For most people, the type of religion they follow, as well as the God they believe in, are the two most important factors in their religion. Most religions have similar philosophies, with guidelines that involve being kind, being honest, not cheating, and other basic moral rules. But the biggest controversy comes when a god is named and the specific ways to approach that god. Although it can be inferred that Santiago, the protagonist of The Alchemist, is strongly influenced by Judeo-Christian values ​​through the various biblical symbols present in the book. However, he does not resort to traditional means to achieve religious fulfillment; instead, he rejects his father's notion of religion when he refuses to become a priest, due to his unique interpretation of his faith. People forget what religion is. It is simply a means by which people achieve spirituality, not a competition. Since spirituality is a connection between the heart and the mind, to realize it you need to experience things differently from others. This is why Santiago decides to become a shepherd. He is passionate about his travels, finds peace in them and thus gets closer to God through these travels rather than as a priest in the Church. Everyone has different ways to achieve spirituality and religious status, but one common thing is that it can only be achieved by pursuing one's personal legend: one's life purpose. Santiago reaches for both spirituality and religion in pursuit of his personal legend. Religion in The Alchemist is used to manifest the idea that there is a greater meaning in Santiago's life and that it is his duty to realize that meaning; it also serves as the basic discipline and structure he needs to acquire the spirituality, without which Santiago could never have realized his Personal Legend. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In The Alchemist, the concept of personal legend plays a religious role in Santiago's quest, convincing Santiago that he has a purpose to fulfill it that is bigger than his own life and provides Santiago with the basic blueprint to follow to reach the its ultimate goal. Religion in many cases is when a person has faith in the unknown and in this search for the unknown, religion provides outlets to refer to in case a person becomes lost. These outlets include sacred texts, religious figures, and signs that have symbolic or historical importance and are an important feature of religion because they allow a person to go back and see where they are. In this novel, Melchizedek, who is a king of Salem, plays a vital role in the universe in convincing people and things of their personal legend. Melchizedek presents Santiago with an idea that shows the characteristics of a religion that tells Santiago to take control of his life and follow his Personal Legend. Initially, Santiago is unsure of the concept of Personal Legend introduced by Melchizedek, however, when he witnesses and envies the freedom with which the wind called the Levant moves, he, just as any religious person would, decides to take a leap of faith in the unknown. selling his sheep and boarding the ship for Tangier. This aspect of uncertainty present in the Personal Legend of Santiago is parallel to the concept of religion because both require faith, or the ability to believe in the unknown. Another reason Personal Legends act like a religion is that they provide outlets like other religions, such as omens for visual confirmation of Santiago's whereabouts. THEOmens are an important part of religion because according to Melchizedek “God has prepared a path for everyone to follow [and they] need only read the omens he has left for them” (Coelho 30). In this case, personal legends can be classified as religion due to the use of outlets, however, it is not entirely independent because it relies on God to make some aspects work. Without the work of God and these omens: Santiago would never have dropped the Urim and Thummim (which are the stones that decipher the omens), reminding him once again of his personal legends, he would not have given any meaning to the fight of the falcons and would have been been killed in battle when armies broke into the oasis to plunder, and would not have noticed the significance of the scarab in the desert, so would never have been able to find his treasure. In the book we see the concept of Personal Legend introduced which can be classified as a religion itself, and this religion provides Santiago with outlets and means to achieve his ultimate goal, however, it is a religion that is not entirely independent as it relies on God to make certain things happen and therefore exists only to integrate already established religions. Spirituality is the crucial concept of having your mind and heart in total synchronization with each other; without this, a person will never be able to express his one hundred percent; this can only be achieved after your beliefs and desires have been rigorously tested, which in Santiago's case is his journey to achieve his Personal Legend. He is tested for his beliefs and willpower with every turn of the book's page and as these tests become more difficult, the progress he makes in terms of achieving peace with his heart becomes clear. After being robbed, Santiago cries over losing his sheep and his mind begins to think of "selling the stones [Urim and Thummim] and buying a return ticket [back to Andalusia]", however, later, when “he ran his fingers slowly over the stones, feeling their temperature and feeling their surface” his heart said “when you desire something, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it” and then continues his journey (Coelho 42-43). In this, his spiritual weakness can be seen as his mind and heart in conflict and they recognize their desires, but are afraid that he can never return to his old life as a pastor, however, his faith and religion begin to take shape. He later meets Fatima, who turns out to be the love of his life, and he is afraid of losing her in the search for his personal legend. Santiago realizes that his heart is trying to distract him from his Personal Legend, and calls him a “traitor” (Coelho 132). He asks the alchemist why he should listen to his heart while committing “treason” and the alchemist responds by telling him “You can never escape your heart. So it's best to listen to what he has to say. This way you will never have to fear an unexpected blow” (Coelho 132). He is still not satisfied and tells the alchemist that "[his] heart is afraid of having to suffer" and in response the alchemist tells him "that no heart suffers when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a moment of encounter with God” (Coelho 134). This thought comforts Santiago and “from then on [he] understood his heart” (Coelho 136). At this point he still has some progress to make, but he has mastered the basics. This was an important step because now his heart and mind were no longer in conflict and nothing could hold him back, which gives him the willpower and patience to stop at nothing. Spirituality is achieved when religious beliefs are put to the test, and it is/>.