if we're not hungry, and when we fail to fit the current ideal of beauty we must fast, even if we're starving.We must dress according to the dictates of fashion, make love whether we feel like it or not, kill in the name of our country, wish time away so that retirement comes more quickly, elect politicians, complain about the cost of living, change our hair-style, criticise anyone who is different, go to a religious service on Sunday, Saturday or Friday, depending on our religion, and there beg forgiveness for our sins and puff ourselves up with pride because we know the truth and despise he other tribe, who worship false gods.Our children must follow in our footsteps; after all we are older and know more about the world.We must have a university degree even if we never get a job in the area of knowledge we were forced to study. We must never make our parents sad, even if this means giving up everything that makes us happy. We must play music quietly, talk quietly, weep in private, because I am the all-powerful Zahir, who lays down the rules and determines the meaning of success, the best way to love, the importance of rewards.”

“If you must say yes, say it with an open heart. If you must say no, say it without fear.”

“In a world where everyone struggles to survive whatever the cost, how could one judge those people who decide to die? No one can judge. Each person knows the extent of their own suffering or the total absence of meaning in their lives.”

“We see the evil in others because we know the evil in ourselves. We never forgive those whou wound us because we believe that we would never be forgiven. We say the painful truth to others because we want to hide it from ourselves. We show our strength, so that no one can see our frailty. That is why, whenever you judge your brother, be aware that it is you who is in the dock.”

“For those who are not frightened by the solitude, everything will have a different taste.In solitude, they will discover the love that might otherwise arrive unnoticed. In solitude, they will understand and respect the love that left them.In solitude, they will be able to decide whether it is worth asking that lost love to come back or if they should simply let it go and set off along a new path.In solitude, they will learn that saying ‘No’ does not always show a lack of generosity and that saying ‘Yes’ is not always a virtue.And those who are alone at this moment, need never be frightened by the words of the devil: ‘You’re wasting your time.’Or by the chief demon’s even more potent words: ‘No one cares about you.’The Divine Energy is listening to us when we speak to other people, but also when we are still and silent and able to accept solitude as a blessing.And when we achieve that harmony, we receive more than we asked for.”

“Rarely do we realize that we are in the midst of the extraordinary. Miracles occur all around us, signs from God show us the way, angels plead to be heard, but we pay little attention to them because we have been taught that we must follow certain formulas and rules if we want to find God. We do not realize that God is wherever we allow Him/Her to enter.”