André Costa

“Many readers will wonder who Zero is. That question is understandable, but it is not the most important one. A better question is: Why does Zero speak at all?

Zero does not exist to be admired, believed, or followed. He exists to direct attention away from himself and toward Reality. If, while reading The Book of Life, you become fascinated with Zero, you have missed the direction of his words. His purpose is not to become the object of your attention, but to help you see what has always been before you.

Nothing Zero says should be accepted simply because he says it. Every insight must be tested against Reality itself. If what he says is true, Reality will confirm it. If it is not, leave it behind. No voice deserves your trust more than Reality.

Neither should you try to become like Zero. The goal of the dialogue is not imitation but seeing. Truth does not ask for copies of another person; it asks each person to see clearly and to live faithfully according to what is true.

A window is valuable not because we admire the glass, but because it allows us to see beyond it. Zero hopes to be forgotten in the same way. If, after reading, you remember his words but fail to see Reality more clearly, then he has not accomplished his purpose. If, however, Reality has become more visible to you, then Zero has quietly fulfilled his role.

No one should stand between a person and Reality—not a philosopher, not an author, not a teacher, and not even Zero.”