A more human world

The writer of this short story is a determined and obstinate idealist who has always believed that justice, freedom and dignity are core values in every civilized society. As the creation of a fairer society depends upon the ones who exercise power democratically and have the power to take decisions and ensure rights to the other —this guarantee should be as equitable as possible for everyone— the writer wrote this book to summon other idealists who can be even more determined than him and so join forces with the hope to create a more humane world.

A more human world

Seguí, Ernesto Domingo The hero and the wise man / Ernesto Domingo Seguí ; ilustrado por María Lorena Méndez. - 1a ed - Rosario : Ernesto Domingo Seguí, 2021.

Libro digital, PDF Archivo Digital: descarga y online Traducción de: Valeria Virga.

ISBN 978-987-86-7924-2 1. Narrativa Argentina. I. Méndez, María Lorena , ilus. II. Virga, Valeria, trad. III. Título.

CDD A863.9283

Design and layout: edicionesdelrosario@gmail.com All rights reserved.

1° digital edition: november 2020, Rosario, Argentina. © 2020, Ernesto Seguí © 2020, María Lorena Méndez (de las ilustraciones) © 2020, Valeria Virga (de la traducción) Hecho el depósito que marca la Ley N° 11 723.

A more human world Ernesto Seguí illustrated by

María Lorena Méndez

I dedicate this short story to all those who dream with a better world, a more honorable, fairer world, a more tolerant and less violent world, a more humane and more beautiful world.

It is from your present dreams, the nobility of your spirit and the generosity of your seed that this close and magical world to come depends on.

Ernesto Seguí

We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.

Luciano de Crescenzo

Introduction

This is an inspiring short story in which a Young Hero and a Wise man walk across different paths inside a hill. Each and every path is full of life lessons. Both characters are guided by the wish to help and rebuild a world which would become more humane.

It is the year 2051, a chaotic, sick world with serious ecological problems. The inhabitants devote the majority of their efforts to their own survival. Given this exhausting and strenuous situation, those persons leave aside values and attributes which are necessary and essential to safeguard their own humanity and their transcendental dignity.

In order to recapture those values —which are almost forgotten— the Wise man teaches his disciple the deepest lessons and the kindest hopes. He teaches the young boy how he should help men to recover values and virtues which have always guided our lives. The dialogs between the Wise man and the young Hero revolve around the boy´s questions, which become wittier with the passing of time, and the Wise man´s answers, which become cleverer to provide satisfactory answers. Along this journey —which is full of surprise— the Master and his Disciple walk along the Path of Courage, the Path of Truth, the Path of Justice, the Path of Goodness and Kindness, the Path of Harmony, the Path of Love and the Path of Faith. It is not just a coincidence that this young boy should have been chosen for this imaginary journey.

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Then the Hero and the Wise man should return to the real world with a mission: to help rebuild the world as men´s integrity and dignity are endangered. Their task is to restore the values which make us human in a devastated world. They should rebuild everything that had got lost due to many men´s indolence, who have forgotten year after year the values which make us humane.

Those are our ultimate ideals, our cardinal points, which should guide us along our life journey… similar to a traveler who navigates guided by the stars.

It is an inspiring story for all those who dream of a more humane world. That is why this short story may be read by children who still live in an enchanted world. It can even be read and enjoyed by those who have untiringly walked part of their lives gathering enough strength and wisdom to understand that we all deserve a better, fairer, more tolerant and less violent world, a more humane and more beautiful world. We are everlasting life-learners! Only those who have the gift to crystallize their lessons walk the path towards their own wisdom and, as a result, get ready to receive nourishment from the most generous and altruistic features of humanity. Life is a never ending dream of a better world! That is what we desire for our children and our children´s children. They are our fruit and seeds.

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The Hero and the Wise man Unknown place – Year 2051.

On December 10 of the year 2051, in a decimated town in the loneliness of a huge desert, somebody quickly reached a small house. Flittingly, he leaned before its door and slipped a colorful envelope through a crack there. Inside the poor house there were a man and a woman waiting in expecting silence.

As they heard the sound of the sheet of paper sliding through the crack, both of them got startled. They were well aware that the day —that day— had come and that they had to make a decision regarding little Stephen´s life immediately. He —who was only ten years old— was sleeping calmly, oblivious of the radical changes that were drawing near in his life.

The parents picked up the letter and feeling deeply moved, they started reading its content. There was just a line written with blurred ink with the message which they were afraid of reading: “The time has come to send the boy with the Messenger.” They both knew that there were not authorized to disobey the brief order. They peeped through the door lock and were able to see a man waiting on the other side and who was standing still.

Knowing that they could not keep him waiting, they reached the boy´s little bed. They stared at each other´s eyes for some minutes which felt like eternity. Then, the man offered some words of consolation to his wife and said:

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“It is for his own good. He will see a different world and will grow richer with that knowledge. It will be egotistical —though we were able to do so— to keep him in this decimate little town.

There are new horizons, new knowledge there for him. Maybe in the future he will come back to help us.” They gently woke up Stephen and asked him to get ready for a long trip.

The boy, who had always trusted his parents, did not even get startled when he learned that he had to leave. He knew that they had always looked him after with effort and that wherever he had to go to, he would be fine. His parents dressed him with plain clothes. It had been a hot and exhausting day and —truth be told— they had never suffered cold in that deserted town.

The three of them went to the door. The mother —on reaching it— gave the boy a soft and subtle kiss on his forehead. She was overwhelmed. The father —pretending serenity— calmly hugged the boy as if he had forgotten that the Messenger was there, with his long cape, waiting for the boy at a short distance.

They opened the door. It was inevitable not to hear the noise of the rusty iron fittings. It was another familiar noise in that town.

Time was running out and both parents gently made Stephen walk until he got next to the man that had come for him. The man, following strict orders, showed his empathy and a chivalrous conduct towards the parents. That was a soothing balm for the bewildered parents´ hearts.

In silence and slightly bowing his head, the man said goodbye. He firmly and sweetly took the boy and made him mount his winged steed. A far-away land was waiting for them and there was a mission to be accomplished.

The boy —who was still drowsy— leaned his head on the man´s back and his two fragile little arms grabbed the stiff thick leather belt which the Messenger had around his waist.

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The soft hug seemed to comfort the rider. Apparently, that was a new and rewarding feeling. In those times, sweetness was something that had banished in the depths of times.

Without delay and with an indiscernible movement of the reins, the winged steed rose up into the sky. The parents —firmly hugging each other— burst into tears. He was their only child.

However, a light of hope was sparkling in their eyes. He would return some day.

They rode among stars and the firmament, and before the boy woke up, the Messenger rode his winged horse towards the prearranged destination. When reaching it he softly slid his left hand to his back and with a delicate movement he awoke Stephen from what he thought had been a dream.

There were reasons to believe so. They had reached a place which was very different from what he had seen during his short life. There were not ruined houses or rusty iron fittings.

It was a nice but uninhabited place at the foot of a hill. There was only an old man there. He seemed to have been waiting there for a long time.

The man decidedly moved towards the Messenger and with his help they got the boy to solid ground. They stared at each other´s eyes. An aura of respect could be felt. They did not need to speak. Each one knew what to do.

The old man —who looked like a Wise man— took the boy´s right hand and with an almost imperceptible voice, he asked him to follow him. A long unknown enriching path was waiting for them. Thomas —that was the Wise man´s name— seemed to be one hundred and fifty years old, or even older. His wrinkled skin did not seem to conceal his lineage.

They moved away from the Messenger without looking back.

His smile clearly showed that the mission had been accomplished.

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With determination, the Wise man moved towards what looked like the entrance to an extremely long tunnel in the slope of that hill. In no way was it possible to see the end of that tunnel.

It looked as if it had been far away; it even seemed that there was no exit. They got inside. Stephen was surprised to see what was inside. Sparkling little lights appeared everywhere. Crystalline water drops mirrored the light filtering through little mysterious places. It was hard to understand how that could be possible as they were under tons of stones.

Towards the right there was a natural spring surrounded by green clovers, and colorful flowers brightened up the place.

Strangely enough, there were no birds or pigeons drinking those waters. However —and far away— there were soft birds chirping and melodious cooing, which made the boy smile. Birds and pigeons were invisible but undeniable.

With determination, the old man started walking and got through the first path which opened to the right. The boy followed him without hesitation. He was sure that Thomas would look after him. He was feeling calm until they heard an extremely strong noise coming from outside.

They immediately felt that the ground was shaking, which worried them. The boy hugged the old man, who calmly said: “Do not be afraid. There is a volcano in this hill and it has started to throw lava. Let´s hurry up and get deeper into the path, in that way we´ll be protected from the volcano´s fury.”

The boy hurried up and his short legs started racing towards the depths of the tunnel. The old man calmly followed him until Stephen —exhausted— stopped under a little radiant light coming through. It was a glowing light and it was impossible to see where it was coming from. Thomas —on getting next to the boy— drenched his hands in the water and refreshed the boy´s face as he realized that he had been trembling.

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“Why am I trembling?” —asked Stephen.

The Wise man answered: “Today you have experienced a new feeling which has got the better of your heart. It is fear and that dark feeling that cripple us. We should annihilate it; that is why we should —now— walk along the Path of Courage. We should walk together.

If we made it to the end of the path, we would be free from fear.”

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The Path of Courage

Once they entered the Path of Courage, Thomas said to Stephen: “It is my duty to follow you along this path and all the other ones in this hill. If we succeed in going along all of them and in crossing the iron-barred door at the end of each and every one of them, you will be happy and you will give the world happiness. If we don´t, we will remain inside and won´t be able to achieve the task which we have been entrusted.”

The boy —who could not help trembling with fear— was not able to understand how his life has changed so quickly and why it was him —precisely him— who had to walk along those paths.The Wise man —knowing about the ghosts that suddenly assaulted the boy— talked to him softly in order to calm him down.

“The truth is that the world lost its most essential values many centuries ago. Peace has turned into war and the planet is almost destroyed. Love has turned to hatred and nobody helps the neighbor. Justice is being poorly administered and man is treated as an object. Empathy has turned into indifference and nobody cares about the other. It has become a fight for survival and to consider those people ‘human’ would be stranger than fiction. Men have collapsed, and so the Supreme Being seeing that ‘humanity’ was bound to disappear, has entrusted you the task to save it.”

“Me?” 19

“Yes, you.”

“How can it be possible? I´m just a ten-year-old boy.”

“Exactly! You are one of the chosen ones. You are not corrupted, you´re a simple sweet child. And it is my duty to guide you along these paths.”

“We are going to add the wisdom of the passing of times to your young idealism, and together we are going to try to complete this journey. I wish we could!” exclaimed the wise man.

“What´s the first thing we are supposed to do?”

“We need to sit down and think after the hard time we´ve just undergone now that the entrance to the cavern is sealed with falling rocks.”

The boy´s legs were still trembling. He accepted the invitation gladly. He sat near the natural spring and picked some velvet-like flowers which were on the sides “What´s the name of those flowers?”

“Thoughts” answered Thomas. “That is what we are going to eat along our journey. Their nourishing value has already been proven and they will provide us with the necessary strength to complete the long path ahead.”

“Will we be successful?”

“It all depends on you.”

“I will be your counselor, teacher and guide but the decision to cross each and every iron-barred door at the end of each and every path will be yours. I cannot oblige you to do so. I cannot even do it on my own. When we reach the end of each and every path you will need to be ready to make the decision to cross and reach the next one, or otherwise become a prisoner of this hill. The world may even lose the hope that it has on you.”

“Why should we always go together? You should save yourself. The world would keep —at least— your wisdom.”

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“It would be a gross mistake that the world protect only wisdom! We have already experienced centuries of wars and of pseudo-science and we learned that knowledge can be used to kill and destroy even the most essential values. We are the hope of the world.”

“Knowledge, when it is not accompanied by good deeds, may even become destructive. Knowledge is not enough. Knowledge with love and altruism is necessary so that it would help and benefit us all.”

The Wise man added: “We must save man´s values, which have almost disappeared from earth.”

“All right! I will follow your advice and I´ll see if I could take the decisions I have to take, although I find it strange to find myself in this situation being so young. My parents never mentioned this and I don´t know if I will be strong enough to cross all the paths that you mention. In fact, I´m scared.”

“It´s only natural. Your life has changed We´re prisoners of this cavern. An earthquake has just occurred and you don´t know what is ahead. That´s why the first obstacle which we need to overcome is —precisely— fear, by walking along the Path of Courage. A way to move away from fear is to understand it.”

“Can it be understood?”

“Not in full! It is a feeling which reasoning cannot enclose.

Feelings and emotions travel within our hearts and not our minds. In fact it cannot be fully understood, but we can try to visit it carrying a dim light to see what we can find in it.”

“Let´s do it quickly because I cannot even reason.”

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“That is the grimmest effect. It will paralyze you. It won´t allow you to think. It will darken your heart and in the end, it will overwhelm your mind.”

Thomas made a pause as a new noise invaded the cavern, and told the boy: “Look! The walls of this cavern are narrowing the path and they´re threatening to crush us!”

“Let´s run out!” Stephen exclaimed.

The old man followed the young boy´s steps gladly. He was able to see that the boy´s eyes had a glowing a light of courage that he had not seen before. Stephen´s steps got interrupted by an iron-barred door under the custody of a huge man. The boy got stunned. He had never imagined he would have to face so many difficulties.

Walking backwards, Stephen needed wise Thomas´ advice and asked.

“What should I do?”

“You must convince the guardian that you have already overcome fear.”

“How?” “There are two ways to face fear: On the one hand, you should be willing to fight. On the other hand, you should be angry enough to feel the courage to defeat fear.

If you want to live, you must remove from you all the things that block you, all the things that paralyze you.

When that internal fight starts within you and you want to remove fear from your heart, anger appears to help you. Fury against what pins you is a good antidote against fear.”

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“I´ve never been furious!”

“You will need it in order to fight with vigor and courage for all those things that are worthy. Doesn´t it make you furious that your parents should live in a sad little town surrounded by people who ignore one another, people who lack affection? The plants there die and the birds —when migrating— don´t even stop there to continue with their journey later on. Everything there is so sad, somber and lifeless.”

“I´ve never seen it so clearly before. I didn´t know any other world to compare. Now I can see the beauty in this path, the freshness of the natural springs, the brightness of the crystals and I can hear —far away— the singing of some birds. So now I can understand that there is a different world and I fervently hope that my parents would enjoy a world like this one.”

“And doesn´t it make you angry that they lack all these and that if we don´t do anything to change it that little town in that desert would become sad walls which will suffocate them for the rest of their lives?”

“It´s true that for the first time deep inside I can feel a fire which empowers me to fight against everything I used to consider regular and now—just now— I can see how sad and depressing it is. My parents deserve a better world!”

“Only your parents deserve a better world?” the old man questioned the boy.

“Well, uh, no. As my world during these brief ten years of my life are only my parents, I only thought of them. Now I think that nobody deserves loneliness, lack of understanding, silence or indifference. The love which my parents always gave me should reign in this world.”

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“It is because of that —reflected Thomas— that we´re here today. We have that kind mission to accomplish.”

“Will the two of us change the world?” asked Stephen.

“Well, let´s see. Together we´ll try to leave this tunnel and if we succeed, we´ll be able to do something important.”

“I´m ready to do it!”

The soldier who was guarding the iron-barred door had been listening attentively to the conversation between the Wise man and Stephen, and he quickly convinced himself that in spite of being only ten years old, the boy was brave and generous so he deserved to continue his journey.

Without any doubt, the soldier approached to the door and said: “You´re ready to continue to the next Path. Best of luck!”

The old man took the boy´s hand and they continued their journey together.

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The Path of Truth

The cavern —further ahead— was connected to another path, which was as beautiful as the previous one but there were more solemn characteristics. It was the Path of Truth. They did not hesitate and got in. In doing so, Thomas felt as if he had been in his own home. He has devoted all his life to look for truth; it was his mission and his passion.

The boy, filled with the energy of the new path, quickly asked his first question: “Does truth exist?”

Thomas did not hesitate for even a second and answered him: “Sure it does, but it´s not easy to find it.”

“Why?” “Because it´s required to have a special attitude of the soul.”

“Which is that attitude?” asked Stephen.

“One that is very difficult to find nowadays: We should want to find the truth, although sometimes it is not convenient to learn what it wants us to teach. Not all truths are alike. Some are born in the exclusive world of the objects and because they are not so related to us they are more widely accepted. Others are related to men´s inner world, their beliefs, attitudes and faith. They may offend those who refuse to listen to these truths as people´s minds do not want to face reality. For centuries men have focused solely on themselves and as a result they can see and it was a shameful way to annihilate truth.”

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Self-interest, intransigence, ideological fanaticism, willful, blindness, the fight for power, violence, the wish to dominate the other one, and so many acts of extreme brutality suffocate truth. They have been the fertile source of intolerance among men. There have been even wars to impose truths using violence.

The Wise man concluded: “Centuries of darkness have led us where we are today.”

“Shouldn´t truth be respected because truth is valid in itself?, asked the boy.”

“I can see, Stephen, that you´re becoming wittier and your questions are challenging. You´re right, truth has its own value and it lives in the minds of the very few free minds that still inhabit this planet.”

He continued: “Wise men love truth. They´re strong enough to resist selfishness. Their minds and spirits are not for sale. They —freely— face the interests of power, money that wants to buy truth and the Wise man´s knowledge. Political power may become authoritarian underestimating truth and wisdom, which could change the world if used for good purposes. Whoever is in power many times tries to impose their selfish ambition violently causing pain as a result.”

“Can´t this unfortunate situation be changed?” asked Stephen.

“That´s why we´re traveling within the entrails of this hill.

If we succeed in getting out of it, we´ll be able to do something important.”

“Light should be taken to all dark hearts that have always rejected truths as they consider it dangerous against their own selfish interests. Maybe we´ll be able to take away from the

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stubborn the bandages that blind their eyes. Solidarity and altruism are essential for men to live in peace, harmony and concord.”

Stephen, who got more enthusiastic, asked: “Will we be able to accomplish such a mission?”

The old man stared at him. “It all depends on you” —he softly said— “remember that what I can only do is give you advice but it´s your decision to travel each and every path. It´s your decision, not mine.”

He added: “All my life I´ve loved truth. Now it´s your turn to love it. It will enrich your thoughts and feelings.”

“My parents have always loved truth and they have always considered that truth should be present in our thoughts and in our feelings,” said Stephen.

“Do you share that belief?” asked Thomas staring at Stephen´s eyes.

“I´ve never thought about it. My infantile world never posed me such a question. But now I can see that I´m not the same person I used to be. In a very short time I´ve matured significantly.

My thoughts are those of an adult man. I understand that truth is essential in our lives.”

“Your mind is maturing and that´s good. You should always provide shelter to the freedom of your thoughts and the simplicity and kindness of childhood in the most special place of your heart.

Remember that truth is not enough, it´s necessary to love it, that´s why your soul should be free from selfishness.”

The Wise man continued: “Generosity is crucial for truth to blossom and consolidate in the world. The worst virus which corrupts truth is spiritual poverty.

Whoever possesses a mediocre spirit, without any spiritual ambition, intoxicated with omnipotence will never reach the core of

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truth. We should feel passion for truth; we should devote ourselves to it and accept it as the guide of whatever project we choose in order to leave a legacy. Only a free spirit that is open to truth is a fertile land for it to germinate. The rest is sterile: aridity and grief.”

“I´ve already seen the desert,” said Stephen. “Now I know this path crammed with plants and flowers, and the freshness of the natural spring. The light that it sheds has enabled me to understand that aridity darkens life and I do love life and truth.

My parents have taught me to love life, they´re my role models.

I wish that someday I would go back with them and make them know this world, which is totally different from the one they know.”

The Wise man could not help smiling with satisfaction and mysteriously said: “Maybe your dream will come true…”

Stephen understood the light of hope glowing in the Wise man´s eyes. He felt that there was a reason to keep on fighting.

They felt empathetic. The boy felt that his heart was getting closer to his guide´s. He did not hesitate that he was in the hands of a man who was only complying with his duty. There was love. He was like the image of the kind grandfather that his parents have talked about so frequently, a grand-father that he never had the chance to meet.

Meanwhile, the steps of these two underground travelers took them to the second iron-barred door. This one was not being guarded by any soldier. There was an elderly man standing next to a small desk immersed in the pages of a thick book.

“What are we supposed to do now?” asked Stephen.

“Something very easy,” answered Thomas. “That man, who is studying, is a former student of mine. He loves knowledge. He has devoted all his life to studying and he can quickly recognize the hearts of those who love truth. He has faith in my word. Faith is also a way to reach truth… especially that truth which is hard for our mind to grasp and which is invisible to our eyes.”

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So, they moved towards the reader. Thomas greeted him with kindness. The man stood up and shook his hand with the Wise man, showing satisfaction and respect. He met his Master after so many years.

Thomas told the reader, slowly, all that the boy had learned during his journey along the path of truth and the man was happy to hear that. Very few had walked that path and learned as much as Stephen, in spite of being so young.

The reader looked at the boy delightfully and saw that he was growing up extremely quickly.

“No doubt he will become a passionate Guardian of Truth, in spite of the selfishness and meanness of the powerful. So, he may cross the iron-barred door,” he stated.

Once he said that, the reader did not hesitate to open it so that the Wise man and the boy could continue with their journey.

“They deserve it,” he thought with satisfaction.

They looked at one another´s eyes and that was enough to say good bye. The travelers continued their journey, which filled Stephen with joy.

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The Path of Goodness and Kindness

A new path opened before Stephen and Thomas. It was the Path of Goodness and Kindness. When they got in, Stephen felt as if he were in a familiar place. He was not able to understand how that could be possible as he had never been there before. He told the Wise man about it and Thomas did not take long to answer him: “It´s expected that you can feel the love of your own home.

Your parents have always been good and kind with you, that´s why you feel at home.”

“Now I see,” said the boy. “I can feel something familiar in this path. I feel really comfortable here.”

“Not everyone would feel this way. Whoever is not good at heart can feel a strong rejection towards this path.”

“Why is that so?” asked Stephen.

“There´s a very complex answer to your question. There is a series of ‘commands’ in our hearts which start working when goodness and kindness deviate from their path. We´re good when we´re born. We come to this world as pure beings. Corruption is the result of man´s actions. Some people are able to accept their own belittling and they can even infect others. When a man decides to deviate from the path, a kind of “fire alarm” goes off.

It tells him that there is something wrong and if he doesn´t try to find a solution quickly, everything will be lost. That ‘alarm’ —some men call it ‘guilt’— is inside ourselves to help us get back on track whenever necessary. It´s a kind of ‘security system’: it 33

warns us against the dangers of falling. It shows us how deep we can fall.” The Wise man added: When man is not longer fair, good…, when man repudiates goodness, when he conceals the truth, when he is not longer kind and humane… deep inside there is a voice which shows his mistake and warns him against all the harm that he´s causing.He feels guilty. Some intelligent men will listen to it in time and as a result, they will walk back. Most people won´t. They´re foolish, in their hearts they have a judgmental echo which reminds them that it is crucial to go back to the original principles: Justice and Goodness.

“Now I can understand why I´ve been chosen for this mission.

It´s because children —despite our youth— can bring new hope to make a better, kinder, more tolerant, more humane world. In a totally humane world, men can strengthen and crystallize essential values and as a result, lay the foundation of what is distinctive and belong to them: culture and its spirituality.”

Then, the boy added: “Everything is getting clearer and I´m growing eager to help. It´s worth fighting for a better world!”

“I´m happy to listen to how firm and strong your beliefs are,” claimed Thomas. “I´m sure you´ll be able to do numerous good deeds.”

The Wise man continued: “Let´s reflect upon goodness and kindness. I´ve already told you that there is a voice inside our selves which guides our conscience. It shows the ways which we need to walk along before the unexpected. We don´t know what tomorrow brings but

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our conscience already knows what is the correct attitude before every eventuality. It´s very important to listen to our internal voice. We all have our own. It tells us what is good and it shows us what it´s not.”

“Does goodness exist outside ourselves?” asked Stephen.

“You´re asking difficult questions again. I´ll do my best to answer you.”

And the Wise man added: “First, there is a supreme Goodness who we owe everything.

He´s our Creator. He´s ‘Goodness’ and he´s the source of goodness.

It depends on men to accept him or not.”

The Wise man continued: “During the latest centuries few opened their hearts to receive Goodness and Kindness. Spirituality has got lost. It appears before everybody´s eyes. The world has dried up spiritually and vileness has become deeply embedded. It has undermined the will to live healthily. We live dolefully and in tears. Very few ones —like your parents— are open to goodness, that´s why they were chosen so that you —a flower which blossomed under their care in the middle of the desert— would be the one to walk along these paths. We should contribute to the foundational re-creation of a better world. A more humane world is possible! Our mission is to walk along all the paths to take Justice, Goodness, Kindness and Love… to the rest of the world.”

“How should I know —if the day comes— that I´m complying with the delicate mission to carry Goodness to the world?” asked Stephen.

“Your inner voice will tell you. We all become aware when something is good and when something is bad. A test to check it is by asking ourselves if what we´re doing favors or destroys life.”

He added:

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Everything that protects or increases life is good.

Everything that harms or denigrates it is bad.

“We´ve been given our lives so that we can take care of all its aspects, including our spirituality. Unfortunately, the majority has not been able to go beyond the superficial aspect of the material things.”

“Goodness —like a seed— does not germinate or become fruitful in arid or dry places. It needs to bury its roots in the nourishing humidity of earth. A man´s real nutrition lies in his soul.

There lies our enormous wealth. Many people have let it die and nowadays they wander sadly around the planet. They lack their north, their way. They spin around the concentric circles that they dig as a result, with their own feet getting deeper and deeper, without the possibility to get out of it.”

The Wise man continued: “Luckily, many have not followed the path of mediocrity.

They have fought like your parents, so that they could keep their values at heart. They give an example to the world. We should have more of this kind of examples. Your mission is to preach in the wilderness until this garden crammed with plants is revived.»

“Will I be strong enough to do it?” asked the boy in an uneasy way.

“Sure you will —assented Thomas. All the strength that you´ll need will be granted to you if we reach the last path.”

Whoever wants to fight for a Better, Fairer and more Humane world deserves to receive the strength to do it.

Thomas continued: Don´t forget that you got baptized when we walked along the Path of Courage and we walked out successfully. For the time 36

being we´ve been successful and that is the best signal that we can receive: we will succeed in reaching the final stages.”

The Master and his disciple were almost leaving the Path of Goodness. There was a nice old woman looking after the ironbarred door. They both got closer to that silver-haired and smiling woman. When she saw the two trekkers her eyes started shining with a special light: it was the light of hope.

“You´ve come earlier than expected!” she said kindly.

“It´s because the boy who´s coming with me —his name is Stephen— has been very eager to walk along and has walked steadfastly along all the Paths that we´ve been through. Optimism has invaded him and he can´t wait to get out and help his neighbors,” said Thomas. The old woman, while kindly caressing Stephen´s hair, told them: “Goodness is one of the most effective and valuable ways to do good to others.”

When feeling the affectionate, fragile and warm hand, the boy could not help crying. He remembered his mother´s caressing him —always so sweet and empathetic— and for a second he was able to see her, her eyes, her warmth, her kisses… her love.

The old woman immediately realized what was going on so he hugged him and told him: “Your mum sends you this hug to encourage you to go on.

Your mission is extremely important. Many people will be grateful with you.”

The boy felt comforted and to show his gratitude, tenderly kissed the old woman´s cheek. It was a good-bye kiss because the iron-barred door opened up and Thomas and Stephen walked towards the next Path, which was close: the Path of Harmony.

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The Path of Harmony

The travelers started listening to a melodious but simple music. Light intensified, the water from the natural spring was pouring more quickly and the greenness of the little plants which were growing by its banks was even greener. It was obvious that this new path was full of life…: lively, energetic, catching… intense and in full.

Stephen was paying attention and as soon as they entered this path, they were able to listen to the music more clearly. Some colorful little birds were flying over their heads. Some colorful little birds were bathing in the natural spring. They were flapping their wings and drenching them in order to get fresher. When getting out of the spring, they would make little jumps as if they were tiny children wrapped in their diapers.

Green was the prevailing color of the plants; red, yellow and even gold appeared as well. They all looked healthy and the brightness of their color showed life in full. Their brightness seemed to be expressing that life was at its full potential. On a closer look, there were tiny locusts jumping from one branch to the other without hurting them. They were all living so harmoniously that it seemed to be part of their regular lives.

Stephen had never enjoyed such a sight. He was used to the aridity of home town so he couldn´t help admiring the tiny forest that the Path of Harmony was offering him with generosity.

“What will we learn here?” Stephen inquired Thomas.

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“Many things” —answered the Wise Man. “You´ll learn easy and necessary things. First of all, we´re learning that many species which inhabit this little place can live in harmony, without hurting one another. Secondly, it´s easy to observe that those who live in harmony with the world have a happier and more wonderful life than those who don´t. Just look at the elegance and the brightness of the mockingbird´s feathers, how sweet its trill is.

Pay attention to how happy they look and how passionately they embrace life. Look at the plants: their colors are so vivid, they show exceptional vitality, a special strength in their stalks, where their flexible leaves swing in a hammock. And what about locusts and crickets which live in harmonious community surrounded by their offspring, which they look after with special care? Happiness is born from the harmony which man decides to live in. When we understand those two concepts, we immediately realize that there is a third one: Whoever lives in harmony and has a happy life is the first one who will profit as they have found something that many have been looking for as if it had been a panacea but which they haven´t found.”

“What is it, Thomas?”

“Something that will seem very simple but that is hard to find: your own harmony, your inner peace.”

“Is it so difficult to find? inquired Stephen.

“The passing of time has taught me so. So worried has man been trying to satisfy his own greed that he has forgotten about his own spirituality and own and distinctive creativity.”

When inner peace is lost, we cannot value everything that surrounds us. We lose our capacity to enjoy life and the people we love.

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“Many men have taken years to discover that when they obtained all the material things that they had dreamt of, they felt completely empty inside, which became upsetting. They had so many material things but they had lost their capacity to enjoy them. They felt frustrated. Life had made them reach a crossroads: the material things didn´t make them happy and they had lost their own inner peace so long ago that they didn´t know how to find the way back. They felt sorry for themselves but didn´t find consolation.”

“Can something be done to remedy human being´s stupidity?” asked Stephen resolutely.

“Man has to go back to his origins, to his essence and humanity. He has to meet himself again if he wishes to be happy again. He has to recover his values and identity, which are lost.

Man ought to go back to selfhood.”

“Will man succeed in doing so?” asked the boy.

“Many are unable to do so by themselves. Their legs seem to be paralyzed. Their hearts have hardened and their minds are numb; they cannot recover their own culture and values. Only critical reflection and a moral decision to change will save them.

Only when they adopt that brave attitude will they be ready to be helped and they will walk back the way that they have so mistakenly taken.

“And what will we do?” asked the boy.

“We´ll help but only those who will be willing to recover their own dignity after listening to their inner voices” answered the Wise man. “There´s no use in helping those who stubbornly refuse to being helped. Kindness cannot enter arrogant people´s heart. Kindness cannot enter the hearts of those who don´t repent.

We need to be really humble. Humbleness is the entrance gate to

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Goodness. We´ll help the prudent and the sensible. We´ll help to make a better world this way.”

“I´m thinking about everything that you´re teaching me and I think that if we succeed in restoring harmony in people´s hearts, the world will improve significantly. If we used a little imagination, it won´t be difficult to think that the towns in the desert would become green forests, full of trills and lullabies, full of life, full of people willing to live happily at heart.”

Thomas took pleasure in every word his little disciple uttered. He was conscious that during the very few days that they had been together, the boy was becoming a determined messenger. It was evident that Stephen was ready to undertake a heroic mission.

Birds seemed to be guiding the travelers. Flying ahead of them, they took Thomas and Stephen to the iron-barred door of the Path of Harmony.

Remarkably, nobody was looking after that exit door. There was a sign that read: If you love your life, If you love the people who surround you, If you´re willing to live in harmony with them, and if you live in harmony with your inner self, then go through this door and nobody will hurt you.

They both looked at the door and although the bars were not too close, it was impossible to go through, not even for Thomas, who was the slimmer of the two. That did not intimidate them.

The first one to give it a try was Stephen, who stood sideways and tried to go through. When he touched a bar, he realized, with astonishment, that the door opened. He pushed it open and Thomas and Stephen moved through it comfortably. Through it went the 42

birds and the pigeons flying happily. As soon as they crossed the door, a gust of wind closed the door. Stephen, curiously, touched it and realized that it was locked. It was obvious that only those who were fair at heart would go through.

There was another path to be crossed.

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The Path of Love

When going on walking they found a bright Path —it was the Path of Love. Birds had reached the path before them and were flying happily. It was a spring day.

Stephen was able to feel the warmth of his own home. It was impossible to forget the love which his parents have given him all that time! The boy got deeply moved and Thomas´s hand rested gently on his head, empathetically.

They had walked along many paths. Happy and smiling people appeared and they were showing sincere affection. There was even a banquet… which was a gift after so many days walking.

There was a table set under the fresh shadow of some hazelnuts.

There were also willow trees which seemed to be drinking water from the water spring. The birds, on the branches, were in charge of the music. A delicious smell wafted invitingly to the travelers.

There were soft cushions for them to sit on.

The hosts were prudent and let the travelers eat peacefully before starting a fruitful chat. Stephen enjoyed the dishes with pleasure. After lunch, Thomas had a puffy belly. It could be said that he had gained more weight in a day than in years. Everything was understandable: the journeys had been pleasant but exhausting both for the Master to teach and for the Disciple to learn.

After lunch, a woman took a harp and sang beautiful songs for the travelers. The Wise man and the boy were comforted. They

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had reached an oasis and there they regained energy to continue with their journey.

The hosts knew that they had received a Wise man and were eager to ask him questions. However, it was not necessary as Stephen started talking and gave them a detailed explanation of what they had experienced since they entered the cavern and everything that he had learned from his Master along their journey through the paths. They listened attentively. They found it hard to believe that during so little time the boy, coming from the desert, could have learned so much from the Wise man, especially in terms of kind feelings.

The hosts knew what the outer world and its miseries were like. They knew very well that all those poor in spirit that were living there had fallen in human mediocrity as they had not learned in time all the lessons that the boy already knew. They soon understood the importance of a spiritual guide and the need to live a fair life for their own sake. They concluded: It´s better to respect truth than to praise lie; to defend justice than give in; it´s better to place love in the heart than the bitterness of selfishness; it´s better to live in harmony than in distressing conflict; it´s better to feel love and marginalize the destructive hatred.

After all –they reflected– hatred is a double-edged dagger which ends up destroying our own life. Hatred is the opposite of love. It´s born due to thousands of different reasons, many of which are spurious. Sometimes it´s gestated in the womb of meanness and selfishness. Selfishness is the root of all evil. From altruism and love are born empathy, solidarity and the commitment to fight for a better world.

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On the other hand, pride and vanity are ways to despise the other. Many men love themselves. They do not know that Narcissus died due to his own selfishness. Captivated by his beauty, his ephemeral image ended phagocytosing himself.

Whoever loves only oneself despises the others.

It´s even worse: so magnificent does he feel that his own idolatry becomes a despicable feeling of superiority. He wishes to dominate the ones around him. Some men discovered –when deifying themselves– that the quickest way to dominate is using the power of money. Money is the ultimate power, even more absolute than the political power as it can buy rulers.

Rulers —on the one hand— knowing this pitiful truth and wishing to remain in power, opened their greedy arms to money.

It is a reprehensible means that leads you to become powerhungry. The relationship between the economic and the political power are extremely close. One wants the other, like an image wants a mirror.

It is not mere coincidence. The mirror has silver in its constitution in order to reflect an image. Brightness lures men as much as money does. So the mediocre man thinks only of himself and forgets the others. Greediness dehumanizes, corrupts and suffocates the kindest feelings. It is difficult to find a rich man helping a poor one, although there are striking exceptions.

It is not a coincidence that the greedy owns so much wealth.

Because he is avaricious, he accumulates wealth pettily. He won´t share his wealth. Whoever suffers from greediness bleeds their heart. They cannot share their feelings. Loneliness becomes a deadly and overwhelming company. Greediness becomes a compulsive obsession. Its voracity can be seductive and intoxicating.

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Drunkenness takes off man´s most distinctive feature: rationality. The drunk cannot live without his alcoholic beverage.

The rich wants to live embracing his wealth. They both lack limits.

They always want more. Nothing is enough. While running that wild race, they forget about the others. Selfishness becomes a thorn in their hearts.

Devotion to and adoration of money is like a nest of snakes.

They are poisonous, which harm the others. The rich die and the vulnerable suffer from inequality and social discrimination.

Money is the reason why man destroys, kills… His ambition is such that he becomes a slave who will even trade his human dignity, his own and the others´. Money, as it grows its roots in a man´s heart, sends kind emotions to exile.

The altruist, on the contrary, shares what he has.

He is generous and benevolent. He gives whatever he has without expecting anything in return.

Love is the foundation of philanthrophy.

“Philanthropy” is a word with a dazzling etymology: “Philo” means “love”. That is why a “philosopher” “loves” knowledge and a “philanthropist” “loves” humanity. The purer and more authentic love is universal. Love is the constant attitude of the soul which tries to do good to the others, even to the one who may have harmed him.

Listen, Stephen: True love is an altruist passion: It´s a captivating feeling; a glittering flash; a blessing asked to God for all those who need it; the wish that the clouds would take the rain to the inhabited desert; the farmer´s wish, who sows the seed to cease the hunger 48

of ill-fed children; sharing food when one is hungry; sharing shelter when one is shaking with cold; the fire which is set to offer light; a caress blown to the wind in order to heal all painful souls; a pigeon´s fly which seeks the lost one; altruism when giving it with plenitude and without restraint.

Love... is an infinite and universal light.

Stephen, when listening to his Master, asked him what a family´s real love is like: “So don´t parents expect anything from their children?”

“Always so clever,” answered Thomas. In fact, parents expect a special answer from their children: their love.” Love among the cherished ones is an endearing feeling which demands loving feedback which nourishes, enriches and enlightens it. Love is like a flower: with water, it blossoms and shines.Without love, all life withers.

True love results in a very special spiritual feeling: it´s true happiness. Whoever gives their love in full and sincerely achieves happiness. Ultimate happiness is achieved when love makes its nest in the heart of the cherished ones.

When love is love to their children, happiness gets wings. It shelters them in the nest so that they could later fly and reach the highest hills. Love nourishes itself from strength but it is exercised when one loves another person. It´s easier to love the strong than the weak. However, there´s more virtue in loving the weak.

There´s no higher love than that given to one´s children (who are born weak in an unknown world), and to the elder, because when he reaches the highest spirituality, his body becomes weaker.

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In the past, men used to admire the elder as they respected their wisdom. Then, science appeared and the stubborn believed that it was going to be able to substitute the wise lessons of the elder. Men stopped admiring the elder. Even worse, some despised the elder as their rich spirituality did not correspond to men´s superficial hunger for material things. Men closed their ears to the elder´s thoughtful lessons and to the valuable spirituality. It´s like shameful shelters where men have left those lessons locked forever.

Whoever loves the weak —on the contrary— admires the elder, because his physical weakness is not reflected in their spiritual strength. When the body gets weak, the soul of those who take the strong decision not to give up is strengthened. It´s then that the soul acquires its peace and splendor.

A calm and level-headed soul is a soul at peace with oneself and with others. Inner peace appears with the passing of time, when one learns which the real values are the ones that prevail and when we start living in accordance to them. Values are lights that illuminate the path that our life projects take.

In order to correctly choose the values which should be a priority, a profound wisdom is needed.

Wisdom is born from reflection and it is very difficult to reflect upon the current world´s materialism. That is why there are very few wise men and huge numbers of stubborn and arrogant people.

In order to reach wisdom, it is necessary to love it with deep humbleness.

The ultimate wisdom that we can achieve is the wisdom of humbleness. It has not limits, it is infinite.

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Once he said that, Thomas looked at Stephen with delight and told him: “I can see that you love truth, you love your parents, you love the others. Your love and spiritual grandeur will be your sword to accomplish the heroic mission which you have been entrusted.”

The hosts thanked Thomas and Stephen for their lessons. If only they had learned them when they were ten years old!

They all felt very close. There was a feeling of brotherhood, of special warmth, which was empathetic and communicational, as if they all belonged to the same family. In fact, they belonged to those families for whom blood is not a tie. Those families choose their members as there are tied bonds among them: the sincere love and desire to share everything philathrophically… just for the loving pleasure of helping the others without expecting something in return.

“That is the kindest and more authentic love” —said Thomas, and taking Stephen´s hand, they greeted everyone with love. They run to the iron-barred door of this Path feeling joyful and happy like never before.

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The Path of Justice

One step further away there was the Path of Justice, which caused strong vibes in Stephen´s heart. The boy —until he reached the hill— had never thought about bravery (as he had not known fear before). He had not thought of truth (as it was a more difficult topic given his short age) but he had always felt that there are rules to be fair to the others. He let that know to Thomas.

“I´m not surprised that you feel shocked. We´re in the Path of Justice and the feeling of justice blossoms within ourselves. We bring it in our hearts as soon as our lives sprout out. It´s innate.

Justice is a value which motivates us and inspires us to assume attitudes that show real commitment. The most valuable thing a man can do is fight for a fairer world. Owing to justice man is like his Creator although the history of mankind teaches us that there haven´t been worst administrators of such a value than men themselves. The administration of justice got corrupted by arrogance and the intoxication which power causes. Men judge their neighbors with disdain as if they were superior to them.

They forgot that humbleness, empathy and understanding should accompany every judgment. Those virtues are indeclinable and the rulers owe them to society. They should govern everyone with justice seeking social balance. They should guarantee rights to the most vulnerable people.

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Justice got altered —with the passing of time— until it became deplorable, a dark labyrinth, non-rational power. The mere exercise of power lies under the law´s mask.”

Some judges and some rulers deified themselves. They were so foolish! They´ve forgotten that they´re just human beings… with their light and shadows like any other regular human being.

Things were different long ago. Not all judges or rulers have fallen into insensitivity, conceit or haughtiness. There used to be fair judges and rulers. Due to the lack of justice, the world today is facing major conflicts which corrode existence. Men and many rulers have been the worst predators.

“Is it so easy to cause destruction?” asked Stephen.

“Indifference, intolerance, despotism, fanaticism, fundamentalism, violence, hatred... they all have a huge destructive power. There are no limits,” answered the old man.

“Hasn´t man understood that by destroying his neighbor he destroys himself as well?”

“That´s a clever question”, declared Thomas. “Men have taken centuries to understand that but when they finally did, it was impossible to revert the effects that their bad attitudes had caused. That´s why the world is ill: Every person protects what they obtain from the poor material things of the planet. They forgot spiritual richness long time ago without noticing that the lack of one has a consequence on the other. When man limited their love for simple things, he lost his own humanity. He became an object and, being an object, he even had a price. He paid dearly: he sold his values, his freedom and spirituality and, as a result, he became spiritually poor.”

“Today, many men drag themselves around the world with no dignity. They only fight to survive and achieve material things and in doing so, they´re at the service of the powerful, who they venerate in order to live free from sacrifice and efforts.”

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“Nowadays, animals are more coherent than men. They are faithful to their own instincts and sincere with their feelings. They do not know the meaning of hypocrisy. It would be a nice start if men started learning from animals and lived in harmony with Nature.”

“I never thought men would learn something from animals,” claimed Stephen. Could I learn from them what justice is?”

The Wise man was astonished to hear how discerning the boy was becoming.

“Your questions are growing sharper! You´ve matured so quickly!”

The boy smiled slightly with satisfaction. He loved the Wise man´s kindness and wisdom and was well aware that he would guide him well. There was a brief silence after which Stephen asked another question. The Wise man meditated over the answer.

“Well, look you extraordinary little mind, to tell you the truth, animals do not know what justice is, however, their behavior makes me think that justice is part of their instinct. Animals have genetic codes similar to human beings´. Science has discovered that men suffer from a genetic delay. Our primitive minds are adapted to answer questions quickly and automatically, without further consideration, which enables us to survive in the natural world, where we evolve slowly.”

Then the old man added: “When men started creating —at fast speed— a cultural world, the mind did not evolve at the same pace, that is why our brains cannot yet adapt our primitive impulse and our valuable feelings to a rational mind, which originated millions of years later. Animals´ brains are still primitive, that is the reason why they behave freely as they cannot reason but can feel more than we can.

Animals react spontaneously, intuitively and emotionally. They show their love to their masters, their fear for thunder and fire…

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They don´t hold prejudice, like men, who jump into conclusions and consequently those conclusions determine their behavior by means of mental inhibitions which control them before acting.

Animals —unlike men— are more coherent than men due to their own instincts. Think about two horses which are given different portions of oats, or two dogs which are caressed differently by the same master. Somehow they will let their masters know that they are upset and will compete to reach food first or their master´s soft hand. They do not accept unfair treatment.”

Equality is one of the main elements of justice. Equality and justice are words which are closely linked but although these two words are close they are not enough to define justice.

Truth be told, men have not yet agreed upon its meaning as it is only a feeling which is difficult to conceptualize. Values are understood emotionally and, then, rationality makes them intelligible. But the intellect does not work properly without the necessary help of emotions. They do not damage reasoning. On the contrary, reasoning grows richer with it.

I do not deny that during the many years of my life I have reflected once and again upon justice but I have not been able to find a univocal and complete because it is used for countless different reasons.

Not only does the word “justice” imply different behaviors and circumstances but it also encompasses endless aspects. An illuminating concept was pronounced by a philosopher many years ago. He stated that “justice” is “the leveling of inequality” and I believe that although it is not a complete definition, the course of history would have changed if rulers had applied it in their kingdoms.

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Imagine a country where everyone was treated like equals! Where there will not be discrimination, contempt, indignity!

Imagine a country where all the children had the same access to food! So many deaths due to undernourishment would have been prevented!

Imagine a country where all men had the same access to a position in the public service! One of the main causes of corruption could have been prevented, the one which emerges when the public officer wants to remain in power forever.

Imagine a country where everyone had the same access to culture! There would not be illiteracy and the resulting stigma that the illiterate has to carry during his life. It would not have been treated contemptuously and the planet would not been as divided as it is between the dominating and the dominated.

Imagine a country where all men had the same access to a spiritual life! Our species would not have dehumanized as a result.

Imagine a country where all the people had the same access to resources to feed and educate their children!

Think of all those little children who walk the streets barefooted, who live in the streets, without a shelter, without a home!

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All the injustice would be remedied with a good dose of equality. Can you see to what extent equality can interest justice and how illuminating the concept of justice as “the leveling of inequality? Apart from being a concept, it should be the main concern and the guiding light for rulers. It is also urgent to give man his freedom, which some economic systems have robbed from them. Larceny of freedom is one of the cruelest ways to subdue and humiliate men. It is a way to artfully rob us of our own identity In man everything is incomplete. Man is in constant evolution.

Everything appears before man as to be completed… during all his life. We are born with many shortcomings, that´s why we need freedom to develop our inner self, both spiritually and morally.

Nobody is born a wise person. Man needs freedom to decide to do so. Nobody is born with a complete full moral conscience.

Freedom enables us to choose between the good and the bad.

That is why it is essential to enjoy our freedom, the fullest freedom possible, in order to be able to choose to be honest or not. Being honest is a decision.

Then, the Wise man added: “Listen, Stephen. If equality is an essential component of justice, so is freedom. Without social equality or political freedom, justice cannot even be born in the world. During the history of mankind there have been a significant number of cases in which power profits from social inequality.”

He continued: “Unfair distribution of wealth and education enables the powerful to subdue the poor easily. As a result, inequality and discrimination become more painful.”

The good ruler ought to create the necessary conditions so that every person can earn their own living and feed his family. As a result, the concept of responsible fatherhood is reasserted. It is important to understand 58

that having resources to feed and educate the children is not enough. It is also necessary to have time and love to hug and kiss them.

“What´s love? Stephen asked again. He was willing to know more than his Wise Master as he had told him so much about it.

“Well, your persistent question does not make it easy for me to answer you fully and quickly, but I will teach you something else that life and reflection have taught me: True love is love as a gift. Love is given selflessly. Love is given without expecting anything in return. Love values the other´s happiness more than his own. Love is not a demand. Love is always ready to renounce. It is passion that is born from altruism. Its ultimate happiness nests in the joy of the loved one. As it has already been stated, `the measure of love is to love without measure´.

Love can never be based on selfishness. It is a kind of narcissism without a lake or reflection on the water. On the contrary, whoever loves the other shares their own light and lightens the path for whoever needs it. True love is blindfolded, but it has its own light. It sees from the heart.

Love is like the sun: it is always there and shines its light in the darkness of the night. Love is always by our side although sometimes it is invisible to our eyes. Love is a deep, universal and endless light.

After offering those answers, the Wise Man taught his disciple a new lesson:

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“Love and Justice need each other: For Justice to exist it is essential to love it. Without love and passion, Justice does not nest in society. To live in peace, it is necessary to have the constant presence of justice.

Justice is nourished by freedom and equity. Without equity there cannot be freedom and without one or the other, there cannot be justice.

Justice supports both equality and freedom. It is like the Philistian temple which Samson demolished: it is based on two central columns. When they crack, the temple of justice will collapse.

Legitimate power ought to be supported by justice. When it is not, it runs the risk to pull down the foundations where it stands.

That is why, in a democracy, the ruler ought to be fair although he may run the risk of losing the people´s support and then collapse resoundingly.

“Well, said Thomas, there has the come time to summarize everything that we have said about justice and the best way to do so is to use the sharp concepts of another thinker, Carlos Nino. In short, Nino has taught us that justice consists of an equalitarian distribution of freedom. Reflecting upon that, I concluded a similar concept.

There is political justice when the power guarantees the effective respect for freedom to all the citizens alike. There is justice only when man has enough doses of freedom which are proportional to the amount of freedom his congeners enjoy. If distribution is unequal, someone´s freedom harmfully invades other people´s freedom and as a result there is not full justice.”

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Justice demands an equal and impartial portion of freedom for every citizen, so that everyone would have their own. They should be equivalent in such a way that the freedom that one enjoys would not invade or remove the other´s.

“Justice is like an oscillating pendulum which moves —harmoniously— from one side to the other in the horizon of an equalitarian society where it is equally distributed.

Justice is like a compass. It shows the cardinal points for peaceful communal living.

Justice is like a two-way path: not only does it give the other what is theirs, but it also gives back to the deprived what used to be theirs.

Justice is a golden string which provides strength and consistency to the social fabric.

Justice is like a coin: there are two sides which are joined indissolubly. One needs the other. The side of freedom embraces the side of equality and in that way the coin has it real value and carat.”

“I feel enthusiastic with your words. I can feel a burning heat in my heart. I am fully convinced: It is worth fighting for a fairer world!” exclaimed the little hero showing absolute certainty.”

“That is called passion”, stated Thomas. It is a healthy passion. It aims at selflessly helping the neighbor.

“Is that a way to be fair? —asked Stephen with his eyes sparkling.

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“No justice can be achieved if there is no passion in the fair´s heart. That altruistic love is required, love which spreads over our purest feelings.

Justice is not for indifferent or unmoved people. It requires a firm conviction and a brave wish to conquer and share it.

We should fight to recover love for justice,” expressed the Wise man eloquently.

Stephen, seeing that they were closer to the iron-barred door, asked his wise guide: “How are we going to cross through it?”

“That will be easy”, answered Thomas. The boy who is guarding it will just look at your eyes. If he sees that the light of justice is gleaming, he will not hesitate to open it.”

Both travelers reached the young guard. Just like Thomas had said, the boy looked at Stephen´s eyes and there was an indescribable gesture of satisfaction in his face.

“It has been a long time since I last saw such limpid and sparkling eyes. It is an honor for me to open the door and allow you to continue your way. I wish you the best. The world needs fair people to come back so that humanity and dignity can be restored to man. I hope that all the pure feelings and wishes that I can see in your eyes will become real as soon as possible. Have a nice journey!”

After saying that, the boy took a large key and placed it in the lock. The iron-barred door opened up silently and the grateful travelers went on with their journey.

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The Path of Faith

Stephen could not help but feel in ecstasy. Happiness filled his soul. He was aware that he was reaching the end of his journey.

He wanted to know what he was supposed to do later on. A sense of curiosity awoke in him and he was on the alert. He saw that Thomas was heading with determination to the Path of Faith.

“In this path you should decide whether you are going to get out of the hill or not. If we get out, we will have important things to achieve in the world. If we do not, you may happily live inside. You have already seen that there are very good people who will look after us. It´s your decision.”

Stephen remained silent. He had never considered remaining inside the hill although it was a very beautiful place and there were nice people there. He wanted to meet his parents again. He knew they missed him and he was missing them. Will there come a day?”

Thomas went on walking slowly along the Path of Faith.

There was no light at the end. Everything was dark. Suddenly, he invited Stephen to walk with him. They got to a dark place. The boy quickly realized with surprise that the exit was blocked by huge rocks. They looked like the ones which had blocked —some days ago— the entrance to the cavern. Worried, Stephen asked Thomas: “Is this exit blocked like the entrance?”

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“Exactly”, answered the wise old man. They are the same rocks which the volcano had thrown at the entrance. In fact, we are in that same place now.”

“How is that possible?”—asked the boy.

The Wise man took some time to answer back. Then, he exclaimed: “All the paths turn over the same central axis of the hill. We have walked along a huge circle and that is why we have reached —precisely— the starting point.”

“Did you know it?” asked Stephen.

“Yes. But I didn´t want to tell you until you became —deep at heart— brave; until you decided that you wanted to fight for truth; until you loved justice passionately; until you filled your heart with goodness… that of kind feeling which your parents have inspired in you. As you have already learnt all that, now you´re ready to accomplish your mission heroically. You have enough strength to fight for a more humane world. That is why we are here today: We´re at the entrance door. We had met at the entrance door and found the same rocks that the volcano had erupted, which were tons of immovable stones.”

“What´s next?” inquired Stephen, who saw that his dreams were being slowed down brutally. “You´ve taught me how to fight for a better world and I´m determined to do so. Now, should we just cross our arms and wait until a new earthquake moves the rocks away?”

“No way! —exclaimed the Wise man with a loud voice.

“That´s why we´re in the Path of Faith.”

“What´s faith?” – asked Stephen.

“It´s the most radical belief that a man can ever possess.

It´s believing without seeing. It´s the deep and absolute certainty that we can do whatever we want. We can even surpass the laws of Nature in exceptional cases, when Goodness and Justice require 66

so. It´s believing that our Creator will help us in everything that we won´t be able to achieve on our own, and that help will be such that it will surmount the most difficult obstacle. It is the belief that our dreams will become true no matter how. It´s putting yourself in God´s hands and asking him with to help us with the strength that only He possesses.”

Thomas looked at Stephen in the eyes and said: “If you have faith in your Creator, if you believe that it is worth getting out of the hill in order to fight for Truth, Justice, Goodness, that is to say, for a better world, put your Faith in God and ask him with your humbleness and heroic heart to remove those rocks and to help you get out. The world looks forward to your presence and action!

Stephen listened to the Wise man with excitement. His face got red with energy, his heart started beating frantically and a strong emotion shocked him. His lips started praying with such strength that the cavern starting shaking. One shock was followed by another one, which was bigger. Suddenly, cavern started shaking. Within minutes the rocks started falling and there was a light from the outside coming from the entrance of the cavern.

The miracle of faith occurred once again.

The Wise man took Stephen´s hand —just like the very first day— and they walked out. Stephen —full of surprise— found the Messenger with a large cape riding his winged steed.

“Have you been here all this time? asked Stephen.

The Messenger laughed out loud and said:“I´ve been coming and going. I´ve taken so many boys and girls on my saddle to this and to so many other mountains… many other Wise men have been teaching the importance of preserving the essential values of human life… You´re the first one to have got off the cavern and the first one that I have to ride so that you can accomplish the mission to teach —with determination and bravery— what Truth 67

is, how important Justice is and how necessary Goodness is. Only in that way will humanity be able to live in harmony and the deserts will become to be fully alive, with brilliant plants and harmonious trills. Would you like to travel with me to your destiny?”

Yes! —answered Stephen without hesitation.

The Wise man took the boy from the waist and helped him get on the Messenger´s winged steed.

“Where are we going?” —asked Stephen.

The Messenger looked at the Wise man and smiling, answered him: “A semi destroyed town in the middle of the desert is looking forward to having you. There are so many people to help and there are two persons who are waiting for you and who love you so much: your parents. They will feel so happy to see you again!”

At that moment, which was so moving, Thomas, his Master, looked a Stephen and said: “I wish you the best. It´s been an honor to have been your guide. The world needs to listen to new kind humble and peaceful messages.”

With tears in his eyes, Thomas added: “Fight for a better world, a more worthy one, a more tolerant one, less violent, more humane, more beautiful.

Humanity needs to recover the kind hearts which children have. You´re the first chosen hero and you´ll be able to help so many other children. The world will appreciate that!

After he said that and with an imperceptible move of the reins, the winged steed went up into the air and headed to the town where Stephen´s parents lived. New and enriching missions were there for the new hero to accomplish.

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Open letter Thinking of a more human world

I would like to invite you to build a more humane world. We can think together about a new world where freedom, equality, justice and dignity were enthroned.

In a more humane world freedom should be guaranteed, it should not be an empty sermon. We should not declaim freedom but secure it at all levels in our society.

Social inequality abounds. The unequal distribution of wealth in the world has led that half of it is in the hands of very few people. As a result, poverty, vulnerability and discrimination have grown in many countries.

Whoever needs to devote their life to survive lacks freedom to choose their own project of life. We need rulers and statesmen who understand that social and economic inequality cuts short freedom and without freedom, no individual may possess dignity.

Rulers ought to be genuine and authentic guarantors of freedom.

Contempt for minority groups, authoritarianism and intolerance are like a social cancer which needs to be expurgated with the best medicine: humbleness, which leads us to see the other like our real neighbor.Whoever boasts a position when exercising political power forgets that they have been chosen to serve the neighbor. If power infringes freedom, then it is illegitimate. It betrays the indeclinable duty to protect the citizens´ freedom.

Whoever believes they are better than the others because they 71

are wealthier also despise equality. Wealth does not make us more humane. In fact, it has been a social poison which has given birth to inequality in terms of rights and opportunities.

Kant has taught us that everything in the world is either price or dignity. Money enables us to purchase goods. However, it cannot purchase dignity (neither ours nor the other´s), even worse if it is used as reification. It causes arrogance, greed, excessive ambition and all that —precisely— mutilates dignity in our finiteness.

In a more humane world —I insist— there should be equality of opportunities for the purchasing of goods. We should decide to abolish the calamity of poverty and mendicancy. Everybody, absolutely everybody should have access to the essential goods to have a decent life. Less is more: less poor people, less rich people. Charles Chaplin used to say: “It doesn´t bother me that there should be rich people. What bothers me is that there are poor ones.” The swaying movement of the distribution of wealth will help leveling inequality. In order to do so we should forget our atavistic selfishness and start thinking —seriously— about the value of altruism.

There should be equality as there is no reason why we should not have the same rights. If we are all human beings, we do not deserve an unequal treatment based on the privilege of power or wealth, which support the peaceful coexistence. Extreme inequality causes violence. Obviously, the will to fight and talent should generate different rewards, but whoever inherited special talents should share them.

A more humane world makes the one who possesses more to help those who possess less. The clock´s pendulum teaches us that both extreme should rest at equidistant points.Virtue —taught

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us Aristotle— is the half-way point and the extremes should meet at a central point where they would coincide in fraternal union.

In a more humane world there should be greater sense of justice. It is the judges´ responsibility to deeply reflect upon this urgent claim as they have been chosen to embody justice. I have met few fair judges who really extol the administration of Justice. I wish that there would be many more fair judges and those who are always willing to get rid of cases quickly and irresponsibly and believe that in doing so they work correctly would be removed.

Justice is not a speed race but the result of prudent reflection of the behavior under consideration. Whoever judges feeling in an omnipotent and arrogant way, believing they are superior to the person being judged is mistaken. Their task is to promote equality where it was absent. That is why —precisely— justice equalizes inequality.

Where there has not been equality or freedom, it is the judge´s duty to restore them since the weak and the damaged ought to be protected and treated on equal terms. That judge who does not have that concept clear in mind is not a good judge.

Neither are the rulers if they do not accomplish the mission of spreading fruitful seeds of equality and freedom. Justice is the fair distribution of freedom.

In a more humane world, human´s dignity ought to be respected. Man is valuable in himself. We are all worthy. A more decent and more humane world demand human beings who are engaged with the vulnerable ones, the ones who are discriminated against, the ones who have no voice. We should be their voice.

In his appeal against mediocrity, José Ingenieros leaves us these wise words: “Any ideal, in its protest against the bad, always

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reveals an indestructible hope for the better. While criticizing the past, the healthy leavening of the future will ferment.”

I hope that a more humane world will blossom, where we all assume our attitudes of authentic commitment with a more egalitarian society, a freer, fairer, more generous society which will care for the vulnerable and for the deprived.

Ernesto Seguí

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Ana Russo´s words

When reading “A more human world” the reader will immediately believe as from the title itself that the text deals with some mystical issues, maybe they are philosophical or scholarly ones from someone who insists on paving the way for another person —the boy— to follow.

Before the text itself, its author, Ernesto Seguí, warns that he is introducing a story and he dedicates it to “all those who dream with a better world, a more honorable, fairer world, a more tolerant and less violent world, a more humane and more beautiful world.”

And he adds: “It is from your present dreams, the nobility of your spirit and the generosity of your seed that this close and magical world to come depends on.” It is dedicated to everybody and to no one in particular; it is addressed to a YOU, which may well be interpreted to be the boy —the future hero— who is trying to understand the reasons of the world.

From the very beginning it can be felt that there is pure trust in the values which imply a life in harmony with the inner self, with the world and the cosmos. A human being who is at peace is in balance between the earth and the universe. It would seem too ambitious to say so but it is not. In addition to everything that is received as part of our upbringing, education, faith, doctrine, examples or moments of crisis in which life reinforces what has been received —I repeat— to start searching what is missing with

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the determination to live in fair life. I mean, a human being who is at peace contributes to the welfare of humanity.

I am not describing a contemplative being. You can feel peaceful in the middle of the riskiest actions which men devote themselves to during this path, which is nothing but life itself.

So, that “seed” from which that distant and magical future world depends on belongs to those who dream it and work for a kinder and fairer future.

Whoever is reading these lines may think that this is utopian, an utter expression of a wish which is impossible to achieve in a paradisiacal future in which humbleness has been through rituals of ablutions. It seems that the writer dreams with an ideal of perfection or his imagination results from the analysis of human behavior, which is corrupting itself to the point that it becomes the object of materialism and poverty, which are unbearable and darken the true sense of life.

It happens that the writer is not a scholar but a learned professional of the law who has walked the paths of human behavior and has imperatively needed to go to the fountains of Justice in order to understand them. A true lover of literature and scholarly readings, he has reconciled both themes: the expert professional and the fine and sensitive writer who considers it essential to get involved from a humane and pedagogic perspective in order to save the future.

Of course, this book can be used as catechism of life, which added to the inherent principles of the human being´s rights, make up a text which should be read by generations of children and teenagers alike. They are the ones who are able to build up in their inner selves the wisdom of dignity.

I refer to that honest man, that Master who has been able to leave his indelible mark in the hearts of his people and the whole world, Mahatma Gandhi.

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The Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord) is for Hinduism what The New Testament of love is for Catholicism. It is a deep lesson of mercy and respect. Gandhi said: “The Bhagavad Gita has been a source of relaxation for me. When I was not able to see the horizon as a source of rest for me, when I was not able to perceive in the horizon any comforting perspective, I would open the Gita and find that verse which would give me hope.”

I do not know if Ernesto Seguí has read that book but I am sure that he is the type of person who is sensitive and loves the values which are indispensable to live in peace with oneself and the others: humbleness, acknowledgement of the other and acknowledgement of the other´s dignity. It is an enlightening and kind story, and there is a humanistic character which can be perceived from beginning to end.

I would like to quote a piece from a conversation between Krishna (the Hindu deity) and his disciple, prince Arjuna about the Knowledge of the Spirit: More important than material sacrifices is the offering of wisdom, as it is the result of all action. The Knowledge of the Spirit comprises all actions. Educate yourself about this, study, investigate and provide service. The Wise man, the clairvoyant who is the owner of inner knowledge, will instruct you about it when you are ready to receive further lessons, as when the disciple is ready, he goes to the Master. (…) Once you have obtained this knowledge, oh Prince! You will be free from confusion and mistake…

The characters here are a Master who leads a boy (the future generation) along several different paths of revelation and learning. Of course the path is signaled by a discourse which can 77

be read by young teenagers and even by children. It would be of utmost importance nowadays if values such as the ones which appear in this text could be revised at school, and I do not mean doctrine schools but any space whose aim is to build a fairer world, as well as parents who are responsible to support those criteria which open up the world towards honest beliefs. It would be valid if they could have access to this piece. It seems to be a simple one but it contains rules of conduct which, if they were respected, society would start healing. By way of example, I include some of the rules of conduct: It is better to respect truth than to praise lie; to defend justice than to give in.

It´s better to place love in the heart than the bitterness of selfishness; it´s better to live in harmony than in distressing anguish.

Whoever loves only oneself despises the others.

Hatred is a double-edged dagger which ends up destroying our own life.

Wisdom is born from reflection and it is very difficult to reflect upon the current world´s materialism. That is why there are very few wise men and huge numbers of stubborn and arrogant people.

Love nourishes itself from strength but it is exercised when one loves another person. It´s easy to love the strong, however, there´s more virtue in loving the weak.

The whole journey of sincere lessons that the Master gives his disciple concludes with a brief dialogue:

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“What´s faith? – asked Stephen.

“It´s the most radical belief that a man can ever possess.

It´s believing without seeing.”

Throughout the text some parallelism can be found with other readings. At the beginning there is a human trinity: the father, the mother and the son, who is taken from his house to be taught about the re-creation of a better world. That immediately makes us think of Jesus, who came to this world to rebuild in the same desert a heavenly kingdom, although the boy is human and does not represent God. On the other hand, the Wise man is called Thomas –in the New Testament he would not believe if he didn´t see or touched– who at the end of the journey talks about faith.

I quote Pope Benedict XVI´s homily: “Then, the proverbial scene of the doubting Thomas, which occurred eight days after Easter. At first he did not believe that Jesus had appeared in his absence and said: `Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand by his side, I will not believe. (Jn 20,25), eight days later, and this time Thomas was present. Jesus summons him: “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing” (Jn 20:27). Thomas reacts with the most splendid profession of faith in the whole of the New Testament: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28). The Evangelist continues with Jesus’ last words to Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20:29).

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That phrase can also be used in the present: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Tangentially, it could be said that Ernesto Seguí includes himself in the Allegory of the Cavern, a philosophical-pedagogical text where reference is made to men enclosed in a cavern and who are faced to a stone wall over which shadows where projected (the world of the senses) which projected free people. For them they were projecting free people.

The shadows were true for them. In fact the effect this allegory wants to convey is the freedom of the world and the beginning of an intelligible world where man acquires the true proportion of freedom and rationality, which is a distinctive quality of the animal kingdom which leads to knowledge. Different aspects have been found in this book and so many others will be found by the most experienced readers. The aim of those words is to make it clear that the concept of Goodness and Justice have been understood.

The path is the most difficult and complicated one although the results will always be random it is worth trying to leave a mark in the world for the future generations. An ideology and a challenge are the seeds which the author will leave in the hearts of every new life that reads this story.

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Summary

Introduction 10 The Hero and the Wise man

13

The Path of Courage

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The Path of Goodness and Kindness

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The Path of Harmony

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The Path of Love

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The Path of Justice

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The Path of Faith

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Open letter Thinking of a more human world 71 Ana Russo´s words

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Online digital file ISBN 978-987-86-7075-1

Dear friend: A better world is worth fighting for. I invite you to beautify it for our children and for their children’s children. They are our fruit and our seed. Your contribution will be valuable and decisive. Success will be with us. Do not hesitate!!!

Ernesto Seguí

Online digital file ISBN 978-987-86-7075-1