an online book by David Gurteen
Anthony de Mello (1931-1987) was a Jesuit priest, spiritual teacher, and author known for his teachings on spirituality, mindfulness, and self-awareness.
Anthony de Mello (4 September 1931 – 2 June 1987), also known as Tony de Mello, was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A teacher and public speaker, de Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He is known for his storytelling, which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West.
Credit: Wikipedia - Anthony_de_Mello_(Jesuit_priest)Most people don’t live aware lives. They live mechanical lives, mechanical thoughts — generally somebody else’s — mechanical emotions, mechanical actions, mechanical reactions. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Most People Don’t Live Aware Lives Anthony de Mello
Loneliness is not cured by human company. Loneliness is cured by contact with reality. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Loneliness Is Not Cured by Human Company Anthony de Mello
Where there is love there are no demands, no expectations, no dependency. I do not demand that you make me happy; my happiness does not lie in you. If you were to leave me, I will not feel sorry for myself; I enjoy your company immensely, But I do not cling. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Where There Is Love There Are No Demands Anthony de Mello
Problems only exist in the human mind. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Problems Only Exist in the Human Mind Anthony de Mello
Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest from India. He was the director of the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counselling in Puna, India, and a member of the Jesuit province of Bombay. Early Life and Background Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) was an Indian Jesuit priest, psychotherapist, and spiritual teacher who brought together insights from East Continue reading Anthony De Mello Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist
Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don’t know it, are asleep. They’re born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Spirituality Means Waking Up Anthony de Mello
A young man came to complain that his girlfriend had let him down, that she had played false. What are you complaining about? Did you expect any better? Expect the worst, you’re dealing with selfish people. You’re the idiot – you glorified her, didn’t you? You thought she was a princess, you thought people were nice. They’re not! They’re not nice. … | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Are People Untrustworthy or Is It Just Our Bad Judgement? Anthony de Mello
There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading The Cause of Unhappiness Anthony de Mello
In this book, Awareness, by Anthony de Mello, everyday habits of thought and perception are examined with the aim of understanding how they shape one’s life. De Mello, a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist, presents a series of talks that invite observation rather than doctrine or technique. He suggests that much unhappiness stems from unconscious conditioning, Continue reading Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony De Mello (1992)
Pleasant experiences make life delightful. Painful experiences lead to growth. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Pleasant and Painful Experiences Anthony de Mello
Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice and comfortable in bed. It is irritating to be woken up. That’s the reason the wise guru will not attempt to wake people up. I hope I’m going to be wise here and make no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It is really none of my business, even though I say to you at times, “Wake up!” My business is to do my thing, to dance my … | Anthony de Mello Continue reading My Business Is to Do My Thing, to Dance My Dance Anthony de Mello
There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading There Is Only One Cause of Unhappiness Anthony de Mello
People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading People Mistakenly Assume That Their Thinking Is Done by Their Head Anthony de Mello
You know, all mystics – Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion – are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be sure. But, tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are asleep. They are having a nightmare. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading All Is Well Anthony de Mello
What you are aware of you are in control of; what you are not aware of is in control of you. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Awareness and Control Anthony de Mello
A man found an eagle’s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years passed and the eagle grew very … | Anthony de Mello Continue reading The Story of the Eagle Who Grew Up as a Chicken Anthony de Mello
We’re crazy, We’re living on crazy ideas about love, about relationships, about happiness, about joy, about everything. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading We’re Crazy Anthony de Mello
“What is love?” “The total absence of fear,” said the Master. “What is it we fear?” “Love,” said the Master. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Fear and Love Anthony de Mello
We see people and things not as they are, but as we are. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading How We See Things Anthony de Mello
Life presents us with situations such as traffic jams, illnesses, or setbacks that simply exist. The human mind turns these conditions into problems by resisting them, layering judgment and expectation upon them. By noticing this shift, we can respond more directly to reality instead of being trapped in the stories we create about it. Continue reading Problems Only Exist in the Mind Anthony de Mello and the nature of awareness
Debates are an essential part of communication, allowing for the exchange of differing viewpoints. However, understanding their various forms and purposes can be challenging. By examining the structure and significance of debates, we can gain a deeper understanding of their role in public discourse and critical thinking. Continue reading Understanding Debates Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it
Do we listen, to confirm what we already think or do we listen in order to reply? Or do we listen to discover something new? Do we enter into a conversation with a willingness to learn rather than the intent to persuade others to accept our views? Continue reading Learn to Listen and to Tell the Truth Do we listen, to confirm what we already think or do we listen in order to reply?
