What Does Santiago Learn In The Alchemist

Discovering and learning was written all throughout the book, The Alchemist. A young boy who was once sought out to be a priest went on to fulfil his dream of traveling. Along his journey, he meets many important people who lend him their knowledge to help him make it through his long trip.
The young boy, Santiago, took this journey to see the world. Santiago is a shepherd who has high hopes of traveling the world. Along his travels, he has the same dream twice in a row. This dream that reoccurred gave him a weird vibe. He went on the next day searching for a woman in Tarifa who interpreted dreams. This gypsy taught him what his dream was telling him. It was saying that Santiago had a treasure waiting for him in the Egyptian pyramids.
Santiago was initially looking for the treasure in the pyramids. He receives helpful tips of how to locate that treasure from the king of Salem, Melchizedek. Melchizedek taught the boy a number of things such as the world’s greatest lie and what a Personal Legend is. He told him that the world’s greatest lie is

“that a certain point in our lives we lose troll of what is happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.” The king also mentioned that your Personal Legend “whets your appetite with a taste of success.” Melchizedek also told him what the principle of favorability is. It is like “when you play cards for the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginners luck.”
Santiago had remembered all the advice the king had given him and went on his way after the king had given him two stones, Urim and Thummim.

He carried on, traveling amongst different village of those who did not speak his language. He soon found a shop with a shopkeeper that spoke many different languages including his own. Santiago decided to clean his glasses in exchange for something to eat. Santiago spent a year with the merchant learning all new ideas and stories from him. He learned the five obligations from the Koran, the meaning of maktub, and why the merchant did not want to travel to Mecca. The five obligations are to believe in one true God, pray five times a day, fast during Ramadan, be charitable to the poor, and pilgrimage (to travel to Mecca at least once in our lives). Santiago also learned what the word maktub means. According to the merchant it is an important Arabic word that means “it is

written.”
The young oy also learned that the merchant didn’t want to go to Mecca because it was the thought of Mecca that kept him alive. He says that “if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living.”
Santiago had saved up enough money to go to the pyramids. All he needed now was the merchants blessing and a ride there. The merchants of course gave him his blessing, but refused to go to Mecca with the young boy.